The Snow Lion

So excited about the US edition of this loveliest, coziest of stories.  Caro and her mum move to a new house at the top of a hill.  Caro is a little sad, lonely and reluctant to go out and explore her new environs.  But in the quiet of her house, a new friend appears just when she needs one most.  Both words and pictures are just the right amount of soft, magical and heartfelt.  If you buy one book this year, let this be it.

The Snow Lion was written by Jim Helmore, illustrated by Richard Jones and published by Peachtree.  It’ll be out on October 1.

Storm

STORM is the fourth in Sam Usher’s seasonal series about a boy, his grandad and their outings together.  It’s a red and ochre autumn day, with nice gusty winds brewing outside — perfect kite-flying weather.  The only problem is their old kite is nowhere to be found, and rummaging around the house for it seems to go on and on.  Eventually the pair sets off, eager and hopeful for an adventure…of the magical sort.  Such a fantastic series and we’ve so enjoyed and anticipated the publication of each of these titles: SNOW, RAIN, SUN, and now STORM.

STORM was written and illustrated by Samuel Usher and published by Templar Books.

Little Lit Book Series: Math

We’re all about math this month for #littlelitbookseries.

“Margaret Hamilton loved to solve problems.  She came up with ideas no one had ever thought of before.”

Margaret’s childhood affinity for math and her innovative and inquisitive nature led her to deeper studies in algebra, geometry and calculus as she got older.  She became involved in the nascent field of computer science, learned to code, coined the term “software engineering” and started working at NASA.  She eventually became the director of software programming for the Apollo project and perhaps one of her most well-known contributions was helping to land astronauts safely on the moon in Apollo 11.  Margaret Hamilton not only had a brilliant mind, but was a pioneer on so many levels.  Her story is told in the enjoyable, engaging and inspiring Margaret and the Moon.  We absolutely loved reading it and are great fans of Lucy Knisley’s art.

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing was written by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Lucy Knisley and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Be sure to stop by @littlelitbookseries for more mathy books throughout the month and check out the others being shared today by searching the hashtag #littlelitbookseries on Instagram.

Summer Evening

Southern California tends to have a long protracted summer and we’ve got quite a few warm evenings left, but we’re enjoying the last few unhurried days before the fall rhythms of bleary-eyed early mornings and long school days speed up life once more.

We’re great fans of Walter de la Mare’s poetry.  In Summer Evening, we join a farmer and his family as they have dinner outside on a golden evening with Carolina Rabei’s orange and yellow landscapes exuding beautiful warmth, conviviality and living in the moment.

Summer Evening was written by Walter de la Mare, illustrated by Carolina Rabei and published by Faber & Faber Children’s.

Summer Evening is the fourth title in this quartet of seasonal books celebrating Walter de la Mare’s poetry.  The others are Snow, Silver and The Ride-by-Nights.  I’d love to hear everyone’s favorite poet or book of poetry (old or new).

The Baby-Sitters Club Retro Set

What I’ll be reading all this long weekend.

For me, seeing the original covers of The Baby-Sitters Club evokes such nostalgia — the little cracking noise a new paperback would sometimes make when it was first opened, the wooden block chapter header illustrations (!) and the seemingly endless wait for the next installment in the series to come out.  And the unparalleled excitement on the day the monthly book order would arrive in class.  Anyone want to divulge their favorite babysitter of the five?  Happy long weekend, all.

The Baby-Sitters Club Retro Set, published by Scholastic, includes books 1-6 and was written by the one and only Ann M. Martin.