National Blueberry Month    One berry, two berry, Pick Me a Blue Berry… so begins Jamberry written and illustrated by Bruce Degen. This wonderful exploration of berries and jam is a fabulous way to introduce youngsters to delicious, nutritious berries. Little people love the rhymes and "silly sounds," while slightly older children recognize the humor of adding berry to everyday words to create more magicalberried words such as "zoomberry, boomberry, moonberry, razz-a-ma-taz-berry." Getting the idea, one little fellow, giggled out loud as he asked for "a drink of waterberry, please!" However you serve them (right off the bush or in a cobbler), blueberries are gaining recognition as a source of anti-oxidants and other beneficial nutrients. Many ophthalmologists are suggesting an increase in blueberry consumption as part of the regime to reduce the rate of deterioration from macular degeneration (see the paragraph about WWII pilots).    The following sites provide teacher resources and lots of other information about these tiny cerulean orbs of sweetness: http://www.blueberry.org/blueberries.htm http://www.nabcblues.org/    The blueberry facts below are followed by some books (with reviews) that will help spark an interest in eating, picking, cooking with, and learning about blueberries (or whatever name they are called in your area - I like sparkleberry, myself). Native American Tradition:    For centuries, blueberries were gathered from the forests and the bogs by Native Americans and consumed fresh and also preserved. The Northeast Native American tribes revered blueberries and much folklore developed around them. The blossom end of each berry, the calyx, forms the shape of a perfect five-pointed star; the elders of the tribe would tell of how the Great Spirit sent "star berries" to relieve the children's hunger during a famine. Parts of the blueberry plant were also used as medicine. A tea made from the leaves of the plant was thought to be good for the blood. Blueberry juice was used to treat coughs. The juice also made an excellent dye for baskets and cloth. In food preparation, dried blueberries were added to stews, soups and meats. The dried berries were also crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat for flavor. Blueberries were also used for medicinal purposes along with the leaves and roots. A beef jerky called Sautauthig (pronounced saw'-taw-teeg), was made with dried blueberries and meat and was consumed year round. Blueberry Thanksgiving:    During the seventeenth century, settlers from England arrived in the New World to begin colonies. Immediately, they set about clearing the land and establishing farms for they could not rely solely on supplies from England. But the land and the climate were far different from what they left behind. Many early attempts at farming failed.    In the winter of 1620, the Pilgrims established a settlement at Plimoth (spelled Plymouth today). Many perished during the first few months, but those that survived went on to build homes and establish farms.    Their neighbors, the Wampanoag Indians taught the settlers new skills that helped them survive. They showed them how to plant corn and how to gather and use native plants to supplement their food supply. One important native crop was blueberries!! The colonists learned from Native Americans how to gather blueberries, dry them under the summer's sun and store them for the winter. In time, blueberries became an important food source and were preserved, and later canned. A beverage made with blueberries was an important staple for Civil War Soldiers. In the 1880s a blueberry canning industry began in the Northeast USA.    This plant grows wild around the world and there are many names given to different kinds of blueberries: Blueberry, Bilberry, Cowberry, Cranberry, Crowberry; Farkleberry, Lingonberry, Partridgeberry, Huckleberry (not the true Huckleberry, which is Gaylussacia), Whortleberry, and Sparkleberry to mention a few. (preceding information from The US High Bush Blueberry Council web site: www.blueberry.org). Contributor: Sheilah Egan Reviews Alaska Ruth Bjorklund    It is hard to believe that in this modern time, there is still a frontier in America, but that is just what Alaska is. It is the largest state in the country and the least populated. People thought Seward was insane for wanting to buy Alaska, even at the low price of 2.5 cents per acre, but now it is considered a wealth of natural resources. This title, part of the "It's My State" series, explores this little-known state. The book is divided into five chapters, each one focusing on a different aspect of the state. Within the chapters are interesting sidebars: instructions for making scrimshaw, a list of important dates, and a recipe for wild blueberry cobbler are some examples. This is a book that will appeal to both kids and adults. It is a beautiful reference book, full of color photographs and entertaining illustrations that will grab kids' attention. Teachers will appreciate its easy-to-use table of context and complete index. Parents will love the wealth of information the book contains. After perusing this text, readers will want to visit The Last Frontier. Like others in the series, it is a superb reference book and deserves a place in any library. 2004, Benchmark Books, $18.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Heather Robertson (Children's Literature). Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2005; H. W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-7614-1823-7 The Berenstain Bears and the Mama's Day Surprise Stan & Jan Berenstain.    The Bear family children want to surprise Mama Bear to celebrate Mother's Day but she is on to their schemes and even makes it easier for them by purchasing the necessary groceries for the surprise breakfast. As usual Papa Bear is along for the ride abetting the children in buying a special card and offering to get Baby Bear's breakfast as part of the ruse to prepare Mama's surprise blueberry French toast. Young listeners will love the delicious feeling of being in on the surprise and observing the fact Mama Bear thinks she knows everything that is going on, when even she is surprised by the last page. Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear have cleaned up the entire messy kitchen (which Mama Bear has dreaded but accepted as part of motherhood) as the REAL surprise. This is the sort of surprise all mothers would appreciate. Once again the Berenstain team has provided a read aloud suitable for the target audience with a built in little moral as the usual bonus. A free Mother's Day card is attached. 2004, First Time Books/Random House, $3.99. Ages 2 to 4. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-375-81132-X ISBN: 0-375-91132-4 Berry Magic Teri Sloat and Betty Huffmon Illustrated by Teri Sloat.    After hearing the old women complain about crowberries--the dry, tasteless berries growing on the tundra--young Anana constructs four dolls in different colors. On the moonlit tundra, she enchants the dolls, making them come alive and tumble down the hill, leaving delicious blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, and raspberries in their wake. Jubilant illustrations accompany this well-paced pourquoi tale. Category: Picture Books. 2004, Alaska, 32pp, $15.95, $8.95. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration. Horn Book (Horn Book Guide, Fall 2004). Best Books: Kirkus Book Review Stars, May 1, 2004; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist 2005 Multicultural United States ISBN: 0-88240-575-6 ISBN: 0-88240-576-4 Blueberries for Sal Robert McCloskey.    One summer day, young Sal and her mother climb Blueberry Hill to pick berries from the many bushes growing there. As her mother fills the pail, Sal fills her tummy with the juicy blueberries. On the other side of the hill, a mother bear and her cub are enjoying the berries, too. Both Sal and the bear cub get tired, though. And when they stop to rest, their mothers keep climbing the hill. The resulting mixup is an adventure that highlights the universal curiosity of children - and the eternal patience of moms. Ever since it was published over 50 years ago, this timeless story has been a beloved favorite of children and their parents. Narrator Christina Moore's gentle performance adds a special glow to the charming world McCloskey creates in Blueberries for Sal. nd, Recorded Books, Unabridged Cassette - Library Edition; 96382, $15.75. Ages 5 to 11. Recorded Books (Recorded Books, LLC.) Best Books: Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California State and Provincial Reading Lists: Texas Reading Club, 2004; Texas ISBN: 0-7887-4672-3 Blueberries for the Queen John Paterson and Katherine Paterson Illustrated by Susan Jeffers    When his brother Roger announces that a queen has moved in up the road, William knows he's joking - there aren't real queens in the U.S.A. But it's true! The year is 1942, and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her family are spending the wartime summer in New England. William longs to meet the neighboring royalty. Struck with inspiration one morning, he sets out with a basket of freshly picked blueberries. Upon arriving at the queen's temporary home, he is assured by the woman who meets him at the door that his gift of berries is just what the Queen needs. To his surprise, the woman at the door is a princess, and the Queen herself is a "plump, white-haired lady in a regular old dress" who smiles "just as his own grandmother would have." A concluding historical note describes author John Paterson's childhood experience of delivering blueberries personally to Queen Wilhelmina while she was renting a Massachusetts home with her daughter and granddaughters. The Patersons' charming story is enhanced by illustrations showing the products of William's active imagination as it is sparked into overdrive by the proximity of royalty. His visions of a fairy-tale queen in a crown and ermine robes, a turreted castle, and himself as a knight in armor riding a white steed are delightfully balanced by the reality of an ordinary-looking woman with the extraordinary title of Queen. CCBC categories: Picture Books for School-Aged Children. 2004, HarperCollins, 32 pages, $17.99 and $18.89. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2005). Best Books: Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States Capitol Choices, 2005; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, May 31, 2004; Cahners; United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award, 2006-2007; Nominee; Grades K-3; United States Golden Sower Award, 2006-2007; Nominee; Grades K-3; Nebraska ISBN: 0-06-623942-7 ISBN: 0-06-623943-5 The Big Blueberry Barf-Off! R.L. Stine Illustrations by Trip Park.    