Babe To Teens, Past
A Youth Column
By Beverly Rowe

TIME TO READ
READING RECOMMENDATIONS

We know that people who read regularly have a broader knowledge of the world, and have better language skills than those that do not read. Raising a child to be a reader begins with a loving adult reading aloud to a baby. That aids in the process of learning the sounds, grammar, and structure of language. If you can, you should establish a daily ritual of reading aloud to your child. The ideal would be to read three books: one favorite, one familiar, and one new book. Vary your facial expressions and your voice and try to convey the excitement of the story. The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. Reading aloud and talking about what we're reading sharpens children's brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly. Reading to children increases their knowledge of the world, their vocabulary, their familiarity with language and their interest in reading. For young children, books with rhyme, rhythm and repetition are excellent. Try to choose children's books that are above your child's reading level but at the child's interest level.

When you begin reading aloud to a baby, you will only be able to keep your baby's attention for a few minutes, so short action filled picture books are in order. As children mature, so do their attention spans and you can graduate to longer, more complex stories, and then to chapter books....but do keep reading to them. As they get older, let them read their favorites to you too.

Here are some reading recommendations:

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola - Ages 4-8

There is a lot of information out there about how to handle bullies in the schools.  We have all experienced dealing with a bully at sometime in our lives. The picture book Oliver Button Is a Sissy is the story of a boy who stands up to bullies, not by fighting, but by staying true to himself by continuing to do what he loves best, tap dancing, despite being teased about it. Tomie dePaola, the author and illustrator of Oliver Button Is a Sissy, based the story on his own childhood experiences.

The Girl Who Hated Books by Manjusha Pawagi - Ages 4-8

Meena is more than a reluctant reader. She really hates books. Even though her parents are avid readers and her house is filled with books, the girl refuses to open one. Her only ally is Max, the family cat, who has been book phobic ever since an atlas fell on his tail. Only a household accident that sends volumes flying and characters cascading out of books can change Meena's mind. This fast paced, funny story introduces children to the adventures found in books.

Pinkalicious: Pink around the Rink (I Can Read Book 1) by Victoria Kann - ages 4-8

After Pinkalicious colors her white ice skates with a cotton candy pink marker, she feels ready to spin, glide, and soar with the best of them. But as the color starts to run off of her skates, she is embarrassed. When Pinkalicious thought she was going to leave her mark on the skating rink, she didn't mean it so literally. . . .This I Can Read story will have young readers laughing out loud.

For older kids:

ANNEXED by Sharon Dogar

Everyone knows about Anne Frank and her life hidden in the secret annex. But do you know about the boy who was also trapped there with her?

In this powerful and gripping novel, Sharon Dogar explores Peter's point of view. Forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first Peter hates her and then he finds himself falling in love with her. What s it like to start questioning your religion, wondering why simply being Jewish inspires such hatred and persecution? What's it like to sit and wait and watch while others die, and wish you were fighting.

As Peter and Anne become closer and closer in their confined quarters, how can they make sense of what they see happening around them?

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF THE PINK CRYSTAL BALL by Risa Green.

When Erin inherits a plastic crystal ball and a set of cryptic instructions, she and her two best friends discover that this particular ball has a knack for being accurate. But as with all magic, nothing is as simple as it seems. Unless Erin and her friends can fix the damage, the magic will turn on them. The crystal ball gave them answers about love and life but at what price? Exciting reading for the young adults.

A GOOD HORSE by Jane Smiley - Ages 11-up

Eighth grader Abby Lovitt knows there's no place she'd rather be than her family s ranch --- even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses.

But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. As for Black George, who is such a good horse, it turns out he s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet without any problems, heads start turning to the ring. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack s mother may have been stolen and then sold to the Lovitts. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen - Ages 14-up

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS is the first in an epic four-book series about three teenage girls finding their way in the glittering metropolis of New York City and the glamorous mansions of Long Island. It's 1929. Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town to chase big dreams and they share even bigger secrets.

In New York, they meet Astrid Donal, a flapper who has everything she could ever want, except for the one thing Letty and Cordelia have to offer --- true friendship. Set in the dizzying summer before the market crash, against the vast lawns of the East End and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls search for romance, intrigue and adventure.

SOLOMONS THIEVES by Jordan Mechner, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland - Grades 6-10

Martin is a young member of the Knights Templar who seeks to regain his one true love. But his actions will kick off a series of events that will pit the knights against the church and the king, leading to death, mayhem and fast-paced adventure. Historical adventure at it's best.

GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #17: THE WIZARD OF OOZE by R.L. Stine - Ages 9-12

If you love the creepy fun of a good horror story, R. L. Stine has done it again.

While visiting HorrorLand, Marco Gonzales and Gabriella Smith discover a rare edition of The Wizard of Ooze, a popular graphic novel series, inside Jonathan Chiller s creepy store. But when Marco finds instructions on how to gain super powers on the back of the comic, things go horribly wrong. Some unsavory characters want the book for themselves, making Marco wish he really had those powers.

DEAR AMERICA: THE FENCES BETWEEN US: The Diary of Piper Davis - Seattle, Washington, 1941 by Kirby Larson - Grades 4-7

Before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Piper Davis was a normal girl. But now her brother is stationed in the Pacific, and her brother-in-law is fighting in Europe. To make matters worse, her father s congregation gets interned, and she has to move to Idaho. But with the help of a new friend named Betty, Piper realizes the importance of these events --- and that she has to write them down. History that the history books don't tell us about.

