Winter is here and it’s snowy and cold!!! You put on your hat, scarf, coat, and boots to keep warm outside. What do animals do in the winter? Do they hibernate, migrate or adapt? Are they active or inactive? Check out some of the books Fondulac District Library has on Animals in Winter!!!
Non-fiction
What Do Animals Do in Winter?: How Animals Survive the Cold
Picture Books
hoopla eBooks
by Kris Tyler, Youth Services Specialist
Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Youth Services Specialist
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Suggested Age: 8-11 years
What is this book about? Virtually Me follows a group of middle school kids, post-pandemic, as they start a new school year. The group consists of Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko. Each of them have chosen to take a chance on the new virtual reality school in an attempt to start fresh or keep up with their reputation. As the book goes on, though, they discover it becomes harder and harder to keep their pasts a secret. Soon they learn that perhaps the people they want to be in virtual reality have been them all along.
My Review: Morris and Brown do a great job at bringing all the real hopes, fears, and anxieties of middle school to the virtual world. They use relatable text to challenge the reader to question what it means to be a good friend. They also give great examples of how to treat everybody no matter what they look like or the reputation they hold. Virtually Me highlights the great possibilities and anxious worries of what virtual reality can be when implanted into the everyday practices of our society.
Three Words that Describe this Book: Fun, timely, friendly
Give this a try if you like… Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas, Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson
Rating: 4/5
December is full of celebration. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas are a few of the holidays we recognize this month, but did you know December is also National Cat Lovers’ Month?
During National Cat Lover’s Month, we honor the beauty, smarts and sass of our feline friends. Evidence suggests that cats were domesticated more than 9,500 years ago, and according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 25 percent of households are home to a cat. (source: americanhumane.org)
We have books that not only celebrate Christmas, but also celebrate our kitty companions!
Kids
Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by Kimberly and James Dean
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin and James Dean
Where’s Santa Boo? By Salina Yoon
The Shy Little Kitten’s Christmas by Kristen Depken
The Cat Who Ate Christmas by Lil Chase
Sammy Claws the Christmas Cat by Lucy Rowland
Stowaway in a Sleigh by Roger C. Mader
Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood
A Very Fuddles Christmas by Frans Vischer
Mouse’s Christmas Cookie by Patricia Thomas
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty by Diane De Groat
Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron
Christmas Kitten, Home at Last by Robin Pulver
Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
A Christmas Surprise (Magic Kitten Series #15) by Sue Bentley
Santa’s Snow Cat by Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer
Adults
A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary
Snowball’s Christmas by Kristen McKanagh
Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley
The Christmas Cat by Melody Carson
The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown
The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas: How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love by Julia Romp
The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory
The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner
Reviewed By: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Holiday
Suggested Age: Children (7-10)
What is This Book About? Sara is a Jewish middle-schooler who is feeling a little burned out on the Hanukkah festivities this year- even begging her mother for an evergreen for their living room so she can feel like the other kids on her block. Reluctantly, she accompanies her family to their annual Hannukah party where she and her cousins hunt for chocolate gold coins which they then use in a game of dreidels. Sara finds no joy in the festivities and gives up on the game just as a mysterious guest arrives with gifts for the children. Though everyone receives their desired gift- Sara instead is given a golden dreidel. Little does she know that the dreidel is not what it seems. Instead of a piece to a children’s game, it is a key to a magical world where Sara will learn of her heritage and some deeper meaning behind the spinning-top holiday game.
My Review: This book was a fun, quick read. I always enjoy learning about other cultures and religions, so I found the biblical characters very interesting as Sara came across them in the magical world. I like that the book focused on the dreidel game as I didn’t really know much about it beforehand. I always thought they were just spinning-tops, and didn’t realize there was a whole game involved! This book was very much like a Jewish rendition of Alice in Wonderland- Sara finds herself slipping into another world quite by accident and is introduced to various outlandish characters on her journey. Sara is comparable to Alice as she uncovers an inner confidence and understanding of her home-world while on her quest to rescue the “dreidel” (I won’t spoil what the dreidel actually is!)