A boarding school series, "Rotten School" provides middle readers with an egotistical but, nevertheless, likeable antihero, Bernie Bridges. In this novel, fourth-grader Bernie schemes to win his arch rival's watch. What makes Bernie popular with his dorm mates in Rotten House is his ability to make their school life better. By this book, he has already convinced the cook to accept a Milky Way as a vegetable, the headmaster to make Game Boys a school supply, and the coach to make Giving Wedgies a school sport. Now Bernie plans a pie-eating contest between Rotten House and Nyce House, where Sherman Oaks--with his new solid-gold watch with forty-two functions--resides. But Sherman is not the nice guy that his house name suggests; he plays some dirty tricks of his own. Plus, Bernie must convince the cooking-class teacher to have twenty-five blueberry pies made. The ultimate conniver, Bernie leads his house to victory and wins the watch. Yet, in a final turn of fate, he must give it up, along with the girl of his dreams. There will surely be other contests to rival this one, with its middle-grade humor of towel slapping, hair shaving, belching, and barfing. Though caricature, the illustrations are right on target to reveal a life where crazy kids rule by outsmarting their easily-fooled teachers. Studying does not seem to get in the way of raucous fun at Rotten School. 2005, A Parachute Press Book/HarperCollins Publishers, $6.99 and $14.89. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Carol Raker Collins, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-06-078586-1 ISBN: 0-06-078587-X Franklin's Big Search-And-Solve Flap Book Sean Jeffrey Illustrated by Sean Jeffrey, Jelena Sisic, Shelley Southern.    Franklin the Turtle is playing detective in this sweet mystery: Who picked the entire crop of blueberries from the wild berry patch? With the help of his magnifying glass, his friend Bear, and hidden clues scattered among the sixty-plus flaps (more flaps are always better!), Franklin pursues the culprit underwater and overland with Holmesian dedication. Youngsters can help, too, as they explore the flaps through the cheerful and colorfully-illustrated countryside of Woodland. Along the way they will meet incredibly industrious ants, mice detectives in real Sherlock Holmes attire, lounging beavers, pirate-playing rabbits, and an irresistible ice cream shop. This is a big, sturdy, Canadian-import board book that should keep little ones entertained on rainy afternoons and long car trips. 2005, Kids Can Press, $12.95. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-5533-7522-X How States Make Laws Suzanne LeVert    Did you know that the state legislature, general assembly, and general court all reflect the state's legislature or law making body? These legislative bodies are found in each state and responsible in considering which bills will become laws. The process that a bill goes through before becoming a law is presented step by step. This is demonstrated in a very child-friendly way by describing the steps Minnesota school children took in getting a law passed which made the blueberry muffin their official state muffin. The governor's role in producing a law is also presented in the book. Students may feel empowered after reading how a citizen has the authority to present a bill to the legislature for vote or put it to election on the state ballot. Text features such as a table of contents, index, and glossary are included, as are web links to visit for additional information on the topic. 2004, Kaleidoscope/Benchmark Books, $17.95. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Nancy T. Braverman (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-7614-1595-5 The Inuit : Ivory Carvers of the Far North Rachel A. Koestler-Grack    The American Indians remain among our country's most forgotten peoples. Although they are true Native Americans, living here when European settlers first arrived, most of us know little about their history, customs and traditions. This book, one of the publisher's ten title series about Indians called "America's First Peoples," is an admirable attempt to address this knowledge gap. The book details the Inuit, who today live where they always have, in the Arctic. In 1999, Canada set aside territory, known as Nunavut, for the Inuit. Nunavut appropriately means "Our Land." The Inuit have lived in the Artic cold for thousands of years. The name Inuit means "The Real People." At one time, the Cree Indians, the Inuit's traditional enemies, called them Eskimos, or "Snowshoe Netter." Today, the Inuit view this appellation as insulting, preferring to be known by their own, historical name. There is much here to interest young readers--eye-catching graphics and sidebars, discussion of the Inuit's tradition of carving ivory, with a fun demonstration of how young readers can do their own carving with bars of soap, and a recipe for Blueberry-topped Snowcream, which is similar to a traditional Inuit dish. With much attention to detail, the author has crafted an excellent book that will be an ideal addition to any library. 2004, Blue Earth Books/Capstone Press, $23.93. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Bruce Adelson, J.