Close to Famous

We've been reading the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees! Post a comment to share your thoughts on the Division I and II nominee, Close to Famous by Joan Bauer.

A novel full of heart, humor, and charm from Newbery Honor winner Joan Bauer! 

When twelve-year-old Foster and her mother land in the tiny town of Culpepper, they don't know what to expect. But folks quickly warm to the woman with the great voice and the girl who can bake like nobody's business. Soon Foster - who dreams of having her own cooking show one day - lands herself a gig baking for the local coffee shop, and gets herself some much-needed help in overcoming her biggest challenge - learning to read . . . just as Foster and Mama start to feel at ease, their past catches up to them. Thanks to the folks in Culpepper, though Foster and her mama find the strength to put their troubles behind them for good.

To learn more about the book, visit Joan Bauer's website.

Cinderella Smith

We've been reading the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees! Post a comment to share your thoughts on the Division I nominee, Cinderella Smith by Stephanie Barden.

Cinderella Smith has a problem with a capital P. She loses shoes almost as quickly as she puts them on her feet. But now she’s lost the most important shoe of all: her shiny, ruby red tap shoe. Without it she won’t have a chance of being chosen Pumpkin Blossom Fairy for the fall dance recital—and that means no special tutu, no crown, and no solo!

The school year is starting out with big problems too. Her new teacher laughs at her name, she’s sitting at the smart-boys table, and her old best friend is ignoring her. Now the new girl, Erin, has asked for her advice on wicked stepsisters. And Cinderella doesn’t have stepsisters—wicked or otherwise!

The recital is just around the corner and the stepsisters are on their way. Can Cinderella and Erin solve the capital P problems in time?

To learn more about the book, visit Stephanie Barden's website.

Because of Mr. Terupt

We've been reading the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees! Post a comment to share your thoughts on the Division I nominee, Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea.

Features seven narrators, each with a unique story, and each with a different perspective on what makes their teacher so special.

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s... Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.

Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much... until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

"The characters are authentic and the short chapters are skillfully arranged to keep readers moving headlong toward the satisfying conclusion."--School Library Journal, Starred

To learn more about the book, visit Rob Buyea's website.

Our Past Reads

In our Kids Book Club every year, we read and vote on the Maud Hart Lovelace Award nominees.  Kids need to read at least three of the nominees in order to vote for their favorite in March.  Winners are announced on Maud's birthday, April 25.

We've also read some other titles together:

2013:

~ From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

~ James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

~ The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

~ Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney

2012:

~ Books by Andrew Clements

~ Books by Beverly Cleary

~ The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

~ The Borrowers by Mary Norton

~ Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

~ Matilda by Roald Dahl

~ Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee

2011:

~ Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

~ Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

~ Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater

Summer Reading Program

Be sure to stop by the library in June and sign up for our summer reading program! 10 hours of reading = a free, awesome book. I think we have a really good selection this year, so don't miss out! And, FYI, the first ones to turn in their reading log always get the best selection of books. ;)

You can sign up at ANY St. Paul Public Library. Find the location closest to you here.

Summer Reading

With summer vacation coming up, I'm daydreaming about lazy warm afternoons under the walnut tree in my backyard reading books and drinking lemonade. What are some of your favorite summer reads, or what's on your "to-read" list for this summer?

Maud Hart Lovelace Award: The 2011 Winners

Our book club met at the Red Balloon Bookshop on April 25 to hear the winners announced.  The evening included a presentation by Maud herself (an actress from the Minnesota History Center) who told us stories about her life, and a drawing for ten $30 Red Balloon gift cards in honor of the 30th anniversary of the award.  (Some of us won these!  Hooray!)

Both divisions had the same winner:  Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn.  Second place in both divisions went to Found by Margaret Haddix.  Third place Division I winner was The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davis, and third place in Division II was Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf.  You can read more about the award here.



Did you read any of the winners?  What book did you hope would win?  Share your thoughts in the comments!