Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, was recently nominated to the 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. The Texas Bluebonnet Award is a program aimed at encouraging reading in grades three through six, and allows students to vote for their favorite book. It’s one of the most prestigious programs in the country, and has been running since the early 1980’s! The winner will be announced in February. Congratulations to Elizabeth Zunon and Nikki Grimes! Poems in the Attic can be purchased here. Here’s the Master List for 2015 to 2016.
Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, illustrated by London Ladd, made the Winter 2015-2016 Kids’ Indie Next List – “Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers.” Congratulations! Frederick’s Journey can be bought online here!
Kirkus gave a wonderful review of I Can Dance and I Can Play, toddler board books written and illustrated by Betsy Snyder. Both books feature cut-outs where children can subsitute their own fingers for dancers’ legs and arms. Kirkus writes, “This is an appropriately brief, appealing title with a simple bit of interactivity that toddlers will appreciate.” The books are described as, “Encouraging activity on multiple levels, a good choice for toddler board-book collections.” Check out the full review for yourself here! You can order your own copy of I Can Dance here and I Can Play here.
The finalists have been announced for the 2015 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards, and Ashley Spires and Steve Adams have books on the list. Ashley’s The Most Magnificent Thing and Steve’s If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers are both up for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Congrats Steve and Ashley! Read the full list here.
Race Car Count, illustrated by Michael Slack and written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, received a great review in Publishers Weekly. They write, “The book’s bouncy rhymes and Matchbox-worthy vehicles (spoilers and bulging hot-red engines abound) combine to create a lively race with some tense back-and-forth moments.” You can pre-order a copy of the book here. More praise for Race Car Count: “The flash and thrill of the race car track-it’s all here in a zippy counting book just right for the toddler set. . . .When the cars line up for another race, children will cheer.” – Kirkus Reviews “This charming race car story reinforces the concept of the numbers one through 10 in rhyming text. . . A visual winner, the illustrations are brightly colored and drawn in a cartoon style that will appeal to fans of the Cars movies. The text is clear and simple and conveys the fast-paced story. This popular transportation-themed book is sure to be a crowd pleaser.” – School Library Journal
Amazon named Marilyn Sadler’s and Eric Comstock’s Charlie Piechart a Best Book of the Month for Ages 6-8. The book is available now online and in bookstores near you!
