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The Little Engine That Could

The Little Engine That Could

By Watty Piper 48 pages pages Children

Danny Says

I often receive books in the mail, and I want to thank the anonymous benefactor who sent me this beautiful classic, with new illustrations by Loren Long. Is there any better story about perseverance and determination? I read this book to a group of students stressed about taking a standardized test. If you’d like to see a good song to sing with kids before testing, check out this month’s blog by clicking here. 
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Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs

By Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart 12 pages Children

Danny Says

You NEED to buy books by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. These are no ordinary pop-up books; they belong in museums. Kids salivate at the site of this book, which features brontosauruses rising and a tyrannosaurus rex lunging out of a page. This is the type of book you keep on your teacher’s desk and allow your “student of the day” to take home as a reward. 
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The Bones of Fred McFee

The Bones of Fred McFee

By Eve Bunting 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I love Eve Bunting. Her books are a treasure. She has written a number of great Halloween books for kids (including “In the Haunted House” and “Scary, Scary Halloween”) and a couple of my favorite children’s books, “Fly Away Home,” which deals with homelessness, and “A Day’s Work,” which deals with a grandfather day laborer’s struggles with English. Most of Bunting’s books are touching and represent the diversity of students that are in our schools. This is just a good, old-fashioned rhyme that makes for a perfect read aloud with young children.
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Cinderella Skeleton

Cinderella Skeleton

By Robert D. San Souci 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I adore familiar tales told from different points of view. Everyone knows the tale of Cinderella, but this version puts a macabre spin on it. Again, this makes for a great read aloud, but you need to practice it before you read it, as the rhyming scheme was quite complicated for a white guy like me.
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Arthur's Halloween

Arthur's Halloween

By Marc Brown 32 pages Children

Danny Says

It looks like there are two themes for this month: Halloween and the long overdue inclusion of some awesome writers. You need to expose your children to Arthur, as Marc Brown provides stories that can teach morals and remain entertaining. Brown has a gift of including humor that should make adults laugh along with their children. I believe that his wonderful show on PBS is one of the funniest series on television (if you do not believe me, check it out for a couple of episodes). I know I look forward to reading Marc Brown books with my children.
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Thank You, Sarah

Thank You, Sarah

By Laurie Halse Anderson 40 pages Children

Danny Says

A must read for all ages this November, as this lovely book chronicles the decades-long letter-writing campaign of Sarah Josepha Hale to Congress to create a national Thanksgiving holiday. Illustrator Matt Faulkner creates the funniest and best illustration of Congress that I have ever seen, and the story is a lesson in persistence and passion for us all. By the way, when she wasn’t writing letters to officials, Sarah occupied herself by creating nursery rhymes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
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The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups

By David Wisniewski 48 pages Children

Danny Says

Wisniewski is one of my favorite authors to recommend to reluctant boy readers, as he has written several books that get kids laughing (I enjoy his tale “Sumo Mouse,” too). What is ironic is that he wrote the very different Caldecott winner “Golem.” I am telling you, folks: if you are not reading children’s literature, you are denying yourself access to some of the greatest authors.
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An Undone Fairy Tale

An Undone Fairy Tale

By Ian Lendler 32 pages Children

Danny Says

This is one of my favorite books from the last year. Kids love this as a read aloud, as the illustrator cannot paint the pictures as quickly as the reader reads the story. One of my favorite pages includes a picture of a king wearing a donut instead of a crown because the illustrator is rushing. Little kids, especially, get excited to turn pages quickly. Clever and fun.
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Once Upon a Time, the End (Asleep in 60 Seconds)

Once Upon a Time, the End (Asleep in 60 Seconds)

By Geoffrey Kloske 40 pages Children

Danny Says

Every father will be able to relate to this book, as a dad recites his own 60-second versions of bedtime stories so that his child will get to sleep (e.g. Goldilocks and the Two Bears). Unfortunately, kids do not always cooperate, so dad has to tell a lot of quick tales. The results are hilarious.
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Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May)

Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May)

By Barbara Park 128 pages Children

Danny Says

If you have not read any of the Junie B. Jones books, you are in for a treat. I hear all sorts of stuffy shirts gripe about Junie’s poor grammar. Whatever! Barbara Park should be commended for getting a lot of kids interested in reading with one of today’s most delightful characters…and this recommendation works perfectly for the holidays.
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Manga Claus: The Blade of Kringle

Manga Claus: The Blade of Kringle

By Nathaniel Marunas 80 pages Children

Danny Says

Beneath the title of this hilarious book are the words: honor, loyalty, tinsel. That sold me on the book, and it did not disappoint. More and more kids are fascinated with manga, graphic novels that read like bound comic books. Your child will delight in this funny tale about Kris Kringle battling a disgruntled elf. 
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The Amazing Ghost Detectives

The Amazing Ghost Detectives

By Daniel San Souci 40 pages Children

Danny Says

Yet another great book in San Souci’s “Clubhouse Series.” Wonderfully illustrated, perfectly silly and just the right touch of ghosts to keep kids at the edges of their seats (but not too scared). I use this book and the others in the series to get my students excited about writing, as San Souci is one of those rare authors who includes interesting tidbits about his own childhood in his backflap biography. Great for showing students that their experiences can be made into wonderful books.
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No Bigger than My Teddy Bear

No Bigger than My Teddy Bear

By Valerie Pankow 32 pages Children

Danny Says

My daughter was born two months prematurely, and my wife and I were fortunate that we were at Torrance Memorial Hospital in Torrance, CA (which, we accidentally discovered, has one of the best NICUs anywhere). I wish someone had given me a copy of this wonderful book back then, as it is a perfect gift for anyone panicking over the premature birth of a child. I’d also use it with siblings who are anxious about “newcomers” to the family. 
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The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven

The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven

By Jonah Winter 40 pages Children

Danny Says

I selected this book not for its biographical value (as some of the facts are questionable), but because I have become a huge fan of the book’s illustrator, Barry Blitt. The illustrations are marvelous and sure to provoke wide laughs and speculations among young children. In that respect, that makes this book a perfect story to entice children to write their own versions of Beethoven’s life (and stimulate their interest in Beethoven).
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Nacho And Lolita

Nacho And Lolita

By Pam Munoz Ryan 40 pages Children

Danny Says

I have a crush on Pam Munoz Ryan, as she is one of my favorite authors and a delightful speaker. She may be best known for her young adult book Esperanza Rising, but this is probably my favorite of her works. It stems from a Mexican folktale her grandmother used to tell her about a pitacoche bird (beautiful for its multicolored feathers) that falls in love with a much smaller swallow. Lovely and heartwarming, I rate this up there with Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever among my favorite read-alouds. 
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