Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Children’s Book Corner – April 2010

by Stephanie Dethlefs4/8/2010 11:27:21 AM

Welcome to the Neighborhood-Kids Children’s Book Corner! Each month I offer one title each for five different age groups, although by no means should the books be limited to certain ages. These recommendations are based on my experience as the parent of two young bookworms, a teacher, and a voracious reader of children’s literature. Happy reading!

For Baby Bookworms (Birth to 2)
Rosie series by Mary Morgan (Hyperion, 1999-2000)

Each of these books teaches a young reader the characteristics of a specific behavior in a gentle and positive way. When Rosie is gentle, she cuddles her doll and tickles a fuzzy caterpillar. When she is wild, she plays with her peas and bounces her baby brother on the bed. When taken as a whole, this series shows that one individual can have many different behaviors, and that all of them are okay.

For Preschool Power Readers (3-5)
We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow
(Golden Books, 2010)

A family plants a tree in the backyard of their American city home. At the same time, trees are planted by families in Africa, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere around the world. As the trees grow, they provide for the family, the community, and the Earth. As the trees grow, so do the children. This beautifully simple, rhythmically-told story weaves the importance of nature with the generations that inhabit it, and encourages readers young and old to take another look at the trees they see each day.

For School-age Scholars (6-8)
The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, 2010)

A little girl delights in discovering the joys and mysteries of the world, both real and imaginary, with the guidance of an important male figure (likely a grandfather or father.) But when one day his chair is empty, the girl takes her heart and places it in a bottle to protect it from the hurt. The disadvantage to this, she finds, is that she is now unable to explore and enjoy her world in the same way…until she finds a reason to release her heart from its captivity. While this book would be a comfort to a young reader who has recently experienced a loss, it also reminds the older reader that there is always a good reason to open our hearts again.

For Independent Intermediates (9-12)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick, 2006)

Edward is a china rabbit doll who is adored by his owner, the young Abilene. Edward, however, is far more concerned with his own appearances and is completely unfamiliar with the emotions associated with caring for another. It is when Edward accidentally falls overboard from an ocean liner into the deep sea that he begins to become attached to others – including a fisherman’s wife who dresses him like a girl, a hobo with whom he rides the rails, a sick little girl and her brother, and, finally, the family he was always meant to have. The beautiful illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline and short chapters make this an easy read, yet it will not be easy to forget Edward and his friends.

For ‘Tweens and Teens (13-15)
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
(Scholastic, 2006)

Steven has the usual eighth-grade issues – girls, band practice, parents, school, and a 5-year-old brother who will never leave him alone. Life is going along about how it should for a 13-year-old…until the day his brother Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia. Now Steven has to balance his personal growth with his family’s struggle, and his desperate need for his brother to recover. Jordan Sonnenblick’s trademark mix of humor and serious subject matter started with Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, his first book for the middle-school set, and he pulls it off brilliantly.

Editor's Note: With Young Writers Studio heading in exciting new directions, this will be Stephanie Dethlefs' last edition of Children's Book Corner for Neighborhood-Kids.com. We're so grateful for all of Stephanie's work and hope she’ll continue to share her expert knowledge as a parent and educator with us in the future!

A Note About the Author: Stephanie Dethlefs

Stephanie Dethlefs is the mom of two children who writes, teaches, and runs the Young Writers Studio in her spare time. Originally from Seattle, she arrived in Bellingham in 1996. A perfect day would include playing outside with her husband and kids and getting lost in a book.