Gift Ideas for Book Lovers, Part 3: Gifts that Share a Message

For the past couple weeks, I've shared lists of gift ideas for book lovers. The series continues (and comes to an end) with more recommendations.

The holiday season is upon us, and that means not only gift-giving but also gift-purchasing; here are some great gift ideas gifts for the book lover in your life (in no particular order):

Mugs (and other crockery):

For Jane Austen fans: I'd Rather Be At Pemberley Mug from Etsy and  To Sip in the Shade Mug (covered with quotes from the beloved author) from Modcloth. 

This simple black mug would be a great gift for Edgar Allan Poe fans. Nevermore mug from Etsy.

Mugs can be an important form of communication for some (we all know someone that absolutely needs their coffee before anyone can approach), so these mugs are perfect for those of us who really just want to be left alone (but don't want to have to interact enough to tell others to go away). Go Away I'm Reading mug and Introverting Today mug (both from Etsy).

 Another mug with a great message - Stack of Books mug from Etsy. 

The Literary Audiences Only mug (from Modcloth) would make a great gift for those who appreciate a wide variety of literary fiction. 

For the copy editor(s) in your life - Gourmet Grammarian Plate set from Modcloth. 

A teapot...that's a bunch of books. Just as amazing as it sounds. The 'Poetry Books' Teapot, from Etsy (more similar here).

Pillows:

This gorgeous watercolor pillow can be customized with text from the poem or book of your choice. Abstract Watercolor Poem Pillow, from Etsy. 

Super adorable book pillows, available from Think Geek. Holiday book pillows also available. 

It may not be a billboard, but this Book Club Cozy pillow in Jay is one way to have the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg on you. 

Posters & Wall Decor:

These Library Card posters are available for lots of children's novels and classics. Peter Pan poster and Anne of Green Gables poster, both available from Etsy (more library card posters available here). 

Full text posters of classics - yep, that is the entirety of the text of Walden in one poster. Walden poster, Pride and Prejudice Poster, and Wuthering Heights poster, all available from Etsy (more available here). 

Note - I personally think these would be awesome to have in an English classroom. Kid doesn't bring a book for silent reading? Make them stand up by the wall and read. 

For the Jane Austen fan in your life, this Jane Austen Quote poster (from Etsy) contains numerous words of wisdom from the venerated author. 

This whimsical Mad Hatter poster (from Etsy) is available as a download - no shipping required. 

A lovely print from Le Petit Prince (the Little Prince), one of my favorite children's books. Available form Etsy.  

Wood 'Read' Sign from Etsy - perfect for a desk or up on a wall. 

Bonus:

...and a super-awesome t-shirt that I didn't see until now (which is why it's only in this article, not the first). Come check it out tee for women and for men (from Modcloth). 

I hope that these recommendations have been helpful, and happy holiday shopping! May your days be filled with friends, family, and books. - Carolyn 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Best of Nonfiction for Kids 2014 Part I

For the past three years, I have hosted the Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Challenge. This year, I pushed myself to read even more nonfiction and to fill in some of my gaps. At this point in the year, I have read 140 nonfiction books released in 2014, and another 112 from previous years. And I am still squeezing in a few more titles before next week's favorites are selected.

Last week, I shared with everyone the Best Of... Lists for Children's Books and how they fared with fiction and nonfiction. Overall, there was not enough nonfiction or a variety of nonfiction on these lists. So, I am doing my own best of list for nonfiction books for children. However, as I started looking over the books I have read this year, I realized that I would have a tough time limiting it to 10 or 20 books. Hence, I am doing the post in two parts and also sneaking in some runners up. 

This week I share with everyone, Part I of my Nonfiction for Children Best Of 2014 list. Please note that the list is not in any specific order.

Best Poetry:

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman; Illustrated by Rick Allen (HMH Books for Young Children, November 4, 2014)

Runners Up: On the Wing by David Elliot (Candlewick, September 2014); Harlem Hellfighters by J. Patrick Lewis (Creative Editions, August 2014); Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole by Irene Latham (Millbrook Press, September 2014); Water Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas (Millbrook Press, April 2014).

Best Series:

Scientist in the Field by various authors (HMH Books for Young Children, 2014) - Since I couldn't pick which one was my absolute favorite, I selected them all.

