DUCK AND BEAR CAMPING

Bear goes fishing without letting Duck know and when Duck finds Bear's house is empty he sets off to find Bear with map in hand.  Meanwhile, Bear finds that fishing and being rained on is not much fun.  Eventually Duck and Bear find each other and spend the night camping under the stars until they decide they've had enough camping and head back home together, where they will be together forever.  

Forever?   
Yes.  Forever.  

Come Home Already by Dory John and Benji Davies (together forever!) is a fun read- aloud for preschoolers through 2nd grade.

WINTER WHERE?

I think Gus Gordon just wanted to draw birds, lots of birds.  The end pages have illustrations of old suitcase advertisements so you get the sense that this is an unusual take on birds going south for the winter.  

It's winter and fowls of all sorts are going every which way, on all manners of transportation.  Some are even using travel agents to help them get to their destinations.

The only fowl not going anywhere is George.  He's too busy baking brownies, carrot cakes, and other pastries.  He tells Pascal, the bear, that there's also ironing to do and yoga to practice so that's a no to Paris. The Andes - Nah.  But Pascal really wants a warm place to stay, like the Carribean.  

After all the excuses, because that's what they are, excuses, George finally admits the truth.  Together Pascal and George form a plan to fly...somewhere else.  

I love this story. It's unexpected.  It's poignant.  

For pre-K and older readers of all ages.

WHERE WILL BEAR SLEEP?

Bernard is exhausted, but he can't find a quiet and comfortable place to sleep.  He goes for a walk through the forest to find an ideal location.  He encounters a number of animals who kindly offer their homes.  A lily pad, a tree, or burrow might be right for those animals but not for Bernard.  A small unassuming mouse offers a suggestion which piques Bernard's interest but will it be the right bed for Bear?

Clive McFarland's A Bed For Bear is a wonderful story to share with young children during the fall and winter seasons, especially before bedtime.  

For PreK-2nd grade.

ZOMBIES REVISTED

Do you fear the "walking dead"? Maybe they're a little too creepy for you, but in James Ponti's second zombie-related book, DEAD CITY: BLUE MOON, Molly Bigelow is back to defeat the worst of them. But with less disgusting stuff and more action and adventure, with a little mystery thrown in. Molly and her zombie fighting Omega Team are tracking down the original 13 zombies all over New York, and along the way Molly comes across some information about her mother that has her wondering - is her mother still alive? 

A lively story for any zombie fan. For 5th - 8th grades.

OCT 2015

TOYS' DAY OUT... IN THE SNOW!

The delightful characters of Emily Jenkins's beloved Toys Go Out chapter book series are back in a wintertime picture book adventure for a younger new audience. Lumphy the stuffed buffalo, StingRay the plush sting ray, and Plastic the rubber ball encounter all the wonder of a snowy day for the first time in Toys Meet Snow when their little girl has left them at home during her winter vacation. They try to get to the bottom of what snow is exactly--is it frozen water? or a "blanket of peace over the world"?--by catching snowflakes, building snowmen, and making angels in the snow. 

Paul O. Zelinsky's  captivating illustrations shine in this bold color format, and Jenkins's poetic and gently humorous text makes a seamless transition from chapter book to picture book. This sweet and whimsical story will warm the hearts of readers of all ages, but particularly the preschool to second grade set. 

THE MAGNIFICENT LIZZIE BROWN AND THE MYSTERIOUS PHANTOM

Lizzie Brown definitely did not see this coming. Lizzie’s life at the Rat’s Castle slums had become unbearable, especially after the passing of her mother and brother.  Lizzie needed to escape her no-good father and leave her stealing ways behind.  Well she finally gets the chance to escape, though not too far, as she finds herself amused by Fitzy’s Traveling Circus in Victorian London and joins the circus and befriending their children.

Lizzie’s excitement was great since she was able to find a job assisting the various performers and it was not until her last job that she stumbled upon her powerful gift.  In the midst of all the changes, London was faced with the recent robberies committed by the Phantom.  It was now up to Lizzie to unveil the true Phantom and help the London citizens.

Read The Magnificent Lizzie Brown and the Mysterious Phantom by Vicki Lockwood and help the Penny Gaff Gang uncover the true identity of the culprit. This book is filled with spirited and strong characters and shrouded in Victorian history and mystery.

For grades 5 and up

CAN YOU TALK TO THE ANIMALS?

Meet Ellis Coffey. He's in 4th grade. He makes most of the other kids in class laugh. He's a hard worker. Oh, and he can communicate with animals...sort of. At least that's what he thinks is happening when he finds a "woolly worm" (also know as a caterpillar) that seems to understand everything Ellis says. With such a talent, Ellis thinks he can win the woolly worm race and pay for his dad's much needed back surgery. Will his woolly worm win? THE WORM WHISPERER by Betty Hicks is a cute, simple story with a bit of Christianity thrown in. 

