Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park) is known for hosting great kids events, with weekly happenings that include everything from storytimes and book clubs to pajama parties and Twilight-inspired prom nights. Join the Third Place staff Thursday, December 16 for a night of book talks, refreshments and ideas for gift giving during the holidays and beyond. Staff members will share their favorite kids’ books and will be available for personal recommendations. Third Place will donate 20 percent of the proceeds of the evening’s sales to Hopelink.
Here are a few recommendations from Third Place’s staff (for more of their recs, go here):
The Secret Lives of Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier, Rebecca Dautremer
Go beyond Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella! Some princesses are well-known to all children—but others, equally magical (and sometimes, a lot funnier) have remained anonymous, mysterious, and far from the fairy-tale crowd. Now these captivating ladies are finally stepping out of the shadows. With wit, sublime humor, and beautiful art, The Secret Lives of Princesses introduces a bevy of royal daughters to the court of young readers. While it alludes to some of their more famous sisters, this large and lusciously illustrated compendium presents such unique and unforgettable characters as the petite Princess Claire Voyant, who can see very far into tomorrow (but muddles her predictions); Princess Oblivia, who forgets everything and misses all her appointments; Princess Tangra-La, who does the tango, the fandango, and any dance that comes her way; and Princess Babbling Brooke, who chatters on and on about everything and nothing. Poetic, often humorous, and always enchanting, this is the perfect collection for princess-loving girls who long for more than just the traditional fairy tale.
Mockingbird by Kathyrn Erskine
“Winner of the 2010 National Book Award! Struggling with basic situations, 5th grader Caitlin has Asperger’s Syndrome. Her older brother, Devon, who was her close friend, has recently died in a horrific school shooting. Neither Caitlin nor her dad have a clue as to how to reach the closure everyone sees as important, until Devon’s unfinished Eagle Scott project diverts their grief. To Kill a Mockingbird was Caitlin and Devon’s favorite movie. Devon saw himself as Jem and Caitlin as Scout, but Devon became the Mockingbird, an innocent being who would harm no one.” —Jane, Third Place
The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson
Piper’s father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Idaho, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family from Seattle to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister, who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her brother, who survived the Pearl Harbor strike, is stationed in the Pacific, while her brother-in-law is shipped off to Europe to fight. Piper, meanwhile, hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl who is interned in the camp, Piper learns how it important it is to bear witness to the events that were bound to change America.