Children's Books: Reading Recomendations

THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE
by Louise Erdrich. Wonderful B&W drawings by the Author. Decorated end pages. Condition: NEW 1990 Hyperion hardcover edition & DJ (in mylar jacket), 4th printing. Content: Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books. With The Birchbark House, award-winning author Louise Erdrich's first novel for young readers, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior's Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak of smallpox overtook the island. Readers will be riveted by the daily life of this Native American family, in which tanning moose hides, picking berries, and scaring crows from the cornfield are as commonplace as encounters with bear cubs and fireside ghost stories. Erdrich--a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa--spoke to Ojibwa elders about the spirit and significance of Madeline Island, read letters from travelers, and even spent time with her own children on the island, observing their reactions to woods, stones, crayfish, bear, and deer. The author's softly hewn pencil drawings infuse life and authenticity to her poetic, exquisitely wrought narrative. Omakayas is an intense, strong, likable character to whom young readers will fully relate--from her mixed emotions about her siblings, to her discovery of her unique talents, to her devotion to her pet crow Andeg, to her budding understanding of death, life, and her role in the natural world. We look forward to reading more about this brave, intuitive girl--and wholeheartedly welcome Erdrich's future series to the canon of children's classics. (Ages 9 and older) Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 7.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

THE BOOK OF DRAGONS
selected & illustrated by Michael Hague. Absolutely wonderful color cover art, decorated end pages, and interior illustrations - with a few B&W sketches thrown in. Condition: NEW 1999 William Morrow hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), 9th printing. Light shelf wear to top DJ edge/ Content: Take one first-rate collection of fire-breathing, scale-flashing, wing-flapping, tail-lashing dragon yarns. Lace it with elegant black-and-white line drawings and a generous dollop of unabashedly romantic color plates awash with vibrant hues. The result? A deliciously old-fashioned storybook, delivering just the sort of fantasy Hague is best known for. He pulls out all the stops for this one, using watercolors to present a diverse assortment of winged beasts. There are green dragons, red dragons, multi-headed dragons, even dragons that hint of the Orient with their long beards and manes. The stories-from such luminaries as Kenneth Grahame, J.R.R. Tolkien, E. Nesbit, Elizabeth Coatsworth and C.S. Lewis-are equally splendid. Stories: The Dragon and the Enchanted Filly (Italo Calvino); Adventures of Eustace (C.S. Lewis); Perseus and Andromeda (Padraic Colum); Reluctant Dragon (my favorite! - Kenneth Grahame); Flower Queen's Daughter (Andrew Lang); Li Chi Slays the Serpent (Kan Pao); Bilbo Baggins & Smaug (Tolkien); Uncle Lubin and the Dragon (W Heath Robinson); Deliverers of Their Country (E. Nesbit); Devil and His Grandmother (Brothers Grimm); Sigurd and Fafnir (A Lang); Story of Wang Li (E. Coatsworth); St George & the Dragon (William H.G. Kingston); sTan Bolovan (A Lang); Good Sword (Ruth Bryan Owen); dragon of Wantley (Anon.); and Dragon Tamers (E. Nesbit). Wonderful! [1 copy available]
$ 13.00 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

CHANCAY AND THE SECRET OF FIRE ( A Peruvian Folktale)
by Donald Charles. Beautiful, vivid color illustrations by the Author. Condition: NEW 1993 Whitebird hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: Fisherman Chancay is granted one favor by Tambo, a spirit who has appeared on Earth as a fish. When Chancay explains that his people are often cold and are afraid of the dark, Tambo challenges him to obtain the gift of fire. After surviving several tasks that the spirit devises, the man proves that he is not only kind but also strong and brave, and therefore ready to journey, with the loan of a condor's wings, to the Kingdom of the Sun and Moon where the secret of fire resides. There he must steal the Moon's golden mirror and, using one of the sun's rays, he successfully directs the light into a bundle of twigs and reeds to make fire. This is an original folktale in the pourquoi tradition and explains why we are able to see the Moon's reflection in water. The text is brisk, exciting, and graceful; Charles's brightly colored and highly stylized illustrations are eye-catching and have been inspired by artwork from pre-Columbian Peru. Useful, with many curricular applications. Ages K-4 [1 copy available]
$ 11.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping. International & Priority shipping available on arrangement. Email us.

