“This fall, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group invites you to embrace difference! From our favorite foods and activities to how our families look and the stories that we know, everyone is different. These differences, from the small and simple to the large and complicated are important. Check out some of our favorite books to start the conversation!” ~ Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Free and Discounted Book Resources
Depression and Children’s Books
Books are never replacements for conversation with children, but they can be the conversation starter needed when discussing difficult subjects like grief, sadness and severe depression. Ignoring the subjects with children will not prevent them from noticing or even experiencing them. Not discussing sensitive issues only leaves them in the dark. When we discuss emotions, we are better able to cope and feel empathetic to those that may be suffering.
With suicide the second leading cause of death for people under 25, discussions about mental health should begin early. As Crystal Ponti states in 10 Books to Help Children Understand Mental Illness, ” As much as we want to shield our kids from confusion or concern, health professionals recommend educating children and teenagers about mental illness. ”
Maybe Tomorrow?
Author: Charlotte Agell
Illustrator: Ana Ramirez González
Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 26, 2019)
ISBN-13: 978-1338214888
In this beautifully illustrated book, Elba the cute pink hippo is very sad because she has lost her good friend. This sadness is represented by a large block that she drags around with her everywhere. Norris the happy alligator shows Elba kindness, empathy, and readers how to be a friend to someone experiencing difficult emotions.
Celia and the Little Boy
Author/Illustrator: Irene Applebaum Buchine
Publisher: Woody Runs Publishing (2018)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9988089-0-1
Drawing on her own experiences, New Hampshire Author Irene Applebaum Buchine opens a dialogue about severe depression. Celia finds a little boy in the dark. She persist in showing him that he is not alone and repeatedly gives him a message of hope. As an author and advocate for children with depression, Irene Applebaum Buchine is available to speak. http://irenebuchine.com/speaking/
Used as a book club book or discussion starter: Holly Pirtle, Health Educator used Celia and the Little Boy with 90 eight graders and they came up with some key messages:
- You can show someone you care without being their best friend.
- Keep trying to help no matter how hopeless they or the situation seems.
Parenting Book Recommendations
Recent list from the Youth Consultants List Serve:
1, 2, 3 Magic series by Thomas Phalen (DVD is helpful)
13 Things Mentally Strong Parent Don’t Do by Amy Morin
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood/ Jennifer Senior
Baby 411
The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook
Baby Toddler Play by Gymboree
Be the parent, please : stop banning seesaws and start banning Snapchat : strategies for solving the real parenting problems by Naomi Schaefer Riley
The big disconnect : protecting childhood and family relationships in the digital age by Catherine Adair-Stern
Brain Rules for Baby by Dr. Medina,
Brainstorm by Daniel Siegel
The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso
The Confident Parent: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Caring for Your Little One–Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, or Yourself/ Jane Scott
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster
Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms (2019) by Kate Northrup
Doing Life with your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and Your Welcome Mat Out (2019) by Jim Burns, PhD
Earn It by Michael Wetter
Elevating Child Care by Janet Lansbury
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong—and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster
French Kids Eat Everything: How our family moved to France, cured picky eating, banned snacking, and discovered 10 simple rules for raising happy, healthy eaters (2012) by Karen Le Billon
Grab the Kids and Go: A Practical Guide to Your Family’s Gap Year (2017) by Taryn Ash
Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday: Say Good-bye to Stressed, Tired, and Anxious and Hello to Renewed Joy in Motherhood (2019) by Valerie Woerner
Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp (DVD a must)
Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron
Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
How to Be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute/ K.J. Dell’Antonia
How To Raise and Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
How to talk so little kids will listen : a survival guide to life with children ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber & Julie King. How to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk by Adele Faber.
Ignore It!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction/ Catherine Pearlman
Just Because it’s not Wrong Doesn’t Make it Right by Barbara Coloroso
Kids are Worth It by Barbara Coloroso
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder (2008) by Richard Louv
A Little Bit of Dirt: 55 Science and Art Activities to Reconnect Children to Nature (2015) by Asia Citro
The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (2019) by Simone Davies
Motivation Breakthrough by Richard Lavoie
No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury
No More Mean Girls by Katie Hurley
No : why kids — of all ages — need to hear it and ways parents can say it. David Walsh
Oh, Crap! Potty Training
The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money (2015) by Ron Lieber
The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive by W. Thomas Boyce
Play, Make, Create: A Process Art Handbook (2019) by Meri Cherry
Play the Forest School Way (2016) by Jane Worroll
Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen
The Read-Aloud Handbook (2013) by Jim Trelease
Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Pre-schoolers by Deborah MacNamara.
The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby’s First Year by Alice Callahan
The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud
Siblings Without Rivalry
Simplicity Parenting by Kim Payne
Sleep Book for Tired Parents by Rebecca Huntley
Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear by Kim Brooks
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge) (2017) by Linda Akeson McGurk
Under Pressure by Lisa Damour
The Way of Boys by Anthony Rao
Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches/ Hillary Frank
The Whole Brain by Daniel Siegel
Wide Open World: How Volunteering Around the World Changed One Family’s Life Forever (2015) by John Marshall
Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James
A Year of Forest School by Jane Worroll
Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child by Daniel Siegel
You Are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin.
