Webster Groves library gathers dozens of authors for event : Entertainment

Webster Groves library gathers dozens of authors for event : Entertainment

Heritage Quest Online is available through your school library and all public libraries in Missouri.

To access Heritage Quest contact your student's school librarian. They can give the access information to use this great tool and discover information about your family.

HeritageQuest® Online is a comprehensive database of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. It delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s.

This resource is now available through Missouri Resources Network. 

The collection consists of six core data sets:

• U.S. Federal Censuses feature the original images of every extant federal census in the United States, from 1790 through 1930, with name indexes for many decades. In total the collection covers more than 140 million names.
• Genealogy and local history books deliver more than 7 million digitized page images from over 28,000 family histories, local histories, and other books. Titles have been digitized from our own renowned microform collections, as well from the American Antiquarian Society via an exclusive partnership.
• Periodical Source Index (PERSI), published by the Allen County Public Library, is recognized as the most comprehensive index genealogy and local history periodicals. It contains more than 2 million records covering titles published around the world since 1800.
• Revolutionary War records contains original images from pension and bounty land warrant application files help to identify more than 80,000 American Army, Navy, and Marine officers and enlisted men from the Revolutionary War era.
• Freedman’s Bank Records, with more than 480,000 names of bank applicants, their dependents, and heirs from 1865–1874, offers valuable data that can provide important clues to tracing African American ancestors prior to and immediately after the Civil War.
• LexisNexis U.S. Serial Set records the memorials, petitions, private relief actions made to the U.S. Congress back to 1789, with a total of more than 480,000 pages of information.

WGSD Fall Book Fair October 26-31

Please join us as we support the students of WGSD by shopping at the Ladue and West County Barnes and Noble Bookstores.  Proceeds will benefit the WGSD Art and Science funds AND the WGSD Libraries!

Shop Online and in-store, all purchases including books, music, games, toys and Cafe purchases are included!  Use this code when purchasing so the funds get to the school district 11135738

WGSD students will be performing and showcasing their amazing talents on October 26 at both stores - please stop by to join in the fun!

What Happened on Your Birthday? Newspaper Archives Tell the Tale

There are numerous online sites where you can find exactly what you are looking for. Many have actual newspaper images. Try these to see if you can find what happened 100 years ago on your birthday, or what the world was like on this day 75 years ago.

Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers from the Library of Congress provides access to more than 500 historic newspapers representing large cities and rural areas in 25 states and the District of Columbia dating from 1836 to 1922.

Today in History is another content-rich resource from the Library of Congress. 
Have fun!

Inspiring

A Library forAll
http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2013/07/12/cool-tool-library-for-all/

Great Goofy Stuff to Read, Eat, and Do

A booklist full of suggestions that are perfect for summer - enjoy these titles collected by Reading Rockets.
http://www.readingrockets.org

Clorinda

By: Robert Kinerk

Illustrated by: Steven Kellogg

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

When Clorinda sees a ballet, she decides to follow her dream of becoming a ballerina and so leaves her comfortable farm life for the big city. At last, the charming cow-ballerina gets her big chance and though she performs only once, her talent is welcomed back on the farm. The rhyming story is illustrated in a lighthearted, comical style.

Cooking Art: Easy Edible Art for Young Children

By: Mary Ann Kohl & Jean Potter

Illustrated by: Ronnie Roseman-Hall

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Art is meant to be enjoyed, and sometimes even eaten! Create, then consume, the attractive, tasty, and nutritious treats featured in this fun recipe book.

Ed Emberley's Great Thumbprint Drawing Book

By: Ed Emberley

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Make a thumbprint, add a few lines, and voila! you get an instant cartoon! This easy-to-follow book helps even the youngest make fascinating, funny creatures.

Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup!

