Hi everyone!
I decided to hand over the reins of the blog to my fabulous readers from time to time. If you have something interesting to share, email me. It has to be kid related and can be anything really… books, food, decorating, advice etc etc.
To start us of.. here is my friend Shannon, who is a librarian. Thanks so much for sharing Shannon! Enjoy!
xoxo, Rashmi
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Hello followers of Rashmi’s blog! My name is Shannon Seglin and I am the Youth Services Manager at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna, VA. I am not your average stereotypical shushing librarian. Once in awhile I may ask someone to keep it down, but I am loud person myself! I like to consider myself the kind of librarian that kids can relate to and ask for advice when it comes to reading. Reader’s advisory is one of my favorite things to do and I am happy to able to share some titles with you!
Before I share some titles, just a little plug for the library system I work for!!
Picture it, it is like 100 degrees out and you don’t know what to do with your kids. I have the solution, bring them to the library! They can sign up for Fairfax County Public Library Summer Reading Program, check out some books for free, and come to a great program or story time! Preschool through rising 6th graders have to read 15 books by Sept. 4th and then they can get a coupon book with all kinds of cool stuff (free ice cream, Splash Down coupon, free ticket to GMU basketball game, etc). Kids can sign up online or come to any one of the 23 FCPL branches and get a reading log. For more information you can check out the website:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/srp/
For little kids:
Baker, Keith. LMNO Peas
Preschool to 1st grade- Busy little peas introduce their favorite occupations, from astronaut to zoologist. Drawings of the peas are hysterical. My favorites are the dancing peas and the yoga ones.
Isadora, Rachel. Say Hello!
Preschool to 1st grade- Carmelita, her mother, and her dog Manny, set out to visit Abeula Rosa. On the way they greet people in her neighborhood in many different languages. Manny greets everyone with a “Woof.” The drawing are sort of like Eric Carle and are patterned with oil paints, printed patterns, and cut-paper shapes that show up vividly set up against white backgrounds.
Litwin, Eric.Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Preschool to 1st grade- Pete the Cat struts down the street singing, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes. Then he steps in (actually climbs up) a huge hill of strawberries that turn his pristine sneakers red. Did Pete cry? No! He kept walking along and singing his song. I love my red shoes…. He proceeds to step in a mound of blueberries and then a mud puddle, each incident changing his sneakers to a new color. I won’t tell you what happens next. Hilarious pictures and is super fun to sing along with!
Willems, Mo. City Dog, Country Frog
Preschool to 2nd grade- Through the seasons, whenever City Dog visits the country he runs straight for Country Frog’s rock to play games with him, but during the winter things change for them both. John Muth’s (the illustrator) paintings are very expressive and convey the story well. Warning, this story has a sad, yet hopeful ending, and teaches a good lesson.
For bigger kids:
DiCamillio, Kate. The Magician’s Elephant. | Sommerville, Mass: Candlewick Press,
2009.
Grade 4 and up- When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her. Fans of any of DiCamillo’s other titles (Because of Winn Dixie, etc) will find this just as enchanting.
Gifford, Peggy. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little
Grades 2-4- With summer coming to an end, about-to-be-fourth-grader Moxy Maxwell does a hundred different things to avoid reading her assigned summer reading book. Hysterical and will be right on target with lots of kids, who are probably procrastinating about their summer reading assignments.
Stead, Rebecca. First Light
Grades 3 and up- When twelve-year-old Peter and his family arrive in Greenland for his father’s research, he stumbles upon a secret his mother has been hiding from him all his life, and begins an adventure he never imagines possible. Reading about the coldness of Greenland in the Summer is so intriguing and enlightening.
Some suggested authors for grade schoolers-
Cornelia Funke, Blue Balliett, Andrew Clements, Christopher Paul Curtis, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Gordon Korman, Judy Blume, Jerry Spinelli, Mike Lupica, Carl Hiassen, Jean Craighead George, Gary Paulsen, Richard Peck, E.L. Konigsburg, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Katherine Paterson, Louis Sachar.
I have many more suggestions if you are interested you can find me on goodreads.com or e-mail at shannonseglin@mac.com. I am really into young adult fiction and that is my specialty!
