Financial Literacy for Children: Books available at the Ottawa Public Library

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The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books for children with us. This month's post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children's Program Assistant at the Alta Vista Branch.

This month's booklist showcases various fun and helpful juvenile titles on Financial Literacy. There are also some workshops families can attend this month at the Ottawa Public Library! Special guest Tecla Kalinda from ZalaSmart will be visiting six branches (Manotick, Nepean Centrepointe, Ruth E.Dickinson, Blackburn Hamlet, Stittsville and Alta Vista) to talk about money with children ages 9-12. Other presentations, such as those about cyber fraud, bank accounts and savings, might be of interest to tweens & teens. Happy Financial Literacy month!  

Series of picture books: A Moneybunny book / Cinders McLeod

Save it! (2019) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1187703026

Spend it! (2019) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1149444026

Earn it! (2017) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1163747026

Ages 4-6. Through these three titles, we follow the financial adventures of three different rabbit characters. The first one, Honey, is intent to save money to buy a playhouse, to find peace and quiet away from his five siblings. The second one, Sonny, learns that he has to make choices with his allowance and that he can't buy everything he wants. The third one, Bun, has a passion for singing and thinks she can get rich quickly through her music -but as her mother explains, it takes time and hard work to get successful. A sweet, simplistic introduction to financial literacy. 

Picture book: Arthur's pet business / Marc Tolon Brown. 1990

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/337863026

Ages 4-7. This is adventure #14 in a classic series. In this book, well-known, well-loved character Arthur attempts to start a pet business. His objective is not so much to earn money (although his sister D.W. begs to differ!) as it is to prove that he is responsible enough to get a puppy.


Picture book: My rows and piles of coins / Tololwa Mollel. 1999

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/200380026

Ages 4-8. This is the story of a Tanzanian boy, Saruni, who has been helping his mother at the market and saving coins with the hope to, one day, have enough money to buy a bicycle. But when will he have enough coins? With stunning watercolour paintings of a contemporary village. 

Chapter book: Nancy Clancy seeks a fortune / Jane O' Connor. 2016

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/962878026

Ages 6-8. This is volume seven in a series of books with a grown-up (now in grade three) version of “Fancy Nancy”. Nancy Clancy still adores everything fancy, and also likes to play detectives with her friend Bree. In this book, they learn all about the California Gold Rush in school and decide to make their own fortune, one way or another. But they soon learn that money isn't everything... A fun, informative story about the perks and challenges of being an entrepreneur. 

Chapter book: The unlucky lottery winners of classroom 13 / Honest Lee. 2017

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1059225026

Ages 7-9. The humorous tale of an unlucky teacher who suddenly wins twenty-eight billion dollars and, as previously agreed, shares the lottery money with her students. Each chapter focuses on a different child and shows the crazy ways in which they spend (or lose!) the money.

Chapter book: Cleo Edison Oliver, playground millionnaire / Sundee Tucker Frazier. 2016

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/957650026

Ages 8-11. Meet Cleo, an African-American -Filipino fifth-grade entrepreneur! She is determined to follow in the footsteps of her TV idol, Fortune Davies and has lots of fun ideas (why not sell avocadoes? Or make a teeth-pulling business?) but soon starts to neglect her best friend Caylee.

Graphic novel: The Finance Smurf: a Smurfs Graphic Novel / Peyo. 2014

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/794017026

Ages 8-12. Volume 18 in this graphic novel series. This time, Papa Smurf got badly injured in a lab accident and sent a Smurf to get a cure from a nearby wizard. The smurf witnessed the exchange of money among human beings and decided to introduce money in his own village.
 

Non-fiction : Canada Up Close : Canadian Money / Elizabeth MacLeod. 2011.

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/602013026

Ages 7-9. This non-fiction title by award-winner author Elizabeth MacLeod is an informative read on Canadian Money. Children will learn about the money used by First Nations, The Royal Mint, Bank of Canada, how money gets printed, circulated and disposed of... and much more! 

