MISTAKES

Three boys all in trouble with the law and serving time in either jail or a juvenile detention facility are offered a second chance and a new start in a halfway house program. None of them is very trusting of their new situation that requires them to go to school daily and spend their after school time working on volunteer projects. When a major lack of judgement on their part causes the adult in charge of the house to become seriously injured the three have some big decisions to make. THE JUVIE THREE BY GORDON KORMAN is the story of Arjay, Terrance and Gecko, a murder, a thief and a gangster trying to make some sense of their lives.

For seventh grade and older.

SNACKTIME READERS

Like reading, eating and are in grades 4-8? Come and join the Snacktime Readers at the Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale CA 91205 at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 25th.

This month's book AGNES PARKER.. Girl in Progress by Kathleen O'Dell is about being in Agnes' sixth grade year where having friends, trying to keep up with school working and dealing with all the issues that come her way, including a bully, keep her more than busy.

Check this group out. We talk about the book we have read in a friendly and fun way. Though since this is not school, you don't have to talk if you are not in the mood. Come enjoy the popcorn and listen to what other kids are saying.

TAROT CARDS AND THE FUTURE

IN THE CARDS OF LIFE by Mariah Fredericks is the third book that follows the lives three friends, Syd, Anna and Eva. It's Syd's turn to have her tarot cards read by her friends and unfortunately nothing turns out well. The girls friendship is seriously tested over some petty disagreements.When Syd draws the death card she is scared by more than losing her friends.

Do you believe in fortunes, fate and the occult? Should Syd, Anna and Eva put their trust in a deck of cards? What would you do?

For grades 5 and older.

JOURNALIST AT RISK

I am sure that you have already wrote countless of book reports in your studies, However, as you already know, writing a book report is totally different from writing a report on a war. JOURNALISTS AT RISK: REPORTING AMERICA'S WARS by GEORGE SULLIVAN is an informative and historical account of how technology, way of war operation and way of reporting has changed since the beginning of journalism.

Nowadays war journalists are required to participate in boot camps to prepare for chemical or biological attacks, they have become as much part of the war as the soldiers who are fighting. You will get a sense of what they go though to report the news from a war zone.

For grades 4 and up.

AWARD WINNER--THE DOOR IN THE WALL

Ever since Robin was a young boy, his father, Sir John de Bureford, has expected him to learn the ways of the medieval knight. But Robin's future changes when he becomes extremely ill and loses his ability to use his legs. During this time, the plague sweeps across the land and his devoted servants abandon Robin. With the help of two unsuspecting people, they help bring him back to better health; and Robin inevitably learns about his strengths, his courage, friendship and how he can still serve his King.
Students who are interested in the medieval period may enjoy this Newbery winner. A Door In the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli is best for students in the 6th grade and older. Another title that takes place in the medieval period is the Newbery winner, The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. Check Them Out!

ALL ABOUT THE DANCERS

This is a book for those interested in dance and those who may want to pursue a career in dance or those who are dance fans. There are in depth interviews with dancers of all type: ballet, tap, modern, etc. The readers gain insight into what drives them and the deep commitment they have to dance and where dance have taken them in their lives. There are also side tips and little interesting bits of info for the readers.

Meet the Dancers by Amy Nathan, a fascinating collection of chats with dancers from around the country that's hard to put down.

For 6th & up.

CAT OF THE THEATER

One cannot imagine the world behind the scenes of the theatre - at least not in the 18th century! Mystery, intrigue, and spectacular performance fill the pages and Cat Royal's life, a young orphan girl left on the steps of the Drury Lane Theater in London. What lurks behind the curtain isn't what you would expect, and Cat leads you through the exciting city life of old England. THE DIAMOND OF DRURY LANE by Julia Golding spins a tale of dangerous adventure and paints a picture of what life was like more than 200 years ago. For 6th grade and up.

ODDEST OF ALL

Imagine you are sitting down with your mom for a nice morning breakfast and suddenly the television screen goes blank and a woman with blue skin and green hair appears and tells you things that are so odd that is better for me not to even write about. You change the channel and its still the same thing, you leave your house and see that the sky is not its usual color and people are fighting and screaming at each other in no apparent reason...

You wake up in the morning and see a blue chip in the back of your arm and that will give you the option to vote on your way of life....

