Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
If there’s one thing our library never seems to run out of, it’s books about the Christmas holiday! Ask your librarians to suggest some titles if you’re feeling overwhelmed. One of my favorites is The Longest Christmas List Ever by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. Meet Trevor–a precocious young boy who couldn’t be more excited to open presents Christmas morning! Santa Claus got him everything he asked for! But, oh no! He forgot one important thing! A fluffy brown puppy! So Trevor decides to start his letter to Santa early. He writes it all year long. Every time he thinks of another thing he needs, he jots it down. Soon the list is 500 feet long, and to mail it will cost 6 trillion dollars! Trevor decides to downsize, but it’s too late! He’s missed Santa’s deadline! “What was I thinking? Where was my head? I asked for too much–I’ll get nothing instead!” he laments. But when he wakes up in the morning, there’s a puppy there waiting for him! Mom and Dad must have gotten a letter off to Santa in the meantime, and Trevor learns “It takes love–not toys–to bring Christmas cheer.” See this book listed in our catalog
Family
I Don’t Want to Go to School!
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
Remember when the scariest thing in the world was going to school for the first time? Who knew what was behind those big scary doors! In I Don’t Want to Go to School by Stephanie Blake, Simon the Rabbit is less than thrilled at the prospect of going to school for the first time. Despite all his parents’ reassurances, Simon says “No Way!” to going to school. Kids will identify with Simon’s apprehension about school. And they will love being able to yell “No Way!” along with Simon. Will Simon’s parents get him to school? Will Simon be brave enough to make it through the school day? Will Simon even want to leave school at the end of the day? Tune in to find out! See this book listed in our catalog
Peeny Butter Fudge
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
Anyone who has ever had a Nana (or Grandma) knows how awesome they are. There is nothing better in the world than spending a day with Nana when Mom and Dad go out to take care of boring grown up stuff. In Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni and Slade Morrison, with illustrations by Joe Cepeda, the reader gets to spend the day with three kids and Nana. Nana is the awesome kind of Grandma who does everything from story telling, to potato sack races. She can even make nap time fun! But the best thing of all is her “Peeny Butter Fudge,” a recipe that’s been past down through the family. And now you can make it too from the recipe in the back! This rhythmic and rhyming story will have parents and kids smiling together as they think about fun times with their Nana. See this book listed in our catalog
Not Yet, Rose
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Not Yet, Rose by Susanna Leonard Hill. This is a great book for a young child who is waiting for a new baby to arrive in their family. Every morning, a young hamster races into her parents’ bedroom and asks, “Is the baby here yet?” and each time they answer, “Not yet, Rose.” Rose can’t decide whether she wants a sister or a brother, and at one point she decides that she doesn’t want a baby at all, but her mother encourages her by telling her what a good big sister she will be. When a brother is born, she carefully holds him, marvels at how tiny he is, and sings to him until he falls asleep in her arms. The book ends neatly with Rose’s parents asking if her arms are tired and she replies, “Not yet.” This book helps older siblings adjust to their new roles of big brother or sister. See this book listed in our catalog
Blueberries for Sal
Submitted by Sue from Leonardtown!
Blueberries for Sal, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, tells the story of a little girl named Sal and a bear cub. One summer day Little Sal and her Mom decided to go to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries. “We will take our berries home and can them,” said her mother. Little Sal had a small tin bucket just like her mother’s. When she dropped blueberries into the pail it made a kurplunk, kurplunk, kurplunk sound. Sal ate most of the berries she picked and some of her mother’s, until mom said to run along and pick her own berries. On the other side of the hill, Little Bear came with his mother to eat blueberries. Before long, Little Bear and Sal both got tired of trying to keep up with their mothers, and sat still eating berries in the middle of the patch. Then they started out to find their mothers. Unfortunately Little Sal and Little Bear got them mixed up with each other! This story with charming pictures will continue to enchant even after it’s been read. See this book listed in our catalog
Pouch!
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
In Pouch by David Ezra Stein, we meet little Joey–a brand new baby Kangaroo! Joey is so excited to explore his new world, but whenever something scares him, he goes running back to mom yelling “Pouch!” and dives into the safe warm pocket. But with every trip back, Joey becomes a bit more brave, until he realizes that maybe this world isn’t so scary after all. This would be a wonderful book to read aloud, especially to a child who is just starting to learn their numbers. Each time Joey ventures out he adds one more hop to his trip. Kids will also love yelling “Pouch!” along with Joey as he goes running home. This simple story about overcoming fears and making friends would be a wonderful addition to any story time with you and your child. See this book listed in our catalog