Non-fiction: The history of money: from bartering to banking / Martin Jenkins. 2014

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/785357026

Ages 9-11. A book in which children explore the history of money in a fun way, from the early forms of money (shells, precious metals, etc.) to more contemporary types of currency. Did you know that, in 1946, a European currency kept changing value every hour? Do you know what hyperinflation means? The author's simple examples are accompanied by cartoonish drawings.

Non-fiction: Follow your money: who gets it, who spends it, where does it go? / Kevin Sylvester. 2013

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/715336026

Ages 10-13. Canadian authors Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka introduce young consumers to the way in which money flows in the Canadian economy, through twenty-seven two-page chapters. The examples include common items used by teens, for example MP3 players, pizza or sneakers, and explain concepts such as : store sales, taxes, minimum wage, gross vs. net profit. A unique approach to economics & money, hopefully enabling youth to be smarter consumers.

October 2019 booklist from the Ottawa Public Library

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The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their new books for children with us. This month’s post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children's Program & Public Service Assistant at the Alta Vista branch of the Ottawa Public Library

Picture book: Find Spot at the library / 2019

For ages 1-3.
Some of you might remember reading Spot’s adventures as a child. The first books in the series were published in the 1980’s. The books have since been reedited. This is the latest Spot the dog board book! Spot explores a library and, as always, plays hide-and-seek with the reader.

Picture book: The book hog / 2019

For ages 3-5.
The author of The Watermelon Seed is back with another brightly-coloured title. In this one, the main character, a pig, loves his scooter and…books. But he has a secret: he does not know how to read them! Until, one day, he meets a whole community of book lovers and a dedicated librarian at his local branch. The illustrations reflect the story in that the books first look blurry, and once the pig learns how to read, they start having lines & titles (some of which the readers will recognize!).

Picture book: The night library / 2019

For ages 3-7.
This is the story of a young boy who receives a book for his eighth birthday. He is less than thrilled with the gift, since he is a reluctant reader. But his interest in reading will be rekindled once he finds himself into a dream where the two lion statues from the New York Public Library come to life and take him onto a magical exploration of the various library rooms. The art in this picture book will make readers feel like going to visit the New York library building! Classic references are also hidden in the illustrations: The-cat-in-the-hat, Peter Rabbit, the Polar Express.

Non-fiction: Planting stories: the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Bulpré

For ages 4-7.
This brightly-coloured picture book tells the true story of a Puerto Rican woman, Pura Bulpré, who starts working at the New York Public Library and finds out that there is not a single book on the shelf about Latin American culture. She decides to write her own books and to share stories with the Storytime families. Soon, she travels across the country to present and to inspire.

Early Reader: Otter: I love books! / 2019

For ages 5-7.
If you don’t know Otter, you ought to start with the introduction title: “I am Otter”! The Ottawa Public Library owns 7 titles in the series. This is Otter’s latest adventure. He feels like going to somewhere fun, like the circus or the sea, but his keeper takes him to… a library.

Chapter book: The library of ever / 2019

For ages 7-9.
Science fiction novel. Eleven-year-old girl Lenora thought accompanying her nanny to the public library would be pretty boring -that is, until she walks into the library and somehow finds a magic portal to a very special library that contains the knowledge of the whole universe. There, Lenora is given the job of Apprentice Librarian and has to fight the Forces of Darkness.

An excellent, timely, book for initiating a discussion about intellectual freedom and censorship. 

Chapter book : The book case : an Emily Lime mystery / 2019

For ages 8-11.
Mystery novel set in England in the 1950’s. Daphne arrives at St Rita’s and finds out that it’s a rather unconventional boarding school. The classrooms are numbered in a random manner and the head librarian is nowhere to be seen. Daphne becomes friends with library assistant Emily and student George. Together, they decide to investigate a library break-in and a missing student.

