The Child That Books Built


Book Description

In this extended love letter to children's books, and the wonders they perform, Spufford goes back to his earliest encounters with books, exploring such beloved classics as "The Wind in the Willows, The Little House on the Prairie," and the Narnia chronicles.




Red Plenty


Book Description

"Spufford cunningly maps out a literary genre of his own . . . Freewheeling and fabulous." —The Times (London) Strange as it may seem, the gray, oppressive USSR was founded on a fairy tale. It was built on the twentieth-century magic called "the planned economy," which was going to gush forth an abundance of good things that the lands of capitalism could never match. And just for a little while, in the heady years of the late 1950s, the magic seemed to be working. Red Plenty is about that moment in history, and how it came, and how it went away; about the brief era when, under the rash leadership of Khrushchev, the Soviet Union looked forward to a future of rich communists and envious capitalists, when Moscow would out-glitter Manhattan and every Lada would be better engineered than a Porsche. It's about the scientists who did their genuinely brilliant best to make the dream come true, to give the tyranny its happy ending. Red Plenty is history, it's fiction, it's as ambitious as Sputnik, as uncompromising as an Aeroflot flight attendant, and as different from what you were expecting as a glass of Soviet champagne.




A Child of Books


Book Description

A young reader introduces a boy to the many imaginative worlds that books bring to life.




If I Built a Car


Book Description

If I built a car, it'd be totally new! Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . . Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack's soaring imagination in the driver's seat, we're deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.




How a House Is Built


Book Description

Houses are built with many different materials, and in many shapes and sizes. Step by step, this picture book explains how homes are built—from the architect's plans through the arrival of a happy family. The many processes of construction are explained with simple language and bright, clear illustrations, perfect for kids starting to wonder about how the world around them works. Many different careers—including carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and landscapers—are introduced, each doing their part to bring the picture wood-frame house to life. A great read for kids who love construction sites, or who can't get enough of Building a House by Byron Barton. According to The Washington Post, Gail Gibbons "has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." Ms. Gibbons is the author of more than 100 books for young readers, including the bestselling titles From Seed to Plant and Monarch Butterfly. Her many honors include the Washington Post/Childrens Book Fuild Nonfiction Award and the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Award.




The House That Lou Built


Book Description

"If this book were a house, the rooms would be filled with warmth, family, and friendship." --Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Medal winner Hello, Universe; The Land of Forgotten Girls; and Blackbird Fly A coming-of-age story that explores culture and family, forgiveness and friendship, and what makes a true home. Perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Joan Bauer. Lou Bulosan-Nelson has the ultimate summer DIY project. She's going to build her own "tiny house," 100 square feet all her own. She shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house, and longs for a place where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Lou enjoys her woodshop class and creating projects, and she plans to build the house on land she inherited from her dad, who died before she was born. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer. Lou discovers it's not easy to save her land, or to build a house. But she won't give up; with the help of friends and relatives, her dream begins to take shape, and she learns the deeper meaning of home and family. AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "Equal parts girl-heart, muscle and know-how for today's reader. Endearing to the end." --Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery-Honor-and-Coretta-Scott King -Award-winning author of the National Book Award Finalist Clayton Byrd Goes Underground "Warm, funny and affirming. As we get to know Lou, her extended Filipino family, and friends, the door opens into her life and, ultimately, her home." --Lisa Yee, author of the Millicent Min trilogy, The Kidney Hypothetical, the DC Super Hero Girls series, and other books "There couldn't be a hero more determined, resourceful or lovable than Lucinda Bulosan-Nelson. Her big dream of a tiny house is irresistible." --Tricia Springstubb, author of Every Single Second, What Happened on Fox Street, Moonpenny Island, and the Cody series "I fell in love with Lou and her wonderful extended family. This story may be about a tiny house, but it has an enormous heart." --Kate Messner, author of The Exact Location of Home




Tar Beach


Book Description

CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD WINNER • CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK Acclaimed artist Faith Ringgold seamless weaves fiction, autobiography, and African American history into a magical story that resonates with the universal wish for freedom, and will be cherished for generations. Cassie Louise Lightfoot has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on “tar beach,” the rooftop of her family’s Harlem apartment building, her dreams come true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city, claiming the buildings and the city as her own. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. “All you need is somewhere to go you can’t get to any other way. The next thing you know, you’re flying among the stars.”




Drawn Together


Book Description

This acclaimed picture book from two award-winning creators about connecting across generational and language differences shows that sometimes you don't need words to find common ground. When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens -- with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words. With spare text by Minh Lê and luminous illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, this stirring story about reaching across barriers will be cherished for years to come. "A beautifully told and illustrated story about a grandson and grandfather struggling to communicate across divides of language, age and culture." --- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winner Don't miss LIFT, also by Minh Lê and Dan Santat!




Refugee


Book Description

The award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel from Alan Gratz tells the timely--and timeless--story of three different kids seeking refuge. A New York Times bestseller! JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world... ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America... MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe... All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. As powerful and poignant as it is action-packed and page-turning, this highly acclaimed novel has been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than four years and continues to change readers' lives with its meaningful takes on survival, courage, and the quest for home.




If I Built a House


Book Description

The much-anticipated follow-up to the E. B. White Award-winning picture book If I Built a Car In If I Built a Car, imaginative Jack dreamed up a whimsical fantasy ride that could do just about anything. Now he's back and ready to build the house of his dreams, complete with a racetrack, flying room, and gigantic slide. Jack's limitless creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors to imagine their own fantastical designs. Chris Van Dusen's vibrant illustrations marry retro appeal with futuristic style as he, once again, gives readers a delightfully rhyming text that absolutely begs to be read aloud.