EVER WONDER WHY RABBITS HAVE SHORT, FLUFFY TAILS?



Rabbit wants leaves and flower buds to munch on during the summertime, but he can't reach them.  Couldn't they just fall down? Or, better, yet, is there some other way Rabbit could get closer to the the branches of the tree?  His growing frustration to wait for these tasty treats to fall leads him to think of a clever plan that will get him high into the trees: a song and dance that will cause snow to fall down, even during the summer time!  After delivering an entertaining amount of song and dance, rabbit is in need of much needed rest.  When he awakens, he is involved in an accident and finds that his tail now matches the length of his patience. 

JAMES and JOSEPH BRUCHAC Iroquois tale, RABBIT'S SNOW DANCE will amuse readers and may find themselves humming Rabbit's tune throughout the day.  For Kinder thru 4th grade.  
                                   

WHO STILL DOESN'T HAVE THEIR READING LOG?

We're halfway into our Summer Reading Program.  Make sure you come by one of the Glendale Public Library branch to pick up your log.  If you've already read your 8 books and filled out the log, bring it in and get your free book!

Click on the image and check out what deliciousness is going on at our Libraries.

MEDIUM WELL DONE

A review by Mr. B. of the the Grandview branch:

Joanne Levy has written a funny and tenderly haunting tale.  After being struck by lightning, seventh grader Lilah Bloom has a new and disturbing ability: she can hear and talk to ghosts, which makes her a Small Medium at Large. 

While not mean spirits (mostly), their presence can cause Lilah to behave strangely, as she can hear but not see them or control their sometimes playful behavior.  The deceased cafeteria lady saves her from eating the wrong thing at lunch; a message from a dead singer makes Lilah’s music teacher cry; and the ghost of grandmother Dora is determined to find her divorced son (Lilah’s dad) a girlfriend.  She and Lilah have to work hard at that one, as Dad has forgotten how to dress for a date as well as how to behave on one. 

Another regular drop in ghost is the mischievous Rufus, who was a student at the school when he died from cancer.  He nearly destroys the eighth grade fashion show (a cancer charity) because organizer Dolly bullies Lilah.  Lilah, her friends, and the ghosts save the fashion show, raising a lot of money.  Along the way Lilah’s dad finds a girl friend, and Lilah gets her first kiss (from a real boy, not a ghost).  

This book has some serious themes, but more laughs than tears.

RL: 4 / Ages 8-12

FIRST HALO

A book review by Mr. B from the Grandview Branch:  

It’s hard to be a perfect angel. It’s even harder when George (AKA “Suds”) is trying to win the first of the halos third grade teacher Mrs. Simms is awarding weekly to the most perfect angel in her class.  Will it count if Suds does something “angel-like” when Mrs. Simms isn’t watching?  What happens if he slips and is mean to his little sister?  How can he be better than the already perfect Darren Tapp?

 It’s an age old moral dilemma brought ever so close to home by versatile veteran children’s author Jerry Spinelli in Third Grade Angels.  This quick and funny chapter book would also make an effective home or classroom read-aloud.

RL 2-4

Age 7-10

READING IS DELICIOUS...IF YOU LIKE PICKLES

Ben had bags and bags full of plastic balls from the local pizza parlor's ball pit.  What to do? What to do?  There were so many that they could fill up his entire classroom.  That would surely put a smile on everyone's faces in the morning if they walked into a homeroom full of colorful balls!

What started out as a one time prank became a secret club officially sanctioned by the PTA, unbeknownst to the PTA of course.  And that's how THE PICKLE CLUB came to be, after all, how else would they remain secret except to make it the weirdest and most boring club so that no one but only a select few would want to be in it.  

Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker is a fun romp for readers in 5th-8th grade.

I NEED A KID'S OPINION!!!

So, I read a book recently called SUMMER AND BIRD by Katherine Catmull, and I have to say I am not so sure kids will like it. The Accelerated Reader program has given it a 5th grade reading level, and I would say there aren't many words that are too difficult. But there are parts to this book that just don't make sense. It talks about a great swan who used to lead all the birds to a special place every year, kind of like when birds fly south for the winter. But the great swan hasn't been around for 13 years because a man fell in love with her, and they had two girls - Summer and Bird. One day, the parents disappear and Summer and Bird go on this strange adventure to find them. I would like to hear if any 5th graders have read this book, or maybe get some 5th graders to read this book, to see if it makes sense or if some crazy person in the land of publishing made a mistake. Is this book really for kids? Let me know... For grades 5 and up?

APRIL 2013

MIND YOUR MANNERS!

 

Mother feels that one must have good table manners at all times. You never know when you might get a dinner invitation from the Queen. When young Maya receives a surprise invitation to the Queen's palace she gets to display her idea of acceptable table manners, and the Queen's guests are in  for quite a surprise.

