Max's Words

Written by Kate Banks

Illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 3rd graders

Max's big brothers both have collections. Benjamin collects stamps while Karl collects coins. Max would like to have a collection of his own, but what can he collect? How about words? Max's collection begins with small words like 'the', 'a', 'was', and 'in'. But pretty soon, he's collecting bigger words. Color words, food words, words that make him happy. When his piles of words become to big for his desk, he puts them on the floor and begins to make stories from them. Soon, Benjamin and Karl want to join him, taken in by the magic of Max's words.

Max cuts his words from newspapers and magazines. When he uncovers a new word in the dictionary, he writes it on a scrap of paper. Why not try doing the same with new words you discover? This could be a great daily activity if you're just learning to read or if you want to increase the number of words you already know. If you're a first or second grader, you'll meet new 'Words to Remember' each week in your reading book. Try writing each word on a piece of paper and see how many you have after one month of school, then two months of school and so on until the end of the year. I'll bet you'll soon be like Max and have mountains of words in your collection. Now, what kind of story can you tell with all those words?

Skipppyjon Jones is Here!

Written and illustrated by Judy Schachner

Most enjoyed by readers in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

One of this year's most popular Monarch Award books is 'Skippyjon Jones' by Judy Schachner. A Siamese kitty who can't sit still, Skippyjon Jones is always ready for adventure. The best thing about his adventures is that they come from his imagination. And let me tell you, his imagination is an active one! And readers will be happy to know that we have two more of Skippyjon's adventures in the library ready for checkout.

In the first book, 'Skipppyjon Jones', the little bundle of moving fur is not quite ready to settle down to being a good little kitty so Mama sends him to his room with the charge to stay out of his closet. But the little guy can't resist, especially when he dons his mask and hops onto his stick mouse. Off he goes to discover a band of Chihuahuas looking for someone to rescue them from the terrible Bumblebeeto. Is Skippyjon Jones just the kitty for the job?

Full of Spanish words and phrases, 'Skippyjon Jones' is one wild read full of laugh-out-loud fun. Readers who love the first book will be eager to gobble up the next two titles, 'Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble' and 'Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-house'. Both continue Skippyjon's wild antics and come with CD's so the stories can be heard anytime and anywhere. Make your car ride a little more fun by bringing Skippyjon along!

Surprising Sharks

By Nicola Davies

Illustrated by James Croft

Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 3rd graders

Sharks fascinate us, don't they? From predator killers to tiny critters that can fit in the palm of your hand, sharks thrill and terrify at the same time. 'Surprising Sharks', one of our Monarch award titles this year, is just the right book for sharing with the youngest shark lover in your house.

Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, from the littlest dwarf lantern shark (6 inches) to the whale shark (39 feet, 4 inches). Try measuring those lengths out on your living room floor to get a sense of just how big, or small, sharks can be. Bold, colorful illustrations show the variety of sharks and draw readers into a shark's world. Factual information is presented on two levels, with the simpler, more general information presented in bold letters while the more detailed information is given in paragraphs of smaller text. The two levels makes the book appealing to a wide range of readers.

Young readers will find that our copies of 'Surprising Sharks' have an extra bonus - a CD that includes music and additional facts. Pop the CD in the car stereo on a road trip and everyone can learn about sharks!

Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies

By Carolyn Crimi

Illustrated by John Manders

Most enjoyed by pirates in Kindergarten through 4th grade

Two years ago, when our current 3rd graders were in first grade, Mrs. Jones, teacher extraordinaire, read 'Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies' to her class. They had finished reading all of the Monarch Award books for that year and were still in the mode of evaluating good books. After reading this one, they asked Mrs. Jones if it could be an award book, too. So Mrs. Jones nominated it and here, two years later, the book is a candidate for the 2009 Monarch Award and is the reason we're going to meet the author in a few weeks! The power of a good book in a child's hand!

Henry is not like the other pirate bunnies on the ship. Instead of pillaging for treasure or making prisoners walk the plank, he'd rather read. His father, Captain Black Ear, orders the books thrown overboard but Henry saves them just in time, agreeing to swab the deck in the hopes that it will make him see reason and give up reading. But when the pirate ship is caught in a storm and wrecked, the crew is cast on a deserted island. Who will come to their rescue and save them? Might it be a little bunny who knows a thing or two from books?

Kids and pirates go together. A pirate is brave and fearless, just like a kid ready to devour a plate of peas. A pirate can swash buckle with the best, just like a kid trying to avoid homework. And pirates can learn lots from books, just like kids do with great teachers like Mrs. Jones who introduce them to awesome bunnies like Henry!

This is our favorite Carolyn Crimi book, although we're growing quite fond of a few others. Keep checking back here to find out about Ms. Crimi's other books!

Nora's Ark

By Natalie Kinsey-Warnock

Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 3rd graders

Young Wren lives with Grandma and Grandpa on a farm in Vermont. Grandpa is building Grandma a new house high up on a hill but Grandma's not too thrilled. She thinks the house is 'just gravy'. But her mind is changed when rains begin to fall, causing the river by the farm to rise. Grandma and Wren move to the new house and it isn't long before they're joined by some neighbors and their animals, filling the house with chickens, children, and three horses! When Grandpa doesn't return after going out in the storm to help a neighbor, Wren and Grandma make the dangerous journey into the flood waters to try to find him.

