Monday Children’s Book Reviews for September 26, 2011

Baby Says “Moo!” by JoAnn Early Macken and David Walker

“Ask Baby what people say, what dogs say, what horses say, or what birds say, and Baby has only one answer: “MOO!”

“A cumulative, rhyming tale of a baby who sees many animals while out with her family, only one of which makes her favorite sound.”

 [JPB MACKEN]

Flynn Saves the Day illustrated by Richard Courtney

“When Thomas and Percy smell smoke, they know there’s one engine who can help. Can Flynn race to the rescue in time?”

Thomas and Friends Step Into Reading Step 1

[JE FLYNN]

Big Nate On a Roll by Lincoln Peirce

“Big Nate is on a roll!

“Nate’s a big deal in his scout troop . . . until Artur—aka Mr. Perfect—joins up. Now Nate’s stuck in second place. And Artur means business.

“Will Nate take the grand prize? Or wipe out, big time?”

Sequel to Big Nate: In a Class by Himself and Big Nate Strikes Again.              [J PEIRCE]

Screaming with Laughter: Jokes About Ghosts, Ghouls, Zombies, Dinosaurs, Bugs, and Other Scary Creatures by Michael Dahl

“A collection of jokes about monsters, ghosts, and other scary things.”              [J818.5402 DAHL]

Seasons by the Bay

 

Oscar Peñaranda was born in Barugo, Leyte, Philippines. Childhood in Manila. Adolescence in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, the rest in San Francisco and Bay Area. Speaks at least three languages, the language of his birth (Waray Visaya), of his youth (Tagalog and English), and then that of his adulthood (English and Beyond). Educator, writer, and advocate of Filipino and Filipino American studies and events. Taught at S.F. State, Everett Middle School in San Francisco, and James Logan High School in Union City. Internationally published for over thirty five years. Published one book of stories called Seasons by the Bay which won the Global Filipino Literary Award for 2004. He also published a book of poetry called Full Deck: Jokers Playing, 2004, which won the best book for poetry in 2005 from P.AW.A. (Philippine American Writers and Artists).

 He is going to be the moderator of the Filipino American Writer’s Showcase program at the library on September 25th .

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for September 19, 2011

No Sleep For the Sheep by Karen Beaumont and Jackie Urbanovic

“One tired sheep wants nothing more than a good night’s sleep. All is peaceful until—QUACK! Is that a duck at the barn door? And now a goat? A pig? A cow? A horse? Each new unexpected guest is bigger and louder than the last! How will the sheep ever get this barnyard crowd to quiet down before—COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!”    [JPB BEAUMONT]

Flat Broke: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed by Gary Paulsen

“Kevin struggled to overcome his knack for lying in Liar, Liar, and now he’s back for another round of mayhem and misunderstandings in this financial comedy of errors.

“Fourteen-year-old Kevin is a hard worker, so when his income is cut off he begins a series of businesses, from poker games to selling snacks, earning money to take a girl to a dance, but his partners soon tire of his methods.”         [J PAULSEN]

A Gaggle of Goblins by Suzanne Harper

“Nine-year-old Poppy’s parents are paranormal investigators who have never actually found anything, but that may change when they move to Austin, Texas, and Poppy meets a goblin in the attic of their new house.”

The first book in the new series The Unseen World of Poppy Malone.         [J HARPER]

LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World by Elizabeth Dowsett

“The magic of Harry Potter™ and the fun of the LEGO® world, now in one incredible book!

“Presents the Harry Potter line of Lego action figures and playsets, showing all of the playsets and detailing the number of pieces and minifigures associated with each, as well as when they were made and the movie that they relate to.”                [J688.725 DOWSETT]

Write Your Story

 

Join our senior library member, Suzanne Ortt,

a regular contributor of the

 Tri Cities Voice Newspaper

, and begin to write your memoir!

This is an informal meeting to support

 each other and organize your thoughts

for writing. Sharing is optional.

 

This group will meet the first and third Tuesday of the month starting Sept. 20,October 4 &18 and November 1 and 15.

Please bring your pen & paper.

For more information:

contact Suzanne Ortt

Phone: 510-489-3793

Email: bklady68@gmail.com

 

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for September 12, 2011

  W is for Wombat: My First Australian Word Book by Bronwyn Bancroft

“The selection of colors, animals, and words and the board book format makes this the perfect book for toddlers. Each page depicts an Australian word creating a captivating reference that celebrates the uniqueness of Australia and its language.”                           [JPB BANCROFT]

Marty McGuire by Kate Messner

“Marty McGuire would rather spend recess catching frogs in the pond than playing dress-up with the other girls in third grade. So when her teacher casts Marty as the princess in the class play, Marty’s absolutely, positively sure that there’s been a huge mistake. But after a special lesson in the art of improvisation, Marty comes up with her OWN plan to IMPROVE the play.”        [J MESSNER]

Racing in the Rain: My Life As A Dog by Garth Stein

“Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?