By: Emeril Lagasse

Illustrated by: Charles Yuen

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

The celebrity chef shares his thrill in making kitchen creations in this lighthearted but informative and oversized cookbook. It's ideal for beginner cooks

Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual

By: The authors of Klutz

Illustrated by: Jim McGuinness

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Dr. Seuss could have come up with the names of these lip-smacking delights! Frozen Bananoids, Soap Bubbles Supreme – the recipes may have peculiar names, but they are familiar to and enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Lotions, Potions, and Slime: Mudpies and More

By: Nancy Blakey

Illustrated by: Melissah Watts

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

This collection of creative activities involve science, art, cooking, and more. Concocting these concoctions will provide hours of ooey, gooey fun.

Poultrygeist

By: Mary Jane Auch

Illustrated by: Herm Auch

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

When rude roosters continue to disturb the other farm animals, only Clarissa the cow and Sophie the pig take action to stop the raucous fowl. Their tale creates lots of laughs for readers.

Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

By: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by: Marc Brown

Age Level: 0-3

Reading Level: Pre-Reader

What better way to introduce children to things fantastic or real than through these 200 short poems? Engagingly illustrated, this classic book features a variety of rhymes both old and new.

The Whingdingdilly

By: Bill Peet

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Ole Scamp learns to like himself better once he’s changed by a peculiar witch. This wacky story uses comic illustrations to convey a positive message in a lighthearted, Seussian way

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?

By: Lauren Child

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Though Herb enjoys reading, he doesn’t appreciate how important it is to treat books with care. Then he falls asleep and finds himself in a book of fairy tales that he has changed. Readers who are familiar with the standard tales will delight in this fresh, funny, and fractured book.

A Wealth of Knowledge

From libraries, archives, and museums.  The Digital Public library offers instant access to over 2 million historical and cultural items from libraries, archives, and museums across the country.  http://dp.la/

Super Summer Readers Start Here!

Visit this page for reading logs and recommended reading lists - Have a great summer!

Super Summer Reads for the Adventurous and Brave of Heart

Webster Reads 2013: Middle School

BOOK TRAILERS LEAD TO YOUTUBE VIDEOS.  THE WEBSTER GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTAL VIEWING OF INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT.  PLEASE MONITOR IF USING THIS LIST WITH YOUR CHILD

BOOKS FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 6TH - 8TH GRADE

Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.

The classic story of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in nineteenth-century New England.     Book Trailer

Laurie Halse Anderson. Fever 1793.Sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793.     Book Trailer

Katherine Applegate. The One and Only Ivan. Newbery Medal Winner

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.     Book Trailer 1     Book Trailer 2

Marc Aronson and H. P. Newquist. For Boys Only: the Baddest Book Ever.

Information on a variety of topics of interest to boys, such as how to fight off an alligator, make fake blood, escape from being tied-up, land an airplane, and much more.

Avi. Crispin: the Cross of Lead. (Newbery Medal winner) Crispin: at the Edge of the World; Crispin: The End of Time. Falsely accused of theft and declared a "wolf's head" (whom any man may kill) after his mother's death, humble, pious Crispin flees the feudal village where he was raised and the steward who wants him dead. Taken in as an apprentice by a massive, red-haired, itinerant juggler who calls himself Bear, Crispin learns about music and mummery, about freedom and questioning fate, and about his own mysterious parentage that seems to be the reason behind the steward's continuing pursuit of him. Set in fourteenth century England. Newbery Award 2002     Book Trailer

Avi. Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel.

A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story. Newbery Honor Book.     Book Trailer

Blue Balliett. Chasing Vermeer; The Wright Three; The Calder Game. 

When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.   Book Trailer 1     Book Trailer 2

Joan Bauer. Almost Home.

When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. With the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.

Michael D. Beil. Summer at Forsaken Lake.

Twelve-year-old Nicholas and his ten-year-old, twin sisters, Hetty and Haley, spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at Forsaken Lake, where he and their new friend Charlie investigate the truth about an accident involving their families many years before.

Pseudonymous Bosch. The Name of This Book is Secret; If You're Reading This, It's Too Late; This Book is Not Good For You; This Isn’t What It Looks Like. Secret series. (only one can count)

Cassandra and Max find a missing magician's notebook and start to investigate the fire that burned down his house and his mysterious "symphony of smells.     Book Trailer

Linda Buckley Archer. The Time Travelers; The Time Thief; The Time Quake. The Gideon Trilogy. 

