Kids

If you are looking for a picture book with lovely, funny dialogue, loveable characters and beautiful artwork, pick up one of Karma Wilson's gorgeous children's books about a big brown bear and his forest friends.

Floyd's kite is stuck. It is far too high for him to reach, so he throws first one shoe, then the other at the very large tree that holds it captive...to no avail. As this delightfully entertaining story takes off, we witness through Jeffers's signature illustrations the lengths to which Floyd will go to get his beloved kite back, as he throws everything from a bucket of paint, to the milkman, to "a curious whale, in the wrong place at the wrong time" into the tree. And they all get stuck! The story is destined to be a favorite for the whole family, and the illustrations alone will make it well worth your time. Recommended for ages 3-5.

Google the words "Best Picture Books" and you're sure to find lists that include The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle as one of the top choices. I have a special place in my heart for this book since my undergrad days at MSU when I did a project using this book. Later on, all my own children loved to hear the story again and again while always sticking their little fingers through the holes. Now it is one of the group reading choices in my BabyTime program. The East Lansing Public Library owns copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in regular print form and board book form as well as in other languages such as German, Arabic, and Chinese. To read more about Eric Carle and the making of The Very Hungry Caterpillar  on Scholastic's Teacher webpage, please click here.

Albert, the Dog Who Liked to Ride in Taxis written by Cynthia Zarin and illustrated by Pierre Pratt is a wonderful story about Albert, a dachshund, whose favorite thing in the whole world is to ride in taxis.  Albert has a mischievous adventure throughout a metropolitan city as he jumps in and out of taxis with different people and runs across some of his dog friends.  He eventually winds up at the airport, where he runs in to his owner, Mr. Crabtree, who has just returned from a business trip.  Mr. Crabtree is thrilled and surprised that Albert has "come across town on his own" to meet him at the airport.  The story ends with Albert and Mr. Crabtree on a taxi ride home.

The acrylic illustrations are chunky, vibrant and detailed.  The taxi cabs have dice in the mirror and advertisements on their roofs.  Hortense is a huffy pink poodle with a large red bow as her collar. The illustration with traffic bumper to bumper bridge across a waterway is reminiscent of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.  

Check it out from ELPL by placing a hold on the book today!  

In this, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War, by Robert F.

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas is a silly read aloud that will have your child giggling the whole way through!  Duck is carving a pumpkin and when he tries to get the last seed out he falls in and the pumpkin gets stuck on his head!  Pig and Mouse are looking for their friend Duck when they find a “Pumpkin Monster”!   The illustrations are wonderful and the facial expressions are priceless.  Great for the preschool crowd!

One of my favorite books to share during Halloween is the fun-filled Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.  It tells the story of witch who wanted to make pumpkin pie.  When she is not able to pull the pumpkin from the vine a ghost, vampire, a mummy and bat all come to help her.  The story is one you will want to hear again and again!   It will be featured on Storyline from Monday, October 28 – Sunday, November 3!  Call 319-6915 to hear this wonderful tale. 

This is a beautifully illustrated children's Halloween book.  The story is about two mice, one who lives in the country, the other who lives in town.  Each mouse independently discovers the same pumpkin in a vegetable garden.  The mice don't know each other, and don't realize that each has discovered the same pumpkin.

Each mouse has his own plan for the pumpkin.  The country mouse decides to nourish and care for the pumpkin so he can enter it in a contest for the biggest pumpkin.  The city mouse plans to take care of the pumpkin so he can carve it into the biggest jack-o'-lantern on Halloween.

Children will enjoy how the mice resolve their competing designs for the pumpkin.

For beginning readers, In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories is a fun, a little bit scary, but not TOO scary book. The stories are retold by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Dirk Zimmer. For Halloween fun, read these with a flashlight in a dark room with spooky Halloween music in the background.

If you are looking for a not-so-scary Halloween story, try Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson.  This story follows a friendly witch on her broom, picking up various animals as she flies.  Charming and funny, with the classic Donaldson flare.  Great for the preschool audience.

Books & Bagels, a book discussion group for 4th - 6th graders, is the oldest ongoing book group at East Lansing Public Library - 11 years! During the school year, the group meets five or six times to discuss a pre-determined book, do a fun activity related to the book, and munch on yummy bagels generously donated by Panera in Frandor.  The first meeting of 2013-2014 took place last October 5, 2013 with the group discussing the multi-award winning One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.  If you are in 4th-6th grade and would like to come to any of the other Books & Bagels meetings, please see the dates and titles for the rest of the 2013-2014 school year listed below. Registration will take place at the circulation desk for each Books & Bagels date starting four weeks ahead of the meeting. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, a limited number of copies of each month's books will be available to those who sign up to attend the book group that month. Library staff will also be happy to place a hold on one of ELPL's copies for you or help you request a copy through MeLCat, our interlibrary loan system. 

November 9, 2013, 2-3pm, The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

December 7 (new day), 2013, 2-3pm, The Center of Everything by Linda Urban

January 11, 2014, 2-3pm, Below by Meg McKinlay

February 8, 2014, 2-3pm, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

March 8, 2014, 2-3pm, Navigating Early  by Clare Vanderpool