SAMMY KEYES GETS A FATHER OR TWO

Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by Wendelin Van Draanen is number 16 in the spunky girl detective mystery series.  Sammy has finally snapped and is going to confront her mother about the identity of her father and to stop her from marrying her boyfriend's father.  Good grief!  All this is so complicated and it's about to get even more complicated, as Sammy lies, manipulates, begs and weaves her way from Santa Martina to Las Vegas by enlisting the help of friends, enemies and a bunch of Elvises to solve the biggest mystery of her life -  Who is Sammy's father?  

A page turning Sammy Keyes  for mystery and Sammy lovers in 6th -8th.  

MAX CARES

A review from Mr. B. at the Grandview branch: 

About a year ago, Max’s Dad died.  Long before that, a brain fever froze Max’s now teen-aged older brother Duncan’s heart and mind when he was very young.  Max goes to middle school; plays hockey when he can bring Duncan along and survive the harassment; and feeds and cares for his older brother in every way after school while mom works the night shift at a Chinese restaurant.  He is a budding adolescent and Maxed Out. This moving quick-read shows us a very caring but frustrated Max feeling more and more alone as his mother hides her grief in her work schedule and Duncan becomes increasingly difficult to manage. 

Author Daphne Greer draws an accurate and sympathetic picture of the innocent destruction Duncan causes his loved ones and his home.  Max eventually reaches out to a help line that opens the door to managing Duncan without having to institutionalize him. These warm and recognizable characters were all drawn from the author’s sixteen years working with special needs children and their families.  If you’ve had a special needs child or adult in your life, you will recognize them.  If you haven’t, this book will serve as a very real and sympathetic introduction.

Age: 10-13

NEW BOYS JOIN THE DETECTIVE GAME

Twins Cody and Otis are traveling to a Caribbean island to help their aunt with her new inn.  Being totally into detective and mystery stories, they jump into helping her with mysterious ghost and troubles with all four feet. Each chapter has the boys dealing with red herring and a long list of suspects.  Perfect for those who enjoy an easy read.  

Double Detectives:  The Secret of Skull Island by Zack Norris is a new mystery series for those who would enjoy a duo of detectives hashing it out in different locations in each book much like the Hardy Boys of yesteryears.  This series is available in hardback and uncatalogued paperback.  A very innocent and wholesome style of mystery detective fiction for children in 4th through 6th grades. 

KNOCK, KNOCK

 

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Jamie.
Jamie who?
Jamie Grimm, the Planet's Funniest Kid.  Well, at least Long Island, NY.  Well, really Long Beach on Long Island in NY.  Okay, maybe just at Jamie's Middle School.  Or his Uncle's diner.  Or his house, where he lives with his aunt and her family who doesn't know how to smile and her son, the school bully.

Jamie Grimm is on a mission to make you laugh. He studies all the greats - Leno, Seinfeld, Simpson (Homer), and many many others. He knows the ins and outs of a good joke and can repeat ones from the greats and has many of his own up his sleeve. He also deals with bullies (including one who lives with him), girls, and life in a wheel chair, all with a smile and a joke as his shield.

I Funny by James Patterson will have kids in grades 5 and up in stitches, or at least rolling their eyes at the bad jokes.

GLENDALE AND PASADENA LIBRARIES GO LOW TECH THIS WEEKEND

NOTICE: 

             GLENDALE AND PASADENA PUBLIC LIBRARY GO LOW TECH

                                              MAY 11 & 12, 2013

Experience what the library was like in the good old days! 

Our technology infrastructure is being upgraded and requires some down time for the relocation of some data equipment.

You will still be able to return and check out library books and other materials at all open sites throughout the weekend.  The online catalog, access to user accounts, requests, eBooks, electronic resources, and other digital services will, however, NOT be available.  But, WiFi access will be available and our popular free public computers will be ready for visitors to use. 

For a real-time list of services that will be affected throughout the weekend, check http://bit.ly/lowtechppl.