MAYA MAKES A MESS by RUTU MODAN is an amusing graphic novel.  For 3rd grade and up.

CAN YOU HANDLE THE SPELL?

Heidi's new classmate Melanie really doesn't like her and is now going to take her role as the lead in the play.  What to do?  Since she is learning how to casts spells from her aunt, Heidi decides to collect what she needs to cast a spell to forget so Melanie would forget her lines for the play.  That role of Dorothy should have been Heidi's instead of being a tree.

Heidi Heckelbeck Casts a Spell by Wanda Coven is the start of a new chapter book series, with large print and illustrations sprinkled trhough out.  It's very much like Katie Kazoo series, a story with a moral.  

For readers in 2nd to 4th. 

WHEN KISSING IS A BAD IDEA

All Emerson wants is to try kissing a boy. But when she finally does, she sees into their minds! It's something she's been able to do ever since her mother abandoned her and her sister many years ago. Now, she's just trying to live as normal a life as possible. It's not easy, however, when her guardian Aunt threatens to pull her from the only school she's ever attended for getting bad grades! Emerson accidentally stumbles upon a plan that not only helps her grades, but allows her to practice kissing and meet the boy of her dreams! KISS & MAKE UP by Katie D. Anderson is not your typical realistic fiction story, with the whole reading minds thing, but it will definitely keep you reading! 

For grades 6 and up.

APRIL 2013

WHAT'S A DRAGONSLAYER?

Exactly!  A dragonslayer has not been seen for many years.  Now, the last dragon in the Ununited Kingdom is dying.  Mayhaps all magic along with it.  Orphan, Jennifer Strange, manager of wizards and all things magical at the Kazam Mystical Arts Management is treading water and keeping things together, barely, while her boss is "away".  Come to find out, she is the last dragonslayer and the previous dragonslayer has been waiting for her for a long, long time.  With no time spare, she gets a crash course as an apprentice in the history of dragons and people, and dragonslayers and of course the dragonstation.  She's had the quickest apprenticeship ever.

But now with the imminent death of the dragon, everyone, from kings to land developers, are vying for the last of the open space of Dragonland.  Jasper Fforde's first book for children, The Last Dragonslayer, is a great fantasy that takes a while to set up but ends in a fantastically unexpected way. 

For readers in 6th-8th.  

READING IS SO DELICIOUS...ESPECIALLY WITH SOUP

Jayna, or Gingersnap as her mother liked to call her, is an excellent soup maker.  She knows just the soup for every occasion and can make a soup with whatever happens to be in the fridge - even if its just a carrot and some soup stock.  Which is a good thing, since it's 1945 and food is being rationed due to World War II.  Some days, it feels like there isn't ever enough to eat - and there is never enough sugar or butter to make cakes and cookies.  Cooking and baking remind Jayna of her brother, Rob, who shipped out with the Navy as a cook and is her only family.  Jayna and Rob's parents both died in a car accident, leaving the kids to bounce from foster home to foster home until Rob was old enough to adopt Jayna.  Now that Rob is somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Jayna has to live with their landlady, Celia, who is too concerned with Jayna's manners and safety.

Jayna feels all alone in the great big world - that is until she starts hearing a ghost speak to her.  The ghost comes and goes, but tells Jayna she's there to help her find a family.  She encourages Jayna to go into Rob's closet where she finds a cookbook that Jayna believes belonged to her mother and there the adventure to find her family begins.

Kids in 4th grade and up can follow Jayna as she leaves upstate New York in search of a grandmother she never knew but desperately wants to find in Gingersnap by Patricia Reilly Giff.

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

A review from Mr. B. of the Grandview Branch:

The cows on the Diddle farm overhear a certain nursery rhyme, and are instantly divided on the important issue of whether or not a cow can jump over the moon.  “So Cindy Moo raised up a hoof / and said that it was true/ ‘If that cow could jump the moon / by golly, I can too.” 

There are some hilarious attempts before Cindy Moo finally realizes the best way to jump over the Moon.  Lori Mortensen’s rhyming text and Jeff Mack’s lush art revisit an old rhyme, to find a new tale of hope, determination, and giggles. This should be a successful read-aloud.

RL: ALL AGES

READING IS SO DELICIOUS... REHASHED

These three beautifully illustrated rehashed fairy tales are hilarious and in one instance, someone is literally eaten.  Read them and see if you can figure out who it is. 

Corey Rosen Schwartz and Dan Santat have created an over the top rework of The Three Little Pigs as martial arts warriors defeating the Big Bad Pig with their moves.  The Three Ninja Pigs is worth a few chuckles while being read-a-loud to the family.  




In Goldilocks and Just One Bear, Leigh Hodgkinson sets Baby Bear on a path through the city where he becomes  lost and accidentally stumbles upon an old friend's house and their friendship is renewed, but does Baby Bear really belong in the city?    


