TO OUR MOTHERS!

Mother's Day just was celebrated last weekend but don't you think that we should tell our moms just how special they are every day. Why not make a just because card for her. It woudl be super cute if you were to include a poem in your card since it might be unexpected. And... if you are having hard time writing your own poem than you can always check out the poetry selection at the library for inspiration. DEAR MOTHER, DEAR DAUGHTER by JANE YOLEN and the illustrations by GIL ASHBY is one of the books that is just perfect for this. The poetry is simple and easy to read with the simple message that mothers will always try to discipline no matter what. the poems are very insightful and the message is clear and simple. We love our mothers and so do they :-)

For grades four and older.

BOOKS ARE BETTER THAN MOVIES

I'm sure you've all heard of the classic story about 101 spotted canines that were almost made into a fur coat. Disney made a movie about it. But in case you didn't know, before the movie came out, there was a book. THE 101 DALMATIONS by Dodie Smith is the REAL story behind the film. Pongo really had a wife named Missis, and Perdita was the nurse dog they had help take care of the original fifteen puppies. Cruella de Vil had a husband who was just as evil as she, and the real twist was that there were only 97 puppies in total when Pongo and Missis came to the rescue. So make sure you get the REAL story and read this book! For 3rd-8th grades.

READY, READ, CAMP!

The hot summer days are almost here and what is a great way to escape from the heat than go camping. This particular book was such a fun and motivating book that after reading it I just wanted to take off right away and go camping.

There are a lot of interesting ideas in the book, and one of them was the solar oven pizza, one would think that it would be a bit difficult to make pizza while camping, but apparently it's not. This is definitely the ultimate kids guide with activities and ideas ranging from how to make s'mores to making your own moon. ( you need to read the book to find out if possible) CAMPOUT! THE ULTIMATE KID'S GUIDE by LYNN BRUNELLE is one to check out as soon as possible.

For grades fifth and older.

BE A HOT FUDGE HERO!

In this beginning chapter book, the main character is very determined. HOT FUDGE HERO by Pat Brisson, Bertie learns many life lessons from experiences he has in every day life. The book is divided into three stories. The first story, “Bertie and Mr. Muckleberg,” transforms a mean old neighbor and his mean old pets into new friends. In “Sax Magic,” Bertie’s fairy godfather Stan gives him a magic hat that helps Bertie play the saxophone like a pro as long as he keeps practicing. It turns out to be a lucky day for Bertie in “Turkey Day.” Even though Bertie doesn’t get to bowl with his favorite bowling ball, he still gets a strike. For 2nd-4th grades.

A GRAPHIC NOVEL YOU WILL NOT FORGET!

I usually don't read a lot of graphic novels... But all that will probably change because of this awesome book.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang teaches us once again that we as humans are not different from one another after all. The plot of the book is emotionally driven and the characters are very identifiable.

The illustrations are as expressive as the story but yet have a beautiful subtlety. Once you grab this book, you will not want to put down until you have read the very last page.

For grades 7 and up.

THE STARS GUIDE YOUR WAY

THE DRINKING GOURD by F. N. Monjo is a little bit of history with a twist of doing the right thing. Tommy Fuller gets in trouble at church one Sunday and is sent home, only to find a family of runaway slaves hiding in his barn. The Drinking Gourd, also known as the Big Dipper, contains the North Star which is leading Big Jeff and his family to Canada, and Tommy’s father is hiding them. Tommy’s father states that laws should not be broken, but there are exceptions to every rule. There aren't many historical fiction stories for the early reader, much less one that deals with the Underground Railroad. This is a great book to get younger readers into the historical fiction genre. For Kindergarten - 3rd grades.

BASHO AND THE RIVER STONES

The fox is a very tricky character indeed, and one can only expect certain tomfoolery and hijinks from the fox in this picture book for older readers. A poor poet lives near some delicious cherry trees that he shares with the foxes in the woods. It isn't long before one fox gets greedy and is surprised by the poet's reaction to his greed. BASHO AND THE RIVER STONES by Tim Myers was nominated for the 2007-2008 California Young Reader Award, and is bound to be a great rendition of a classic story. For 3rd grade and up.

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.

A DOG'S CRAZY LIFE

You'll probably never meet a dog this crazy, or maybe you own a dog who does some of the things that Marley, a huge yellow Labrador Retriever does. He chews through walls, runs away from home, rips pillows into tiny pieces! What a mess! But he is also one of the most loyal, loving dogs you'll ever hear about. Make sure you pick up MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER by John Grogan. It's a non-fiction book, which means that all the things that Marley does REALLY HAPPENED! For 5th grade and older.

