Topic: Children's Choices in Recommended Books, 2009 (2)

10-second review: Brief descriptions of books recommended for grades K-2.

Title: “Children’s Choices, 2009.” Reading Teacher (October 2009), G-2—G-5.

Continued:

Sort It Out! Barbara Mariconda. Sherry Rogers. Mount Pleasant, SC: Sylvan Dell Publishing. Packy the Pack Rat needs to sort out his large collection. Models categorizing.

Those Darn Squirrels! Adam Rubin. Daniel Salmieri. New York: Clarion Books. Children are mesmerized and laugh out loud at the antics these contriving squirrels go through to reach birdfeeders.

‘Twas the Day Before Zoo Day. Catherine Ipcizade. Ben Hodson. Mount Pleasant, SC: Sylvan Dell Publishing. Clever adaptation of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas; all the animals are preparing for Zoo Day.

Twenty-Six Princesses. Dave Horowitz. New York: GP Putnam’s Sons. Rhyming alphabet book.

The Way Back Home. Oliver Jeffers. New York: Philomel Books. One boy and one alien both crash land on the moon. A friendship begins as they figure out ways to get back to their homelands.

We’re Going on a Lion Hunt. Margery Cuyler. Joe Mathieu. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. Teacher takes kids on an imaginary safari.

What a Trip! Arthur Yorinks. Richard Egielski. New York: Michael di Capua Books. As Mel is walking, he trips and lands in another dimension where everything is pointy.

What Does Mrs. Claus Do? Kate Wharton. Christian Slade. New York: Tricycle Press. Ever wonder what Mrs. Claus does while Santa is away on Christmas Eve?

Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? Karen Beaumont. Eugene Yelchin. New York: Henry Holt. Rhyming, repetitive text makes this book an instant favorite among young readers.

Note: This list of books recommended for children in grades K-2 is typical of lists that appear regularly in journals of the IRA and NCTE for all elementary grades and middle school children. These journals help to keep adult readers up to date on recently published books. However, I have learned not to buy books that appear interesting in these lists without reading them first. Check the library for new additions and read them yourselves before reading them to young children or having older children read them by themselves. What sounds interesting might not be. RayS.