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-7368-2171-6 Loon Chase Jean Heilprin Diehl Illustrations by Kathryn Freeman    A boy and his mother are on a peaceful canoe ride with their faithful pet dog Miles swimming beside them, when the boy spots a loon with two chicks at the end of the lake. Seeing the loon is as exciting as seeing a shooting star, and the boy watches in fascination, silently giving thanks that his dog is too busy swimming on the other side of the canoe and has not seen them. When they reach Big Island, Mother holds the canoe steady while the boy stands and picks blueberries from the bushes by the shore. Neither notices that Miles has swum away until he is in the middle of the lake, headed right toward the loon family. Can they paddle hard and fast enough to head him off before he reaches the loons? What will happen if they cannot? This is a beautifully told and illustrated story demonstrating the wonders of nature and the universal instinct of all parents, human or animal, to protect their young at all costs. A five-page supplement which includes loon facts, websites, math and mapping exercises, information about Native American culture and loon folklore, as well as directions about making a loon mask, give this book great cross curricular tie-in potential. Both the author and illustrator are donating a portion of their royalties to the Loon Preservation Committee. 2006, Sylvan Dell Publishing, $15.95. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Pat Trattles (Children's Literature).    Adventure abounds when a boy and his mother slip into a canoe and paddle around a smooth, shiny lake. Their dog, Miles, swims beside them, as they head for the berry bushes on nearby Big Island. On the way, they spot a loon and its two chicks in the water. When Miles heads off toward the loons, the boy and his mother think the worst. Only a race against the water can save the babies. But the parent loon calls upon instincts and thrashes out at Miles. The dog slinks away from the loons. Later, the boy and one of the loons meet face-to-face in a moment of stillness. A special finish to the evening includes the calls and flight of a loon. This first person account imparts lots of information in a close-up way. The text is clear and includes lovely, descriptive phrases, and the story flows in a peaceful manner. Pastel illustrations fit the text well, and double spreads are highlighted with borders that enhance the format. Readers get a bonus with supplemental pages. They hold facts, questions, a map, and math and measure activities. Information about loons in Native American culture and directions for making a loon mask are also included. This book supports ideas regarding adaptations, behaviors, and habitats of animals. Youngsters will read it again and again. 2006, Sylvan Dell Publishing, $15.95. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-9764943-8-8 Maine Christine Webster    This book is a complete guide for anyone who is looking for an easy-to-read overview of the state of Maine. The book includes chapters on the state's geography, history, government, economy, people and culture. The book describes in detail the state's capital city, Augusta. The color photos and maps throughout the book add greatly to the text and create a publication that is likely to hold the attention of older elementary school children. Many sections of the book turn learning into fun. For example, the book gives information on Maine's "Famous Firsts." Do you know that Maine had the first sawmill in America, the first forest fire, and the first female novelist? It is also the first state in America in which women voted. Sidebars are included throughout the book entitled "Extra! Extra!" and "Who's Who in Maine?" There is even one recipe in the book, "patriotic pie," which is prepared with Maine blueberries. The book concludes with a list of Maine governors, an organizational chart of Maine's governmental structure, a timeline of the state's history, and a "Gallery of Famous Mainers." There is also a bibliography which includes websites, books, and tourism offices. This book is in the "From Sea to Shining Sea Series." 2003, Children's Press, $29.50. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Lynn O'Connell (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-516-22323-2 White is for Blueberry George Shannon Pictures by Laura Dronzek.    Using the concept of color, Shannon explores the less obvious colors belonging to a variety of items. The title, for example, will surprise a young child because they know that a blueberry is blue. It even has the word blue in its name, for heaven's sake! But Shannon shows that a blueberry WAS white once before it matured and grew into the blue we know. My favorite is "orange is for sky" which alludes to the glory of a sunset. Dronzek's acrylic paintings are clear and bold and have a warmth to them that pulls you in. This book is a terrific opportunity to show children that other perspectives exist if they will only look for them. 2005, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). Best Books: Children's Editor's Choice, 2005; Kirkus Reviews; United States Choices, 2006; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States Kirkus Best Children's Books , 2005; Kirkus Reviews; United States Notable Children's Books, 2006; American Library Association-ALSC; United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: 2x2 Reading List, 2006; Age 2 to Grade 2; United States ISBN: 0-06-029275-X ISBN: 0-06-029276-8 To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here. Added 6/30/06