Favorite Holiday Stories

There are so many wonderful stories to read together at the holidays. The ones that I love share a deeper meaning of different holiday traditions and provide magical illustration to tell their story. Here are some of my favorites:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
Night Tree by Eve Bunting
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail
The Best Eid Ever by Asma Mobin-Uddin

For some more inspiration, read this article in School Library Journal, with holiday memories by favorite authors. Comment with your family's favorite holiday reads!

Visiting Authors 2008-09

In 2008-09, students will meet these wonderful authors!

Pat Schories will visit Kindergarten.

"Probably best known as the illustrator of the Biscuit books written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and published by HarperCollins, Pat is now using her story-telling skills to create new books starring Jack and his family, published by Front Street Books, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Jack and Biscuit are modeled after her own two beloved dogs, Speed and Spike." (Text and photo from http://www.patschories.com)

Pat is a Westchester County resident. We are very excited about her visit!

For more information, visit Pat's website.

Hans Wilhelm will visit 1st graders.

"With over thirty five million books in print, Hans Wilhelm is one of America's foremost author/illustrator of children's books. Many of his 200 books have been translated into twenty languages and have become successful animated television series that are enjoyed by children all over the world. His books have won numerous international awards and prizes." (Text and photo from http://www.hanswilhelm.com) Hans has chosen to make many of his books available online for free. Go to childrensbooksforever to read and enjoy his stories!

For more information, visit Hans' website.

Helen Lester will visit 2nd graders.

Helen knows her audience...she was a second-grade teacher for many years! She will share how some of her students inspired her engaging story characters, Tacky the Penguin and Fluffy the Porcupine.

"In addition to writing, I enjoy visiting schools all over the country encouraging children to write. Armed with messages such as "My books don't jump out of the computer," "Not all of my stories get published," and "Being edited isn't fun but it's good for you," I've found a new form of teaching. Author: A True Story comes directly from my school visits, and is perhaps the book of which I am proudest. How fortunate I am to have backed into this wonderful field. After living in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minneapolis, my husband and I have settled in our favorite village, Pawling, New York, where we tend our writing, our dog, and our empty nest." (Text and photo from http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/helen_lester/index.shtml)

For more information, visit Helen's website or the Helen Lester page on Houghton Mifflin, where you will find her bio and ideas for using her books in the classroom.

New Books!

The new book order came in at the start of the school year and I am still enjoying reading all of the wonderful books! I just finished reading Sea Horse: The shyest fish in the sea by Chris Butterworth. It's my latest favorite (hint: the last book I've read is usually my favorite!) I learned so much about sea horses and I loved the beautiful illustration by John Lawrence. Did you know that a newborn sea horse is as long as your eyelash? What is your favorite new book in the Mohansic Library? (Or an old one...!)