Chinese and English Nursery Rhymes by Faye-Lynn Wu and Kieren Dutcher is an appealing CD and book combo to expose younger kids (ages 2-7) to Chinese through songs and nursery rhymes. It would be a great in a classroom as well for units on China and/or Chinese New Year. I highly recommend this book!
Young Adult Post WWII Jewish War Story: What I Saw and How I Lied
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell is an award winning young adult novel (National Book Award Winner, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and An ALA Best Book for Young Adults) is a coming of age novel that oozes with “Mad Men” glamor and ambiance.
Non Fiction for Kids: True or False series Storms, Birds (ages 6-9)
True or False series by Melvin and Gilda Berger is a young science series in a fun question-and-answer format. My kids reviewed Storms and Birds and gave both a thumbs up. For ages 6-9.
Groundhog Day + Pinky and Rex = 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (ages 8-12)
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass is an amusing read about the challenges of middle-school friendships with a “pay it forward” theme. As Amanda relives her 11th birthday with her best friend Leo, she gets the chance to learn about their shared family history, pursue the dreams she too scared to attempt, and help those around her. Maybe we all should get a Ground Hog day experience!
Chinese King Arthur: The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (ages 8-14)
Lloyd Alexander’s The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen reminds me of Percy Jackson but the zen version or even a more swashbuckling version of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. For ages 8-14.
Loss of a Pet: Picture Book for ages 4-adult (The Tenth Good Thing…)
The circle of life thing. Yes. That is a hard lesson for anyone, much less a child and their beloved pet. And with a puppy, the circle of life will eventually come around. When this happens, I recommend this book, The Tenth Good Thing about Barney by Judith Viorst.
Advanced eBook for Kids The Crystal Mountain
eBook, The Crystal Mountain, by Ruth Sanderson for ages 6-10. Sanderson combines folk tales from China and Norway in this lushly illustrated book. This is the perfect eBook for reluctant readers as it can be treated as a portable “book on tape” with rich language and gorgeous illustrations.