Geo Librarian

  About the Book Title: A Year in the Life of the Secret Garden | Author: Valarie Budayr | Illustrator: Marilyn Scott-Waters | Publication Date: November, 2014 | Publisher: Audrey Press | Pages: 144 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 99 Book Description: Award-winning authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters have co-created A Year in the Secret Garden to introduce the beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden to a new generation of families. This guide uses over two hundred full color illustrations and photos to bring the magical story to life, with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant readers of all ages. Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of a Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book.Over 140 pages, with 200 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and fr...

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...

Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale written by Rebecca H. Jamison Cedar Fort, 2012 I SBN: 9781599559476 240 p. Grades 8 and up Reviewed from copy provided by publisher through NetGalley. BLURB : When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil's return. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern retelling of Jane Austen's most romantic novel. Persuasion by Jane Austen is one of my favorite adult books, so I was naturally intrigued when I heard about this book.  I was rather skeptical as I read the first few chapters, after all, Austen's books are considered classics for a reason. But as I got more involved in the story and stopped comparing it to the original, I found myself enjoying it more.  By the time I go...

Today I am highlighting three books that look at what life can be like when one is different in significant ways from those around them or how to deal with the changes that happen to all of us.  The Splendid Spotted Snake (A Magic Ribbon Book) written by Betty Ann Schwartz, illustrated by Alexander Wilensky Workman Publishing, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-7611-6360-2 Unpaged $13.95 Grades PreK-1 Reviewed from personal copy. BLURB:  It's a marvel Every time you turn the page the little snake grows bigger. And it's a book that teaches colors: with every page his spots change color. Amazing "But how does it work "Using a unique Magic Ribbon format invented by the authors, "The Splendid Spotted Snake" follows the adventures of a little spotted snake made out of sturdy, polka-dotted cloth ribbon. "When Yellow Snake was born, he had bright red spots. But then he grew . . . His new spots were blue."Not only does the little snake double in size, ...

Some books are timeless, they can be enjoyed by almost any age and at any time.  Charlotte's Web by E.B. White , the Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary , Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing , Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles , and Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird Greene books, all feel very timeless to me.  I could sit down in twenty years and still enjoy them as much as do now.  Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series feels that way to me.  Whenever I need a good laugh, I pull out these books.  When I heard the fifth book was out, I rushed to get my hands on it. Clementine and the Family Meeting written by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee Disney-Hyperion Books, 2011 ISBN: 978-142312356-9 Grades 2-4 Reviewed from purchased copy. BLURB : Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something. Has she been too mean to her little brother? Too slop...

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Inga Moore Candlewick Press, 2008. Grades: All ages Reviewed from personal copy. Sometimes when I go back and reread a book, I find that I don't like it as much the second or third time around.  I've reread books that I liked when I was a kid, but I don't like them as an adult.  But there are some books that are better the second, third, or fourth time around.  And that is for me what creates a classic. I confess I don't like a lot of the books that are traditionally called classics, many of which are too dark and depressing for my taste.  I like books that contain a strong element of hope. I heard about this beautifully illustrated version of The Secret Garden and I wanted it.  When it came, I started to reread the book, not having read it since childhood.  I loved it.  I loved the characters, Mary, and Dickon, and Colin and Martha, even crotchety Ben Weatherstaff.  I enjoyed r...