Book Drops: Ash by Malinda Lo

Ash by Malinda Lo.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-04009-9

Ash, by Malinda Lo, is a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. Just like the original fairytale, Ash is orphaned by her parents and comes to live with an uncaring, cruel stepmother and 2 stepsisters. There are also fairies, magic and a kingdom with an eligible prince. However, Lo alters the tale and Ash is not the sweet Disney Cinderella that a lot of us know her as. Ash is a little tougher, a bit more outspoken, and is not searching for that love from her stepmother that we see played out in so many versions of Cinderella.

After the death of her mother, Ash stumbles upon the world of fairies. Growing up in the country, Ash and her village still practice the old ways, which still acknowledges the magic in the world. As she copes with her mother's death, Ash is drawn more and more towards this alternate world. She meets a fairy prince, Sidhean, and though he pushes her away, she continues to try to find her way back to the fairies.

Shortly after her mother's death, Ash's father falls ill and dies. After this, Ash's tale follows that of the original Cinderella story, and becomes the servant to her stepmother and stepsisters. During, this time, she has a chance meeting with the King's Huntress, Kaisa, whom she admires and soon becomes infatuated by.

As time goes on, Ash, becomes torn by her love of the Sidhean and her growing love for Kaisa. Whom will she choose? Death or Life?

This story is similar to the Mystic and Rider series by Sharon Shinn. It is a great story and an interesting take on Cinderella. Definitely, worth reading.

Book Drops: Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg

Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg is a must read for anyone interested in education and education reform. I am not trained as a teacher, I'm trained as a librarian and I started teaching at my current school. I have had to teach myself the language and theory that some of my friends already know and I am happy for the challenge, but, I do think it would be better for me if I learned the theory in addition to practicing what I do.

This book is an eye-opener. Finland's approach is so different from the United States and I am not sure how that can happen in the United States. I think, a lot of aspects of teaching, that was once there - like trusting schools and teachers - is lost or horribly damaged. For example, think abut the recent LAUSD scandal with the teacher, who performed lewd acts with his students and the fallout and increased amount of news stories about teachers molesting their students. Education and teaching is not held in as high regard in the US as it is in Finland. Schools are constantly under scrutiny, teachers receive pink slips every year, students are taught to pass tests, and so many other things just make teaching a difficult field to want to go into.

Though, Finland is a lot smaller country that the US, there are so many things we can learn from their process of reforming education. This book is filled with statistics and case studies, as well as, educator testimonials. One of the things that struck me was the level of rigorous study educators are expected to undergo to get a master's or doctorate degree to become a teacher. That is lost here, with our quick certificate programs. I am not saying that it is a bad thing, my family is filled with teachers, but sometimes, certain things are lost when you get things quickly. For example, when I first started teaching, I had not idea what classroom management was or the techniques I needed to employ to simply keep my class in order. I learned as I went and took a great workshop. But, if I studied education, I would have had that foundation before stepping into a classroom.

Sahlberg has a great table on page 103 that compares Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) and the Finnish Way. I am just going to list the Finnish Way here:

• Customizing teaching and learning
• Focus on creative learning
• Encouraging Risk-Taking
• Learning from the past and owning innovations
• Shared responsibility and trust

There are many ideas to take away from this book and I hope that everyone takes some time to read it.
To read more, also take a look at here for a description of Pasi Sahlberg's talk to at Indiana University.

Book Drops: "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd.

A Monster Calls is a wonderful, dark and hopeful tale. Conor wakes up in the middle of the night anticipating the arrival of a monster. A monster that takes the shape of a yew tree. His only solace from the monster comes during the day, however, this is what he has to confront the fact that his mother is battling cancer and has become weaker and sicker due to the treatments that are supposed to help her. It has been going on for awhile and Conor seems to have called upon this monster to help him...and her.
A Monster Calls is beautifully illustrated by Jim Kay. His illustrations are dark and inky and convey the fear and pain that Conor is experiencing.
This is a very difficult book to read if you have ever experienced someone battling cancer. It really reminded me of my own experience when my dad was fighting stomach cancer. The anger, the fear, the loss, it is all here. However, it is a good way to help kids understand that it is ok to feel angry, to think those thoughts that they do not want to speak and to not feel guilty for wanting to let their loved one go. Honestly, I bawled after I finished this book, but I am glad, that there is a book like this out there that kids and adults can read to help them cope with the journey of losing a loved one who is fighting a disease.

