THE SHADOWKEEPERS STRIKE AGAIN!!

Nic Rostov, newby magickeeper and descendent of the greatest Russian family of Magicians ever to walk the Earth, has returned with bigger and betters feats in the second book of MAGICKEEPERS: THE PYRAMID OF SOULS by Erica Kirov. This book hosts the great gathering of all the worlds magicians, and Nic is being haunted by a black crow who he's sure is a Shadowkeeper pet just waiting to get him. Meanwhile, Nic must figure out how to make an entire live elephant disappear! Suddenly, not only is the elephant gone, but his cousin Isabella is missing as well as the great Pyramid of Souls where all magicians go to disappear. How will they get them back before they are lost forever? For grades 6 and up.

CHIVAS TICKETS ARE HERE!

If you have already turned in your summer reading log but didn't get your Chivas ticket come by the library and pick one up. Chivas USA is offering a free ticket for all finishers to the big August 27, 2011 game versus Real Salt Lake. If you can't make it, you can choose one of three other dates.

Children will need to be accompanied by an adult to attend the game. Adult tickets can be purchase at the same time as the child's voucher is redeemed for a discounted rate.

If you haven't signed up for summer reading yet, and want to go to the Chivas or Clippers game, get yourself to the library and sign-up!

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?

Emma Freke is a 6th grade girl who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. I mean with a name like EMM-A FREKE, she is constantly getting teased. It doesn't help that her mother is a little on the goofy side. She's never met her father, but one day receives a mysterious invitation to meet that side of the family. Finally, a place for Emma to fit in! Or is it? I, EMMA FREKE by E.J. Atkinson is actually a wonderful story, that's not too long and not too short, and keeps you reading without wanting to take a break. For 4th-8th grades.

HEIST SOCIETY

Warning: The adventures that you will read in this book are not to be duplicated, unless you want to be arrested and put in a jail...

So here it goes... This is a story about a girl named Katarina. She has gotten tired traveling all over the world with her family so much that she decides to break free of her dependence and pursue her own endeavors.

Her family travels were not the typical beach getaways, they all consisted of stealing treasures from world famous buildings and museums. Feeling that she has enough training from the family, she goes on her own to "travel." The question is, can she pull off these grandiose heists or will she be back with the family... Let the adventures begin...HEIST SOCIETY is by ALLY CARTER.

For grades 7th and up.

For grades 7th and up.

LOVE DANCING?

From Kristine at the Library Connection @ Adams Square:

Miss Tutu’s star by Leslea Newman is an encouraging story about a girl who loves dancing. Regardless of her clumsy ways, she is determined to learn to dance. Will her hard work and determination pay off?

The rhyming text and delightful illustrations makes it a great book for storytime as well as one-on-one read aloud.

THREE SETS OF TWINS & A MIDGET

One might say this is a strange story, a retelling of the old French tale of Tom Thumb. It is French, it takes place in France and involves 7 brothers. Yann, the littlest and youngest of the brothers decides to scare everyone into running away to the ocean one night, and a bizarre adventure unfolds through the eyes that see it happen. THE PULL OF THE OCEAN by Jean-Claude Mourlevat will keep a good reader's interest, and would be best for above 6th grade.

BEANS, GOD, MOM & DAD

One day everything is fine. The next day, her mother decides to live with the Redeemers and her parents are splitting up. Well, she's not going to become one and she's going to scientifically prove that the Redeemers were wrong about God and everything, then her mom would go back to the way she was before.

So this is Octavia's science experiment.

Hypothesis: If there is a God, prayer must work.

Experiment: Plant eight pots of beans. Use the same soil, water and light. Pray for only four bean plants, asking God to make them grow enormous like the beans from Jack and the Beanstalk. The other four bean would not be prayed for.

Conclusion: Read Octavia Boone's Big Questions About Life, the Universe, and Everything by Rebecca Rupp.

For readers in 6th-8th.

ITALIAN ROYALTY OR A WICKED GYPSY?

Cowboys and Indians, and a wild west show! Caroline lives in a rural town with her father, just trying get by and put the the pieces about what her mother is really like. There are many stories about her mother, such as that she was a famous Italian princess, but some people think she's a travelling gypsy because she was in a wild west show. Caroline decides to join a show as well, especially when her father and a mean aunt begin to fight about what is best for Caroline's life. She learns many things about her family and her self. THE LAST RAINMAKER by Sherry Garland is a historical fiction story that kids in 5th through 8th grade will really enjoy!

