As Harold would say, draw yourself some adventures

Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon is a great story for the "sky-is-the-limit" type thinker.

Why Bradley Chalkers isn't a monster

Louis Sacher's book, There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom is a great story about how even the most unfriendly and menacing boy in school turns out to be a really great guy when other students actually try to get to know him.

you're about to fall in love with a boy named Charlie

The Perks fo Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky is one of my all time favourite YA books; I have read it 6 times now. If you have yet to read this book, what are you doing reading my blog? Go out and buy this book (or borrow it from the library) and start reading. Then send me an email and thank me for recommending this book to you.

One of the best books I have read in a long time.

Groving Grammar Reads

I have two of Lynne Truss' books that teach children about grammar. One is The Girl's Like Spaghetti which explains, why, you can't manage without apostrophes, and the other is Eats, Shoots and Leaves, which informs children why, commas really do make a difference. These are great reads for anyone who ever wanted to learn grammar in a fun way (wait, grammar isn't fun?)

Me Want Cookies!

My niece Edi ADORES Cookie Monster and she was thrilled when one weekend she discovered Cookie Monster's Book of Cookie Shapes on my bookshelf. The story is about Cookie Monster, who, after having baked cookies for a cookie fair, ends up eating the cookies before the fair (but do you really expect any less from a cookie monster?). Anyways, the book teaches children about shapes, and although my niece loves pointing out where the raindrop cookie is or where the octagon cookie is, she thoroughly enjoys pointing out that Cookie Monster is eating yet another cookie.

Because we all have wondered what our teachers would be like...

The Teacher from the BLACK LAGOON by Mike Thaler is a wacky story about students and their incredible nack for expecting the worst teacher to be their teacher. Although it is a barrel of laughs, there is a great tale here. If students are anything like the ones in this book, and fear that we teachers have claws or breathe fire, wouldn't it be great to surprise them?

Sign me up for growing old

You're only old once

claims this Dr. Seuss book

but if you don't trust me

be my guest, take a look

for inside you will find

a very good trick

on how to think young

even past sixty six

so go on take a peak

you've nothing to dread

I stick by my word

(each one that I've said)

there's a librarian in all of us

"Melvin lived in the Livingston Public Library". So begins Carla Morris' book The Boy who was Rasied by Librarians. Melvin is a lucky little dude because he has three eccentric librarians helping him with his homework from his grade school days all the way up to his high school graduation. And Melvin's constant stay in the library is not old news once he leaves for college, instead he returns and becomes Livingston's newest librarian (Clearly, Melvin is like an English major's dream man).

Imagine This...

Sarah L. Thomson's IMAGINE A DAY and IMAGINE A NIGHT posits imagination as a recognizable, wonderful, not so far off place. Just like WILLY AND HUGH, these books have some of the most exquisite illustrations I have ever seen...I'm telling you, imagination never looked so good.

FYI: Thomson has also written IMAGINE A PLACE which I have yet to read, but I don't expect it to be anything less than awesome.

you'll go bananas when you see these pictures

If you've yet to read WILLY AND HUGH by Anthony Browne, then you are in for a real treat. WILLY AND HUGH is the story of a lonely Ape named Willy who finally finds a friend in Hugh. Once befriended, the two people-watch, go to the library (yeah, libraries) and go to the zoo to see the people in their cages. You're sure to enjoy the storyline and the illustrations will truly impress you...just check out the detail of Willy's sweater vest.

One of My Favourite Things

Melanie Mouse's Moving Day by Cindy Szekeres, is a book about Melanie (duh) a little girl mouse who is sad because she has to move away from her other animal friends. It may not be a tear-jerker now, but apparently it made me cry as a kid. No worries, Melanie does meet new friends in the end and she even gets her "own room" (something I never had until my sister moved out). Anyways, Melanie Mouse's Moving Day was given to me on my 2nd birthday from my mom, dad and sister, and looking back it's probably one of my favourite birthday gifts since it was my very first book (of which now I have about a billion).