Vivian the children's librarian AT Casa recommends the following new book:Thomas and the Dragon Queen
By Shutta Crum
Thomas, a rather small boy, won’t let his size get in the way of fulfilling his dream of becoming a knight. This fantastical tale of knighthood, princesses, and dragons is sure to delight the child who has the everlasting hope of becoming someone important; and, in Thomas’ case, to become a knight and serve his King because size really doesn’t matter!
CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS... by Kristen Tracy is a good book and a surprising book, but never a dull book. Camille is in fourth grade. She knows life is not fair. But she just didn't realize how unfair life could be! Falling under the bus is only one of the many unfair things that happen - some of them funny, some of them sad. She tries being a Dingo about it...until she realizes Dingoes aren't as tough as she thought. In the end, she realizes it's not about dwelling in the unfairness, but how you move past it. This book will remind some readers of Beverly Cleary. For 4th - 6th grades.
Jessica and Lizzie are good friends. They share the playground at school and do activities together, but Jessica starts to worry when she realizes that Lizzie is a cheater. Lizzie tries to cheat by copying from Jessica’s spelling test and she gets very confused and don’t know what to do…. Jessica cares about the consequences she may receive from accusing her friend. If she talks, her friend would be angry with her, and if she says nothing she will feel dishonest . Lizzie returns to cheat one more time and that is when Jessica loses her temper. The teacher intervenes and Jessica tells the whole truth. The message that this book presents is excellent for a class discussion. Ages 4-8. Written by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Arthur Howard.
Katherine the Children's Librarian from the Pacific Park Branch suggests:
Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar is perfect for storytimes and one-on-one sharing. With this tale of travel and adventure, storytellers can practice character voices and get audience participation with the repetitive phrase, “How do you do?” The charming illustrations of Polly Dunbar beautifully compliment the lyrical words of her mother, Joyce. A surprise ending will leave children clamoring for more.
For Preschool – 2nd grade.
The Glendale Fire Department and the Glendale Public Library are joining together to promote Fire Prevention Week.
Every now and then we all have one of those nights where sleep just does happen. One where our thoughts or other distractions keep those eyes glued open. In the classic title, Barn Dance by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault that's exactly what happens. Music comes wafting it's way through the air from the barn into the room of a young boy. The rhythms are so enticing that he sets off following them to the barn and what's happening there is a very unusual sight...the animals are having a hoedown!
Children's Librarian Vivian Dulay from the Casa Verdugo Branch 
Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay are the heroes in this book which has many similarities to the DaVinci Code. The story is about these two kids who are in the same class but not close to one another and don’t know much about each other. However, on a museum field trip they realize that they do share something that each person values: these are the love for the arts, their teachers and blue candy:) However, they become much closer when a very famous and expansive painting by Vermeer gets stolen with some trails of its whereabouts left by the thief. However, it is not an easy task to recover something as precious as a Vermeer painting. They do not give up and through their curiosity and analytical minds, try to find solve the mystery of the stolen Vermeer painting. CHASING VERMEER by BLUE BALLIETT and illustrations are by BRETT HELQUIST. 
Edgar Bullington from the Grandview Branch reccomends:
When: Saturday, September 25, 2 p.m.
Ten years-old Melanie is not quite ready to travel to Italy with her family, especially when she is charged with keeping an eye out for her wandering little brother. This is another winner in the series, with lots of art, gelato, pizza, all recorded in Melanie's travel diary with a great dose of humor of a long suffering older sister. 
All of the children's librarians meet monthly to look at the new books, share their personal reviews, tips and updates from their various sites.
THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 AT 2 PM. at the Central Library.
Luis is a school elementary teacher in the small town of La Gloria in Colombia. He loves to read, but soon his house is so full of books that there’s barely room for the family. Then he comes up with the brilliant idea to create --a traveling library! He buys two donkeys--Alfa and Beto--, loads the donkey’s back with lots of books and travels through the Colombian state of Magdalena bringing the educational and cultural material to the children who don’t or can’t attend school. Based on the true story about the school elementary teacher Luis Soriano devoted his life to bringing books and culture to rural children who have no access to any bookstores or libraries. No doubt that the teacher Soriano will inspire respect and admiration. Ages 7-8. Written by Jeanette Winter, illustrated by author. 