Based on the disastrous 1927 flood that caused widespread damage and loss of life in Vermont, this is a warm, reassuring story of how love and friendship win out in tough times. Share this book with your family and talk about how you weather tough times as a family. Isn't it reassuring to know that, like Wren, Grandma, and Grandpa, you'll have each other to fall back on? Another in the 2009 Monarch award titles, this one is a winner.

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

By Kevin O'Malley

Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto

Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 3rd graders

Want to start off this short week with a laugh? Check out 'Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude'. The boy and the girl narrating the story have to tell their favorite fairy tale to you, the reader. But since they can't agree on which fairy tale they like best, they tell their own. At least, that's what they try to do. She has one idea that involves princesses, pretty ponies and spinning gold. He, on the other hand, favors rotten-toothed giants, volcanoes and one very cool motorcycle dude. These two very different views of a good fairy tale come to an ending that satisfies both. Sort of.

'Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude' is a great read aloud for two people, preferably one male and one female. Why don't mom and dad try reading it out loud to the kids after dinner, before everyone heads off to do homework? Talk about some dinner table fun! The three illustrators each take a point of view, making the artwork very distinct for each character. The princess and her ponies are so pretty done in pinks and purples. The motorcycle dude's coolness is reflected in dark, bold colors.

This is another title from the 2009 Monarch Award list and one that is sure to get lots of votes in the spring. Enjoy it now because it won't stay on the shelves once everyone has read it!

The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School

By Judy Sierra

Illustrated by Stephen Gammell

Most enjoyed by anyone who has ever done a science fair project

It's science fair time here at Zion. Our 5th through 8th graders are just starting to figure out what science topic they want to investigate over the next two-and-a-half months. Those that are desperate for an idea might want to stay away from 'The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School' by Judy Sierra.

Our narrator just can't think of a science fair project as cool as growing corn and peas with an ant farm or curing a disease. She resorts to the Internet and finds a wonderful product called Professor Swami's Super Slime. Guaranteed to win our narrator first prize, she opens the package but doesn't read the directions enclosed. The result is a project that takes a mind of it's own and doesn't quite follow the scientific method.

Anyone with fond (or not so fond) memories of a science fair project will enjoy 'The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School'. Stephen Gammell's illustrations lend just the right touch of outrageousness to the story. Be sure to be careful when looking for a project on the Internet. You may end up with a little more than you bargained for!

There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me

By Alice Walker

Illustrated by Stefano Vitale

Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 3rd graders

The weather has been beautiful here over the last few days, hasn't it? It's cooling down in the evening, giving us just a hint of the fall weather that hides around the corner. It's a perfect time to get outside, savor the last of summer's flowers, admire the green trees and smell the fresh air. 'There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me' is just the book to read before you head outside.

Author Alice Walker was out walking one day, marveling at the beauty of nature, when she began to sing. She went home and wrote the words down, turning them into a celebration poem for our role in the natural world. Stefano Vitale's vibrant, colorful illustrations are a perfect match for Walker's words of praise. Combined, the result is a book that joyfully reminds us of our role in the world.

Another of the 2009 Monarch Award nominees, 'There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me' is a delight for the senses.

George Did It!
By Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
Illustrated by Larry Day
Most enjoyed by Kindergartners through 4th Graders

Heading off to school to start a new school year can be a bit scary no matter now old you are. Will your teacher be nice? Will there be a lot of homework? Will all the work be hard? These worries can nag us so much we really don't know if we want to go back to school.

Did you know that George Washington was scared to be our first president? Yep, he worried just like you do. After leading America's army in the war for independence, George wanted to go back to his farm and live a peaceful, quiet life with his family. But the nation wouldn't let him. America needed a strong leader for president, someone who could be trusted, admired and respected. Who else but George Washington?

But George didn't see it that way. What if George couldn't manage the government or make friends with the governments of other countries? Everyone was counting on him to do these things but what if he couldn't? What if he didn't know how? Despite his fears and misgivings, George did it. George took on the job of president of the United States and became the role model for presidents to follow, even to this day.

You'll learn a few interesting things about George 'George Did It'. Do you know what color suit George wore to his inauguration? Brown. It was plain brown because, well, George liked brown suits. And he wanted a plain suit so that Americans knew their president was as plain and ordinary as they were.


So, does school seem so scary now that you have had a few days under your belt? Now that you just did it? George would be proud of you!

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County

By Janice Harrington

Illustrated by Shelley Jackson

Most enjoyed by Preschool through 3rd grade

There are three things our narrator likes to do to start her day - eat breakfast, tell her mama stories, and chase chickens. She has one favorite chicken who is tough to catch. No matter how the little girl tries to outsmart her, that chicken runs away fast. But one day, that ole chicken cannot be found. Where could she be hiding? As the little girl hunts for it, she discovers that the chicken has a very good reason for hiding. Can you guess what it might be?

This is one story you don't want to read silently. It begs to be read aloud. There's lots of squawking and prucking so don't save this one for bedtime. The illustrations in 'The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County' add to the fun. Part collage, part drawing, they give a helter-skelter feel to the pages, much like the chickens who run here and there when chased. The illustrations remind us that we don't have to draw every picture in the stories we write. Pictures from magazines and newspapers can be added to our drawings to help tell our stories.

'The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County' is a candidate for the 2009 Monarch award. Zion's Kindergarten through 3rd grade students will be reading the Monarch candidates and voting for their favorite in February. Each year when we read the Monarch candidates, we always find one or two stories that quickly become new favorites. This one is sure to be added to our list!