STILL SUNNY

In this graphic novel sequel to Sunny Side Up by siblings Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (reviewed by Cecile here), Sunny Lewin’s surprising summer vacation at Gramp’s retirement community in Florida is over, and she’s ready to start middle school back home. Well, sort of. Things haven’t been the same since her older brother, Dale, was sent away to boarding school for his troubled behavior.

As Sunny goes about her days, there’s a palpable emptiness in all the spaces Dale previously occupied. Memories of the gentle brother he used to be are a distressing specter, pursuing Sunny at home and school. Even when Dale returns home for the holidays, he’s different-- withdrawn and angry. Sunny loves her brother, but she doesn’t love the tense atmosphere and constant fights that his presence brings. How can love be so complicated? How do you love someone, even as you hate the things they do?

Swing it, Sunny is a poignant reflection of a family in crisis, presented in an age-appropriate and compelling format. Set in 1976, the semi-autobiographical story features plenty of contemporary pop-culture snippets within the series of vignettes. And despite its difficult premise, it features a cast of extremely supportive friends and family members. Like life itself, even amidst troubled times this middle grade tale is ultimately filled with joyful moments and always-Sunny optimism.

Grades 5-8

SUMMERLOST

It’s been one year since 12-year old Cedar Lee’s father and autistic younger brother Ben both died in a car accident. Now Cedar, her mother, and youngest brother are spending the summer in the small high desert town of Iron Creek where her mother grew up. It’s a summer where everything is the same, and nothing is the same.

Cedar soon befriends a boy associated with the Summerlost Festival, Iron Creek’s distinguished Shakespearean festival, and becomes preoccupied with the decades old, unexplained death of one of its star actresses. Meanwhile, random trinkets, things that would have caught Ben’s attention, mysteriously appear on Cedar’s windowsill at night. Cedar doesn’t believe in ghosts, but what if Ben is sending her a message?

Summerlost is a middle-grade story of friendship, mystery, grief and healing. Ally Condie beautifully and heartbreakingly captures the complexity of love and guilt experienced by a sibling to a special needs child.

Share with theater lovers and fans of Gary Schmidt, Richard Peck, Cynthia Lord, and Ingrid Law.

Grades 5-8

CAN A PERSON CHANGE THEIR LUCK?

Good luck can be a very elusive thing and something  not often thought about about much unless perhaps you win the lottery or get struck by lightening. For Summer's family the luck is all bad and just when she thinks that things can't get worse, a usually fatal thought, they do. Her parents have to leave for Japan just as the harvest season is starting which provides the family jobs and money pay the mortgage. That bill must be paid so it means that Summer, her younger brother and their grandparents will have to take over and go in the parent's place. 

In Newbery Award-winning author Cynthia Kadohata's book THE THING ABOUT LUCK, the reader shares not only what it is like to be part of a custom harvesting crew but Summer's story of growing up in a very traditional Japanese family and the big risk she takes to change her family's luck. 

For grades 5-8, this book has been nominated for a National Book Award.

BOWLING ANY ONE?

From Mr. B at Grandview Branch Library

How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy
By Crystal Allen

Asthmatic 13 year old Lamar Washington goes from King of the Lanes at Striker’s Bowling Paradise to community criminal despised and rejected even by his first and only girl friend, as he comes of age and to grips with what it takes to man-up. Once author Crystal Allen proves her slang creds in the first couple of chapters, her style settles down and the book becomes a well written novel about growing up in – or even outside of – the Afro-American Community. Lamar is a spirited and good hearted character, full of wit and belated wisdom. Everyman. He should make it to the screen soon – or at least to a well deserved sequel.

IF YOU LIKED THE WEDNESDAY WARS....

From Mr. B at Grandview...

OKAY FOR NOW
Gary D. Schmidt

More a stand-alone companion to “The Wednesday Wars” than a direct sequel, this well written tale is not to be missed. Doug Swieteck was a trouble-maker in “The Wednesday Wars.” In “OKAY for Now,” Doug’s own after-story in his own vibrant and direct voice, we discover the sources of his troubles and watch as they nearly overwhelm him. Despite an abusive father and generally dysfunctional family, eighth grader Doug stumbles on a part-time job, a teacher who helps him learn to read, a girl friend, and eventually self respect when his family moves from NYC upstate to “stupid Marysville.” This is a good read for middle and high school students, and for the most part, an absolute page turner for their parents.

SCIENCE FACT OR FICTION?

