Non-Fiction

Alphabet Books that Break the Mold

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

When children are small we all want them to learn their letters, and start reading and writing. However, the typical ABC books can get boring quickly, and not just for the adults. Sometimes is is fun to through a special alphabet book that shakes up the monotony that is A is for Apple, b is for ball, and so on. Here are some of the best books that I have found and shared with my own children that make the alphabet more fun for them and us.

  1. B is for Bookworm by Anita C. Prieto, illustrated by Renée Graef
  1. An Edible Alphabet by Carol Watterson, illustrated by Michela Sorrentino
  1. S is for Save the Planet by Brad Herzog and illustrated by Linda Holt Ayriss
  1. When Royals Wore Ruffles: a Funny and Fashionable Alphabet! by Chesley McLaren and Pamela Jaber, illustrated by Chesley McLaren
  1. The Alphabet Theatre Proudly Presents the Z was Zapped: a Play in Twenty-six Acts by Chris Van Allsburg
  1. Q is for Duck by Mary Elting & Michael Folsom; pictures by Jack Kent
  1. The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
  1. Y is for yowl! by Laura Purdie Salas
  1. The Beetle Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by David Biedrzycki
  1. A Isn’t for Fox by Wendy K. Ulmer ; illustrated by Laura Knorr

If you are still looking for some unusual letter fun may I also suggest; A Fabulous Fair Alphabet by Debra Frasier, G is for Gold Medal by Brad Herzog, A Gardener’s Alphabet by Mary Azarian, Z is for Zeus: a Greek Mythology Alphabet by Helen L. Wilbur,illustrated by Victor Juhasz, T is for Tutu  by Sonia Rodriguez & Kurt Browning, Alphabet Explosion!: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra by John Nickle, The Freshwater Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta, Action Alphabet by Shelley Rotner, Tomorrow’s Alphabet by George Shannon, or The Icky Bug Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta.

 

Everything I Know About Stonescaping I Learned from the Library

/ Mary / Leave a comment

stones2It’s true. I didn’t know much about stonescaping when I began a little over ten years ago. And when I don’t know about something, the first thing I do is head for the book shelves.

The books I found were educational and inspiring. I marveled at all the creative ways gardeners had used stones in their landscapes. Ideas began to brew. I collected stones and left them in piles around my yard like the Blair Witch.

My love of rocks grew. From the boulders down to the gravel, I cherished every last bit of stone in my landscape. Some, like the rocks in the old stone wall that runs along the border of my property, have been there since that late 1800’s. Others, my husband and I purchased and carefully placed throughout the yard, guided by the beautiful pictures in the books we borrowed from the library.

How much do I really love rocks? Well one year for my birthday, my husband bought me a 5-ton dumpster full of broken slabs of granite that were destined for a landfill. It took me five years, but I found a place in our yard for every last piece, from the slab as large as I am to the small round sink cutouts. Some wound up as stepping-stones, others as part of the backyard patio. Some line my garden beds. A few ended up in unusual places, such as cascading down the side of a berm or encircling a small tree. Each piece is unique, and I like to think that they are better in my yard than being forever buried in a landfill.

Rocks are great in a yard. They don’t care if it is flooding or it hasn’t rained in a month. They never need to be trimmed. They look spectacular when it rains.

Together, my husband and I have moved several tons of stone, from gravel to boulders. Every time we are working with stone, he makes jokes (We’re really rockin’ now!), priding himself on his wit. I pride myself on the fact that I have never once given into the temptation to whack him with a shovel.

Want to be inspired to try stonescaping? Start with some great titles like these:

simple stonescaping          complete stonescaping          stonescaping ideas

You Can Turn Endless Political Talk into Election Education

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

With the political ads practically inescapable lately and midterm elections happening today, it is a perfect time to talk about voting with our children. Introducing the history, responsibilities, reasoning and ideals behind voting, and maybe a few laughs along the way, can turn the political ad season into a more enjoyable prospect for readers of all ages. I have broken the subject into two short lists, non fiction books and fiction.