YOUNG FREDLE

You might wonder what can a small, white- brownish mouse with pink ears teach you about life's hard lessons or the extend of adventures the little one might be able to embark on. How can it be possible for Fredle, who happens to be this mouse, fight raccoons, chickens, and humans? Well... get ready to be blown away by this precocious mouse's great discoveries and adventures in ways that only perhaps Superman could embark.
Fredle is such a curious and smart mouse that nothing in his surroundings satisfies him and even though he knows that certain things are not good for him, he still goes out and tries them anyway. Like for example, eating too much chocolate. However, he must pay for his "curiosities" in order to learn life's hard lessons...

YOUNG FREDLE by CYNTHIA VOIGT is a fun summer read not to be missed.

For grades 4th and up.

HAPPY HOLIDAY

All Glendale Libraries will be closed Saturday, July 3 through Monday, July 5 in honor of the Independence Day holiday. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, July 6.

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.

THREE FRIENDS

This is a story of a Dog, a Cat and a Mouse living together peacefully in their little home by the sea. Each day is the same, Dog tends to the garden, Cat takes care of the housework, and Mouse is in charge of cooking. They all seem happy together until one day a mysterious strange sales clerk from the Winds of Change Trading Company comes to visit, making remarks and offering suggestions to change their way of life.

Delightful story to discuss the importance of friendship and tolerance. Mini Grey, author and illustrator. Ages 4-8.

NEW MYSTERY SERIES

Right before the school custodian died, he made Ben promise not to let the school be torn down. All he gave him was an old coin to save the school with. Intrigued, Ben and his classmate Jill scour the school for clues put in place many years ago by the founders for just this kind of emergency.

Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School is a new mystery adventure series for 4th - 6th by Andrew Clements. Short and fast paced, it's perfect for reluctant readers.

CLARA LEE AND THE APPLE PIE DREAMER

I don't know about you guys, but I am beginning to believe in luck and that no matter how hard we try something, a little bit of luck will not hurt us in life. Clara Lee, who is the main character in this book gets her dream cut short when her grandfather interrupts her. Her dream was so scary, that she takes her grandfather's action as a sign of luck since the grandfather explains that at times when people see bad things in their dreams, their actually a sign of good things to happen in life. Additionally, her winning the Apple Pie dream contest becomes questionable as well since some kids think that because she is Korean American, she might not be "American" enough to win the contest. CLARA LEE AND THE APPLE PIE DREAM by JENNY HAN is a fun, coming of age story.

JACK AND THE PUNK PRINCESS

Jack, being the son of Jack of the Beanstalk, is trying to figure out something great to do when a girl falls out of the sky and lands on top of him. Her shirt says that she is a "Punk Princess" but she claims to be no such thing. All she wants is to find her grandmother who just suddenly disappeared. As Jack and May search the magical land for her kidnapped grandmother they realize that May might be a descendant of frfairy tale royalty.

Half Upon a Time by James Riley is for fantasy adventure lovers from 6th-8th grade.

SWALLOWED WHOLE

THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice is very well written for an author's first novel. Set in a small oceanside town, Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson witnesses her father being taken to jail. Turns out, it's her mother that's sent him there, and all of a sudden her normal world swirls into chaos. She's so upset she can't even do the one thing she loves - cooking. She discovers unlikely friends in peculiar people and places, and comes to terms with things not always being what they seem. Very easy to read, with vivid imagery and an engaging plot. For grades 4 and up.

THERE IS A DRAGON IN THE LIBRARY

One day Max visited the library. After storytime he went wandering around the library and found a large egg on the bottom of a bookcase. When he moved closer to look at the egg, surprisingly out hatched a little dragon. Max ran to to tell his mother that there was a dragon in the library, but she laughed and said that he had a great imagination. When he tried to convince everybody that there was a dragon in the library, nobody seemed to believe him. Every time he comes to the library, he finds the dragon again, and it is bigger and hungrier and it is eating more and more books. This book with a fun text and beautifully illustrations, makes an excellent read-aloud for children 4-5 years old. A list of tips on how to take care of books added at the end of the book. Written by Dianne de Las Casas, illustrated by Marita Gentry.

A DEAD HIPPO MYSTERY

The meanest and most hated hippo is floating feet up in his habitat. Shocked by Henry the Hippo's death, Teddy is determined to find out how this could have happened in the best animal research facility in the country. When he discovers that the hippo might have been murdered, the only person willing to help find the hippo killer is Summer, the owner's daughter. Something stinks at Fun Jungle, and it isn't just the dead hippo.

