AN EVENT TO REMEMBER

It's the end of middle school and Phoebe and her four best friends plan on throwing a big party to celebrate the event. Everything is going to be perfect from the special invitations to the fashion photographer hired to document the party. The entire school is talking about this and hoping to be invited to the big celebration. Phoebe considers herself to be a very lucky girl who seems to have it all. Sometimes though luck runs out and when her mother loses her job and everything, including the party, is suddenly in jeopardy.

Rachel Vail starts a sisterhood trilogy with her book Lucky and tells the story of Phoebe and her sisters during a year that changes all of her lives.

For grades 6 through 8.

A BEGINNING, A MUDDLE, AND AN END: THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE WRITING

Avon the snail loves to read!! After reading so many stories of adventure, he is now ready to write one of his own. How will Avon begin his story? He decides to begin the story with the word "Something" but after that, he is at a complete lost. Avon doesn't give up!! Like many beginning writers, he tries very hard. And his good friend Edward the ant is there to support and encourage him during his first writing experience.

With more witty dialogue than Avi's first Avon and Edward story, readers will cheer Avon on as he and Edward go off on another adventure.

Best for students in the 4th grade and up.

RABBITS ON STAGE

So you've been reading for about a year now, and it's time for a book that's a little longer. CINDER-RABBIT by Lynn Hazen is not quite a chapter book, but is longer than the usual book for early readers. Zoe the rabbit is chosen to be the star of the school play - Cinder-Rabbit! For the last act, she is to lead the rest of the cast in an onstage Bunny Hop. Unfortunately, thanks to mean Winifred, she's lost her hop. In all the rehearsals, she can never hop quite right. Will she get her hop back before opening night? Read and you will soon find out! For 2nd and 3rd graders.

PIRATES, BURIED TREASURE AND A GHOST

This month's Snacktime Readers book is an adventure story by Sid Fleischman, The Ghost in the Noonday Sun. Right after celebrating his twelfth birthday, Oliver is kidnapped and forced to help the Pirate Captain Scratch find a lost treasure. There's lots of adventures, a ghost and a deserted island for Oliver to have and see before he makes it back home.

If you missed Snacktime Readers this month, be sure to join us on Wednesday, October 22 for the discussion about Any Small Goodness by Tony Johnston when we meet at the Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale 91205

LILY LOVES NANCY DREW

Everyone in her small town thinks that Lily is brain damaged because since her brother's death two years ago she had not spoken a word and finds making eye contact with anyone difficult. Only her father and a neighbor, Fern, keep on talking to her even though she never answers. When Fern's grand-niece Tinny arrives in town and discovers that Lily can read, she in fact has read every Nancy Drew mystery in the Library, she threatens to expose her secret. But Tinny doesn't know that Lily has a much darker secret which the reader can discover in Cicada Summer by Andrea Beatty

For grades 4-6.

ANNIE AND SIMON

Annie is the little sister and Simon is the big brother. Annie is a talkative one who never is content with anything that she does. Therefore, she asks her brother to always do different things with her. They embark on many adventures to fulfill Annie's curiosities. Simon, being the good old brother listens to his sister patiently and answers her questions as much as he can.

The colors used in the illustrations are soft, fresh and simple which depict the exact mood of the story.

ANNIE AND SIMON by CATHARINE O'NEIL

For grades 2nd through 4th.

DO YOU SPEAK DOG?

Who knew dogs had a language all to themselves? Not only that, in this book JACK AND REBEL, THE POLICE DOG by Jack (as told to Patricia Finney), dogs drive cars and solve crimes! Of course, this is all by accident, according to Jack the dog, but his "petapes" don't know any better. While his packleaders are out of town, Jack must mind the packleader "puppies" and the new, friendly smelling relative of the packleader. The relative loves to go for "walkies," and many adventures occur while the packleaders are away. There are a few cats that have a few things to say along the way, but Jack is the hero of the day! A great chapter book for 3rd through 6th grade.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

Sophomore, Frankie Landau-Banks doesn't want to be Bunny Rabbit anymore. She wants to be more like her popular sister, noticed and and a part of something cool. She wants to belong to her new boyfriend's cool crowd. Through chance Frankie discovers that he and his friends haved been "tapped" to join a secret male society at their boarding school just as her father had been many years ago. She wants to join desperately but realizes she would never be included because she is female.

Feeling challenged and desperate to belong, she sets on an ambitious path to prove herself. She masterminds school pranks, manipulates the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds members through a convoluted series of emails and false identities. Everyone at school enjoys the fun and Frankie is thrilled by the comments until one member is caught and everything unravels. When she unmasks herself as the secret leader of the pranks, her schoolmates, family and boyfriend have differing reactions and are thrown by this other side of Frankie.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is about one girl's attempt to make sense of her world; love, her identity, her ambition, social acceptance and the ultimate power and role of men and women. A great novel for mature readers 6th and older.

HISTORICAL FICTION FANS!

For those of you not yet familiar, it is time to read The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Starting with LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS, the story of this pioneer family begins to unravel as they leave their family and home and head out West. The main character is Laura, who tells all about Ma and Pa, and her sisters Mary and Carrie. Meeting “Indians” while they trek across the prairie in their covered wagon, wading with slimy creatures in a pond, there are some happenings that will make you cry, but many more that will have you laughing yourself out of your chair! Other titles include FARMER BOY, a book about her husband when he was young and lived on a farm, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK, BY THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, THE LONG WINTER, LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRARIE, and THESE HAPPY GOLDEN YEARS. Each volume depicts a certain point in the life of Laura and her family and the exciting things that happen to them over the years. For grades 4 and up.

IF YOU LIKE A GOOD SCARE...

Moving back to his dad's hometown in Connecticut to get a new start was a great idea, or so Zach's family had thought. No one could have predicted the evil that would be unleashed on the town when lightning struck the tree at the crossroads of a fifty year old bus accident. All but one had died that night. And now the ghosts have all converged toward one boy who has the ability to change things.

If you like R. L. Stine or a good scare then read The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein, but not at night and definitely not under the covers by flashlight. For readers in 4th and up.

For readers in 4th and up.

DO RE MI...

You have heard the do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do countless times. But I'll bet that you don't know much about it. Therefore, you should read DO RE MI: If YOU CAN READ MUSIC, THANK GUIDO d'AREZZO by Susan L. Roth. In this fun book you will learn about Guido d'Arezzo whose system of lines and spaces is the basis for today's musical notations.
He chose do-re-mi-fa from a poem and set it music to show that it was possible to write music and not just memorize it. The illustrations of funky and interesting collages makes this a great book to flip through.


For grades k and up.

THE DEADLY MEANING OF FLOWERS

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. In this third twisted tale of mystery for 6th - 8th grade readers, Dr. Watson has been kidnapped and committed to an insane asylum under another's name. Enola is on a parallel hunt with her older brother Sherlock to find Dr. Watson before the anonymous bouquet sender kills him. Enola must use all her skills to pull their beloved Dr. Watson from danger.

MR. MAXWELL'S MOUSE

Mr. Maxwell has gone to a restaurant to celebrate his recent promotion. He decides to celebrate with nothing than a live mouse. At first he hesitates, but than with the very clever mouse, he has a change of hearts and decides to try it.

This is a very clever cat and mouse story that will be liked by everyone who will read it. The illustrations are a bit eery due to the colors and the depiction of the cats with a human like hands. However, the story is clever and will keep you guessing until the very last page.

MR. MAXWELL'S MOUSE is by FRANK ASCH and DEVIN ASCH.

For grades k-up.