TELLING TALES - NEWBERRY 2015?

Thirteen-year-old Astri has a head full of fairy tales, but her life is far from being one itself. Sold off by her aunt to work for a vicious "goatman," Astri bides her time until she can figure out a way to escape the goatman, get her younger sister from her greedy aunt and uncle, and find a way to get to America to join their father. Along the way, she meets a girl who may or may not be a changeling, a brush that may or may not make coins fall out of hair, and what appears to be a troll's treasure. Though her journey is fraught with many perils, the dangers outside are not the only thing Astri needs to fight. Eventually, she has to face the barrier she created around herself and the fairy tales that threaten to take over her reality.

West of the Moon is inspired by the Norwegian folktale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," and also by the author's great-grandparents, who met a young girl on their journey to the United States from Norway. Through lyrical prose, Margi Preus tells a story that is a combination of fairy tale and historical fiction, but most importantly it is a story about a girl who may not always do the right thing, but who always manages to find a way out through her courage and wits.

2014 PICTURE BOOK ROUND UP- CALDECOTT 2015?

The Huffington Post's contributor and Early Childhood policy analyst Minh Le compiled a list of what he considered some of the best picture books of 2014. After reviewing many of these, I thought I would share some of my favorites.

Considered by Le to be the "Best Overall" picture book of 2014, THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE: THE UNIMAGINARY FRIEND, written and illustrated by Dan Santat, is a cute story about an imaginary creature just waiting to make his first human friend. Tired of waiting around, his adventures begin when he sets out on a quest to find the perfect child for him. The illustrations are vibrant and charming, and the story will capture any kid's attention even if they don't have an imaginary friend of their own - but I bet they'll want one after reading this!

While Le did not rank this next title as the "Best Dark/Mysterious" picture book, it was listed as an honorable mention and is FANTASTICALLY GORGEOUS. A wordless story, the images in FOX'S GARDEN by Princesse Camcam are a mix of pen and ink drawing placed in three dimensional scenes of cut-outs will draw the eyes of many a curious reader as they attempt to unravel the story of a fox looking for a place to have her babies. An absolutely beautiful book!

Le and I are in agreement when it comes to the "Most fun/Silliest" story of 2014 - CHURCHILL'S TALE OF TAILS by Anca Sandu. This poor pig loses his beloved curlicue tail, and tries a number of other tails from meager mouse tails to splendid peacock tails as a substitute. Trying all the different tails transforms Churchill, and his friend's just don't recognize him anymore. Eventually he finds his own tail and re-finds his friendships, so all's well that ends well in this tale.

I love, love, LOVE Le's pick for "Most Touching/Heartwarming," as it sheds light on the sad truth about zoos. I KNOW A BEAR by Mariana Ruiz Johnson has a little girl tell all about a bear she's met who's told her about a "land of bears" that is full of wonderful things that bears love, and the little girl is sad the bear doesn't live there any more. She does what she can to listen to the bear, and even has her own revelation about the importance of freedom.

My honorable mentions would include THANK YOU OCTOPUS by Darren Farrell and DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD by Bob Shea (two very funny stories), as well as the adventure SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE by Mac Barnett (illustrated by Jon Klassen), and THE ACROBAT by Alborozo.

DECEMBER 2014

A TIME WELL REMEMBERED - NEWBERRY 2015?

In her very rich free verse author Jacqueline Woodson shares in her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming the story of what it was like to grow up as an African American child in the both the North and the South in the 1960s and 1970s. Her very accessible and eloquent poetry draws the reader into the world of her childhood. Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1963, the same year Martin Luther King lead the march on Washington and not many years after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, she eventually moves to the South when her parents separate to live with her mother’s family. It is there that she intimately experiences the still in place Jim Crow culture of that era alongside the warm and loving support provided by her family and community well. 