For 3rd through 5th grades.

MARCH 2015

THE LOCKER ATE LUCY!

Eerie Elementary...

Could you image going to an elementary school that was alive and where the locker ate your friend.  Well Sam, the hall monitor does; Sam, Antonio and Lucy are friends at the Eerie Elementary. Sam has a great sense of when strange activities happen and he convinces his friends to visit the town’s graveyard to learn more about the Eerie family that built most of the town. Upon their visit the friends realize that the only member of the Eerie Family that does not have a headstone and who is the only one that is listed inside the town’s history book without a death date was Orson Eerie. Well with all the strange activities, the friends are tardy so as they quickly scatter to join their class Sam and Antonio realize Lucy has been eaten by her locker.

Read The Locker Ate Lucy by Jack Chabert and find out who’s behind the creepy acts at the Eerie Elementary.  Find out if Sam and Antonio are able to save their friend. This is the second book in the series, following The School is Alive. The book has an interesting, fast paced storyline for those learning to read early chapter books.

Grades 2 & 3

NANCY CLANCY SEES THE FUTURE

I predict you will find this book interesting.

Nancy Clancy was a third grade fortune teller. In this Nancy Clancy Sees the Future, Nancy begins to believe that she can really predict the future.  Although, her best friend Bree disagrees and tells her that those are “just” lucky guesses. On the other hand, Nancy predicting that her dad will bring home pizza and her grandmother calling is more than just a coincidence. So, Nancy decides to charge a quarter for each question she predicts for her fellow classmates. However, after an accident with Bree and the lousy predictions Nancy comes to the realization that no one can see the future. 

Don’t miss out! This is the third book in the Nancy Clancy chapter series.  Jane O’Connor has written various books about Nancy! The story of Nancy starts with the picture book series called Fancy Nancy as it transitions into early chapter books with the Nancy Clancy series.

For grades 2 - 4.

ALL FOUR STARS

Passionate for Food? OR Are You a Food Critic?

Gladys Gatsby, an eleven year old, found herself in the middle of her kitchen, caught by her parents who displayed a shocking, disbelief when they found the kitchen curtains on fire. How? Well, all Gladys was trying to do was bake creme brulee!  Thanks to her aunt Lydia from Paris, Gladys' passion for baking started at the age of six.  Gladys would cook and bake while her parents were at work and they were completely unaware of her active role as a "chef." Gladys' passion was so strong that she could not keep away from the kitchen. She knew that her parents would disapprove of her using any kitchen appliances; this was a big no-no. However, the creme brulee disaster revealed her baking secrets and put an end to the kitchen activities for six months. Gladys' punishment included making friends, spending time on the computer among other ridiculous activities. 

Join Gladys as she goes through a series of crazy adventures to follow her passion and find out what Gladys would become.   

Tara Dairman's, All Four Stars is a fun, light read that encourages everyone to chase after their goals. 

For readers in grades 4-7.

NEVER GIVE UP NED

Ned Mouse Breaks Away by Tim Wynn-Jones: A review by Lilian a 4th grade library patron: 

This is a story about Ned the mouse, the warden, the keeper and Morty.  Ned is in jail and he is very desperate to get out.  He went to the cafeteria and got a spoon to dig himself out and ended up in the warden’s dessert.  The warden called for his guards and they took him back to his cell.  Ned became more anxious to get out of jail.  

One day Ned’s friend Morty sent a note.  After that, Ned sent his different body parts to Morty’s place.  Then when Ned was sending his last body part he made a replica and a recording of himself to trick the warden.  

 I like this story, especially the part where Ned sent his body parts to Morty.

For readers in 2nd-4th grades.

DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.

Roan has always wanted to go to the Pilot Academy, just like his dad and his big brother.  After his exams, however, it turns out Roan is not meant to be a pilot but rather a farmer - doomed to spend the rest of his life on Tatooine killing plants.  Because he sure knows he doesn't know how to grow any.  That is, until he gets a letter from the Jedi Academy inviting him to study with the elite Jedi.  Although Roan knows nothing about being a Jedi, other than most of them are recruited as younglings, he figures anything is better than farming and heads off to Coruscant to learn about Wookies, Light Sabers, and "The Force".

Join Roan as he finds his place in the world in Jeffrey Brown's novel for 3rd and 4th graders, Star Wars: Jedi Academy.

