Book picks similar to
Warm as Wool by Scott Russell Sanders


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Me on the Map


Joan Sweeney - 1996
    In this playful introduction to maps and geography, step by simple step, a young girl shows readers herself on a map of her room, her room on the map of her house, her house on the map of her street--all the way to her country on a map of the world. Once the reader is familiar with the maps, she demonstrates how readers can find their own country, state, and town--all the way back to their room--on each colorful map. Easy-to-read text, bright artwork, and charming details give children a lot to search for and will have them eager to help navigate on the next family vacation.  From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.

Brave Irene


William Steig - 1986
    Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl. But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on."Brave Irene" is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure


Cindy Neuschwander - 1997
    King Arthur was a good ruler, but now he needs a good ruler. What would you do if the neighboring kingdom were threatening war? Naturally, you'd call your strongest and bravest knights together to come up with a solution. But when your conference table causes more problems than the threat of your enemy, you need expert help. Enter Sir Cumference, his wife Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius. With the help of the carpenter, Geo of Metry, this sharp-minded team designs the perfect table conducive to discussing the perfect plan for peace. The first in Sir Cumference series, SIR CUMFERENCE AND THE FIRST ROUND TABLE makes math fun and accessible for everyone.

Night of the Moonjellies


Mark Shasha - 1992
    A moonlight ride with Gram on a fishing boat takes them out on the ocean where thousands of moonjellies shimmer, and the boy slips his treasure back among them. Based on a childhood experience in New England, Shasha's narrative is full of small details that illuminate the story but don't impede it. His rich pastels combined with the text create a strong sense of place and time--the warmth of family relationships, the quiet companionship of the boy and his grandmother, the cheerful hard work and hustle-bustle of the concession stand, and the magic of the glowing sea. His use of light, shadows, and darkness in the luminous full-color double-page spreads invite readers right into the story. -- School Library Journal

Train to Somewhere


Eve Bunting - 1996
    When her mother left Marianne at the orphanage, hadn't she promised she'd come for her after making a new life in the West? Stop after stop goes by, and there's no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy, plain Marianne, either. But that's all right: She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train pulls into its final stop, a town called Somewhere . . .

Silly Milly


Wendy Cheyette Lewison - 2010
    Miss Milly likes green but not red, butter but not bread, seeds but not flowers, and umbrellas but not showers. Readers are invited to guess why Miss Milly likes what she does. The answer? She likes double letters! Whacky illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott will make this an easy-to-read favorite!

Children Just Like Me: A new celebration of children around the world


Catherine Saunders - 2016
    Children will learn about their peers around the world through engaging photographs and understandable text laid out in DK's distinctive style.Highlighting over 30 countries, Children Just Like Me profiles over 40 children and their daily lives. From rural farms to busy cities to riverboats, this celebration of children around the world shows the many ways children are different and the many ways they are the same, no matter where they live.Meet Bolat, an eight-year-old from Kazakhstan who likes to cycle, play with his pet dogs, and play the dromba; Joaquin from New Jersey who enjoys reading and spending time with his family, and whose favorite food is bacon; or Yaroslav from Moscow who likes to make robots. Daily routines, stories of friends and family, and dreams for the future are spoken directly from the children themselves, making the content appropriate and interesting to draw in young readers.To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of this special project, all-new photography, maps, and facts give unique insight to children's lives in our world today showing their homes, food, outfits, schools, families, and hobbies.A passport to a celebratory journey around the world, Children Just Like Me is perfect for children who are curious about the children of the world and their stories.Reviews:"Factual, respectful, and insightful...provides just the right balance of information and visual interest." - School Library Journal"Provide[s] hours of fascinating browsing and the beginnings of real insight into other cultures." - Horn Book Magazine"The candid, approachable text, accompanying quotes, and nuggets of information make the lives of these children as vivid as a friend's." - Family Fun

Prairie School


Avi - 2001
    One day his Aunt Dora arrives to give him some schooling. Noah doesn't think he needs it. What use is reading on the prairie? But what Noah discovers will change his life forever.

Very Last First Time


Jan Andrews - 1986
    In winter, when people wanted mussels to eat, they searched along the bottom of the seabed. Eva had often walked on the bottom, helping her mother, but today – for the very first time – she was to go down below the thick sea ice herself. Her mother went with her to the shore and out onto the ice. The time was just right. The outgoing tide had pulled the seawater away, leaving only the ice above and the rock-strewn seabed below. Eva lowered herself through a hole in the ice and, by candlelight, had soon gathered a pan full of mussels. There was still time to explore, she decided. But she stumbled and her candle went out. She was alone in the darkness, and the tide had turned. When, at the end of her adventure, she is safe with her mother again on top of the ice, she says, "that was my very last first time for walking alone on the bottom of the sea."

Come On, Rain!


Karen Hesse - 1999
    Lyrically written and lovingly illustrated." - School Library Journal "Hesse's language is a quiet, elegant surge.... Muth contributes fine watercolor atmospherics." - Kirkus Reviews

The Big Balloon Race


Eleanor Coerr - 1981
    It’s a fun way to keep your child engaged and as a supplement for activity books for children.Ariel would love to be in the basket of Lucky Star on the day of the big balloon race against Bernard the Brave. Her mother, Carlotta the Great, is the best lady balloonist in America. But Ariel's parents think she is too young. Little do they know she is asleep in the Odds and Ends box when Carlotta the Great orders "Hands off!" and the balloon race begins. The thrills of Ariel's first ride in a hydrogen balloon come to life in this story based on a real ballooning family of the late 1800's. Carolyn Croll's pictures capture the pageantry and drama of the race, and will have readers rooting to the end for Ariel and her mother.

The Long Way to a New Land


Joan Sandin - 1981
    This book is a helpful supplement to a history class and a courageous, compelling story for any occasion.The year is 1868 and Sweden is a barren land of poverty and famine. Carl Erik and his family receive a letter from an uncle in America. The uncle realizes that the Erik family is near the end of their rope, and encourages them to move abroad to make a new life. The family sells all their personal items and begins a long trek across land and sea to America...As a fan of this book and its companion, The Long Way Westward, put it: "The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s."Author-artist Joan Sandin's grandfather was born in Sweden and immigrated to Wisconsin with his parents in 1882, when he was only two. Joan herself spent time in Sweden and did extensive research to create her well-loved classic books about the immigrant experience.

Saint George and the Dragon


Margaret Hodges - 1984
    George and the Dragon commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Caldecott Award-winning picture book. Hodges retells an exciting segment from Spenser's The Faerie Queene, in which the Red Cross Knight slays a dreadful dragon that has been terrorizing the countryside for years, bringing peace and joy back to the land. Featuring a fresh new cover design - with artwork that highlights the dragon adventure within - and distinctive embossed gold Caldecott Award sticker, this is the perfect way to introduce the classic tale to a whole new generation of readers.

The Fly on the Ceiling: A Math Myth


Julie Glass - 1998
    Full color.

Tacky the Penguin


Helen Lester - 1988
    Will this nonconformist teach old penguins some new tricks and help save the day? This hilarious series following the adventures of one superlative penguin is a modern classic. Tacky likes to do splashy cannonballs and greet his friends with a loud, “What’s happening?” His fellow penguins find his odd behavior somewhat bothersome. But when fearsome poachers come to the iceberg hunting for penguins, Tacky’s odd ways may be just the thing that saves the day. From beloved children’s book author Helen Lester, and cherished illustrator Lynn Munsinger, Tacky the Penguin is a delightful tale about being true to yourself--even when it means being a little different from everybody else.