Book Drops: The Last Airbender: The Promise Pt. 1 by Gene Luen Yang, et. al.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1. By Gene Luen Yang, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko. Art by Gurihiru. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN: 9781595828118. Feb 2012

My friends, Headphonerecord and Daku, introduced me to the Avatar series shown on Nickelodean. I spent a good couple of days watching each episode back-to-back. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that the galley was available on NetGalley.
The Avatar team does not disappoint in the next installment of the series. We left off with Aang ending the war, but we were left wondering, what happens next and that is where these new tales begin. Aang knows that he has not completed his task, he must also bring peace to the 4 nations. He volunteers, with the help of Kataara, Sokka and Toph, to help transition the people of the nations to an era of peace and harmony. However, the new Fire Lord, Zuko, is struggling with what that means and discovers that this move, is not as simple as it appears to be.
If you love the Avatar series or not, this is a great beginning to a new adventure with Aang and the gang. Also, Momo and Apa are back and you know, I love those characters!

Book Drops: Dotter of her Father's Eyes by Mary and Bryan Talbot

Dotter of her Father's Eyes by Mary and Bryan Talbot. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN: 978159528507 Feb 2012.

If you happen to be in London or live in London, I would say, go to this book signing and release party at Orbital Comics. Dotter of Her Father's Eye is a wonderful graphic novel that describes the parallel lives of Mary Talbot, the author, and Lucia Joyce, James Joyces' daughter. The imagery by Bryan Talbot really conveys the story of how these women grew up. I especially liked the image of Lucia's hospitalization incorporated with modern dance movements. It shows how much of our views of ourselves rests on how our parents dealt with us. It is beautifully written and illustrated and would be a wonderful addition to a school library collection.

Book Drops: Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen. Knopf Book for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780375868429. March 2012

Carl Hiaasen returns with a hilarious, off beat adventure featuring a quiet kid named Wahoo Cray, who does whatever it takes to keep his stubborn, animal wrangling father in check, while taking care of his family's home and animals. Wahoo knows that his family is nearly broke. His father is sick and can't work. And his mother has to take a job in China. When they receive a call about job working for a reality TV show, the only thing they can do is take it. What happens next is more than any of them hoped for.
This story is fast-paced and made me laugh out loud. Hiaasen is the Edward Abbey for young kids. If you liked Hoot, Flush and Hiaasen's other books, you will definitely enjoy Chomp.

Book Drops: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

I finally got to read Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. This book is a National Book Award finalist and I can now see why. Also, one of our former students came for a visit and highly recommended it.

Honestly, I think the market is pretty saturated with these dystopian reads - Matched, Water Wars, The Uglies series, Hunger Games (which is now a movie) - so I was a skeptic about how good this book would be but it was engaging. I wasn't sure what exactly ship breaking is but lead me to another link - The Ship Breakers of Bangladesh.  Nailer, is a teen ship breaker, and the world is pretty much destitute for everyone except for the very rich - the people who own the oil companies, food companies, etc. Regular people are strung out or just surviving.  The only way out of the gangs of ship breakers is to get a lucky break, and then hope that no one else kills you to take it from you.  Nailer needs to get out, his father is abusive, he's almost at an age where he needs to join the older or "heavy" crew, how is he going to get out of this life?

Another thing about this book that I loved was that it was obviously a multicultural group of characters. Sometimes, when you read these books, it's obvious that they are not colored people.  In Ship Breaker, you have Latinos, Caribbeans, Indian (Asia), and of course, the hybrid people. I wonder, if that was why they didn't put a portrait on the cover. That is the trend now, all these portraits on the cover of YA books. I guess, it's what the kids like...

Anyway,  you should definitely check this out at your library or pick it up or download it.


Next on my reading table: Invasion (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) by J.S. Lewis. So far it reminds me of Ender's Game and the movie, MIB and maybe a bit of Alex Rider and Star Wars. All of which I like so I'm pretty into this book.

Happy Reading!

Book Drops: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

What a heartwarming and heartbreaking read! It is such a different take on writing a story, using words and defining them with the story of a relationship.

