Geo Librarian

Brightly is a fun website designed to encourage book sharing between parents and children and teachers and students.  I have found a number of fabulous lists and ideas on this website.  Here are a few of the most recent lists (I found them intriguing and helpful).  I've also included the link for a giveaway they are running. 17 Picture Books Not to Be Missed in 2017  2017 boasts new offerings from bestselling authors, funny debuts, poetry collections, inspirational biographies, and much, much more. Highlights include a picture book for younger children from the author of the middle grade phenomenon  Wonder , a math-infused bedtime story from actress and mathematician Danica McKellar, and a tale that’s part mystery, part fable, and all fun from award-winning author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Helen Oxenbury.     17 Middle Grade Books to Look Forward to in 2017 Check out this list of incredible 2017 middle grade books that B...

Of all the top lists I've created this far, this one is the least definitive.  There are so many great picture books out there and I am always discovering new ones.  I've tried to include a variety of topics and illustration styles, but I'll admit right off the bat that I have a particular place in my heart for gorgeous, elegant illustrations.  Both Ruth Sanderson and K.L. Craft are particularly good at this style of illustration.  I had a hard time choosing from among their books, as you can see I am highlighting two of Ruth Sanderson's. So, here we go, in no particular order. All summaries come from Goodreads. MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey It's not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to bring up their ducklings, but during a rest stop in Boston's Public Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard think they just might have found the perfect spot--no foxes or turtles in sight, plenty of peanuts from pleasant passers-by, a...

I've gotten behind on highlighting some of the books I share at school in the library.  Today I'm sharing four books about birds that I shared with my kindergarteners a couple of weeks ago.  The students enjoyed them and I enjoyed sharing them. FALCON written and illustrated by Tim Jessell Random House, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-375-86866-5 Grades K-3 Reviewed from personal copy. Summary comes from Goodreads. A young boy imagines what it would be like to fly as a falcon and see the world from on high. Soaring through the skies, he describes the sights and sounds of the world below. From snow-capped mountains to lush valleys, over rolling ocean and up rocky cliffs, Falcon will awaken the senses of every reader. I knew I had to get this the minute I saw the gorgeous cover.  The theme also grabbed me from the first time I heard it.  The book did not disappoint.  I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this book with students and highlighting the power of imagination ...

I love reading early chapter books, there are so many good ones.  But I noticed as I worked on this list that there are not very many early chapter books that aren't part of a series.  Most of my favorites are part of series.  This isn't bad, after all repetition is good for younger readers and I personally love revisiting my favorite characters.  But sometimes these books can be too formulaic, each story reads pretty much like the story before.  The books on this list do not fall into that category, maybe that's why I like them so much.  Not only do they have delightful characters, but interesting plots as well. ANNA HIBISCUS by Atinuke Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She lives with her whole family in a wonderful house. There is always somebody to laugh and play with. Anna Hibiscus loves to splash in the sea with her cousins and have parties with her aunties. But more than anything else in the world, Anna Hibiscus would love to...

 I intended to have my top lists completed this week, but it just hasn't happened. Last week was crazy at work, so I've decided to spread these posts out a little longer. I'm hoping to have them completed by the end of next week after which I will be going a three book giveaway. So stay tuned. There were so many series that I loved that I decided to divide it into two parts. Here is part one. These are in no particular order (except for Fablehaven which is my favorite series of all time). Fablehaven by Brandon Mull   "Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken — Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good — powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challeng...

I've been thinking for awhile about how I wanted to celebrate my one year blogiversary.  It actually passed in February but with everything going on at work and personally I didn't have time to really celebrate.  I am still pretty busy, but I've come up with an idea for what I want to do to celebrate.  For the next two weeks I will be posting about my favorite books of all time. Then I will host a giveaway where I offer my readers the chance to win a copy of one of my favorites (your choice). Please keep in mind that these lists are not definitive.  There are many more books that I love and enjoy reading.  The books on these lists though are ones that I enjoy rereading when I have the time and that I love sharing or talking about. So, let's get started.  These books are in no particular order. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow   by Susan Bartoletti Scholastic, 2005  (ISBN: 0-439-35379-3 ) Bartoletti does a superb job of introduc...

I've found another fun challenge to join for 2012.  I have stacks of books sitting in my room waiting to be read.  Some of them have been waiting for years.  I am hoping to get some of these books read this year. I am going to go for the Grungy Level (20+ books).  Here are a few of the books I am considering for this challenge: Disasters: Natural and Man-Made Catastrophes Through the Centuries by Brenda Z. Guiberson The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville Keepers of the School: We the Children by Andrew Clements The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye by Nancy Springer Unraveling Freedom: The Battle for Democracy on the Home Front During World War I by Ann Bausum A Savage Thunder: Antietam and the Bloody Road to Freedom by Jim Murphy Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard Lowji Discovers America by Candace Fleming Syren (Septimus Heap) by Angie Sage The Boy Sherl...

 I've decided to participate in this year's 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren .  I'm excited to get to read at least 12 middle grade or young adult books by author's new to these genres.  Here is a list of some of the books I'm interested in reading for this challenge.  This is of course just a preliminary list, it will undoubtedly change as the year progresses. I will undoubtedly discover other great debut books to read. Book descriptions and covers are from Goodreads.com .   Storybound by Marissa Burt In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them. In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried de...