I love books. It doesn’t matter if they are written for children, young adults or adults; a good book is a good book. Here are a few good books suggested by Oakland Children’s Librarian Debbie Pfeuffer.
Bats in the Library, Written and Illustrated by Brian Lies
Did you know there’s a Bat Night at the Library??? Once a year, bats of all ages gather in the Library, evidently one of their favorite places to be. Not only do they read books and conduct book discussions, but they also have a story hour for the younger bats. The illustrations are purposely dark to evoke nighttime in the Library, but the author/illustrator is a master of shading and light. I laughed out loud at the illustration of young bats being read a book at story hour…both the bats and the book are upside-down, of course. Be on the lookout for a section where bats appear as the main characters of classic children’s books. Done in verse, it’s a joy to read aloud. (PreSchool-3rd Grade)
Too Many Toys, Written and Illustrated by David Shannon
If your child’s room looks like F.A.O. Swartz West, this book will bring a smile of recognition to your lips. And if your child has ever been in the position of having to choose which toys s/he can live without, they will feel a kinship with Spencer, who haggles with his mother over which toys he can bear to give away. The manic illustrations reflect Spencer’s clutter, his panic at having to chose, his mother’s frustration trying at trying to be fair, and the surprise ending, which to parents everywhere will come as no surprise. (Ages 4-8 years)
Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature’s Footprints, Written and Illustrated by Jim Arnovsky
Encourage a budding naturalist by bringing this book to the attention of the child in your life. This book features giant fold-out pages of life-size animal prints. It will be easy to identify the animals in your backyard using this book as a guide. And it’s fun to see the similarities and differences between the tracks of a tabby cat and a jaguar. Wildlife prints that children can find in the snow this time of year include those of birds, domestic animals, deer, raccoons and rabbits. Learning can be fun and this book proves it. (Ages 4-8 years)
Michele Reutty is the Director of the Oakland Public Library. She has held the positions of President of the New Jersey Library Association and President of the Rutgers School of Communication, Information and Library Science Alumni Association. She is currently a member of the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative Executive Board and serves as Secretary of the Spokes-Women Motorcycle Club, Inc. Through the years, she has been included in various volumes of Marquis’ Who’s Who including the 2009 Who’s Who in America.
She loves books. And she is the grandmother of five children who love books.