I would definitely recommend this for probably 9th graders and up. There are some experiences that I think 7th graders don't really know about. Not saying that 7th graders haven't been in love but there are certainly things in this book that they could not relate too.

It's a pretty quick read too.

Book Drops: Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay.

I read a review of this book in School Library Journal and was surprised that the main characters are Filipino. I find it is a challenge to find young adult novels featuring Filipinos. We have a lot of Japanese, Korean and Chinese YA books but Filipino is rare. We do not have that many Filipinos are our school, so far, I have had 2 students..but most go to other schools but we do have a strong Asian community so I thought it would be great to have a book that also covers Filipino culture.

I have to say, as a Filipina, there were so many things in this book that I could relate to but I think, a lot of Asian and immigrant families could relate to as well. Tall Story takes place in the Philippines, where Bernardo grows up, and England, where his mother, step-father and half-sister lives. It is filled with Filipino superstitions and tales that I remember hearing as a kid, as well as the Filipino love of basketball, and life as a family split between continents. Growing up, my folks spent years trying to get our Lolo (grandfather) to America, Bernardo's family spends 13 years waiting for approval from the British government to have him reunited with his family. These challenges are still occurring today. For example, my mom is just got approval for sponsoring my uncle and his family, we've been in the United States for 30 years.

Gourlay's story is deals with challenges that immigrant families face, the challenges of reuniting, sibling relationships and issues of growing up, finding one's self and being accepted. It was a good read and a nice reminder of my own childhood.

Book Drops: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie. New York: Dutton Children's, 2010. ISBN: 978-0525423645

Why I Picked It Up: I mentioned on Friday, that I read an interview in SLJ with Ally Condie. This book already received some notice so I asked Max to pick it up. I love the cover and it sounded like it would be a good bit of scifi/romance and I tend to enjoy those books.

Why I Didn't Put It Down: Matched is another dystopian novel. Similar to Hunger Games and The Uglies. Society appears so perfect. You don't even have to worry about finding the perfect mate because it's done for you. You don't even have to worry about dying..because when it's your time and you have lived the optimal amount of years, well, "they" let you rest. Everything is wonderful and there are even pills created to help you live your life. How could anything go wrong in a world where everything is decided for you?
That's when it happens. The once in a blue moon event where the match the government choose for you is a mistake. The mistake leaves you wondering and if you are anything like Cassia, you will not let it go. There are two faces on the microchip they give you. Both faces you know, one is Xander, the perfect boy and Cassia's best friend, the other is Ky, a bit of an outsider but he also is in your circle of friends. What do you do now? In order to find out, you need to read the book.

Who Would I Recommend This To: All of the kids who loved Hunger Games. However, I do have to preface this by saying that Matched does not have as much action as Hunger Games did. It is more of a science fiction romance and more on the romance side of things. I enjoyed it and there were some interesting twists. I definitely am looking forward to the second book.

Book Drops: "Three Black Swans" by Caroline B. Cooney

Cooney, Caroline B. Three Black Swans. New York: Delacorte Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-385-73867-5.

Why Did I Pick This Up: I really like the cover and also was intrigued by the Wall Street Journal quote at the beginning of the book.

But the future isn't a hat full of little shredded pieces of the past.

It is, instead, a whirlpool of uncertainty populated by what the

trader and philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb calls "black swans"

---events that are hugely important, rare and unpredictabl, and

explicable only after the fact.

Why I Didn't Put It Down: If I had to rate this book, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It was an interesting tale of 3 lost sisters, who happen to be identical triplets but it took a while to get started and then the story of the biological parents was too quickly dealt with. I liked reading about the 3 separate lives but it was strange that 2 of the sisters ended up being cousins. It also just ended too perfect for my tastes. Also, I think, with that strong quote at the beginning, it was a lot to try to portray in this book. The events were not so profound or that spectacular. 2 of the girls are cousins and 1 is from a "rich" family. I really was interested in the premise but the portrayal was just not as strong as it could be.

Who Would I Recommend This To: I would not put this on my list. Though, I know there are some girls who would enjoy this quick read.

Hurray for another Rick Riordan Adventure!!!

This is the 3rd time I'm writing this post. You figure I would give up but I wanted to write it.

What Did I Read: Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero, Book 1 of the Heroes of Olympians.

