STEP RIGHT UP FOR THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!

Come one, come all and read something truly spectacular! Prepare to witness the Greatest Show on Earth in Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley with striking black-and-white illustrations by Diana Sudyka. Micah has grown up hearing his grandfather Ephraim spin some pretty amazing tales of his time spent at a magical circus when he was a young boy, and Micah is totally convinced that magic is real.

And now more than ever, with his beloved grandfather on his deathbed and his truly awful great-aunt stepping in to take care of him, is the time Micah needs a miracle to happen in order to cure the person he loves most in the world. What's more the Lightbender--the most powerful magician at Circus Mirandus--had promised Ephraim a miracle once upon a time, so what could possibly stop him from making Micah's grandfather well again? Unfortunately, something is preventing the magician from keeping his promise, but Micah refuses to take no for an answer and, with the help of his new friend Jenny, is determined to do anything it takes to get the Lightbender to grant the miracle he needs before it's too late.

With humor, heart, adventure, and more than a little magic, this captivating and poignant middle-grade fantasy will have readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.Best for readers in 5th to 8th grades.

THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH

Ellie's goldfish has lived for seven years, since her day as a preschooler or so she thought.  Her mother tells her that the fish was really goldfish number 14.  Her life is about to change even more when a 13 year old "distant cousin" comes to live with them. There's something very familiar yet odd about him, but she can't quite put her finger on what it is.  This isn't really a story about goldfishes or even pets, but a great coming of age tale, using humor and a bit of science fiction to force us to deal with the cycle of life - birth, growth, death - in a gentle and thoughtful way.   

Jennifer Holm, author of the Babymouse series, creates a story filled with adventure, humor, suspense, and love.  Best for readers from 4th - 8th.

Note: This will be our One Book One Glendale... for Young Readers in November.  We're very excited to have Ms. Holm come to Glendale to talk about her book.  Please check in for a date and time as we get closer to the event. 

IS GOOD LUCK ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE?

Nate Harlow is about as unlucky as one kid can get. He has never once in his life won a coin toss, the toaster burns his toast every morning, and there's never a prize at the bottom of his Cracker Jacks. His best friend Gen Beam, the smartest person Nate knows, swears there's no such thing as luck at all--with the law of averages it's all bound to even out over time. Until then, though, Nate's stuck being a loser with just a single friend. 

But everything changes on Nate's 11th birthday--the day he's struck by lightning. Not only is he lucky enough to survive, all of a sudden Nate can't lose. Coin tosses, contests, and baseball games--he wins them all! Just when it seems like all his wishes are coming true, things start to get complicated, and all Nate's luck sets off some unintended consequences. Pretty soon Nate starts to wonder--is there such a thing as too much good luck? 

Bobbie Pyron's charming novel Lucky Strike, about family, friends, and fortune, will make a page-turning read for 4th to 6th graders. 

WHAT IF YOU SUDDENLY HAD THE POWER TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE?

From Theresa, Children’s Librarian / Central Library

Right from the start you need to know that this is a very unusual tale. It has all the elements of a family story, two kids living with their father on a farm in Montana. There is a missing mom who has moved to New York to pursue her career as a writer but that is not what even comes close to making this a very odd book. What happened that very stormy day in Fiona and Fenton’s yard was, as they say, “a big game changer.” When that bolt of lightning hit the maple tree in the front yard and left behind what looked like a ball of lightning everything changed.  The twins managed to capture it and accidentally discovered that it was capable of bringing dead things back to life. 

Starting small they experimented with dead bugs, small rodents, a favorite dog and ultimately their grandfather who had been killed in a car accident. While the ball brought the dead back to life, no one was quite the same. The maple tree suddenly started bearing apples and the dog was not so friendly. Though to be honest does anyone really want to be friendly with a skeleton dog? Even their grandpa Wade was a different man, much nicer than the cranky guy they remembered. But as we find out in Evan Kuhlman’s book, Great Ball of Light, bringing the dead back can get complicated particularly when they stick around. Not always a dark tale of death and zombies, this one has some very funny and warm moments. 

For grades 4-7.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Thirteen-year-old Theodora Tenpenny’s grandfather’s last words to her before he dies are “It’s under the egg.” He tells her that there is a letter and a treasure under the egg, and she should find them before it’s  too late. Theo guesses that her grandfather meant the egg painting above the mantelpiece, under which she placed the best, most perfect egg from their chickens every day since she was little. As she is looking for the letter and the treasure under the egg, she accidentally spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the painting, which causes the paint to peel off and expose a different painting underneath. The painting looks suspiciously like a stolen masterpiece by a well-known artist, so Theo embarks on an adventure to find the real artist of the painting and its owner. Along the way, Theo will discover her grandfather’s secrets, a great deal of art and history, and a best friend.

Under the Egg has got it all - a page-turning mystery, art, history, and humor. It is a smart, witty book that has great writing and will continue to surprise the reader until the very last page. 

For grades 5-8.