Recommended Authors:
Dan Siegel, Janet Lansbury, Dr. David Walsh, Barbara Coloroso
General Recommendations:
Potty training books and videos will fly off the shelf.
“Safe hearts” book series is through an independent publisher but tackles many tough topics.
New and Fun Picture Books
Two books recently crossed my desk that I thought were fun.
Never Trumpet with a Crumpet by Amy Gibson and Illustrated by Jenn Harney
A vocabulary rich rhyming book about manners. Zoo animals add to the fun with illustrations of them doing their best to follow the etiquette advice.
vocabulary, phonological awareness
social awareness, self management, relationship skills
- Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (May 14, 2019)
- ISBN-13: 978-1629793047
Like a Lizard by Amy Gibson and illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
28 different lizard species run, sun, swoop, scoop and more in this non-fiction book that could easily be adapted to a movement part of a storytime. Can you “do a pushup like a lizard?”
- Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (March 12, 2019)
- ISBN-13: 978-1629792118
Blogs for the Busy Librarian
All of you are busy librarians, and I know you can’t spend much time online perusing blogs in search of practical information that would help you do your jobs more effectively. Today, I took some time and looked for blogs that offered some programming ideas and book reviews for children’s and teen librarians. Here is what I came up with:
Abby the Librarian–This site includes lots of children’s book reviews as well as a section on storytime themes.
ALSC Blog–I’ve written about this before, but the American Library Services for Children blog is definitely worth another reminder. Many children’s librarians contribute to this blog and offer good ideas about storytime as well as other aspects of youth services. Search for the entry “Another Year of Toddler Storytime” with some good tips about rules for behavior management. It will also point you to another good blog Miss Merry Liberry.
GreenBeanTeenQueen–This blog bills itself as “A Teen and Tween Librarian’s thoughts on books, reading and adventures in the library,” but it also offers ideas for younger children’s programming.
The Lupine Librarian–I think this blog will speak to many librarians in NH since it is written by a children’s librarian in a small town in Maine. It includes book reviews and programming ideas as well as other topics.
Mel’s Desk–This site has links to many storytime sites, many flannelboard postings and lots of content on early literacy programs.
Reading Nook–This is another blog I’ve mentioned previously, but it doesn’t hurt to plug it again, especially as it is written by a NH YA librarian. It includes lots of great YA book reviews.
Stacked–This is not specifically a youth services library blog, but it does offer many YA reviews as well as some children’s reviews. Reviews include other formats like audiobooks and graphic novels.
Storytime Land–Visit here for many ideas for storytime.
Youth Services Corner–This blog presents resources for librarians and others who work with tweens and teens. Look here for book reviews, box office previews and links of the week.
Please share any blogs you find useful!
Juvenile Nonfiction Review
Nonfiction picture books work best when the information topic is appropriately delivered to the intended audience. In Hanging off Jefferson’s Nose: Growing up on Mount Rushmore by Tina Nichols Coury and The House that George Built by Suzanne Slade, the authors explore topics in American history with different results.
Hanging off Jefferson’s Nose is the story of Lincoln Borglum, the son of Gutzon Borglum, the designer and original sculptor of the presidential figures on Mount Rushmore. Lincoln finished the project after his father’s untimely death. The book follows Lincoln from a young boy to his successful completion of the national monument. Coury explores the close relationship of father and son as she develops the story of the arduous years-long task of sculpting a mountain. The colorful often full-spread illustrations by Sally Wern Comport complement the text and help deliver a compelling story. The book is geared well to an audience of middle grade readers who would enjoy this as either a read aloud or an independent reading. Small details help develop the character of Lincoln–his unspoken resentment as a boy at having to ride a pony rather than a horse, his efforts to keep his crew warm as they toiled in harsh weather conditions, and his laying of a wreath at the foot of Mount Rushmore in memory of his father. Coury conveys much information about the project and about Lincoln in clear, well-developed sentences that tell a story both inspiring and educational.
In The House that George Built, Suzanne Slade focuses on George Washington’s efforts to establish a presidential home. She offers interesting details about the project and casts George Washington as a careful steward willing to lend a hand in constructing the home that would one day be called the White House. Readers will learn some interesting facts about this construction, but I think Slade’s deliberate echoing of the Mother Goose rhyme “This is the House that Jack Built” compromises the book’s value. The repetitive refrain of the “house that George built” with its incremental lines appeals to a very young audience, while the subject matter seems more appropriate to middle elementary-aged readers. It is definitely meant to be read aloud, but I wonder if young listeners will fully appreciate the story. In addition, the repetition on every other page leaves no room for more information. For example, the author omits the fact that Thomas Jefferson submitted a design for the “president’s house” under a false name, although she includes this information in her Author’s Note at the end. I think more information and less nursery rhyme format would have made a better book. Still, Rebecca Bond’s illustrations work well to capture the time period and convey the activity of the project, so the book will hold interest for some readers.
Both authors provide either sources or a bibliography, and Slade offers additional information about the history of the White House. Check them out.
