Children’s Books Recommendation – Large Family Library Haul

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As minimalists, we do not like to keep a lot of items in our home.  We do, however, absolutely love books.  From picture books, storybooks, novels, and information books – we love them all.  As a large family, if we were to buy everyone books to cover every topic that every child was interested in, we would have WAY too many books.  In order to fulfil this love of books, we take advantage of our local library.  These books were all greats, and definitely are children’s books we would recommend.

We have 4 tiny humans who all read at different levels and enjoy different types of children’s books.  Every time we go to the library, we like to make sure we get an assortment of books that will cover all ages and interests.  I try and encourage the boys to pick out new books with topics they are interested in.  I also like to challenge the older boys to branch away from children’s books and into more young adult type material.

We were very pleased with all of the children’s books we brought home from the library this trip.  Sometimes we get some that seem interesting while we are at the library and they are never looked at once we arrive home.  All of the children’s books we brought home today have been read numerous times.

This post does contain affiliate links.

 

Two Year Old’s Picks

My two-year-old son, Walter, loves to read books.

His favourites are touch and feel books or ones with flaps.  On this trip to the library, much to my surprise, he did not pick either.  He picked some books with dinos and fishies.  Dinosaurs and sharks are two of his favourite things, so ultimately it was not a surprise.  These children’s books recommendations would be great for any child who likes fish and dinosaurs – or just fun stories in general.

Here are Walter’s picks from the library this week:

Give Me Back MY Book!

This book is full of wonderful WORDS and beautiful PICTURES! And it’s EXCITING! And it’s FUNNY! It might be the BEST BOOK EVER—if we could decide whose book it is. Redd and Bloo explore the way a book is made and accidentally build a friendship, too, in this tale told only in dialogue. Travis Foster and Ethan Long offer a hilarious story about the  joy of reading, which brings people together in unexpected ways, proving that each book truly belongs to . . . the people who love it.

This is a very cute book.  It is brightly coloured and keeps the attention of all of my children – especially if they read along and yell “Give Me Back My BOOK!”  This book was read a few times a day, everyday while we borrowed it from the library.

Check out the price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LcywnN

The Great Googly Moogly

Nobody has ever been able to catch The Great Googly Moogly – a giant and terrifying fish of legend. But Stella aims to do just that. Armed with fishing gear and differing baits, she sets out every day to realise her dream, whatever the weather. But what will she do if she succeeds? Courtney Dicmas’s latest book features a strong and spirited character determined to achieve her goal, but it also reflects our responsibilities to other creatures, and our place in the natural world.

The Great Googly Moogly is a very cute book.  As a girl who grew up fishing, I wish there had been a character like Stella in a book when I was a child.  While I loved this book, it was not a favourite with the kids.  They enjoyed it, but it just did not hold their attention like the other books in this post.

Check out the price on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2GvV0MF

Barry the Fish with Fingers

Life under the sea can be as dull as dishwater, until Barry arrives, that is. See, Barry is no ordinary fish–he’s a fish with “fingers”! And fingers mean finger puppets, finger painting, knitting, counting to ten, tickling, and all sorts of fun things. It isn’t long before all of the other fish want fingers, too. Life under the sea will never be the same again. . . . 
Sue Hendra’s hilarious text and bright, bold, colorful art will have youngsters begging to read this story again and again.

This book drew my attention from across the room at the library and it did not disappoint.  The illustrations in this book are eye-catching – bold, bright shapes draw the eye and keep the attention of the kids.  The story is also very cute.  Barry and his fingers created many giggles during story time – even my 9-year-old was giggling along with this book.

Check out the price on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2LdTItC

 Pirasaurs

We’re Pirasaurs! We’re Pirasaurs!
We rule the open seas!
We’ll cannon-blast you to the past! 
We do just what we please!

Meet the Pirasaurs, a ragtag team of seasoned pirate dinosaurs looking for adventure and treasure! There’s fearsome Captain Rex, golden-toothed Velocimate, one-eyed Bronto Beard, and more fearsome, buccaneering beasts….as well as one new recruit who may be small, but who’s eager to prove he can learn the ropes and find his place on the team.

But when a trap is set upon the Pirasaurs while looking for buried treasure, it’s up to the littlest recruit to show the team that there’s more to a Pirasaur than meets the eye patch!

This book was my favourite from this library haul.  If you are looking to buy children’s books, this would definitely be a book I would recommend.  The illustrations are absolutely amazing and unlike other books we have.  The story is fantastic and very entertaining.  Jack, my seven-year-old, has read this book to Walter every day and then asks for me to read it to him at bedtime.