When an attempt to bring Peter and Kate back to their own time is bungled, Peter finds himself stranded in 1763 while The Tar Man, a villainous eighteenth-century criminal, returns with Kate to twenty-first-century London.     Book Trailer

Frank Cottrell Boyce. Cosmic.

Twelve-year-old Liam, who looks like he is thirty and is tired of being treated like he is older than he actually is, decides he is going to pose as the adult chaperone on the first spaceship to take civilians into space, but when he ends up in outer space with a group of kids and no adult supervision, he must think fast to make things right.     BookTrailer

Georgia Bragg. How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous.

This fascinating collection of remarkable deaths relays all the gory details of how 19 world figures gave up the ghost, including King Tut, Julius Caesar, George Washington, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry VIII.

Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Secret Garden.

Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.     Book Trailer

Ann Cameron. Colibri.

She was little and quick and pretty. Her mother nicknamed her Colibrí, Spanish for "Hummingbird." At age four she was kidnapped, torn from her parents on a crowded bus in Guatemala City. Since then she's traveled with "Uncle," the ex-soldier and wandering beggar who has renamed her Rosa. Uncle has always told Rosa that he searched for her parents but had no success. There’s almost no chance Rosa will ever find them – but Rosa still remembers and longs for them.

 Janet Lee Carey. Dragon’s Keep; Dragonswood.

 In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets.

Gennifer Choldenko. No Passengers Beyond This Point.

With their house in foreclosure, sisters India and Mouse and brother Finn are sent to stay with an uncle in Colorado until their mother can join them, but when the plane lands, the children are welcomed by cheering crowds to a strange place where each of them has a perfect house and a clock that is ticking down the time.     Book Trailer

Sharon Creech. The Great Unexpected.

Orphans Naomi and Lizzie, living in America, and grown-up sisters Sybil and Nula, from Ireland, learn what life is truly about as they receive help from one another and open up their hearts to love and forgiveness.     Author Reading

Laura Dower. For Girls Only: Everything Great About Being a Girl.

Discusses the benefits of being a girl, from sleepovers to pedicures and friendship bracelets, covering famous women from sports, science, and history, and how to be a baby-sitter and get a job for the summer.     Book Trailer

John Feinstein. Last Shot: a Final Four Mystery; Vanishing Act: Mystery at the U. S. Open; Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl. Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series; The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game; Rush For the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics. 

As winners of a writing contest, eighth-graders Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson travel to the NCAA Final Four as journalists. In addition to meeting college basketball celebrities, the two also uncover a plot to fix the championship game. This fast-moving mystery takes the reader to a behind-the-scenes look at the Final Four.     Book Trailer

Sid Fleischman. Escape: The Story of The Great Houdini.

A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926.

Cornelia Funke. Reckless.

Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.     Book Trailer

Jack Gantos. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Joey Pigza Loses Control, What Would Joey Do?; I Am Not Joey Pigza.

To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.     Book Trailer

Stuart Gibbs. Spy School.

Twelve-year-old Ben Ripley leaves his public middle school to attend the CIA's highly secretive Espionage Academy, which everyone is told is an elite science school.

John Grisham. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer; Theodore Boone: The Abduction; Theodore Boone: The Accused. 

Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone, who knows every judge, police officer, and court clerk in the small town of Strattenburg, finds himself involved in a murder trial because of knowledge he might have about a cold-blooded killer.     Book Trailer 1     Book Trailer 2

Lewis Harris. A Taste for Red.

When some of her classmates disappear, sixth-grader Svetlana, along with her new friends, goes in search of the missing students using her newfound ability as an Olfactive, one who has heightened smell, hearing, and the ability to detect vampires.     Book Trailer

Phillip Hoose. Moonbird: a Year on the Wind With the Great Survivor B95. 2013 Kyle Likover Memorial Visiting Author.

Chronicles a year in the life of rufa red knot B95, also called Moonbird, following him through his migration pattern, flying from Tierra del Fuego to the breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, 9,000 miles away.

