Children’s Nonfiction Books about Pets

January 11, 2015December 30, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Do you have a children begging for a new pet, or one that needs to learn a little bit more about the responsibility that comes with the joys of having a pet? Perhaps your youngster just loves all things cute and pet-like and would like to learn a little bit more about them, including some history and wacky facts. Well, which ever inspires you and your child to search for non fiction books about pets, here are some books that you can enjoy together.

1.Presidential Pets: the Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals that have Lived in the White House by Julia Moberg

2. Pets in America: a History by Katherine C. Grier

3. Oh the Pets You Can Get!: All About our Animal Friends by Tish Rabe

4. Adopting Pets: How to Choose Your New Best Friend by Bill Gutman

5. Pocket Pets by Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn

6. The Royal Treatment: a Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets by Barbara Royal, with Anastasia Royal

7. Underwater Dogs: Kids Edition by Seth Casteel

8. Sneed B. Collard III’s Most Fun Book Ever About Lizards by Sneed B. Collard III

9. 125 True Stories of Amazing Pets: Inspiring Tales of Animal Friendship & Four-legged Heroes, Plus Crazy Animal Antics

10. Why Rabbits Eat Poop and other Gross Facts about Pets by Jody Sullivan Rake

Looking for even more pet fun? Here are a few more books that might fit the bill; My First Guinea Pig and Other Small Pets by Linda Bozzo, Love Your Hamster by Judith Heneghan, Orangutans are Ticklish: fun facts from an Animal Photographer by Steve Grubman with Jill Davis, Do Fishes Get Thirsty? questions answered by Dr. Les Kaufman and staff of the New England Aquarium, How Dogs Really Work! by Alan Snow, Silkies and other Guinea Pigs, My First Pets Board Book, Safety: with Pets illustrated by Sue Wilkinson, When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers, or May I Pet Your Dog?: the How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids) by Stephanie Calmenson.

December 16th is Chocolate Covered Anything Day!

December 16, 2014December 17, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Did you know that there is a day to celebrate covering foods with chocolate? This year December 16th is Chocolate Covered Anything Day! Now, with whispers of a chocolate shortage have been present in the news lately it is even more important to celebrate this day with some fantastic treats. Chocolate covered fruit such as strawberries, banana, and pineapple are well known and loves and less obvious treats like chocolate covered pretzels and more savory treats have become more popular in recent years, a day like today is just the inspiration you might need to explore other less obvious pairings, like chocolate and bacon.

So, in honor of today cover your food in chocolate or simply make something tasty with it. Like all good things chocolate is better when shared so, in spirit of the holiday season, share some of your chocolate treats with your friends and family. Here are some books to give you chocolate related inspiration:

1. Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers by Nick Malgieri

2. Chocolate: 90 Sinful and Sumptuous Indulgences by Elisabeth Johansson

3. The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making Sweets, Candy & Chocolates by Claire Ptak

4. The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg with Ann Krueger Spivack and Susie Heller

5. Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts by Alice Medrich

6. Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate desserts by Maida Heatter

7. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Recipes and History from America’s Premier Chocolate Maker photography by Leigh Beisch

8. Chocolate Lover’s: From Hot Fudge Soufflé to Chilled Biscuit Cake by Chris and James Tanner

9. Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate by Alice Medrich

10. Seriously Bitter Sweet: The Ultimate Dessert Maker’s Guide to Chocolate by Alice Medrich

For even more chocolatey goodness and inspiration check out: Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, Chocolate: A Sweet History by Sandra Markle, Chocolate: a Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Max Brenner’s Private Collection by Max Brenner, Pure Chocolate: Divine Desserts and Sweets from the Creator of Fran’s Chocolates by Fran Bigelow with Helene Siegel, Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier, 1000 Chocolate Baking & Dessert Recipes produced by the Bridgewater Book Company, Ltd, or Sweet Christmas: Homemade Peppermints, Sugar Cake, Chocolate-Almond Toffee, Eggnog Fudge, and other Sweet Treats and Decorations by Sharon Bowers.

Crafting and Costume Guides for Halloween

October 7, 2014September 23, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Are 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 instructions 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!

It Is Ask a Stupid Question Day!

September 28, 2014September 29, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Did you know that September 28th is Ask a Stupid Question Day? No matter how much we are told that there are no stupid questions, there are times for each of us when we feel like a question that we need to ask might just qualify. Well, today is the day to get any of those questions you have been too afraid or bashful to ask off your mind.

To get things started here are some books that offer unusual facts, crazy questions, and some questions that just about everyone has but are afraid to ask out loud. If none of these books answer your questions, then please ask at the reference desk and we will find you an answer!

1. Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze?: and 114 other Questions from New Scientist

2. Why You Shouldn’t Eat Your Boogers: Gross But True Things you Don’t Want to Know about your Body by Francesca Gould

3. Do Cats Always Land on their Feet?: 101 of the Most Perplexing Questions Answered about Feline Unfathomables, Medical Mysteries & Befuddling Behaviors by Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

4. You Blink Twelve Times a Minute: and other Freaky Facts about the Human Body by Barbara Seuling

5.Why Do Men Have Nipples?: Hundreds of Questions You’d Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg

6.Because I Said So!: the Truth Behind the Myths, Tales and Warnings Every Generation passes down to its Kids by Ken Jennings

7.Can you Hear a Shout in Space?: Questions and Answers about Space Exploration by Melvin and Gilda Berger

8.Why Does Popcorn Pop? and other Kitchen Questions by Catherine Ripley

9.Do Tornadoes Really Twist?: Questions and Answers about Tornadoes and Hurricanes by Melvin and Gilda Berger ; illustrated by Higgins Bond

10.Do Fishes Get Thirsty? by Dr. Les Kaufman and staff of the New England Aquarium

For even more questions and answers that you might have been afraid to bring up you might want to take a peek at; What Makes an Ocean Wave?: Questions and Answers about Oceans and Ocean Life by Melvin and Gilda Berger, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask by Jack Rollins-Charles H. Joffe and Brodsky, Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: and other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask by Jancee Dunn, Why Dogs Eat Poop: and Other Useless or gross Information About the Animal Kingdom by Francesca Gould and David Haviland, Why Feet Smell and other Gross Facts about your Body by Jody Sullivan Rake, Don’t Know Much about History: Everything you Need to Know about American History, but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis, The New York Public Library Amazing Women in American history: a Book of Answers for Kids by Sue Heinemann, Why Do Men Fall Asleep after Sex?: More Questions You’d only Ask a Doctor after Your Third Whiskey Sour by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg

Ahoy, It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day Again!

September 19, 2014September 13, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Here is it, September 19 and my favorite holiday, International Talk like a Pirate Day! It is a day that always inspires the wearing of pirate hats and much shouting of ‘Ahoy! Matey’ and ‘Shiver me Timbers’ in my house. Thankfully my kids get into the day along side me, and so do a number of my friends and coworkers.

Last year I created a list of picturebooks and related non-fiction children’s books to celebrate the day. We can revisit that post here. This year I am going to take a different look at pirates, and offer up a selection of adult non-fiction about pirates that will sate your desire for adventure and travel, and perhaps whet your appetite for even more information. If you are still looking for more after reading this post, we do have a display in the lobby, near the adult fiction, of pirate related books that just might catch your eye!

1. The Pirate Hunter: the True Story of Captain Kidd by Richard Zacks