Juvenile Nonfiction:

1.How Do We Elect Our Leaders by Willian David Thomas

2.Voting by Sarah De Capua

3.Today on Election Day by Catherine Stier

5. If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier

More nonfiction books that are solid resources in understanding the political process and the history behind it include: Eyewitness Vote by Phillip Steele, Getting Elected: a Look at Running for Office by Robin Nelson and Sandy Donovan, Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President by Ann Malaspina, Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote, 21 Activities by Kerrie Logan Hollihan, So You Want to be president? by Judith St. George, The Taxing Case of the Cows; A True Story About Suffrage by Iris van Rynbach and Pegi Deitz Shea, Running for Public Office by Sarah De Capua, Vote! by Eileen Christelow, You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? by Jean Fritz, A Kid’s Guide to the Voting Process by Tammy Gagne, and America Votes: How our President is Elected by Linda Granfield.

Juvenile Fiction:

1. Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio

5. Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote by Herman Parish

More stories about elections and the political process include: Election Day by Margaret McNamara,
President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston, Vote for Larry by Janet Tashjian (YA), Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel,Vote 4 Amelia by Marissa Moss, Pioneer Summer by Deborah Hopkinson, The Case of the Crooked Campaign by Lewis B. Montgomery, Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells, The Red, White, and Blue Crew by Lisa Mullarkey, The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach, Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, Duck for President by Doreen Cronin,and Vote for Me! by Ben Clanton.

Halloween with the Autistic Child

/ Susan O. / Leave a comment

autism-awareness-mini-ribbon-car-magnetHalloween is coming fast! Holidays are often confusing times for the autistic child. They want to participate like everyone else, but too much change in routine or clothing can create problems. While older, less-impaired children can have input into what they like or don’t like, what do you do with the young or more severely-impaired child? As the parent of a profoundly impaired son with autism, here are some of my holiday-saving tips:

1) It’s okay to say to no. Autism is fickle second to second. Halloween was a snap last year, this year everything is a meltdown. It’s okay to skip this year. Next year may be a winner again. If all else fails, have the child stay home and pass out the candy.
2) Keep costumes simple. No masks. Little to no face paint. Nothing that feels unnatural. Nothing out of the ordinary like giant wings or high heeled shoes. No gloves to decrease already shaky sensory input. No strings or fringe to obsess on. No beads that can be picked off and eaten. Make sure sleeves are close-fitting. Flapping is an issue with some children: don’t risk accidents in this season of open candles.
3) Allow the child the right to say no. If there’s a decoration at a house that scares them, allow them to skip that house.
4) Keep it short. Participating doesn’t mean you have to hit every house in a two-mile radius. The year of the October Blizzard, rockford-peaches-mens-jerseywhen no one had power for Halloween and the festivities were “canceled”, it was impossible to explain the situation to my younger foster son. We dressed him up anyway, stopped at both grandparent homes and a neighbor who was in on it, and he got to “trick or treat” on that all-important correct day. Three houses was enough. Meltdown avoided.

So what do you do, then? How can you have a costume without all the cool trappings? Keep it simple, keep it real. J. has a  baseball jersey. Paired with a ball cap and a pair of matching sweatpants, he’s gone as a baseball player several times. The clothes are normal to him. Firemen. Policemen. A barbecue chef in an apron. A nurse or doctor in scrubs. Any community job you can show the child in a book and they can relate to. Dancers, the lady who cuts hair, the bus driver, a mommy with a doll and a stroller or shopping cart. Bob the Builder, with a pair of jeans, a plaid shirt, a tool belt, and a yellow hard hat. Very simple, very easy.

fp-pumpkin-ponchoIf you want to get fancier, create something easy that goes over their clothes. We have an orange fleece poncho with a pumpkin face made out of felt and glued on the front. A couple of felt leaves and a brown stem sewn to a green hat, and we had a pumpkin costume. Because it’s a fleece poncho, it’s not only warm, but fit for several years. A cat costume out of black clothing, a pinned-on tail, and felt ears either glued to a headband or a hat.  A hobo clown, with mismatched plaid shirt, baggy jacket, and ragged pants with a rope belt and touch of red makeup to the nose was another year. Many times kids like capes, so an all-black-clothing Batman with a cape and a hood, or a vampire in white shirt, black pants and cape, and a red ribbon “Medal” made of tinfoil are often well-tolerated. One year we found a Hoodie with skeleton bones on it, added chalk “bones” on a pair of black sweatpants and we’d found our every-day-clothes costume.

