Main Sections

It’s Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas Check Out The Check Out Ilsley Library

photo by Marcie Bolton

Tuesday December 11, 2012

By Marcie Bolton

   Here come the holidays roaring in now that Thanksgiving is over.  Now starts the time when we need to think about which gifts to bestow upon loved ones and for kids there are so many options.  The top of my list of presents for the kiddos are books.  My kids love getting books.  Don’t get me wrong, they love opening their new clothes, sports gear, socks and maybe something chocolate, but they really love getting a new book.  After the fury of unwrapping, whether it is the one tiny present a day for eight days or the morning of the 25th or another tradition, the first present the kids look for is the book.  It is like diving into a new world for a while in the comfort of their own home, perhaps sitting on the couch with the fireplace roaring (in our case we have the Happy Hearth DVD of a fire playing continuously on our TV) or in their beds before sleep.  Books are magical.  Usually every year my husband and I go to Burlington’s Crow Bookstore up on Church Street and grab the books which occupy prime real estate on the shelves placed there by owner Keith Terwillegar, because he always has great picks.  We look at the cover art, read a few blurbs and then chat a bit about our picks.  This year after listening to VPR’s Vermont Edition on the radio, host Jane Lindholm’s discussion of this year’s adult book icks inspired me to find a list for Vermont kids. 

   Some classics stick out in my memory but this year I want to give notice to more current books which may soon become classics.  I interviewed Sarah Lawton the youth services librarian at the Ilsley Library in Middlebury.  Sarah, born in Montpelier, recently moved here from Telluride, Colorado last year with her husband and two children ages 8 and 10.  Sarah loves the Middlebury community and she loves how so many people are enthusiastic about reading and education.  She is a passionate and dedicated librarian and wants to provide many options of literature out there for her readers.  Sarah is on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher committee.  According to the DCF.com website the award was first given in 1957, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award has honored quality literature for children for over 50 years now.  Each spring, a committee of eight carefully selects 30 books to comprise the DCF Master List.  After reading at least 5 books from the list, students then vote for their favorite titles the following spring.  The winning author is invited to visit Vermont to speak with children about the experience of writing such fine literature for such fine people.   Besides DCF award winners Sarah has many great options and she gave me a great list of books for a range of ages and interests.  While parents and grandparents are often doing the picking of books, finding a book that suits everyone is sometimes a challenge, but this list of books, published this year, should be a great start.  Sarah wants to make sure readers know the age guidelines are not to be strictly observed but rather uses as a suggestion to parents and caregivers.  Readers may be more mature than the intended audience, and vice versa, so here they are:

Books for kids ages 0-5
Little Tug By Stephen Savage
Apple Cake: A Recipe for Love By Julie Paschkis
Red Knit Cap Girl By Naoko Stoop
Bear Despair By Doremus Gaetan
More By I.C. Springman
Coldsnap By Eileen Spinelli
Books for Grades 3-6
The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook By Joanne Rocklin
Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind By Tom AnglebergerWonder By R.J. PalacioThe Mighty Miss Malone By Christopher Paul Curtis
For kids in 8th grade and up
Shadow and Bone By Leigh Bardugo
The Paladin Prophecy By Mark Frost
The Raven Boys By Maggie Stiefvater
The Diviners By Libba Bray

   OK for Now, By Gary Schmidt is a novel Sarah found to be a great choice for an adult to read in tandem with the teen because of the interesting conversation it will provide.  She also noted that on their own, adults would enjoy this many of her suggestions even though they are not within the age range.  Sarah does not believe audio books devalue literature at all but rather are a great option.  Whether a person listens, reads a paper tangible piece or has an electronic reader, they all are great ways to ingest literature with each of their own special nuances.  Read on Addison County and have a great time picking out the great choices there are this year!  

Printer Friendly

Top

Advertisements

Search our Archives