The author shares images of that warmth in small details from time spent with her grandfather in the garden to catching fireflies with her brothers and sisters. She also shares her sense of loss when her Mother ultimately moves the children to New York City. But it was there that the gift of a composition book and her love of stories made her realize that her true talent was to write. Fortunately for the reader she developed this gift and ignored her mother’s advice not to write about her family. 

For readers in 5th - 8th.

MURDER MOST FOUL

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

For the seven girls who are students at St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies it was a typical Sunday in the 1890’s at the boarding school. Sunday dinner meant buttered bread and hot beans for the girls and veal and the trimming for the headmistress Mrs. Placket and her brother Mr. Aldous Godding. They had learned to be content with the privilege of watching the two adults consume the meal that the girls had cooked. But on a particular Sunday in May that all changed with both Mrs. Placket and Mr. Godding dropped deal in the midst of the evenings repast. Following the unfortunate event the girl’s (each has a less than desirable nickname and the reader must make sure not to gloss over the brief introduction) quickly decide to hide the crime as no one desires to return home to their families. 

What happens next is a dark comedy full of hidden corpses, investigation worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a great deal of strength and ingenuity on the part of the girls in Julie Berry’s The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. A tale for mystery lovers in grades 5-8.

THE SCAVENGER HUNT IS BACK!

Start January off with a new scavenger hunt this Saturday, January 10.  The game will continue through the 16th.  Pick up your scavenger hunt sheet at the desk in the Children's Room.  Come have some fun, check out a few books and there you have it, a perfect weekend.   Children's Room, Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St. (818) 548-2035.  

THE LONG HAUL

Sit back and laugh as you go on this chaotic, hilarious road trip with Greg, the main character.  Greg is the middle child of three boys and part of semi-ordinary family. Susan, Greg’s mother, never fails to surprise the family with last minute vacations. Once again, like the other family vacations no one gets to decide where to go except for the mom.  

Greg Heffley shares every moment of what it means to go on a horrible family road trip. Poor Greg who ends up sitting in the back sit along with the rest of the family belongings cannot find anything amusing about his situation.  His mom tries really hard to get everyone to participate in educational games as well as learning Spanish.  Many unpleasant situations occur as the family tries to reach their destination, the beach. When the family finally makes it to their first stop things get worse. The motel they stay at could not get any worse than it already was. Seagulls, car crashes, and winning a pig are just a few of the trip’s highlights.

The Long Haul is the 9^th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series. Jeff Kinney will definitely make the reader laugh out loud. 

For grades 3 -7.

JASMINE SKIES

Jasmine Skies is the sequel to Artichoke Hearts written by Sita Brahmachari. In Jasmine Skies, Mira Levenson is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives with her family. The story begins with Mira convincing her mother, Uma, to let her visit her cousin, Priya, in India after her granddad, Bimal, passed away.  Mira finally got her way, but she knew there was more to her mother’s words other than the reasoning she gave Mira which was that they did not have enough money for a visit and eventually, they lost touch with their family.  However, Mira set on a mission and not only was she going to meet her extended family, but she was driven to find out what happened between her mother and her aunt Anjali, Priya’s mother.

When Mira arrives in India her baggage is lost but that does not change her mood when she sees her family.  From the first moment Mira and Priya get along.  Mira confides in Priya that she has taken her mother’s personal letters to uncover the problem that lies between her mother and her aunt. Mira asks Priya to keep quiet and she wants to visit the old family house on Doctor’s Lane.  Janu, the sixteen-year-old boy who lives at Priya’s house, takes Mira sightseeing. He also fulfill's Mira’s wish to visit the old family home. Unfortunately, when Priya and Mira go to a party that takes place inside the old family home, an accident happens that unravels what Mira was searching for.

Sita Brahmachari ends this wonderfully written realistic fiction that lets the reader know there will be another story to follow. Jasmine Skies introduces the Indian culture, family ties and friendship. Although, realistically it’s a lot for a fourteen-year-old to endure as described in the story but it was never-the-less remarkable.

For 4th grade and up.

