FURRY THIEVES

Max and Maddy's parents were two of the best detectives in the world until Professor Claude Sardine ruined their business.  Now, the detective work is left to Max and Maddy who, after winning a town-wide Clue tournament, have been asked to get to the bottom of bank robberies in Switzerland.  The case isn't what they expect, however, when they find themselves tracking down furry St. Bernards who seem to be the bank robbers.  Just remember, things are not always what they appear...

Max & Maddy and the Chocolate Money Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith is a detective's delight.  Action packed with an unusual twist, any young crime-solver is sure to enjoy the journey to finding out whodunnit.  Recommended for 3rd and 4th graders.

ALLIE FINKLE’S RULES

This book is number 3 in the series (Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls) but if you haven’t read the first two, no worries, you will still be amused and entertained.

Allie is a typical fourth grader who after the winter school vacation is really excited to go back to school and be with her friends again. When she finds out that in addition to her usual friends, there is going to be a new girl, she becomes even more excited. Unfortunately as she starts her regular week at school, she realizes that the girl, whom she hoped could have become one of her own friends, is the exact opposite of her.  Cheyenne, the new girl, is rude, angry all the time and has the tendency to bully people around her. She tries to replace Allie‘s and her friends’ innocent recess games with inappropriate games such as chase and kiss, hoping to ‘recruit’ friends.  Allie of course, being the smart and kind person finds many ways to fight her rival.

You will fall in love with Allie and her friends and would want to read the entire series…

BEST FRIENDS AND DRAMA QUEENS by MEG CABOT For grades 3rd-5th. 



THE CURE FOR BORING BOOKS

MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE (a book by Betty MacDonald) lives in an upside-down house and loves children. Many of the kids in her town don't like doing their chores, talk back to their parents, and misbehave in many other ways. Rather than scolding the children, the parents turn to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for her miraculous cures and antidotes for these rare childhood "diseases" their children seem to have, such as "Won't-put-away-toys-itis." 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's healing methods are so funny and different, you may even read the other books in the series, just to make sure you don't have any of these strange childhood problems. Other books in this series include HELLO, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S MAGIC, and MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S FARM, and are great for readers in 3rd grade and up.

JULY 2012

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!

Mitchell is terrified of bears so when his teachers tell him that everyone is going camping for the weekend - his birthday weekend - Mitchell is a little bummed out.  Luckily, though, his best friend Habib will be by his side and between the two of them, they can conquer anything!  Join Mitchell and the rest of the Zigzag Afternoon Center gang in the latest installment of their crazy afterschool adventures.  

Bears Beware by Patricia Reilly Giff is perfect for second and third graders who are getting too big for easy readers but not quite ready for a complex chapter book.

HER NAME IS WHAT?

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had a different name and that your parents had given you a shorter, funnier or cooler name?  Most probably you have and you even have thought about changing your name as soon as you are an adult.  However, imagine that your name was Cataline Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan and you had to live with that name for the rest of your life...Now, your own name doesn't sound as strange or long does it?

CATALINA MAGDALENA HOOPENSTEINER WALLENDINER HOGAN LOGAN BOGAN WAS HER NAME is by TEDD ARNOLD and you are going to just love this book.  Unfortunately, her name is not the only thing that is unusual...

While others use their toes to stand on their feet, she puts them in her nose, while others use their eyes to see straight, she uses them to see left and right...You have to read this story to find out how her name gets even longer than what it already was...

For grades 1st and up.

THE ISLAND HORSE

Ellie is almost ten years old and trying to adjust to the recent death of her mother.  She's beginning to feel happy again but her father has been unemployed, giving up his job in order to spend time with his wife.  After her passing, Pa could not get his job at the docks back, or anywhere else.  

So when her father receives a job offer it's on a remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia.  Ellie was not happy at all.  Pa would help other men rescue people from shipwrecks, a very dangerous job. Meanwhile, she explores the island, feeling alone and furious with her pa for making them leave their beloved home, but one afternoon Ellie meets a beautiful chocolate-colored wild stallion on the sand dunes.  Over time a secret relationship grows  between Orchid, the horse, and Ellie.  

A touching story about  loneliness and friendship.  The Island Horse written by Susan Hughes.  Recommended for readers  7-10 years old.

