December 2006

Dear Fellow Book Lovers:

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE

Most libraries develop programs during the month of December around the seasonal holidays that many children celebrate. But December marks another important event that is worthy of celebration. Walt Disney, a name all children recognize, was born on December 5, 1901. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate December than planning programs that honor Disney’s contribution to the culture of children. Though children won’t know about The Wonderful World of Disney that first aired on television on October 27, 1954, their grandparents will remember the weekly show with fond memories. Families tuned in each week with the promise that they would be taken on a journey to a land “where dreams come true.” Let’s recreate Disney’s promise to children by introducing books that take them to each of Disney’s famous lands: Frontier Land, Tomorrow Land, Adventure Land, and Fantasy Land. Here are some books from Random House that fulfill the promise of a land “where dreams come true:”

Frontier Land – Tall Tales from Legendary Past

The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History (Ages 6 up) by Jennifer Armstrong; illustrated by Roger Roth

American Tall Tales (Ages 9-14) by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Michael McCurdy

Fundorado Island (Ages 8 up) by Captain Redbeard

The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural (Ages 8-12) by Patricia C. McKissack; illustrated by Brian Pinkney

New York’s Bravest (Ages 5-8) by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

They Called Her Molly Pitcher (Ages 7-10) by Anne Rockwell; illustrated by Cynthia Von Buhler

Johnny Tremain (Ages 10 up) by Esther Forbes

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Ages 10 up) by Elizabeth George Speare

Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier (Ages 12 up) by Tom Bodett

Tomorrow Land – Promise of Things to Come

Akiko & the Alpha Centauri 5000 (All ages) by Mark Crilley

Fat Men from Space (Ages 8-12) by Daniel Manus Pinkwater

The Iron Giant (Ages 8-10) by Ted Hughes; illustrated by Andrew Davidson

Space Dogs (Ages 8-12) by Justin Ball & Evan Croker

A Wrinkle in Time (Ages 10 up) by Madeleine L’Engle

New World Order (Ages 12 up) by Ben Jeapes

The Destiny of Linus Hoppe (Ages 8-12) by Anne-Laure Bondoux; translated by Catherine Temerson

Adventure Land – World of Nature’s Own Realm

Gorillas: Gentle Giants of the Forest (Ages 5-8) by Joyce Milton; illustrated by Bryn Barnard

Wild Lives: A History of the People & Animals of the Bronx Zoo (Ages 8-12) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld; illustrated by the Wildlife Conservation Society

Bears: Life in the Wild (Ages 6-8) by Monica Kulling; illustrated by Jean Cassels

Brian’s Return (Ages 10 up) by Gary Paulsen

Claws (Ages 10 up) by Dan Greenburg

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 (Ages 10 up) by Michael Capuzzo

A Bear Named Trouble (Ages 9-12) by Marion Dane Bauer

Dinosaur Bone War: Cope and Marsh’s Fossil Feud (Ages 9-12) by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Fantasy Land – The Happiest Kingdom of All

The Happy Lion Roars (Ages 4-8) by Louise Fatio; illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet (Ages 6-8) by Deborah Hautzig; illustrated by Diane Goode

George and the Dragon (Ages 5-8) by Chris Wormell

The Snowman (Ages 5-8) by Raymond Briggs

Castle Magic (Ages 6-8) by Miranda Jones; illustrated by David Calver

The Golden Goose (ages 8-12) by Dick King-Smith; illustrated by Ann Kronheimer

Little Fur: The Legend Begins (Ages 8-12) by Isobelle Carmody

You may email me at pscales@bellsouth.net.