ABC: Alphabet from the Sky by Benedikt Gross.
Highly detailed aerial photos give young readers a birds eye view of towns, cities, and fields, while the text challenges them to find a letter of the alphabet. For older readers, a corner box gives the location featured along with it’s latitude and longitude. This original seek and find ends with another round of hidden letters!
No tricks, just treats! These holiday reads are a spooktacular way to get the whole family into the Halloween mood.
The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey
Oscar the dachshund spends most days being teased by the other pups at obedience school for his strange shape. But when the other dogs run into trouble on Halloween night, it turns out that Oscar’s unusual build and the silly costume his mom gave him, might be just what it takes to save the day.
The 13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vailovich
The whole family can sing along to this spooky take on the classic song “The 12 Nights of Christmas” complete with ghosts a’ghosting, werewolves waiting, and a bright, shiny skeleton key!
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
The little old lady might not be afraid of anything, but her fearlessness is put to the test when shoes, then pants, then a shirt and more start following her on her way back to her cottage through the forest. An excellent read-along that invites readers to move along, this classic book is a great read for children young and old – and just wait to see the book’s surprising end!
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus by J. Elizabeth Mills
Another great read-along, this Halloween-themed version of the beloved song “The Wheels on the Bus” gets readers moving, singing, and counting as the bus makes its way all through the town.
Monster Goose by Judy Sierra
Nothing says “Halloween” quite like these short, silly monsters songs and rhymes. Whether it’s “Mary Had a Vampire Bat,” “There Was an Old Zombie” or “Hush, Little Monster,” your family is sure to find a funny favorite in no time.
Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering
It’s a mystery when Skelly the Skeleton Girl discovers a bone in her house for which she can’t account. Does it belong to her fish, her bat, her man-eating plants? Could it even belong to her? Skelly checks with everyone in her haunted house until the bone’s owner is finally discovered!
Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book by Stephen Savage
Count back from ten as, one by one, this batch of pumpkins disappears. Ghosts, mummies, even pirates – everyone is taking a pumpkin to use for Halloween!
Mouse’s First Halloween by Lauren Thompson
Mouse’s first Halloween is turning out to be quite scary. Mysterious sounds, shadowy figures, and shapes he doesn’t quite recognize. But when things get clearer, Mouse discovers that even though it is fun to be scared on Halloween, most of the things he’s seeing aren’t so scary after all.
Click, Clack, Boo!: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
Farmer Brown does not like Halloween, but when the farm’s animals decide to throw a party in the barn, Farmer Brown overcomes his fears of spooky sounds and shadows to see what’s going on.
On Halloween Night by Harriet Ziefert
Emily is going to be a witch for Halloween night; sing along as her costume comes together piece by piece. With rhyming text and building lines, this Halloween read is sure to become a family favorite.
Need a break from these spooky stories? Mark your page with a DIY: Bat Corner Bookmark via Easy Peasy and Fun.
The days are getting cooler and the sun is setting earlier each day. That means autumn has arrived! Celebrate the changing of the seasons with these fall books.
Fall is Here! by Frankie Jones
Celebrate Fall in this adorable board book! Fall is here! Discover colorful leaves, friendly scarecrows, yummy pies, and all the things that make Fall so special in this beautiful board book.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
As trees sway in the cool breeze, blue jays head south, and leaves change their colors, everyone knows–autumn is on its way! Join a young girl as she takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says good-bye to summer and welcomes autumn.
Autumn Is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray
Celebrate the coming of autumn with your child as you cuddle up and enjoy a sweet look at how the world changes along with the season. With beautiful watercolor illustrations and charming descriptions, you and your child will be wishing it was autumn year round!
Who Loves the Fall? by Bob Raczka
It’s hard when summer ends, but the hearty season that follows overflows with holidays, sports, and fun. In this companion to Spring Things, the author and illustrator pay tribute to fall.
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one’s quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man’s
got to go where the wind blows. With illustrations made from actual fall leaves and die-cut pages on every spread that reveal gorgeous landscape vistas, here is a playful, whimsical, and evocative book that celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children.
Leaves by David Ezra Stein
It’s a young bear’s first autumn, and the falling leaves surprise him. He tries to put them back on the trees, but it doesn’t work. Eventually, he gets sleepy, and burrows into the fallen leaves for a long nap. When he wakes up, it’s spring’and there are suddenly brand-new leaves all around, welcoming him. Graceful illustrations and a childlike main character offer the perfect way to talk to children about the wonder of the changing seasons.
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
Fall is a tough time of year for a lot of us. Kids have to go back to school, teachers and football players have to go back to work, and parents have to look for new places to hide holiday presents. But perhaps fall is hardest of all on trees. After all, they have to change their entire appearance every year! This book is the rhyming story of a tree’s humorous struggles to change its colors for fall. And it’s a perfect introduction to the seasons for young children.
After checking out these books, take a walk and enjoy the fall colors! And while you’re out, collect some leaves for leaf rubbings. Explore the science of leaves while creating some fun art with this leaf rubbing project via Edventures with Kids!
Who finds those bottles that are thrown into the ocean? Who reads what’s hidden inside and delivers the message?
The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles, Michelle Cuevas has written as quite picture book about the person whose job it is to fish out the bottles and uncork the slips of paper. One day, he’s faced with a mystery – a note with no address! He goes around his town, asking the baker, the florist, and others, but finds no answer. The last pages reveal a surprise, that brings closure to the man’s lonely heart, while leaving the mystery o
pen to interpretation by young readers.
