Staff Book Reviews

Staff Book Reviews:

Finding new ways to read when you can’t borrow print library materials may seem like a challenge, but your Lopez Library is ready to help with a wide range of electronic resources. As a physical book-in-the-hands lover myself, it’s taken me some time to accept eBooks and audiobooks, but I’ve learned to enjoy them and see the benefits, such as listening to an audiobook when my eyes are tired, or viewing a picture book on my computer instead of my phone for optimum presentation.

Today, I’d like to share a new eBook with you and your family. I discovered it on Hoopla, one of the platforms free to all Lopez Library card holders. Use your 14-digit library card number and password to sign-up for Hoopla and checkout up to 5 items per month (no waiting!), plus extra borrows on select items during this stay-at-home time. Now, it’s time to read!

This Way, Charlie by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso is a new picture book inspired by a real animal friendship, perfect for reading aloud. Jack the Goat prefers being alone, until he meets Charlie the Horse, whose sunny disposition wins him over. Author Caron’s lyrical words and illustrator Charles’ soft paintings pair perfectly for a soothing experience with just the right touch of adventure. I laughed aloud and held my breath as I read to myself, and wished I had others with me to share my delight.

Use this heartwarming story to teach reading skills in a fun way. You might begin by exploring the cover with your child, asking them:

  • What do you think the story is about (predicting)?
  • What is going to happen to the horse and the goat?
  • Where do they live?
  • What is the season?
  • Predict further while admiring the illustrations inside the front cover: what are the animals feeling?

On the title page, point out the name of the book, the author and illustrator, and for older children, the publisher (what does a publisher do?). On the following page, you might read aloud the dedication, then return to it at the end of the story to discuss the author’s and illustrator’s meanings.

Then read the story through, pouring over the illustrations, perhaps asking a few questions, or waiting until the end for questions, depending on your child’s mood and liking.

Here are a few pages I particularly admired with questions and activities you might share (page numbers correspond to the Hoopla eBook pages):

Page 12: How many baby possums do you see? What bird do you see?

Page 16: Trace Charlie’s path with your finger for a tactile connection with the story, then later, create your own pathway drawing of your house or yard.

Page 20: Notice the homophones “Hey” and “Hay” that sound the same, but have different meanings and are spelled differently. Can you think of other homophones (such as doe and dough)?

Page 22: Relish the lush language: “Sometimes, a quiet like warm milk filled the space between them.” Can you find another place in the story that includes a very different “quiet” feeling?

Don’t miss the Author’s Note after the story. You can visit the real-life ranch where Jack and Charlie live at Wild Heart Rescue and find many activities on the author’s webpage: Caron Levis.

I hope you enjoy This Way, Charlie as much as I did. Share your own eResource stories with Beth@lopezlibrary.org.

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Have you seen a Robin in your backyard or neighborhood? This is the best time of year to watch these delightful birds as they gather materials to build nests, and perch on rooftops or trees with beak-fulls of worms to feed their hungry babies. Learn more about robins and how to draw them with author/illustrator Annette LeBlanc Cate in her YouTube video: “Bird-Watching and Drawing with Annette LeBlanc Cate: Robins.” Watch the video now, watch our own Lopez Island robins, and later, you can checkout Ms. Cate’s book, Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard.  Stay tuned for more bird-watching and drawing programs with Ms. Cate. (Beth)