THE DWARF-WIZARD OF UXMAL
by Susan Hand Shetterly. Vivid color illustrations by Robert Shetterly. Condition: NEW 1990 Atheneum hardcover & DJ (in mylar jackaet), first edition, no printing given. Content: This is a retelling of a Yucatan Mayan hero legend. A tiny dwarf is hatched from an egg and raised by a reclusive old woman. On his 15th birthday, the old woman instructs the boy, Tol, to challenge the leader of the city of Uxmal. Aided by magic, he does, fulfilling an ancient prophesy. This telling is steeped in ritual and ceremonial lore, using animals, foods, and dress to enrich the sense of locale and culture. The story should engage the interest of children who enjoy more protracted tales; the vivid imagery of its words recommends it for reading aloud. Grades 3 - 5+. [1 copy available]
$ 12.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping..

EDWARD LEAR'S NONSENSE OMNIBUS (Golden Heritage Series)
by Edward Lear. B&W illustrations by the Author. Condition: UNREAD, BUT NOT PERFECT, 1988 Galley Press large hard cover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. Light taning to DJ edges. Interior clean & tight. Xmas inscription on loose end page. Content: A collection of Lear's nonsense songs, stories, rhymes, alphabets, and pictures taken from "Nonsense Songs and Stories," "Nonsense Botany," and "Nonsense Alphabets." A book kids (and adults) of all ages will love. [1 copy available]
$ 7.49 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

ROBERT FROST: Poetry for Young People
by Robert Frost. Edited by Gary D. Schmidt. Wonderful soft natural color illustrations by Henri Sorensen. Condition: NEW 2000 Scholastic soft cover (stapled wraps), 10th printing. Content: This book is just what it says it is: poetry for youngsters by the best we have to offer, Robert Frost. Poems accompanied by art appropriate to the text. Biography of Frost included. Very nice indeed. [1copy available]
$ 2.69 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

I MISS YOU: A First Look at Death
by Pat Thomas. Sweet color illustrations by Lesley Harker. Condition: NEW 2000 Barron's soft cover, 16th printing. Content: When a close friend or family member dies, it can be difficult for children to express their feelings. This book helps boys and girls understand that death is a natural complement to life, and that grief and a sense of loss are normal feelings for them to have following a loved one's death. Titles in this sensitively presented series explore the dynamics of various relationships experienced by children of preschool through early school age. Kids are encouraged to understand personal feelings and social problems as a first step in dealing with them. Written by psychotherapist and counselor Pat Thomas, these books promote positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers. The story lines are simple and direct--easily accessible to younger children. There are full-color illustrations on every page. There is short discussion of how different cultures deal with death (Viking funeral only with flowers - no flames) and a section at the back for parents on how to best use the book. (Ages - 4 - 8, but all ages can appreciate.) Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 5.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

LIFETIMES: The beautiful way to explain death to children
by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen. Beautiful color illustrations by Ingpen. Condition: NEW 1983 Bantam soft cover edition, 25th printing. Easy-to-read with larger print for young eyes. Content: A pet . . . a friend . . . or a relative dies, and it must be explained to a child. This sensitive book is a useful tool in explaining to children that death is a part of life and that, eventually, all living things reach the end of their own special lifetimes. Reviewer: "The "de-personalized" way it talks about death, the universality of its text combined with soft drawings and repetition are very soothing. This is NOT a book about emotions or stages of death. This is a book about the rhythm of life and death for all creatures, for everything that is born. One of the best parts of the book is its emphasis on what a lifetime is, and how it is framed by birth and death, and that inbetween those "markers" is what is important. It explains that different creatures have different life spans, and that this aspect of nature is neither fair nor unfair. It simply is." Preschool and up. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 6.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