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs is a fast pace mystery set in a Texas where the kids seem to know more than the adults. For readers in 6th - 8th grade.

TWENTY GOLD FALCONS

Have you ever been on a treasure hunt? I am talking about hunt for real treasure, such as gold, antique objects and gold falcons in the case of this story. Most likely, you have not right? Well. Aiden who is literally bored out of her mind and is completely miserable in her fancy private school somehow(you need to read to find out) embarks on a journey that is so fun and adventurous that you might even want to buckle your seat belt while reading the book.

This is a fun and mysterious story which brings great friends togather in search of a treasure, but the joureny to find the treasure is as fun as the treasure itself. You will even meet a mouse who loves the opera, now imagine that! TWENTY GOLD FALCONS is by AMY GORDON.

For grades 5th and up.

THE TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON

Dellie is a thirteen years old girl that lives in a project building with her mother and father. Dellie's life has been quiet and sad since her little brother’s dead. The whole family is devastated. Her mother cries all the time,and forbids Dellie to go outside on her own so nothing bad happens to her. Dellie lives with the horrible guilt that the accident that killed her brother may have been all her fault. Dellie's world begins to change when new neighbors move in on the ground floor and the once peaceful building starts to have problems hearing gunshots and men fighting in the halls. In the middle of all that trouble she meets Corey. Corey is an adorable five-year-old boy, whose mother abusing him and who's often left him at home alone and hungry. He wanders around knocking on doors asking for bread. Dellie becomes attached with this little boy who reminds her so much of her brother. They develop a very strong bond. She wonders if she can do for Corey what she couldn't do for her brother to save him. The secret of Dellie’s brother accident is not revealed until near the end of the book. Corey contributed to a significant change in Corey’s life.

In addition to Corey, the story also includes Miss Shirley, a Jamaican colorful woman that is always full of wisdom and experience. Having experienced her own loses, She I and Dellie become close and helps Dellie to learn faith and healing.

Written by Danette Vigilante. Realistic fiction for grades 5 and up.

SUMMER READING FUN

It's that time again...Summer Reading Program. You can sign-up today in any of the Glendale Libraries and get your book log, bookmark and coupon for an Aunt Annie's tasty pretzel.

Read or listen to a book a week for eight weeks, record the titles in the log and bring it back to the Library to choose a book from the prize books to take home. You have until August 6 to do the reading.

Also check the Library Events for the many scheduled special events that are taking place during the program. Puppets, magicians, silly science and balloon artists are just some of the treats for families this summer.

A BOY + A DOG = ADVENTURE

Mystery, adventure, betrayal and riches are all here in one action-packed book. At the death of his uncle, Homer inherits his dog. He seems like any other ordinary dog except that he holds the clue to this madcap adventure.

Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors is a over the top goofy adventure for readers in 6th- 8th.

A PORTRAIT OF PIA

At first, Pia might seem like your average typical thirteen years old girl who is interested in boys and doing the fun stuff. However, there is a lot about Pia that even she does not know yet. Her living in New York has enriched her life on so many levels. Being exposed to great food, art and culture in general has contributed to her good upbringing. However, Pia also has family issues that have never been resolved. For example, finding about who her father is, or why her brother suddenly quit a very prestige school. In addition to all the madness that she is going through, she is also attempting to create a self portrait. The metaphor being that until she does not find herself in life, her portrait will not be complete! A PORTAIT OF PIA by MARISABINA RUSSO is an outstanding book that has so many great elements, one which I liked the most is the idea of Pia being such an avid reader and an art lover!

For grades 5th and up.

I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF

The very independent Little Princess is determined to go camping without anyone’s help. She insists she want to do it herself! Every time someone offers her help, she replies ‘NO’ ‘I want to do it myself’’. When she finally arrives at her campsite,she discovers she has forgotten her cooking equipment, the tent, a blanket, a pillow, a towel, her toothbrush and the list goes on. Fortunately, secret hands help that everything goes well, the only problem is that on the way home, the bags are too heavy!!!! Self- Reliance is important to children healthy development , however in this book Little Princess thinks she knows everything and does not allow anyone to provide assistance. A good example to teach children that at times we also need help from others. Beautiful ink and watercolor illustrations written by Tony Ross. Ages 5 -7.

