Buying books for your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces is one of the most pleasant Christmas activities of the season. Below is a list of books that have been reviewed in the last weeks of 2009 and all of 2010. I hope that this list will give some ideas for Christmas presents. It has been an honor to have written these book talks for the Southern Nebraska Register. Thanks for the book recommendations and encouragement you have given me. I hope that you and your family have a Merry Christmas.
1. Carle, Eric. Dream Snow. Philomel Books, New York, 2000, 32 pages, Preschool.
2. Demi. Jesus. Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York, 2005, 32 pages, Grades 3-5.
3. Spirin, Gennady. We Three Kings. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. New York, 2007, 32 pages, K-3.
4. Dodge, Mary Mapes. Hans Brinker or, The Silver Skates. The World Publishing Company, New York, 1865, 335 pages, Grades 4-6.
5. Kipling, Rudyard. Illustrated by Pinkney, Jerry. The Jungle Book. William Morrow and Company, New York, 1995, 258 pages, Grades 4-7.
6. dePaola, Tomie. The Miracles of Jesus. Holiday House, New York, 32 pages, 1987, K-3.
7. Marchione, Sister Margherita. Man of Peace: Pope Pius XII. Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey, 2003, 76 pages, Grades 7-9.
8. Byars, Betsy. Illustrated by CoConis, Ted. The Summer of the Swans. Puffin Books, New York, 1970, 142 pages, Grades 4-6.
9. Myers, Walter Dean. Illustrated by Jenkins, Leonard. I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Harper Collins Publishers, Published in China, 2004, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
10. Shange, Ntozake. Paintings by Nelson, Kadir. Coretta Scott. Amistad, an Imprint of Harper-Collins, 2009, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
11. Weidt, Maryann N, Illustrated by Maguire, Kerry. Oh, the Places He Went: A Story about Dr. Seuss. Carolrhoda Books, Minneapolis, 1994, 64 pages, Grades 4-5.
12. Henry, Marguerite. Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Rand McNally & Company, New York, 1954, 170 pages, Grades 4-6.
13. Imbriaco, Alison. The Whooping Crane. Enslow Publishers, Inc. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, 2006, 128 pages, Grades 5-7.
14. George, Jean Craighead. Paintings by Minor, Wendell. Luck. Harper Collins, New York, 2006, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
15. The Last Supper and Passion Account by St. John. Chapters 13-20. The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1946, reprinted in 2006.
16. Murphy, Frank. Illustrated by Walz, Richard. Babe Ruth Saves Baseball! Random House, New York, 2005, 48 pages, Grades 2-4.
17. Shriver, Maria. Illustrated by Sandra Speidel. What’s Happening to Grandpa? Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 2004, 48 pages, Grades 1-3.
18. Kelly, Matthew. Illustrated by Mitchell, Hazel. Why am I Here? A Story about Becoming the Best Version of Yourself. Beacon Publishing, 2010, 50 pages, K-3.
19. Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2001, 184 pages, Grades 5-8.
20. Walker, Sally M. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving The Mysteries Of The H.L. Hunley. Carolrhoda Books, Inc., Minneapolis, 2005, 112 pages, Grades 5-7.
21. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Easton Press, Norwalk, Connecticut, 1850, republished in 1975, 223 pages, Grades 10 and higher.
22. Montgomery, Lucy Maud. Anne of Green Gables, Three Volumes in One. Avenel Books, New York, 1908, republished in 1985, 241 pages, Grades 6-8.
23. Collodi, Carlo. Pinocchio: The Story of a Puppet. Grosset & Dunlap, New York, published in 1883, 236 pages, Grades 4-6.
24. Pope John Paul II. Translated by Peterkiewicz, Jerzy. The Poetry of John Paul II: Roman Triptych: Meditations. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2003, 40 pages, Grades 9-12.
25. Borden, Louise. Illustrated by Michael Foreman. The Little Ships: The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II. Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York, 1997, 30 pages, Grades 2-4.
26. Gibbons, Gail. Corn. Holiday House, New York, 2008, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
27. Wilder, Thornton. The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Harper Collins, New York, 1998, reprint of 1927 original. 131 pages, Grades 10 and higher.
28. Rylant, Cynthia. Karas, G. Brian, Illustrator. The High-Rise Private Eyes: The Case of the Baffled Bear. Greenwillow, published in China, 2004, Grades 2-3, 48 pages.
29. Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books, New York, 1998, 32 pages, Reading Level: Gr. 1-3, Application Level: Elementary School.
30. Suess, Doctor. Green Eggs and Ham. Random House, New York, 62 pages, 1960, K-2.
31. Scieszka, Jon. Illustrated by Smith, Lane. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Viking Press, New York, 1989, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
32. Chesterton, G.K. Father Brown Crime Stories: Twenty-Four Short Mysteries. Avenel Books, New York, 1990, (first published in two volumes in the early 1900’s) 652 pages, Grades 10 and above.
33. Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. HarperCollins, New York, 1955, 63 pages, Preschool-Grade 2.
34. De Paola, Tomie. Strega Nona’s Harvest. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 2009, 32 pages, K-3.
35. Fritz, Jean, illustrated by de Paola, Tomie. Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1977, 48 pages, Grades 3-5.
36. Freeman, Don. A Rainbow of My Own. Puffin Books, New York, 1966, 32 pages, Preschool.
37. Doman, Regina. The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold. Chesterton Press, Front Royal, Virginia, 1997, 207 pages, Grades 9 and older.
38. Yolen, Jane. Photographs by Jason Stemple. Count Me A Rhyme: Animal Poems by the Numbers. Boyds Mills Press, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, 2006, 32 pages, Grades 2-3.
39. Santella, Andrew. The First Thanksgiving. Children’s Press, New York, 2003, 48 pages, Grades 3-5.
40. Hart, Alison. Gabriel’s Horses. Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, Georgia, 2007, 161 pages, Grades 5-7.
41. Waters, Kate, Photographs by Kendall, Russ. Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl. Scholastic Inc., New York, 1989, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
42. Goldsmith, Diana. Photographs by Migdale, Lawrence. Las Posadas: An Hispanic Christmas Celebration. Holiday House, New York, 1999, 32 pages, Grades 3-5.