ODDEST OF ALL : Nine Odd Stories by BRUCE COVILLE will be one of those books that you will not want to put down until its very last page, the stories are thought provoking, light, fun and really good.

For grades 5th and up.

CREEPY, AND CREEPIER

Courtney has just moved into her uncle's mansion with her clueless and self absorbed parents when she realizes there's something strange about her uncle's mansion. The kids in the new school are weird but the mansion and her uncle are seriously creepy. Curiosity gets the better of Courtney and all is not as it seems in the Crumrin mansion or the 'burbs. her uncle catches her going through his things and she sees that he's not the creepy one but he's just private and trying to protect her from a cast of creepier characters living in another world alongside the human world. She discovers the talking cat, a wolf, and other magical and dark beings whom she must conquer in order to survive.

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh is truly creepy graphic novel for those who like Cirque Du Freak or those too old for Goosebumps. Just looking at the blank eyes of the characters in the book are enough to give you the shivers.

For 6th & up.

SHORT STORIES OF LOSS, DANGER ... HUMANITY

Highway robbers, weird diseased trees, aftermath of bombings. All are told in this haunting (not scary or creepy) collection of short stories. Hauntings And Other Tales of Danger, Love, and Sometimes Loss by Betsy Hearne is a well written set of stories about humanity and how we as humans deal with loss and tragedy.

For readers in 6th and older.

^@^@^ BOOKMARK CONTEST 2009 ^@^@^

BE CREATIVE @ YOUR LIBRARY!!!

January 26 - February 8, 2009

Each January the Library holds a contest to design new bookmarks to be used during the year. This competition is open to any one who wishes to participate from infants through adults. The only restriction is that the actual drawing must be done in the Library, Central or one of the Branches, with the materials supplied by the Library. The submissions are then judged by outside judges and the winners are chosen according to age groups. The winners are given a certificate and copies of their winning bookmark at a ceremony which is held at the Central Library. Winning bookmarks are duplicated and distributed throughout the Glendale Library System. This year's theme is Be Creative @ Your Library.

A HORSE TO LOVE

Chancey is an albino Appaloosa horse that's getting old. His vision is clouded with tumors and he's having trouble seeing. Now, his owner has to sell her farm and Chancey may end up at the glue factory! But luck is on his side when he ends up with a loving farm owner and discovers a girl who needs him as much as he needs her. CHANCEY OF THE MAURY RIVER by Gigi Amateau Together they beat many odds and excel in the little things while learning how to love with their whole heart. For 5th grade and up.

DANGER IN ART

While in a small London town, Calder becomes intrigued by a piece of art work created by the artist he was named after, Alexander Calder. The sculpture mysteriously disappears one day and so does Calder. His father and the police are clueless as to how to find Calder so they must enlist the help of his two closest friends to search for clues. His friends must set aside their personal dislikes of each other to find him before it is too late.

In this third art mystery novel, The Calder Game by Blue Balliett, the puzzle lover finds himself within a life size maze that has somehow swallowed him up without leaving a trace.

For readers in 4th - 6th.

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

Who knew birds had their own Arthurian legend to speak of? At least that is what SWORD QUEST by Nancy Yi Fan seems to be. Wind-Voice leaves slavery through a number of miraculous escapes in search of a magical sword, one that can only be wielded by a great hero. He meets many good friends along the way, and narrowly evades capture and death at the "wing" of his enemies. Encrypted jewels throughout the world lead Wind-Voice and his companions to the island where the sword is kept. Hopefully, he will make it in time to save the sword before the evil Maldeor gets to it first! This is a prequel to Swordbird, and great for 4th grade and up.

I HATE TO READ!

Victor Dickens is a regular kid who likes to watch television and do whatever he feels like. However, he is suffering from a major symptom, and that is the "I hate reading symptom." At school he gets A's and B's on all subjects except reading. All of his family members try to help him by feeding him alphabet soup and investing in volumes of books. However, all fail do to his almost incurable problem.

And than...really unbelievable events start happening and even if you too hate reading, you must read this book to see what happens and if you too can also be cured as well.

I HATE TO READ is written by RITA MARSHALL and the illustrations are bye ETIENNE DELESSERT.

For grades 2nd and up.

TO BE IMMORTAL...

