Holiday Gift Suggestions for Children

2014

ABSOLUTELY ALMOST. Ages 9 - 11. Lisa GraffTen-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, most ath-letic, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself.

BAD MAGIC. Ages 9 - 11. Pseudonymous BoschBelieving that magic is fake, young Clay is shocked when he is wrongly blamed for vandalism when words from his journal mag-ically appear on a wall at school. an occurrence that causes Clay to be sent to a camp for troubled kids on a remote volcanic island where he encounters more magic than he ever thought possible

SISTERS. Ages 9 - 11. Raina TelgemeierHear about Raina’s disappointing bond with a cranky, indepen-dent younger sister further challenged by the arrival of a baby brother and an estrangement in their parents’ marriage.

PERCY JACKSON’S GREEK GODS. Ages 9 - 11. Rick RiordanYou may already know the stories of the greek gods, but not from Percy Jackson’s point of view! Great pick for fans of the Percy Jackson series.

JEDI ACADEMY 2: RETURN OF THE PADWAN. Ages 9 -11. Jeffrey Brown Roan Novachez is entering his second year at Jedi Academy and thinks it will be a breeze, but he couldn’t be more wrong. He is faced with alien poetry tests, menacing robots, food fights, flight simulation class, online bullies, more lightsaber duels and worst of all... a girl who is mad at him.

THE IRIDESCENCE OF BIRDS: A Book About Henri Matisse. Ages 5 - 6. Patricia MacLachlanA fanciful story inspired by the life of the influential French master artist considers how he transformed his dreary childhood community in northern France through his expressions of color and form.

CHILDREN’S NONFICTION

GRAPHIC NOVELS

HOPE FOR WINTER: The True Story of a Remarkable Dolphin Friendship. Ages 6 - 8. David YatesThe true story behind the movie Dolphin Tale 2, hear a tale of courage and triumph about a dolphin named Hope.

MR. FERRIS AND HIS WHEEL. Ages 6 - 8. Kathryn Gibbs DavisWe all know it and most of us have ridden on it, but what is the story behind the Ferris Wheel? Science, history, and engi-neering combine in this uplifting book about the invention of the world’s most iconic amusement park ride.

GRAVITY. Ages 7 - 9. Jason ChinArtwork is the element that makes this book a cut above the rest. Add that to a very simple but thoroughly researched explanation of the scientific principles of gravity and you have a winner for the budding scientist in your family.

BEN FRANKLIN’S BIG SPLASH: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention. Ages 8 - 9. Barb RosenstockEvery inventor has to start somewhere, and Ben Franklin started in the water, developing his first invention while doing what he loved best--- swimming! Hear about how he made a splash using the scientific method, and the surprising success-es that result when you’re willing to make mistakes.

LITTLE AUTHOR IN THE BIG WOODS: A Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Ages 9 - 11. Yona ZeldisIn this fascinating story of a celebrated writer, find out more about young Laura’s adventurous journeys as a young pioneer. The story points out the differences between the fictional series and Laura’s life as well as the many similarities.

A SNICKER OF MAGIC. Ages 9 - 11. Natalie LloydThe Pickles are new to Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, a town which legend says was once magic--but Felicity is convinced the magic is still there, and with the help of her new friend, she hopes to bring the magic back.

ANIMALIUM. Ages 9 - 12. Jenny BroomPerfect for animal lovers, this coffee table book is chock-full of information on more than 200 specimens in the animal kingdom.

LARCHMONTPublic Library121 Larchmont AvenueLarchmont, NY 10538

914.834.2281LarchmontLibrary.org

CHILDREN’S FICTIONBIG BOX OF BOYNTON Set 2. Ages Birth - 2. Sandra BoyntonCombining a sturdy and vibrant slipcase with three delightful Boynton on Board titles—Snuggle Puppy!, Belly Button Book!, and Tickle Time!, with a total of 3.5 million copies in print.

LITTLE GREEN PEAS. Ages 1 - 4. Keith BakerPour over each page and see what the crazy green peas are up to as your child learns about colors.

