The holidays will be over any minute now, and teachers will be rushing to send home this month’s Scholastic flyers! In case turnaround is tight, I thought I’d get a jump on it by posting it in time for you to mark up those flyers and return them post-haste.
Elf
How Wet Can You Get – I really like these Cat in the Hat science books for young readers. They have the fun-to-read, bouncing Seussian rhyme that one would hope for, and a nice little overview of a topic, just enough for the little guys who are ordering from Elf. Fun and informative!
Let’s Count to 100 – This busy book has groups of 100 for kids to practice counting with – but it is no boring workbook. Kids can pore over the pictures for fun, as well as for counting practice, so for a child who is just getting going, it might be a great way to encourage them to practice without boring them to bits. for an older kid or a strong counter, this may not have enough longevity to make it a worthwhile purchase.
We’re All Special pack – Boy, I wish this pack had a different name, but I’m going to pick it anyhow, because it has good stuff in it. What a Wonderful World is the son made famous by Louis Armstrong, Mem Fox is a top-drawer author, and this Karen Katz is a nice simple look at peace and fellowship. Good stuff indeed.
Celebrate Chinese New Year pack – all three of these are solid books on celebrating the Chinese new year. I particularly like Sam’s Lucky Money, and the My First book is a nice intro for young ones.
The Farm Team – this author/illustrator team is the genius behind the Stanley books, and they can bring the funny! In this book, hockey-playing farm animals take on their rivals – a great winter story about underdogs with heart.
I Spy Numbers – A lot of kids LOVE these I Spy books, and even reluctant readers will often pore over them for some time, tracking down objects. Add in numeracy, and this is a good pick.
Chicka Boom collection – The classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Chicka Chicka 123 are joined by one more Bill Martin title, a just-for-fun one, for a trio with great read-aloud rhythm.
Pop Bead Critters – Chicken Socks are the younger brothers to the Klutz kits, aimed at littler, less dextrous kids. These pop bead animals are flexible fun, and a simple toy to give as a gift, put away for a rainy day, or take with you for travel or waiting rooms.
Digger pack – If you’ve got a kid in your life who loves diggers and trucks, you know you can never have too many construction and vehicle books for them to look at, even if they all start to sounds the same after a while. This roadwork book is an especially good one on construction, and hey, you can’t go wrong with another digger book for your little cat machine freak, trust me – I have one myself!
SeeSaw
1000 Things To Make and Do – I am always recommending theese usborne activity books because they have lots of great projects, and kids love looking through them and finding ideas, as I do, too. There is some repetition between books, so if you have a bunch already, you may not need this one too, but if not, it’s a super starter!
It’s Snowing! – Gail Gibbons is a go-to author for junior non-fiction, with simple drawings and explanations that are in-depth enough to answer most things young kids will ask, yet written in clear language. Always a good bet.
Chicken Cheeks – This ridiculous book looks at the many and varied names for the derriere – or tush, seat, fanny, or backside, as you may have it. It hits kids funny bones in just the right spot, and the cartoony silliness of the pictures keeps it on the light and goofy side. perfect for giggly sharing.
Bear and Friends collection – Bear and his friends are very much worth knowing if you don’t already. These are sweet stories of friendship and cycles of a bear’s life (hibernating, walking up hungry), all told in a bouncy verse with good rhythm. They are excellent read-alouds, and kids love them. How great to get a bunch together, if you haven’t got some of them yet!
LMNO Peas – This alphabet book for slightly older children features fun, detail-filled small images of peas plying various trades related to the alphabet. It’s great for covering occupations and building vocabulary as well as for the alphabet, and just plain fun, though it’s better for sharing one-on-one for reading alone, because of those small-scale illustrations.
Cat in the Hat Readers pack – I really like these Cat in the Hat science books for young readers. They
have the fun-to-read, bouncing Seussian rhyme that one would hope for,
and a nice little overview of a topic in approachable language. Fun and informative!
