National Geographic Kids For All Ages

Kids of all ages, check out the newest National Geographic Kids titles in the Newberg Public Library's collection!

First Big Book of Animals by Catherine Hughes
(Preschool - Grade 2)
For the youngest science enthusiast, First Big Book of Animals describes animals from all over the world and organizes them by habitat. As it is intended for a younger reader (or listener!), the text is large and easy to follow. We can count on National Geographic titles for wonderful photographs and this title doesn't disappoint. Don't miss the parent tips and animal maps as well.



Great Migrations: Amazing Animal Journeys by Laura Marsh
(Kindergarten - Grade 3)
Head over to our reader shelves for National Geographic Science Readers that are interesting, informational and FUN to read. Amazing Animal Journeys follows zebras, red crabs and walruses on thier great migrations. Each page is filled with colorful photographs, silly riddles, Word Wise definitions, and Weird but True facts such as "Zebras' manes are striped, just like the rest of their bodies." There is a National Geographic reader for every reading level - pre-reader through advanced - each with the same colorful appeal. Don't miss Storms!, Volcanoes!, Bats and more.

Oceans by Johnna Rizzo
(Grade 2 and up)
Like all of our National Geographic titles, Oceans is full of vibrant photography and extreme facts presented in bold text and lighthearted fonts. But this and other titles like Devouring Flames, The Ultimate Dinopedia and Violet Weather are geared toward a slightly older reader. More detailed maps appear in Oceans along with additional information on each sea creature and its enivronment. The borders of the introductory page for Octopuses, for example, includes their home (oceans worldwide), size (1/2" - 20 ft.), and number of known species (more than 250). Also in this spread is a huge photograph of a reef octopus, a squid vs. octopus sidebar, a fun fact and a page-long description of an octopus dodging its predators. Even reluctant readers will dive into this book for an exciting glimpse into our world's seas. The encouraging finale called 20 Ways You Can Protect the Ocean is icing on the cake.

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find these and other titles at our library.
Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff
Newberg Public Library

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
(Grades 4-6)

When Ben Wilson sets out to discover the truth about his family in 1977, his journey from Minnesota to New York will intersect with Rose Kincaid, whose own adventure begins 50 years earlier in New Jersey.

In his latest collaboration of words and pictures, author Brian Selznick masterfully weaves together two stories, telling one with words and the other with pictures. Moving swiftly the tales soon show hints of intersecting and the reader will race to the see the conclusion when stories, words and pictures explode in a beautifully crafted finale. Indeed, this reader did feel "wonderstruck."

Selznick's illustrations add dimension to the story not only in the visual clues he gives the reader but also in perspective. Fans of The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be delighted with another story in the same format.

Check out Brian Selznick on his latest book.

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find this and other books at our library.
Reviewed by Korie B., Children's Staff

Ellie McDoodle: Best Friends Fur-Ever by Ruth McNally Barshaw

Ellie McDoodle: Best Friends Fur-Ever by Ruth McNally Barshaw
(Grades 2-4)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans! Don't miss the Ellie McDoodle series, including this third installment, Best Friends Fur-Ever. It has just arrived at our library and is as funny and creative as ever.

Ellie is a middle child that loves to doodle and share stories about her kooky family and school. The series is written in diary format which is peppered with her own illustrations and loopy handwriting. In Best Friends Fur-Ever, Ellie's family (well, except for Mom) wants to add a variety of pets to their household mix. Coincidentally, her school assigns a big project on animals and Ellie must choose an unusual animal to report on in front of her class. When a chance pet-sitting job arises, Ellie has found her subject! But will the pet-sitting go as smoothly as she'd thought?

The series is a page-turner, each a hilarious account of Ellie's daily experiences including a typical family dinner told in coversation bubbles, "Which must rhyme. All of the time," or a random two-page spread entitled,"How to Build a Geodesic Dome." The story flows like a bedtime conversation you yearn to have with your child about their day. Funny, smart, creative - not to be missed!