Each two page spread has a different nursery tale character in the middle of a crime.  Now that you are familiar with the classic rhymes, you'll love reading these twists on them.  Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries by David Levinthal and John Nickle is a hilarious romp for everyone. 

A FETCHING ROMP

A review from Mr. B. of the Grandview Branch:  

Who would have thought rescuing a border collie who is about to be “put down” in a distant animal shelter could be such an adventure? Ben Duffy explains it all, from the moment his dad and their dog, Atticus, wake him up before dawn for the surprise Road Trip for the three of them (“Dad, did you tell Mom about this?” No, he didn’t) to manipulating Dad into taking Ben’s best friend, troubled-teen Theo, along for the ride; from trading the suddenly disabled truck for an old school bus (and its owner, Gus) to drag racing a cop car in that bus, with the cop driving the bus. Along the way, they add young waitress, Mia, to their ever expanding party, and are nearly defeated by a teenage gang member.  

Spoiler: yes, they arrive at the shelter in time to rescue the border collie, but that’s not the end of the story.  Authors Jim Paulsen and his famous father, Gary Paulsen, even find a voice for Atticus, who acts as a Greek Chorus from time to time on his own page, without breaking the spell. This dog-loving slapstick comedy successfully supports a serious spine about adolescence, identity, and family.

RL: 4-8

Age: 10-14

ALL LIBRARIES ARE CLOSED...

TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 for a staff retreat.  We will reopen on Wednesday at 10 a.m.  

DOGS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE IN SURPRISING WAYS!

Sugar Mae Cole has a father who's never there.  Her mom keeps taking him back, and then he just breaks her heart again and again. After her grandfather died, things have been getting worse for her and her mother, but at least Sugar Mae has a positive attitude and can let her thoughts flow in her writing.  The best day to come along is when Sugar Mae is given Shush, a shy puppy who's owner couldn't keep her. The worst day is when Sugar Mae, Shush, and her mother get evicted from their home and have to live in their car.  ALMOST HOME by Joan Bauer is an emotional story, with a lot of entertaining characters weaving in and out of Sugar Mae's life.  Despite all the things that go wrong, though, everyone tries to look on the bright side and make the best of things. 

For grades 4 and up.

MARCH 2013

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Middle school is full of drama- break ups, make ups, and ensuring that the show goes on!  Passionate about theater (but unable to carry a tune), 7^th grader Callie is the set designer for her school’s drama department. She thinks her biggest worry will be making a prop cannon that will really fire during their spring musical, Moon Over Mississippi. Instead, she finds herself having to deal with 8^th grade divas, growing apart from old friends, and navigating the complex waters of modern middle school romance.

Told in an engaging graphic style format, Drama by Raina Telgemeier is a funny and realistic story of what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of middle schoolers. It’s sure to appeal to fans of her earlier work, Smile, but due to some more “grown-up” subject matter, is better suited to a 7^th grade and older audience.

WHAT IS GIFTED EXACTLY?

Ungifted by Gordon Korman is a funny tale of a series of unfortunate incidents.  Unintended accidents really, according to Donovan.  You see, Donovan wasn't gifted and never even wanted to go to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction until he got in trouble again, and realized this was as good as any place to hide out from Dr. Schultz, the school district superintendent.   However, being in the gifted program isn't as easy an out as it seems and it's just a matter of time before he's discovered for the fraud that he is.  

As the robotics team, all the teachers and every single student wait for Donovan's special talent to reveal itself, the gifted students in his homeroom discover that what they really want is normalcy in the form of Donovan in their lives, not to mention being grateful to him for getting them out of summer school by way of his pregnant sister because of a missed human development class. 

What follows is a series of mishaps, subterfuge, the forging of friendships and camaraderie among the unlikeliest of eighth graders.  Told from multiple points of view in each chapter, this is another fun and fast paced winner.  For reader 6th-8th.

DON'T FORGET...

today we have CHAPTER CHAT, a book club for beginning chapter book readers.  We meet at the Central Library Children's Room at 4p.m.  We will begin to read The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron and then you can take the book home to finish.  Then, on June 17th, we'll meet up again and talk about what you have read while having a little snack. 

See you all this afternoon.  

ZOMBIES ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WE THOUGHT

There's actually three levels of zombies, at least according to DEAD CITY  by James Ponti. You won't necessarily be able to tell if a zombie is a Level 1 because they look and act exactly like living humans, just with a lot more make up.  Level 2s try to be like Level 1s, but they have no soul and can't tell right from wrong.  Level 3s are pretty much like the zombies you're already familiar with - mindless, brain-eating blobs.  Of course, there's a team of kids out to save the city from the zombies.  They're called the Omegas, and are a highly secret organization, and it turns out that Molly, the newest member, is the greatest Omega since...well, since the death of someone very important to Molly. 

For grades 5 and up.

MARCH 2013