LUCY LONG AGO: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From
by Catherine Thimmesh. Wonderful color photos, maps, and drawings. Condition: UNREAD 2009 Houghton Mifflin hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Light shelf wear to top DJ edge. Content: Reviewer: "An earth-shattering discovery in Ethiopia rocked the anthropological world when scientists unearthed the skeleton of a little creature whose like had never been seen before. A mere 3.2 million years ago, the skeleton dubbed "Lucy" had walked on two legs, and defied all categorization scientists had made thus far--was she an early ancestor of man or ape? How did she live? What did she look like? This beautifully designed and informative picture book is eloquent in its treatment of the subject. The author lays out, step by step, the process that takes place when handling field work. My only complaint is the lagging pace of the material towards the end: it provides a satisfying conclusion, but younger readers or those with short attention spans might lose interest. Recommended for older elementary school children and middle school students." The Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was playing the night paleoanthropologist Donald Johnson found the first fossilized remains of the hominid that became known around the world as Lucy. This extraordinary discovery changed how scientists understood one of the basic concepts of human evolution–it proved that our ancestors began walking upright before the size of their brains increased. Thimmesh uses this discovery to explore several topics in the fields of anthropology and evolutional biology, such as how the bones were fossilized, the process for deciding that Lucy belonged to a previously unknown species (Australopithecus afarensis), and the cast-making process that allowed biological anthropologist Owen Lovejoy to reconstruct her pelvis and prove that she was bipedal. The author even touches upon what fossils can't teach us about our ancestors–their emotions and family patterns. The final chapter discusses the process used by paleoartist John Gurche to create a life-size sculpture of Lucy. The book's greatest strength is how it underscores the fluidity of our understanding in a field like anthropology; it shows how one discovery can change the thinking of scientists in a dramatic way. Essential! Ages 10 and up. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 9.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping. International shipping available - please use the drop-down menu.

NARNIA CHRONOLOGY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE LAST KING: An Interactive Timeline
by Mary-Jane Knight (Editor). Beautiful color illustrations by Pauline Baynes and Mark Edwards. Condition: NEW 2008 HarperCollins huge hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), first printing. Content: The magical world of Narnia is brought to life in this opulent and beautiful book for Narnia fans of all ages to treasure. With flaps, wheels and other lavish interactive elements, all the Chronicles of Narnia are brought together in this fantastic interactive timeline. Step through the wardrobe and experience, in this one magical book, all the major events of Narnia's history. Fantastic new illustrations and a brand new visual interpretation of the classic stories bring fresh excitement to the beloved saga. Part the fur coats yourself to enter Narnia. Turn a wheel to join the children in Aslan's How. Hop from world to world with the Magician's Nephew. Join Reepicheep on the final Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Don't just read the chronicles of Narnia: experience them! The last page holds a big pop-up of Aslan. [1 copy left]
$ 15.89 + $ 3.59 media shipping.

QUEEN VERNITA MEETS SIR HEATHYBEAN THE ASTRONOMER
by Dawn Menge and Heath Rhoades. Wonderful color illustrations by Bobbie Switzer. Condition: NEW 2010 Outskirts Press large soft cover, no printing given. Content: Sir HeathyBean spends twelve informative months in Queen Vernitas castle in the land of Oceaneers. His visit along with Cora the Teacher is centered on learning everything they can about the solar system. Reviewer: Queen Vernita Meets Sir Heathybean the Astronomer is a highly educational and intellectually stimulating book about the solar system with cute illustrations and plenty of facts about the sun, moon, and planets. This book is intended for children in the nine to twelve- year old age group and it strives to satisfy curiosity about the solar system as well as provide some quick facts about the Earth and its planetary neighbors. Educational children's books are certainly better than the average book, but one fact parents will realize immediately with this book is that the education is taken to an entirely new level. This book presents each of the planets, the sun, the Earth's moon, etc, complete with a long list of facts about each. The education is almost at an adult level and many adults will likely not even know some of the facts presented. For example, how many among us knew that Mars has a reddish color due to iron oxide? [OK, we all knew that one!] Or that Uranus has rings? Or that Saturn has 25 moons? These, and other facts like them, are going to stimulate the intellect of adults just as much as that of small children and it might be a good idea for adults to read the book through at least once, on their own, before reading to their kids." All ages. [1 copy available]
$ 10.19 + $ 3.19 media shipping. International shipping available - please use drop-down menu.