PICTURES WORTH THOUSANDS OF WORDS

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

THE TALENT SHOW

When the tornado hit the town of Tornado Alley, a lot of the town’s residences were on their usual daily routines of cleaning houses, rehearsing for school plays, running errands, or just simply doing nothing. However, when cars started to fly like Frisbees, people realized what was happening…After the tornado, things were destroyed and buildings were ruined, such as the local elementary school. When the principal of that school suggested raising money by doing a talent show, people got excited and started to feel optimistic about the future. The talent was recruited and the roles were assigned, until that is… another tornado hit the town of the Tornado Alley… THE TALENT SHOW by DAN GUTMAN, is fun and you don't have to have a talent to read it!

For grades 5th and up.

WHAT DO YOU KEEP SECRET?

Nyssa has just been roused from her home in the dark of night, only to find out she is one of the last members of a secret tribe. She must unravel the mystery of her life, one dangerous journey at a time. She leaves her home to escape an evil band of "Shadow Keepers", seeing visions of her past last. It's not easy deciphering what it all means, but Nyssa, her uncle and an old friend traipse across many islands to save themselves and a lost culture which turns out to not be so lost after all... THE KEEPER'S TATTOO by Gill Arbuthnott is a pretty thick read, and would be best for advanced readers in 6th grade and up.

LIBRARIES CLOSED

All of the Glendale Libraries will be closed in observance of the the holiday on Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, May 31.

Happy holiday to all.

ANNIE, SLEEPING BEAUTY'S NON-MAGICAL SISTER

On her sister's sixteenth birthday, Annie helped the palace guards search for illegal spindles, but before the day ends her sister falls under the bad fairy's spell and falls asleep for who knows how long. It's up to Annie, the sister with no magical fairy gifts whatsoever to bring her family and the rest of castle back awake and break the 100 years spell, otherwise she might never see her family again.

First, she must go and recruit Gwendolyn's betrothed to kiss her awake and just in case, as many other princes as possible. But when any royal beings go near Annie they lose their magical luster. The princes don't look as handsome and lose some of their charms. Everyone looks a little older, and not as perfect, but she will do whatever it takes to bring her sister and the rest of the castle out of the wicked spell before the whole kingdom falls into ruins or... the wrong hands.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker writes another fun fairy tale adventure for readers in 4th - 8th grade.

THE WONDERFUL BOOK

The story of a red book found in the woods and what each animal large and small thinks it is as they come upon it. Either a hat, a bed, or a table, each animal finds a creative way to use it.
Kids would love finding out what each animal did with the book. Perfect for story time, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Kindergarten. Written by Leonid Gore.

A FAMILY REUNION THEY DIDN'T WANT

Cecile is her mother's name, but she calls herself Nzila now that she is an artist/poet in Oakland, California. Her father insisted that Delphine and her sisters will have to spend a month of their summer with their mother. All Delphine wants is to know the truth behind why her mother abandoned the family.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is a beautiful historical novel of a non- typical family reunion. Set in the 1960s during the Black Panther movement, three girls set off for what they think will be a sunny, Disneyland, movie star filled summer of fun, but what they get is something else.

For readers in 6th-8th grade.

I AM JACK'S WORRY

Bullies are not nice. They do mean things like make up names to call you and make up lies about you and sometimes they even spit on you! Poor Jack has a bully. But he is so afraid to tell anyone. His Mom is very busy and doesn't like to be bothered, his sister is annoying, his Mom's boyfriend Rob is really nice, but Jack doesn't want to scare him off. Jack comes up with as many ways as possible to avoid the bully, but finally things just get to be too much! I AM JACK by Susanne Gervay is really great, especially if you are being bullied or you know someone who is being bullied. Check it out if you are in 3rd - 6th grades.

LULU AND THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Lulu`s brother Billy is having a birthday. As cards arrive for Billy and not for her, and her parents plan Billy's birthday party, Lulu becomes more and more jealous.
To spoil the fun, Lulu hides the ball that Billy’s best friend has given him.
Billy is very upset when he can't find it, and everyone tries to comfort him except Lulu. He and his friends has to fly his kite instead. But then Lulu can't find her favorite yo-yo and suddenly she realizes how Billy must feel.
This book provides excellent examples of childhood jealousy and sibling rivalry for parents to share with children. Ages 5-7.
Written by Belinda Hollyer and illustrated by Emma Damon.

