Author Archives: Candy Ranney

About Candy Ranney

Candy is an elementary school librarian in Shelton, WA at the school where she was a student (so many years ago!). Her library is unique in that she brings her background and love of biology to her students in many ways. Not only does she have an awesome selection of science books; she also has a beaver, bobcat and mink sitting on her shelves and a variety of jarred specimens for her students to study. When she's not in the library, she is taking care of her baby trees on her tree farm and hanging out with her family and many pets. * 2025 WA Library Association School Librarian of the Year

The Perfect Pet

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Ana and Andrew are great kids and their parents have noticed. So, Mama and Papa announce that the siblings can choose a pet to take care of together. They research and narrow it down to three, finally choosing a hamster. Ana and Andrew find the perfect hamster, a golden one that loves to run on his wheel. Now, the fun part comes – what to name their new pet? They decide to name him after someone who runs super fast. Their parents tell them about a famous Black track athlete, Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in track at the 1936 Olympics. They describe how important his achievement was at a time when people thought skin color made some people better than others. But, Jesse Owens showed that skin color didn’t determine a person’s abilities. Right then and there, Ana and Andrew knew that their hamster would be named Mr. Jesse. And, it was perfect!

At 32 pages, this easy reader chapter book is a great bridge between picture books and more traditional chapter books. Glossy pages and color illustrations are more picture book-like. The characters are diverse. This book is part of the Ana & Andrew series, which introduces an aspect of African American history and culture in each book. Recommended.

The Bear Must Go on

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Bear and his friends (Squirrel, Other Squirrel and Rabbit) work together to prepare a really big show for their forest friends. This includes a sparkly curtain, tiny hats for birds and shiny tickets. Bear keeps meticulous notes as the self-appointed “note taker”, because he does not want to perform (he’s nervous). Frenzied preparations ensue and bear takes lots of notes. The big night arrives and all the forest creatures are waiting in the audience. There’s one problem, though. They forgot to write a show! Oh, no!!!

Luckily, Bear comes through and mentions that he has a song that he created. They beg him to perform and he finally agrees. The forest creatures love it! The show is a success! Thanks goodness for Bear.

The story moves along at a quick pace, helped along by the illustrations, some in comic panel-like sequences. Colors are bright and energetic and Bear’s notes are front and center a few times, which help with the busyness of the story. Bear’s nervousness is acknowledged and his bravery in going up to the stage to sing is noted. Maybe, this story will encourage some human friends to work together and put on a show! Recommended.

Card and Coin Magic to Shock and Amaze

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This book, part of the Super simple Magic and Illusions series, is a solid introduction to sleight of hand with cards and coins. It begins with a general introduction to this type of magic trick, discusses props that are needed and then goes into step by step directions for several tricks. Each trick has illustrations to help young magicians perfect their craft. Young magicians pictured are fairly diverse and the materials are simple to acquire. There are added tips to become more polished in your magic. Examples are practice (no surprise) and using distractions. This book will not be on the shelf for long. It’s got some great, simple tricks that are accessible to most young readers. Recommended.

Ayes-Ayes

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A book about Aye-Ayes is difficult to find, yet here is one that is full of great pictures and information. Readers learn about the characteristics of this animal, as well as its habitat, food sources and population levels. Labeled photos, bolded words, text boxes and short, informative paragraphs make this nonfiction book an engaging read. Other nonfiction features include table of contents, index, glossary and an online resource list. The “bells and whistles” of this book are the QR codes that lead the reader to linked videos and activities online. That is some great extra content!

This books is part of the Weird and Wonderful Animals series. Adding this to your collection will add some dimension to the typical shelves of big cats, elephants whales and so forth. How many librarians can point a student to the Aye-Aye book? Recommended.