Kezi accidentally sentences herself to death, right as she begins to fall in love with the immortal god of wind, Olus. Being mortal herself, Kezi only wants her mother to become healthy when she sacrifices her own life. Olus, who has watched her from afar for many months, wonders if he can thwart this from happening by making Kezi immortal herself. An adventure that travels through many mythological worlds is Gail Carson Levine's latest attempt at fairy tale greatness, in this book entitled EVER. For grades 5 and up.

A NEW AND IMPROVED MAGICAL ORPHAN!

He lives in an orphanage. He doesn't have a scar, but he does have a strange spiral birthmark on the bottom of his foot. He thinks his name is Ernie Banks, but it's not. He doesn't have a magic wand, but he does have a mysterious crystal acorn that's hung on his neck ever since the mean orphanage mother found him on the doorstep. There's a history to his life that he doesn't even know about. Not until he happens to get sent to a farm for a few weeks in summer, and strange coincidences intermix with crazy monsters, small elf-like creatures, and the first humans to ever show Ernie what it feels like to be loved. PUDDLEJUMPERS by Mark Jean & Christopher C. Carlson is a great story about what one boy does to save an entire species without even knowing it. For 6th grade and up.

GET SET, GO!

The year is coming to an end, and everyone has probably planned what they want to accomplish next year. I bet that one of the first things on your list is to become physically more active in your daily life.

Now... How do we all try to stay motivated and have the drive to make this happen? Real Fitness: 101 Games and Activities to Get Girls Going! from the American Girl series is the perfect pocket book that gives so many fun ideas, from miniature golf to playing mazes to swinklering ( setting up a sprinkle in front of a swing). The book has tons of unique ideas that will definitely inspire you to get going.

For grades 2nd and older.

PEG LEG GIRL PIRATE

Descended from a notorious female pirate? That what Polly is told one night when she is mysteriously transported in her bed in the middle of the night to meet some of her mother's former pirate mates. All they want from her is to take up where her mother left off... her rightful place as The Pirate Queen. Polly never thought adventure and the improper life of piracy was not for her. That kind of life is not for her, but soon she must choose when her life is in jeopardy.

Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh - an unlikely adventure for an unlikely heroine. Fast paced action for a graphic novel readers grades 4th & up.

WATCH OUT FOR METEORITES!!

Something BIG crashed into Brady Steele's home-- a meteorite from outer space. Instead of calling the police, Brady and his dear cousin, Quinn, decide to see Dr. Rip Ripley, an astrobiologist from the museum. Brady's neighbors, Cal, Buzz, and Matt Carver are onto Brady and Quinn and realize that their discovery is something special. They eventually gain possession of the space rock, but little do they know that it has given Brady super agility and speed. Instead of a friendly exchange of hands, the Carver boys pose an ultimate challenge by using their homemade "Destructo" catapult machine. Now it's a race against time for Brady and Quinn to regain possession of the space rock. Will Brady and Quinn succeed in getting the space rock back?

Will Hobb's fiction novel for 5th graders and older is a good novel for those who are seeking a story that includes adventure, humor, and a touch of science fiction. Go Big or Go Home was a fun read. The parts I most loved to read were about Brady and Quinn's love for South Dakota and extreme sports--what awesome cousins!

IT'S A DOG'S LIFE

Dill loves her dog named Dead-End. He only listened to her mom though, and now her mom is ... well, she's not around any more. Dead-End keeps disappearing and rumor has it there's a pack of dogs running around their rural community killing sheep. Dill hopes it's not her dog doing the killing, but she hardly has time to go look for him when she's cooking for her dad who spends all his time at work, and taking care of her grandpa, who hasn't been the same since her mother...left. Not to mention her job at the barn where she does her horseback training. If only her mother were still here. Action packed with tense sadness as its climax driving force, DOG GONE by Cynthia Chapman Willis will have you reluctantly reading through some pretty emotional situations just to find out what happens. For 4th -8th grades.

LAUGH A LOT WITH LANCELOT

The only reason Lancelot wants to become a knight is so he can wear a shiny armor and have everyone admire him. Of course he also becomes the best knight and soon everyone wants to fight him and claim that they are better than Sir Lancelot. But Lancelot soon tires of the fights and retires to a life of a hermit until a jealous knight challenges King Arthur's throne and charges Queen Guinevere with treason. Lancelot must come out of retirement and battle to save the queen and kingdom!

