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Hokey Pokey
All I can say is, wow. I finished Hokey Pokey in about 24 hours because it was absolutely amazing! Jerry Spinelli has out done himself again and I loved this book. Spinelli uses metaphors, allegory, and beautiful language to create the world of Hokey Pokey where children rule and the…
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Extra Yarn
Extra Yarn is such a fun story that reminds me of the clay-mation story Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town with a dark, somber town where colors have been all but washed away. Anabelle’s knitting skills and magic yarn box change her drab town from dark and dreary to colorful and fun! …
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Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire!
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! written by Polly Horvath is full of quirky, memorable characters, a hysterical plot, and enough details to keep adults engaged as well. When Madeline’s parents get kidnapped from their homes by a group of foxes led by the Grand Poobah, it is up to…
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Tracing Stars
Tracing Stars is a coming of age story for a young girl in a small coastal town where being different makes you stand out. Indie Lee Chickory is a fish freak – she’s knows everything there is to know about the fish that can be found in the ocean that borders town. She…
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Seymour Simon’s Extreme Earth Records
I had the privilege of listening to Seymour Simon speak at a conference last year and I was blown away by the number of books he has written and his amazing website filled to the brim with information about almost every topic you could imagine – especially if it has…
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Red Sled
Red Sled by Lita Judge is a perfect story to share with a little one on a cold winter night. Using only onomatopoeia words, or words that are used to describe sounds, Judge can tell an entire story of what happens to a red sled while a child is sleeping. …
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Boy + Bot
I’ve seen a lot of blogs posting about this adorable picture book called Boy + Bot written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, so I thought I’d take a look and thankfully I was able to find the book on the shelf today. Boy + Bot is a heartwarming story of…
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The Book Whisperer
The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller is definitely geared toward elementary and even middle school teachers, but I found it very interesting. Miller makes the case that children will turn into lifelong readers, by choosing what they read and by getting in the habit…
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When Santa Fell to Earth
As many others out there do, I drove multiple hours to get to my parent’s house for the Christmas holiday and I have found that if I can find a really good book on CD that the trip goes that much more quickly. As I was perusing the shelves before…
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Seeing Cinderella
Seeing Cinderella by Jenny Lundquist is fun, entertaining read – perfect for middle school girls, especially those who enjoy their fiction mixed with just a little fairy tale magic. When Callie Anderson, a sixth grader who already has frizzy hair, freckles, and finds that she has to…