WANT TO BE THE BEST AT EVERYTHING?

1. 1. Wait for a rainy day. Pour paper confetti into your mom's closed umbrella and wait for her to go outside and open it.

2. Chew on some small white mints, then pretend to bump into a wall. Moan and spit the mints out. Your dad will think you are spitting out your broken teeth.

3. Or, want to make an icy-cold milk shake without a blender or ice cream? Than you need to check out this book that is full of so many fun and exciting activities that you would want to have a copy of this book for your own library at home.

Check out THE GIRLS BOOK: HOW TO BE THE BEST AT EVERYTHING. The author is JULIANA FOSTER and the illustrations are by AMANDA ENRIGHT.

For ages 9 and up.

GEORGIA

Georgia, begins to make sense of her mother's death and her father's grief, as her artistic talents and interests develops after she receives an anonymous gift membership to the local Brandywine river Museum.
"I started to draw on the top of my binder,
like it seems I always do
when I don't know what else to do, so I
didn't notice that she was trying to hand me
a red leather notebook (this very one i'm writing in),
and she said: "Georgia, why don' we make
a deal? I will excuse you
from coming to Guidance for a while, provided-
you promise to write down your thoughts and feelings
at least a few times a week
in this diary. You don't have to show it to me, or to anybody,
unless you want to,
and it might be a good idea if you tried-sometimes , or
all the time if you want-
to write down what you might tell, or what you might ask,
your mother
if she were here."

Pieces of Georgia: A Novel by Jen Bryant is a heart wrenching story of a girl coping with the loss by piecing herself, family and friends back together one piece at a time.
For readers in 4th and up.

AGNES PARKER LIVES IN GLENDALE!

Junior high is a great time to work on invisibility - or is it? Agnes Parker seems to think so. Attending Toll Middle School can have it's rather embarrassing moments, or at least normal things have become more embarrassing, and Agnes is doing her best to avoid any extra attention, especially from annoying 8th grade boys! Her plan is working very well until her best friend decides to run for class president! You'll love reading about places you see every day, and definitely relate to Agnes' school-related angst. For 5th grade and older.

GET READY FOR OPERA!

Seeing the opera version of this story, a couple of years ago, was not as fun as reading the story of Madame Butterfly. It is an intriguing story about love, loss, hatred and racism. The themes in the book are not about light subjects but yet the young readers will find themselves drawn to the characters do to the fact that it is written in a fairy tale like manner. The illustrations are beautiful and intricate and are based on Japanese style wood block printing, the color palate that is used will make you want to look at the pictures for a long time. MADAME BUTTERFLY THE STORY OF THE OPERA BY GIACOMO PUCCINI and the drawings by RENATA FUCIKOVA.

For grades five and older.

HAMSTERS, HO!!

The Great Texas Hamster Drive: An Original Tall Tale by Eric A. Kimmel

Pecos Bill and Slue Foot Sue are now married and have five kids. The littlest one, a girl named Sal, who Bill can't help but give her anything her little heart desires, wants just one little hamster. How much trouble can one little pet be? Well, since this is a tall tale, Sal didn't get just one hamster, but two! And boy did they multiply!!! I'm sure you can guess what happens next.

This is a cautionary tale to all you little ones out there who are thinking of geting a pet hamster. Beware! You might get more than you bargained for.

A picture book for ages 5 and older.

TO RESCUE A PRINCE

Cornelius the wizard, Gurkintrude the fey, Hans the giant, and Odge the Hag are in charge of rescuing the prince from the human world on the other side of the Gump. That is THE SECRET OF PLATFORM 13, also the title of this book by Eva Ibbotson. Nine years earlier, the last time the Gump passageway between the worlds was open, the prince was kidnapped by an evil woman named Mrs. Trottle. The King and Queen have longed for the return of their only child, and send the crew of four from the Island, an almost mythical place hidden to most humans by a thick mist. But the nine-year-old boy, Raymond, turns out to be a lot less like a prince than they would've hoped, and some strange events change the lives of more than one boy by the end of the book! For 4th grade and older.

SAMMY OUT IN THE WILD

Sammy is back, but this time with some new classmates who invite her on a hiking and camping trip to help save some endangered condors. When the condors go missing and the ranger's look out tower is trashed, her friend is determined to find them. Sammy and the rest of the group must go search for her before she gets lost in the mountains or worse, suffer some unknown fate like the condors.

A little mystery, a little camping, a little romance, and a lot of detecting are involved in Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen. Perfect for middle school readers.

GET READY FOR A PARTY!

Are you in a mood to do something different and fun with your friends? Do you want to skip the movies and have a more meaningful and exciting time? Most likely you answered yes to these questions, so...grab the book SLEEPOVER PARTY! GAMES AND GIGGLES FOR A FUN NIGHT by JAMIE KYLE McGILLIAN and do what the book says. The book is filled with tones of ideas, from a pillow fight to sharing secrets in a fun way to making beautiful hair pieces that not only can be worn by you but given away as gifts. The many pictures will definitely be a very good visual guide that will motivate you as well.

For grades four and up.

A IS FOR ASSASSIN

The year is 1569, and the 13-year-old Lady Grace is about to choose her husband from three potential suitors. She is the favorite of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honour, and while Grace's mother was on her death bed, the Queen promised to marry Grace to a worthy courter. Grace chooses Lord Robert as her potential husband, but it isn't long before a wrench is thrown into the works and Lady Grace must find the killer of the suitor she turned down. Written in a journalistic format, ASSASSIN by "Grace Cavendish" is the first in the Lady Grace Mysteries series, and chronicles Grace's first "pursuivant" adventure for the Queen. For 5th grade and older.

CATCH HER IF YOU CAN, SHERLOCK

Sherlock Holmes' much younger sister is once again entangled in a mystery where she herself is now in danger. In the midst of trying to start a new life for herself, Enola opens up a detective investigation agency using multiple disguises and pretenses, but things prove difficult when she becomes a victim herself while looking for a missing baronet's daughter. All the while trying to dodge her brother Sherlock.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer is a suspenseful detective novel with a great heroine. For middle school readers and those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

LUCKY COLOR

RED MEANS GOOD FORTUNE: A STORY OF SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN is a small book with a big story. Like so many other immigrant groups, the Chinese-Americans experienced difficulties adapting to this country's new rules and ways of living. The story talks about the financial, social and physical hardships that the Chinese Americans faced during the 1860's in San Francisco. It is written in a way where you are getting lots of information but at the same time do not feel overwhelmed or bored. There are also illustrations in black and white which are a good distraction. The story is by BARBARA DIAMOND GOLDIN and the illustrations are are WENHAI MA.

For grades four and up.

WHEN THE ALIENS TAKE OVER THE EARTH...

The Boov. They abducted earthlings to teach them English. They colonized the planet on Christmas Day (now called SMEKDAY). They eat soap like it's candy. They know how to clone gas so your car never runs out! On the other hand, they herd all of the people in the United States into one state, and they've done other not-so-nice things along the way. But as Gratuity "Tip" Tucci comes to find out, the Boov are the LEAST of the problems she comes across on her way to finding her mother. THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY by Adam Rex is an essay Gratuity has to write once the earth calms down, and it is absolutely fantastic! I cannot begin to tell you how hilarious and wonderful this book is, and I think anyone who reads it will be entertained on some level. PLEASE READ IT! For 6th grade and older.

A SMALL TOWN MYSTERY

Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams.

Everyone sure is acting weird. Her brother is even weirder than usual. Her dad is testy. Her former best friend invites her over for a swim. What gives? Once again, something is amiss in this small town and Ingrid is at the center of it all. In this second Echo Falls Mystery, Ingrid is the target of a kidnapping that no one believes happened but she is determined to find evidence that it did happen and untangle all the strands in the complex web. Her father's job, her grandfather's farm, an old friend, and her soccer coach are all somehow tied in with Ingrid's kidnapping. But how?

A twisted and compelling mystery for middle school readers.

ARTFUL READING

Now here is a very fun book to not only read but also get to see some pretty cool paintings by world famous artists. The subject in all of the paintings is reading, therefore the title ARTFUL READING by BOB RACZKA. The book is very thin and there is not much to read. However, the paintings are really beautiful and it is actually cool to see reading being portrayed as a cool pass time in them. At the end of the book, there is a brief history of each artist's life.

For grades first and older.

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!

ANASTASIA, NOT THE PRINCESS

Anastasia Krupnik is a very grown-up ten-year-old. She fancies herself to be a great poet, until her teacher gives her an "F" on one of her poems. Her best friend is her grandmother, and she is very big on keeping things organized, so she has a lot of lists. But a lot of things happen to Anastasia that make her question what she really knows about being ten and the world around her. Every day has a new lesson to learn about love, life and family. This chapter book is great for 4th grade and up.

