Monday Children’s Book Reviews for November 24, 2014

It’s Thanksgiving week – and you’re probably out of school! What to do? The possibilities for fun are ENDLESS!!

Last week the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 came out in the theaters, and this week The Penguins of Madagascar will debut.

And it’s always fun to decorate the house with fun crafts, like place mats and centerpieces. I just did a quick Google search and came up with some cool stuff, like:

Mod Mayflower [http://www.parenting.com/gallery/thanksgiving-crafts-ideas]

Cut off the bottom of a cup. Cut two slits with the tip of your scissors at the center edge of the cup. Place the cup, bottom side up, into the center of a cup holder.
Cut 2 paper rectangles per boat to make sails. Cut 2 tiny slits at the center of each sail at the top and bottom. Push stirrers through the slits.
Add a paper flag to the top of each mast. Push the sticks into the slits in the cup. Turkey Game and Place Mat To make this fun Thanksgiving craft, cut out two circles from construction paper for the body and head, and accent with paper to create the eyes, beak, and feet. Ask each child to create feathers from paper scraps, googly eyes, chenille stems, and other small crafts items. Then use the decorated turkeys as charming place mats. [http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/crafts/easy-thanksgiving-kids-crafts/#page=2]

You can also find Thanksgiving craft ideas in books at the Library!

Creating Thanksgiving Crafts by Dana Meachen Rau [J745.59416 RAU]
175 Easy-To-Do Thanksgiving Crafts: Creative Uses for Recyclables by Sharon Dunn Umnik [J745.5941 ONE HUNDRED]
Thanksgiving Crafts and Cookbook by Nancy Hathaway [J745.5941 HATHAWAY]
Paper Crafts for Thanksgiving by Randel McGee [J745.5941 MCGEE]

Or you can just enjoy your free time reading a good book:

Always by Emma Dodd

Whether you’re happy, sad, good, or bad, you will always be loved! [JPB DODD]

The Turtle of Oman: A Novel by Naomi Shihab Nye

“When Aref, a third-grader who lives in Muscat, Oman, refuses to pack his suitcase and prepare to move to Michigan, his mother asks for help from his grandfather, his Siddi, who takes Aref around the country, storing up memories he can carry with him to a new home.” [J NYE]

The History of Money: From Bartering to Banking by Martin Jenkins

“What can take the form of a stone with a hole in the middle, a string of shells, a piece of paper, or a plastic card? The answer is money, of course. But when did we start using it? And why? What does money have to do with writing? And how do taxes and interest work? From the Stone Age to modern banking, this lighthearted and engaging account traces the history of the stuff that makes the world go round.” [J332.4 JENKINS]