When a lowland gorilla is acquired by a research lab he becomes the main subject of a study being done to investigate the possibility for an ape to acquire speech. They did not use similar methods that other researchers had tried such as teaching the animal sign language. In this case a radical new method was tried and a very delicate surgery was performed grafting new vocal cords into the animal. This was successful and Ortega began to acquire language.

At the age of eleven, he was sent to school with human children and this is where the story begins. Fitting in as a new kid is always difficult but when you are a large gorilla it is even more so. In Ortega by Maureen Fegus, the author tells an unusual story of animal who has to fit into a human world and while it is a work of fiction, similar stories are taking place in laboratories around the world. Good idea or ? You, the reader, will have to decide. For grades 5-8.

If you liked Ortega, then you also might also like My Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel. This one's about a chimpanzee raised with a family with human children. The chimp is treated as if he were the youngest brother and included in all family activities. But as it turns out family life is not so easy nor is acceptance of a human/chimp hybrid. For grades 5-8

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Jennifer, Children's Librarian at Montrose likes:

What would you choose, your freedom or your home? In the “Museum of Thieves,” Lian Tanner writes about a world where children are protected from every danger, even cuts and bruises. In the city of Jewel, they are chained to their parents and forced to obey the Blessed Guardians. When the age of “separation” is lowered, parents worry about the implications. Jewel is a safe place now but wasn’t always. Goldie, who’s only 12, learns this after running away. She discovers terrible secrets in the city’s museum. Jewel is in danger and Goldie must grow up, fast, in order to save it. The first book in a new trilogy.

A fast-paced, richly imagined fantasy. For grades 5-8.

A GOOD READ IN THE WINTER

Why not read a summer book in the winter time…And not just any kind of a book. This is a spooky story that a warm blanket might actually be of usage. Cici is the main character in the book and how she spends her summer vacation at a lake called Crystal. Of course like every person, she is imagining and hoping to have the best summer of her life. Reading, playing and hanging out with her friends. However, when she and her family find out that a young girl was killed in the lake, the mood and the attitude of everyone in her family changes. So Cici’s investigative mind starts to work and she tries to put the puzzle of who’s done what. However, once she continues on her ever evolving investigation, her life will be in great danger...TWISTED SUMMER by WILLO DAVIS ROBERTS is a suspenseful and full of mysterious twists.

For grades 6 and up.

COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER

Little Audrey by Ruth White is historical fiction about a young girl living in a coal mining camp during the Great Depression. As Audrey herself is struggling to recover from the illness which left her underweight and with bad vision, she has to also cope with the loss of a little sister that has left her mother with depression. Her father is an alcoholic mine worker who spends the little money he gets on drinking if he goes to work. There is always shortage of food and hunger lingers at home. The only two people who seem to notice her and like her for who she is, are her teacher and best friend Virgil and she loves them back because they are the only ones who seem to understand her.
Little Audrey's father dies in a car accident while drunk, which devastates the family even more, but ironically his death also brings the end of the tunnel in sight, as they become forced to move out of the mining camp. Her mother will now be able to earn money and bring it all home and Little Audrey and her three other sisters can go to a better school. For grades 5-8.
--Evelyn, Library Assistant

ONE BOOK / ONE GLENDALE

The Library is pleased to announce this year's One Book / One Glendale...for younger readers selection, Poison Ivy by Glendale author Amy Goldman Koss. This book deals with the very important issue of bullying among peers and as the book cover states, it does so from several points of view.

There's a lot to talk about in this one and Snacktime Readers will be featuring this title for its October 28 meeting, more details to follow.

Ms. Koss will be speaking at the Central Library on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, please call the Library (818) 548-2035.

FAVORITE FAIRY TALES

The Twelve Dancing Princesses was always one of my most favorite fairy tales--the story of twelve sisters who elude their father and dance the night away wearing out their shoes every night. It has all the elements of a good story, princesses, dancing, mystery, magic and romance. In Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball the author takes the fairy tale and further develops the story. In addition to the above elements she has included evil kings, princess and kindly old crones. The story is taken to new heights and has become something not to be missed.

For grades 5-8.

APRIL SNACKTIME READERS

This month's book is Rules by Cynthia Lord the story of twelve-year-old Catherine and her brother David. This is not your usual family story that revolves around the typical squabbles between an older sister and her amusing younger brother. David is autistic and that takes him way out of typical. This is a family who focuses all of their attention around this disability. Their story is told by Cynthia and happens one summer when everything turns out not as expected and causes her to question just what normal is.