The first NH librarian to leave a comment in July on any blog entry will receive both of these books.
YA Book Review: A “New Hampshire” novel
YA author Sarah Tregay sets the first half of her book Love and Leftovers: A Novel in Verse in New Hampshire, specifically Durham and Oyster River High School. The setting alone will draw NH teens to the book, but the novel also has much to keep readers-albeit female readers–interested. Written as a series of short poems, the book explores a turbulent year in the life of a teenage girl. After Marcie’s father leaves her mother for a young male bartender, Marcie and her mother move from their home in Idaho to a family camp in Durham, NH, and Marcie enrolls in Oyster River High School. The book explores Marcie’s confused feelings about old and new relationships, her mother’s mental state, and her struggle to fit in somewhere. The poetry works well to capture the emotions, and the book looks frankly at issues of sex, love and depression.
“Dream Big Read” Picture Books
I know it’s only February, but I thought I’d begin looking at books suitable for the “Dream Big READ” summer reading theme. Today, I will highlight thematic picture books. These books are appropriate for your “Read to me” crowd: toddlers and preschoolers. Perhaps you can include these in summer storytimes.
And If the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks and illustrated by Georg Hallensleben–This book describes a young child getting ready to go to bed. The author lists the small details of the child’s world and then offers the moon’s perspective, which allows the reader to see what is happening in the outside world both far and wide. The pictures are Van Gogh-like in their vivid colors and softly-defined shapes. The book celebrates nocturnal diversity as it provides a good night message.
It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Eric Metaxas and illustrated by Nancy Tillman (artist of On the Night You Were Born)–Another “good night” book, this title evokes the natural world as well as the theme of dreams. It’s written like a lullaby with rhyming text. Tillman’s illustrations are stunning. One lovely two-page spread depicts a moose in a golden pond with a fox curled into a nearby den and a great blue heron perched in a nest–all under a starry sky (a real NH landscape!)
So Sleepy Story by Uri Shulevitz–This book reminds me a little of The Napping House in its rhythms and plot. It describes a sleepy house and its inhabitants all asleep until music drifts into the house and awakens all. A few wordless pages depict dancing and swaying chairs and plates and tables (ala Beauty and the Beast?) After a time, the music stops and all return to their slumber.
Whoo Goes There? by Jennifer Ericsson and illustrated by Bert Kitchen–This book was written by a NH children’s librarian! It describes a hungry owl and his quest for something to eat for dinner. He surveys the landscape and discovers many animals, none of whom are suitable for his dinner. Finally, he spots a mouse, but he is interrupted in his hunt by another nocturnal animal–a human. The book’s text employs rich active verbs and the repetition of animal sounds that will delight a young listener. The illustrations compliment the text with beautifully realistic paintings. The focus on animals of the night makes this a perfect book for this year’s summer reading theme.
Happy 2012!
Welcome to the NH Youth Services blog. I’ve been slow to the blogging scene, but one of my new year’s resolutions is to put more effort into this website that I began some time ago. I hope to discuss issues of interest to NH youth services librarians and expand on ideas that are raised in other venues.
This first entry of the new year will review two books: Sign Language by Amy Ackley and The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont by Victoria Griffith and illustrated by Eva Montanari.
Sign Language is a novel geared to teens in grades 7-10. The story is told through the eyes of Abby North, an adolescent who is struggling with her father’s illness and then his death by cancer. At the start of the book, Abby seems like a “typical” 8th grader: she plays sports, takes schoolwork seriously and enjoys the company of her best friend Spence while daydreaming about her brother’s popular friend. Her world unravels, though, as her father is diagnosed with a cancer that doesn’t respond to treatment. Abby’s home becomes a hospice, and the family is torn apart as they each adjust in different ways to Sam North’s deteriorating health and his death. Ackley’s novel explores the pain of such an experience with honesty. Although the book has an element of predictability—Abby realizes almost too late that Spence, not the boy of her dreams, is her true love—the story takes on the important themes of death and love and adolescence with candor and tenderness. This is one YA novel where parents and adults are not the enemy; the adults are fleshed out with both strengths and flaws. This book should find a good audience among young teens who like realistic fiction as well as those who may be dealing with the death of a parent.
A nonfiction picture book, The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont tells the story of Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, who is credited with being the first person to lift off and land a completely self-propelled airplane. (The Wright Brothers’ first flight three years earlier had been helped by a rail system that propelled the plane forward.) The book evokes the colorful pilot who flew dirigibles to run everyday errands around Paris and met up with Jacques Cartier, who gave the first men’s wristwatch to Santos-Dumont so that he could easily clock his time while flying. Montanari’s illustrations compliment the text fairly well, capturing period details and even the sense of motion. I think she might have included fewer pictures of people and more of the flying machines, but this is a minor criticism. Overall, the book is a delightful look at an important person in aviation history. At one point in the book, Alberto says “these machines will mean the end of all wars. Once people are able to fly to different countries, they will see how much we have in common. We will all be friends.” Sadly, this prophecy went unrealized, and airplanes were used for much darker purposes during the years following Santos-Dumont’s first flight. Griffith’s book is suited for readers ages 7-10.