SNOWMAN’S STORY. Ages 3 - 5. Will HillenbrandThe chase is on between a snowman and a mischie-vous rabbit in this beautifully illustrated wordless picture book after the rabbit makes off with the snowman’s book.

FLORA AND THE PENGUIN. Ages 3 - 5. Molly IdleArtist Molly Idle creates an innovative, wordless picture book with clever flaps that reveal Flora and a penguin coming together, spiraling apart, and coming back together as only true friends do.

A PERFECTLY MESSED UP STORY. Ages 3 - 5. Patrick McDonnellBecoming discouraged when his attempts to tell his story are challenged by his desire to recount his tale perfectly, Little Louie takes a deep breath and eventually embraces his imperfections.

ONCE UPON AN ALPHABET. Ages 5 - 7. Oliver JeffersA wryly whimsical alphabet primer reinforces letter-recognition skills by introducing an Astro-naut who is afraid of heights, a Bridge that ends up burned between friends, and a Cup that is stuck in a cupboard.

THREE BEARS IN A BOAT. Ages 5 - 7. David SomanFollow the adventures of three bear siblings who embark on a high-seas quest to replace their mother’s broken seashell.

100 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY. Ages 5 - 7. Amy SchwartzAn uplifting tribute to 100 everyday things worth celebrating, listed in rhyming couplets that depict a child’s everyday world, highlights pleasures that range from slippery floors and dinosaurs to goldfish and a birthday wish.

MAPLE AND WILLOW TOGETHER. Ages 5 - 7. Lori NicholsCelebrate the bond of sisterhood and dynamics of siblings with this story of two sisters and best friends.

DRAGON’S EXTRAORDINARY EGG. Ages 5 - 7. Debi GlioriOral tradition is at the heart of this heartwarming dragon story as we hear how one dragon looking for an egg and one lonely egg equals an adoptive family.

EMMA AND THE BLUE GENIE. Ages 7 - 9. Cornelia FunkeSetting a genie free from a bottle that washes up from the ocean, Emma and her noodle-tailed dog help the genie reclaim his magic nose ring from an evil yellow genie who has stolen all of his powers.

LEROY NINKER SADDLES UP. Ages 7 - 9. Kate DiCamilloIn this latest gem for young readers, when Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for his horse, Maybelline, disaster ensues. Can Leroy wrestle fate to the ground, rescue the horse of his heart, and lasso loneliness for good?

HUMPREY’S REALLY WHEELY RACING DAY. Ages 7 - 8. Betty G. BirneyHamsters, start your engines! Join the kids from Longfellow School’s Room 26 as Humphrey prepares for the race of a life-time in the first book of the Humphrey’s Tiny Tales series.

PRINCESS IN BLACK. Ages 7 - 8. Shannon HaleNot all princesses dress in pink… especially not the super-hero kind! Can princess Magnolia get suited up, defeat the monster, and still make it back for hot chocolate and scones before Duchess Wigtower suspects anything?

DORY FANTASMAGORY. Ages 8 - 9. Abby HanlonCraving attention from her older sister and brother, Dory uses her wild imagination and indefatigable energy to outsmart monsters, escape from a time-out and exact revenge on her sister’s favorite doll.

FIREFLY JULY. Ages 7 - 9. Paul B. JaneczkoIt only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the com-fort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow.

THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES. Ages 9 - 11. Lauren MagazinerEleven-year-old Rupert cannot resist applying to an advertise-ment for a witch’s apprentice but quickly finds himself over his head with the young witch-in-training who desperately needs his help.

365 DAYS OF WONDER: Mr. Brown’s Book of Precepts. Ages 9 - 11. R.J. PalacioA compilation inspired by the best-selling Wonder collects a year’s worth of life principles gleaned from a wide range of sources, from popular songs and children’s books to Egyp-tian tombstones and fortune cookies.

MIX IT UP. Ages 3 - 5. Herve TulletFollow the artist’s simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader’s imagination.

MY GRANDFATHER’S COAT. Ages 5 - 7. James AyelsworthA rollicking, rhyming adaptation of a favorite folksong about a many-times-recycled coat follows the creative ways that a clever Grandfather reshapes a coat into other wearables throughout four generations.