Also in the store...

ThinkFun Games - engage and educate kids. They challenge the players and nurture thinking skills important to growth and development. ThinkFun games aren't designed to simply occupy a child's time; they channel the natural joy and energy of play into a stimulating, family-focused way of building essential thinking skills. 

Topsy Turvy Doll(TM) - Three dolls in one! The topside is Little Red Riding Hood. Flip the doll over to reveal Grandmother on one side and the Wolf on the other. Little Red Riding Hood is wearing a flower-print dress with a soft cape and basket lined with checkered cloth. We also have a Dorothy/Toto doll and a Frog Prince reversible doll.

Back Sack - Perfect for quick trips around town or for use as a sports bag. The bag easily cinches with the back pack straps, contains a zippered pocket inside for storing smaller items, and has side vents to provide air circulation. The lining of the bag is water resistant and the bag comes in a variety of styles. 

Zombiekins, by Kevin Bolger (Razorbill)
Stanley and his friend Miranda try and save their school from a zombie plague. A hilarious send up of the zombie genre set in elementary school. Complete with the stock characters and scenes of any good zombie story, but punched up with funny touches and illustrations to boot! Ages 8-10

Beaver is Lost, by Elisha Cooper (Schwartz & Wade)
Beaver is floating serenely down his river when he realizes that home is no longer in sight. He starts off on a great adventure through zoos and ponds, drainpipes and gutters, until he once again finds his river and the way back home. Elisha Cooper's engaging picture book is mostly wordless, so the impact of her lovely watercolor illustrations is all the more pronounced. Ages 3-6

Swim! Swim!, by Lerch (Scholastic Press)
Lerch is a very friendly fish, but there's one problem: there is no one to be friends with. The pebbles won't talk to him; the scuba diver won't talk to him and the bubbles just ran away and popped. But then the cat sees Lerch in the tank and comes over to see him. Oh my! How will this end?. Ages 3-6

Stormy Weather, by Debi Gliori (Walker & Company)
A twist to the classic theme of love found in such books as The Runaway Bunny. A parent comforts their child at night during a storm: "If thunder tore the night in two and lightning played peekaBOO, we'd watch the storm pass overhead, then curl up safe and snug in bed." A good book for calming fears during those summer gales with vibrant and colorful illustrations. Ages 3-6

Dewey the Library Cat, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Little, Brown and Company)
The true story of Spencer, Iowa's most famous resident, Dewey Readmore Books; the library cat. On a cold winter evening, Vicki Myron and the staff of the Spencer Public Library found a cold and hungry kitten abandoned in the bookdrop. Thus begins Dewey's 19 year residency as Spencer's official library cat. Ms. Myron recalls Dewey's many adventures over the years in the library with warmth, humor and many touching moments. Ages 8-10

Fool by Christopher Moore (Harper)
A witty and bawdy reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear. Cast aside any preconceptions about the Bard's iconic tragedy! Moore's interpretation is a rollicking, intelligent and, at times, profane ride that turns the stereotypes of Lear upside down. 18+

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (Knopf)
The four Penderwick sisters are spending the summer on a lush country estate. All sorts of exciting adventures ensue! Jeanne Birdsall's delightful story is infused with energy,warmth and an excellent sense of humor. Once describes as a modern day Little Women. Ages 8-12

Beach Babies Wear Shades, by Michelle Sinclair Colman; illustrations by Nathalie Dion (Tricycle Press)
Great fun for your beach-going little one and for parents as well. See the beach babies hanging 10 (upside down by the tips of their toes); diggin' daddy (covering him in sand) and napping under the stars (sleeping under a starfish mobile). Cute, cute, cute! Ages 1+

 

Looking for other lists of best books?  The New York Times list of best illustrated children's books is a great resource, as is the Times' Fall Children's Book Special!  

Other Fun Summer Reads. 
If you are looking for something else to read as the temperatures rise and water laps at your tootsies, we have a great selection of books. Below are some of our favorites.

The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic)
The prequel to the beloved Baby-Sitters Club series. Kristy and Claudia's friendship almost falls apart; Mary Anne begins to show her dad that she is growing up and Stacey moves to Stoneybook from New York hoping for new, good experiences. Told in first person by each of the girls, the story takes place the summer before they all meet and form the, now famous, baby-sitters club. 12+

Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury; illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers  (Yearling)
Set on Hawaii, Trouble Magnet follows the adventures (and misadventures) of Calvin Coconut. The day-to-day world of the islanders is brought vividly to life as Calvin deals with a bully, responsibilities (or shirking them), a new "nanny" from Texas and making friends with a Haole (Hawaiian for white person).  The story has just enough local culture to make the setting come through, while still being accessible for us mainlanders. Ages 8-10.