Gordon Korman. Ungifted.

Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school.

Gordon Korman. No More Dead Dogs.

Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well.     Book Trailer

 Thanhha Lai. Inside Out & Back Again. Newberry Honor Book, National Book Award Winner.

Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.     Book Trailer

Kristin Levine. The Lions of Little Rock.

Twelve-year-old Marlee develops a strong friendship with Liz, the new girl in school, but when Liz suddenly stops attending school and Marlee hears a rumor that her friend is actually an African American girl passing herself off as white, the two young girls must decide whether their friendship is worth taking on integration and the dangers it could bring to their families.    Book Trailer

Jack London. The Call of the Wild.

Buck, who is half St. Bernard and half Scotch shepherd, is abducted and taken to the Klondike where he reverts to the wild and becomes a leader of a pack of wolves.    Book Trailer

Pittacus Lore. I Am Number Four, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine. Lorien Legacies series

“Three are dead. I am Number Four”.     Book Trailer 1     Book Trailer 2

Josh Lacey. Island of Thieves.

Tom goes with his Uncle Harvey to Peru, where they narrowly escape imprisonment and death as they hunt for buried treasure after tracking down a journal written by John Drake, a young relative of Sir Francis Drake, on a voyage to Lima in 1577.

Lisa McMann. The Unwanteds; Island of Silence. 

In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.     Book Trailer

Maile Meloy. The Apothecary.

Fourteen-year-old Janie Scott, newly arrived in London from Los Angeles in 1952, becomes friends with a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows, and is drawn into a dangerous adventure with Benjamin when his father is kidnapped and Russian spies try to steal his book of secrets.     Book Trailer

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Emily’s Fortune.

While traveling to her aunt's home in Redbud by train and stagecoach, quiet young Emily and her turtle, Rufus, team up with Jackson, fellow orphan and troublemaker extraordinaire, to outsmart mean Uncle Victor, who is after Emily's inheritance.     Book Trailer

O. T. Nelson. The Girl Who Owned a City.

When a plague sweeps over the earth killing everyone except children under twelve, ten-year-old Lisa organizes a group to rebuild a new way of life.     Book Trailer

R. J. Palacio. Wonder.    

Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.     Book Trailer

Richard Peck. The Teacher’s Funeral: a Comedy in Three Parts.

In rural Indiana in 1904, fifteen-year-old Russell's dreams of quitting school and joining a wheat threshing crew are disrupted when his older sister takes over the teaching at his one-room schoolhouse after mean old Myrt Arbuckle "hauls off and dies."     Book Trailer

Susan Runholt. The Mystery of the Third Lucretia; Rescuing Seneca Crane; Adventure at Simba Hill.Kari + Lucas Mystery. 

While traveling in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, fourteen-year-old best friends Kari and Lucas solve an international art forgery mystery.

Anna Sewell. Black Beauty.

A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his experiences with both good and bad masters.     Book Trailer

Diane Stanley. The Silver Bowl; The Cup and the Crown.

From the age of seven when she became scullery maid in a castle, Molly has seen visions of the future which, years later, lead her and friend Tobias on an adventure to keep Alaric, the heir to the throne, safe from a curse. Book Trailer

Rebecca Stead. Liar & Spy.

Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building.       Book Trailer

Robert Louis Stevenson. Treasure Island. 

While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of an inn and her son find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune.     Book Trailer

Trenton Lee Stewart. The Mysterious Benedict Society; The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey; The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma; The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. 

After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.     Book Trailer

Allan Stratton. The Grave Robber’s Apprentice.

Hans, a foundling raised by a grave robber, helps Countess Angela Gabriela, nearly thirteen, when she is torn away from her dream of being a professional puppeteer by an evil archduke out to destroy her and her parents.     Book Trailer 1     Book Trailer 2

Annika Thor. A Faraway Island.

Stephie and Nellie, two Austrian Jewish sisters, are evacuated in 1938 from Vienna to a Swedish island and placed in separate foster homes.

Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Science-fiction tale about a French professor and his companions who are trapped aboard a futuristic submarine with a mad sea captain and come face to face with exotic ocean creatures and strange sights hidden from the world above.     Book Trailer

Jacqueline West. The Shadows; Spellbound; The Second Spy. The Books of Elsewhere series. 

When eleven-year old Olive and her distracted parents move into an old Victorian mansion, Olive finds herself ensnared in a dark plan involving some mysterious paintings, a trapped and angry nine-year-old boy, and three talking cats.     Book Trailer

Ben H. Winters. The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman.

Spurred by a special project from her social studies teacher, seventh-grader Bethesda Fielding uncovers the secret identity of her music teacher, which leads to a most unusual concert performance and a tutoring assignment.

Johann David Wyss. The Swiss Family Robinson.

Relates the fortunes of a shipwrecked family as they adapt to life on an island with abundant animal and plant life.     Book Trailer

Super Summer Reads for the Young and Young at Heart

Webster Reads 2013: Primary Books

And Then It’s Spring. By Julie Fogliano. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

A spare, lyrical narrative and delicate woodblock print and pencil illustrations capture the anticipation of spring. Accompanied by a coterie of animals, a boy plants seeds and waits expectantly for them to sprout.

Bear Has a Story to Tell. By Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

Seasons change but friendship remains as Bear patiently awaits to tell his story in a world created through delicate illustrations and a strong message.

Black Dog. By Levi Pinfold. Illus. by the author. Candlewick/Templar.

Here’s a story that demonstrates that even the smallest family member has the courage to save everyone. Both the illustrations and the text move from scary to comforting with a satisfying ending.

Charley's First Night. By Amy Hest. Illus. by Helen Oxenbury. Candlewick.

An adorable puppy is comforted his first night in a new home by a young boy who cares for Charley throughout the long hours. Pastel watercolors infuse the story with warmth and intimacy.

Creepy Carrots! By Aaron Reynolds. Illus. by Peter Brown.  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots until he notices they are everywhere and becomes convinced that they’re coming for him! (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)

Demolition. By Sally Sutton. Illus. by Brian  Lovelock.  Candlewick.

Through a mix of rhyming text, sounds, and onomatopoeia, and large gritty illustrations, children are introduced to what machines do at a construction site.

Dogs on Duty. By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Walker.

Brave, loyal dogs are hard to resist, especially those trained to serve on difficult military missions. Easy-to-read blocks of text are paired with photos to walk readers through the history of these hero hounds.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. By Christy Hale. Illus. by the author. Lee & Low.

Poetry combined with images illustrates how children’s play influences the creative process as it pertains to the buildings we inhabit and will inspire readers to dream big.

Extra Yarn. By Mac Barnett . Illus. by Jon Klassen. HarperCollins/Balzer and Bray.

A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl's transformation of a colorless town and steal her box of magical yarn.  (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. By Hena Khan. Illus. by Mehrdokht Amini. Chronicle.

A look at Muslim life through the eyes of a child, sharing family experiences; the warm illustrations and cultural details remind us how similar we are.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. By Mo Willems. Illus. by the author.  HarperCollins/Balzer and Bray.

A humorously fractured fairy tale tells the story of Goldilocks. Sly humor underlies significant changes to the expected script and setting.

Green. By Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

Seeger engages all the senses with her fresh approach to the multiple meanings of “green” in this highly original concept book.  (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)

Hippopposites. By Janik Coat. Appleseed.

A hippo demonstrates a clever variety of opposites in this oversized board book designed to amuse and instruct the youngest readers.

Infinity and Me. By Kate Hosford. Illus. by Gabi Swiatkowska. Lerner/Carolrhoda.

Children will relate to Uma's experience of feeling small as she considers the universe and her place in it. Idiosyncratic illustrations contrast with the warm relationship between Uma and her grandmother. Finally, infinity in terms Uma can understand.

Just Ducks. By Nicola Davies. Illus. by Salvatore  Rubbino. Candlewick.

A young girl observes mallard ducks as they eat, swim, and dive. Appealing watercolors draw readers into the informative but gentle narrative.