Check out the price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rSnZ8r

Four Year Old’s Picks

My four-year-old, Ian, is in the early stages of becoming a reader.

He loves books and is ready to start reading on his own so he does not need to ask for someone else to read to him when he finds a book or website about information that interests him.  Ian has really been interested in outer space recently.  The first book he found was a space book and had to have it.  After that, I encouraged him to find a few books from the early reader section so we could work on learning to read.  Here are Ian’s pick of children’s books from this library haul!

 

Stanley The Mailman

It’s going to be a busy day for Stanley! He gets up early to sort through all of the mail in his post office. Then he sets off through town to deliver it all. Myrtle, Little Woo, and Charlie all receive exciting gifts and letters. But will everyone be happy with what’s in Stanley’s mail bag?

Ian picked out this book because he thought it looked like it would be easy to read.  He also loves the colours orange and blue so he was immediately drawn to the cover.  This is a cute story and held both Ian and Walter’s attention.  It is too young for my other children, but they still enjoyed reading it with their younger siblings.

Interested in this book?  Check out the price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KC4ZCK

Clark The Shark

Clark the Shark has a loose tooth and needs to visit the dentist. But he’s heard that the dentist is scarier than a box of blue whales! Uh-oh, and oh no! Can Clark find a way to stay cool when it comes to tooth trouble?

Beginning readers will be entertained and reassured by this clever, funny twist on a dentist visit in this I Can Read story featuring their favourite boisterous shark. The back matter also includes fun, bite-sized facts about shark teeth!

With colourful illustrations from Guy Francis and lively text from Bruce Hale, this Level One I Can Read is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

This is a very cute story and all of my children enjoyed it.  My only critique of this book is I found it a little challenging for a level one reader.  The words themselves were not overly difficult, but it was the number of words per page which made it overwhelming for a beginner reader.  This did not stop Ian from following along with the words but it would not be one I would expect him to attempt to read on his own.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IuMCiq

Space

A fascinating detailed book of Space. Where does outer space begin? How do rockets work? What’s a gas giant? What do astronauts do all day? This densely illustrated book answers these and other questions about the wonders of outer space with diagrams, picture-strip stories, photographs and Giant fold-out illustrations! Includes internet links to the latest space information.

Ian is fascinated with everything that has to do with outer space at the moment.  He finds space interesting and loves spaceships and rockets even more.  This book has some beautiful pictures and lots of information.  Some of the information is slightly outdated, but that allowed us to go on the internet and further our research on many topics that we had not looked up before.  Ian has been looking at this book every night before bed – he loves it.

Interested in this book?  Click here: https://amzn.to/2IyDM3j

 

Seven Year Old’s Picks

Jack, who is seven years old, has been reading since around his fourth birthday.  He is a very strong reader and loves books.

Jack is always willing to try new books, but he also has some very clear favourites.  He is a quick reader so he often reads all of the books we bring home from the library, not just his own.  On this trip to the library, he only picked out 4 books.  Check out the children’s books recommendations from Jack!

 

Star Wars Rebel: Battle To The End

When Kanan is captured by the Empire, Ezra, Sabine, and the rest of the Ghost crew must work together to save their friend. But how can their ragtag team hope to stand up to the might of Agent Kallus, the Inquisitor, and Grand Moff Tarkin? The rebels are in for their most darin

g adventure yet!

Jack discovered Star Wars a few years ago and has been a fan ever since.  He loves reading all different books about Star Wars.  This one did not disappoint him.  As a home educator, I liked this book because the format of the book was more challenging than ones he typically chooses.  The font is a good size for him where he does not find it overwhelming and most of the pages are full of words and have limited illustrations.

Star Wars fan?  Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KxUBvR

Geronimo Stilton MiceKind: The Helmet Holdup

Oh, no! One of the special miceking helmets in miceking leader Sven the Shouter’s private collection has been stolen! Could it have been taken by the vilekings-the rival mouse clan? The micekings journey to the vilekings‘ village to find out… and while they’re there, the dragons attack! Can all the mice work together to save their fur?

Any Geronimo Stilton books are favourites of Jack.  He discoved these books two years ago and has been hooked ever since.  The pages are colourful and engaging.  They vary the font size, shape, and colour which really keeps the attention of young readers and keeps them reading.  All of the stories are entertaining for a large age group.  Both Jack and Lucas, who is 9, love reading these books.  They have both read this book more than once since we brought it home from the library.