“Meet one funny dog—Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and his daughter, Zoe, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack — it isn’t simply about going fast.”                                                [J STEIN]

Time For Kids Almanac 2012

“Packed with facts, stats and news from around the country and around the world, the TIME For Kids Almanac 2012 includes information on topics ranging from animals to acid rain, voting rules to video games, sports stars to space exploration – and much more. This richly designed resource features more than 800 photos, maps, lists and time lines, and is sure to keep young readers engaged, entertained and learning-all at once.”                      [J031.02 TIME]

In Her Mother’s Image

In Her Mother’s Image is the story of a mother and daughter, Consuelo and Chiquita, who are entangled in a web of longing and antipathy set amidst the chaos of World War II in the Philippines and thirty years later in 1971.  The war is seen through the eyes of a headstrong eight-year-old child, Chiquita, who bears witness to an act of betrayal committed by her formidable mother, Consuelo.  A betrayal that will be revisited thirty years later when Chiquita goes back to the land of her birth to face the source of her lifelong torment – her own mother. 

Cecilia Gaerlan is a Bay Area playwright based in Berkeley, California.  She received an Honorable Mention in the Stage Play Script Category of the Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in 2005 for The Hand of God (about St. Francis of Assisi) and in 2010 for Magnus Laurent (about Lorenzo de Medici).  She is a recipient of a Theatre Bay Area CASH Award in 2002 for her play, Brilliance within the Darkness, which is about the blind Spanish composer, Joaquin Rodrigo, who composed the guitar masterpiece Concierto de Aranjuez and other great works.  She is the author of several other plays on a wide variety of topics, including the United Nations (commissioned by City College of San Francisco for the U.N.’s 50th anniversary), child prostitution and the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Come and  Visit the author on http://www.aclibrary.org/hottopics/pdf/filipinoamericanprogram.pdf

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for September 5, 2011

Today is Labor Day. Celebrated on the first Monday in September since 1884, Labor Day honors the achievements and contributions of American workers. Usually it marks the beginning of the school year, and is considered the unofficial end of Summer.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Rom Lichtenheld

“As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they’ll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! With irresistible artwork by best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and sweet, rhyming text, this book will have truck lovers of all ages begging for more.”             [JPB RINKER]

Fractions = Trouble! by Claudia Mills

“If Wilson Williams thought multiplication was difficult, he is finding fractions impossible. And when his parents hire a math tutor for him, he is sure he’s the only kid in the history of Hill Elementary to have one. Wilson is determined to make sure that no one finds out, not even his best friend, Josh.

“At least his pet hamster, Pip, is sympathetic. Pip is going to be part of Wilson’s science fair project, because any project with hamsters in it is bound to be wonderful. But Josh has the coolest project of all: at what temperature does a pickle explode? Unfortunately, it looks as if Wilson’s secret may end up exploding their friendship.”         [J MILLS]

Littoral Combat Ships by Philip Green

“When there is danger in shallow water, Littoral Combat Ships are called into action. These ships can go in water too shallow for other ships of the United States Navy. Armed with high-tech weapons and carrying helicopters and other aircraft, Littoral Combat Ships can fight any threat. This title introduces the newest craft of the Navy and shows how the technology behind the ships has led to their early success.”                      [J623.8258 GREEN]

Rizal on Angel Island

  One act play entitled Rizal on Angel Island byIgnacio Zulueta is a part of the Filipino American Showcase @  the Union City Library, Check it out…

“Rizal on Angel Island”, a feverish imagining of the Philippine national hero’s detainment by U.S. customs while en route to China, was originally written by Bay Area-based Filipino American playwright Ignacio Zulueta and directed by Larry Robinson and Wernher Goff for Bindlestiff Studio’s recent Stories High XII production in San Francisco. Bindlestiff Studio was established in 1997 as the nation’s only independent and permanent community-based performing arts venue dedicated to the cultivation of emerging and established Filipino American artists. Stories High is a series of theatrical workshops that culminates into a fully-mounted, professional production. For more information on Bindlestiff Studio and how you can support and/or participate in their programs, including Stories High, log on to www.bindlestiffstudio.org.