In the January/February 2014 issue of Chirp Magazine for kids aged 3 to 6, it’s “Time for Bed.” And what is bedtime without a story? Chirp says, “Looking for a good bedtime book? Check out Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That by Victoria Allenby. This cat can sleep through anything!”
Click here to learn more about Chirp.
“As the North Vietnamese entered Saigon, missionaries rushed to evacuate the most vulnerable orphans: healthy ones might find new homes, but “children with disabilities—like Tuyet—would be killed.” Tuyet, eight, lame from polio, has cared for babies for as long as she can remember. With her help, fifty or so of these tiny orphans are loaded, two to a box, for what proved to be the last such flight to Canada; once there, it is Tuyet who shows their new caregivers that the wailing infants awaiting adoption could be comforted by letting them sleep together on blankets spread on the floor, as they’d always been—an emotional need she shares, as her adoptive family realizes after Tuyet spends a sleepless night alone in her new bedroom. A concluding note describes the return of Tuyet’s memories during conversations with the author, whose third-person re-creation of these transitional months in 1975 makes vivid the uncertainties of confronting a new language, climate, and family. Tuyet’s initial misapprehensions are telling (those points of light in the Canadian sky aren’t bombs but stars), as is her cautious, unfailingly coureous approach to a life that includes such unfamiliar things as play and ample food. Fortunately, her adoptive family is not only well-meaning but loving, creative, and sensitive. An excellent first step on the ladder that leads to such fine immigrant tales as Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out & Back Again (rev. 3/11). Illustrated with photos. Notes; further resources; index.”
–Joanna Rudge Long, The Horn Book Magazine, September/October 2012
When I was a kid I loved libraries and bookstores. I could walk in, find the shelves of juvenile fiction, and pull off a dozen books I wanted to read. Just like that.
It’s harder these days. I don’t know if it’s my age, or the literary snobbiness I contracted during my undergraduate studies, or the overwhelming abundance of books, but I just can’t seem to decide what I want to read anymore. Even in the juvenile fiction section, which – let’s face it – I will never outgrow.
Luckily, there are institutions for people like me. Literary ones, that is – not mental ones. The one that’s closest to my heart is the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, which is dedicated to promoting Canadian books for young readers. One of their projects is a publication called Best Books for Kids and Teens. It’s a guide in magazine form to the best books, magazines, and audio and video products published for kids in Canada. Here’s what you need to know about it:
How can I get this publication?
I’m glad you asked. The easiest way is to follow this direct link to the products section of the CCBC website. There you can purchase individual copies, subscriptions, and memberships. With a membership you also get a subscription to another CCBC publication, Canadian Children’s Book News.
Best Books for Kids and Teens is also available in select stores and newsstands across the country.
“No Shelter Here is a wonderful introductory for younger generations and sure to be a book the entire family will learn from. From what dogs need to have a quality life to serious issues and those who face them, Rob Laidlaw gives young readers a fair but realistic view on today’s canine world. While learning simple facts about acquiring a dog, their needs and responsible ownership, they are also exposed to several realities in the canine/human realm.
When it comes to the impact humans have on ‘Man’s Best Friend’ there are sensitive issues that can be extremely difficult to discuss, let alone explain. Laidlaw gently explores the various topics such as research, racing, chaining and puppy mills while featuring what he calls ‘Champions’ from around the world and what they are doing to create change”
–Jamie Hunter, Rescue Mag