IF YOU LIKED MY LIFE AS A BOOK

Come check out the new book in the series, My Life as a Cartoonist.  Janet Tashjian and Jake Tashjian will launch their new title this afternoon at the 4pm in the Children's Room at the Central Library on Harvard St.  Light refreshments will be served.   

Hope to see you all later on. 

THE TASHJIANS ARE COMING

The Children's Room and local bookstore, Once Upon a Time are having a book launch for My LiIfe as a Cartoonist, the third book by Janet and Jake Tashjian.  Come meet them and have your book signed, May 8th at 4p.m.  at the Central Library.  Books will be available for sale. 

Central Library
Children's Room
222 E. Harvard St. 
Glendale, CA 91205
3 hours free parking is available across the street at Harvard & Maryland structure.  Validate at the entrance of the library.  

FUN PICTURE BOOKS FOR ALL

Every so often, some great picture books will get published.  What make them great is the combination of the story and the illustration.  Here are some of my recent favorites.  Enjoy. 

Mustache written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Kevin Connell is HILARIOUS!  It's about one vain king and a town filled with people out to make him look silly by drawing mustaches on every single one of his images.  A book that will have everyone laughing and poring over each page of artwork.  

A cat and a bird are not suppose to be friends but when Tom finds a lost baby bird, he can't find it in himself to torment it, so he protects and cares for the poor little thing  just like a mother bird would.  Tom's Tweet by Jill Esbaum and illustrated by Dan Santat make for a fun read with the family.

Dog In Charge by K.L. Going and illustrated by Dan Santat has poor dog in charge of five cats who do whatever they want in the house while the people are away.  Dog is exhausted by having to constantly reign in, clean up and keep an eye on all the cats.  Great illustrations by Santat and a hilarious romp through the house reminiscent of aTom and Jerry cartoon.  

READING IS DELICIOUS...IF YOU HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

Another delicious read about food as we gear up for our 2013 summer reading theme, Reading isSo Delicious.  

Alexander McCall Smith is hitting all the right notes with a new series based on his famous and popular adult detective, Precious Ramotswe.  In The Great Cake Mystery:  Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case, everyone suspects the fat round boy in their school of taking the sweets from their bags.  But Precious is not convinced on such flimsy evidence, Poloko's sticky hands.  Precious is determined to find the true thief and  proof of Poloko's innocence.  

A clever and thoughtful new detective and a great new beginning chapter book series for readers in 2nd-4th grade is here.  

ONE BAD APPLE IS ALL IT TAKES

Seamus was always a good kid.  He rarely got into trouble, and never for anything serious.  He was in trouble for things like not cleaning his room or trying to skip out of class 7 minutes early to be in line first for Fish Stick Tuesday.  But now, Seamus is a criminal.  It was all an accident.  He was trying to help when he threw the apple across the cafeteria at Miss Parsippany.  But now there's no bringing Miss Parsippany back, and there's no going back to the life he once knew when his parents drop him off at Kilter Academy, the best reform school in the country.

Little do Seamus' parents know, however, that Kilter doesn't punish trouble-making, they reward it, and in fact encourage and teach the trouble makers of the future.  Too bad Seamus isn't a natural-born trouble maker, despite being Kilter Academy's only Murderer.  Trouble just seems to find him.  To pass his classes though, Seamus must learn to become a trouble maker, and as he does so, he becomes Kilter's star pupil, along with is pyromaniac roommate and new best friend.  Together, they uncover and disrupt the secrets and staff at Kilter Academy in the first Merits of Mischief book, The Bad Apple by T.R. Burns.  This book is good for trouble-makers and aspiring trouble-makers in 6th grade and up.

THE MYSTERY IS IN THE DETAILS

He's innocent.  Wayne Connelly is innocent of bringing and shooting the gun in the school cafeteria.  Colin knows this because there was frosting all over the gun.  Now he just has to find convince Wayne, his own personal bully since the First Grade, to work with him to find proof of his innocence.  High schooler, Colin has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of auttism, but he knows how to investigate and just like his hero, Sherlock Holmes, he must investigate and solve this mystery.  

Colin Fischer by two local authors, Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, is a fast read, if one skips all the footnotes.  For readers in 6th-9th grade.  

BOOT & SHOE - AN UNFORGETEABLE DOG ADVENTURE

BOOT AND SHOE are adorable dogs who are quite content with their home life.  They each eat out of the same bowl, relieve themselves on the same tree, and sleep on their respective porches.  When a menacing squirrel interrupts their routines, their day changes from calm to chaotic.  Will Boot and Shoe ever be the same?  MARLA FRAZEE's story and brilliant illustrations will take you on quite an adventure.  How DOES she do it?  For more rollicking adventures, check out ROLLER COASTER.  

For readers of all ages.

WILD ISLAND ADVENTURE

A review by Mr. B. of  the Grandview Library Branch: 

Setting dragons free is dangerous work, but in Ruth Stiles Gannett’s My Father’s Dragon, somebody’s gotta do it. That somebody is a little boy named Elmer Elevator; and his story is told in the voice of his very proud son, also a little boy. It all begins when Elmer brings home a stray cat. The cat tells Elmer about a young dragon being held captive and in servitude as the new rapid transit vehicle between the islands of Tangerina and Wild Island. Elmer quickly packs a bag with seemingly random items, and he and the cat are off on an adventure. 

There are many hazards on the road to rescue, but in true folklore tradition, each of the packed items gets the travelers out of trouble just as disaster is about to strike, until the dragon is rescued. This gentle, imaginative, witty Newbery Honor (1949) adventure is suitable for episodic read-aloud times, at home or in the classroom.

For readers ages 5-10.  

SAVE THE DATE FOR AUTHOR VISIT

We're having a book launch with Janet and Jake Tashijian at the Central Library on MAY 8th at 4PM.   Co-host and local bookstore, Once Upon a Time will have books available for sale.  Come and meet this great mother and son writing team and check out their new book, My Life as a Cartoonist.  I know there are readers out there who have been waiting anxiously for the latest sequel. 

WHERE IN THE LIBRARY IS WALDO?!

.

We're three days into celebrating Waldo's 25th year and a lot of kids have already found Waldo, his friends and their lost things. Wandering somewhere at the Central Library today, will be two Waldos. See if you can find them, take a photo and then post it to the Children's Room facebook wall.  Keep your eyes peeled because you might see some other Waldo wannabes in the building.   

Look for him here.  Look for him there.  Look for WALDO everywhere!

IT'S NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK!

Celebrate this special week with Waldo, who turned 25 years old.  Come to the Children's Room at Central, Montrose or Casa Verdugo branches and help us search for the wandering Waldo in this very momentous year.

It's also a fine free week so bring in those overdue books and your fines will be forgiven. 

THE POWER OF THE BEAN

There are so many superheroes that at times; it is really hard to remember who has what power.  And on top of all these superheroes, apparently there is more need to invent new and exciting once. Or at least this is what one of the major comic publication companies is trying to do in this super funny and super cool book called, THE ADVENTURES OF BEANBOY by LISA HARKRADER.

   Tucker MacBean is not a superhero; however he is a boy in middle school whose love for comic books and superheroes exceeds most of the powers that he reads about.  His only true escape in life is to finish reading as many books as he can get his hands on.  In addition, things at home are not going the way Tucker wants, especially when his divorced parents haven’t stopped bickering at each other, his mom who is constantly preoccupied with everything but him and on top of all these, he is being bullied with none other than a girl who can’t even form a proper sentence. 

   So you can imagine the excitement and the thrill he feels when in one of his favorite comic books, the publishers are calling for a contest to create a new comic hero and what is really nice about this contest, is that the winner will receive a full scholarship to attend a university.  Tucker sees this his only way out to have a more exciting life; after all he pretty much knows what makes a true comic book character a superhero…

However, creating a superhero is not as easy as he imagined and not all characters can be as good as he thought…

This is truly a fun and adventures story that will literally put a smile on your face and will make you think twice about the power of beanJ

For  grades 5^th and up.

CRAZY CALVIN COCONUT

Calvin Coconut hears the word "responsibility" a lot.  His mom is always giving him new responsibilities since his dad moved to Las Vegas to become a famous singer and never came back, making Calvin the man of the house.  The problem with all this responsibility is that Calvin gets into trouble - a lot.  The first day of fourth grade arrives and Calvin gets into trouble at every turn.  There's a food fight, an issue with a centipede, and a big bully who won't leave Calvin alone, causing him to forget to pick up his little sister from school.  To top it all off, Calvin's mom tells him that they will have a teenage girl coming to live with them from Texas.  His mom says she'll be nice, but as soon as Calvin meets her, he knows there's going to be more trouble involved.  Especially when she tells him that if he doesn't watch out, she's going to show him what "Texas Nice" really means.

Join Calvin and his friends as they grow up and get into trouble in Hawai'i on the island of O'ahu.  Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury is a great fit for voracious 3rd grade readers and all readers in 4th - 5th grade.

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK WITH WALDO

Who doesn't love to search for Waldo in the ever popular Where's Waldo books by Martin Handford.   Waldo is now 25 years old and still wandering the world.  In honor of Waldo and National Library Week, the Children's Room at the Central Library, the Casa Verdugo branch and the Montrose branch will have Waldo scavenger hunts.   Just come to the reference desks and ask to go on a search for the man in the red and white stripes.  The hunts will happen from Monday, April 15 through Saturday, April 20. 

The hunts will be slightly different at each branch so ask us for the rules.  Check out our facebook page and this blog for some more Waldo updates. 

A ROMANCE FOR JANE AUSTEN OR BRITISH FANS

...then you have to read this.  Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl is absolutely predictable but still a good fast read.   Seventeen years-old Miss Crawley must marry but she can't marry just anyone. It must be someone wealthy.  Her grandfather has left them a crumbling faux castle at the edge of a cliff in Yorkshire County England and in order to keep her young brother (the heir) mother and two stepsisters in food, clothes warm, and a roof over their heads along with the staff, she has to make a decent match but of course she has no dowry, only her beauty.  

Althea almost always speaks her mind and because of misunderstandings, prejudices and  circumstances it looks like she and her family may lose everything.  For a bit of British romance in the style of Jane Austen, pick up this light-hearted book and bury yourself under the blankets for a few hours.  For mature readers in 6th and up. 

YOU NEED YOUR LUNGS TO BREATHE...

...You need your brain to think, you need your heart to love. A long, long, time ago, well okay, 1940, it wasn't always easy to breathe. A terrible outbreak of the disease tuberculosis has taken over the bodies of many United States citizens. Men, women and children were dying if they didn't get help quick. This is what happens to Evvy, only her family thinks it is best if she goes to Loon Lake - a place just for people who have tuberculosis! Evvy is put into a room with four other sick girls, and the story talks all about what it's like living and dying with this disease. BREATHING ROOM  by Marsha Hayles is not a horror story, even though bad things happen. It IS a good historical fiction with interesting pictures and posters from that era. Evvy becomes good friends with many that come and go, and learns a lot about the importance of breathing. For 5th through 8th grades.

February 2013

LIBRARY IS CLOSED ...

Sunday, March 30, 2013 for Easter Sunday.  The Glendale Public Library will be open on Monday April 1, at 10 AM. 

LONG LOST PRINCE

Conner, a nobleman of the court, adopts four orphan boys on his quest to find the one who will take on the role of Carthya’s long lost prince.  With the death of the King, the county is divided and civil war is imminent.  Conner has little time to train these boys and ultimately select the one who will take the identity of the prince. But in order for his plan to succeed, the boy Conner selects has to convince the county the twenty regions that he is their resurrected prince.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, is book one of the thrilling Ascendance Trilogy.  This book is a page turner; I would recommend it for students who enjoy suspense and survival.  Following the story with Sage, one of the orphan boys and narrator, readers get to experience what it was like for the boys to compete for their lives.  Readers will also enjoy the unexpected turns this story takes. 

For readers in grades 4-8.

 

DRAGON SPEAR

After a battle between good and evil, a vast number of dragons find a new and peaceful life in an area far from Feravel.  When Creel, Heroine of the Dragon Wars and her beloved Luca visits her dragon family, they are overwhelmed with joy; the dragons are content and the queen dragon is due to have her own baby dragons!  Unfortunately, a misguided dragon kidnaps the queen with the hope that there will be a new leader.  Will Creel find her in time?  An exciting battle ensues.  This is an exciting end to Jessica Day George's beloved dragon trilogy.  

For 4th grade and up.

GRIMMEST OF THE GRIMM



This is not a story for the faint of heart or gentle of spirit. What we’ve come to know and love as fairy tales are a far cry from the original Grimm’s tales that have inspired countless Disney films and picture books. But, in reality, Grimm’s fairy tales are the stuff nightmares are made of. In fact, few people know about the more gory elements found in Cinderella or Rapunzel. Check out a copy of the original Grimm’s stories to see for yourself.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz follows Hansel and Gretel from the well-known candy house though several other Grimm’s tales (some familiar, some not). The narrator lets you know right from the start that things will not be easy and painless for Hansel and Gretel. It’s a dark and scary world out there in fairytale land, and the pair will need to keep their wits about them in order to survive. Their story is one of bravery and forgiveness in the face of betrayal and danger. As the narrator tells us in the first chapter, “…the land of Grimm can be a harrowing place. But, it is worth exploring. For, in life, it is in the darkest zones one finds beauty and the most luminous wisdom.”

So, if Goosebumps fails to thrill you, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark makes you yawn, and you can read Cirque du Freak in the dark, all alone, on a dark and stormy night, then A Tale Dark and Grimm may just be the book for you.

For grades 5 and up.

READING IS DELICIOUS...BUT NOT FROM A CAN

High schooler Linda has been by her aunt's side since she was a baby, but now aunt Elba is sick and she being sent thousands of miles away to Aunt Pat's in Pittsburgh. Aunt Pat is famous on public television for cooking from cans, which Linda can't understand because she and aunt Elba cook from scratch for their restaurant because that's how food should be made.  

Aunt Pat's house is full of adopted kids and everyone seems to appreciate her cooking except for Linda, who is marked from the beginning as "difficult".  Feeling homesick and misunderstood, she's got to figure out how to make things work in Pittsburgh since it looks like Aunt Elba's illness is worse than first thought and she will be staying MUCH longer than she wants.  

A fast fun read about how food is much more a part of life than one would ever think.  Sizzle: A Novel by Lee McClain is not just a cooking story but a story of empathy and friendships and how to put your own prejudices aside for the sake of others.  

For readers in 6th and up.  

SPEAKING OF TOADS...

Once Upon a Toad by Heather Vogel Frederick, author of Mother-Daughter Book Club series is a funny, twisted, and updated version of the classic fairytale, Diamonds and Toads.  When Cat's mother is suddenly tapped to go into space, Cat gets sent to live  with her father and stepmom.  Worse, she's sharing a room with Olivia, her stepsister, the bane of her existence.   When her fairy godmother tries to help make things better, things turned out worse.  Worse than having a horrible stepsister is having toads come out of your mouth each and every single time you speak.  Then that same stepsister spouts jewels when she speaks instead is just beyond acceptable.  

This is a great read for those who want  a more grown-up version of the beloved fairytale.   For readers in 6th-8th.  

MURDER, KIDNAPPING, AND...BAD WIGS?

Mo LoBeau isn’t your typical tween. Abandoned at birth during a raging hurricane, she’s being raised by The Colonel and Miss Lana, eccentric café proprietors with amnesia issues and a penchant for tacky wigs. But Mo’s life gets a whole lot stranger when a police detective arrives in her small North Carolina town investigating a murder . . . and her best friend Dale turns out to be a prime suspect!  

As Three Times Lucky unfolds, Mo and Dale launch their own detective agency and attempt to track down the real killer. They navigate a crazy world of sneaky cops, stolen cash, phone taps, and deep-fat-fried Oreos with considerable skills and smarts. When The Colonel and Miss Lana go missing, though, the Desperado Detectives find themselves in over their heads, wondering who they can trust. 

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage is Newbery Honor book, an action-packed murder mystery with a heart of gold, and a great read for fifth to eighth graders.

 

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES IN... DRAGON FLIGHT

All is calm in Feravel until a scorned brother devises a plan to become the King of the Dragons.  When his plan is unveiled, the Heroine of the Dragon Wars makes a desperate plea to friends and strangers to help her in the fight.  Will she have to fight alone against evil?  Another fantasy adventure by Jessica Day George.  

For 4th grade and up.

LETTERS OUT OF HISTORY

I always love a good dog story. Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts is a GREAT dog story, even if it takes a bit of time to get to the good parts. But it's also a story about a young black girl living in a time when people were mean to her just because of the color of her skin. Can you believe that? Why would anybody do such a thing? Well, that's how it went many years ago, and Kizzy Ann wrote a lot of letters to her teacher at the "white" school talking all about her life. She especially loved writing about her Border Collie named Shag, her protector and her best friend. If you like reading books written in the format of letters to a friend, this is the book for you. And if you want to know a little more about herding dogs and a lot about history, you'll really like this book too. 

For 4th - 8th grades.

FEBRUARY 2013

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE

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

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

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

LAST MAN STANDING

When Fisher was born, he wasn't an infant.  And he didn't come out of his mother's womb.  Nobody held him and hugged him, or welcomed him into the world.  He was alone.  And a teenager.  And he was born in a survival pod.  Fisher is  the last human on Earth in a distant future from ours.  His ancestors tried to preserve as many species of animal and plant as the Earth deteriorated due to climate change and other man-made issues.  For Fisher, his main objective is to survive.  Along his journey he meets a custodial robot and a pygmy mammoth and together they figure out what it means to survive and what it means to be the last human on Earth.

Join Fisher in this post-apocalyptic tale of survival.  The Boy at the End of the World by Greg van Eekhout is perfect for lovers of science fiction and adventure in grades 5 and 6.

GOOD CHANGES

Ben the Inventor isn't really about inventing as such, but about Ben and his best friend, Jack, and the end of their friendship.  Jack's mother just got a new job and the family will have to sell their house and move to Vancouver, a nearby city.  This is a very sweet beginning chapter book about how the two boys come up with all kinds of plans to make the house unsaleable and thereby remain neighbors and friends forever.  

Ben the Inventor by Robin Stevenson is a good introduction into the world of  beginning chapter books and for those looking for a solid boy book.  For readers in 2nd-4th.

THERE ARE A LOT OF WEIRD BOOKS IN THE WORLD...

Katherine Paterson, author of well-known books like Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, has stepped into the world of English fairy tales with her new book THE FLINT HEART. Actually, the story itself is based on a book from over 100 years ago by someone named Eden Phillpott. This book starts in the time of "Early Man" (a long, long, LONG time ago) and ends up in what seems to be present day. It does take place in Dartmoor, England and it involves fairies and "jacky toads" and badgers and "Zagabogs". Things you've never heard of, I'm sure, but you'll be glad to know them once you read about them. Oh, and you'll absolutely love Charles and Unity who save the day from the evil flint heart that ruins everyone's lives! You may want a dictionary nearby because there's a lot of new words to learn...for grades 4-8.

JANUARY 2013

DRAGON SLIPPERS

What would you do if you were asked to leave the comforts of home?  Would you  refuse?  A young, gifted seamstress accepts such an offer with the hope to find work in the city.  During her travels, she is captured by dragons and her life changes from a simple country girl to the Heroine of Feravel.  Jessica Day George weaves a humourous and dramatic tale of princes, dragons, and an unforgettable heroine in Dragon Slippers.  A must read! 

For 4th grade and up.

TRY SAYING DARWEN ARKWRIGHT 5 TIMES FAST!

Much like many stories today, Darwen is from England and both his parents are dead. Not to worry, they just died in a car accident - nothing to do with Voldemort.

So Darwen's moved to the U.S. to live with his Aunt Honoria. He's not very happy about it, but at least he has a distraction one day when he's at the mall - a strange bird! He follows the bird into an even stranger shop filled with mirrors. Well, it isn't long for this chance meeting to result in a crazy adventure, one that takes Darwen to another world just by stepping through a mirror! Along the way, Darwen picks up some unlikely friends AND enemies. Words like scrobblers, dellfeys and flittercrakes will all make sense once you read this book. You'll really enjoy DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT by A.J. Hartley!

For grades 5 and up.

JANUARY 2013

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Omakayas lives on an island in Lake Superior in 1850 as a member of the Ojibwe tribe.  Her life is filled with pesky little brothers, loud-mouth cousins, and a grandmother who wants to nurture the healer in Omakayas.  Her older sister teaches her the chimookomanag alphabet – a strange, written language that she knows will help her in her future.  A future that is quickly changing from the life she imagined it would be.  One day, a group of refugees arrive on Omakayas’ island.  This group had been pushed out of their homes by the chimookomanag, or white people, and many of their family members died or were separated along the way.  This is the day that Omakayas realizes her life and the lives of her family will change and that Lake Superior may not be the place she calls home for much longer.

Join Omakayas and her family as she struggles to lead a normal life under an unknown threat in The Game of Silence, the sequel to The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich.  Children in grades four and five who enjoy historical fiction and The Little House books will enjoy this alternate and often unhighlighted part of history. 

For readers in 5th -7th grades.  

WE WILL BE CLOSED ...

FEB 16 -18 FOR THE PRESIDENTS DAY HOLIDAY .  THE LIBRARY WILL BE OPEN TUESDAY, FEB. 19 AT 10 AM.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, OWEN?

A review by Mr. B. from the Grandview Branch:  

It’s all about doing the right thing. It’s all about finding yourself. It’s really all about finding yourself by doing the right thing for your friend. In this role-model series title, Owen Foote, Soccer Star, Stephanie Greene shows young readers that doing what’s right can be tough but satisfying.

Second grader Owen Foote has been playing soccer for several years, but his best friend, Joseph, is new to the sport; naturally awkward; inexperienced; unsure of himself; and only playing to please Owen. Owen, in turn, has promised to protect and mentor best friend Joseph. When Coach separates the team by skills and plans to play just the best players, Owen has to make some tough choices and a very difficult phone call.

Reading level: 3-4

Age: 6-8

PUNS PUNS PUNS

Logan was caught playing chase in the library and for his PUNishment, everything he says is a play on words. 
In order to reverse the curse must go on a quest for special words, such as find seven palindromes, within a certain amount of time, otherwise, he will speak in puns forever.  

Fans of David Lubar's over the top silliness will love this fast read, Punished!.   For beginning chapter book readers in grades 3-4.  

2013 NEWBERY AWARD WINNER

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

“I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” So begins Katherine Applegate’s THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN this year’s winner of the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature. Ivan has been the main attraction at the Exit 8 for 27 years. For the most part he has been comfortable with his TV, friends Stella the elephant, Bob the dog and his human friend Julia the child of one of the janitors at the mall. Life in a cage is his reality as freedom and the lush green of the jungle are simply dusty memories. His days spent with friends and painting his pictures is not so bad. But all that changes when a new baby elephant, Ruby, joins the troop and his friend Stella gets sick, causing him to realize what prisons their cages are. Wanting to help Ruby avoid Stella’s fate, Ivan promises to save her in this story inspired by that of a gorilla in similar circumstances who was ultimately adopted by Zoo Atlanta. 

A lovely though bittersweet tale of friendship and loyalty that is good for readers in grades 5-8.

A CHAPTER BOOK CHAT selection--SKY HIGH

Charlie has many creative ideas and considers himself an inventor. When his most awesome invention, the Zinger Winger gets out of control, Charlie finds himself in a sticky situation, especially with the school's lunch lady. Patricia Reilly Giff writes an adventurous and humorous school story. A must read for invention fans! Take a look at the other titles in the Zigzag Kids series.  

Join the Chapter Book Chat at Central and Casa Verdugo Libraries. We'll read the book together at the first meeting and then discuss it at the second meeting. Best for 3rd thru 5th grade. Check our Family Events or visit glendalepubliclibrary.org for dates and times.`

TOY STORIES

The Montrose branch library hosted a stuffed animal sleepover on January 26^th.  Children dropped off their favorite stuffed animals at the library and returned the following week to see pictures of the adventures their friend had while the library was closed. They were amazed to see pictures of their stuffed animals checking out books, hiding in the shelves, using computers, and even taking a field trip to Andersen’s Pet Store.

Toys (especially stuffed animals) are an important part of childhood. They inspire imagination, encourage creativity, and create memories. It’s not uncommon for children to come up with personalities for their stuffed animals and imagine what kind of adventures they must have when we are not watching.

In Hooray for Harry, written and illustrated by Kim Lewis, three stuffed animals have quite an adventure while their owner is not around. Wanting to take a nap, Harry the elephant, is distraught to discover that his favorite blanket is missing! Recruiting help from fellow stuffed animals, Ted the teddy bear and Lulu the lamb, they set off into the yard while retracing their steps from a very active afternoon. Will the blanket ever turn up so Harry can take his much needed nap?

Sometimes disaster can befall our beloved stuffed animals, as we see in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale written and illustrated by Mo Willems. A routine trip to the Laundromat for Trixie and her stuffed rabbit quickly turns perilous when Knuffle Bunny is left behind. Readers will quickly figure out what is about to happen to Knuffle Bunny as the illustrations reveal Knuffle Bunny peeking out from the laundry basket as clothes are loaded into the washing machine and later peering out from behind the machine’s glass window. Poor Trixie quickly realizes her friend has been left behind, but like any frustrated pre-verbal toddler, can’t seem to make her daddy understand what has happened. Will Trixie and Knuffle Bunny ever be reunited?

What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day?,  written by Bruno Hachler and illustrated by Birte Muller, follows a little girl who is determined to see her teddy bear’s antics for herself. She believes that by staying home for the day and spying on her bear, she will catch him in the act of jumping on her bed, painting pictures, dancing to the radio, or whatever it is that our stuffed animals do during their unobserved hours. She’s so focused on the teddy bear that she fails to notice what her other toys are getting up to behind her back. Just when it seems that the teddy bear is going to sit very still all day, something happens when the little girl’s back is turned while retrieving a jar of honey…

Ages 3 and up; Great for storytimes!

PERFECT GIFT

It is Valentine’s Day and Jasper does not have a gift for his lovely wife, Lily.  He visits his friends in hopes of finding the perfect gift.  Each of his friends has prepared a gift that is unique to their significant other.  His frog friend Miriam prepared chocolate-covered flies for her husband.  While Teagon wanted to prepare a rabbit stew for his vixen, which required an actual rabbit.  Will Jasper make it home safely to his Valentine with a special gift?  Or will he become an ingredient in fox’s Valentine’s day gift?

Snowy Valentine by David Petersen is a delightful story with beautiful illustrations.  It is a great read-a-loud for Valentine’s Day.  For grades kindergarten and up.