Big Wolf and Little Wolf

Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec's Big Wolf and Little Wolf is one of the most tender children's stories I have read in a LONG TIME!  I just loved everything about it - from the illustrations that are wonderful - all the way to the sweet story line. 

Big Wolf didn't even know what it was to love something other than himself until Little Wolf came along.  At first he thought maybe Little Wolf was something to be jealous of, but he soon learned that no jealousy was needed - just love and care for this Little Wolf.  He began to share things he had never shared before, and look out for Little Wolf like his own - until Little Wolf leaves.  The simplistic nature of this story won't escape the reader - it is truly wonderful! 

My favorite line:  "For the first time he said to himself that a little one, indeed a very little one, had taken up space in his heart.  A lot of space."  And every parent can relate to that!

Ripple Reader

I love this idea!!


The new site www.RippleReader.com enables people to record themselves reading children's pictures books. Grandparents are using it to read to long- distance grandchildren. Soldiers and business travelers are sharing bedtime stories with kids back home. Ripple is also helping libraries raise vital funds! For details, see the lower right of Ripple's home page.  For a limited time, you can try Ripple free, so visit today! 

Beautiful

I was honored to be a part of the blog tour for Cindy Coloma - I was sent a copy of her latest book, Beautiful, and haven't been able to put it down since!  This is a riveting Young Adult read - a wonderful look at what REALLY makes a person who they are - is it how they look or could losing your beautiful looks really not be the end of the world???  It was a truly great read - with Christian underpinnings - I appreciate that in young adult novels - our teens NEED it!

Cindy was also gracious enough to add her thoughts on how to become a writer, which I think some of my readers may appreciate:


Becoming A Writer


“How do I become a writer?” It’s a question that people often ask me. 
There’s the practical response – study writing, get a degree, attend writers conferences, read read read, write most every day, perfect your manuscript, seek a reputable agent, etc. 


Then there’s the impractical – it must be your passion first and perseverance is more important than talent. 
A writer needs to be passionate about stories, about words, about living a life in a creative mode. It’s not a job that you leave at an office. In most careers, a person is not what they do, but for writers, like other creatives, writing is what we are. It’s a way of seeing the world, interacting with others, and living every day both while in front of the computer and out in life. 


Recently, I spent the weekend with a friend from high school who is also a writer. The group of people we were with kept laughing at us because we’d make up story ideas at nearly every topic the group discussed. It’s who we are. It’s a passion that runs through us like blood in our viens.


The other essential part of becoming a writer is perseverance. It’s what keeps you going through rejection, through the long lonely journey of creating a story, through having to continually rewrite and editoral reviews and the hard hard work of growing as a writer. 


How do you become a writer? Start with a writer’s heart and will. 

Cindy Martinusen Coloma
cindycoloma@gmail.com


www.cindycoloma.com
www.cindycoloma-ya.com 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

One of the recent Newbery Honor Winners was The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly.  This was one I read before the list came out (yeah for me!!) and I was glad I read it.  I enjoyed this character - 11 year old, Callie - she is just a sweet character.  She is not so sure she wants to follow the typical "girl" expectations of the 1800's and so hangs out with her Grandfather and explores science!  This is where Darwin/Evolution comes into the novel - her Grandfather is a strong proponent of Evolution and it's theories.  Even though that might not be something you adhere to, it is still a very tender story of a granddaughter and her grandfather.  It is also wonderful about the struggles of growing up and fitting in in a larger family.  It was a good read - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to our junior high readers.

Scones and Sensibility

Lindsay Eland has written a novel that I just fell in love with - Scones and Sensibility is such a sweet junior high novel.  Do you love Anne of Green Gables?  Do you love Pride and Prejudice?  Well so does 12 year old Polly Madassa and she talks like those characters and even LIVES like those characters!  I loved Polly - she was a character that just drew me in - she made me laugh right out loud - and that doesn't happen often while I'm reading!  She is not to be missed - your junior high readers will LOVE her!!

The Yellow Tutu

The Yellow Tutu by Kirsten Bramsen is a new book we have at our library.  This book is just wonderful!!  I love the child that is not afraid to be just who they want to be - even when others may not see the humor!  That is Margo - she is not afraid to be herself and wear her Yellow Tutu to school because it can be SO many things!!  Too cute and promotes being exactly who you are - and have some fun with it!

Could be great with a colors storytime or friends storytime.

Award Books by Age

This blogger had a wonderful breakdown of the award winning books by age - this is worth the read!!!

Big Day for Awards

It is the BIG day - when SO many great awards are announced:
Newberry Award - pleased to say I've read all but ONE!!!  (That always makes me proud!)  The winner was:  When you Reach Me  by Rebecca Stead - a story I enjoyed - although certainly not one of my all-time favorites for the year - but they do this to me almost every year - I'm not surprised!

Caldecott Award - this one I fell short - but they are now all on order for our library! I had not seen the winner - The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney - but it looks fabulous!

So there you go - now you are "in the know" too!!  Enjoy!