Ladybug Girl at the Beach

I am looking forward to the release of this wonderful new picture book which is one of several books scheduled to be published this summer as part of Penguin's "Catch the Reading Wave" promotion.

Jacky Davis - author
David Soman - illustrator
ISBN 9780803734166
available May 2010


Lulu loves the beach. Well, she’s never been there before, but she knows she will love it. And then she sees the ocean and it is big and loud and rough.

That’s okay—Lulu wanted to build sand castles and fly her kite with Bingo anyway. But while they are building their sand castle, the sneaky ocean comes in and tries to steal Lulu’s favorite pail. This is a job for Ladybug Girl!

Lulu conquers her fear of the ocean when she remembers that Ladybug Girl can do anything, in this gorgeously illustrated companion to the popular series.

New Wimpy Kid Adventure Announced

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney is quite popular with many of the middle-school readers that come into Paragraphs. What started as an online series published at funbrain.com with 70 million unique followers, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become equally as successful in the printed format.






The books follow Greg Heffley as he navigates his way through middle school and records his experiences in a diary using hand-printed words and drawings. The format has been widely acclaimed for its popularity with the reluctant reader, and like we all know if you can just get a kid hooked on reading the rest comes naturally.

Greg and his family and friends, who make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books a must-read for middle school readers, are back with a new volume to be released on October 12. Now fans of Greg and his family have a new edition to look forward to adding to the collection.

It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.

Greg, a self-confessed “indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.”

Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

Author Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and designer, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In 2009, Jeff was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives in southern Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons. When asked why he wrote the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Kinney said:

I wanted to write a story about all of the funny parts of growing up and none of the serious parts. So I decided to write a book about what its really like to be a kid or at least what it was like for me. My goal was to write a book that made people laugh.

If the next book is anything like the last three Mr. Kinney will be entertaining his readers once again.

If you would like to pre-order a copy of Dog Days just send me an email or call Paragraphs at 956-433-5057. We can have a copy delivered to your door on the release day - October 12.

El Juego De La Loteria

Playing Loteria /
El Juego de la Loteria
By René Colato Laínez
Illustrated by Jill Arena

• ISBN: 087358919X
  
• ISBN-13: 9780873589192
• Format: Paperback, 32pp
• Publisher: Luna Rising
• Pub. Date: January 2009
• Edition Description: Bilingual
• $6.95

Buy this book

This post is for Island Princess at ToDo Padre.

Some time ago, in a discussion on the SPI Forum, she was enthusiastically describing her plans to develop new activities to help entertain and welcome our Winter Texan friends. She was so excited as she talked about all the fun we would have playing Loteria, and having Loteria parties.

To my chagrin, I had to confess my lack of Spanish language skills as well as how little I know of the Mexican-American culture. I asked "What in the world, is Loteria?"

So when I saw the write-up for the new paperback version of Playing Loteria, along with several reviews of the title and downloadable lesson plans, activities, and instructions, I decided to share.


From La Bloga:

La Loteria, or Mexican bingo, is a wonderfully fun and colorful game that has been loved by people of all ages for over 200 years. In this charming story, a little boy visits his grandmother in Mexico. With the help of la loteria he learns new Spanish terms, and his Abuela learns various English words. Together they realize that loved ones truly do have special ways of understanding each other. The rules of the game are included so you can play and learn at home, too.

"An enjoyable and visually satisfying experience." – Críticas

"…very appealing and fun... a perfect present for kids." – Tradición Magazine

Awards:
2008 New Mexico Book Award, Best Children’s Book;
2007-2008 Tejas Book Award Finalist;
2007 California Readers “California Collection”;
2006 Latino Book Award, Best Cover Illustrations;
2005 Best Children’s Books, Críticas Magazine;
2005 Southwest Books of the Year.


You can also learn more about Playing Loteria, download lesson plans, and find other fun activities--like creating your own game cards and boards-- at renecolatolainez.com

Children's Book for February

HEY ARNOLD!
by Craig Bartlett and Maggie Groening

Arnold has a Valentine's Day dilemma. First he sends an anonymous valentine to six-grader Ruth, telling her to meet him at Chez Pierre. Then he receives a valentine from his French pen pal, Cecile, who wants him to meet her at Chez Paris! What's he to do? With a little help from Gerald, Arnold comes up with the perfect plan to meet his two valentines -- but will he face a surprise of his own?