Chapter book: The library shelves: an interactive mystery adventure / 2019

For ages 7-11.
During their field trip to the local public library, grade 6 schoolfriends Catalina, Edward, James and Samantha notice a scratching sound, as well as some yellow bookmarks sticking out of library books. Do they follow the source of the sound, or do they collect the bookmarks with riddles on them? Your choice! This is a “Choose your own story” book, with 12 possible endings.

Chapter book: Property of the rebel librarian / 2018

For ages 8-12.
This is the story of twelve-year-old June who decides to start an underground library in her school locker, when their school library bans the majority of the books from their shelves. But her boyfriend Graham does not understand her activism and joins in the censorship. How will June manage, especially once her loan log goes missing? Good food-for-thought on book banning. 

For ages 6-12.
Children are well familiar with the “You wouldn’t want…” non-fiction series, as the Ottawa Public Library has about 70 titles in their collection, covering topics such as : inventions, history, nature, science, health, biographies, and more. This newly published title uses fun cartoon graphics to depict how libraries have become a space for the community to share and to be together.

By the way, did you know that October is “Library Month”? The Ottawa Public Library takes the opportunity every year in October to hide and give away Golden Tickets. For more information, click here : https://bit.ly/2o9wk9y  

Great Graphic Novels

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The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some great graphic novels books with us. This month’s post is by Lise Dumas, Supervising Librarian, Children's and Teen Services at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.

Ottawa Public Library (OPL) just celebrated its second annual BiblioCon on April 27, but not to worry if you missed it, it will reappear again next year, bigger and better. For all you graphic novel fans, May is the month of Free Comic Book Day and Ottawa Comiccon. Here are some of the wonderful graphic novels recommended for 9-13 year olds available at the OPL:

Newsprints by Ru Xu.

The story follows the adventures of Blue, an orphan girl who disguises herself as a newsboy so that she can work at the Bugle, the only paper in town that tells the truth about current issues. Blue makes some unusual friendships along the way in her effort to stop the senseless ongoing war.  The book features some cool robots and flying machines. The exciting conclusion of this series was recently published in 2019.

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Thirteen-year-old Bina is looking at a boring summer ahead. Her best friend Austin is going to soccer camp, leaving Bina to find her own fun. Through trials and tribulations with her family and friends over the summer, Bina will find out a little more about who she is and what she wants in her life.

 

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

This book had me hooked with its great cover art. You can just feel the anguish of a first day of camp. This is the story of 9 year old Vera who feels she is too poor, too Russian and too different to ever fit in with the other American kids. Her solution to making friends is to go to an all Russian kids’ camp. The images in black, white and olive green are wonderful and you will fall in love with this spunky heroine.

Books to Celebrate Spring from the Ottawa Public Library

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The Ottawa Public Library is back to share their top 10 most notable 2019 books for young kids. This month’s post is by Ann-Marie Miller, Supervising Librarian, Children’s Department, Ruth E. Dickinson Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.

Wake Up! poem by Helen Frost; photographs by Rick Lieder

This rhythmic poem imagines a spring day and the luscious nature photographs take us there. Baby birds, frogs, fawns and more will surely delight and the poetry challenges us to wake up and take note of these wonders.  Captions for each photograph are given under thumbnail pictures in the final pages.

Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm by Jonathon London; illustrated by Andrew Joyner

A rollicking day in the spring rain with friends, Duck and Hippo.  Duck has an umbrella but is Hippo too big to get under it?  Will he be able to ride down the stream in it?  Will he be able to hold onto it when the wind comes along?  No matter what befalls the duo, they stick together to end the day with a warm cup of tea.  

Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

The little blue truck and his friend toad are on the road once more.  On this beautiful spring day who will they see along the way? Open the flaps to find all of the cute little baby animals on the farm.  Your little ones will go back to this story again and again.

 

Early Readers

It’s Spring!  by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko; illustrated by Melissa Sweet 

First Robin arrives to announce that spring is here and then each animal rushes to tell the next. From the new Story Play series, this story is told in rhyming text suitable for the beginning reader. There are questions throughout to prompt discussion and a two-page spread of related activities on the endpapers.

