Title: “Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie”
By Fiona Robinson

Before there was the Walt Disney Animation Studio and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” there was German Filmmaker Lotte Reiniger and her convergence of paper silhouettes and stop-motion animation. When she was a child, Lotte fell in love with fairytales, puppets and the cinema. She turned this love into a successful career as one of the first animated film makers. Robinson’s detailed biography of Reiniger is supported by artwork that mimics Reiniger’s animation style. The mimicked artwork brings life to the book just like Reiniger’s animated films. This book would be essential in a teaching unit on the creation and evolution of film for children in upper elementary. You can find this book on Hoopla with a valid library card.

Title: “The Best Christmas Present Ever”
By: Barbara Robinson
Illustrator: Laura Cornell
Reading Level: 3rd Grade+

The Herdman children are the worst children ever. Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys Herdman will smack you, steal from you, black mail you and more. When they hear about the great snacks served at church, the Herdman’s come storming in. Expecting snacks, these hoodlum children learn about a Christmas pageant production and want to be a part of it. They’ve never heard of the Christmas story and when the story is being told, they have loads of questions.

All the other children are shocked about the Herdman’s participation. They just know they’re up to no good. The true story of Christmas is so powerful, it can even change the hearts of the most heinous children in town. This book is for middle schoolers, but is a wonderful read for families to enjoy together. You will laugh the whole way through, and maybe even shed a tear or two. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever can be found at the library or on the library’s reading apps for eBook reading or audiobook listening, Hoopla and Libby.