Swimming

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This nonfiction book gives a good overview of swimming, including four basic strokes. equipment and safety. labeled photos accompany the simple text, with bolded words that might be unfamiliar. Those words are then defined in the glossary at the end of the book. Typical nonfiction features (table of contents, index, resource list, text boxes, labels) are present. An additional feature, which makes this book stand out over others is the number of QR codes, which link to extra resources. Once accessed, there are activity pages to print, videos and many other extras that take this book a step above the rest. While it is a fine introduction to the sport of swimming for young readers, the extra features will engage students and the adults around them. Highly recommended.

The Piano Recital

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Momo is nervously awaiting her turn on stage at her first piano recital. As she repeats to herself “I’ll be ok”, she looks down and sees a small mouse saying the same words. The mouse tells Momo that she has a recital as well and invites her new friend to come watch. Momo follows the mouse to a wonderful concert hall filled with an audience of attentive mice and an incredible array of performers. There are mouse magicians, dancers, singers and an orchestra. They fill the concert hall with color and excitement. Finally, it is the mouse’s turn to perform and Momo offers to accompany her on the piano. They finish the piece and as Momo stands to take a bow, she looks out and realizes that she has just performed at her own recital!

What a beautiful book that is filled with imagination! Momo expresses the nervousness that many children feel at some point in their lives and that nervousness is alleviated in a sweet, magical way. Charcoal and pencil illustrations with a hint of color in the right places are a beautiful accompaniment to a sweet story. Recommended.

Good Guys, Bad Guys

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A pair of siblings that seem so different start their day – one grouchy and messy, the other happy and squeaky clean. They play with their respective groups, the “good guys’ and “bad guys”, throughout a day filled with imagination and fun. Near the end of the day, their paths converge and they retreat to their respective homes, tired and happy. The siblings wave goodbye to their friends and head to bed, agreeing to switch places tomorrow for a new day of fun and imagination.

This book is brimming with joy and play as a wonderful mixture of kids use their imagination to make the day so fun. Characters are diverse and the play is full of action and dramatic play. Colors are vivid and there is movement in the illustrations that enhances the short, rhyming text. Young readers will see themselves in the story. Or, at the very least, glean some awesome ideas for their own playtime! Recommended.

A Stopwatch from Grampa

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This is a sweet, heartfelt story about a child, who feels very deeply the loss of his grandfather. They were buddies and a stopwatch that he is holding (his grandfather’s) is a symbol of their shared memories. The child is honest, though and says, “I don’t want his stopwatch. I want him.” He tosses the item into a drawer and time seems to drag on, dark and lonely. Seasons pass and he finds his grandpa’s watch again. Now, it brings him happy memories, about which he can begin to smile. He starts to use it again and includes his younger sibling in timing some of the same things he did with grandpa.

The story is lovely and a realistic portrayal of the grief that a child feels about the passing of a loved one. Soft, gentle illustrations add to the melancholic tone of the words, with just the right amount of color. The child’s face is expressive and matches the feelings that he expresses. Highly recommended. This will lead to very meaningful discussions when needed.

The Perfectly Perfect Wish

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The girl finds a golden coin, with the words NO WISHING FOR MORE WISHES engraved on it. She spends the day at school dreaming about the one wish she has. Asking friends what they would wish for makes her realize that she already has everything she really wants and the extras can be earned through hard work or time. She then makes a truly wonderful wish – a wish that everyone else’s wish would come true. And, in the end, we see that everyone she asks receives their special wishes. Her teacher get the house she wishes for, her wheelchair bound friend gets a dog and her friend, Mark, has his military dad come home.

This warm, sweet story is a testament to generosity and empathy and will make kids really think hard about what their wishes might be. Soft grey colors with vivid shots of color at the right moments in the story move it along and give importance to important parts of the story.

Characters are diverse and the illustrations work into the story beautifully. This is definitely a book to purchase!

Castle of Books

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Castle of Books explores all the answers to the question “Why do we need books?”. Spare text and flowing, colorful illustrations give reasons from the realistic “to observe” to the more esoteric “to grow” and “to lose ourselves”. Everything about this book encourages the reader to think to himself “Why do I need books?” and proceed to the many answers he will have!