GET BACK TO SCHOOL!

 

Some fun picture books to help you get back in the mood for school after all those days off. 

My Teacher is a Monster  by Peter Brown
Like the Library Dragon, Bobby's teacher is really mean in the classroom, but outside in the regular world, she feeds the ducks and play with paper airplanes.  She seems so... different.  


Dog Days of School by Kelly Dipucchio and Brian Biggs is not your usual hilarious swapping bodies fantasy because Charlie and Norman are a boy and a dog.  They swap bodies for a week because being able to go to school would be better than napping all day long, right? Right!  Would you want to swap your life with a dog?

B. Bear and Lolly Off to School by A.A. Livingston and Joey Chou
This time it's Goldilocks (Lolly) and Baby Bear in an unusual twist on the fairy tale where they attend first day of school. You'll notice a few familiar characters and moments sprinkled throughout the story.  A fun riff on the classic.

For readers from preschool through 2nd grade.

MEET ONE SPUNKY GAL

A review by Theresa:  

Meet the latest of the picture book heroines, red-headed Sadie in Marilyn Singers I’m Gonna Climb a Mountain in My Patent Leather Shoes as she goes camping with her family. This is one of the most well-prepared campers that you will ever meet as Sadie has the perfect wardrobe to deal with anything including Bigfoot that this camp out has in store for our girl. From ruffled pants to her string of pearls, Sadie pitches her tent, picks berries, deals with the wild life and more. 

While her little brother doesn’t have any dialog, he appears in most of the fun chalk and graphite illustrations and is a good foil for the adventurous older sister. Rhyming sentences make this a story that begs to be read aloud to not only a favorite preschooler but slightly older girl as well. 

For preschool through grade 2.

WAR CAN MAKE YOU DO DANGEROUS THINGS

A review by Theresa from the Central Library: 

Before the war started Hannah, the youngest daughter in the family, was well on her way to become a famous concert pianist. She was also living the life of an average fifteen-year-old girl and about to experience her first date and dance. But for her and her family everything changed abruptly when the Second World War started in Europe because they were not only living in a country at war, they were Jews. Moved from the only home she had ever known into a small apartment in an area just for Jews and forced to wear a yellow star on her clothing, all the familiar things from her life started disappearing. 

Suzy Zail tells this story of a young girl caught in a terrible moment in history in her book Playing for the Commandant. The story though is not just one of many holocaust stories, it has a bit of a twist as Hannah ends being sent to play for the camp commandant every day and while in his home becomes friends with his son Karl. While the harsher elements of this brutal period are less prominent than in other holocaust tales, this story is a good place to start.

For grades 5-8

THE RIGHT THING

Fifth-grader Rose Howard loves homonyms, prime numbers, and cannot help speaking her mind if she sees someone break a rule. Despite doing well in her classes, Rose has a difficult time in school, and is not treated with much sensitivity by her classmates or teachers, and even got banned from taking the school bus after a particularly passionate outburst over the bus driver breaking a rule.

Through it all, Rose's single father refuses to acknowledge that Rose is anything but normal, or that she has no control over her anxiety or obsession with homonyms. But Rose gets along well with her uncle Weldon and her dog Rain, whose name is a homonym and adds up to a prime number. It even seems like Rain is helping Rose make friends in school. But then, Rain goes missing during a storm, and Rose has to devise a plan to find her.

Rain Reign is a candidly told story from the point of view of a girl with Asperger's Syndrome. Rose is a brave girl who tries hard to carve a place for herself in a world that does not always understand her. In the end, Rose has to make difficult choices, but they are ones that bring her closer to people around her. 

This book will appeal to readers in grades 4-6.