Three Words that Describe this Book: Magical, seasonal, cautionary
Give this a try if you like…Magical worlds, learning about religious cultures, The Magical Reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef and Catherine R. Daly, Magic Treehouse series
Rating: 3.5/5
Wordless picture books (literally stories told completely through the use of pictures), have gained popularity in the last decade. There are a few reasons for this. These books can be great as introductions to books and reading for little readers. They can begin working on comprehension skills and book etiquette, even if they cannot decode or recognize words yet. But wordless books have benefits beyond the surface level idea of using them with toddlers and preschoolers. I was a middle school teacher for several years, and I found these types of books to be so beneficial even at the higher level. They allow children to exercise so many different skills including creative writing, predicting, analysis, and reframing.
Here are some wordless picture books at our library to get you started on this creative journey with stories:
Chalk by Bill Thompson
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Journey by Aaron Becker
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
–Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
It’s that time of year again, where we gather around the table, eat delicious home cooked meals, and celebrate the time honored family traditions we have passed down from generation to generation. For some families this is by celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. However, there are so many families that celebrate holidays around this time of year that you may not think of as well. Here is a list of some books that can help you appreciate not just these popular American holidays, but also the holidays that often go overlooked this time of year!
Diwali (Nov. 12, 2023)
Diwali by Lori Dittmer by Lori Dittmer
It’s Diwali! by Surishtha Sehgal
Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar
Hanukkah (Dec. 7-15, 2023)
Hanukkah by Lori Dittmer by Lori Dittmer
Is it Hanukkah Yet? by Nancy E. Krulik Nancy E. Krulik
Light the Menorah! by Jacqueline Jules
Kwanzaa (Dec. 26, 2023-Jan. 1, 2024)
Kwanzaa by Betsy Rathburn by Betsy Rathburn
Kwanzaa by Lori Dittmerby Lori Dittmer
The People Remember by Ibi Aanu Zoboi
Lunar New Year (Feb. 10, 2024)
Lunar New Year by Susan Hamenby Susan Hamen
Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMottey Lily LaMotte
D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine
– Jacob Roberts, Youth Services Speicalist
Super Pancake by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: Superhero fantasy (graphic novel)
Suggested Age: Kids (Ages 7-12)
What is This Book About? Peggy Pancake’s parents think she’s completely irresponsible and unreliable. She can’t wake up with her alarm, misses the bus, gets detention, and is so late after school that her parents have to keep rescheduling their family pictures. At Career Day, the Bacon Bullies put a mysterious serum from Dr. Egglentine Egg in Peggy’s lunch that gives her superpowers! Unfortunately, this gets the attention of the evil Dr. Breakfast Sandwich and his henchtoasts.
My Review: Peggy is a character that is easy to sympathize with, from being constantly compared to her brother, getting in trouble at school, and wanting to make friends. The art in this book is really cute! I loved the syrup used to style Peggy’s hair. The world of Breakfast Town is delightful, from the waffle-shaped Winifred Waffle Elementary School to the Bacon Bullies that need to rhyme all of their sentences. I had a fun time reading this book and watching Peggy grow as a person, getting brave enough to stand up for herself and her new friend.
Three Words that Describe this Book: breakfast, self-confidence, friendship
Give This A Try if You Like… Captain Underpants and Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Investigators by John Green, Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
Rating: 4/5
November 13-17 is World Nursery Rhyme Week! According to internationally-acclaimed literacy expert Mem Fox, “If children know 8 nursery rhymes by heart by the time they are 4 years old, they are usually among the best readers and spellers in their class by the time they are 8”.
Click to learn more about World Nursery Rhyme Week.
And check out some of the books from our library’s catalog, in print, or digital formats on Hoopla!
