Featured Customer of the Month: Tree House Books

By Cameron Crane

As you may already know, this week we have been celebrating Children’s Book Week. Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country, first established in 1919. Its purpose is to celebrate books and to foster a lifelong love of reading in children, which is something all of us at Little Pickle Press strive to do every day. So, as you can imagine, it is always a pleasure for us when we come across a customer that seeks to do the same.

Tree House Books is one such customer, which is why we decided to highlight them today. Founded in 2004, Tree House Books is a non-profit organization with a mission to: “grow and sustain a community of readers, writers, and thinkers in North Central Philadelphia.” It serves primarily as an after-school meeting spot, full of artwork and books, and designed to “encourage a lifelong relationship with education, reading, and each other.” Children who enter Tree House are not only inspired to build a relationship with books, but are also encouraged to build a relationship with one another, as the company emphasizes and embodies the importance of being a member of a community—a sentiment that Little Pickle Press also shares strongly.

Although Tree House Books hosts and sells an amazing collection of children’s literature, the company’s goal is to be more than “a place to buy books”, and to instead become “a place where life with books is always happening.” Writing workshops, open mic venues, leadership programs, homework support centers, hangout spots, and a theater help to make this vision a reality. You can find out more about Tree House’s programs here.

If you are in the North Central Philadelphia area, we highly recommend stopping into Tree House and browsing its selection of literature, specializing in children’s books, African American literature, poetry, and biographies. You can also sign up to volunteer for the program, and become part of a team seeking to make a positive impact in the lives on children by nurturing social, academic, and creative development.

If you are not in the area, but are still interested in supporting Tree House’s mission, consider donating books to the organization. Donations are accepted on a weekly basis.

Thank you Tree House Books, for fostering a lifelong love of books and community in North Central Philadelphia! We are honored to be on your shelves.

5 More Books We Love for Children's Book Week

By Cameron Crane

The official 2013 Children's Book Week bookmark by Grace Lin

Are you already through the first ten books we recommended? Here are some more of our favorite books from our monthly First Friday Book Reviews to help you celebrate Children's Book Week:

Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story, Written by Kara LaReau and Illustrated by Scott Magoon
There are several great messages in this story. The first is about self-acceptance. The second is an effective approach to handling exclusionary play. The third is that life is richer, sweeter, and more fulfilling when you share it with someone you love.

The North Star, Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
The underlying message is to follow your inner compass, to march to the beat of your own drummer, and in so doing to actualize your own dreams. The message reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Linda DuPuy Moore—“Follow your dreams and pursue them with courage, for it is the pursuit of those dreams that makes life really worth living.” What a powerful message to give the architects of our future, our children. 

One, Written and Illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi
At its foundation, this is a book about standing up to bullies. We are drawn to the book, however, for its powerful message that it only takes one person to catalyze positive change.

We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers, Written and Illustrated by Lauren Child
The message in this book is simple: if we aren’t careful, the world will end up looking like Marty’s room (a huge mess!) or worse, and that will ruin everything. Luckily, by becoming extremely very good recyclers, we can help stop this from happening.

Of Thee I Sing, Written by Barack Obama and Illustrated by Loren Long

The message in this book is that all ground-breakers were once children, just like the readers, and they hatched the ideals that shaped our great nation. The take away message to children is that they can make a difference. Dream, and then make it so.

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10 Books We Love for Children's Book Week

By Cameron Crane

Today marks the first day of Children's Book Week, one of our favorite weeks of the year. Are you looking for new books to read with your children this week? We are here to help! Here are some of our favorite books that we featured in our monthly First Friday Book Reviews:

Say Hello to Zorro, Written and Illustrated by Carter Goodrich
The message in this book is one about adapting to change and enjoying companionship, and that even though at times it may not be easy, life is more fun when you have someone to share it with. Although Bud is sometimes grumpy, and Zorro is sometimes bossy, walks are more fun when they are together, and nap time is more comfortable.


A World of Wonders, Written by J. Patrick Lewis and Illustrated by Alison Jay
This book tells us that the world is a fun and interesting place that we should explore and enjoy, but that it must also be protected and cherished. In the poem "Walk Lightly", for example, Lewis asks the reader to "Make the Earth your companion. / Walk lightly on it, as the creatures do."

The Curious Garden, Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown
Nature reminds us of old and forgotten things and can make them new again. In the Author’s Note, Brown poses the questions to the reader: What would happen if an entire city decided to truly cooperate with nature? How would that city change? How would it all begin? We can all apply these questions to our own lives.

