A Youthful Frame of Mind
News from the Rod Library Youth Collection
January 2014
- Displays... Martin Luther King Jr., Dinosaurs, Important Birthdays in January
- New Books!
- Book Give-Away!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream." (http://www.biography.com) Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national holiday and is held on January 20th. The Youth Collection is celebrating this day with a Blue Box Display that holds a number of MLK Jr. themed books.
Dinosaurs
Important Birthdays in January
New Books in the Youth Collection!
Here are five new books that the Youth Collection will be adding to its selection!
Click on the link to see reviews and book covers!
The Tortoise & The Hare by Caldecott Medalist and Jerry Pinkney -- Even the slowest tortoise can defeat the quickest hare, and even the proudest hare can learn from the humblest tortoise. This companion to the Caldecott Medal - winning The Lion & the Mouse is Jerry Pinkney's most stunning masterpiece yet, a superbly rendered journey from starting line to finish that embodies the bravery, perseverance, and humility we can all find inside ourselves.
The Boy Who Loved Math, The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos -- There once was a boy named Paul who loved math. He spent his days calculating, counting, and thinking about numbers. He couldn't tie his shoes or butter his own toast -- sometimes the world just didn't seem like it was made for a boy who only thought about math all day long. This is the story of how Paul found his own way in the world by making friends and sharing his ideals, and how he grew to become one of the world's most famous and beloved mathematicians. This picture book biography introduces children to a Hungarian mathematician, who was charmed by numbers.
Big Snow by Jonathan Bean -- While "helping" his mother with holiday housecleaning, an antsy young onlooker keeps a watchful eye on the progress of a winter storm. He's hoping for a big snow. Inside, he is underfoot, turning sheet changing and tub scrubbing into imaginary whiteouts. Outside, flakes are flying. But the clouds seem slow in delivering a serious snowfall. Then comes a dreamy naptime adventure, marking just the beginning of high hopes coming true. An irresistible seasonal story, Big Snow was inspired by the author's own boyhood memories and by his two energetic nephews, both of whom have trouble waiting for drifts to form.
The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco -- Patricia Polacco told her great-grandmother's story of coming to America as a child in the beloved classic The Keeping Quilt. Now, in this companion book, Patricia tells about Great-Grandmother Anna's life before leaving Russia and about the legacy of the family's china tea set. As a young girl in Russia in the early 1900s, Anna can't understand why the czar's soldiers are always so mean and angry. Then one night Papa tells the family the the czar has ordered all Jewish people to leave Russia. Anna wonders what their new life in America will be like. The family takes only a few holy books, the menorah, and the tea set her parents received as a wedding present with this note: "This tea set is magic. Anyone who drinks from it has a blessing from God." Through illness, travel, hardship, and friendship the family endures. And the tea set reminds them of the blessings of family and richness of being with one another. The Blessing Cup is a story of family, tradition, and, most of all, love. The tea cup from the original tea set in the story is still on Patricia Polacco's family today.
Win a New Book in Our Book Give-Away
Scarlet, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer -- Cinder the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison-- even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Bernoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough and Debby Atwell -- Once upon a time in America, children could not take books home from the library. They could not even walk into many libraries. They were not allowed. Back then, adults thought that...
- Children would ruin the library books with their dirt hands. -- Children would never remember to bring library books back. -- Reading wasn't very important for children, especially not for girls. -- But Miss Moore thought otherwise. In fact, Miss Moore thought that children deserved a room of their own; a bright, warm room with chairs their size, cozy window seats, story hours, and, most important of all, borrowing privileges to hundreds and hundreds of the best children's books in many different languages. This is a true story of how Miss Moore created the famous first children's room at the New York Public library. This picture book biography would be a great addition - to women's history units.
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Son by Lois Lowry -- When the young girl washed up on their shore, no one knew she had been a Vessel. That she had carried a Product. That it had been carved from her belly. Claire had had a son. She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. When he was taken from their community, she knew she had to follow. And so her journey began. But here in this wind-battered village Claire is welcomed as one of their own. In the security of her new home, she is free and loved. She grows stronger. As tempted as she is by the warmth of more human kindness that she has ever known, she cannot stay. Her son is out there; a young boy by now. Claire will stop at nothing to find her child... even if it means trading her own life. With Son, the two-time Newbery Medal--winning Lois Lowry has spun another mesmerizing tale in this thrilling and long-awaited conclusion to The Giver.
Rain by Linda Ashman and Christian Robinson -- One rainy day in the city, an eager little boy exclaims, “Rain!” Across town a grumpy man grumbles, “Rain.” In this endearing picture book, a rainy-day cityscape comes to life in vibrant, cut-paper-style artwork. The boy in his green frog hat splashes in puddles—“Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!”—while the old man curses the “dang puddles.” Can the boy’s natural exuberance (and perhaps a cookie) cheer up the grouchy gentleman and turn the day around? An ideal book to share in late winter when everyone is suffering from the winter blues and needs a reminder to make the most of the gloom and gray.