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.

DINOSAURS SOLVING MYSTERIES?

Ever hear of a dinosaur doing police work? Here's a book that will really surprise you then. DETECTIVE DINOSAUR by James Skofield is a collection of three mysteries that Detective Dinosaur and his partner Officer Pterydactl must solve involving a missing hat, a squeaky shoe and a noisy something down a dark alley. Perfect if you just learned to read and want something a little longer, but you're not quite ready for chapter books. For K-2nd grades.

THE ROAD FROM HOME!

Grab a box of tissue and begin reading this heart wrenching story about a girl whose journey will captivate you from start to finish. It is a story about an Armenian girl whose peaceful life is ripped apart…
The Turkish government began the systematic destruction of its Armenian population and things changed dramatically for the entire Armenian people. Hence, the true story about hope, survival and the never ending journey to life…

The Road from Home: The story of an Armenian Girl by David Kherdian will be one of the most memorable and important book that you will read.

For grades five and up.

PERFECT OR MAYBE NOT

For ten-year-old Zoe life doesn't always seem to be working out. First there's her stay-at home father who has trouble leaving the house and spends his time on the Internet, a mother who spends too much time at work and finally the piano that she dreamed of playing turns out to be an a Perfectone D-60 organ that her father bought instead. It turns out that Zoe discovers that she has some talent for the organ and while her skills develop, so does her self-confidence in Linda Urban's A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT

For grades 4-6

TROLLS....GO HOME!!!!

Trip, trap, trip, trap! went the bridge
Who's that tripping over my bridge? roared the troll

Sound familiar? Remember the story of the giant troll and the three billy goats gruff? If you've ever wondered whatever happened to that troll, then here's a story for you. After the embarrassing goat incident, the troll took his wife Nora and their son, Ulrik, as far away from that bridge as possible. They ended up moving to a small quiet town called Biddlesden right next door to the Priddles family. The Priddles had never met a troll before. The Trolls had never lived next door to humans before. Well, as you can imagine all sorts of silly trouble began between these two families that neither the police nor goblins were able to solve! Check out Trolls, Go Home! by Alan MacDonald to read all about their wacky adventures.

ANIMALS THAT TALK

THE DARING ADVENTURES OF PENHALIGON BRUSH by Sally Jones Rogan.

Penhaligon Brush, a distinguished fox,was orphaned at birth and never knew what happened to his parents. He was raised by a local apothecary who trained Penhaligon to be a strong natural healer. But Penhaligon is bored with his sleepy little town. Until one day his adopted brother sends him a strange note inviting him to his home a few towns away. When Penhaligon arrives, nothing is as it should be, and his brother is MISSING! An exciting adventure begins, with Penhaligon learning a few life lessons along the way. Definitely for kids just starting to read chapter books. 2nd grade and up.

THE BATTLE FOR POWER.

You have probably watched on television all the presidential candidates campaigning for the 2008 election. They are all full of promises and in great hope to change the way this country is operating. All of them are going across the country participating in numerous rallies, making speeches and asking citizens to vote for them.
However, if you look back in history, presidential elections have changed drastically. In America’s early days candidates did not go out among the public to solicit votes. Their supporters did the work for them.
This book is a non-fiction book that is written so well that it can be read as a historical fiction and you will really be drawn to read it do to the fact that election is coming up and it will be really cool to know all the stuff that is behind an election. PRESIDENTIAL RACES: THE BATTLE FOR POWER IN THE UNITED STATES by ARLENE MORRIS-LIPSMAN is campaigning for you attention.

For grades four and up.

IF YOU LIKE THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS...

... then you will like this book.

The neighbor just passed away and left Anna a cat and a set of tarot cards. She and her two best friends decide to do a reading to see if she will get together with her crush - Declan, geek turned hottie. The cards predict love in her future. But will it be with Declan?

In the Cards: Love by Mariah Fredericks is the first in a new trilogy of stories about the complexity and reality of middle school friendships and loves. For readers in 6th - 8th grade.

LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS

Is it possible to find happiness in death? If you were the one dying, what could you do to make your passing away less painful for others? These are just a few thoughts I had after reading THE HAPPINESS OF KATI by Jane Vejjajiva. Kati lives with her grandparents because her mother has Lou Gehrig's disease and feels she isn't able to take care of Kati. But Kati really knows nothing about her mother until after her death, through the paper trail her mother left her to follow. Recommended for grades 5 and up.