Erin Stead has won awards for her art, and in this book, she uses a limited range of colors to give the story a cool autumnal feel. And while the text never mentions any animals, Stead includes a friendly cat who sometimes follows the man on his delivery routes. Ask for her other books, including Bear Has a Story to Tell by Phillip Stead, for a gentle fall bedtime read.
Which animal do you see darting around the neighborhood during this time of year? Squirrels, of course! They’re everywhere and they are on a mission: to “squirrel away” the most nuts they can before winter begins. Here are some books about squirrels to keep you as busy as a squirrel.
Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert
A rascally squirrel has an indoor adventure in a city apartment.
Bear and Squirrel are Friends…Yes, Really! by Deb Pilutti
Although Squirrel‘s friends warn him that bears eat squirrels, and Bear‘s friends remind him that squirrels make a good midnight snack, their friendship remains strong.
Squirrels on Skis by J. Hamilton Ray
Squirrels on skis take over a town, wreaking havoc among the human residents, until a girl reporter comes up with a creative solution.
Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins
After surviving being carried off by a hawk, a young squirrel resolves to find his way home, as his best friends begin their search for him.
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel thinks about all the things that could happen to him if he left the safety of his home, but he has no choice when he accidentally drops his emergency kit.
Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin
When grumpy Old Man Fookwire builds feeders to try to keep birds–the only creatures he likes–from leaving for the winter, he finds himself in a battle with clever, crafty squirrels who want a share of the abundant food.
Squirrel in the House by Vivian Vande Velde
A Squirrel narrates this story of a family get-together turned upside down when he climbs down the chimney to join the festivities.
Squirrels by Diane Swanson
Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycle of the animal that never seems to stay still.
Now that you’ve read all about these bushy-tailed critters, create some squirrel friends of your own! Peek-a-boo squirrel puppet instructions courtesy of One Artsy Mama, and pine cone squirrel instructions courtesy of About.com.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time for communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Take a stand against bullying. Spread the word about the negative effects bullying causes. Share a couple of these books with your little ones to raise awareness and to help them make the right choices.
The Little Bit Scary People by Emily Jenkins
Some people are a little bit STRANGE or a little too LOUD, and just a little bit SCARY. But I bet, if you knew them, and knew their favorite things, you’d think that maybe, (probably) most people aren’t so scary after all.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya’s shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.
The Ant Bully by John Nickle
Lucas is picked on by the neighborhood bully, and in turn terrorizes the ant colony. The ants create a potion that shrinks Lucas to the size of an ant. They put him on trial, and find him guilty of crimes against the colony — his sentence? To live and work as an ant! Lucas learns about teamwork and the importance of friendship–and in the end, he saves the colony and is returned to his normal size.
One by Kathryn Otoshi
Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other’s differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid–but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face.
Confessions of a Former Bully by Trudy Ludwig
After Katie gets caught teasing a schoolmate, she’s told to meet with Mrs. Petrowski, the school counselor, so she can make right her wrong and learn to be a better friend. Bothered at first, it doesn’t take long before Katie realizes that bullying has hurt not only the people around her, but her, too. Told from the unusual point of view of the bullier rather than the bullied, Confessions of a Former Bully provides kids with real life tools they can use to identify and stop relational aggression.
My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig
Here is the all-too-familiar story of Monica. She and Katie have been friends since kindergarten. Monica loves being around her when she’s nice. But there are times when Katie can be just plain mean. And Monica doesn’t understand why.
Teach kids about kindness with Encourage Play‘s wrinkled heart activity. Check out the book Chrysanthemum from your favorite library branch!
Whether your children are fans, players, or just want to learn about the game, these books will get them excited about hockey!
Z is for Zamboni, by Matt Napier
In the mold of our very popular series of state alphabet books, we offer “Z is for Zamboni” to hockey fans young and old across North America. Matt Napier’s “breakaway” rhymes and “hard-checking” expository text team up with the “top-shelf” illustrations of Melanie Rose to elucidate this increasingly popular game for every beginning hockey aficionado. Highlighting rules, players, coaches, teams, and the history of the game, it is both fun and educational.
Hockey, by Blaine Wiseman
Provides information highlighting the greatest achievements of hockey’s biggest stars.
Dino-Hockey, by Lisa Wheeler
In a hockey match unrivaled in prehistory, the Meat-Eaters take on the Veggiesaurs. Fans go wild in the stands as T.Rex and Triceratops face-off. This action is sure to be good, so don’t miss it!
Brady Brady and the Great Rink, by Mary Shaw
When Brady tries to build the greatest backyard rink ever, he finds out it’s harder than he thought. But his work is about to pay off in a way he never imagined!
Who is Wayne Gretzky?, by Gail Herman
After breaking or tying more than sixty records in hockey, it’s no wonder that Wayne Gretzky is known as “The Great One.” When he retired from the NHL in 1999, he had led several teams to Stanley Cup victories, competed in the Olympics, and changed the way hockey was played forever. Known for his love for family and as a truly decent human being, Wayne Gretzky is revealed as more than a sports legend in this easy-to-read biography.
The Boy in Number Four, by Kara Kootstra
Bobby Orr played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins for ten seasons leading them to two Stanley Cup victories. He also played with the Chicago Black Hawks for two more– all the while wearing jersey number 4. In the Boy in Number Four, readers will get a glimpse of this hockey legend as a boy and discover the hard work, commitment, and fun it takes to make a dream into a reality. This book also includes an afterword by Bobby Orr with an inspirational message for kids today.
If you can’t cheer on your favorite hockey team in person, build a mini ice hockey rink at home for some fun. Instructions can be found at playtivities.com.
St Louis Public Library Parents 