---

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689838174
• ISBN-13: 978-0689838170
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches

Information from Amazon.com

El día de los libros

Any way South Padre Island and Port Isabel can take advantage of this? One of the missions of Paragraphs is to promote literacy in the Rio Grande Valley.


From Shelf Awareness today:

"To support the April 30 celebration of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day 2008), the AAP and ALA for the first time together have created a recommended reading list of some 24 children's books in both English and Spanish for parents and others who choose books for children. The list includes bilingual picture books, coming-of-age stories and nonfiction, all celebrating Latin culture and Latin American identity, and is available online at getcaughtreading.org.

The list was created by the Publishing for Latino Voices Task Force of the Association of American Publishers and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) division of the American Library Association. The titles were chosen by the ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee.

Calling the list 'food for the brain,' Pat Schroeder, president and CEO of the AAP, said, 'We hope this bibliography will serve as a guide for stocking bookstores, libraries, schools, and family bookshelves in homes nationwide.'"

Snow Ponies

Snow Ponies is South Padre Island's Children's Book of the Month for January 2008.

Written by Cynthia Cotten
Illustrated by Jason Cockroft
Published by Henry Holt and Company 2001
32 pages
ISBN 0805060634
Picture Book recommended for children 3-6

Magical ponies create the first snowfall of winter.
On a cold, gray day, Old Man Winter leads his snow ponies outside. "Are you ready?" he asks. Yes! Faster and faster the ponies gallop. Everything they touch turns white with snow as they bring winter to the forest and field. At last the ponies tire, and Old Man Winter settles them down for the night in their cozy barn. Outside, the world is covered with a soft white blanket. Winter has come at last. Simple, poetic text and evocative illustrations capture the magic of winter's first snowfall. (from google books)

This sounds like a wonderful story for youngsters that may not have ever experienced a winter wonderland complete with snow and the crisp cold that turns the cheeks a ruddy red and turns ones breath into a visible cloud.

From Kirkus Review

On a dreary, gray day, Old Man Winter ...

... goes out to his barn and releases his snow ponies to gallop across the cold, hard ground, bringing winter to everything they touch. As the magical ponies race each other across the fields, they ... more » nip and buck with playful energy. The other forest creatures leap out of their way. The fox snuggles into his warm den; a little squirrel huddles in the crook of a tree; the songbirds hide in the foliage of the holly bush. With each silent step, the snow ponies stir the whirling snowflakes and with each breath, the flakes dance through the air. As they tire, they slowly begin to walk toward the barn where Old Man Winter greets them and tucks them back into their stalls. He exits the barn and smiles at the white wonderland that his magic has created. Paintings full of quick brushstrokes of color layered on a softly muted landscape make this a beautiful as well as a magical read.

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

Carol Schene from Taunton Public Schools, MA writes:

A charming but slight tale about ... ... how snow spreads itself across the land. A herd of shaggy-maned, silvery-white, dappled ponies is released from the barn by a white-bearded, smiling Old Man Winter. As the animals frolic through ... more » the forests, fields, and roads, the ground turns white beneath their feet and snow swirls around them. The more wildly they play, the stormier it becomes. The other creatures-a fox, songbird, deer, and gray squirrel-shiver and search for shelter as they pass. Finally tiring, the ponies return to the barn where the old man watches them as they nod off to sleep and then stops outside to view the new winter landscape. The double-page, acrylic illustrations are awash in blue, gray, brown, and silver tones that create a haunting, magical atmosphere that allows the fanciful world to come alive. Bold paint strokes capture the sense of the swirling snow, and the ponies themselves will capture the hearts of horse lovers as they leap and rear and swish their tails along the way. The brief text is rich with descriptive phrases of their antics. This book could be used as a starting point for sparking students' imaginations about snow, and the illustrations will definitely attract young equine fans.

For a curriculum guide go to:
http://www.cynthiacotten.com/snowponies_guide.htm

Happy reading!