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Music to Entice Kids to ‘Cut the Rug' and Then Kick Back
The children's music genre has exploded in recent years. Acts of impressive talent are now performing for younger people, and the result is a plethora of worthy CDs, meant for toe-tappin' relaxing and old-fashioned story listening.
"The Hero in …Read more.
February Honors Presidents and the History of Black Americans
These profound books pay homage to heroic slaves, African-American inventors and American presidents.
"Freedom Song: The Story of Henry 'Box' Brown" by Sally M. Walker; illustrated by Sean Qualls; HarperCollins; 32 pages; $17.99.
This true …Read more.
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Intriguing Non-Fiction for Kids
Begin the winter school semester with educational books that take young readers on amazing journeys.
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Books that Show Kids the Importance of President's DayPresident's Day is a fantastic time to introduce children to leaders past and present. These children's books encourage young people to learn. Through exciting formats, kids will read all about the U.S. presidents and America's patriotism. "Don't Know Much about the Presidents" by Kenneth C. Davis; illustrated by Pedro Martin; HarperCollins; 64 pages; $16. Elementary-school students often get used to the same well-known facts about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. This popular, unique presidential tome is jammed with fun facts, cool quotes ("Speak softly and carry a big stick" from Theodore Roosevelt) and an easy-to-follow question and answer format. With detailed timelines and a flowing manner, plus humorous illustrations, the book also includes the little-known ways the first ladies have assisted and benefited America. Kids will love that John Quincy Adams skinny-dipped in the Potomac every morning, and that he and Herbert Hoover let pet alligators roam the White House. (Hoover and his wife also spoke Chinese when they didn't want to be overheard.) Also from the series, "Don't Know Much About the 50 States" by Davis and illustrated by Renee Andriani, gives kids plenty of surprising facts about the United States, with a map and special sections for each state. Older kids, ages 10 and up, will find additional pertinent presidential info in the similarly structured "Presidents" from DK Publishing's Eyewitness Books. "Abraham Lincoln: Letters from a Slave Girl" by Andrea Davis Pinkney; Winslow Press; 136 pages; $9. Winslow Press' reputable "Dear Mr. President" series helps kids learn more about history with fictional but fact-based letters penned between a child and a president. In this, Lincoln answers a 12-year-old slave girl's concerns with intriguing, historically-based scenarios of his own. As she fights for freedom in Charleston, S.C., in 1862, President Lincoln writes honestly to her about his deep challenges as head of the Union. More kid-friendly than most history books, the "Dear President" series teaches with aplomb.
"Across America, I Love You" by Christine Loomis; illustrated by Kate Kiesler; Hyperion; 32 pages; $16. A great combination of a lyrical ode to the beauty of America's countryside and a loving serenade to a child, Loomis' heartfelt picture book is a great gift any time of year. As the author describes California's giant sequoias reaching up to cradle the Western sky, she also, in the words of the narrator/mother, is ready to "cradle you, to embrace the universe of possibilities in you." When she describes the prairie wind blowing the grasses, she advises her child that "sometimes you must bend and sometimes you must stand against the wind." Kiesler's paintings, too, help make this celebratory book a special ode to our country and our children. "Who Really Discovered America? Unraveling the Mystery & Solving the Puzzle" by Avery Hart; Williamson Publishing; 96 pages; $11. Much of this interactive book offers not only traditional America discovery activities, but also others, such as a Viking ship to construct and the way to find meaning in Lakota words. This fascinating book lets kids be detectives as they separate fact from fiction through language links to the past, early petroglyphs, ways to trace ocean currents and debates on Native, African and Asian theories. A "think and answer book," it fosters kids' tendencies toward having open minds and thinking for themselves. Ages 7 to 14 will enjoy the book's sidebars, experiments and even the really out-there theories. KIDBITS Also fun and fascinating: "The Haunted States of America" by Joan Holub (Simon & Schuster) offers vignettes on supposedly true ghost stories in every state and some Canadian provinces, too. For ages 8 to 12. "Mad Libs for President" is "the world's greatest word game," according to publisher Price Stern Sloan. The fun, take-it-anywhere book/game encourages kids to fill in blanks about presidential speeches, stories, songs and facts. "So You Want to Be President" by Judith St. George and David Small (Philomel/Penguin Putnam) is last year's rip-roaring celebration of the quirky foibles of presidents. To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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