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (Greenwillow Books; an imprint of HarperCollins)
Laurel discovers that her flower arrangements are magic. Stumbling upon this secret by accidentally helping a long-single teacher (Spinster Spencer) find true love, Laurel is determined to learn more about her special "flower power" and her its history in her family. But like any kind of magic, the power it carries can be abused and run amok. A very enchanting story for those looking for magic alternatives to the standard witches and wizards. The story is engaging and the information about flowers and their language is fascinating. Ages 12+

If you've got a read-aloud favorite you'd like to add to the list, email us at info@hooray4books.com - we'll be creating a new page of lists and links soon!  If you'd like to post a book review, visit our blog - we'd really love to know what books you're enjoying.

2 AND UNDER

Is This My Nose? illustrated by Georgie Birkett (Random House) - This color board book, which can be sung to the tune of "Mary had a little lamb", asks if you can find your nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and chin. Each page has an animal and a baby pointing to the body part. This storytime favorite has a mirror in the back of the book.

AGES 3-6

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (Dutton) Skippyjon Jones isn't a Siamese cat, he is a chihuahua. When he bounces on his bed and puts on his cape and mask, he becomes Skippito Friskito, adventurer. This time, Skippito has to save the other chihuahuas from Alfredo Buzzito, the Bublebeeto Bandito who has stolen the frijoles from the fiesta. It's no wonder this book has won the E.B. White Read Aloud Award.

BEGINNER READER

Fancy Nancy: The 100th Day of School by Jane O'Conner (HarperCollins) - Fancy Nancy does everything fancy -- she dresses fancy, she talks fancy, and for the 100th day of school, she needs to figure out what fancy items she is going to show the class. She has only 39 hair clips, 57 bracelets, and 84 ribbons,  and that's not enough. After something happens to her sister's goldfish, Goldy, Fancy Nancy knows just what 100 items to bring to school.

Looking for other lists of great children's books? The Kirkus Review has just published its list of notable children's books for 2008. The ALA's Association for Library Service to Children has a great list that includes Caldecott and Newbery winners. Go to our home page for the New York Times list!

AGES 8 - 10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) -  Greg's mom has gotten him a "diary" in which he begins to record the horrors of middle school. One of the most horrible is the dreaded cheese, an old, moldy cheese that was left on the basketball court from the previous year.  If you touch the cheese, you have the Cheese Touch and the only way to get rid of it is to give it to someone else. Greg and his best friend, Rowley, make it through this middle school year together,  becoming safety patrols, drawing cartoons for the school paper, and having other adventures.

AGES 12 AND UP

Uglies byScott Westerfeld (Simon and Schuster) - Nobody in this town can wait until they turn 16. Sixteen means no more Ugly town and it's time to become a Pretty. In order to stop all the fighting and wars over who looks better, and who is better, when everyone turns sixteen, they have an operation so that they all look the same. Tally is no exception to the anticipation of turning 16, but days before her birthday, her friend Shay runs away and now the Specials won't let her become Pretty until she is able to find and bring back Shay, who has runaway to the Ruins, or perhaps farther than even that.

GROWN-UP

Still Alice by Lisa Genova (Simon and Schuster) - This is a powerful and emotional novel about a woman, Alice, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. She has built a life as a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard, mother to three children, but as her life becomes more and more disoriented, it becomes a struggle to keep the relationship with her family strong.

MORE LISTS - STAFF FAVORITES OLD AND NEW

Trish's Favorites
“Duck,” Randy Cecil (ages 3-6)
“Mouse Mess,” Linnea Riley (2-6)

Ellen's Favorites
“Hooray for Fish!,” Lucy Cousins (6 mos. - 2-1/2)  
“Now We Are Six,” A.A. Milne (6-10)

Patrick's Favorites
“Cinder Edna,” Ellen Jackson (4-8)
“Library Mouse,” Daniel Kirk (4-8)

Megan's Favorites
“Corduroy,” Don Freeman (4-7)
“The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” Rachel Isadora (4-8)