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY

ALL BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED 12/24 & 12/25.  
SEE YOU ON THE 26TH.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL

A book review by Theresa of the Children's Room: 

Soon to be an official eighth grader with visions of time spent honing her acting skills, Anna McConnell’s summer plans have changed a bit. Instead of hanging out with her friends, she is being sent off to stay with her grandmother Mim while her parents sort out some very serious issues in their marriage. While she enjoys spending time with Mim, Anna worries that spending the summer in a place with a reputation as a sleepy little town will be less than exciting. Fortunately for the budding actress the town’s famous Flower Festival is about to happen and she lands the part of a petunia whose job is to promote the event. Stationed at the Library our girl soon meets kids her age and the summer suddenly perks up and seems to have some very interesting prospects. 

But one day while on Petunia duty at the Library she notices something troubling, what appears to be a young girl being kept against her will by a couple in a van. This brief encounter totally changes everything as Anna becomes very focused on finding the truth out about what she has seen. Convincing the adults to not only believe her but help becomes her passion. The difficulty lies in that there is not much to go on in Joan Bauer’s Tell Me, a very suspenseful, sometimes funny and at all times hopeful story. 

For grades 5-8.

THE CHICKEN SQUAD: THE FIRST MISADVENTURE

When in a jam call the Chicken Squad. Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, and Sugar are cute, short, and fluffy chickens. And these are not their real names. Well here is a story of their first misadventure. So, Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, and Sugar live in Barbara’s backyard with their mother, Moosh, and J.J. Tully, a retired search and rescue dog. Given there are other animals that come around; for example; Tail the squirrel.  


Well their first misadventure happens when Tail frantically runs into the chicken coop. From here on, Dirt and Sugar try to help by doing detective work in hopes of figuring out what Tail is afraid of.  Unfortunately, Tail’s limited vocabulary slows down their detective work.  Dirt and Sugar start with sketching basic shapes; however, Tail uses words such as “big, scary, enormous, and frightening” to describe what he is afraid of.  It takes hard work to help the terrified Tail.

Read The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin to find out what Tail was afraid of.  This is a light, humorous chapter book that introduces shapes.

For 2^nd – 4^th grade.

A BEWITCHING TALE OF MISSPELLING

Who doesn't love a good witch story? Well this is a good story about a bad witch. Not an evil witch, just a girl named Salem Hyde who isn't very good at being a witch. Enter Whammy, a talkative cat (who doesn't like flying) who serves as Salem's trainer and friend, and helps her become a better "speller." 

THE MISADVENTURES OF SALEM HYDE: SPELLING TROUBLE by Frank Cammuso is the first book in what might be a very amusing Graphic Novel series for 3rd - 6th grades.

NOVEMBER 2014

RED BERRIES, WHITE CLOUDS, BLUE SKY

Twelve year old Tomi Itano sees herself as a proud Japanese-American even though she has never been to Japan nor speaks Japanese. In 1941, the year the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and it is this very event that changes Tomi’s perspective on life.  Tomi and her family must endure unimaginable racist attitudes from their fellow non-Japanese Americans who now view them as the enemy. Tomi starts to see the hurtful store front signs that read “No Japs Allowed.”  She is even no longer welcomed as part of her beloved Girls Scouts.  To make matters even more unbearable, Tomi’s father is suspected of being a spy and is arrested and sent to an internment camp in New Mexico.  It did not take long for Tomi, her mother, and her brothers to be evacuated from their home and sent to the internment camp in Tallgrass, Colorado.

As the family is forced to relocate Tomi’s mother becomes worried about their strawberry fields. She also becomes bitter as the family is close to losing everything they own. Selling their belongings for very cheap is too painful; she even breaks her washing machine because the thought of selling it for a quarter proves unbearable.  As the family transitions from their home-life to camp-life, they try to establish a “normal” life by going to school and making friends. As time passes, life at the camp gives Tomi a chance to reflect on how she really feels about the way others treated her because of her nationality.

Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas is a touching story about a young girl during the 1940’s. Readers will be introduced to a terrible event that occurred in America and the toll it took on one particular family.   

For readers in 5th grade and up.