Graphic novels (also known as comic books) are not like the Archie and Veronica or even the Garfield strips of old. You can see it in the new crops of books like this one: The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis.
King the dog has been left at the P-O-U-N-D. It is such a bad thing, the dogs all spell it out! But it isn't long before a family takes King to a new home and start calling him Buddy. He just doesn't understand! His old family has disappeared, and King has to find them! While out walking around with the new family's son Connor, things get more confusing when Connor disappears! Two mysteries for one dog to solve might be too much. THE CASE OF THE LOST BOY by Dori Hillestad Butler is a quick read for most readers in 1st-3rd grades.
Meet Sergio! He is a penguin who loves everything that is related to water…These are water sleds, baths, ice water, hot water and lakes and ponds. However, there is one thing that he fears more than all the things combined and it is swimming. He cannot even imagine swimming by himself let alone without his floaties. His teacher Mr. Waddle is not so keen on letting Sergio go home from a field trip without diving in. The question is, will he dive? Or will he be so scared of the water that he will stop even taking his favorite activity, bathing. EDEL RODRIGUEZ is the author for SERGIO MAKES A SPLASH. This is also a great book for story hour for ages 3-5.
All of the Glendale libraries will be closed September 4-6, 2010 in honor of the Labor Day holiday. Regular hours will be resumed on Tuesday, September 7.
The third adventure of the dark and brooding young Sherlock Holmes is here. Out to prove to everyone that he's brilliant and they're not, he sets off by any means possible to find a kidnapped nobleman's daughter before she is killed. It's been weeks and her father will not give in to the blackmailers but Sherlock believes if he can solve this case and bring her back alive, no one can deny that he is the best detective in England, better than Scotland Yard. 
The colorful pictures in this book are so beautiful that even if the reader doesn't want to read the poems which consist of few lines that are clever ans smart, they will just enjoy the pictures. The protagonist in the story is a boy, which adds so much more to the story since poems are usually not as popular with boys. Throughout the pages of the book, he makes different origami animals. The pages are really amazing in that they illustrate the essence of what the poet is expressing and these illustrations are in origami format. It's an engaging book that not only is pleasant to read, but you can also make the origami's that are in the book as well. FOLD ME A POEM by KRISTINE O'CONNELL GEORGE and illustrations by LAUREN STRINGER. 
Kira Kira is a Newbery Medal winning book that is told by the point of view of a Japanese-American girl who has emigrated to the United States with her family. She is having hard time adapting to her new environment and compare to her sister, Kira-Kira, is struggling in her school work. Things turn to worse when her sister gets sick and it becomes obvious that her living days are numbered. This affects her in ways that become very hard not only on her but also on the whole family. In addition, her father is also having hard time making a living. She tells her self that no matter what has happened in her life, she still needs to view the world as a glittering, shiny place, which the name Kira-Kira means. This gives her strength and courage. Kira-Kira is by Cynthia Kadohata and will be one of the most memorable books that you will read. 
This is a thoughtful story about two young Jewish sisters from Vienna, twelve-year old Stephie and her eight-year old sister, Nellie.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi is an action packed Japanese mythological fantasy novel. Someone is trying to asassinate Prince Chagum, the second prince in line to the throne. While passing by a bridge, Balsa, a female bodyguard in a world of only male bodyguards rescues him from drowning. Surrounded by fear and suspicions Prince Chagum's mother begs Balsa to keep her son safe. As Balsa tries to figure out who is trying to kill the prince, she must battle dangerous soldiers from the royal court and old enemies from the spirit world. 
Spencer has too many toys. The house has become hazardous. His father trips over them, his Mom falls over them. Something has to be done! He needs to give some of the toys away but Spencer tries to persuade his mom to keep them all because every single toy is his favorite.
