[BHE 140] Launch of January-February 2015 Reading Theme: Once Upon a Childhood: Throwback Reads on Childhood Favourites and HOT for CYBILS

Myra here.

Every Sunday, it has been a tradition here for us at GatheringBooks to share with all you beautiful folks the books that have found us and hunted us down. Today is extra special as we launch our new reading theme for January-February 2015: Once Upon a Childhood – Throwback Reads and Hot For Cybils!

Essentially we are looking for the following books:

1. We will be doing a nostalgic walk-through of the books that have made us readers. I didn’t realize how easy this would be for me given our amazing libraries here in Singapore. I’ve actually reserved over 15 books, and just seeing the titles made me tear up, as I remember reading them when I was young. Watch out for my post tomorrow.
2. Contemporary early reader books that we would have loved to read as children. Middle-grade, young adult titles (and graphic novels too) that would have caught our eye, knowing what we were like as young children.
3. Another one of our traditions here at GatheringBooks ever since I have been selected as a Round Two Judge for the Fiction Picture Book category at CYBILS (2012, 2013, and now my third consecutive year for the same genre) is to give love to shortlisted titles across genres for the CYBILS. While I would most likely go through most of the fiction picture book titles that did not make it to the top seven, we would also be exploring all the other titles from other genres that have been shortlisted as the best of the best by the CYBILS community. We would also look through the nominated nonfiction titles to share for Nonfiction Wednesday hosted by Alyson Beecher at KidlitFrenzy as we are also joining her Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge for 2015.

Library Book Loot

It’s Double Up Your Reading promotion at the National Library Board til end of January. Naturally, I went overboard and borrowed as many as we could given our three library cards.

2014 Nerdy Awards for Fiction Picture Books (click here to be taken to the Nerdy Book List as announced by Teri Lesesne)

There are some titles in Teri’s list that are unavailable/out on loan, and a few that I have already read (such as Peter Brown’s My Teacher is a Monster, Dan Santat’s The Adventures of Beekle, Marla Frazee’s The Farmer and the Clown) and featured here in GatheringBooks such as Aaron Becker’s Quest and Mark Pett’s The Girl and the Bicycle. Here are some that I managed to hunt down and gather together to enjoy in the next few days.

The Pigeon Needs A Bath! (I Do Not) by Mo Willems, Lauren Castillo’s The Troublemaker.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, Sparky! by Jenny Offill & Chris Appelhans.

Once Upon An Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers, Sam & Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen.

Lauren Castillo’s Nana in the City, Arree Chung’s Ninja!

Kelly Light’s Louise Loves Art, Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato.

Kid Sheriff And The Terrible Toads by Bob Shea and Lane Smith, Hug Machine by Scott Campbell.

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio and Pictures by Christian Robinson, Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won.

Lizi Boyd’s Flashlight, Emily’s Blue Period by Cathleen Daly and illustrations by Lisa Brown.

Blizzard by John Rocco

Fiction Picture Books Nominated for CYBILS 2014 (and two Middle Grade Titles Too)

A Library Book For Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, At the Same Moment Around the World by Clotilde Perrin.

A Piece of Cake by LeUyen Pham, Amy Schwartz’ 100 Things That Make Me Happy.

Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon J Muth (nominated for Cybils Poetry), Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Jonathan Bean.

Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep by Barney Saltzberg, Don’t Play With Your Food! by Bob Shea (this last one apparently is not a Cybils Nominee).

Dan Yaccarino’s Doug Unplugs On The Farm, A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell.

Other Library Book Finds… Just Because

I wanted to familiarize myself with Bonny Becker’s and Kady MacDonald Denton’s picturebooks, and so: The Sniffles for Bear, A Bedtime For Bear.

I also wanted to explore more of Deborah Underwood’s titles: The Quiet Book, The Loud Book!

Mr. Tweed’s Good Deeds by Jim Stoten, All The Things I Love About You by LeUyen Pham

Chandra’s Magic Light: A Story in Nepal by Theresa Heine and Judith Gueyfier, Little Red Riding Hood by Lari Don, Celia Chauffrey, and Imelda Staunton

More of Jenny Offill’s picturebooks: 11 Experiments That Failed illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, While You Were Napping illustrated by Barry Blitt.

The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye, The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill.

Throwback Reads

Since our reading theme also explores the books that made us readers, here are a few from my nostalgic trip down reading lane.

There’s A Wocket In My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss, Daisy-Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss, Go Dog Go! By P. D. Eastman.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, Hop On Pop by Dr. Seuss.

I Am Not Going To Get Up Today! by Dr. Seuss, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss.

Saturday Night Out for Book Geeks’ Christmas Get Together and Playing Book-Nerd Santa

My book club had a get-together after Christmas. Yes, we played Book-Nerd Santa. 🙂 Or something like that.

Catherine thought she’d have this book – oh she has another think coming.

My dessert. Because book people are foodies too!

Dave’s book loot. He didn’t have any competition with what he got – good for him.

Felicia’s book loot – or not!

Dave was kind enough to give me back my book.

Clearly, Amelia is happy with her book loot: three titles at that!!!! Whoopie!

And here’s what I got from book friends (best people on earth!) – not necessarily from the Book-Nerd Santa, but just because: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven…

… We Were Liars by E. Lockhart…

… Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav…

Notebooks! Thanks Amelia and Dave!

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm! Finally! Mine all mine!

Random Book Buys from Kinokuniya

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Clariel by Garth Nix.

How about you, fellow bibliophiles, what are the books that found you this past week? Any recommendations for our upcoming reading theme??