MINI GOLF...

was a lot of fun yesterday.  Thank you all who came despite the rain. We're sorry but the course didn't make it through yesterday's crowd so we hope to set it up again later in the year. We'll post the pictures up on our facebook. 

A ROUND OF GOLF EVERYONE

IN THE CHILDREN’S ROOM

For ages 3 and up 

Friday - December 12 
2-6pm
Central Library  
818-548-2035 
(Call us for an update)

THE LIBRARY AND THE PUSSYCAT

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara is very spare with only two colors in the illustrations.  It's a sweet tale of a few owls, a little librarian and her animal patrons who only come to visit in the evening hours. Puss and Boots by Ayano Imai has brilliant soft illustrations in a simple version easy to read of classic tale. 

IT’S RAINING, IT’S POURING…

A book review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

The story is set sometime in the future though not too far off. It takes place in England which not all that different than the United States. But in this time and place in a world not very different from ours the rain has turned deadly. All water is now poisoned due to some inert bacteria brought to our universe on the back of an asteroid and now awake and multiplying in the earth’s water supply. 

In the world Virginia Bergin creates in her novel H2O the reader meets 15 year-old Ruby and her friends having a party which for many of them would be the last one of their lives. With radio broadcasts warning the dangers of any contact with water running in the background the awful truth soon is revealed—contact is fatal, it’s contagious and there is no cure. Through luck and some skill Ruby manages to be one of the very few survivors. After the deaths of her mother, brother and step-father she is left on her own and does quite a bit of floundering as the challenges she must face to survive are significant. Does she make it, does the earth survive this calamity? Only the reader knows if it’s time to start carrying an umbrella. 

For grades 5-8.

A DARK AND TRYING TIME

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

The year is 1962, this entire country is terrified that another world war is about to start. Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba and President Kennedy is threatening to attack their ships and sink them. For 13 days in October the tension is unbearable. This is the backdrop to fifth grader Franny Chapman’s story in Deborah Wiles novel, Countdown. While Franny’s story is not unusual, girl trying to find her place in her family, in school and with friends, the times she lives in are. Air raid drills at school, duck and cover exercises and frightening speeches by the President are her reality along with an older sister who is changing too fast for her liking, a best friend that turns into an enemy and the return to the neighbor of a very cute boy. 

All of Franny’s life crises along with the international ones are melded into a spot-on tale that is interspersed with footage from that year in this part fiction, part documentary work. 

This is the first of a trilogy, the second book is Revolution. A very readable novel for grades 5-8.

WE'RE GOLFING IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM

Join us for a round of mini golf among the bookshelves.  Have fun swinging a club this afternoon testing your eye-hand coordination.  

Friday - December 12 
2-6pm
Children's Room - Central Library  
818-548-2035 
(We will keep the course up through Saturday and Sunday if the course stays in good condition. Call us for an update)

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

A review by Theresa of the Children's Room: 

It’s the start of a new school year and shy seventh grader Ellie O’Brien is under attack from her former best friend and now the school’s reigning mean girl and her new sidekick and popular eighth grader Jack Mallory is suffering from extreme overbearing fatheritis in Megan Shull’s The Swap. 

Inadvertently they both end up in the nurse’s office nursing their wounds one Friday afternoon. What happens in the short time they are together ends up being a life changing experience when the two jokingly talk about changing places. A strange rhyme uttered by the school nurse and the next thing they know, Jack has long red hair and Ellie has a shiner. Unable to find her, the two kids realize that they will just have to make it through a weekend of soccer tryouts, hockey practices and sleepovers the best they can until Monday when they hope the nurse will restore everything back to where it should be. 

What results are at times funny situations, Jack's brothers use slang that leaves Ellie clueless and Jack getting a designer haircut and do, and at times challenging when the two excellent athletes have to play unfamiliar sports. Ellie and Jack each tell their own story in alternating chapters leaving no detail untold in this hard to put down story for grades 6 to 8.

THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY

Talking cats? Alice knew something strange was going on when she heard a talking cat. Intrigued, twelve-year-old Alice follows the strange feline and is eventually convinced into entering a mysterious library she was forbidden to enter and opens one of its books!  How could an obedient girl who had never been defiant brake such a rule? It was the love for reading that was so strong she could not resist. Upon entering the library, Alice also meets an arrogant boy who brings just as much trouble as the talking cat.  It did not take Alice long to figure out the book she opened was magical.  Accidentally, Alice and the cat are sucked inside the book.  But Alice’s troubles continue as she must now defeat a creature living within the book.  How did Alice get caught up in so much magic?  Well, it all started one night while Alice was sneaking around and she sees her father talking to a bumble bee fairy.  The following day Alice’s father disappears as the ship goes down at sea.  Alice is sent to live with an unheard of uncle named Geryon and it is Geryon who forbade Alice from going into his library. 

As the pages turn Alice becomes less and less trusting of the characters she meets.

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler is a mix of genres of adventure, mystery and fantasy. The author incorporates magic just enough where it is not overwhelming. Wexler also brings the book to an end as he leads the reader towards the sequel.

Read the book and find out what happens to Alice.

For readers in 5th grade and up. 

THANKSGIVING IS HERE

The Library will be closed from 5 p.m. on 11/26 Through 11/30.  We will be open on Monday, 12/1/14. 

If you are desperate to read something, and forgot to check out something to read, download an ebook or audiobook with you library card. 

Happy Holidays. 

TWO DOGS GO DRIVING

Digby and Percy are great friends. They enjoy spending time together, especially out driving in Digby's car - his prize possession. His neighbor Lou Ella gets a new car every year, but Digby loves his car even if it's not perfect. When a big race is announced, from Didsworth to Dodsworth, Digby and Percy cannot wait to sign up - but will Digby's car survive the race? DIGBY O'DAY IN THE FAST LANE by Shirley Hughes and Clara Vullaimy is the first book in what is shaping up to be a delightful series for readers just graduating into beginning chapter books.  

For 2nd - 4th grades.  

SEPTEMBER 2014

GOLDFISH ARE BARELY MENTIONED

Every once in a while, a book comes along that is like a perfectly wrapped present. THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jennifer L. Holm is the big box wrapped in shiny paper with a fancy bow placed right in the center - full of anticipation of good things! Ellie is going through the usual middle school changes, with her best friend being super busy with volleyball, a cute, mysterious boy in a few of her classes, oh and of course her grandfather coming to live with her as a teenage boy! Ellie learns quite a lot about love, family, friends, and the intricate web that weaves it all together. It's a quick read that will appeal to boys and girls in the 4th-8th grades, especially those readers that like a lot of dialog.

OCTOBER 2014

A STORY IN PICTURES

Migrant by Jose Manuel Mateo and illustrated by Javier Martinez Pedro is a story of a boy's journey from a rural area of Mexico to a chaotic home in urban life in the U.S. illustrated in black and white and told in drawings like a Mexican codex as well as written the written word.  It's a bilingual Spanish/English one on each side of the book.   Tied together with a ribbon.

For readers in 3rd and up.

STORYTIME CANCELLED FOR CENTRAL

NO TODDLER STORYTIME ON WEDNESDAY 11/19/14.

WE WILL SEE YOU BACK ON WEDNESDAY 1/14/15.

CANDY HEARTS & SECRET CRUSHES

It is close to Valentine's Day, and the students in class 4-O are in for a surprise. Someone has left candy hearts in each of their desks.  But what makes these hearts particularly sweet are the special messages on each of them.  Why, though, do the messages seem directly related to the student?  This is the mystery that Jessie Treski, the school's editor for the 4-O Forum, is trying to uncover.

Jessie's discovery of candy hearts,  poems of love, and the idea of crushes have piqued her interest, so she must find out if other students currently have a crush, had a crush, or never had a crush on someone before.   A class survey is soon published, but what kind of results will Jessie get?  Is Jessie, herself, able to truly understand what the survey results mean?

