Elizabeth's Children's Books Blog

With so much emphasis on the presidential elections in the news, now is a good time to share books about voting, elections and the political process with your kids. If we want our kids to grow up to be responsible citizens, we need to talk about, and read them books about, these subject on a regular basis. Several of the books that I have recommended in my Childrens's Books about Elections and Voting are ones that your child will enjoy hearing more than once. For all of you in the U.S., I hope you have a wonderful time today celebrating the Fourth of July.

(Cover art courtesy of Clarion Books)

Written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, The Librarian of Basra is a nonfiction picture book about how one determined woman helped save the Basra Central Library's books during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In a Harcourt interview, Winter was asked, "What do you want children to remember about the librarian of Basra?" She replied, "I would hope that children would take with them the belief that one person can truly make a difference. And that they would remember the bravery of one woman protecting what was important to her, especially when they feel powerless, as we all do sometimes." This is an excellent book, one I recommend for children 8-12 years old.

(Cover art courtesy of Harcourt)

Are you looking for some new ideas for summer activities for your children? Doing crafts is one of the best ways to keep your kids active, interested and occupied. I've chosen some crafts books for kids that provide directions for a variety of intriguing crafts. Boys and girls who love sports will particularly like Knotting because it contains directions for a basketball net and a sports bag. 'Tween and teen girls will have fun using Injeanuity to update and/or make "cool stuff" with their old denim jeans. Other crafts covered in Crafts Books for Kids include paper crafts, clay and bead crafts, holiday crafts, nature crafts, and needlecrafts, to name a few. You'll even find a gardening book for the family. You'll find more recommended books in my Top Picks list of Knitting Books for Kids and Teens. Summer may seem like an odd time for knitting, but I learned to knit during the summer I was 11. With no schoolwork, I had plenty of time to practice. Are there other crafts books for kids you'd recommend? Click on the "comments" button below and share your recommendations.

(Cover art courtesy of Kids Can Press)

Lois Lowry is best known for her two Newbery Medal winners, The Giver and Number the Stars. The Giver, a dark and thought provoking YA novel, is fourteenth on the American Library Association's list of The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000. Number the Stars is a children's novel about the Holocaust. However, what many people don't know is that Lois Lowry is the author of more than thirty books for children and young teens, including several series. Her latest book is Gossamer. Have you and/or your children read any of Lois Lowry's books? How do you feel about them? Click on "comments" below and share your opinions.

(Cover art courtesy of Houghton Mifflin)

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo, is an odd and engrossing fairy tale. The hero, Despereaux Tilling, is a mouse with large ears. While of the same high literary quality as her children's books' Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor Book, and The Tiger Rising, a National Book Award finalist, and also geared to same 8/9-12 year old age range, this novel is distinctly different from her others. It is also a terrific read aloud for younger kids. Kate DiCamillo was awarded the Newbery Medal for this very entertaining novel, which was published in 2003 by Candlewick Press. The book continues to be very popular with children. It is also very popular with elementary school teachers who use it as a read aloud. See my review of The Tale of Despereaux for more about this imaginative tale. The animated movie version of the book will be released December 19, 2008. As always, I hope you will encourage your children to read the book before they see the movie.

(Cover art courtesy of Candlewick Press)

What independent publisher of picture books is publishing its first illustrated novel for 9- to 12-year-olds? What's the latest children's book to be acquired for a movie? What movie based on a children's book has just been released on DVD and Blu-ray? When is the next installment of the Artemis Fowl series coming out? Learn all this and more from the Children's Book Buzz: June 2008; then, click on "comments" below and share your thoughts.

One of the books I like to share on the Fourth of July is America the Beautiful. The powerful artwork by Chris Gall gives new meaning to the words of Katharine Lee Bates' poem "America the Beautiful." Yes, that's the same poem that was put to music by Samuel A. Ward and has become one of our country's most beloved songs. America the Beautiful is one of ten children's books on my list of recommended Books that Celebrate America.

(Cover art courtesy of Little, Brown and Company)

Whether or not you live in an area that gets hit by hurricanes, you're apt to find that your kids have questions about hurricanes when they see TV news reports. I read a lot of books to come up with my list of recommended children's books about hurricanes. It includes both fiction and nonfiction and covers a wide age range. One of the books, Yesterday We Had A Hurricane / Ayer Tuvimos Un Huracán, is written in both English and Spanish. If you have others to recommend, please click on "comments" below and share your recommendations.

Related Links

• What Causes Hurricanes? (About.com: Environmental Issues)
• Hurricane Names for 2008 (About.com: Georgraphy)
• FEMA for Kids: Hurricanes (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

(Cover art courtesy of Bumble Bee Publishing)

The winners of the 2008 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature are:

• Nonfiction: The Wall by Peter Sís (Foster/Farrar)
• Fiction and Poetry: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Little)
• Picture Book: At Night by Jonathan Bean (Farrar)
• Special Citation: The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Levine/Scholastic)

For other excellent books for kids and teens to enjoy this summer, see my Top 10 Summer Reading Lists For Kids and Teens: 2008. If award-winning books particularly interest you, see my Award Winners directory. Have you and/or your children read any of the award winners? If so, please click on "comments" and share your reactions.

Award-winning author and illustrator Tasha Tudor died yesterday (June 18, 2008) at the age of 92 at her home in Marlboro, Vermont. On her farm, she lived an 1830s life of self-sufficiency. Tasha Tudor’s close to 100 books included Mother Goose, a Caldecott Honor Book in 1945, and 1 Is One, a Caldecott Honor Book in 1957. Her family has created an online memorial page that will remain online until July 1, 2009. Plans are underway for a Tasha Tudor Museum.