Best Book With an Ick Factor:

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson (Millbrook Press, September 1, 2014)

Best Baby Animals Book:

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press, October 21, 2014)

Runners Up: A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O'Connell, Photographs by Timothy Rodwell (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 2014); A Mom for Umande by Maria Faulconer, Illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung (Dial, April 2014)

Best Early Readiness Concept Books:

Jane Brocket's Clever Concept Books by Jane Brocket (Millbrook Press, 2014)

Best Math/Numbers/Time Concept Book:

If...A Mind-bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers by David J. Smith; Illustrated by Steve Adams (Kids Can Press, August 1, 2014)

Runners-Up:  Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell, Photographs Richard C. Campbell (Boyds Mills Press, April 1, 2014); At the Same Time, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin (Chronicle Books, March 2014)

Best Book for Making a Beetle Likeable:

Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle by Cheryl Bardoe, Illustrated by Alan Marks (Charlesbridge, March 2014)

Runner Up: Beetle Busters by Loree Griffin Burns (HMH Books for Young Readers, October 2014)

Best Book that Explains the Science Behind the Super Hero:

Batman Science: The Real-World Science Behind Batman's Gear by Tammy Enz, Agnieszka Biskup (Capstone Press, February 2014)

Best Book About Services Dogs:

Sniffer Dogs; How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World by Nancy F. Castaldo (HMH Books for Young Children, July 2014)

Runner Up: Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog by Luis Carlos Montalván, Brett Witter, Photographs by Dan Dion (Roaring Brook Press, May 2014)

Best ABC Book:

Attack! Boss! Cheat Code!: A Gamer's Alphabet by Chris Barton, Illustrated by Joey Spiotto (POW!, October 2014)

Stop by next week for Part 2 and more wonderful nonfiction books.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 12/15/14

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers have adapted it to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

I have been trying to track down some of the picture books on the BEST OF lists as well as some others in my TBR pile. There were some awesome reads including one that will be coming in 2015. 

Here is what stood out in the pile this week:

Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub by Darcy Pattison; Illustrated by Kitty Harvill (Mims House, March 2014) - I would probably never have discovered this one if I hadn't checked out NSTA's Outstanding Tradebooks of 2015. A wonderful story of an orphaned cub.

Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle by Cheryl Bardoe; Illustrated by Alan Marks (Charlesbridge, March 2014) - This was also on the NSTA list and what a fascinating story about beetles.

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Candlewick Press, October 14, 2014) - Shannon and Dean Hale work well together as writers and this was a fun story that 1st and 2nd graders will certainly enjoy. Pham's illustrations compliment the story.

Batman Science: The Real World Science Behind Batman's Gear by Tammy Enz, Agnieszka Biskup (Capstone, 2014) - I enjoyed learning so much about the science behind all of the gear that a superhero without special powers might need in order to fight the bad guys. Fourth graders on up will enjoy this one.

A Rock Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas; Illustrated by Violeta Dabija (Millbrook Press, March 2015) - I love this series and so excited to see the advanced copy of this book. Can't wait until it is out.

On the Wing by David Elliott; Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander (Candlewick, September 2014) - A beautifully illustrated collection of poems about birds.

A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 2014) - Children are going to enjoy this story about a reader who is pretty sloppy in how he handle the book, which makes the main character pretty upset.

Matisses's Garden by Samantha Friedman; Henri Matisse; Illustrated by Christina Amodeo (Museum of Modern Art, October 2014) - Recently, there are have been some wonderful picture book biographies about Matisse and this is one of them.

Bow-Wow's Nightmare Neighbors by Mark Newgarden; Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash (Roaring Brook Press, November 2014) - This wordless book was quite enjoyable and provides enough entertainment for multiple reads.

Harlem Hellfighters by J. Patrick Lewis; Illustrated by Gary Kelley (Creative Editions, August 2014) - Beautiful illustrations and free verse text tell the story of war, racism, and courage.

Attack! Boss! Cheat Code! by Chris Barton; Illustrated by Joey Spiotto (POW! October 2014) - An ABC book for gamers or those who would like to understand them.

So, what have you been reading?

Gift Ideas for book lovers, Part 2: Bookends, Bookshelves, & more

Last Friday, I shared my first list of gift ideas for book lovers. The series continues with more recommendations.

The holiday season is upon us, and that means not only gift-giving but also gift-purchasing; here are some great gift ideas gifts for the book lover in your life (in no particular order):

Bookends:

These super cute children's bookends are an adorable addition to any young child's bookshelf. From top right, going clockwise:

• Elephant Bookends (with customizable colors) from Etsy
• Moon and Stars Bookends (with customizable colors) from Etsy
• Fox Bookends from Etsy
• Initial Bookends (with personalized letters and colors) from Etsy

What better to hold your books in place than...other books? These ceramic bookends are hollow and open at the top, perfect for storing bookmarks. Preference for Self Reference Bookends from Modcloth.

