Children's Books
Welcome to the Youth Services Children's Books blog. We encourage you to give feedback and share.
Meg and Edward are twins... and this is the ONLY thing they have in common. Other than that, Meg and Edward are like night and day. They are twelve noon and midnight. They look nothing alike and act nothing alike. For seventh grade, their parents decide to send them to two different schools--Meg goes to a selective school and Edward goes to an alternative school. When Edward finds out that Meg wants to be in the High Achievers Club, he sets his mind to making sure that Meg does NOT get in! He will do whatever it takes. Tapped phone calls and huge misunderstandings make this novel a hilarious, yet somewhat farfetched, depiction of sibling rivalry. I recommend this book to boys and girls ages ten and up. I really enjoyed this book and frequently found myself laughing aloud as Edward plots the demise of Meg, and Meg tries to keep her fabricated story under control. 
This historical fiction novel was published in 1988 but still appeals to children looking for a story about the Holocaust. Hannah, a 12-year-old Jewish girl in present day New Rochelle, New York, resents having to spend her Passover Seder with her family, especially her Grandpa Will who embarrasses her with his tirades about the Holocaust and the Nazis. During the dinner, Hannah time travels back to 1942 Nazi-occupied Poland to relive the days when the village she finds herself in is rounded up and sent to a concentration camp by train. She slowly loses her memory as she takes on the persona of Chaya, a friend of her Aunt Eva, who she met in the camp. Life for the Jews in the concentration camp is chronicled. Chaya offers the ultimate sacrifice in the camp and, as she heads to the gas chamber, Hannah time travels back to her home and to the dinner she left. As the book starts out by saying, this is a story about remembrance. The time travel aspect might seem strange, but if anyone can make it work, Jane Yolen, who is known for her fantasy books, can. The details are meticulously worked out so that it almost seems plausible that a girl could return to a Nazi death camp just by opening up a door. Suitable for middle school children. Many Yiddish words are incorporated throughout making the vocabulary a little difficult to read, but this book is also available on tape if you would prefer to listen to it instead. 
This is an excellent historical fiction novel. This is the story of Grace, a 12 year old girl, who lives in Vermont, during the early 1900s. She is of French Canadian descent, and her family works in the mills. The mill owners have great power in Grace's town. They own the housing in the town, and give the mill workers free housing in exchange for working in the mill. Grace goes to school, but one day she talks back to her teacher, and is kicked out of school. Later on, Grace regrets being kicked out of school. The day after she leaves school, Grace starts at the mill, as a "doffer." A doffer is one who replaces full bobbins with empty ones as the spinning machines turn the cotton into thread. Grace soon realizes that working in the mill is much harder work than schooling. Grace is left-handed and it makes working the machines even more difficult for her, and she is much slower at her work than her sister, Delia. Grace's mother, is very disappointed in Grace. Grace would like to go back to school, but realizes that her family needs the money more. She and her friend, Arthur, who has also left school to work in the mill, both miss school. Arthur tries to devise a plan so that he can not work in the mill anymore. Eventually, Grace and Arthur, get extra schooling on Sundays, from Miss Lesley, the school teacher. Miss Lesley is greatly opposed to children so young working in the mills. With the help of Grace and Arthur, she writes a letter to the National Child Labor Committee. Unfortunately, this action causes Miss Lesley to be fired. Shortly after they send off the letter, Lewis Hine, a photographer, comes to take pictures of children in the mill. He tells Grace and Arthur that these pictures will help to enforce laws so that children will not have to work. Children should be in school, getting an education. They should not be forced to work with heavy duty, dangerous equipment. This story is full of both courageous and horrific moments. In one scene, Arthur is so desparate to leave the mill, that he deliberately puts his hand into a working gear shift. He loses two fingers as a result. Grace is very sad to see that Arthur has done this to himself. Grace realizes how much the mill has taken away from Arthur. Eventually, Grace, too, wants out of the mill. She does become the school teacher, and the reader hopes that Grace will have a better life. This is a very gripping story, that realistically portrays with what dangerous conditions that childen had to work. In the back, there is further history of Lewis Hine's work, and more information about the photograph on the front cover. This would be a very good book for children in grades 6-9. An excellent read! 