Olivia's Birds, Written and Illustrated by Olivia Bouler
This book features more than fifty fascinating birds, from those living in your backyard to those that are threatened, endangered, and extinct. Beautiful illustrations help to bring each bird to life, highlighting their unique qualities, and subtle facts help to enlighten children about the dangers today's birds are facing. Olivia offers all children a powerful nudge of encouragement on the last page, giving them insight in to what they are capable of doing to help.

A Long Walk To Water, by Linda Sue Park
The powerful message of hope comes full circle after Salva is adopted by an American family in New York but still chooses to return to his country and help them find clean water sources. It’s a story of survival and the futures that await us even when the world is so very dark.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus, Written by Judith Viorst and Illustrated by Lane Smith
The message in Lulu and the Brontosaurus is one about growing up and accepting responsibility for our actions, and the way we treat other people. It teaches us about being polite, and how to interact with our peers. It also teaches us a lesson that most of us have had to learn the hard way (as Lulu Does)- that we can’t always get what we want, but sometimes, it’s for the better.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, Written by Eileen Spinelli and Illustrated by Paul Yalowitz
The message in Somebody Loves You is the one little gesture of love (any kind of love), can make somebody’s day, and even change their life. In Mr. Hatch’s case, the possibility that he may be loved drives him to go out and create love in his own life.

Hug Time, Written and Illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
The message in Hug Time is one of universal kindness. It highlights how one simple action can make an impact on the world, and emphasizes that an act of kindness is often appreciated and reciprocated. The reader is encouraged to embrace the world, and to bring kindness into it, starting with the people closest to them.

Beautiful Oops, Written and Illustrated by Barney Salzberg
Beautiful Oops! teaches us that “a mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery”. With just a few simple words, the reader feels encouraged to find the opportunity and beauty in their own mistakes.

Connected Wisdom, Written by Linda Booth Sweeney
When you pick up this book, you’ll first notice the wonderfully elegant and spare illustrations by Guy Billout. These perfectly enhance the organization of the book, neatly divided into twelve natural laws of living systems. Each chapter is then complemented with a flawlessly rewritten folk tale from around the world, which illustrates through story the principles in each law. 

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Celebrate Children's Book Week with Us!

Celebrate CBW with one of our own award-winning titles, and receive 20% off! Just use code CBW2013 at checkout. Shop here!

Happy Mother's Day From The Pickles!

Today, in celebration of strong women who raised equally strong daughters, we celebrate our mothers for Mother’s Day and share things they taught us. Take a peek into the lives of some Little Pickle staff members as they offer stories of their mothers and what they’ve learned from them.

Rana

I am grateful to my mother, Bernardine, for many things, but the four things that float to the top of the list are as follows:

My mother instilled in me a love of reading. She taught me to read when I was 4 years old, and in so doing started my first love affair. We always had plenty of books in our home, and she made sure that as I became a better reader there were always new and more advanced titles waiting for me. During summers on Martha’s Vineyard, I used the money I earned with my brother selling lemonade to thirsty cyclists to buy new books at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore.

My mother taught me to write. Truth be told, I was a reluctant writer. I would procrastinate before any assignment and work myself up into a frenzy before sitting down to address the task at hand. My mother, who herself was pursuing her Ed.D. in curriculum development while I was a young girl, would patiently lead me to our dining room table, sit down next to me, and guide me through my projects.

My mother taught me how to cook. I know how to make all of our family’s favorite Italian delicacies and sweets because my mom included me in their preparation since I was a little girl. She set me on a stool with my own apron right next to her, and I learned how to make everything in her repertoire—meatballs, braciolini, pizziola, eggplant parmigiana, chicken marsala, pizzelle, egg biscuits, cranberry nut bread, banana bread, and many more.

Finally, my beloved friend, Mary Alice Trimble, used to say to me every day she saw me, “Rana, have you thanked your mother for those legs of yours yet today?” Ha! Mary was 5’ on a tall day, and I am 5’7” with a 34” inseam. Thank you also, mom, for giving me my legs!

Sarah

The best advice my Mother ever gave me was to try new things. 

I remember struggling against her advice to change my routine; for instance her prodding to me to wear something other than the faded pair of pink overalls I practically lived in from the time I was 9 until I turned 11. I remember the way she encouraged me to engage in new challenges to foster competence that inspired independence. Although I tried to avoid her machinations at the time, in retrospect it is clear that she was creating opportunities for me to succeed in experiences most women eventually face; for example, being able to change a flat tire, knowing how to behave an interview, and having the courage to travel to new places. She has always advised me to have be confident and follow my intuition. Thanks to the continued support of my Mother, I have the confidence try new things almost everyday and enjoy a powerful sense of independence, even if I am still a tad fashion-challenged.

