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The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

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Submitted by Ms. Josie!

The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley and Kate Berube. One summer day, Nick decides to teach his two best buddies, Stevenson and Verne, how to read. There’s just one problem–Stevenson and Verne are cats! They don’t know how to read! Nick, who loves doing everything with his cats, persists with his idea anyway. If he could learn to read, so could his furry friends! Nick plans out a thorough lesson plan starting with the basics of spelling. He first tries to teach his cats words that might appeal to them like “ball,” “food,” and “nap.” The cats continually ignore him. But Nick doesn’t give up! After a few trials, his cat Verne becomes interested in books about fish and is soon reading all by himself. Stevenson, on the other hand, becomes more and more agitated by the idea of reading (*gasp*) and hides from Nick and Verne. Stevenson’s reluctance to read worries Nick. Will he ever be able to share his love of reading with Stevenson? One afternoon, Nick and Verne discover a pile of colorful drawings under the bed–Stevenson has illustrated an entire story about pirates! So Stevenson was interested in reading after all! But instead of using words, he preferred to use pictures to tell a story. Nick and Verne decide to add to Stevenson’s story by writing in words. For the first time, Stevenson seems intrigued by words. The very next day, Stevenson is found with his whiskers in another book about pirates. Through understanding and encouragement, Nick is able to assist both of his cats as they build their individual reading skills. During this process, the cats even discover subjects that enhance their love of reading. This story kindly reminds us that each reader is unique and that building reading skills comes more easily to some than to others. With a bit of patience and persistence, young readers can attain a strong foundation for early literacy skills as well as a lifelong love of reading. See this book listed in our catalog 

This Is Sadie

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This summer we’ll feature some blogs written by the library’s summer interns. Here’s one from last summer’s intern, Ms. Elisa!

This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary is about a little girl with a big imagination. Before she even has breakfast, Sadie sails across the sea in an enormous boat! She puts on her favorite dress and spends a perfect day with her friends, real and fictional. She lives under the sea, becomes a boy raised by wolves, has adventures in Wonderland, and is the hero in a world of fairy tales! Afterwards, she climbs her favorite tree and has a chat with the birds. She has wings, just like the birds, they are just very hard to see. Her wings take her everywhere, but they always bring her home at the end of the day. Sadie fills her days with games of make believe but her favorite things are stories because you don’t need boxes or cushions to create them. Sadie’s story is filled with beautiful illustrations that will inspire any child’s imagination. You can have anything, from a boat to your very own wings, all you need is a little imagination. See this book listed in our catalog

Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book!)

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko with pictures by Tim Miller is the perfect way to introduce a child to the literary conceit of an unreliable narrator (and breaking the “fourth wall”)… The narrator of this story tells us about Snappsy as he goes about his day, but Snappsy can hear the whole thing, and doesn’t really care for how he’s being portrayed! Snappsy is going grocery shopping, and buys pudding, peanut butter, pita bread, and popcorn. Clearly he’s obsessed with eating things that begin with the letter P! “It’s just a coincidence,” Snappsy assures us. Now Snappsy is sitting in his house, eating a sandwich, reading a book. And he’s still in there… sitting… still in there… Oh! Now he’s planning a party! “I was just having a normal day! And suddenly you were talking about what I was doing, so I’m throwing a party to make things more interesting! I hope you’re happy!” Snappsy exasperatedly exclaims! The party kicks off and it’s going swimmingly! Yep it sure looks like fun in there… Music, snacks, baloons… must be a really good time… “Oh, all right! You can come in!” Snappsy tells the narrator! Have a party with this fun alligator, and his funny narrator, in this book! See this book listed in our catalog

How to Bake a Book

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Submitted by Ms. Cassie!

Imagine a cupboard full of the ingredients for a great story. A box of Fantasy Fudge, a jar of Giggle Word Jelly, and a shaker of Capital Letters are some of the ingredients our adorable protagonist finds in her pantry. She uses them skillfully in order to cook up her tasty tale. In How to Bake a Book, Ella Burfoot writes a sweet and savory story complete with illustrations that include all the whimsical components needed to concoct a good read, such as: carefully cut out characters, a spoonful of good, and a pinch of bad. Enjoy this flight of fancy with a little one who loves to help in the kitchen and spin their own delicious stories. See this book listed in our catalog

Duncan the Story Dragon

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Submitted by Ms. Sam!

Duncan the Story Dragon by Amanda Driscoll is all about a friendly little dragon who loves to read! Except he has one huge problem: he can’t finish a story. His imagination soars while he reads, and it also springs to life with flames, as do the stories. Duncan just wants to finish a story. He asks all kinds of friends like Raccoon, Possum, and even a bull but can’t find anyone to help him. He only wants to hear the sweet sound of the last two words of the story, “The End,” like the last sip of his favorite chocolate milkshake. Duncan finds a pal who loves stories just as much as he does and together their imaginations soar (without any burnt books) and together they read until “The End.” See this book listed in our catalog

Where Are My Books?

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Submitted by Ms. Tammy!

Where Are My Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Spencer loves his books, especially Night-Night, Narwhal. He puts the books back where they belong every night, but each morning he finds one of them missing, with a mysterious flower, nut, or bolt resting on his diminishing bookshelf. His parents are busy and have no idea where the missing books might be. The determined youngster hatches a plan to catch the book thief. He ties some string to his beloved plush narwhal and waits until morning. Imagine his surprise when he discovers… a group of squirrels behind the hedges with all of his missing books! Spencer tells the squirrels they could borrow his books, but there will be rules. The final page feature a big brother reading Night-Night, Narwhal to his baby sister, surrounded by engrossed squirrels, as a bewildered mom and dad peek through the bedroom door. See this book listed in our catalog