Any of these bookends would make great gifts for those who have large travel sections in their home library. Train Bookends, Clipper Ship Bookends, and Airplane Bookends are all available from Etsy.

These Cog Bookends and Edison Lamp Bookends (both from Etsy) are perfect for book-lovers who have a flair for steampunk.

Bryant and Whittier Bookends - perfect for poetry lovers. Available from Etsy.

These delightfully nerdy bookends are available from Think Geek. From top right, clockwise:

• Star Trek Bookends
• Portal Bookends
• Imperial Seal Bookends (Star Wars)
• Tardis Bookends (Doctor Who)

Bookmarks:

Yet another great present for Austen fans (...guess who my favorite 19th century author is!). Six Austen Bookmarks, from Etsy.

Lovely wood Harry Potter Bookmark, from Etsy.

Personalized Bookmark from Etsy.

Gorgeous gold celtic bookmark from Primitive Earth Beads.

For those of us who enjoy reading in bed. You fell asleep Here bookmark, from Etsy.

Pretty brass feather bookmark from Etsy. 

Bookshelves:

Quite possibly the coolest bookshelves ever invented. Floating Bookshelves from Amazon. 

...But this may be even better. Custom Book Rack from Etsy.

I hope that these gift ideas have been helpful. You can expect part 3 soon! Happy Holidays! -Carolyn. 

Books in Action: Catch that Cookie! by Hallie Durand

Catch That Cookie
by Hallie Durand; Illustrated by David Small
Dial (August 14, 2014)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
IndieBound * WorldCat
Fiction * Gingerbread Men * School 

Description from GoodReads:
Marshall knows one thing for sure, despite what all the stories say: Gingerbread men cannot run. Cookies are for eating, and he can't wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it's time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they're gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic. Catch That Cookie! is an imaginative mystery, deliciously illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Small. It's sure to inspire a new classroom tradition . . . and maybe even a few new believers! 

Book in Action:

Recently, I was trying to figure out what to do for my post on CATCH THAT COOKIE by Hallie Durand and illustrated by David Small. I wanted to do something different than a typical review. A few days later, I was having dinner with a close teacher friend of mine. I have supported her classroom with literacy endeavors before and when she mentioned that she was doing a unit on The Gingerbread Man, it came to me. I could come in and read CATCH THAT COOKIE and have some fun with her kindergarteners. 

I knew I wanted to make cookies and despite a weekend that seemed to disappear, I made a batch of "gingerbread" cookies minus the molasses. 

The dough smelled yummy, and they certainly made the house smell wonderful.

I didn't decorate them since I wanted to do a taste test with the students using the cookies I made without molasses against store bought gingerbread cookies made with molasses.

We also set up to try out a puffy paint recipe. It was an interesting experiment. 

The morning lesson began with a reading of CATCH THAT COOKIE. The students loved the book and enjoyed thinking about running around their school to find G-Men (short for gingerbread men in case you didn't catch that).

After the story, we divided into two groups. One group started by painting gingerbread men and decorating them. 

These three missed recess since they refused to leave their painting and decorating until they finished. 

Well, maybe they were not so puffy but they were very well decorated. 

The second group had a chance first to explore the spices that go into gingerbread cookies - allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and even molasses. I had brought in the whole spices and the ground spices, and fresh ginger root. We also looked at images of the real plants that each spice comes from. It was funny watching their faces as they checked out how each spice smells. 

After the spice exploration, we tasted cookies - those with and without molasses. With group one, my cookies failed miserably. With group two, the vote was a bit closer.

Oh well, maybe I'll play with that cookie recipe. 

Though we had to wait for our gingerbread men to dry, the classroom teacher followed up by having the kids write about gingerbread men.

Yesterday, I stopped by the classroom to drop something off. As I stepped into the room, 21 little friends were trying to tell me all at the same time about how they actually got to chase the gingerbread man around the school that morning. They said it was magic, but I think they are magical. 

Pick up a copy of CATCH THAT COOKIE at your local indie bookstore or neighborhood library and don't forget to keep an eye on those pesky G-men.

Look for more fun with Penguin Classroom by checking out their Facebook Page & @PenguinClass on twitter.