A TRUE STORY

When circus performer Luciano Anastasini had a terrible accident on the high wire it ended his career. Unwilling to leave the circus and the life he loved, he came up with an idea for a new act and another career was born. But before that could happen he knew that he would need some new partners which lead him on a search for some special dogs who as it turned out needed him just as badly.

Meet each of these very expressive dogs and learn not only their individual stories but how they worked together to become a team in Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Muntean A perfect book for all dog lovers as it can be read by older readers and shared with younger ones. 

For kindergarten and much older.

THE LIBRARY NEEDS YOUR HELP

We are trying to get some Duplo activity kits for all of our sites and need you to vote for us. Please click on the link below to do so, select "Glendale Public Library" since we want these for everyone and not just one site. You can vote every three days until October 1. Thanks for your support.

http://www.readbuildplay.com/

POISONED BY HER FATHER? NO WAY!

Growing up in a tough apartment complex without money means you have to learn how to take care of yourself and do things for yourself.  When Ruby's father becomes a prime suspect in the death of the famous forensic scientist he works for, she and her best friend Rex need to investigate the murder before her father is arrested.  They need help, and help comes from an unlikely recluse, the Window Lady, who lives on the ninth floor.  

Poison Most Vial:  A Mystery by Benedict Carey is a fast pace who dunnit mystery for mystery and CSI lovers from 6th-and up. 

WELCOME TO THE FLIRT CLUB

Flirt Club by Cathleen Dal

Are you tired of attending the usual Art or Ceramic club at you school?  Than perhaps you should try the Flirt Club!Two best friends in eight grade have absolutely no idea how to talk to boys or even how to make eye contact.  Even if the boys at school try to talk or make an eye contact with them, it is almost a guarantee that the girls will either walk away or say something unintentionally offensive to them. However, all that changes once the girls form a secret flirt club and invite all girls who are in similar situations to help each other.

So get ready to read the secret locker notes, private journal entries and the many private thoughts of girls who are going through the regular motions of heart breaks, insecurities, body image issues and more.  The book deals with pretty much everything related to girls, but the fun part is that it is written in a humorous, clever and unique way.  You will not want to put it down until you read the very last word.

For grades 7^th and up.



DUCK AND COVER

Franny has a lot of problems.  Her best friend is being mean to her.  Her sister is receiving secret letters in the mail and won't tell her about them.  Her brother is Mr. Perfect.  Her Uncle thinks he is still in World War II.  And, as if growing up a normal kid wasn't hard enough, her country is in  the middle of the Cold War.  Its 1962 and Franny is constantly afraid of a nuclear bomb falling from the sky.  The only thing that can get her through everything is listening to music and taking life one day at a time - since she never knows which day will be her last.

Using mixed-media such as song lyrics, photographs, speeches, and other snippets from 1962, Countdown by Deborah Wiles creates a world which children in grades 5 and up can easily relate to while also learning about the Cold War and its effects on an everyday family.  

For 5th grade and older. 

AUTHOR BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Author Donna Gephart is offering autographed copies of her three books and much more!  Go to her blog and leave a comment to enter the drawing.  If you haven't read any of these stories check them out from the library, or better yet, enter yourself in the giveaway and win your own copies.  The winner will be announced this coming Monday. 

BUDDING BOY BUD

This is a story about Bud, NOT Buddy. His mother insisted that he tell everyone to call him Bud. It's been four years since Bud's mom died, and he's bounced from orphanage to foster home and back again. His latest foster family is awful! He narrowly escapes her clutches and runs away to search for his father. Bud has his suitcase full of mementoes, which also serve as clues to where Bud's father may live. An adventurous journey ensues, taking Bud through many aspects of society during the late 1930s. Bud finds the man he is looking for, but he is really surprised to learn who that man really is! BUD, NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis takes place many years ago, but everything that happens to Bud could happen to you too. Grades 4 and up.

JULY 2012

FUN IN THE GARDEN

Colorful illustrations entice us to stop awhile in Isabella's very lovely garden. The author has written a sweet cumulative tale about what happens to a garden all year long from the "seeds that slept in the soil" to the "flowers that waltz in the wind." A nice book to share with a single child or a group with the added bonus of a possible game to see if listeners can remember what happened next in Isabella's Garden by Glenda Millard.

For Preschool to 2nd grade.