Let's Go for a Drive!  By Mo Willems. Illus. by the author. Hyperion.

Good friends Elephant and Piggie’s best plans in preparing to take a drive go awry when they realize they have no car. (A 2013 Geisel Honor Book)

Machines Go to Work in the City. By William Low. Illus. by the author. Holt.

Elegant illustrations portray a variety of gritty, urban machines in all their burly glory as they work under, through, and above the city.

Magritte’s Marvelous Hat : A Picture Book. By D. B. (Donald B.) Johnson. Illus. by the author. Houghton.

An imaginatively-constructed picture book captures the essence of creativity and play while also introducing the paintings of the unique artist, René Magritte

.

Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert.  By Gary D. Schmidt, Illus. by David Diaz. Clarion/Houghton.

This illustrated biography of the first African-heritage saint of the Américas captures both historical fact and legend. (The 2013 Belpre Illustrator Medal Book)

More. By I. C. Springman. Illus. by Brian Lies. Houghton.

Illustrations stunningly juxtaposed against a simple story show what happens when Magpie’s greed leads to trouble. 

Nighttime Ninja. By Barbara DaCosta. Illus. by Ed Young. Little, Brown.

A ninja stealthily goes about his mission until his mother catches him and puts him to bed. A dark palette of cut paper and mixed-media illustrations intensify the story's intrigue.

Oh, No! By Candace Fleming. Illus. by Eric Rohmann. Random/Schwartz & Wade.

With exuberant rhythmic phrases and jungle colored illustrations, five animals are disturbed by a grinning tiger and fall into a hole, one by one. This suspenseful cumulative tale is an engaging read-aloud.

One Cool Friend. By Toni Buzzeo. Illus. by David Small. Dial/Penguin.

Energetic line and dizzying perspective combine for a rollicking tale of Father, Elliot, and a highly improbable pet (or two).  (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)

One Special Day: A Story for Big Brothers and Sisters. By Lola M. Schaefer. Illus. by Jessica Meserve. Disney/Hyperion.

Spencer undergoes a remarkable transformation from a wild and raucous boy to a gentle big brother in a joyful, tender story sweetly illustrated for “big brothers and sisters.”

Penny and Her Doll. By Kevin Henkes. Illus. by the author. Greenwillow.

Softly rendered illustrations in this beginning reader reveal Penny's determination to find the perfect name for her doll.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. By Eric Litwin. Illus. by James Dean. HarperCollins.

A blue mellow-eyed feline keeps losing his groovy buttons. But does he cry? Goodness no! For after all, it’s all good! (A 2013 Geisel Honor Book)

Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover. By Cece Bell. Illus. by the author. Candlewick.

Rabbit and Robot disagree about everything on Rabbit’s “To Do” list at their sleepover, including Robot’s insistence for pizza toppings of nuts, bolts, and screws. And everything comes to a halt when Robot’s batteries run low. (A 2013 Geisel Honor Book)

Sleep Like a Tiger. By Mary Logue. Illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton.

Parents coax their young child to bed in a whimsical bedtime story with universal appeal.  (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)

This Is Not My Hat. By Jon Klassen. Illus. by the author. Candlewick.

In this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat, but it fits him just right. And the big fish wants his hat back. (The 2013 Caldecott Medal Book)

This Moose Belongs to Me. By Oliver Jeffers. Illus. by the author. Philomel/Penguin.

Wilfred thinks he owns a moose, but the moose has other ideas. This offbeat tale is humorously illustrated using an incongruous mix of stick figures and painterly landscapes.

Up, Tall, and High! By Ethan Long. Illus. by the author. Putnam/Penguin.

A bevy of birds performs a play in three acts, while teaching the concepts of up, tall, and high. Children will delight in reading additional words hidden beneath thick flaps. (The 2013 Geisel Medal Book)

Z Is for Moose. By Kelly Bingham. Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Greenwillow.

An unconventional alphabet book features best friends, Moose and Zebra, wreaking A-Z laugh-out-loud havock. Their zany actions are highlighted in cartoon mixed-media illustrations.