Magic Tree House collection – I really like the Magic Tree House series, one of the few series that I
really enjoy despite the formula. This is a big collection, and worth it if you know your kids will want to read them all, but if you don’t think you need this many, know that Magic Tree House is a regular offering in various different packs in these flyers, and there will be a chance to buy a smaller pack later.
National Geographic Deadliest Animals – there are those kids that love these books – the sharks! The tigers! So shivery-good, just a scary enough to be fascinating, but still safely between pages. For those kids, this is a good pick!
Bones – Steve Jenkins does amazing collage illustrations, and always pairs them with interesting, but simply-written and concise text. This book about bones is no exception, and a lovely look at the skeleton.
The Magic School Bus Reader: Inside a Volcano – As I’ve often said, I really like these books and the way they combine
fun and learning. I’m not alone, either – I know LOTS of kids who ask
for them often, including both of my own.
Experiments for Junior Scientists – I am a big fan of science for kids, and this kit of ready-made experiments takes the prep work and guessing largely out of the equation. A good pick for any kid who is curious enough to try some new things, and makes a good gift, too.
Lucky
A to Z Mysteries® The New Year Dragon Dilemma – This mystery series has gone on to cover months as well, and is still popular with lots of kids, being in the easy chapter book format, but still a fun puzzle to solve along with the kid sleuths.
Superfudge – This good old Judy Blume chestnut has acquired classic status, and is still much-requested by kids in grades 2-4. A good book for boys and girls alike, kids very much relate to Fudge, it seems!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Pack – this series has been a mega-hit for a few years now, especially with
boys and even reluctant readers, who like the graphic elements that
break up its text. The series is going strong, but is another frequent
flyer, so you can count on being able to pick it up another month, too.
Chester – Chester is a cheeky, obnoxious cat who won’t let his author get on with
her work and keeps inserting himself in the book, with ridiculous
results. Melanie Watt is a funny lady, and a major hit with kids, making
this a good pick.
National Geographic Kids Are You “Normal”? –
The Magic School Bus® Chapter Book – As I’ve often said, I really like these books and the way they combine
fun and learning. I’m not alone, either – I know LOTS of kids who ask
for them often, including both of my own.
Klutz: How to Draw Funny and Klutz Magnetic Magic – I love Klutz books for their fun, kid-oriented activities, their very
clear and easy-to-follow instructions, and the fact that they come with everything
you need to get started. I like buying these for gifts, so the cheaper price is a nice
bonus.
Fractured Fairy Tales Pack – I like a good fractured fairy tale, and these are some fun ones. This version of the Little Red Hen is actually my favourite, in an urban setting, and making a pizza. These kind of stories are fun, and encourage kids to retell stories and make connections to the versions they know already. Good stuff all around!
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes – these are funny – you might remember them from a good 20-25 years ago?
They still appeal. I know a friend’s kid who is a major fan, in fact.
Readers and reluctant readers alike enjoy cartoons, so if your kid won’t
gravitate to a full-on novel just yet, these might grab his/her
attention in the meantime, not to mention that you can share some good
belly laughs reading them together!
Magic Tree House® Boxed Set Books #33-40 – I really like the Magic Tree House series, one of the few series that I
really enjoy despite the formula. This is a specific collection, and worth
it if you know your kids don’t have these ones, but if you’re not sure or want different ones? Know that Magic Tree House is a regular
offering in various different packs in these flyers, and there will be a
chance to buy a different pack later.
Books of world Records – the Guinness Book of Gross Stuff is the clear winner here, though the Scholastic Book of World Records will work well for kids who are not into serious gross-out goodness. Kids – even the most reluctant of readers – love these for browsing and discovering.
Arrow
Brian’s Return – A folllowup to the classic Hatchet by the excellent, multi-award-winning Gary Paulsen. This is a story of survival and redemption, and a good choice any child who loved Hatchet or enjoys the wilderness.