This is a fun and light-hearted Arthurian tale retold by the writer of many other previous Arthurian novels for kids. The Adventure Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris is under 100 pages and perfect for a reluctant reader or one who loves adventures with a big dose of humor. For readers in 3rd - 4th grade.

A new and upcoming series, Knights' Tales.

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.

A NECESSARY JOURNEY

Though based on real facts dug up from the National Archives and conversation with his father and other relatives, Laurence Yep spins another vivid story of how his father came to settle permanently in San Francisco. Despite the fact that his father was a U.S. citizen, anyone entering the country from China in the early 1900s was interrogated thoroughly down to the most minute details about their home and family in order to prove they were who they said they were. Although the journey to Gold Mountain (that's what Chinese workers called California) was difficult it was worth it to find work and send money back to their families in the very poor villages of southern China.

The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep, a memorable and heartbreaking story of one child's immigration experience. For readers in 4th and older and those looking for a great California story.

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.

GIVE ME SHELTER!

Living in the United States is a privilege that so many people take for granted. There are wars, hunger, displacement and violence all over the world that affects the human spirit in ways that one can not describe. Children especially are the once that suffer the most in this horrible situations. GIVE ME SHELTER: STORIES ABOUT CHILDREN WHO SEEK ASYLUM is edited by TONY BRADMAN and is about just that. Children that tried to escape war-torn countries in treacherous times are captured very vividly in these thought provoking chapters that will change your mind not only about immigration but also about the strenght of the human spirit.

For grades 4th and up.

PEELING BACK THE LAYERS = INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Hildy Biddle and the other reporters on her high school newspaper are young but not stupid. Knowing something rotten is going on with the town newspaper and the Ludlow property, the teen reporters are determined to get to the core of the "mysterious haunting" at the old abandoned house and reveal the truth before fear overtakes the whole town. A uplifting story of growth, determination and and justice in the face of daunting odds.

Peeled by Joan Bauer is an engaging story for 6th - high schoolers looking for something different yet inspiring to read.

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.

THIS IS WHAT I READ

Logan has a reputation that preceeds him at his new school because of something terrible that happened with his old best friend Zyler. He tries to act like everything is normal, but the bullying he experiences and the way his parents act around him just makes his life miserable. As his school year progresses, Logan learns ways to escape his tormentors and process his feelings. I find that I really like books that don't tell you too much information at the beginning of the story. Books that have a personality you have to get to know before you finish the story are always more entertaining for me than those that tell you everything you need to know about a main character before the end of the first chapter. THIS IS WHAT I DID by Ann Dee Ellis is one of those books. The theme is similar to the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson as far as it's controversial subject matter, but is reflected through the eyes of an eigth grade boy. Definitely worth reading, but this book is really only appropriate for 7th and 8th grades.

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.

A BORING MAINE SUMMER (NOT REALLY)

The Legend of Old Salty is for comic book readers and those who love a bizzare and outrageous adventure.

Jack and Benny are dragged to Chowder Bay for the summer by their parents. In this New England town, their father insists on first stopping to get the traditional sweets, salt water taffy. When the candy store is robbed, the boys follow the trail of taffy wrappers only to discover that the thieves are lobsters stealing taffy for the big queen lobster, Old Salty, the legendary Sea Monster of Chowder Bay. All must do her bidding.

Jack and Benny and Angus, the old fisherman, must battle Old Salty in that age old struggle for power and taffy.

Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny. The Legend of Old Salty, V. 1 by Matthew Loux. For readers in 2nd-5th.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...

Let's say you are out in the ocean fishing and caught a turtle that could make all your wishes come true. What would you ask for? Would you ask for simple things or almost impossible things?

In this newly adapted tale from the Grimm Brothers, the fisherman and his wife are always in disagreement. One wants the fancy things in life while the other wants only the simple things. Can she actually get her impossible wishes and can he stop her from wanting them?

I grant you the time to read the story.

THE FISHERMAN AND THE TURTLE adapted by ERIC A. KIMMEL and illustrated by MARTHA AVILES.

For grades 2nd through 4th.

A CAT'S LIFE IN EAST L.A.

