Good Reads: February 2015
Book Recommendations for Your Keiki—from Preschool Through Eighth Grade, Plus a Little Something for Mom and Dad.
Preschool
A Book of Babies
by Il Sung Na
Spring brings the birth of baby animals including ducklings, zebras, kangaroos, seahorses, polar bears and more. A father duck observers that some are only children, many have children, but all settle down at night.
Kindergarten
A Library Book for Bear
by Bonny Becker
Bear feels he already has all the books he needs. But Mouse talks him into visiting the library. At first, Bear doesn’t understand the concept of using a “library voice” and can’t find the right book on pickles. But when he listens in to storytime, things change.
First Grade
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
by Mac Barnett
Sam & Dave hope to find “something spectacular” but seem to find nothing. Their dog is the only one who finds buried treasure. But young readers should look carefully at before and after pictures of the house, tree and cat and see if you discover something.
Fifth Grade
Brother Hugo and the Bear
by Katy Beebe
The monk can’t return his library book because a bear ate it. So the abbot instructs him to make a new one. Follow the process of making a book from preparing vellum for pages to inking and illuminating
Third Grade
The Fourteenth Goldfish
by Jennifer Holm
What if your grandfather suddenly became just 13 years old? Ellie finds out and soon helps him break into his old lab so he can write about his experiments. In the process, they learn more about scientists such as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Jonas Salk and Galileo
Seventh Grade
The Family Romanav: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of the Imperial Russia
by Raina Telgemeier
The lives and end of the Romanovs is recounted here. Read about everyone, from ineffective Nicholas to impressionable Alexandra, manipulated by Rasputin. Readers will also learn about the great inequality between the privileged and peasants of Russia.
For Parents
Permission to Parent: How to Raise Your Kid with Love and Limits
by Robin E. Berman
Psychiatrist Berman offers help to parents and children to guide them through life together as a family. She emphasizes boundaries.
These books and many others for all ages are available at your public library or you can place a request for titles. You can borrow “all you can carry” for a three-week loan period with your public-library card. Please check the Hawaii State Public Library System website for a list of library locations, hours and free, family-friendly programs at a library near you at librarieshawaii.org.
