SEPTEMBER, A GIRL, AND SATURDAY, AN "ALMOST HUMAN" BOY

I like adventure. I like traveling to new and exciting places I've never been before. I do not, however, want to solve all the problems when I get somewhere. Maybe one or two small problems, like giving some first aid cream to a kid with diaper rash, or food for a homeless person. This is how September felt when she ended up in Fairyland, hoping for a nice, calm, relaxing adventure. Instead she is faced with evil creatures and a bunch of Fairyland problems that she is asked to help with. She meets a dragon who loves books more than she does (reading them, not eating them), and a boy named Saturday who is blue. Like blue as in color, not as in he's sad. Together they defeat evil and triumph over Fairyland. 

If you like Alice in Wonderland or The Chronicles of Narnia, you will definitely love THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING by Catherynne Valente. For grades 5 and up.

JULY 2013

THIS IS MARGARET!

Margaret is in sixth grade, trying to figure life out as she also tries to understand about religion, sex, girlhood and boys. She has grown up in a family of different religions and the quest to just have one in her life makes her uncomfortable and inquisitive about her life. She tries to establish better relations with her grandparents as well, however like any other family; she does end up liking some more than the others with minor confrontations. I think that this book is a serious book and it reinforces that no matter how times have changed, the human struggle, in this case for Margaret is timeless. The inner conflicts don't necessary change with time, the story is relatable and it will connect with girls now as well. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET is by JUDY BLUME.

For grades 5th and up.

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING BETTER THAN EVER

Lauren Child's colorful illustrations fit perfectly with this new translation of the classic story of the little Swedish girl who just doesn't quite get the rules of living in a village after years of living away at sea with her papa. Pippi, the strongest girl in the world, lives in a house with only the company of her horse and monkey. Along with her two friends, Tommy and Annika, she tries out town living such as going to school so she can have school holidays, or going to coffee parties, but people have a hard time seeing Pippi for the fun loving free living child that she is.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren resembles Lauren Child's characters Lola and Clarice Bean with her sassy but no nonsense attitude. A great read-a-loud for the younger set, too.

For reader in 4th - 6th grade

BEOWULF - NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH

With the recent movie version of this classic tale, it's always nice to read where a story comes from. Beowulf is a brave hero who travels to Denmark to help the King. An evil monster named Grendel has been eating all the king's men, and no one has been able to kill the slimy creature. But Beowulf uses some tricky maneuvers and bloody mayhem to save the day. Beowulf is more than 2000 years old, and was passed down from generation to generation of European ancestors. There are many different versions of the story, but BEOWULF, A HERO'S TALE RETOLD by James Rumford tries to tell the story in a modern equivalent of the Old Ango-Saxon English of it's origin. 3rd grade and up.

TIME FOR A CLASSIC!

If you like sea adventure, pirate treasure hunts, villains, lost maps, and lots of other crazy stuff, than this is the perfect book for you. No wonder it has become a classic. Just hope that you don't get seasick and enjoy one of the coolest rides of your life. The illustrations in this book make it more interesting to flip the pages and they do help you to have a more visual understanding of the story.

This particular abridged edition of TREASURE ISLAND by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON and the illustrations by FRANCOIS PLACE can be checked out at our library.

For grades six and up.

LET IT SHINE!

The illustrations in this book are so well done that at first glance you would think that you are looking at an art book. The colorful cut-paper collages are really beautiful with a lot of intricate details. At times you will find yourself wondering if you too can start making similar paper-cuts as well. The book itself contains three classic well loved spirituals. So if you don't want to read them you can just look at the art work and it will be guaranteed that you will not be disappointed. LET IT SHINE by ASHLEY BRYAN can also be viewed as an art and craft book for it's cut out shapes.

For ages four through eight.

LET IT SHINE

The illustrations in this book are so well done that at first glance you think you are looking at an art book but the book is really three classic, well loved spirituals beautifully illustrated with colorful and intricate papercut collages. After reading LET IT SHINE by Ashley Bryan you may be inspired to create your own papercut collages.

For ages four through eight.