Released Dec. 20, 2007
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- With a long winter break, reading can be a good way to help children pass the time, and books are also popular gifts. To help parents and gift-givers select among the thousands of available titles, Joyce Herbeck, education professor at Montana State University and childhood reading specialist, shares some of her favorites.
"Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale" (Hyperion Books for Children, $15.99) by Mo Willems. When Trixie and her dad go to the laundromat, Trixie's dearest treasure, Knuffle Bunny, is left behind. Trixie, in her toddler language, tries to explain, but her dad doesn't understand. Both children and adults will laugh at this picture book, Herbeck said, which is suitable for children in preschool through grade two.
"Rules" (Scholastic, Inc., $15.99) by Cynthia Lord, tells the story of Catherine, her younger brother, David, who is autistic, and Jason, a boy in a wheel chair whom Catherine meets during David's occupational therapy appointments. "This book has everything: humor, compassion, peer pressure, insight and social justice," Herbeck said, and is appropriate for children in grades three through eight.
"The House of the Scorpion" (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, $9.99) by Nancy Farmer, addresses issues of current relevance and will spark important discussion, Herbeck said. Matt, the main character of the book, is a clone, and even though those around him try to make him feel less than human, he rises above the cruelty and discovers his own self-worth. This mystery, science fiction and adventure story is good for students in grades five through 10, Herbeck said.
"Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue" (Hyperion Books for Children, $7.99) by Julius Lester, transports readers to Georgia in 1859 and the largest slave auction in U.S. history. Based on a true event, this book, in a play format, tells the story of the Butler plantation, where 429 slaves were sold to pay for the master's gambling debts. The book is suitable for students in grades five through 12.
"Al Capone Does My Shirts" (Penguin Young Readers Group, $6.99) by Gennifer Choldenko, is set on Alcatraz Island in 1935, with Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly close by. Moose Flanagan is not happy about moving to Alcatraz, but his father is an electrician and prison guard there, so he has no choice. Moose's mother devotes herself to trying to get Moose's autistic sister into a special school in San Francisco. Moose eventually tries to help out by appealing to the one person that he thinks can make things happen, even from a jail cell. "The vivid setting of this book is as powerful as Moose's compassion for his sister," Herbeck said. It is suitable for children in grades four through eight.
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http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=5458
Contacts: Ann deOnis, (406) 994-5793, adeonis@montana.edu
Joyce Herbeck, (406) 994-5792, jherbeck@montana.edu