WANTED: A HOME FOR GABY

Gaby and her mother love animals.  They always took care of the stray and abandoned cats in the neighborhood until Gaby's mother was deported to Honduras.  Now, Gaby's father won't allow her to feed or care for any animals.  He says they can barely afford to feed themselves, let alone a cat.  Their neighbors, the Gomez family, offered to take Gaby in after her mother left, but her father insisted on coming back into her life to "take care" of her.  His version of taking care of her leaves her with an empty stomach and a lonely house.

Things seem to look up, however, when Gaby's class volunteers at the local animal shelter where she writes adoption ads in the hopes of finding families for the animals.  What she doesn't expect, though, is that while waiting for her mother to come home and finding homes for the animals, she finds hope and belonging for herself.

Join Gaby on her journey towards acceptance and a loving family in Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes, for grades 5-7.

KEEP CALM AND TIME TRAVEL

Lee Jones and Joan Lee are opposites in name and personality, but they are also BFFs.  They do everything together - even without knowing.  The night before their 8th grade trip, their parents both tell them they're getting divorced - right after dinner and just before dessert.  After this horrible news, the next morning, they discover that instead of going to California Dreaming, the BEST amusement park ever, their 8th grade trip will take place at a Fort.  The fort sounds like a horrible field trip until they fall asleep in the fort's lighthouse and wake up in past San Francisco - 1863 to be exact.  On their way to trying to figure out how they got to 1863 and how they're going to get home (or if they even want to live in a world with divorced parents and separate high schools), they befriend another time traveler, Samuel Clemens, who teaches them a thing or two about getting around the Wild West.

Lewis Buzbee's middle-grade novel Bridge of Time is perfect for 6th through 8th graders looking for adventure and excitement with a little SciFi and Historical Fiction thrown in.

KNOCK, KNOCK

 

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Jamie.
Jamie who?
Jamie Grimm, the Planet's Funniest Kid.  Well, at least Long Island, NY.  Well, really Long Beach on Long Island in NY.  Okay, maybe just at Jamie's Middle School.  Or his Uncle's diner.  Or his house, where he lives with his aunt and her family who doesn't know how to smile and her son, the school bully.

Jamie Grimm is on a mission to make you laugh. He studies all the greats - Leno, Seinfeld, Simpson (Homer), and many many others. He knows the ins and outs of a good joke and can repeat ones from the greats and has many of his own up his sleeve. He also deals with bullies (including one who lives with him), girls, and life in a wheel chair, all with a smile and a joke as his shield.

I Funny by James Patterson will have kids in grades 5 and up in stitches, or at least rolling their eyes at the bad jokes.

ARCHIE AND HIS UNBELIEVABLE DAYS

Archie must be absolutely exhausted because everyday is an unusual day, full of misunderstandings and strange events,  for him;  Pianos roll down a hill past him, people are stuck in cars, and everyone in such a panic that they won't stop to listen to him.  This happens each and every day and of course his mother never believes him and is exasperated with him since he never comes home with the item that she asked him to go fetch.  Poor, poor, Archie.  

I Don't Believe It, Archie!  by Andrew Norriss is a hilarious campy  read for beginning chapter book readers in 3rd - 4th grades. 

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.

PLEDGE TO CHOOSE KIND

Starting a new school isn't easy for anyone, but it is especially hard for August Pullman.  He says that whatever you imagine his face to look like, it's probably ten times worse in real life.  That's because August was born with a facial deformity which has kept him homeschooled for his whole life.  His parents have decided, though, that its time to put August out into the real world and see how he does.  August faces some bullying, but he also faces the wonder of friends who stand by his side in the faces of unkind people.


Told from the points of view of August, his sister, and other characters in the book, Wonder by R.J. Palacio will leave everyone pledging to "choose kind" and accept people for who they are.  August is more than his deformity.  He is a Star Wars loving, smart-alecky, fun kid who teaches a whole school how to choose kind.  Recommended for kids in 4th grade and up.

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?

Emma Freke is a 6th grade girl who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. I mean with a name like EMM-A FREKE, she is constantly getting teased. It doesn't help that her mother is a little on the goofy side. She's never met her father, but one day receives a mysterious invitation to meet that side of the family. Finally, a place for Emma to fit in! Or is it? I, EMMA FREKE by E.J. Atkinson is actually a wonderful story, that's not too long and not too short, and keeps you reading without wanting to take a break. For 4th-8th grades.

NEW MYSTERY SERIES

Right before the school custodian died, he made Ben promise not to let the school be torn down. All he gave him was an old coin to save the school with. Intrigued, Ben and his classmate Jill scour the school for clues put in place many years ago by the founders for just this kind of emergency.

Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School is a new mystery adventure series for 4th - 6th by Andrew Clements. Short and fast paced, it's perfect for reluctant readers.