Pig and Goose and the First Day of Spring by Rebecca Bond

On the first day of spring, Pig sets out to have a picnic and meets a new friend, Goose.  The story of their day together is told in three little chapters as Pig tries to fly, shares her picnic and invites Goose to join her friends for their spring party.  A delightful tale suitable for grade one or two.  

Mouse Loves Spring by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by Bucket Erdogan

Mouse and Momma go exploring on one windy spring day and meet up with a butterfly, a snail, a bird and many more forest friends.  The simple, repetitive text and delightful illustrations will encourage your beginning reader.

Early Novels

Heartwood Hotel: Better Together by Kallie George; illustrated by Stephanie Graegin.

The Heartwood Hotel is having a festival – the Spring Splash.  There is a competition for the cutest egg, a talent show for the insects, a race to find the best blossom and a big finale planned.  At the festival finale the owls swoop in and Mona, the mouse, must try to save the staff and guests.  An engaging story with sympathetic characters and plenty of action for your grade two or three reader. 

Stink: Hamlet and Cheese by Megan McDonald; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

This time, the popular Stink, has no plans for Spring Break so his friend Sophie invites him to join her at Shakespeare Camp.  On the first day, Stink finds he is the only boy in camp!  Will this one-sided group ever put together the play planned for the last day of camp?  With oversized font and humorous illustrations, this is a great story for the grade two or grade three crowd. 

Batcat and the Seven Squirrels by Eric Walters; illustrated by Kasia Charko

Would seven motherless baby squirrels and a homeless cat all in one backyard spell trouble?  Not this time as the cat, called Batcat, adopts the babies and joins in the quest to raise them.  A heartwarming story drawn from the childhood experiences of the author. The large well-spaced font and the black and white illustrations make this book a solid choice for those just stepping up to novels. 

Children’s Novels

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech is a master of the heartwarming story and this book is a great introduction to her list.  Winslow is a pitiful, motherless, miniature donkey born on Uncle Pete’s farm and brought home to Louie wrapped in a blanket.  Winslow’s mother has fallen ill and cannot care for him.  Louie has a disastrous track record as a pet owner.  Yet Louie is determined to save Winslow and, with his friend Nora’s help, he just might be successful. 

Vanished: A Framed! Novel by James Ponti

Florian has a particular knack for noticing small details. He names it TOAST – The Theory Of All Small Things. Florian and his friend, Margaret, use TOAST to solve big mysteries. They are so successful with this that they have been engaged by the FBI as Special Agents.  Their assignment is to find out who is pulling pranks at the prestigious private school which the President’s daughter attends.  A thoughtful, but still adventuresome, mystery.  Check out Framed by the same author with the same characters. 

Elephant Secret by Eric Walters

For those who love animals, this story is set in an elephant sanctuary where Samantha and her Dad care for their herd.  Many of their number have come from unfortunate circumstances.  When the newest baby comes along, it is not exactly what they were expecting.  They have a secret to keep and their territory to defend – even when a generous benefactor comes along.  What begins as an idyllic nature story becomes a rousing adventure.  Suitable for those in grades five or six.

Non-Fiction

Spring after Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson

When Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 she inspired the modern environmental movement.  Here we learn how Rachel grew up loving the natural world, eventually becoming the biologist who changed how we think about the impact of pesticides on nature.  An interesting introduction to this field for those in grade four and beyond.

Mix it up this March Break at the Ottawa Public Library!

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The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books for children with us. This month's post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children's Program Assistant at the Alta Vista Branch.

Illustration by Slavka Kolesar

Picture book: Mixed: a Colorful Story by Aree Chung
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1103586026

For ages 4-6. Once upon a time, there were three primary colors all living in the same town: Red, Yellow and Blue. One day, a Red announced that they were the best, thus starting a colour war. Soon, each colour was living separately from the others. Until the day that a Yellow and a Blue met, fell in love and decided to mix. How will the rest of the inhabitants react...? This book is fun visually, but most importantly, it will enable families (and classrooms!) to talk about topics such as segregation, community, inclusion, diversity and embracing each other's differences.