Chato is a hungry “low-riding” cat from East Los Angeles, whose new neighbors are a family of tasty mice. At first, the mice are afraid of Chato, but he pretends to be friendly and invites the family to dinner. Chato and his equally hungry friend Novio Boy are delighted that so many mice are coming to be their dinner and they prepare a huge fancy feast to accompany the main course. Both cats are very surprised at the mice family's special guest! CHATO'S KITCHEN by Gary Soto does a wonderful job of integrating the multilingual heritage of Chato and the other characters throughout the book. Especially helpful is the glossary at the front of the book, explaining certain Spanish words that appear at various times in the book, and also describes some of the food Chato and Novio Boy prepare for the feast. A great story for 2nd - 4th grades .

A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY

There was a time when kids went outside to play, made up imaginary games evoking historical characters and aliens from the future, families went on road trips in search of gold, radiation was still a new treatment for cancer, and cancer was still mysterious. In THE LUCKY PLACE by Zu Vincent, families are becoming visibly dysfunctional through the eyes of Cassie, spanning ten years from age three to thirteen. There's Old Daddy, the drunk, and New Daddy, the one Cassie likes better. Jaime, her older brother, is not happy about New Daddy, but escapes his anger and frustration by taking as many dance classes as possible. There are complex relationships rich with emotion, told from a soft, gentle, very human perspective. This book will capture the attention of 5th grades and up.

AUTHOR AT THE LIBRARY

When: Saturday, November 15, 2008, 2:00 p.m.

Where: Central Library Auditorium
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale, Ca 91205

Tony Johnston will be here to talk about her book Any Small Goodness and also to sign your personal copy. For additional questions, please call (818) 548-2035.

Copies of the book will be available for sale to benefit the Friends of the Library on the day of the author talk.

A HUG-- A SPECIAL THING TO GIVE

Jules the kitten has a lot of love to give. He doesn't need to buy a toy or anything sweet for those he loves, but he does have plenty of hugs to give to the world. His hugs are for different things that live and grow on Earth, such as a giraffe, a buttercup or a pudu. Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell is such a lovely story to share. The message of embracing everyone and everything is heartwarming. This is great for story time or for sharing with those YOU love! I love this book!

THE LIVING MUSEUM OF HUMAN ODDBALLS

Set in another place and time Jeremy Cabbage by David Elliott is the story of an orphan who is stranded at Harpwitch's Home for mean Dogs, Ugly Cats and Strey Children. Unfortunately for him the dogs and cats are treated much better for than the children. His only chance is to be adopted but since he is eleven, the chance of that is not good. Not good until Bo and Ba, a couple whose genetic condition has caused their feet to grow extremely large and their noses to become very round and very red, and take him into their very unusual family. This is the beginning of an outrageous adventure that pits good against evil. Guess who wins.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Tal is a teenage Israeli girl searching for reasons. She sends out a message in a bottle, only to hear from a young, angry Palestinian boy. The two exchange sporadic emails, seemingly prompted mostly by Tal, sharing their worlds and the frustration, sadness, and want for change between both sides of the border separating them. A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA by Valerie Zenatti, shows both sides of a never-ending war between two cultures over the right to live in a place that defines both their histories. Told from both characters perspectives, the story is emotional, vivid, and pertinent for any readers 6th grade and up.

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING BETTER THAN EVER

Lauren Child's colorful illustrations fit perfectly with this new translation of the classic story of the little Swedish girl who just doesn't quite get the rules of living in a village after years of living away at sea with her papa. Pippi, the strongest girl in the world, lives in a house with only the company of her horse and monkey. Along with her two friends, Tommy and Annika, she tries out town living such as going to school so she can have school holidays, or going to coffee parties, but people have a hard time seeing Pippi for the fun loving free living child that she is.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren resembles Lauren Child's characters Lola and Clarice Bean with her sassy but no nonsense attitude. A great read-a-loud for the younger set, too.

For reader in 4th - 6th grade

PLEASE WRITE IN THIS BOOK

Ms. Wurtz has a great group of kids in her class and each one has a unique personality and style. There's Milton-- he's really smart; Luke (whose name rhymes with puke) is the class clown; Lizzy, who tends to be a bit bossy; and Yoshi, a dedicated friend. To get the class to practice their writing skills, Ms. Wurtz puts a class journal in the Writer's Corner. Unfortunately, the messages, thoughts and drawings in the class journal get way out of hand. What starts off as creative and fun, then turns into broken friendships, tears, and jeer. Will Ms. Wurtz intervene and make everything right or will the class have a creative solution?

