A DIFFERENT KIND OF TOY STORY

Teddy is a kid who likes to play with all kinds of toys--trucks and hula hoops and puzzles and action figures and rockets--but his favorite toy of all is his doll, Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica. After all she has the best manners, is the most versatile to style, and even has some pretty impressive fighting skills. But one day, during a really tough battle, Bren-Da breaks her leg. Teddy tries in vain to tend to her wounds using the latest surgical technology, bubble gum and lots of tape, but when he goes off to school the Warrior Queen of Pacifica gets mistaken for trash and hauled away. Will Teddy ever be able to see his favorite toy again? Only if his intrepid mom--with some pretty impressive style and warrior moves of her own--has anything to say about it. 

Teddy's Favorite Toy, by Christian Trimmer and illustrated by Madeline Valentine, makes for a delightful and lively read-aloud, and is sure to be embraced by preschoolers through second graders who understand the strong bond between a kid and their favorite toy--and their valiant parents alike. 

SUMMER VACATION FUN

While sitting in his classroom, Charlie wonders where his parents will take him and his younger brother Max on vacation.  After all, how can they beat canoeing with reptiles in Okefenokee or eating exotic insects in Mexico?  When he arrives home and settles in for dinner, the grand announcement is made.  The vacation will be unlike any other!  Thanks to Charlie's ingenuity, he and his brother, Max, learn that adventures during vacation can really happen at anytime and just about anywhere!

Marie-Louise Gay's book, Summer in the City is a surprisingly fun read with many adventures that really don't cost much.

For 3rd-5th grade.

JACOB'S NEW DRESS

Jacob loves to swing on the monkey bars, race toy cars, and play with dinosaurs. One of his favorite areas in the room is the dress-up corner, where he tries on different outfits.  He enjoys it so much that he requests to wear a similar outfit the next day. Although he is teased and bullied, his parents and teacher offer much support, love, and honor his curiosity and creativity. 

Sarah and Ian Hoffman offer a gentle story about a boy who wants to wear clothes outside the norm.  By doing so they thoughtfully address the topic of gender non-conformity in this picture book story. 

For families and educators to share with children Pre-K to 2nd grade.

LEVELS OF STRANGE

IS IT NEWBERY WORTHY? 

Willow Chance feels like she's running out of chances.  Her favorite number is 7, but she doesn't want to use 7 chances on life and she's already starting number 3.  Given up as a baby, her wonderful parents adopted her and loved her for all her character and uniqueness (which her classmates call weirdness) - like her obsession with medical diseases and her favorite outfit which includes gardening pants and an obsession with the number seven.  Her uniqueness has left Willow with very few friends, up until a few weeks ago when she learned vietnamese, gained 2 friends, and was sent to mandatory counseling by her school.  Now, though, as her counselor pulls up to her driveway and she sees the police but not her parents, Willow wonders if the third time is the charm or if she'll have to keep trying to find stability over and over again.

Join Willow on the path through social acceptance, grief, and the path towards a new life in Holly Goldberg Sloan's novel, Counting by 7s for students in grades 6 and up.

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE

Georges (the S is silent) just moved into an apartment from a beautiful house that his father designed because his dad lost his job.  His mom, who is a nurse, is always at the hospital and Georges hasn't seen her in weeks.  At school, Georges is getting bullied and is having a hard time making and keeping friends in 7th grade when his best friend suddenly abandons him for the cool kids.

One day, Georges and his dad see a notice for a "Spy Club" meeting in the basement of their apartment building and Georges' dad makes him go check it out.  Hanging out in the basement is super creepy and when he opens the door all he sees is a little girl sitting cross-legged on the table.  He discovers her name is Candy and she's scouting the location for her brother, Safer.  The two boys don't fall into an instant friendship - Georges needs someone to hang out with and Safer doesn't seem to give him much choice.  Safer teaches Georges the ins and outs of becoming a spy which include surveillance tactics and being more observant.  Much of the time, though, it feels like Safer is lying, or at least with holding the truth from Georges, which Georges definitely doesn't like. The spying becomes all too real with Safer convinces Georges that their neighbor, Mr. X is up to something very secretive - but what they really discover is that Mr. X isn't the only one with secrets.

Join Georges and Safer's Spy Club in Rebecca Stead's novel for Grades 6-8, Liar and Spy.

MINE! MINE! ALL MINE!

From Vivian, Children's Librarian at the Casa Verdugo Branch Library:

Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Michael B. Kaplan

Mother Rabbit allows each of her children to select one toy from the toy shop but things don’t go as planned.  Betty Bunny decides to fill a cart with toys and have a wild tantrum at the store.  Mother Rabbit doesn’t tolerate Betty’s behavior and takes her young one home without any toys.  Mother and Father Bunny must devise a plan to help their tantrum-throwing child make responsible choices about saving or spending money.  A nice story that introduces the importance of budgeting money and the value of modeling patience and understanding.