Why Did I Pick This Up: RICK RIORDAN! I loved the Percy Jackson series and I was really excited to know that we would be returning to Camp Half Blood for this new series. Also, t he kids are super excited about this book. One student and I already have a favorite character - Leo Valdez!!! Go Leo! Go Hephaestus!!!

Why I Finished It: I couldn't put it down. I had to, of course, because I do need sleep but wow! what a fun exciting read. I loved the diversity of the characters, Piper is Native American and Leo is Latino. This gave Riordan the opportunity to mention myths from other cultures that are similar to the Greek and Roman mythologies that he is introducing to kids. I think, in a way, this might catch a kid's attention and spark their curiosity to learn more. It is funny, exciting, suspenseful and full of action and of course, we are introduced to a host of new gods, monsters and heroes. More evil, more good.

Who Would I Recommend This To: The growing Camp Half Blood campers and anyone who loves mythology or fantasy. Anyone who loves a good adventure and hero quest story.

Go Coach Hedge!!!!

Graphic Novel Friday: Hatter M: Mad with Wonder v.2 by Frank Beddor

"Love is Merely Madness" - William Shakespeare

Today's GNF selection is Volume 2 of the Hatter M Series (a spinoff (sorry I'm not quite sure what the right word is...) of the Looking Glass Wars series by Frank Beddor. This comic was written by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier and art is by Sami Makkonen.

What Caught My Eye: First, I read the Looking Glass Wars and listened to the audio of Seeing Red so I was alread a fan of the series. I really love the character of Hatter Madigan with all his millinery glory and our students are real fans of this series as well so I thought I should add it to the collection since we are trying to build up our graphic novel collection.

Why I Didn't Put It Down: Like I mentioned above, it's Hatter Madigan!!! He is Alyss Hart's, the young heroine of the LGW series, bodyguard. In the book, she falls into the "real" world and Hatter follows her. In volume 2 of this spinoff, he is continuing his quest to find Alyss and is following "the glow" that represents intense imagination that Alyss would possibly being giving off if he found her. It is civil war in the United States and Hatter must maneuver his way through this alternate world where he, of course, is faced with challenges that prevent him from staying on the path of finding Alyss Hart. There is so much action in this graphic novel that you really cannot put it down. Sam Makkonen's images are intense and dark just like the story. The scenes feel like they are taking place behind a dust cloud (this is a good thing for this type of story). Also, there is an interesting amount of civil war references that I did not really expect.

Who Would I Recommend This To: To those of us who really enjoy the Looking Glass series as well as someone looking for a good action packed comic series to read. Also, more mature middle school readers who aren't too shocked by comic violence. It's intense and for me, not too graphic. At one point, Hatter gets stabbed but it wasn't as graphic as other GN's that I've read. Again, if you are worried about how your community would react, take a look at your local comic shop first before adding it to your colleciton.

Graphic Novel Friday!! "One Hundred Demons" by Lynda Barry

What Caught My Eye: My friend, Donald, over at CCA in Oakland, introduced me to Lynda Barry. We used to take a moment out of our day to read the latest Marly's comic in the SF Weekly, laugh out loud and then move on with helping art students in the library. The cover is a mish-mash of colors and images and just makes you wonder "what's in here?" Or as one of my students asked "100 demons? What kind of demons?"

Why I Didn't Put It Down: Because Lynda Barry is incredibly hilarous and she knows about the aswang!!! I love her drawings. You can just relate to the dysfunctional and entertaining family and Barry is a great storyteller and her images are just as enjoyable as her words.

Who Would I Recommend This To: Anyone with a great sense of humor. Young, old...it's for Everybody!!!

Nonfiction Mondays: "Doomed Queens" by Kris Waldherr

Happy Nonfiction Monday! It looks like it's Wild About Nature blog's anniversary and they are having a giveaway as well as hosting the Nonfiction Monday Roundup. You can read about interesting nonfiction books to add to your collections as well as maybe win a book! Now you have to go and visit Wild About Nature.

This weekend I read Doomed Queens:Royal Women who met bad ends, from Cleopatra to Princess Di by Kris Waldherr, who is the author and illustrator of the amazing read. You can read her blog here. Doomed Queens was published in 2008 from Broadway Books.