Picture book: The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1126730026

For ages 4-8. This is the story of a young knight who strongly believes that where he lives is the best and the safest, thanks to a wall built to protect from “the other side”. While the knight tells us all about the dangers lurking on the other side (tigers? a mean ogre!), we spot dangers right behind him (crocodiles? a flood!) on the supposedly “safe side.” Meanwhile, the so-called ogre turns out to be really kind and helpful... A good reminder that, instead of building walls, we should be tearing them down, so that we can better understand and value what is “on the other side.”

Picture book: The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1079068026

For ages 4-8. This picture book mixes old & new in a fun, smart way. It takes a classic story (The little red hen) and changes elements in that story, so that it has a modern twist. The protagonist is a girl called Ruby, and the other characters are her three younger brothers. One day, Ruby decides to build a fort - something she's never done before. Her brothers aren't very keen on helping her and keep saying she won't know what to do. But when the fort is completed and Ruby can now play in it, they are suddenly much more interested! A story with STEAM elements that remind children  they can do whatever they set their minds to..

Non-fiction book: Masterpiece mix by Roxie Munro

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1049833026

For ages 4-7. This is the story of an artist (possibly representing the author herself) who is gathering her painting supplies and wondering what to paint next. She visits the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and admires the works of famous painters such as Van Gogh, Leyster, Vermeer, Cézanne, etc.,then she starts painting. When children reach the end of the book, they get to see the artist's final result: a cityscape which incorporates all 37 masterpieces previously looked at. Sport scenes, landscapes, portraits and more...mix it up! Younger children will enjoy learning about painting & drawing, while older children will enjoy learning some cool new fun facts (ex: did you know that Monet painted the same pond more than 250 times?)

Non-fiction book?: P is for Pterodactyl: The WORST Alphabet Book Ever. All the letters that misbehave and make words nearly impossible to pronounce by Raj Haldar

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1145582026

For ages 7-10. During March Break week, families will also be able to mix-up (and remix!) alphabet letters, words, song lyrics, and more! In this fun book about the English language, we learn all about those words which are pronounced differently than they are spelled. Words with silent letters (ex: knight), homophones and tongue twisters...accompanied by lively illustrations.

Non-fiction book: Wet cement: a mix of concrete poems by Bob Raczka

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/961992026

For ages 8-12. Concrete poetry is fun in the way that it uses the arrangement of the words on the page to convey the meaning of the poem, thus mixing the words within the illustrations. In this collection of 21 concrete poems, children will be alternately amused or perplexed by the visuals and will be challenged in decoding them! It will inspire them to create their own poems.

Graphic novel: The city on the other side by Mairgrhead Scott

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1114919026

For ages 8-12. In this fantasy graphic novel, we meet Isabel, a young Latinx girl in early 20th Century San Francisco, who until now has lived in a sheltered, high-society environment. Her life completely changes on the day that she walks through an invisible barrier and somehow steps into a magical & dangerous city, right in the middle of a fairy civil war. Can she trust her two newly-met companions, a mushroom-headed fairy and a Filipino boy who can travel between the two worlds? Can they help her deliver a mysterious necklace passed on by a fatally injured messenger? A fast-paced adventure which kids will enjoy reading.

Chapter book: Blended by Sharon M. Draper

https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1126612026

For ages 10-13. This is the story of Isabella, who is 11 years old and biracial,her mother is white and her father is black. People around her sometimes describe her as “exotic,” but she doesn't think of herself that way. Isabella is also from a blended family; divorced parents, two extra stepparents, and an older stepbrother Darren. One day, Isabella is on her way to a piano recital when she and Darren are stopped by the police and a misunderstanding occurs... A book about the search for one's identity, and about the unique struggles still faced by young people of colour.

Illustration by Slavka Kolesar