NOT JUST FOR CRAZY PEOPLE

If you hear the word "asylum" it's most often preceded with the word "insane." But in the early 20th century, asylums were not just for the insane, but were also there for depressed or out-of-sorts people. Verna and Carlie, and their widowed father come to live upon the grounds of an asylum, where he serves as a resident psychiatrist. Also in tow is their dead mother's sister, Aunt Maude, who is strict and unpleasant. When one of the depressed patients, Eleanor, comes to work as their maid, the girls are whisked into the world of mental health and experience all sorts of factors contributing to what might make a person end up in an asylum. THE LOCKED GARDEN by Gloria Whelan tells a beautifully sad story about different kinds of loss and how people recover from such sadness. For 5th-8th grades.

GEORGE CLOONEY FOR A FATHER?!

Her parents divorced and are now living separate lives. Her father has moved on and is living the good life in L.A. with a whole new family while she is left with her lonely mother, who has a knack for always picking the wrong guy.

Dudley Wiener is just the absolute last straw. How can her mother possibly date a man with that name, plus his jokes are horrible. It is time for Violet to take action and get the perfect man for them... George Clooney.

Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen is a funny and heartfelt story about the messiness of love and family for readers in 6th-8th.

ELLA KAZOO WILL NOT BRUSH HER HAIR

Ella refuses to brush her hair until it becomes son unruly that it takes over everything.No matter how hard her moms tries, she refuses to brush her hair or to have it brushed for her. Her hair keeps growing and it gets more and more tangled. When it finally gets too much for her she offers herself a solution – a haircut.

Funny rhyming story of a girl whose hair gets totally out of control. May be a good choice for a kid who's afraid to get a haircut.Colorful and watercolor illustrations. For readers Ages 3-6. Written by Lee Fox illustrated by Jennifer Plecas.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Griffin comes from a big family. But suddenly, things around his family really change. He is forced to go to public school, rather than be home schooled by his mother. In fact, his mother hasn't even been home - not since she went to the hospital to have another baby. Griffin can't wait to name the new baby, even though he knows it will make his family sad. Read THE NAMING OF TISHKIN SILK by Glenda Millard to find out why, especially if you are a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader. Also good for older readers that need a quick read.

THE POSSIBILITY OF FLYING

I won't lie, Francesca Lia Block is a wonderful author, but she is an author that will only appeal to certain people. I can't even tell you who those people are, but the way she writes is different than other authors because nothing about the stories are obvious. You have to find your way, much like the characters in one of her recent books THE WATERS AND THE WILD. This is a story about a 13-year-old girl, who's not really a girl. She makes friends with a 18th century slave girl, who's not really a slave girl, and an alien boy who's not really an alien. Or maybe they are these things. Whatever the case, this girl, who finds herself wanting to eat dirt all the time, keeps seeing another version of herself - in her room, walking down the street, out in the back yard. The "doppleganger" version is here to replace her, and it's only a matter of time before the reality sets in. Obscure enough for you? Recommended for 6th-8th grades.

EEK-TASTIC!

Who is Samuel? Is he a child? Is he a Frenchman? Is he a thief? Citizens of MacOongafoondsen want to know! When a ship washes up near this small town of 21 people, many questions arise, such as why don't the people of MacOongafoondsen know how to swim and why does the bailiff have a dead sparrow on his hat? MONSIEUR EEK by David Ives is a silly yet philosophical story about perception with a clear message woven into this short but sweet tale. For grades 4 and up.

LOIS LOWRY STRIKES AGAIN!

I am beginning to think that Lois Lowry can write about anything. Author of award winning books like Number the Stars and The Giver, not to mention the Anastasia Krupnik series among other greats, she's managed to pen a fabulous story for the "dark comedy" genre that will remind you of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket! THE WILLOUGHBYS is an atypical story about a miserable family with misearble parents who decide they don't like their kids anymore, hire a nanny and leave town. The oldest boy is the bossiest kid you'll ever meet, the twins have the exact same name but alternate days they can wear the one sweater they own, and the only girl is really the smartest but is too shy to say anything. Down the street lives a miserable candy bar inventor who lost his family. But the two families intertwine in very strange ways, and make for a delightful tale. For grades 4 and up.

JON SCIESZKA IS A KNUCKLEHEAD!

If you were ever curious about where authors get funny stories from or how they were as a kid, browse through a copy of this autobiography by Jon Scieszka. You know his books, The Stinky Cheese Man, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and many others. With five brothers, it's a wonder they all survived the rambunctious early years. Yep! There were six boys in the Scieszka family. No girls (except their mom, of course). After reading this, don't try any of their stunts, they're only funny because they survived to tell the tales.

Funny observations from the mind of Jon Scieszka in Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka. For readers in 6th & up.

WHERE I LIVE!

Meet Diana! She is fun, full of live, observant and energetic. She enjoys everything in life, from big things to small. She loves the fact that she is able to wave at her best friend everyday since their windows are facing one another. She is loved by her parents and peers.

Slowly, the laughter disappears from her house and her parents stop talking to each other the way they use to. She finds out that her parent's are not getting a divorce... however, a family situation is forcing them to change their way of living.

WHERE I LIVE by EILEEN SPINELLI and the illustrations by MATH PHELAN is written in free verse and is a bittersweet story about all things that life offers.

For grades 4th and older.