Students in the 3rd thru 5th grades, as well as teachers who are interested in adding a journal to their writing center, will find Mary Amato's book delightful, sometimes gross, and fun! Eric Brace's illustrations bring the story to life.

THE BLAH BLAH MAN WITH HIS BLEE BLEE BLEEs

This Afghani folktale about a man with bad manners with his annoying blah blahs and blee blees will keep you entertained from the beginning to the end. He is the only man in a courteous, civilized village that is causing trouble and annoying the neighbors day in and day out.
Until one day he takes off to visit his friends in a far village and when he comes back things have changed do to the very clever neighbors of his. They are on to something... to put a stop to his blah blahs and blee blees. But what can they possibly have come up with since nothing seems to change the man?
THE MAN WITH BAD MANNERS by IDRIES SHAH and the illustrations by ROSE MARY SANTIAGO is a quick, inventive and fun read.
For grades K-3rd

IT'S ALMOST HERE...

Most likely you have read many of the titles from the Eyewitness book series and know that it's full of interesting facts. And since our presidential election is almost here, it is important that we understand how voting works and its origin. Reading this book will reinforce us yet again that we, as people, have come a long way in deciding our future in society. It was not too long ago, when people in the United States could not vote if they were women or African-American.

And now... we have an African-American and a woman in this year's presidential campaign. It's a humbling experience to read this book and feel the evolution in our society.

VOTE from the EYEWITNESS BOOKS series is a necessary book to read before the election.

For grades 4th grade and up.

AN ALASKAN ADVENTURE

Twelve-year-old Diamond Willow tells her story in a series of diamond shaped poems. She talks about her friends, a boy she likes, fitting in at school and her favorite thing--mushing dogs. Set in a small town in Alaska the reader will discover many things about life there while sharing the adventures of a remarkable girl in the book Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

HALLOWEEN READS

My Dog's a Scaredy Cat: A Halloween Tail by Henry Winkler

The tenth in the Hank Zipzer series. This time Hank and his friends set out to make the scariest haunted house ever to impress everyone this Halloween. For 4th -6th

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by Wendelin Van Draanen

It's Halloween and Sammy and her friends are trick-or-treating when they are almost run down by someone in a skeleton costume. Once again Sammy is thrown into a middle of a mystery goes off in search of who tied up "Frankenstein" and what did the skeleton steal? For 6th - 8th

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

Which witch will the Wizard marry? All the local witches compete to be the great wizard's wife and they create the most amazing magic to impress him. But one beautiful witch can only make beautiful white magic and not black magic like the others. Does she stand a chance? For 4th -6th

Whispering to Witches by Anna Dale

On his way to vacation with this mom and stepfamily, Joe accidentally stumbles upon a coven of witches among the human population and is pulled into a mystery to help them find a missing magical page. For 6th - 8th

All Hallows' Eve by Vivian Vande Velde

Set on Halloween Eve this collection of short stories will scare you with tales of murder, cemeteries and the dead (or is it the undead?). For 6th - 8th

Witch Child by Celia Rees

The diary of a young girl escaping one witch hunt in the Old World only to find that she must hide her true nature once she arrives in 1659 Salem. Witches are blamed for everything that is wrong and she must hide her abilities from the villagers who have taken her in. For 6th - 8th

A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT HAWAII

Pia, a fatherless thirteen-year-old, has an older best friend who has helped him learn the lessons that his missing father should have. Kamaka encourages Pia to challenge himself physically, explore his world and to work hard. Aside from his mother he is the most important person in Pia's life and when Kamaka deserts him when it is discovered that he has leprosy, he is devastated.

Hard times lie ahead for Pia when he is torn away from his family and sent to the leper settlement when life is anything but pleasant. Fortunately he has the skills learned from Kamaka and is able to survive. But will he ever be able to forgive his friend's desertion?

Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story by Joyce Moyer Hostetter gives the reader a compelling and interesting perspective on an actual period in the history of the Hawaiian Islands. While this story is a work of fiction, the leper colony on Molokai is not, nor is Father Damien a Catholic priest who chose to live and work on the island. For readers in grades 5 though 8.