A ONE-GALLON JUG DOG

When Zelly's family moves to Vermont, she can see no reason why she shouldn't have a dog. She's DYING to have a dog, and her annoying grandfather attempts to help her prove she's responsible enough to have one - by giving her a fake dog made out of a juice jug! At first, Zelly thinks it's a little silly to treat something plastic like a living thing, but she'll do whatever it takes to prove to her parents that a dog will make her life complete! When Life Gives You O.J.  by Erica S. Perl is a funny, entertaining story that will appeal to most kids in 5th-7th grade, especially animal lovers.

SEPTEMBER 2012

FROM AN INNER CITY APARTMENT TO A HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS

An unexpected move into a suburban neighborhood creates mixed feelings for a teenage boy who was forced to leave his closest friends.  After growing up in a tough inner-city neighborhood, Socrates and his mother must face the challenges of relocation.  Adrian Fogelin vividly captures the life of teens in an inner-city neighborhood in Summer on the Moon.  Her story offers a glimmer of hope for inner-city youth.  

For 6th grade and above.

LIVING WITH A SISTER

From Children’s Librarian, Kristine Markosyan at the Adams Square and Pacific Park Branch Libraries:

Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin is narrated by third grader, Pearl.  As the younger sibling, Pearl’s relationship is like any relationship between two sisters.  She compares her sister, Lexie’s life and experiences with her own and naturally portrays the role of the pesky younger sister.  In the beginning of the story, her sister Lexie is able to avoid Pearl by closing her bedroom door and putting a sign to keep her out or giving her the silent treatment.  When their grandfather, Daddy Bo’s health issues arise, he moves in with the family and the girls have to share a room.  How will the sisters manage sharing a room?  
 
This is a great read for girls ages 7-12, who are either a younger or older sibling.  The narrators experience with her family, school life and personal growth keeps young readers interested throughout the book.  
 
Best for readers in grades 4 and up.

PICTURES WORTH THOUSANDS OF WORDS

Tonya Bolden, author of the book FINDING FAMILY based an entire story around a collection of very old photographs that she has collected over the years. Real history makes up a lot of the setting and plot, but the story itself is made up of ideas that the pictures told her. The main character is Delana, whose mother has died and father has disappeared without a trace. She's left to be raised by her Grandpa and her Aunt Tilly who doesn't let Delana do much of anything. Her aunt tells her many stories about the family, some of which seem crazy and unbelieveable. But when Delana's aunt suddenly dies, it is up to Delana to determine truth from fiction. Good book for advanced 4th graders up to 8th grade readers.

ALCATRAZ IS NOT JUST A PRISON

Apparently, librarians are ruling our world. Had I known this earlier, I would've taken my duties as a librarian a little more seriously. But after reading ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS by Brian Sanderson (allegedly), perhaps it's not such a good idea to even BE a librarian! When Alcatraz Smedry turns thirteen, he is shown an entirely alternate universe than the one he lives in, a place where guns are not the most effective weapons, and it's a good thing to show up late and break stuff. It's a place where Alcatraz Smedry feels accepted and loved, and somewhere that he is appreciated instead of rejected. It's also where he begins his adventures of restoring the world ruled by librarians to its natural order. Recommended for 5th - 8th grade.

SMILE, OR ELSE!

Grandpa woke up one morning to find his teeth, which he always kept in a glass of water on the nightstand, have gone missing. Everyone in the family as well as the entire police force is recruited to search for the stolen dentures but nothing turns up. Grandpa suspects everyone in town, especially if they didn't smile. Business begins to fall off because tourists were too scared to come to a town full of smilers. So, desperate and miserable, the town comes together to discuss a solution to make Grandpa and everyone else happy again.

Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement is a fun and clever picture book for older readers in 1st - 4th grade.

SUNFLOWERS/GIRASOLES

Seven-year-old Marisol, helps her Grandpa make a garden in the spring. They plant vegetables, watermelon and sunflowers for Grandpa because their blossoms make him happy. And he also likes to eat the seeds! One day, when Grandpa gives Marisol a bag of sunflower seeds to eat, she decides to plant them instead in her neighbor's yards. As days pass, Marisol almost forget about the seeds she has planted until one day she hears her neighbor exclaim at the sunflower in her yard. Tender and loving relationship between grandparent and grandchild. For readers 3-7. Author Gwendolyn Zepeda, illustrated by Ann Guadalupe Gambino

BUTTERFLIES ON CARMEN STREET/MARIPOSAS EN LA CALLE CARMEN

Julianita is excited because today is Butterfly Day at school. The students will learn about monarch butterflies and get to take home their own to raise. Walking her to school from their home on Carmen Street, her grandfather tells her about the town where he is from in the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico, where the butterflies migrate every winter. Her teacher, Ms. Rodríguez, tells the students about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, and how they fly thousands of miles south from North America to winter in warm Mexico. Share Butterflies on Carmen Street by Marcia Brown with a favorite someone.

Grades 1-2, Ages 6-7.

SHORT STORIES

While the characters have a connection and some reappear in subsequent chapters, CLICK is a work of ten very different authors who each have written a chapter that takes the story in far flung directions. The first chapter introduces Gee, a famous photojournalist, and it is basically his story that is told here but not necessarily in order as the stories tend to jump around in time and are told by different narrators. Many of your favorite authors (Linda Sue Park, David Almond, Tim Wynne-Jones) have written a chapter for this unusual book that tries to solve the mystery that surrounds one man's life.

This is best for readers in grade 6 and older.