For grades 5-8

Snacktime Readers meets at the Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale, CA 91205. A book discussion group for readers in fourth grade and above along with their parents, this group will get together on Wednesday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Children's Room. Come and join the discussion and share our snacks. For more information, please call (818) 548-2035.

JUST WHERE IS AWAY?

The island she was born on seemed like a paradise and life with her mother and friends was ideal until one day when everything suddenly changed. Milagros was forced by circumstances to start off on an incredible adventure that took her to the place where magic and reality meet.

Best for grades five through eight.

COMING SOON ORIGAMI

Twelve-year-old Angela is not thrilled about summer this year because she is being sent down to Los Angeles to spend it with her grandparents and aunt. While there she is expected to spend time working in the families flower shop and helping fold the origami cranes for the 1001 crane displays for newlyweds. All of it is a lot harder than she expected specially the folding part. What she did not expect was the news her mother gave her about her family before she left her with the grandparents.

Over the summer Angela learns not only to fold cranes that pass grandmother's inspection but also how to make it in a new situation in 1001 CRANES BY NAOMI HIRAHARA. For grades 5-8.

SPACE PATROL

In ONE SMALL STEP by P.B. Kerr thirteen-year-old Scott is obsessed with flying and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. His father, a pilot for the Air Force, feeds that dream and teaches him how to fly. Scott has a natural talent for flying and when his father takes him up in one of the super-fast jets and lets him handle the controls it is the start of the biggest adventure of his life. An adventure that involves him in one of NASA's biggest top secret missions.

For grades 5-8.

TALE OF A MERMAID

A mermaid who doesn't know how to swim and thinks that she is afraid of the water doesn't sound likely does it? In Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler the reader meets Emily and her mother who live on a boat surrounded by water yet Emily does not know how to swim. Her mother has always objected to her learning how and when she finally agrees to let her join the swim class at school their lives are set on a course that will bring about major changes and the revelation of a big secret.

For grades 5-8.

GIRLS AND BASEBALL

It's 1980 and no girls in her small Michigan town play baseball in the Little League, that is until twelve-year-old Madison joins the team. She just wants to play baseball but when the press starts writing about her and the crowds start showing up to the team's games, all that changes. In No Cream Puffs by Karen Day, the author tells the story of one girl's very eventful summer that started off with her punching a boy on the last day of school and went on to losing her best friend to the popular girls, becoming friends with the rock star who was staying with her neighbor, developing a crush and ending with a very exciting championship ball game. Best for readers in grades 5-8

SPOOKY LONDON

Who knew that London was actually two cities, the one we know about and an alternate , damp, dark and dangerous one? Fourteen-year-old Jonathan Starling discovers this when his father becomes ill and he finds among his papers references to Darkside. While doing some research on the subject, Jonathan is almost kidnapped but manages to elude his captors and cross over to Darkside. There the adventure begins as he tries to solve the mystery with aid of a werewolf named Carnegie.

The Darkside by Tom Becker is an action packed story with lots of chase scenes and dastardly characters. This is the first volume of proposed series. For grades 5-8.

LAWN BOY

Lawn Boy
Gary Paulsen

He’s bored. He’s flat broke. His friends are away at summer camp. His bike doesn’t work. And worst of all, his grandmother just gave him his "big" present for his 12th birthday. A lawn mower. An old one that used to belong to his grandfather. So without much else to do, he rides around his lawn on his new set of wheels. Soon he’s hired to mow a neighbor’s lawn and then another and another. He is starting to develop a nice small lawn mowing business when he takes on a new client named Arnold. Arnold is a stockbroker with a cash flow problem. So he pays our lawn boy by investing in stocks for him. Within a month, lawn boy has more than 12 employees, a financial manager, and a pretty good stock portfolio. From that point on, things get a little crazy. Lawn boy has to deal with a hostile takeover, a stockbroker held for ransom, and a professional boxer. You'll have to read this book to find out Lawn Boy's surprising fate!

Anna and Mica meet by chance and become pen pals in this story told in the letters where their shared their love of science and nature brings them together. One of the girls is trying to adjust to a new foster situation and the other to her first time attending school and it is the trials of these experiences that they share with each other along with shells and other specimens. Their friendship though has its rough spots when Mica makes a friend from school and Anna's foster mother starts dating Mr. Webster but they ultimately overcome these and help each other in Adrian Fogelin's The Sorta Sisters. This tale of friendship and growing up is best for reader's in grades 5-8.