Some information to know:

1. Do you want a good read about a boy and his dog?
2. Do you see anything unusual in this Caldecott winning book?
3. What are some easy guidelines in caring for library books?

Do you want a good read about a boy and his dog?

A Dog for Life
L.S. Matthews
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Winner

As young John Hawkins tells it, you may have heard his story: on a journey
from the north of England to the south, John and his dog, Mouse, save a
drowning child, rescue several ponies marked for death by a money-grubbing
scientist, and make sure a gypsy family is safe from a mob. But John feels no
one has gotten his story quite right, so he�s telling it himself, beginning
when his older brother, Tom, is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
Then comes more disheartening news: Tom�s susceptibility to infection means no
pets are allowed. But Mouse is no ordinary dog. Mouse, Tom, John share a
special bond: they can read each other�s thoughts, and together they come up
with a plan. John will head to the home of the boys� uncle, and leave Mouse
there until Tom recovers. Yes, there are problems with the plan. They haven�t
been in touch with Uncle David for years, and there�s not enough money for a
train ticket. But that doesn�t stop the intrepid travelers. This is a little
gem�part adventure and part heartfelt family story, dusted with magic realism.
True, the premise is a little weak, but after that initial head-scratcher, the
story sails forward in picaresque fashion, told in John�s resolute voice.
Everything is a bit unexpected here, except for the satisfying end. � Ilene
Cooper

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Do you see anything unusual in this Caldecott winning book?

Flotsam
David Wiesner
Caldecott Medal Winner
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Winner

As in his Caldecott Medal Book Tuesday (1991), Wiesner offers another
exceptional, wordless picture book that finds wild magic in quiet, everyday
settings. At the seaside, a boy holds a magnifying glass up to a flailing
hermit crab; binoculars and a microscope lay nearby. The array of lenses
signals the shifting viewpoints to come, and in the following panels, the boy
discovers an old-fashioned camera, film intact. A trip to the photo store
produces astonishing pictures: an octopus in an armchair holding story hour in
a deep-sea parlor; tiny, green alien tourists peering at sea horses. There are
portraits of children around the world and through the ages, each child
holding another child�s photo. After snapping his own image, the boy returns
the camera to the sea, where it�s carried on a journey to another child.
Children may initially puzzle, along with the boy, over the mechanics of the
camera and the connections between the photographed portraits. When closely
observed, however, the masterful watercolors and ingeniously layered
perspectives create a clear narrative, and viewers will eagerly fill in the
story�s wordless spaces with their own imagined story lines. Like Chris Van
Allsburg�s books and Wiesner�s previous works, this visual wonder invites us
to rethink how and what we see, out in the world and in our mind�s eye. -
Gillian Engberg

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What are some easy guidelines in caring for library books?

    * Always handle books with clean hands.
    * Never mark or write in library books.
    * Be careful turning pages so they don't wrinkle or tear.
    * Keep your library books away from food and drink.
    * Keep your library books clean and dry.
    * Keep library books away from pets and little brothers/sisters.
    * Carry your library books in your bookbag.
    * Keep your books in a special place at home so they stay safe.
    * Return books on time so others can read them.

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