QUEEN OF THE FOXES

"I met the Queen of the Foxes in 1972, when my family moved from Connecticut to California," states the narrator of THE WILD GIRLS by Pat Murphy and so begins the story of the friendship of two girls. Joan and Sarah who meet by chance in the middle of the woods that separate their two houses and begin an adventure that involves building a tree house, writing stories, a contest and families.

For grades 4 and older.

JINXED OR A WITCH?

Jean is the name, not Jinx.

Jean moved thousands of miles to get away from her reputation as a "jinx" and leave her troubles behind in Iowa, but trouble keeps on finding her. She thought she could start with a clean slate by moving in with her aunt and uncle in New York City, but cousin Tory is convinced that the two of them could be powerful witches just like their ancestor. Jean knows too well what would happen if you play with magic and she wasn't about to go there again.

For 6th grade and up.

NO EXCUSES FOR YOUR PASSIONS!

Art, photography, courage, discrimination, civil movement, beauty, family bonding and much more will be found in this thin book that is about the world famous artist Gordon Parks. It is amazing what photography can teach us about so many things that are at times hard to explain in words. I guess the saying that ' a picture is worth a thousand words" will be perfect for this artist who chose to express his views on the state of the world through photos. His work ranged from one extreme to another. He shot the glamorous world of the Parisian fashion world with the same passion as he photographed the gangs of Harlem.

His artistic passion motivated him to also write books, paint and make movies as well. One passion led to another and he became without an excuse a wold famous artist. GORDON PARKS: NO EXCUSES by ANN PARR and the pictures by GORDON PARKS is available for you to check out.

For grades 3-5.

BOOKMARK CONTEST 2008

It's time for our annual BOOKMARK CONTEST, so come one come all to your local Glendale Public Library and design a bookmark with the theme - CATCH THE READING BUG!

From January 28th through February 10th, design a bookmark at your local branch library and enter to win. You can be 5-years-old or 55-years-old; our only rule is that the actual drawing of the bookmark must be done in the library, at either Central or one of the Branches.

Submissions will be divided into age groups and given to a panel of judges. All winners will be presented with a certificate and copies of their winning bookmark at an award ceremony in April. The winning bookmarks are also distributed throughout the Glendale Public Library System, so make sure yours is in the running!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN EMBARASSED BY YOUR MOM?

Well, just imagine how embarassed you'd be if your mom were a pirate! wants to go to school and learn how to read and make new friends, but he lives in a different time dimension and his mother is not cookie baking mini-van driving kind. He must keep everyone from finding out his true identity, until one day, when he can't keep his worlds apart any longer and it's a matter of life and death.

My Mom the Pirate by Jackie French is short, futuristic, historical, pirate, school action pack for readers in 2nd-4th grade.

BEOWULF - NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH

With the recent movie version of this classic tale, it's always nice to read where a story comes from. Beowulf is a brave hero who travels to Denmark to help the King. An evil monster named Grendel has been eating all the king's men, and no one has been able to kill the slimy creature. But Beowulf uses some tricky maneuvers and bloody mayhem to save the day. Beowulf is more than 2000 years old, and was passed down from generation to generation of European ancestors. There are many different versions of the story, but BEOWULF, A HERO'S TALE RETOLD by James Rumford tries to tell the story in a modern equivalent of the Old Ango-Saxon English of it's origin. 3rd grade and up.

SNOW

Charlie gently explains to Lola why there can't be snow all the time, but the specialness and magic is in it's appearance and disappearance. Another lovely sibling story by Lauren Child, Snow is My Favorite and My Best.

This title is a good one to share with a preschool age child and older.

MONSTERS MONSTERS AND MORE MONSTERS

Get lost in this really cool book that will tell you all that you need and want to know about the many different monsters. The book is full of pictures and information which will be helpful to you when you are in need of recognizing or characterizing the many different monsters that you will encounter in you life:) Of course the book is shelved in the fiction section of the library and I promise you will get a big kick out of it. You will find out things such as their Latin name, habitat, diet, life cycle and many more. It will be like doing an animal report except this time it will be one thousand times better and more fun. A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe Eaters, and Other Creatures by JOHAN OLANDER will be a monstrous hit for you.

For grades 4 and older.

A TALE SPINNING RAT

"How does a book-loving, cookie-baking rat named Bob save his tail from being gobbled by twi hungry cats? By telling them fairy tales about his family, of course!"