THE SNOW GOOSE
by Paul Gallico. Somber color illustrations by Angela Barrett. Condition: NEW 2007 McClelland & Stewart (UK) hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jackaet), first printing. Content: A stunning new edition of a beloved children’s classic. On the desolate Essex marshes, a young girl, Fritha, comes to seek help from Philip Rhayader, a recluse who lives in an abandoned lighthouse. She carries in her arms a wounded snow goose that has been storm-tossed across the Atlantic from Canada. Fritha is frightened of Rhayader, but he is gentler than his appearance suggests and nurses the goose back to health. Over the following months and years, Fritha visits the lighthouse when the snow goose is there. And every summer, when it flies away, Thayader is left alone once more. The Snow Goose is set in the years running up to the evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Originally published in 1940 in the Saturday Evening Post, it was brought out in book form the following year by Knopf, Michael Joseph and M&S simultaneously. It won the prestigious O Henry prize that same year and has been continually in print ever since. The Snow Goose has inspired a number of musical scores and albums, has been made into two feature films and moved generations of readers. A new feature film will be released in the coming year. Beautifully written, with a powerful ending, and breathtakingly illustrated, this is an exquisite edition of Gallico’s masterpiece. [3 copies available]
$ 7.89 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Internaitonal shipping available on arrangement - email us.

THE TIN FOREST [A Reading Rainbow Feature Selection]
by Helen Ward. Beautiful, stark, detailed art by Wayne Anderson. Condition: UNREAD Dutton 2001 hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ), first printing. Name top loose endpage covered by bookplate. Content: A tale with a pointed ecological message. Ward begins pessimistically with the words, "There was once a wide, windswept place, near nowhere and close to forgotten, that was filled with all the things that no one wanted." In the midst of this forlorn environment, there lives an old man who remembers better times and dreams of beautiful forests teeming with exotic birds and wildlife. Even though he tries to clear away the trash, his world remains essentially the same. One day, he plants a light bulb that takes root and grows and grows until it creates a forest made of tin and garbage. Two birds drop seeds on the dry ground; they sprout and bloom, bringing insects and small creatures to the land. The last page reiterates the first with this change: "There was once a forest, near nowhere and close to forgotten, that was filled with all the things that everyone wanted." Anderson's sinister illustrations emphasize the gray coldness of the tin forest. Colors are added as the new one comes to life. The pictures are reminiscent of those in early German folktales, depicting the forest as dark and deadly. With true eloquence, Ward has created a morality tale of environmental devastation. A good choice for Earth Day collections. Questions welcome. Grades 1 - 3. [1 copy available]
$ 8.49 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

VAN GOGH [Art For Children series]
by Ernest Raboff Beautiful color reproductions of Van Gogh's work. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1988 HarperTrophy large soft cover, no printing given. Very light edge wear to top front cover corner tip. Green remainder mark top fore edges. Content: A brief biography of this nineteenth-century Dutch painter accompanies reproductions and analyses of several of his works. Questions encouraged. [1 copy available]
$ 5.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Poetry for Young People)
edited by David Scott Kastan & Marina Kastan. Beautiful color illustrations by Glenn Harrington. Condition: NEW 2001 Sterling hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), third pritning. Content: This large-format volume from the Poetry for Young People series presents three sonnets as well as 24 excerpts from the plays of William Shakespeare. The sonnets are accessible as well as beautiful, but the use of dramatic excerpts is problematic. Some speeches, such as "All the world's a stage," from As You Like It and "The quality of mercy is not strained," from The Merchant of Venice, work well in this short anthology. Others, such as the two excerpts from Henry IV, Part One, seem unlikely to appeal as poetry, particularly to young people who do not know the play. Glenn Harrington has illustrated selections with impressionistic paintings. Often focusing on a single character, the paintings are well composed and richly colored. Consider this attractive book as supplementary material for children's collections with a demand for Shakespeare. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 6.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.