Halloween doesn’t have to be a meltdown. Keep it simple, keep it calm, both for your child and yourself. Explain the day as you go: We will stop at ten houses and ask for candy, then we will go home. Try extra-hard to stop only at the homes of people your child knows; for a child with no awareness of stranger-danger, you want to reinforce who is safe and who is not. If all else fails, stay home, play some Halloween music, watch Charlie Brown,  and try again next year. It will get better.

Crafting and Costume Guides for Halloween

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

halloween kitty 1Are you one of the people that just loves Halloween? The decorations, movies, and dressing up can be great fun for adults and children of all ages. There are just so many activities and crafts that are great fun this time of year. If you are planning a Halloween party, looking for some good costume ideas, or just want to go crazy with the seasonal crafting, then here are a selection for books to get you started. I have broken the list down into two sections, one for the adults and one to give ideas for using with children.

Books for Adults:

1. Halloween: a Grown-up’s Guide to Creative Costumes, Devilish Decor & Fabulous Festivities by Joanne O’Sullivan. Finally, here’s a Halloween book that’s definitely for adults. It’s brimming with practical and inventive ideas for parties, decorations, and costumes, and with an amazingly atmospheric design that’s a luscious treat for grown-up eyes.

2. Halloween by Matthew Mead. A stylish celebration of Halloween for the entire family presents an array of holiday foods, spooky decorations, and entertaining suggestions that includes easy-to-follow instructions for pumpkin treat holders, personalized candy boxes, black cat cupcakes, black duct tape stencils, and other creative projects.

3. Better Homes and Gardens Halloween Pumpkins & Parties: 101 Spooktacular Ideas edited by Carol Field Dahlstrom. Half of this book features Halloween celebrations and entertaining, while the rest highlights creativity with pumpkins.All-new ideas for both crafters and noncrafters.One-of-a-kind Halloween how-to with detailed instructions, patterns, and recipes.Third in a series of highly successful Halloween books from Better Homes and Gardens.

4. Glitterville’s Handmade Halloween: a Glittered Guide for Whimsical Crafting! by Stephen Brown. A great book for intermediate to experienced crafters, Glitterville’s Handmade Halloween will delight readers as they make their way through the playfully photographed pages of the book, which include full, never-before-published instructions for making some of Glitterville’s most sought-after items, including Halloween candy garland and the studio collection of folk figures.

5. The Big Book of Halloween: Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of all Ages by Laura Dover Doran. This complete source book is the perfect treat—with lots of tricks, too! Adults and kids will enjoy the mixture of fun, food, and fright. There are 50 great projects and loads of imaginative ideas—everything from decorations to costumes, party ideas to pumpkin-carving patterns. A wealth of Halloween legend and lore help illuminate the holiday’s rich history.

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Book with Ideas to Share with Children:

1. 175 Easy-to-do Halloween Crafts: Creative Uses for Recyclables  edited by Sharon Dunn. Easy-to-follow directions and full-color photographs show young craft makers how to create frightfully funny decorations, pumpkins, gifts, masks, costumes, and so much more. All of the crafts are made of recyclable materials and everyday items found around the house.

2. Halloween Crafts by Fay Robinson. Provides information about the origins and customs of Halloween, ideas for celebrationg this holiday, and instructions for making a bat sock puppet, a construction paper haunted house, and a treat bag that looks like a coffin.

3. Celebrate Halloween by Deborah Heiligman. Trick or treat? Celebrate Halloween is a real treat. Vivid images and Deborah Heiligman’s lively, inviting text illuminate the spookiest night of the year.

4. Paper Crafts for Halloween by Randel McGee. Provides instructions for making paper craft items for Halloween along with a brief introduction to the holiday and its history.

5. Fun-to-Make Crafts for Halloween edited by Tom Daning. Each of these 150 craft projects for Halloween can be made from easy-to-find materials and the easy-to-follow directions include full-color photographs to help make the assembly simple.

6. Halloween Fun: 101 Ideas to Get in the Spirit! edited by Carol Field Dahlstrom. A spooky guide to Halloween fun contains an abundance of ideas, recipes, projects, and halloween cpl pumpkin 2instructions for creating frightening foods, devilish decorations, scary costumes, and much more.

As always, there are plenty more books about Halloween crafts, costumes, and fun here at the library. This includes scary stories, history, and books for all interests and age groups. Come check out the selection, unless you are scared? Oh, and have a fun and safe Halloween!