RUTH AND THE GREEN BOOK

Ruth and her parents buy a brand new car, to take them in a road trip from Chicago to visit her grandmother in Alabama.
During the 1950's, Ruth finds pretty soon that black travelers weren’t treated very well in some towns. Ruth and her parents are turned down at gas stations and motels, who serve whites only. Fortunately an attendant at an Esso service sold them a copy of "The Negro Motorist Green Book" that lists businesses that help black who were traveling and where they would be welcome to sleep, eat, shop, etc. Although the story is fictional, the book provides an explanation of some of the humiliations and hardships that blacks had to endure as a result of Jim Crow laws in the South……..Interesting book to discuss issues with children about discrimination. Grades 3-4. Ages 7-8.

CRAZY ADVENTURES OF DODSWORTH

Dodsworth gets the travel bug and decides to chuck it all and head for New York. Unbeknownst to him, Crazy Duck decides to stowaway in his suitcase, and every attempt to get rid of him is unsuccessful. So begins the frustrating but hilarious adventure around the New York City. Don't miss the continuing travels of Dodsworth and Duck in London and Paris.

Perfect travel logs by Tim Egan for beginning readers who want something a little quirky. For readers in 1st-2nd grade.

OUR WORLD OF WATER

We drink water everyday and most likely take granted since we don't know how difficult it is for some other countries to have pure drinking water on a daily basis. OUR WORLD OF WATER: CHILDREN AND WATER AROUND THE WORLD by BEATRICE HOLLYER is a small book that depicts different children from all parts of the world and how they get their water. The pictures in the book give a better sense of the culture/country that is being depicted. For example, in some parts of Peru, people scrub clothes in lakes and rivers and lay them on rocks to dry. Something that I am sure we have only seen in movies here in the States.

For grades 2nd and up.

FATTY LEGS: A TRUE STORY

Sometimes its hard to go to school. So learns Olemaun Pokiak, an Alaskan Inuit girl who really wants to learn to read. Her sister is allowed to go to school, but didn't like it at all, saying they take everything away from you, including your name and your hair. Even her father is against Olemaun leaving the family to go to school. But Olemaun SO wants to read, she begs and pleads. Finally, her father agrees to send her to the school. When Olemaun gets there, school is NOTHING like what she had hoped it would be. The first thing they do is change her name to Olemaun and cut off her long braids! This is a true story that took place about 60 years ago and its good for 4th grade and up.

LIBRARY MOUSE: A WORLD TO EXPLORE

This is the story of Sam, a library mouse who lives in a hole in the wall just behind the wall in the children's reference section of a library. Sam enjoys his home and he reads everything in the library including reference books, cookbooks, picture books , poetry and biographies.

But Sam is not the only mouse in the library. One night, while going in a stroll he meets a fellow mouse who lives on the other side of the library. Her name is Sarah. Sarah is an explorer. She loves to climb to the top of the tallest library shelves to explore all the corners of the building rather than to read. However, Sam is too afraid to climb up that high and he prefers to research subjects and pretty soon finds himself writing his own book…

This book is an excellent book to read to children at bedtime or anytime and also inspire other kids to write their own stories too. Written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk.
Ages 6-7

ALVIN HO IS HERE!

What do you do when a girl invites you to a birthday party, a tea party to boot? Well, if you're Alvin Ho, you freak out and worry a lot. What Alvin has been hoping for was to be invited to the boy birthday party and run run around and play. But with no invitation in sight, he decides he'd better prepare himself for Flea's tea party while he's waiting. Like what does RSVP mean? According to Cousin Bucky it means Resume Standing Very Promptly, and she should know since she's had etiquette lessons and she's a girl.

Once again Lenore Look has written a laugh out loud book about the predicaments of Alvin. Alvin Ho Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes by Lenore Look is for readers in 3rd-4th grades.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH

I was browsing through the book shelves in the library and GEORGE WASHINGTON’S TEETH by DEBORAH CHANDRA caught my attention. To be honest, I wasn’t sure why anyone would ever write a book on someone else’s teeth, even though this someone is the very first president of the United States of America. But still, I was intrigued! What I didn’t know is that some people still even now believe that his teeth were carved out of wood since he had bad teeth and the dentist at the time thought it was a good idea. However, this is not true at all; the fact of the matter is that his teeth were made from the ivory of hippo tusks!

For grades 1st-3rd.

DEER GETS HEAD CAUGHT IN PUMPKIN?