Showoff and Swindle pack – Gordon Korman is a standard suggestion for kids looking for a funny but
well-written novel, most of which are set in or around school. This series is about a group of kids and a dog, and Zoobreak was a Silver Birch nominee last year. Korman’s been a
Canadian favourite for a good 30 years now, and is still going strong for good reason!
Big Nate Comics Pack – Big Nate is the most obvious read-alike for The kid who’s read the Wimpy
Kid series and wants more, and here, the flyer delivers
the new one. We’re talking about
something that is on frequent offer, so if you’re not sure your kid is
in need of this right now, don’t sweat it. You can always pick it up
again another month.
Bridge to Terabithia – An incredible, award-winning book by Katherine Paterson about friendship and death. It’s heavy going in its subject matter, but magical, and a classic with very good reason.
War Horse – this Michael Morpugo is in the news a lot lately, as the play is in Toronto, and the movie just coming out. A story of a boy and a horse in times of war, it’s not light reading either, but again, possesses the magic of friendship and heroism.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Pack –
this series has been a mega-hit for a few years now, especially with
boys and even reluctant readers, who like the graphic elements that
break up its text. The series is going strong, but is another frequent flyer, so you can count on being able to pick it up another month, too.
Time Big Book of Science Experiments – I love science for kids. It teaches them about the world, feeds their curiosity, teaches them to ask questions and try to answer them, and in the case of books of experiments, also teaches them to follow instructions. That, and the experiments are interesting and fun. A definite win.
Calvin and Hobbes Pack – these are funny – you might remember them from a good 20-25 years ago?
They still appeal. I know a friend’s kid who is a major fan, in fact.
Readers and reluctant readers alike enjoy cartoons, so if your kid won’t
gravitate to a full-on novel just yet, these might grab his/her
attention in the meantime, not to mention that you can share some good
belly laughs reading them together!
The 39 Clues #1-11 Paperback Boxed Set – This series is written by some of the top names in adventurous kidslit,
and keep kids guessing and following along. If you get started with
these, be prepared to have an obsessed kid, but these are another
often-featured set, so you can always put this on the back burner and
know you can order later, too.
The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: The Son of Neptune – This series takes place in the same world as the Percy Jackson series,
with Camp Halfblood figuring prominently, and so on, but does not
include Percy himself. Riordan is a fantastic action/adventure writer,
so kids are gobbling these up just as fast as they did the original
series.
The Kane Chronicles, Book One The Red Pyramid – Rick Riordan’s other new series, with a fresh set of characters and a focus on Egyptian mythology, rather than Greek. Riordan is a fantastic writer, so these are every inch a hit with kids, just like his Percy Jackson series.
Dear Canada: Torn Apart The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi and
Dear Canada: That Fatal Night The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton – these diary-format books highlight major events in Canadian history from
the perspective of someone involved or affected, bringing history to
life. With 2012 being the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, there
are a handful of new titles on the topic, this being one of them.The other is about the internment of Japanese Canadians during WWII. The quality of these books in
generally quite high.
DK How to Cook – I’ve
said it before – I am better off just kept out of the kitchen. But kids?
Kids should totally be in the kitchen learning to follow instructions
and measure things out, and this book has some good recipes you can make
together, as well as many well-suited to letting older kids strike out on their own in the kitchen successfully.
Children’s Book of Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters – Percy Jackson has made mythology cool, and any fans of Percy is likely to recognize some of the monsters he battles in this book. The creatures are fascinating, and this is good for hours of browsing, even for less motivated readers.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Boxed Set – These. Are. Awesome. Kids have loved them, they read like you’re
watching it happen, and they may just spark an interest in Greek
mythology. I highly recommend these if your kid hasn’t read them yet.
Brian Selznick Boxed Set – This set comprises the groundbreaking half-graphic Newbery-winner Hugo Cabret, the followup Wonderstruck (also half-graphic), and a book on the movie version of Hugo. I honestly think it’s intended for hard-core fans who will want that extra book, though it is a good enough price to merit buying it if you would buy both original books.