What Caught My Eye: My friend, Marci Washington, who's a painter, had a series she painted of severed heads and this book cover reminded me of them. Also, "Doomed Queens" just really made me want to pick this up. Why? Do these women ever get a break? And sometimes you just want to get straight to the chase on how these women met their end.

Why I didn't put it down: This reads like collection of obituaries for Queens which reminded me of another book I really liked called The Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson (who's also got a book coming our about libraries that comes out tomorrow!!!). I also loved Waldherr's illustrations, choice of quotes, sidebars and legend for how these monarchs died. It is actually filled with a number of primary source quotes if you have students who need those for a project. For example, Waldherr highlights quotes from the queens and titles them "Out of the Mouths of Babes" for Boudicca she quotes "It is not as a woman descended from noble ancestry, but as one of the people that I am avenging lost freedom, my scourged body, the outraged chastity of my daughters...This is a womean's resolve. As for men, they may live and be slaves." These asides will make a reader more want to learn more about Boudicca or any other monarch to learn about what had happened to her and her family as well as what was happening in that time period.

It was really fascinating read and I did not want to put it down. The sections on each queen are about 2-3 pages long. Waldherr covers as many queens as possible from Europe to China to India. One of the strange facts I picked up was the last person to commit sati (suttee), which is when a widow commits suicide to join her dead husband (read about it on that link because I am NOT doing it justice with my layperson's definition), was in 1987!!!! Now it's outlawed but 1987 was not that long ago. Another great thing about this book were the "cautionary morals" at the end like "have an exit strategy" or "an emperor's loyalty is to his heirs, not his empress." Honestly, it kept me wanting to read more.

Who Would I Recommend This To: It is good for middle schoolers, high schoolers and adults who like a little bit of gossip to go with their history reading. Someone who just wants a quick read about doomed queens.

Book Drops: Nonfiction Monday - "The Story Behind Toilets"

Happy Nonfiction Monday!! There are lots of great books to read about on Sally Apokedak's Whispers of Dawn blog to check out what people have read for today's Nonfiction Monday.

This week I grabbed the newly acquired "The Story Behind Toilets" by Elizabeth Raum. It is part of the True Stories series from Heinemann-Raintree. The 12 book series is geared towards 3-5 grade and covers things like oil, salt, chocolate, diamonds and more. The 32 page book is filled with color photos, a timeline, a glossary, great little sidebars and even a section called "Find Out More" that contains books, websites, and even places to visit in a child's town. Raum has filled this book with a lot of fun facts as well, like the reason people refer to the toilet as a "crapper" is because, in 1884, Thomas Crapper, an English plumber, improved the toilet and during World War I, U.S. soldiers stationed in England started calling them "crappers." There are lots of diagrams and illustrations showing how toilets have evolved over time as well. Who knew that learning about toilets could be so entertaining. Definitely a great one to add to the collection.

Graphic Novel Friday: "Aya" by Marguerite Abouet & Clement Oubrerie

For this friday's graphic novel selection, I picked up Aya by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie. Aya was on a lot of "best of" lists, including lists from the School Library Journal, Booklist and The Washington Post.

Remembering her childhood in Abijian, located on the Ivory Coast, Marguerite Abouet presents a side of Africa that we rarely if ever get a glimpse of. Normally, we see images of starving children or people in hospitals or war and violence but we do not really see the joy and life that is there as well. Being placed on all those "best of" lists and being nominated for so many awards is well deserved, Aya is a wonderful graphic novel. The illustrations by Clement Oubrerie really bring Aya's story alive. Aya is a 19 year old who wants to do better and not get stuck in the the "C-series" (in high school, students are placed in tracks and Abouet plays off that with her reference to the C-series "combs, clothes and chasing men."). Her friends are off having fun, dancing, having sex, and being young adults, while Aya is trying to study and become a doctor. Abouet portrays how life just is - some people drink, some people get married, some people get pregnant, some people are rich, some not so rich - there is no glamourizing her childhood. Aya is just real life. It is a wonderfully engaging graphic novel that does cover some sensitive issues but not in any uncomfortable way.

It is great for a middle school, high school and also for adults. But depending on where you live, you might have a community that is a little more conservative so you should take a look at it. I did not think there was anything objectionable in it at all but after reading some listservs one never knows.