Detective Blue by Tedd Arnold
The Farmer in the Dell by Pam Adams
Five Little Ducks by Denise Fleming
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes by Zita Newcome
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush by Annie Kubler
Humpty Dumpty and Other Rhymes by Rosemary Wells
The Lucy Cousins Book of Nursey Rhymes by Lucy Cousins
Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Will Hillenbrand
Nursery Rhyme Comics by Chris Duffy
Old Mother Hubbard by Jane Cabrera
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines
The Orchard Book of Nursery Rhymes by Zena Sutherland
‘Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog by Sarah Catherine Martin
Pete the Cat: Hickory Dickory Dock by James Dean
Playtime Rhymes for Little People by Clare Beaton
Rufus and Friends: Rhyme Time by Iza Trapani
Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney
Truckery Rhymes by John Scieszka
Did you know that cats are the coolest pets ever? Well, Miss Alice thinks so anyway! And 46.5 million households across the country agree! These fantastic felines can make biscuits and purr their way into anyone’s hearts. Here’s a bunch of books featuring cats to delight readers of all ages with some mischievous antics and sweet kitties.
Picture books:
1. Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty
2. Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
3. 10 Cats by Emily Gravett (also available in Spanish)
4. Cat’s Very Good Day by Kristen Tracy
5. This Little Kitty by Karen Obuhanych
Fiction:
1. Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan
2. Don’t Trust the Cat by Kristen Tracy
3. Mia Mayhen and the Cat Burglar by Kara West
4. Katt Loves Dogg by James Patterson
5. Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst
Graphic novels:
1. Sue and Tai-chan by Kanata Konami
2. The Evil Secret Society of Cats by Pandania
3. Sparks by Ian Boothby
4. The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett
5. Kitty Quest by Phil Corbett
Nonfiction:
1. Cats: Nature and Nurture by Andy Hirsch
2. Get Crafting For Your Cool Cat by Ruth Owen
3. Cats are Cats: Poems by Nancy Larrick
4. Cats & Kittens: Learn to Draw and Color 26 Different Kitties by Diana Fisher
5. Cats by Anna Milbourne
-Post by Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
Reviewed by Julie Nutt, Communications Specialist
Genre: Poetry, horror
Suggested age: Ages 8 and up
What is this book about? “ ‘Will you walk into my parlor?’ said the Spider to the Fly.” Probably one of most-well known opening lines in the history of poetry, “The Spider and the Fly,” is a cautionary tale written by poet Mary Howitt in 1829. The Spider lures the unsuspecting Fly into his home with charming compliments and offers of the finer things in life. But Spider’s promises are actually part of his fiendish plan to trap and eat the Fly! Fly is suspicious throughout, but can she avoid the spider’s fiendish ulterior motives?
Mary Howitt wrote this story as a cautionary tale to her own children, “about those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions” (from the book jacket). This New York Times Bestselling adaptation of the story has been hailed by critics and illustrators alike.
My review: Sadly, to this day, the message is all to relevant. Author William Bennett said of the story, “Unfortunately, as long as there’s dishonesty in the world, there will be people ready to lay traps for us…” It is a harsh lesson in stranger-danger for children, but also a warning to adults to beware of the danger of false promises. Mary Howitt’s prose perfectly depicts the Spider’s dark intentions, as well as the Fly’s naivete.
Illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi takes the poem to a whole new level of macabre with his ghostly pencil and gouache illustrations that are reminiscent of silent movies and 19th century fairy tales. (I personally find old fairy tales, well…pretty creepy.) DiTerlizzi takes no liberties with the text, but adds subtle clues in his illustrations as to what will ultimately happen to the Fly.
A quick, deliciously dreadful read for parents and kids…or just parents! Warning: read it with the lights on!
Three words that describe this book: creepy, captivating, cautionary
Give this a try if you like: books by Alvin Schwarz, Edward Gorey, and Shel Silverstein
Rating: 5/5
*available in print and Hoopla ebook