Life as a princess isn't always what it's cracked up to be, particularly when the Queen is mean and horrible. But when you are tricked into becoming a princess, it is even worse. Jane is whisked away to a strange castle by an odd new girl at school. Jane's summer vacation couldn't be a stranger adventure. She flies on giant bees, eats slugs and helps save the land of Staffa and her people. Though the book is quite quirky, THE LITTLE SECRET by Kate Saunders will appeal to fans of unrealistic/fantasy fiction. For grades 4 and up.
On Saturdays, Chavela and her grandmother would split a piece of gum and go shopping on Market Street. Chavela's abuelita would tell her stories about the quiet town of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where she grew up. Chavela chews a magic piece of chicle and flies to the Yucatan jungles. She meets the chicleros who harvest the sweet fruit from sapodilla trees to make chewing gum. Chavela goes on a wonderful adventure. Fun and colorful book. 
When Miguelito, a Mexican-American boy looses his tooth and hides it under his pillow waiting for a present in exchange. he has no idea that he is setting off a big conflict between the Tooth Fairy and her Spanish-speaking counterpart, el Raton Perez, the charming and adventurous mouse who also collects children's teeth in Spain and Latin America. The Tooth Fairy feels she is in a competition, so she claims Miguelito's tooth, "Here's my tooth!" she says, and the mouse replies "!Aqui esta mi diente!". Fortunately the conflict is resolved when both collectors learn to work together teaching a lesson about sharing and cooperation. Charming storybook full of humor and imagination. Written by Rene Colato Lainez, illustrated by Tom Lintern. Kindergarten ages 5-6.
The Glass Cafe or, the Stripper and the State; How My Mother Started a War With the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous by Gary Paulsen is the really long title of this hilarious tale of how some figure drawings of exotic dancers became part of an art exhibit and landed Tony, a budding artist and his mother, Al, in trouble. The story unfolds in the rambling way of a great storyteller who has you hooked from the first line of this incredible story of an ordinary boy with an extraordinary a mother. 
Aggrandizement, surreptitious, xerphyte, lackadaisical are words that you probably don't get to hear or use everyday right? Wait!... Maybe you use the word katzenjammer? Didn't think so! 
A new take on a very the old tale of the Pied Piper is the focus this novel written by Jane Yolen and her son, Adam Stemple. Told from a more modern perspective it is a story worth reading and talking about. Join Snacktime Readers on Wednesday, July 29 at the Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale 91205 at 7:00 p.m. This discussion group is for readers in the 4-8th grades and their parents. Pick up a copy of this very quick read at the desk and come and share your thoughts!
What would your dragon look like and how would it be?
Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America by Lynne Cheney and Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser is inspired by Cheney's experiences with her grandkids to write what is basically a history book in the guise of tour book. It's lavishly illustrated and accompanied with lots of tidbits about each state on a double page spread. Sometimes the information is too much and your eyes kind of glaze over but overall it's chockful of stuff and it's great to pore over a few states at a time with your kids. 
Go, Go America: 50 States of Fun by Dan Yaccarino has a more retro feel, theYaccarino family way back when perhaps? Yaccarino also gives each state a double page introduction with his stylish minimal approach to illustration. There are kooky historical facts, obscure head scratching laws as well as the more straight forward info all rolled into one really fun book for everyone from the very young all the way up. For readers of all ages.
This is the story of Lucia Alvarez a teenage girl and her little brother Frankie that lived in Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power in 1960. Lucia wants to be an average teenage girl, hanging out with her friends, reading the latest fashion magazines, dreaming about her crush Manuel, and planning her up-coming quinceañera with her best friend Ivette. When soldiers from Castro’s Revolution arrive in Lucia’s small town her life begins to turn upside down. After her dad gets arrested, she realizes that the Cuba she loves is changing. Family and friends become enemies. Lucia and her best friend Ivette grow apart after Ivette joins the “Jovenes Rebeldes” a communist youth movement in Cuba. Since her parents are not in favor of the new regime and fearing that their children were taken away from them, they finally make the heartbreaking decision to send Lucia and her younger brother to the United States… alone. Operation Pedro Pan, an organized exodus of 14,000 children was in effect in Miami between the 1960 and 1962. Many Cuban parents who were against the communist regime, sent their children alone to the U.S. to escape the revolution.