Khadijah

My mother, Shirley, certainly didn't fit into the category of mom portrayed in Little Women, dispensing advice to her children as we gathered around her in front of a cozy fire. She taught by example, by living her life as she thought we should live our lives. From her I learned how to face adversity with courage and humor, beginning when she was diagnosed with Lupus when I was in elementary school. She taught me never to underestimate myself, and to choose my battles wisely. One of the most important things I learned from her was simply to treat others well, with kindness and generosity and without judging them based on superficial things. To be honest, the list could go on and on. I lost my mom at a fairly young age, but her lessons live on in my heart, every day!

Kelly

My mom, Patricia, taught me so many things that have been useful in my life such as cooking with love for the people you love, how to love a book and passionately share it with others, and what kind of person I want to be. When I was growing up she let me try anything I wanted, even if I was bad at it. For example, she let me take ballet, softball, Girl Scouts, and let me be a fantastic spaghetti dinner for Halloween once. That taught me so much about being confident and feeling unafraid to go after things that might seem unattainable. What a gift that’s been to me and one that’s wrapped up in the food and books and doing things that I can live with at the end of each day. When I think about how complicated a task that was for her I wonder if I’ll ever be able to recreate it for my own daughters.

Audrey

When I was eight years old, I developed pneumonia. I was dosed with codeine and ordered to stay in the house, wrapped in blankets.

For two weeks.

The first week was tolerable. I coughed and read every book in the house. By week two, I was driving my mom nuts. In a moment of inspiration (or possibly desperation), she shoved yarn and a crochet hook at me. "Here! Do this!"

I was, pardon my pun, hooked. From crochet, I moved on to knitting, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and designing. I've stashed enough yarn to knit a house cozy. Friends have threatened to move if I ask them to admire one more skein. When winter rolls around, my kid looks like a tie-dyed marshmallow, thanks to the half-dozen sweaters he's stuck wearing.

I knit because I love it, and because my mom loved me enough to try and keep both of us from going stark raving bonkers during my convalescence. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! We hope your day is special and that you're enjoying homemade cards, special meals with family, and just a little bit of rest today.

Featured Young Writer: Georgia Wood

So often we underestimate the power of one to make a difference- one adult, or even one child.  This month our young writer of the month is twelve-year-old Georgia Wood. She was thoughtful enough, and brave enough, to take steps to make a difference in a very special, very unique way!

Here is Georgia’s story, in her own words:

The World's Greatest Shave
by Georgia Wood

Georgia with her mom

About 6 months ago, I was reading a book and it mentioned Locks for Love. I searched for it and found out about this foundation for people who have to go through chemotherapy. Donors cut off their ponytails and send them in to make wigs. I thought it was a great idea and my hair was long, but not quite long enough for Locks for Love. I kept searching for different foundations and finally settled for the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Foundation because I could donate my 27cm ponytail.

At the same time, I had discovered that my all-girls high school* was taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation’s fundraiser, The World’s Greatest Shave. People are asked to either dye their hair or shave their heads, and I wanted to dye my hair pink. We had a Science Teacher who decided to shave his head and beard and a lot of girls wanted to take part by dying their hair. But our school decided not to allow the students to dye their hair because it was against our dress code. As you can imagine, not many girls wanted to shave their heads but I still wanted to participate. So, I made the decision to shave my head, which I don’t regret at all. I thought this would be a good way to help two different charities in one shot and get the most use out of my hair.

My school was really supportive. The whole school (about 1000 girls) came to watch my teacher and I get our heads shaved at lunchtime. My teacher shaved his head first and then I shaved mine. All the girls and teachers were watching as I sat on a chair in front of them. In the background there was music playing and an emcee cheering and telling everyone how much we had raised. My teacher raised $700 and I raised $2,700. After the emcee announced how much I had raised, everyone started cheering, shouting, and whooping. I loved the feeling of people cheering and supporting me.  Getting my head shaved in front of the whole school was a little bit daunting at first, but then it was awesome.

Georgia shaving her head at school for The World's Greatest Shave

When I first shaved my head, it felt a bit odd as I got a lot of stares. I was embarrassed at first when I wasn’t at school, but then I realized people were just worried that I was sick. And I also remembered that this was my choice. My hair will grow back… and I really like the idea of helping people.

I learnt that people who have never met me or who live halfway around the world will support me with their fundraising and the kind words. I feel like I have changed into a more powerful person now that I have shaved my head. I believe that girls really need to be their own person, love themselves, and be unique. This is what makes a girl powerful. They don't need to dress or look a particular way, be in the cool group, or have a particular haircut.

*Georgia is 12 years old and is in high school, which starts in Year 7, in Sydney, Australia.