GreenBeanTeenQueen

It's the end of the year! My favorite part of year end festivities is all the best of lists. And of course, as a librarian and a reader, I have to make my own! I couldn't pick just a top ten, so I decided to include different categories and include a long list of what my top picks area. This are my personal favorites, books I've enjoyed for various reasons throughout the year, and what I felt were my personal top books of 2014. Also, it's hard to put them in a list order of what is number one, so I just did them alphabetically-I am a librarian after all! I'd love to hear more suggestions if you have favorites too. My TBR pile is never too long! Ha! Top 2014 Picture Books: The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall -Seriously, I adore anything she illustrates, and this book is perfection when it comes to talking about babies with kids. Bedtime at the Nuthouse by Eric Litwin - Once I read this one aloud in storytime, I was sold! The Boy and a Jaguar ...

Add to Goodreads About the Book: The houses of the Zodiac each have their own planets and strengths. Sixteen-year-old Rho Grace is a student from House Cancer. Her ability to read the stars has resulted in a unique vision, but her teachers dismiss her readers as false. When a blast strikes the moons of Cancer killing millions of people, Rho has a feeling that her mysterious vision was a prediction. With the leader of Cancer killed in the blast, Rho is shocked when she is chosen to be the House's new guardian and leader. She's still having upsetting readers in the stars, but no one believes her. When a reading shows that two other signs are the next ones targeted for disaster, Rho believes that the ancient and exiled thirteenth sign,  Ophiuchus, is back and seeking revenge. It's up to Rho to save the Zodiac and protect everyone. Along with her adviser and Royal Guard member Mathias and Hysan, a delegate from Libra, Rho must travel the galaxy and spread her warnings-bef...

Add to Goodreads About the Book:  Marshall is a skeptic when it comes to gingerbread men. He doesn't believe that they will run away. So when the cookies the class decorated disappear, Marshall uses his detective skills to solve the clues and find where the gingerbread men have run off to-and possibly believe in some magic along the way. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says:  I am always looking for fun holiday books and Catch That Cookie!  is one that can easily be added into that category. Marshall is hilarious as he tries to reason why the cookies couldn't have possibly run away with the clues that are left around the school. The clues rhyme and invite kids to shout out the answers as they join Marshall in his gingerbread hunt. David Small's illustrations capture Marshall's curiosity and excitement perfectly. My favorite illustration is the tiny gingerbread men footprints that were left all over the gym. Marshall is determined to solve this mystery! Catch That Cookie! c...

Today I'm over at the ALSC blog talking about some of the activities and programs we provide for our patrons during our storytime breaks. Come check it out!

It's the first Tuesday of the month, which means it's time for Tune In Tuesday. Tune In Tuesday where I share (and invite others to share) some of their favorite music to use in storytime and library programs-or just for fun! No More Monkeys by Asheba I discover so much music thanks to Spotify, Pandora, and Songza, especially now that I listen to kid playlists with my son. When I was home on maternity leave earlier this year I listened to lots of various playlists and I discovered what I think is the best version of No More Monkeys ever! You can find Asheba's Carribbean jam on either his No More Monkeys CD or on Animal Playground by Putumayo Kids. I was lucky enough to have Animal Playground in my library, so I immediately added it to my storytime repertoire.  I used this song last week in storytime to go along with our monkey themed storytime. I love it because it's catchy, bouncy, and you can't help but jump and sing along. The kids know the b...

The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing Add to Goodreads About the Book: What's a kid to do when it's another Thanksgiving at Grandma's full of relatives? Try to escape to the back yard and the swing set! Can they do it? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Escaping Thanksgiving family drama can be hard for anyone, especially if you're a kid. There are guard dogs, overly affectionate aunts, zombies, and the great hall of butts! Giving a kids-eye view of family gatherings, Gavin and his cousin Rhonda try to make a break for it through a family filled obstacle course. These two kids who aren't babies anymore but are too old for the teenager table weave their way through family to find their place at Thanksgiving. It's a humorous take on surviving family gettogethers when you're that pesky in between age and can't seem to fit anywhere. Some of the humor I think will be understood more by adults than the kids but it's a silly book to enjoy together ...

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads by Bob Shea, illustrated by Lane Smith Add to Goodreads About the Book: The Terrible Toads are causing havoc all over Drywater Gulch. They are in need of a hero to solve their toad problem. Enter Sheriff Ryan, riding into town on his turtle. He might not know a lot about robbery and roping, but he sure knows a lot about dinosaurs. And that has to come in handy when catching criminals. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This is a perfect picture book pairing bringing together a hilarious duo. Lane Smith captures the Western-style wonderfully with brown and beige hues makes the reader feel as though they've landed in Drywater Gulch. Bob Shea's text is written to be read aloud. This book just begs to be read aloud with various accents and voices. The reader will laugh along as the oblivious (or is he really?) Sheriff Ryan makes many observations about dinosaurs along the way. The humor comes from the Toads wanting the credit for their crimes and ...