Another great plus with Aya are additions in the back! There is a great glossary "for better understanding the story". Recipes!!! (and you know I love food). Also there are instructions/illustrations for how to use a pagne and a tassaba (a long or short fabrics used for a wrap). I will have to try out the recipes - Ginger Juice and Peanut Sauce - soon and I'll let you know how that goes! Happy Friday!

Also, to read more about Marguerite Abouet, visit the Bookslut, who interviewed Abouet in 2007.

Book Drops: Nonfiction Mondays - "The Frog Scientist"

This week's Nonfiction Monday host is In Need of Chocolate Blog. Check out the weekly round-up to see if there are any new books you might want to add to your collections.

This week I'm featuring The Frog Scientist, by Pamela S. Turner, which is part of the Scientists in the Field series. The featured scientist is Professor Tyrone Hayes from UC Berkeley who studies the affects of pesticides on frog populations. Filled with large color photos, Turner follows Hayes and his students as they collect samples from the field and work in the labs. She also explains the scientific process from posing a hypothesis to conducting experiements to prove or disprove that hypothesis. Another added bonus is the brief biography about Professor Hayes and the look inside his personal and professional life as well as a glimpse into the lives of his research students. The book also included wonderful color photographs of various frogs, website links, an educator's link, and a wonderful bibliography. It is geared more towards 5-7 graders and could inspire children to study the different sciences.

Book Drops: Graphic Novels Friday

Right now, I'm waiting in excitement for my family to visit. I don't really know why I'm so excited but I am. Also, I'm baking another batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies and I have some Asian short ribs cooking in a slow cooker and I have to get my Graphic Novel Friday post in. So..here I go (by the way, the cookie I'm eating is the bomb!):

1. No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure. Written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Willow Dawson. The illustrations in this book are not the type that usually wows me but she did really well in conveying the stories that Hughes wrote about. The women featured are Hatshepsut, Mu Lan, Alfhild, Esther Brandeau, James Barry, Ellen Craft and Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. Honestly, I have only every heard/read about 2 of these women so it was a really quick introduction to women who did what they needed to to survive. The occupations include a pharaoh, soldiers, pirate, a doctor, a translator and a women who dressed like a man to escape to the Northern United States to be free. Go girls!!!! Do what you need to do to get where you want to go!!!

2. The Good Neighbors Book 1: Kin. By Holly Black and Ted Naifeh. You have a rock star boyfriend, you have the coolest friends but what if all of a sudden you just started seeing things? strange things? strange beings? And your mother just disappeared all of sudden. And your father looks like he's just given up. Some one you don't know is murdered. What would you do? Would you believe what you were seeing? This is what happens to Rue in this dark, gothic fantasy graphic novel. Rue discovers that there is more to her self and her family than she could have ever believed. The story introduces the reader to Rue's other family and they are not a friendly and loving as one would expect. They aren't even human. I can't wait to get Book 2.

Book Drops: NONFICTION MONDAYS

Picture Book of the Day started the Nonfiction Mondays feature and I thought I would join in the fun.

You can check out Rasco from RIF's blog for the Nonfiction Mondays roundup for Monday, December 7.

These books are available at the Burbank Public Library. It's the holidays and maybe you need some ideas for gifts and these two caught my eye. The first one is Do It Yourself Projects! series : Make Your Own Books. It is a great introduction to kids who are crafty. There are very simple projects and it also stresses recycling and reusing materials. 24 pages with 8 projects and a short history about books. Also filled with wonderful color images and step-by-step instructions. It also includes side boxes with great facts about felt, reed paper, etc.

The second book is from the Money Matters: A Kid's Guide to Money Series. This book is A Kid's Guide to Stock Market Investing. It is a set but we only had this one when I was wandering the shelves. Honestly, I wish my parents had this set when I was a kid and I'm only writing about 1 of the books. It is 47 pages and starts with a story about a boy who gets stocks from his grandmother. There is some history about stock exchange as well as current issues, like the foreclosure crisis. It includes a glossary of terms as well as a brief example of how to break down those stock listings in the paper. It also includes a short homework assignment where kids pick their favorite commodity and follow the stock for a month to see how well it does. It has links to websites and other books and online sources for students to use if they are interested in becoming a stockmarket investing.

Both books are engaging and are even great for teens or adults.