This book is a beautifully illustrated biography of Theodore Roosevelt. The text is complimented with Mike Wimmer's illustrated paintings of the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt, as a young boy, had serious health problems. This, however, lead him to become an excellent student who loved to read, explore nature and eventually write books. As Theodore Roosevelt grew up, his health improved. He then became a "roughrider" and loved the "wild west." He became an excellent soldier and commander in the Spanish-American War. He served his country in many public service positions. Some of those were Governor of New York, Vice President of the United States and President of the United States after President McKinley was assassinated. This book will take you into the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Children and adults will enjoy the information made alive by the illustrations. It could be family read or an appropriate biography for first and second grade children. 
This is a very sweetly written tale of four young sisters, who spend their three weeks of summer vacation in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. They and their widowed father rent a cottage on the Arundel Hall Estate. Arundel Hall is a beautiful mansion with lovely gardens. Mr. Penderwick, who is a botantist, is excited about studying the plants of Arundel Hall. Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty, are all excited about exploring the gardens and grounds surronding their cottage. One of their adventures, they run into Jeffrey Tifton, the son of the owner of Arundel Hall. Jeffrey is pleased to meet the Penderwicks, and he is glad to now have some friends to play with. Jeffrey is a lonely boy. His mother is often busy with high society duties and so the Penderwicks are a refreshing change for him. Jeffrey's dream is to attend the Boston Conservatory of Music. His mother is set on sending him to Pencey Military Academy, so that Jeffrey can become a great soldier like his grandfather. Throughout the time that the Penderwicks are staying at Arundel Hall, they and Jeffrey learn many things about each other. Jane discovers that she does have the ability to write, Rosalind, that she has the capacity to listen, Skye, that she can actually be friends with a boy, and Batty, that she has wings that are meant to be flown. Jeffrey, too, also realizes that he has wings on which to fly. Mrs. Tifton, as well, comes to terms that Jeffrey has a mind of his own and that he needs a chance to grow. This story received star reviews in both School Library Journal and Book List and is a National Book Award Honor. It is reminiscent of such stories as "The Secret Garden," and "Little Women." If you are looking for just a good story with well-developed charaters, this is a book for you. This book is good for children in grades 3-6. 
"This is the true story of two great friends: a baby hippopotamus named Owen and a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee." Told in picture book format, the reader learns how these two animals, one a mammal and one a reptile, became unlikely friends. It is a heart-warming tale that is set in Africa. Following a tsunami in 2004, Owen becomes separated from his mother and the hippo pod in which he lives. After his rescue, Owen is moved to an animal sanctuary in Kenya where he bonded with the giant tortoise. Beautiful photographs accompany this story that show how the pair interact with one another. Children ages 3 and up will be captivated! 
Set in thirteenth century Ireland, this tale of a young clan member and the horse that she loves and cares for is told in four quickly read novels. In the first, Lara and the Gray Mare, she delivers a foal to a horse experiencing a difficult birth. She promises the dying mare that she will become the filly's substitute mother - not knowing that her words will lead to her and the young horse being taken prisoner by a neighboring clan. Throughout the second installment, Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly, she schemes to remain near the horse she now calls Dannsair by working in her captor's barns. When ownership of Dannsair is transferred to the Baron of Athenry Castle (in the third novel), Lara passes herself off as a stable lad to stay near the horse she thinks of as her own. Riding in and winning a race wearing the Baron's colors, Lara believes his promise that she has won possession of Dannsair only to find out that she has been deceived. Once again, in Lara and the Silent Place, she and her beloved horse are forced to flee. Well-drawn characters and an authentic historical setting make these four parts of the Hoofbeats series must-reads especially for those who enjoy horse stories. 
This book on the constellations is a simple but creative explanation of the beauty in a night sky. This book gives a brief overview of the historical meaning of the constellation names. After reading about a specific constellation, put the illustration of the constellation over a lamp light. Then turn off all the lights making the room as dark as possible. You will instantly observe the pattern of the stars for that constellation. You have your own observatory right there in the room! This is a great family read, if you are interested in the night sky constellations. The glow-in-the dark illustrations keep even the youngest children interested. Check this book out and let me know the fun you have! 
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