Scheherazade like story but in animal form. How to Save Your Tail by Mary Hanson is a perfect silly beginning chapter book for animal loving readers in 2nd - 4th.

JUDGE THIS BOOK BY ITS COVER

Black, white and red are supposedly the first colors that babies can tell apart from each other. Perhaps this is why THE TERRIBLE HODAG and the ANIMAL CATCHERS, written by Caroline Arnold, and illustrated by John Sandford, is so eye-catching. The book is about a monster living in a forest, and some bad guys try to capture it. Luckily, the lumberjacks working in the forest help protect the Hodag from being caught. Each drawing is in pen-and-ink, and there are so many lines and shapes, you can imagine how long it took Mr. Sandford to do each page. But what's really neat is the story has words in red ink that pop off the page as much as the illustrations do. It's always nice when the pictures are as good as the story, just like this book. Ages 7 and up.

CHICKEN FRIEND

Becca thinks that she has "messed up" big time...But it is not easy to have a crazy mad scientist mother, a wacky father and two cross brothers and still not mess up. She feels trapped in her own house and has really hard time to adapt to her new neighborhood. She is in desperate need to make friends, however on top of all the craziness in her family, she is also home schooled. So you can imagine the difficulty of first finding friends and second who won't judge you because your parents mutter things that are not relevant to reality among other things.

She befriends her chickens hoping that they will be good listeners and that they will not judge her on her many unconventional situations. Becca is a very smart, a bit too reflective and very self-aware which make things worse for her. Here is a really cute, funny, insightful and fun story that will put a smile on your face while your reading it and long after you finish reading it. Consider reading Chicken Friend by Nicola Morgan.

For grades five and older.

MINERVA CLARK, GIRL DETECTIVE

An unusually fun mystery involving a thieving pet ferret, murder and mayhem. Minerva, a seventh grader, is electrocuted while strapped to her brother's latest art exhibit. Interestingly, she becomes bolder and sharper as she delves into solving the mystery behind her cousin Jordan's arrest.

Minerva Clark Gets a Clue by Karen Karbo is the first in a mystery series of a gutsy girl detective .

For 6th-8th graders who also enjoy the Sammy Keyes series.

THE TRUTH BEHIND JUNIOR HIGH

It's not all fun and games. Junior high, middle school - whatever you call it - is about survival. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE, compiled by illustrator Ariel Schrag, is a collection of junior high experiences from different animators and illustrators. There's close to twenty stories, and I'd be willing to bet everyone can relate to at least two, if not more. It doesn't paint the prettiest picture of the "tween" years, but it shows a glimmer of hope in each that despite what happens, you make it out alive. For 6th grade and up ONLY.

MARTINA’S READY FOR MARRIAGE, ARE YOU?

For those who enjoy folktales from across world then you’ll definitely enjoy this Cuban folktale, “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach”. Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha was a beautiful 21 day old cockroach and believe it or not, she was ready to give her leg in marriage. As the news spread throughout the city, Martina’s abuela taught her the coffee test so that she would be able to choose a good husband. Martina soon realized that taking advice from her grandmother was a wise decision.

Retold by Carmen Agra Deedy

For grades K and up!!!

NEVER MIND, JUST READ IT!

Meg and Edward are twins that don't get along at all. They are in constant fighting mood and one is terribly embarrassed of the other. Meg is smart, funny and full of wit whereas Edward is an underachiever who has no problem for being just that. Meg does not want anyone at school to know that they are in anyway related to one another. However, unexpectedly Meg gets tricked by her brother in believing that he is a rock singer who is going to be at her party. Knowing all her sister’s concerns Edward begins to think of all the different pranks that he can pull on her sister. This is a really fun story to read about sibling rivalry and it is written in an alternating narratives so you will be able to literally read about each side.

Mind this book and read it. NEVER MIND! by AVI and RACHEL VAIL.

For grades fifth and up.

PICTURING LIFE IN MANZANAR

The wonderful photographs in this book, Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese Relocation Camp, capture and illustrate what life was like for Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans who were uprooted and forced into a life of uncertainty and fear during their time in Manazanar. Many of these photos are from the National Archives and the Library of Congress taken by professional photographers hired by the U.S. government to document the evacatuations and camps.

This is a small yet heartfelt book commemorating life at the Manzanar Relocation Camp in Central California by Michael L. Cooper.

For readers in 4th grade and up.