Babe To Teens, Past
A Youth Column
By Beverly Rowe

TIME TO READ
READING RECOMMENDATIONS

We know that people who read regularly have a broader knowledge of the world, and have better language skills than those that do not read. Raising a child to be a reader begins with a loving adult reading aloud to a baby. That aids in the process of learning the sounds, grammar, and structure of language. If you can, you should establish a daily ritual of reading aloud to your child. The ideal would be to read three books: one favorite, one familiar, and one new book. Vary your facial expressions and your voice and try to convey the excitement of the story. The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. Reading aloud and talking about what we're reading sharpens children's brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly. Reading to children increases their knowledge of the world, their vocabulary, their familiarity with language and their interest in reading. For young children, books with rhyme, rhythm and repetition are excellent. Try to choose children's books that are above your child's reading level but at the child's interest level.

When you begin reading aloud to a baby, you will only be able to keep your baby's attention for a few minutes, so short action filled picture books are in order. As children mature, so do their attention spans and you can graduate to longer, more complex stories, and then to chapter books....but do keep reading to them. As they get older, let them read their favorites to you too.

Here are some reading recommendations:

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola - Ages 4-8

There is a lot of information out there about how to handle bullies in the schools.  We have all experienced dealing with a bully at sometime in our lives. The picture book Oliver Button Is a Sissy is the story of a boy who stands up to bullies, not by fighting, but by staying true to himself by continuing to do what he loves best, tap dancing, despite being teased about it. Tomie dePaola, the author and illustrator of Oliver Button Is a Sissy, based the story on his own childhood experiences.

The Girl Who Hated Books by Manjusha Pawagi - Ages 4-8

Meena is more than a reluctant reader. She really hates books. Even though her parents are avid readers and her house is filled with books, the girl refuses to open one. Her only ally is Max, the family cat, who has been book phobic ever since an atlas fell on his tail. Only a household accident that sends volumes flying and characters cascading out of books can change Meena's mind. This fast paced, funny story introduces children to the adventures found in books.

Pinkalicious: Pink around the Rink (I Can Read Book 1) by Victoria Kann - ages 4-8

After Pinkalicious colors her white ice skates with a cotton candy pink marker, she feels ready to spin, glide, and soar with the best of them. But as the color starts to run off of her skates, she is embarrassed. When Pinkalicious thought she was going to leave her mark on the skating rink, she didn't mean it so literally. . . .This I Can Read story will have young readers laughing out loud.

For older kids:

ANNEXED by Sharon Dogar

Everyone knows about Anne Frank and her life hidden in the secret annex. But do you know about the boy who was also trapped there with her?

In this powerful and gripping novel, Sharon Dogar explores Peter's point of view. Forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first Peter hates her and then he finds himself falling in love with her. What s it like to start questioning your religion, wondering why simply being Jewish inspires such hatred and persecution? What's it like to sit and wait and watch while others die, and wish you were fighting.

As Peter and Anne become closer and closer in their confined quarters, how can they make sense of what they see happening around them?

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF THE PINK CRYSTAL BALL by Risa Green.

When Erin inherits a plastic crystal ball and a set of cryptic instructions, she and her two best friends discover that this particular ball has a knack for being accurate. But as with all magic, nothing is as simple as it seems. Unless Erin and her friends can fix the damage, the magic will turn on them. The crystal ball gave them answers about love and life but at what price? Exciting reading for the young adults.

A GOOD HORSE by Jane Smiley - Ages 11-up

Eighth grader Abby Lovitt knows there's no place she'd rather be than her family s ranch --- even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses.

But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. As for Black George, who is such a good horse, it turns out he s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet without any problems, heads start turning to the ring. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack s mother may have been stolen and then sold to the Lovitts. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen - Ages 14-up

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS is the first in an epic four-book series about three teenage girls finding their way in the glittering metropolis of New York City and the glamorous mansions of Long Island. It's 1929. Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town to chase big dreams and they share even bigger secrets.

In New York, they meet Astrid Donal, a flapper who has everything she could ever want, except for the one thing Letty and Cordelia have to offer --- true friendship. Set in the dizzying summer before the market crash, against the vast lawns of the East End and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls search for romance, intrigue and adventure.

SOLOMONS THIEVES by Jordan Mechner, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland - Grades 6-10

Martin is a young member of the Knights Templar who seeks to regain his one true love. But his actions will kick off a series of events that will pit the knights against the church and the king, leading to death, mayhem and fast-paced adventure. Historical adventure at it's best.

GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #17: THE WIZARD OF OOZE by R.L. Stine - Ages 9-12

If you love the creepy fun of a good horror story, R. L. Stine has done it again.

While visiting HorrorLand, Marco Gonzales and Gabriella Smith discover a rare edition of The Wizard of Ooze, a popular graphic novel series, inside Jonathan Chiller s creepy store. But when Marco finds instructions on how to gain super powers on the back of the comic, things go horribly wrong. Some unsavory characters want the book for themselves, making Marco wish he really had those powers.

DEAR AMERICA: THE FENCES BETWEEN US: The Diary of Piper Davis - Seattle, Washington, 1941 by Kirby Larson - Grades 4-7

Before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Piper Davis was a normal girl. But now her brother is stationed in the Pacific, and her brother-in-law is fighting in Europe. To make matters worse, her father s congregation gets interned, and she has to move to Idaho. But with the help of a new friend named Betty, Piper realizes the importance of these events --- and that she has to write them down. History that the history books don't tell us about.