Vacation ideas

Family Trees at the Concord Museum: The Concord Museum has limited the number of visitors so that all can continue to enjoy this annual tradition! This is the 25th year that trees have been decorated at the museum -- each tree represents a particular children's book. Witness the creativity of local volunteers who enthusiastically participate each year. The exhibit runs through Sunday, January 3. 

Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children 5 to 17 years. Free for children under 5. 

https://concordmuseum.org/family-trees/

Steve Sheinkin's Author - Fan Faceoff series! Fun videos with some of your favorite authors! http://stevesheinkin.com/blog/ Links to all the YouTube videos appear on Steve Sheinkin's Blog. 

A superfan of various authors meets the author on zoom and challenges the author to answer trivia questions about his or her book! Very funny! See if you can answer these tough questions, too! 

See you all in the new year! Have a wonderful break! 

Snow stories & recs for vacation

Have you seen the district-wide library webpage with snowy day read alouds? Some are read by our school librarians and some are read by other special readers. Enjoy! 

Need more snow stories? Here's a great list from the Boston Atheneum.

The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chetwins

Seven years ago, the Ballastian sisters’ parents left them in the magical Straygarden Place, a house surrounded by tall silver grass and floating trees. They left behind a warning saying never to leave the house or go into the grass. “Wait for us,” the note read. “Sleep darkly.” Ever since then, the house itself has taken care of Winnow, Mayhap, and Pavonine—feeding them, clothing them, even keeping them company—while the girls have waited and grown up. Mysterious and eerie, this book will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next! 

The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann

Ernestine is beyond excited to go camping. She follows the packing list carefully (new sleeping bag! new flashlight! special trail mix made with Dad!) so she knows she is ready when the weekend arrives. But she quickly realizes that nothing could have prepared her for how hard it is to set up a tent, never mind fall asleep in it, or that swimming in a lake means that there will be fish — eep! Will Ernestine be able to enjoy the wilderness, or will it prove to be a bit too far out of her comfort zone?

Book bundles for tweens and teens!

Brookline Library news! 

The public library is now offering book bundles of 5 books for teens and tweens! Here is their announcement of this special pre-vacation program:

Stop by and pick up some vacation reading today! 

Book suggestions in time for winter break!

 Book suggestions

The Willoughbys Return by Lois Lowry

Although they grew up as wretched orphans, the Willoughby siblings also became heirs to the the Melanoff candy company fortune. Everything has turned out just splendidly, except for one problem: Richie Willoughby, son of Timothy Willoughby, is an only child and is quite lonely.

Winifred and Winston Poore have long admired the toys of their neighbor Richie Willoughby and finally befriend the mysterious boy next door. But just as Richie finally begins to make friends, selling sweets is made illegal, and the family's fortune is put in jeopardy. To make matters worse, Richie's horrible Willoughby grandparents—frozen atop a Swiss mountain thirty years ago—have thawed, remain in perfect health, and are making their way home again. This sequel to The Willoughbys which was published in 2008 will remind readers of the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events books. It is full of dark humor and perilous moments for the characters. 

Packs: Strength in Numbers by Hannah Salyer

Groups, packs, herds of millions, and more—our world teems with animals on land, air, and sea.

Packs is an inspiring celebration of how togetherness helps many creatures thrive, in both nonhuman and human communities. What are the advantages of working together and being part of a pack? Beautiful illustrations and thought-provoking text. 

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall 

What would aliens find if they came to Earth? The main character in this book addresses an alien directly and explains what the Earth is like, who lives here, what they need to survive, and more! Gorgeous illustrations with lots of detail just made for poring over again and again. This is one of our Caldecott Contenders this year! Go to the district's library website to find out more! 

Here are some other places to find the best books of the year: 

School Library Journal's Best Books of 2020

New York Times' Best Children's Books of 2020

Publishers' Weekly Best Books of 2020

Don't forget about our local bookstores as you do your holiday/ winter break 

book shopping! 

Booksale highlights & book suggestions

Booksale at the Main Library

Brookline Library (Village branch) has a TON of great kids' books in their outdoor booksale area. They seem to have had lots of new or almost new books donated -- many from popular series like Wimpy Kid and Henry and Mudge and Ivy and Bean (and many more). Check it out if you're in the area (next to Pierce School and Town Hall).  

Outdoor activites

LL Bean's partnership with the National Wildlife Federation-- opportunities for kids' outdoor activities. Click here to learn more. 

Book suggestions

Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata

Being a quadruplet can make it hard to stand out from the crowd. Becca's three brothers all have something that makes them...them. Bailey has his music and dancing, Jammer plays hockey, and K.C. thinks they're all living in a simulation and doesn't see the point of doing much of anything. Becca is the only one with nothing to make her special.

But when she finds a tiny, sick piglet on the side of the road, Becca knows this is it. This is her thing. She names the piglet Saucy and between her own pleading and Saucy's sweet, pink face, Becca convinces her family to take her in. Soon, Saucy is as big a part of the family as anyone else--and getting bigger. With each pound Saucy gains, the more capable she becomes of destroying the house and landing Becca in trouble. Becca's cause becomes bigger when she finds out there are more piglets out there who need her help! Great family story & could be a good read-aloud. 

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

Henry Khoo's family treats him like a baby. He’s not allowed to go anywhere without his sister/chaperone/bodyguard. And he definitely CAN’T take a journey halfway around the world all by himself!

But that’s exactly his plan. After his family’s annual trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry decides he doesn’t want to be cooped up at home with his overprotective family and BFF turned NRFF (Not Really Friend Forever). Plus, he’s hiding a your-life-is-over-if-you’re-caught secret: he’s the creator of an anonymous gossip cartoon, and he's on the verge of getting caught. Determined to prove his independence and avoid punishment for his crimes, Henry embarks on the greatest adventure everrr. . . hoping it won’t turn into the greatest disaster ever. By the author of Pie in the Sky. This illustrated novel has a little bit of everything: adventure, overcoming your fears, family, and lots of humon! 

Easy reader surprise + book suggestions

Brookline Public Library branches are now offering an Easy Reader surprise bundle that you can check out from the libraries without putting the books on hold! Just go to any of the branches and tell them you'd like to borrow an "easy reader surprise". You'll get 10 randomly selected Easy Reader books! Click here to learn more. 

Book suggestions:

Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard

Cyrus Olson’s dad is a hero—Northfield’s former football star and now one of their finest firefighters. Everyone expects Cyrus to follow in his dad’s record-breaking footsteps, and he wishes they were right—except he’s never been brave like that. But this year, with the help of a stray dog, a few new friends, a little bit of rhythm, and a lot of nerve, he may just discover that actually…he is. Excellent realistic fiction. Themes of what it means to be brave, being yourself, and promoting true friendships are all a part of this middle grade story. 

There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi

Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. A beautiful picture book about worry and overcoming your fears. 

Collection of winter holiday titles: Follow the link to a collection of our winter holiday books. Students can request any of the titles by putting them on hold in the library catalog or by writing the title on their request form if they are in grades 1 and 2.