Frogs

Written and photographed by Nic Bishop

Most enjoyed by 1st through 4th Graders

Frogs. Gotta love 'em. And even if you don't, check out 'Frogs' by Nic Bishop. Did you know that there is a frog whose skin is see-through? Called a glass frog, it's skin is so thin you can see it's heart pumping! There's a great picture of one on page 10. Ever heard of the strawberry dart poison frog? It lives in the rain forest and lays it's eggs on the forest floor. When the tadpoles hatch, the mother frog lets the tadpole wriggle onto it's back before climbing up a tree to deposit the tadpole safely into the wet leaves of a bromeliad. There she will care for the tadpole until it turns into a frog. Take a look at how colorful it is on page 42.

The photography in 'Frogs' is spectacular. With close-ups galore and facts about all kinds of frogs, this book will fascinate you even if you don't like frogs. It might even turn you into a frog lover!

Jumpy Jack and Googly

Written by Meg Rosoff

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Most enjoyed by Preschoolers through 1st Graders

Jumpy Jack is a snail who is scared of monsters. He's sure there's a monster behind the tree or in the swimming pool or hiding in the shed. He's awfully lucky that his best friend Googly isn't afraid to check for monsters. Googly, who is blue, has sharp teeth and two fingers on each hand, has no fear of monsters but patiently helps his friend by checking for them. But will Jumpy Jack be brave when he discovers what Googly is afraid of?

Little listeners will delight in the humor here. They can see that Googly is most definitely a monster, especially when he matches Jumpy Jack's description of one. Yet Jumpy Jack can't see it; he only sees Googly as his friend. And what else does a friend do but stick by his buddy through scary and not-so-scary? There's a nice lesson about friendship and acceptance here, but young readers will enjoy the simple pleasure of Jumpy Jack and Googly being together.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer of the North

Book 5 in the series

Written by John Flanagan

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th Graders

I haven't read this one yet, but it's the latest in the Ranger's Apprentice series which is so popular here at Zion. If you're a fan, be sure to stop up and check this one out.

Footprints in the Snow

Written and illustrated by Mei Matsuoka

Most enjoyed by mystery lovers in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

Here's a who-dun-it guaranteed to keep you wondering. Wolf is tired of reading stories about mean, nasty wolves. Since he can't find any books about nice wolves, he decides to write his own. The story he creates is about a wolf who spies some footprints in the snow. Wondering who they belong to, he sets off to follow them. As he meets each animal in the forest, he politely asks if they know to whom the tracks belong. Each animal runs away in fear. Mr. Wolf is frustrated but doesn't give up until he meets a duck. And that's when the detective discovers that there's a reason all those wolves in the stories are mean and nasty.

Young readers will enjoy the suspense as they turn the pages of 'Footprints in the Snow'. They can solve the mystery themselves if they use the clues they've been given about the wolf to come to the right conclusion. But will it be the right conclusion after all, beyond a shadow of a doubt? Mei Matsouka's illustrations are a mix of painting and collage art, with many of the pictures full of little details to find. This mystery is a perfect one to read before heading outside to hunt for some animal tracks yourself!

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

Written by Candace Fleming

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th graders

We're so fortunate here at Zion to be welcoming author Candace Fleming for a school visit today. Ms. Fleming is the author of a new book about Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln called 'The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at at Abraham and Mary'. The book recently won an NCTE Orbus Pictus Honor Award for best non-fiction for younger readers. The award is well-deserved. If you take the time to browse through the book, I think you'll find it's a hard one to put down.

'The Lincolns' presents alternating looks at Abraham and Mary, beginning with their childhoods, then progressing to their marriage, Abraham's legal and political careers, his presidency, and assassination. It ends with Mary's story, how she struggled to continue with her life after tragically losing her husband and eventually, three of her four sons. Along the way, you meet the people that touched their lives - Abraham's step -mother who made sure he had books to read; Mary's boarding school teacher whose flamboyant behaviour influenced her young student; Lincoln's cabinet members and his earliest friends. We see how both were shaped by the events taking place around them, while influencing those events as well.

What makes this book so readable is that you don't have to read the whole thing from start to finish to learn about Abraham and Mary. Got 15 minutes before your favorite TV show starts? Open the book and read about Lincoln's first store in New Salem. Ten minutes to go until lights out for bedtime? Read about Mary's love of fine clothes and how she was an extravagant shopper. By using the scrapbook format, Ms. Fleming has made a book so readable, so fascinating, it's hard to put down. Loaded with pictures, newspaper clippings, and cartoons from the time period, each page draws you into the Lincolns' story.

This year, we're celebrating Lincoln's 200th birthday so Ms. Fleming's book couldn't come at a better time. Read a bit of 'The Lincolns' every day and learn more about this fascinating couple that played such a big role in our history!

The Magic Hockey Stick

Written by Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas

Most enjoyed by hockey fans in Kindergarten through 3rd grade

What would you do if you won Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick? Do you think it would make you a better player? For the narrator of 'The Magic Hockey Stick', that's exactly what happens when her parents come home with Wayne's stick. Won at a charity auction, her father tells her to keep the stick in a safe place, but she just can't resist sneaking it off to hockey practice. Pretty soon, she's scoring one or two goals each game and leading her team to a winning season. But when the great Gretzky himself goes into a slump, there's only one thing she can do.

It's pretty hard to keep your game up without your favorite hockey stick or baseball bat or running shoes. Young readers will identify with our narrator when she has to decide whether to give up her new stick, especially since it's improving her game. But she knows she can't stand by when her favorite hockey player needs help! With rhyming text and colorful illustrations, 'The Magic Hockey Stick' is just the book for hockey players and armchair hockey fans everywhere!

Mr. Lincoln's Boys

Written by Staton Rabin

Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Most enjoyed by 3rd through 8th graders

Subtitled 'Being the MOSTLY True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln's Trouble-Making Sons, TAD and WILLIE', this book is a nice introduction to a side of Lincoln we don't always hear about - his life as a father.

Willie and Tad were the Lincolns' two youngest sons. Their oldest son, Robert, was away at college for most of Lincoln's presidency. This left the White House in the hands of two rambunctious boys who tried to have as much fun as possible. As you'll learn in 'Mr. Lincoln's Boys' , the two succeeded quite well. Willie and Tad were always pulling pranks, much to the aggravation of White House staff. During important meetings, the boys would barge in to greet their father, causing one visitor to ask, "Mr. President, can't you do something about those rascals?" Well, Mr. Lincoln could, but he usually chose not to.

The paintings that illustrate the book are beautiful and show the love Lincoln surely had for his boys. Many of the faces are painted so well they look like photographs. One of my favorites is of Lincoln holding young Tad in his lap while comforting him from a nightmare. The look on Lincoln's face is so full of warmth and affection, a far cry from the serious face we usually see of Lincoln. A resource list in the back offers suggestions for places and websites to visit to learn more about Lincoln and his family.

Add this to your list of Lincoln books to read as we celebrate his birthday this year.