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| If I Built a School |
IF I BUILT A SCHOOL
If Jack built a school, there would be hover desks and pop-up textbooks, skydiving wind tunnels and a trampoline basketball court in the gym, a robo-chef to serve lunch in the cafeteria, field trips to Mars, and a whole lot more. The inventive boy who described his ideal car and house in previous books is dreaming even bigger this time.
AUTHOR BIO
Chris Van Dusen was born in Portland, Maine and received his BFA from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He has created illustrations that have been published in magazines and books and printed on T-shirts and greeting cards. He won the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for If I Built a House. In addition to his own books, Chris has illustrated Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson and Tales from Deckawoo Drive chapter book series. He lives in Maine with his wife, two sons, and their dog.
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We really liked this one. It is so cute and I love that it shows kids imaginations. We all wanted our schools to have something cool inside. What would you want in your school? I remember kids wanting vending machines. Or maybe fast food for lunch.
THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN
Starting kindergarten is a big milestone--and the hero of this story is ready to make his mark! He's dressed himself, eaten a pile of pancakes, and can't wait to be part of a whole new kingdom of kids. The day will be jam-packed, but he's up to the challenge, taking new experiences in stride with his infectious enthusiasm! And afterward, he can't wait to tell his proud parents all about his achievements--and then wake up to start another day.
Newbery Honor-winning author Derrick Barnes's empowering story will give new kindergarteners a reassuring confidence boost, and Vanessa Brantley-Newton's illustrations exude joy.
AUTHOR BIO
Derrick Barnes wrote the critically acclaimed picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Honor, and the 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Award. He also wrote the bestselling chapter book series Ruby and the Booker Boys. He owns the copy-writing company Say Word Creative Communications and created the popular blog Raising the Mighty, where he "chronicles the experience of bringing up four beautiful Black boys in America." He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and their four sons.
ILLUSTRATOR BIO
Vanessa Brantley-Newton has illustrated numerous picture books, including The Girl Who Heard Colors (by Marie Harris), Mary Had a Little Glam (by Tammi Sauer), One Love (by Cedella Marley), A Night Out with Mama (by Quvenzhané Wallis), and The Youngest Marcher (by Cynthia Levinson), as well as the chapter book series Ruby and the Booker Boys (by Derrick Barnes) and Jada Jones (by Kelly Starling Lyons). She wrote and illustrated Let Freedom Sing and Grandma's Purse. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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I remember when my kids were in kindergarten. It was exciting for them but scary at the same time. And it was hard to be in class that many hours. Pre school was only a couple of hours a day. So the transition was a little tough. My youngest isn't in school yet. She loves to look at the pictures in the books.
Raise Your Hand
When Alice Tapper noticed that the girls in her class weren't participating as much as the boys, she knew she had to do something about it. With help from her Girl Scout troop and her parents, she came up with a patch that other girls could earn if they took a pledge to be more confident in school. Alice even wrote an op-ed about the experience for the New York Times! Inspired by that piece, this picture book illustrates her determination, bravery, and unwillingness to accept the status quo. With Marta Kissi's delightful illustrations depicting Alice's story, young readers everywhere will want to follow Alice's lead and raise their hand!
AUTHOR BIO
Alice Paul Tapper, 11, is a Girl Scout and sixth grader in Washington, D.C., where she lives with her mom and dad, brother, and her two dogs Winston and Clementine. This is her first book.
ILLUSTRATOR BIO
Marti Kissi is an illustrator living and working in London. She studied illustration and animation at Kingston University and completed her MA at the Royal College of Art. She now works on various children's book projects as well as covers and editorial pieces for both children and adults.
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This is such a wonderful book to inspire girls and to give them confidence in school.
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| I'm Trying to Love Math |
I’m Trying to Love Math
Do multiplication tables give you hives? Do you break out in a sweat when you see more than a few numbers hanging out together? Then I'm Trying to Love Math is for you! In her signature hilarious style, Bethany Barton introduces readers to the things (and people) that use math in amazing ways -- like music, and spacecraft, and even baking cookies! This isn't a how-to math book, it's a way to think differently about math as a necessary and cool part of our lives!
AUTHOR BIO
Bethany Barton is an author-illustrator and member of the Motion Picture Union. She works on art, prop, and set decoration for film and TV, and has worked on shows such as The Muppets and Blackish. She and her family live in Los Angeles.
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I think this one is so cute. Math can be really tough. Now that my kids are in school, math has changed. It is hard for me to help them. I like the way I learned. My daughter likes it now in 2nd grade. It will get harder for her along the way.
Goodbye Friend, Hello Friend!
Change and transitions are hard, but Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! demonstrates how, when one experience ends, it opens the door for another to begin. It follows two best friends as they say goodbye to snowmen, and hello to stomping in puddles. They say goodbye to long walks, butterflies, and the sun...and hello to long evening talks, fireflies, and the stars. But the hardest goodbye of all comes when one of the friends has to move away. Feeling alone isn't easy, and sometimes new beginnings take time. But even the hardest days come to an end, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.
AUTHOR BIO
Cori Doerrfeld illustrated the acclaimed picture book The Rabbit Listened, as well as popular books like Little Bunny Foo Foo: The Real Story and The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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I think these are great books to add to your kids reading list. My kids have to fill out reading logs each week. I need to find more and more books to read to them.
Have your read any good books lately? What kind of books do you or your kids like to read? Let me know in the comments.