The Carter family are an animal loving bunch, and have devoted their lives to helping the urban wildlife in their neighborhood. HIDE AND SEEK by Sue Stauffacheris the third book in the "Animal Rescue Team" series, and deals with a half-dog, half coyote puppy who howls at the moon, and yes, a young deer who was very curious to see what was at the bottom of a plastic pumpkin, and is now wandering around town with it stuck to its head, the poor thing! the main character Keisha is determined to keep the puppy out of the humane society and to save the deer before it gets seriously hurt? Cute story for any animal lover in the 2nd - 4th grades.

MEET UNCLE PIRATE!

There is absolutely nothing that is going good for Wilson. His school life is full of drama and problems. His classmates are always picking on each other and making pointless arguments and gestures to one another. Everyone bullies each other and overall it is just a bad environment to be in. One would hope that at least his home life would be better and that Wilson can at least have a little balance. However, his home situation is pretty much the same. The family’s financial situation among other issues are affecting everyone, including Wilson.
All these do change however, because Wilson finds out that he has an uncle. Not an ordinary uncle who sends the occasional postcard or the birthday card, but a pirate uncle. Now, imagine Wilson in his house with his pirate uncle who also had brought with him a talking penguin. Of course, the talking penguin could have been a parrot, but that would complicate the story right? You will have to read this adventurous and fun book to find out! UNCLE PIRATE by DOUGLAS REES.
For grades 4th and up.

CINCO DE MOUSE

Cinco de Mouse 'o! is a fun adventure of a mouse that decides to help to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with his neighbors without realizing that Yellow Cat has other plans for him.A delicious aroma of beans, cheese, rice, wake up Raton. People is preparing to celebrate. There is a band playing at the bandstand, food everywhere, the children waving their flags, horsemen and dancers. All of a sudden Raton spotted a confetti-covered piñata in the shape of a donkey hanging from a tree. Raton is about to figure out how to get candies from it. Meanwhile danger is going around. Greedy Yellow Cat is planning a party for himself and Raton is on the menu!A nice story for preschool children to learn the meaning of Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Latino culture. Ages K-2. Written by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler.

ALIEN BUNNIES FROM MALLOW

What would you do if evil, sugar-addicted seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy invaded your summer camp?

a) SCREAM.

b) Hide your candy.

c) Say, "there's no such thing as evil,sugar-addicted seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy."

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty is super silly! Rabbits from another planet are looking to take over the human population, but first they must prepare by stuffing themselves with sugary treats, like marsmallow. They land near a summer camp and soon they take over the bodies of the camp counselors. The only ones who can save the earth from these fluffy alien horrors are twins, Joules and Kevin.

A true story for 5th - 8th grade readers. Really. Well, it could happen.

CRAZY THINGS BOYS DO A LA GARY PAULSEN

How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales About Extreme Sports by Gary Paulsen. This is of course extreme sports before extreme sports became a sport. Back in the days of the author's youth, they were just boys having fun and daring each other to do outrageous things like trying to break the speed record on skis. The only problem was there were no ski slopes on the flat Minnesota landscape. So a car, a very fast car, will have to do. And so this begins a hilarious collection of stories about the things the boys in this small town tried, just to, you know, see what would happen.

A short but hilarious tale of mischief making. For readers in 5th-8th grade.

A FUTURE QUEEN IN A QUANDRY

Dear Liza has arrived in London to make her society debut. But when her parents die in a tragic accident, she is left penniless and must find work to stay alive. Luckily, she is hired on as the hand maiden of Princess Victoria, who is one day to be queen. It is up to Liza to keep the best interests of Victoria at the forefront of the petulant princess's life, thwarting the over-protectiveness of Victoria's mother and deterring the unwanted advances of Sir John. It isn't long until Liza is being courted by her own beau, and a delightful romance is weaved into this exciting Victorian era novel. PRISONERS IN THE PALACE: HOW VICTORIA BECAME QUEEN WITH THE HELP OF HER MAID, A REPORTER, AND A SCOUNDREL (A NOVEL OF INTRIGUE AND ROMANCE) is written by Michaela MacColl and is a very enjoyable book for readers in middle school and older.

MURDER, MONEY AND MYSTERY

Logan just moved into a new house ...a haunted house where the previous owner was murdered. The dead woman was accused of embezzling from the town's now closed amusement park, The Magic Forest. But the boy next door swears that she wouldn't do that and if she didn't then what happened money? Arthur and Logan follow clues left by the dead woman in order to track down the real thief and her killer.

Closed For the Season: A Murder Mystery by Mary Downing Hahn is a short suspense novel for readers in grades 6th - 8th.