When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

This book is one of my favorites on this year's list of SSYRA Jr nominees! Have you heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?"  It means that even when things go badly, you can make the best of a situation and still end up with something sweet.  In this story, a little girl hopes for birthday gifts like a phone, computer, or robot dog.  Instead, her grandma gives her a lemon tree.  Even though it's not the gift she wanted, the girl cares for her tree as it grows.  She even makes some lemonade along the way!  Check out today's story time video and see what happens when Grandma gives you a lemon tree...

And because I just can't resist, you get a bonus story too!  It's another story about a girl who gets an unexpected gift.  In Kate Beaton's The Princess and the Pony, a young Viking princess wishes for a strong, beautiful battle horse for her birthday.  You'll have to watch the video to see what she gets! 

Pencil: A Story with a Point by Ann Ingalls

This fun book is one of our 2020-2021 SSYRA Jr picks!  Pencil is Jackson's best friend.  They do everything together--until Tablet comes along and Jackson forgets all about Pencil.  Pencil has to find a way to prove to his friend that they can still have lots of fun together.  Let's read and see what happens...

As a special treat, this story time video includes a bonus book!  One of our Wilson favorites from the 2018-2019 SSYRA list: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors!!  So click on the video below to enjoy these two silly stories about school supplies.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar, by Ross Burach

Fun Friday doesn't get any funner than this, Wildcats!...  Today's story time video is from Ryan and Craig, who just happen to be tons of fun in ALL of their videos, and they're reading one of our favorite picture books at Wilson: The Very Impatient Caterpillar, by Ross Burach!!  This book is SO MUCH FUN that it was named Wilson's 2020 SSYRA Jr winner just yesterday!  So, enjoy this super funny story read by two super funny guys--and then check out the rest of their read aloud videos at https://www.ryanandcraig.com/.

John Deere, That's Who, by Tracy Nelson Maurer

Who was John Deere?  I bet you've heard his name--or seen it on a passing tractor!  Today's story is John Deere, That's Who!, by Tracy Nelson Maurer.  It is a biography, the true story of this man who changed farming in America in a BIG way.  John Deere was a blacksmith, working with iron and metal to create tools, way back in the 1830's.  He moved out west with the pioneers and invented a steel plow that helped farmers to plant their crops more quickly and feed a growing American population.  The John Deere Company still exists today, making farming equipment and those very familiar green and yellow tractors!

Inventors like John Deere create new objects that help people to accomplish tasks easier and faster.  You can be an inventor too!  Visit PBS Kids' Design Squad website for fun, creative videos, games, and challenges, including the Global Design Challenge.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez, by Andrea Beaty

Well, Wildcat readers, you know Mrs. Migs LOVES a good rhyming story, and I've got a good one for you today!  Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is the newest picture book in the Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty (other titles include Iggy Peck, Architect, Ada Twist, Scientist, and Rosie Revere, Engineer).  In this book, Sofia is always looking for ways to make her neighborhood better, and when her grandpa gets hurt by a pile of landfill junk, Sofia decides that the city should clean up the trash and build a park for everyone to enjoy.  But, can a 2nd grader get it done?  Sofia won't give up!

Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen, by Debbi Michiko Florence

Jasmine Toguchi is a really fun character with her own chapter book series in our media center.  Jasmine is a Japanese American 2nd grader who lives with her parents and bossy older sister, Sophie.  In the first book, Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen, by Debbi Michiko Florence, Jasmine wants to help the women in her family make yummy mochi treats to celebrate New Year's Day, but she is too young.  So, Jasmine decides she'll do something her big sister can't: pound the mochi rice with the boys!  Can she talk her way into helping out?... Let's read the first chapter of Jasmine Toguchi together!

You can make your own mochi at home with the author's mochi recipe, and check out lots of fun activities that go with the Jasmine Toguchi books on the author's website!

Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty

It's FUN FRIDAY!!!  That means, you get a break from my reading, Wildcats!  Today's story time is coming to you from far away--very far away...  Please enjoy Story Time from Space!  Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor will be sharing the book, Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty, while floating in zero-gravity on the International Space Station.  This is a fun story about a girl who is very interested in science (maybe she'll grow up to be an astronaut someday too!).  I hope you like the story, because next week, I'll be sharing the author's newest picture book, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez!

For more stories from space, visit https://storytimefromspace.com/.