Holidays & Festivals

Happy Birthday to You! (Classic Seuss)

Illus. in color. "The Great Birthday Bird guides us on a birthday trip. The multicolored excursion is a festive one."--School Library Journal.  

Corgiville Fair

Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve (Magic Tree House, 30)

In the second of the "Merlin Missions"--hardback additions to Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series--plucky heroes Jack and Annie must once again must travel back in time to rescue Camelot from looming danger.

One wonders why Merlin can't handle this sort of thing himself, but then of course we wouldn't get a chance to see Jack and Annie have another seat-of-the-pants adventure, getting mixed up with shape-shifting magic, armies of birds, a puzzling gem of power, and all sorts of other trouble. With the help of their old pal Teddy (Morgan le Fay's apprentice, last seen in dog form in four earlier Tree House stories), the two "Master Librarians and Magicians of Everyday Magic" must solve the mystery behind a castle full of ghosts and a menacing army of ravens. Not surprisingly, half the trouble comes in unraveling Merlin's riddles and helping Teddy use his rhyming magic correctly.

Osborne doesn't challenge readers overmuch (including the constant restatement of plot elements, perhaps worried that kids might otherwise forget or lose interest) and many parts of the story barely convince (like Teddy's "period" dialogue, e.g., "'Tis cool indeed"), but fans of the Magic Tree House will no doubt love another installment. (Ages 6 to 9) --Paul Hughes

The intrepid Jack and Annie are summoned once again to the fantasy realm of Camelot. There, Merlin the Magician tells them that the Stone of Destiny has been stolen. The answer to its disappearance lies within a haunted castle. With a young magician named Teddy, Jack and Annie take on the challenge in an adventure that takes them to new heights and places they couldn’t even imagine!
a Stepping Stone Book™

Christmas in Camelot (Magic Tree House, No. 29)

A cup, a compass, a key: the magic tree house has brought siblings Annie and Jack to Camelot, where they embark on a mysterious mission to find these enigmatic gifts. In this special hardcover addition to the bestselling Magic Tree House series, the young adventurers must travel to the Otherworld, an "ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of the Earth, the place where all magic began" to save Camelot from dark wizard Mordred's evil spell. If they fail, Camelot will be forgotten forever. Fans of the beloved, highly readable series by Mary Pope Osborne will rise to the challenge of this longer, more complex companion to her other titles, which include Earthquake in the Early Morning and Twister on Tuesday. As in every story in the sequence, Jack and Annie bravely plunge into their quest, learning about a culture and time very far removed from their own, and prove once again that children can make a difference. (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

The Magic Tree House series has become a staple for inspiring kids to read. Christmas in Camelot is a very special Magic Tree House book. Here, author Mary Pope Osborne uses the literary skills for which she’s known to create a longer, more in-depth story featuring the characters kids have come to love. The result is magical: a fast-paced but detailed, easy-to-read story. Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference.

Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27)

The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the Pilgrims as well as Squanto, a Native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as the usual Magic Tree House adventure and excitement.

Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book

How many kisses does a tired baby need?

along with this bedtime book, now in a sturdy format perfect for the youngest readers.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams.Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.

A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

There were homemade valentines and Easter eggs, Fourth of July picnics and family birthdays. Thanksgiving brought visits from relatives -- so many, the children had to sleep in the barn! And finally there was Christmas, the best of all "times to keep," with handmade presents, an Advent calendar, and a "beautiful tree in a shine of candles."

Month by month, Tasha Tudor's delicate illustrations bring to life the holidays of an earlier time. A warm-hearted celebration of family and tradition, this treasury of "times to keep" will be cherished and enjoyed all year long.

Pumpkin Moonshine

Halloween is coming, and Sylvie Ann wants to make a pumpkin moonshine (or jack-o'-lantern), so she sets out across her Grandmummy and Grandpawp's cornfields to find "the very finest and largest pumpkin." Once she finds it, the problem is how to get it home. This fine, large pumpkin is so big, Sylvie Ann can't carry it. So she rolls it across the field, like a snowball in winter, until she reaches the edge of the field where the ground slopes down. And suddenly, the pumpkin begins running away down the hill! Can Sylvie catch it before it frightens the goats, terrifies the hens, enrages the geese, and bumps into Mr. Hemmelskamp who is carrying a pail full of whitewash?

Those who don't know the denouement to this more than 60-year-old classic by two-time Caldecott Honor artist Tasha Tudor will not be surprised to find a happy ending to this exquisite, gentle story. Tudor's delicate orange-framed watercolors of a rural autumn and a bonneted little girl speak to a softer side of Halloween--one that is not overtaken by werewolves, blood, and gore, but is a reminder of the season in all its fresh abundance. Tasha Tudor has over 90 books to her credit, including The Dolls' Christmas and Caldecott Honor book, 1 Is One. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

It's almost Halloween and little Sylvie Ann has found the biggest, fattest pumpkin. But before she can carve it into a giant, crooked-toothed pumpkin moonshine (or jack-o'Iantern), she has to get it home.

If You Give a Pig a Party (If You Give...)

If you give a pig a party,she's going to ask for someballoons. When you give her the balloons, she'll want to decorate the house. When she's finished, she'll put on her favorite dress. Then she'll call all her friends -- Mouse, Moose, and more.

The little pig from If You Give a Pig a Pancake is back, and this time she wants to throw a great big party! Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond have created another winning story for this beloved character in the tradition of the best-selling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.