A DIFFERENT KIND OF SUPERPOWER

Cece was a regular kid, living a carefree life with her parents and siblings until she is diagnosed with meningitis when she is four. After spending a long time at the hospital, Cece finally gets to go home, but things are not the same. Two weeks after going home, Cece finds out that she hadn't been able to hear anything since she got sick. Her parents take her to a doctor, and she gets a hearing aid, but her hearing is far from being normal. When she starts kindergarten, Cece goes to a school with other kids like her. She loves her teacher Dorn, who teaches her how to understand what people are saying by reading their lips. But when Cece starts first grade, she has to go to school with other kids. She also gets a brand-new hearing aid, the new and powerful Phonic Ear, which helps her hear better but is really big and she has to wear it like a backpack, which makes Cece self-conscious and afraid that everyone will think she is not cool because she has a hearing aid. But Cece does make some friends - some better than others - and on one occasion has everyone in the class thinking that the Phonic Ear is really cool! The Phonic Ear gives Cece a superpower - she can hear everything her teachers are doing when they are not in the room, so Cece imagines herself as the powerful superhero El Deafo, which helps her deal with the challenges of fitting in despite her challenges.

El Deafo is the story of writer Cece Bell's childhood, written in a graphic novel format. It is a story of a girl trying to have a normal life despite the bulky hearing aid that she is forced to carry with her at school. With cute, quirky drawings, Cece shows us what her childhood was like - going to school, trying to make friends who didn't treat her differently, and her first crush. This book makes it really easy for readers to put themselves in the shoes of someone who has different abilities. Like Cece's friends, some of us may not know what it is like to not be able to hear without aid. If we had to speak to someone who is deaf, we might not automatically know that we should not turn away or cover our mouths when we speak so that the person can read our lips.

Finally, what makes this book great is that it is not a sad story made to make us feel bad or sorry for the main character. Although what happened to Cece was bad and unfair, she was able to lead a good childhood and grow up to be a writer who could tell everyone about her experience. El Deafo is a great choice for readers grades 4 and up.

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

Life is not easy for ten-year-old Ada, living with her mean mother and younger brother in London at the eve of the Second World War. Born with a bad foot, Ada never learned to walk right, which made her mother ashamed of her. Ada is not allowed to go outside, or talk to anyone, and barely gets enough food from her mother. But Ada is a fighter, and takes care of her younger brother and tries to survive to the best of her ability. When the war starts, children are evacuated to the English countryside, away from major cities that might get bombed by the Germans, and Ada and her brother finally get away from their mother to live with a lady named Susan. Although Susan never wanted children, she takes care of the two children, and Ada's life truly begins, and it includes learning to ride a horse, making a friend, and even catching a spy. But what happens when the war ends?

The War that Saved my Life is a beautiful, sad, and heartwarming tale about a girl faced with the worst circumstances who decides to fight for her life. It is also a book about love and family, and the way that both can be found in unexpected places. Ada is a wonderful character to read about, because even though she is hurt, she is brave enough to take care of herself and find her voice.

Although this is mostly the story of Ada and her brother, it is also a historical fiction book. The descriptions of daily life in the English countryside at the beginning of the war are fascinating to read about. Ada and her brother Jamie have to live with a stranger, just as many children had to do to get away from the danger of large cities. And besides that, they have to live on food rations and stand in long lines to get any food at all. They have to look for suspicious activity and report it, and even take care of wounded soldiers. But all that seems bearable with caring people around them as the village comes together to help each other.

This is a book you won't want to put down until you get to its bittersweet conclusion. Fans of The Book Thief will especially enjoy this book.

For readers in 5th-8th grade.

DREAMING A NEW DREAM

Jessica loves running.  There is nothing that makes her feel more empowered or more alive.  Her life revolves around running.  Running on the track, in her neighborhood, with her dog.  All of her friends run track with her at her High School.  Then one day, on the way home from a track meet, the bus gets into a terrible accident and Jessica loses her leg below her knee.  She doesn’t know what to do.  She feels like she’s lost everything her life was about.  Everything her life was heading towards.  And then, she gets her first prosthetic leg.  It’s ugly and hard to use, but with support from her family, friends, and team, Jessica finds it within herself to become the runner she was and will be again.  Experience the journey of searching inside yourself for strength you never knew you had and fulfilling dreams you never thought possible.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen is a great book for sports lovers and realistic fiction lovers in Grades 7 and up.

SAY GOOD NIGHT GRACIE

You might not know this, but it really hurts when one of your parents dies. Especially when it happens unexpectedly. Especially when it's your Dad, the only one in your family that understands you. So it doesn't seem like a very good thing when your sister decides to adopt a dog. Especially when that dog talks to you and only you. Grace wonders if she's losing her mind, but at least takes the time to listen. You won't believe what this dog has to say! WHAT THE DOG SAID by Randi Reisfeld is a story that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end you will be filled with love. 

For grades 4 and up.

OCTOBER 2012

FAMILY SECRETS

WATCHING JIMMY by Nancy Hartry is about a young girl named Carolyn who's best friend Jimmy has been involved in a horrible accident that makes him brain damaged. Only Carolyn knows the truth to how Jimmy got that way, and she's not sure how to tell people. As the weight of this knowledge continues to press down on her, Carolyn learns what it means to "find her voice" when she is asked to audition for a local choir group AND perform an important speech on Canada's Remembrance Day. This is an easy-to-read story set in the late 1950's and does a great job of portraying that era from a non-stereotypical perspective. For grades 4 and up.

SNACKTIME READERS - JUNE

Join the Snacktime Readers on Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. in the Children's Room of the Central Library to talk about this month's book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. This is the story of two boys who become unlikely friends. Their disabilities, Max's learning and Kevin's physical problems, cause both of them to be harassed by their classmates but when they become friends and form a partnership they become a force to be reckoned with. Kevin opens new worlds of imagination and confidence for Max who in turn carries Kevin, aka "Freak," into the real world.

For grades 4 and older.

AWARD WINNER--THE DOOR IN THE WALL

Ever since Robin was a young boy, his father, Sir John de Bureford, has expected him to learn the ways of the medieval knight. But Robin's future changes when he becomes extremely ill and loses his ability to use his legs. During this time, the plague sweeps across the land and his devoted servants abandon Robin. With the help of two unsuspecting people, they help bring him back to better health; and Robin inevitably learns about his strengths, his courage, friendship and how he can still serve his King.
Students who are interested in the medieval period may enjoy this Newbery winner. A Door In the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli is best for students in the 6th grade and older. Another title that takes place in the medieval period is the Newbery winner, The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. Check Them Out!