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other books at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis
(Preschool - Grade 2)

The Bog Baby is a new picture book in our collection that takes young readers (and listeners!) into another time and place, a woodsy fairyland of sorts, where dragonflies glide over bluebells and caterpillars crawl across fiddlehead ferns. The young narrator and her sister venture to the magic pond in Bluebell Wood to fish for newts and end up catching more then they bargained for when the rare Bog Baby jumps into the water. They are delighted with their find and decide to keep the Bog Baby with eye-opening results.

Readers will delight in the soft watercolor illustrations, some pages bright, some muted with the look of a child's sweet pencil sketch. This is a fabulous book to share with young and old to learn a little something about habitat, great imagination and real love. Author Jeanne Willis even invites us to search for our own Bog Baby, sketch its features, and take notes on such things as its favorite flower or identifying noises.

Subtle, beautiful, not to be missed!

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find this and other books at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Sassy: The Silver Secret by Sharon M. Draper

Sassy: The Silver Secret by Sharon M. Draper(Grades 2 - 4)

The latest offering in this lighthearted series is sure to appeal to kids facing their own everyday challenges at school and looking for a likeable, relatable character like Sassy. In The Silver Secret, Sassy yearns to have a singing part in her school's musical despite her lack of vocal talents. She does have a secret love and skill for the piccolo given to her by her beloved Grammy (along with a shimmery bag) and imagines adding piccolo music to the school show. For now, though, she must be satisfied with a different sort of role in the production. When an unexpected hiccup threatens to halt the performance, will Sassy come to the rescue?

Fans of Judy Moody, Allie Finkle and other satisfying fiction will love author Sharon Draper's strong, bright characters and will surely yearn for more Sassy in their own stylish book bags.

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other books at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston

A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Preschool - Grade 3)

Newberg Public Library recently added to our children's gardening collection with funds from the Chehalem Garden Club and the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs. Among these is the beautiful book, A Seed is Sleepy.

Author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long (An Egg is Quiet) have once again gifted us with a new book to read over and over. A Seed is Sleepy is already an award-winning introduction to seeds for any age. Each page (even the end papers!) is filled with lovely, sweeping illustrations of both familiar and unfamiliar seeds including sunflowers, orchids, dandelions, sea coconuts and monkey's comb.

The text is simple, effective and poetic,"A seed is sleepy. A seed is secretive. A seed is naked...yes, naked!" even appropriate for a read-aloud which is unusual for a non-fiction selection. Older children will appreciate the extra bits of information scattered throughout, "A parachute of fine, silky hairs can take a dandelion seed 100 miles from its parent plant." One two-page spread walks the reader through varying seeds' lifespans laid out on a timeline with fabulous illustrations showing how they are different from each other.

Our household found much to pour over every single day of our three-week checkout and more! This is truly a gift for young gardeners or naturalists-to-be and worth sharing each season.

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find this and other books at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus
(Preschool - Grade 2)

Tadpole Rex by Oregon author and illustrator Kurt Cyrus is a refreshing addition to the multitude of dinosaur picture books available to the preschool set. This tale follows the development of Rex the tadpole amongst his dinosaur neighbors. From its first pages readers are drawn in by its rhyming text and figurative language, "Stomp! Squish! Bloop! Swish!" Young children will be captivated by the suspense as Rex thrives even while he dodges dinosaur footsteps. Tadpole Rex is focused on the familiar frog that kids may have seen or even touched, yet maintains the mystery of a 200-million-year old creature that dinosaur lovers will appreciate.

Cyrus doesn't shy away from challenging vocabulary (which is so important as an early literacy or pre-reading skill) yet the text flows beautifully as a read aloud; "primeval puddles were desperate places of ambush and panic and life-or-death chases." I was rooting for Rex to make his mark on the prehistoric setting and smiled at his bravery in the face of such huge dinosaurs. A well-known illustrator, Cyrus truly shines here with big, bold and colorful renderings of another place and time.

This is a fabulous storytime or anytime choice for early elementary and preschool children. Don't miss The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus for a similar tale, this time following the ancient sea turtle.

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other books at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff