August 2010
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text sizeAnimal Stories: Yearling
The Yearling
by Marjorie Rawlings
A boy must decide the fate of the fawn he has raised as a pet.
Animal Stories: Where the Red Fern Grows
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
Billy shares love, adventure and challenges with his two hunting dogs.
Animal Stories: My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka
by Mary O'Hara
A boy's devotion to his colt Flicka helps him win his father's acceptance.
Animal Stories: National Velvet
National Velvet
by Enid Bagnold
A fourteen-year-old girl is determined to turn her untamed horse into a champion.
Kindergarten: Sausages
Sausages
by Jessica Souhami
An elf grants a woodcutter and his wife three wishes.
Kindergarten: Rabbit's Gift
Rabbit's Gift
by George Shannon
Woodland creatures share a turnip left on the doorstep.
Kindergarten: Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose
Mother Goose: Numbers on the Loose
by Diane & Leo Dillon
An illustrated collection of 24 counting rhymes.
Kindergarten: Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
by Melanie Watt
A lonely squirrel overcomes his fears to find the perfect non-biting, germ-free friend.
Kindergarten: Skunkdog
Skunkdog
by Emily Jenkins
A lonely dog with no sense of smell makes a new friend.
Kindergarten: Kitten Tale
A Kitten Tale
by Eric Rohmann
Three kittens are wary of snow, but the fourth can hardly wait for it to come.
Kindergarten: Perfect Nest
The Perfect Nest
by Catherine Friend
A cat gets more than he bargained for when he builds a nest to attract a meal.
Kindergarten: Big Smelly Bear
Big Smelly Bear
by Britta Teckentrup
A bear insists that his friend visit the pond for a bath.
Kindergarten: Christopher Counting
Christopher Counting
by Valeri Gorbachev
Once a bunny learns to count there's no stopping him.
Septimus Heap Book 1
Magyk
by Angie Sage
How would you like to discover when you are 10 years old that the Heap family you’ve grown up in is not your real family and you are actually a Princess? Jenna isn’t sure how she feels to suddenly be royalty, which means moving to a palace where she will be supervised by the bossy ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand. But this is only one of her problems. Jenna has a secret enemy determined to make sure she won’t live to become Queen. And who is that strange Boy 412?
Books and More!
Books and More! is an outgrowth of the Books for Little Hands program, a comprehensive early literacy program for pre-school children launched in 1997 following a community needs assessment. The Books for Little Hands program includes classroom book bags, curriculum idea kits, early literacy education, and a take home book bag component, My Books and I. Early childhood educators who use these materials expressed a desire to see something similar available for families to checkout through their local branch library.
Books and More! consists of a clear plastic backpack filled with bilingual books for preschool-age developing readers, along with a music CD and parenting tips DVD. An age-appropriate toy related to the theme of the books completes the package.
Each backpack includes suggested activities to do with your child. A Books and More! backpack is available for babies too. Parents and caregivers with an active San José library card can borrow a Books and More! backpack. Library cards are free to anyone who resides in California. Books and More! is available for checkout through all branches of the San José Public Library; limit one per household. The checkout period is three weeks. Enjoy the materials in the tote bag, then return it and check out another. Each bag contains a new combination of materials. Books and More! encourages reading in the home. Parents and children have fun learning together, while laying the groundwork for future success in school and life.
For information contact your neighborhood San José Public Library, call Early Care and Education Services at (408) 808-2617.
From the Ground Up
From the Ground Up: Building Silicon Valley
by Goodwin Steinberg
Architect Goodwin Steinberg has been actively involved in changing the Silicon Valley landscape since the 1950's. He has designed many prominent buildings in the San José and Santa Clara County including the Tech Museum, the Children's Shelter and the renovated County Court House across from St. James Park. From the Ground Up is both a memoir and a retrospective survey of his architectural work, containing photos of his many imaginative designs.
Reviewed by Faith Mason