Check out Geronimo on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KAKyWF

 

 

Inside Out – Sadness Saves The Day

Disney/Pixar Inside Out takes you to a place that everyone knows but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind. In this, You Decide the Ending! chapter book based on the film, the reader will guide Sadness on an all-new adventure! It’s perfect for girls and boys ages six to nine.

Jack loves the movie Inside Out, so when he saw that there was a book from the movie he really wanted to read it.  This was the first book he ever read that allowed the reader to decide the ending.  After reading this book he was so excited to be able to come tell me about the format and about how the different choices he made allowed him to get to different ending.  He has read this book numerous times now and each time gives him a different storyline to follow.  This is a great book for children because it gives them a sense of control over the outcome.

Disney Fan?  Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rSG3iA

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets

The sixth “epic novel” in Dav Pilkey’s hugely popular series explains the awful truth about Captain Underpants (he is really the school principal), details “the night of the nasty nostril nuggets,” offers up “the unnecessarily disgusting chapter,” and even explains how “you can’t have your cape and Edith, too.”

George and Harold are “C” students (and bad spellers), but they are very good at “saving the entire planet from the nasty forces of unrelenting evil” and also at ketchup-toilet pranks. Unfortunately, they can’t save Melvin Sneedly from getting paddled by his bionic hamster. But, frankly, they wouldn’t want to, because besides being the school brainiac, Melvin is also a tattletale. When his robot-making hobby backfires horribly, Melvin transforms himself into the Bionic Booger Boy instead of a bionic superboy. Can Captain Underpants save everyone from this “greenish, glistening behemoth?”

This book was picked by both Jack and Lucas.  They are both big fans of Captain Underpants.  As always, this was the first book to be read.  Both children finished the book in one evening.  The review of this book from both children: “Awesome.”

https://amzn.to/2ItQwrQ

 

 

Nine Year Old’s Pick

Lucas, who is nine years old, is another avid reader.  He usually picks the comic book, or manga, style books, therefore, I have been trying to challenge him to push himself out of his comfort zone.  He is a strong reader but is intimidated by pages full of text.  I know he is fully capable of reading novels, now he just needs to build his confidence and test his boundaries.  Check out Lucas’ children’s books recommendations!

 

Inspector Flytrap: The President’s Mane Is Missing

Welcome to Inspector Flytrap’s Detective Agency, home to the world-renowned solver of BIG DEAL mysteries. Inspector Flytrap, a Venus flytrap, works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat, a goat, on his community’s unsolved cases. There’s no case too big, but there are definitely cases too small for this endearingly self-important plant detective. In book two, Inspector Flytrap and Nina the Goat return in a set of mysteries involving the president of the United States and a very large horse statue that mysteriously attracts a threat from outer space. This wacky, illustrated early-chapter-book series combines the masterful humor of Tom Angleberger with the critically acclaimed art of his wife, author-illustrator Cece Bell.

Interested in this book?  Check it out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gwa7pu

Backyard Animals: Foxes

From black widow spiders to foxes and otters to prairie dogs, Backyard Animals introduces young readers to some of the animals they might see in cities and towns across the country. Readers will explore the physical characteristics, natural habitats, history, and folklore of the animals they might find in their own backyard. Each Backyard Animals title includes easy-to-read text, fun facts, and colorful photos.

Each AV2 media enhanced book is a unique combination of a printed book and exciting online content that brings the book to life. Readers will access web links, audio and video clips, activities, and other features, such as key word vocabulary games, slideshows, and quizzes.

Lucas was really excited to learn about foxes.  He was looking at the books about dogs and this was right beside it.  I love watching them follow their own interests for topics to learn about.  This book has some great pictures and is full of information.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rU7kkG

 

Boxers

Our dog, Cosmo, is a mix breed dog.  He is a part boxer and part Rhodesian Ridgeback.  Lucas wanted to learn more about dogs, and especially his dog.  He was hoping for a book that had mixed breeds, but settled on a book about boxers.

As he read facts about boxers, he would compare them to traits about Cosmo.

This was a great book.

 

 

 

 

 

The Adventure of a South Pole Pig

Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says. The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig. Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life. This poignant novel of a purposeful pig is sure to become a favorite with any young readers who have ever dreamed of exploring the great beyond.

Check out this book an Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IzHmdk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you enjoy these children’s books recommendations.

If you have any books you think we would like, please let us know in the comments below.  We are always looking for recommendations for new children’s books.

Check out our Book List for other books we have been reading!

We shared this haul on our YouTube channel as well: