I Want My Light On! By Tony Ross

This addresses a common childhood fear of ghosts in the room at bedtime. The Little Princess is sure there is a ghost under her bed and wants her light left on. Everyone in the house tries to tell her ghosts don't exist, but she isn't convinced. Well it turns out there is a ghost in her room, but the ghost is just as afraid of her as she is of it. The ghost runs back to where he lives in the castle and says, "Mom, Mom, I've seen a little girl!" Mom replies, "Don't be silly, there are no such things as little girls!"

My 4 year old asked to read this often, calling it "the spooky book". I think he was a little bit scared of the ghost, but was intrigued by the story. It made him laugh every time to find out that the ghost was afraid of the little girl too.

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming

This is just another clever and adorable ABC book. A funny little buck-toothed mouse is busy working on the letters of the alphabet. He airbrushes the A, buttons the B, and carves the C...working all the to Z. Great illustrations and great fun. I don't think I will ever tire of discovering new ABC books.

Owen by Kevin Henkes

I've truly grown to love Kevin Henkes' stories. I think kids can really relate to his mousey little characters that experience all the same things that they do. Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket that he carried everywhere. Fuzzy played with him, helped him become invisible and helped him through scary things like going to the dentist. But the nosy neighbor Mrs. Tweezers thought Owen was too old for a blanket. She offered his parents all kinds of advice like giving it to the Blanket Fairy and dipping it in vinegar. But Owen still found a way to hang on to Fuzzy. When it was almost time to start school, Owen's mom came up with the perfect solution- cutting Fuzzy into little handkerchiefs that he could still hold and use when he needed them.

Many children cling to something for comfort and companionship, whether it be a blanket, or a doll or a stuffed animal. I carried a blanket until it was literally torn to sheds. In our house, "Taggie" is my son's best friend. I think it is fine for kids to have a "lovey", but there will come a time when they need to learn to separate from it. Owen is the perfect little mouse to help them do it.

A Fabulous Fair Alphabet By Debra Frasier

About a year ago I started a collection of alphabet books for my kids. I'm fascinated by the amount and variety, many of which are far more interesting and unique that the basic "A is for apple, Z is for zebra." And I was thrilled when I came across "A Fabulous Fair Alphabet", which truly is fabulous in my opinion. Author Debra Frasier spends time each year at the state fair and photographs everything that she sees. One year she really noticed all the different lettering in the midway signs. So she started a collection of letter photographs, which ended up in this book. For example, F is for ferris wheel, which is spelled out with the photographs of letters she captured at the fair. And several unique Fs dangle on the ferris wheel as the seats. Eye-catching and very clever. It makes me want to go to the fair and eat something fried or dipped in chocolate!

The author's dedication page says, "For the inventors of the most amazing of tools: the alphabet..."

I must agree that the alphabet is something pretty amazing, so simple yet so complex.

What is your favorite alphabet book? Or one you've come across that is fun or unique? I'd love to read your comments!

Soccer Beat Written by Sandra Gilbert Brug, Illustrated by Elisabeth Moseng

This post is for the teachers! Or for parents helping their kids with homework or writing. After reading just a few pages it was clear that this book would be great for a mini-lesson on VERBS. It has a catchy rhyming beat, describing a soccer game between two teams of various animals. With the colorful, active illustrations, and the text scattered across the pages- I felt like the verbs were jumping out at me. Ready for some examples: hustle, kick, move, zig-zag, slide, spin, glide, running, romping, stomping, slapping, tapping, twirling, whirling, prancing, leaping, chancing, pouncing, tripping, rolling, sneaking, bouncing, jumping, clashing, thumping, seize, sprinting, guarding, looming, streaking, steal, turning, trapping, bashing, dashing, barking, stamping, pacing, praising, sparking, wave, tap, smack, crouching, skip, hop, pass, pop, stop, dribble, slam, SCORE! I was just planning to list a few examples, but I could not stop! I love words-their power, impact, and the pictures they can create. I also love reading about authors. Sandra Gilbert Brug is a librarian and former teacher. This is her first book, which was inspired by watching the neighborhood kids play soccer. I love that every day things can inspire people to write, and can turn into great stories.

So, read this to your students and they will have no excuse for using lame verbs in their writing!!

My favorite from the list is LOOMING. What is yours? Feel free to leave it in a comment!

Shades of People By Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

This is the book that my little one is reading in the picture below. She absolutely adores it and I've found her looking through it several times. Her favorite books are ones with photographs of children. This book is filled with vibrant close ups of precious smiling children, all looking quite different from each other. It starts with, "Have you noticed that people come in many different shades?" Followed by, "Not colors, exactly, but shades." It goes on to show and list several diverse (and yummy!) shades: creamy, ivory, sandy, peach, coffee, cocoa, copper, tan, pink, rose, almond ,bronze, brown, and shades of gold. It is simply stated, and I think it appropriately addresses diversity and human differences to young readers.

Book Love

I just had to post this pic. This was a moment that made me so happy! I was cleaning up breakfast when I peeked into the office to see this. My little girl in her cute jammas, messy bed head, surrounded by great books. I love that she loves books, and especially that she chooses to look at them on her own, without any prodding from me.

I will be posting some of my latest book finds soon! And I will definitely be highlighting the one my daughter is looking at in the picture. She's picked it out many times and flips through the pages over and over. Stay tuned...