Some last minute 2015 reading...

I had a stack of picture books on the table that I had been meaning to get to, so I tackled those last night.  I also am diligently working on my "Best of 2015" for our teen blog at work - I have to pick my three favorite YAs published in 2015.  Unfortunately, I did not read a lot of 2015 titles because of work... but I have a few to add to the mix.  But first - picture books!

  Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett (2015)
Not everyone likes ghosts. Leo discovers this after a new family moves into his house. He does not want to live where he is not wanted, so he leaves his home in pursuit of a new place to live and hopefully, a new friend. He does manage to find a friend - but she thinks Leo is just another one of her imaginary playmates. Until Leo manages to prevent a thief from stealing the silverware. This book might not be for every child - I know some younger children might be upset at the thought of someone sneaking into their house through a window - but it could certainly be used as a read-aloud for the elementary crowd.

 Melissa's Octopus and Other Unsuitable Pets by Charlotte Voake (2014) - I think I would start this out by asking the kids what animals they can think of that would make really, really bad pets - just to see what they would come up with. Charlotte Voake includes the octopus, obviously, along with an elephant, a mole, and a giraffe. She acknowledges that they are all splendid animals -- they just might not make great pets. But the crocodile at the end of the story seems to be the most unsuitable of all!  Use it in a pets story time for PreK and up.  Or crocodiles!

Coming Home by Greg Ruth (2014)
This is a lovely story - almost wordless - about a young boy waiting for someone special to come home from war.  A must have for any library or school that has a military population in their community and a great addition to any library to help everyone understand what it is like to greet someone returning from war.  Be sure to use it for a Memorial Day display or bring it out for Veterans Day.  It could also be used in a story time about waiting - since there were so many great books published this year with that theme!


Yard Sale by Eve Bunting (2015)    This is a story about a family who has fallen on hard times; they must sell their house and move into a much smaller apartment.  So they have a yard sale to get rid of everything they can't take with them - and raise some much-needed money.  The young girl in the story is a bit confused and unsure of all the changes coming into her life but is reassured by the end of the story.  While the family in this story is having to move for financial reasons, the book could also be used to comfort anyone having to relocate or downsize their household. 

Two Mice by Sergio Ruzzier (2015) Two Mice = Too Adorable!  I really liked this story.  It's not profound - two mousey friends and one, two three.  But the illustrations are -- wonderful! The feet of the legs on the table when the mice are eating cookies; the mousey tongue when they find the nest with eggs; the eagle tongue when the mice are flying... just a cute book with lots of detail.  It's on the small side so unless they decide to create a Big Book, this would be difficult to use in a storytime.  But it would be great fun to share one on one -- or project the pictures for a preschool/K group!

I Yam a Donkey! - Story, pictures, and bad grammar all by Cece Bell (2015)
Can you imagine a conversation between a donkey and a yam?  You'll be able to after you read this fun and silly book!  It does share concepts of good (or bad) grammar but mostly it's a "who's on first" type of read.  And I promise you will laugh out loud during the story - it is that cute! This would be a good addition to a story time that includes vegetables or just stories to make you laugh out loud.  PreK and up!  Even older kids will appreciate this story.