Jacqueline Davies skillfully captures the voice of young and energetic Jessie, a fun-loving girl  who finds herself in the middle of a classroom where boys and girls are starting to think about each other in different ways.  Ms. Davies' addition of poetry is the perfect touch to this sweet coming-of-age story.  It has the power to make readers of all ages reflect upon their first crush. 

Read Candy Smash and other books from the Lemonade Wars series, available in three formats- print, eBook, and audio CD.  Reserve one or all today!  

For 4th grade and up.

STUART GIBBS TODAY

Author, Stuart Gibbs is here tonight, 11/13/14 at 7 p.m. at the Central Library for this year's One Book One Glendale... For Young Readers.  He will dazzle you with his novel Spy School and all his other books. Come and join us. 

Children's Room 
818-548-2035

ONE BOOK ONE GLENDALE...FOR YOUNGER READERS

Author Stuart Gibbs will be at the Central Library to talk about writing and his new books.  

Glendale Library Arts and Culture
Central Library Auditorium 
222 East Harvard St.
Glendale, CA 91205
Thursday, 11/13/14 at 7 p.m. 

Books available for purchase and signing. 

SCHOOL OF MAGIC

There is a new wizard boy on the block.

And his name is Callum Hunt. Raised by his magic-hating father, Call grows up thinking that all magicians are evil, and were responsible for his mother's death when he was merely a baby. So when he is called to take the mandatory exams that might lead to his acceptance to the Magisterium, he is carefully coached by his father to do everything in order to fail. But although he tries very hard to fail (to fail), Call is picked nonetheless and has to attend his first year - the Iron Year - at the Magisterium. Together with his new friends Tamara and Aaron, Callum is coached by Master Rufus in magic skills in preparation for the Iron Trial, which will signify the end of the school year. But there is more to the world of magic than Callum knows, and he slowly starts to wonder if his father was right in cautioning him against it. There is an enemy that has been hidden for years waiting to resurface - calling himself the Enemy of Death -who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

The Iron Trial is the first book of a projected five-book series from popular children's and young adult literature writers Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Readers will find many similarities with the Harry Potter series, but whether this is a bad or a good thing is up to the reader to decide.


For grades 5 and up.

THE END OF THE WORLD...AGAIN...

It seems like more and more authors are writing about how they think the world will come to an end. Piers Torday, author of THE LAST WILD is yet another author to do this. His main character Kester Jaynes has been taken from his father and sent to what may be a boarding school, but seems more like an asylum for all the delinquent children no one knows how to deal with. A disease has devastated the world, killing all the animals and destroying the food supply, and now everyone is forced to eat flavored paste. Kester can't speak out loud, but somehow he can communicate with a cockroach. Turns out, everything they've been telling humans is a LIE!!! The cockroach helps Kester escape and the first of the lies becomes apparent when Kester sees living animals that have yet to be infected by the dreaded "red-eye" disease. Now it is up to Kester to save the remaining animals! 

For grades 5 and up. 


AUGUST 2014

I SPY LIBRARY

In anticipation of our guest author, Stuart Gibbs, next week we will have one final scavenger hunt for 2014.  Come and spy with your little eye and find all 10 objects.  

A fun family game for ages 4 and older.  

Wednesday 11/5 through Thursday 11/13.  

The Children's Room at the Central Library.  

the author will visit the library next Thursday, 11/13/14 at 7 p.m. and talk about his novel Spy School and all his other great books.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE FRIENDS WITH A FLEA?

A review by Theresa of the Children's Room: 

If the book Charlotte’s Web is one of your favorites, then you probably have a lot in common with 10-year-old Fanny Katzenback the main character in Joanne Rocklin’s Fleabrain Loves Franny. 

This story is set in the 1950’s when the serious disease polio was attacking many children and making many more very afraid of getting sick.  When introduced Franny is in the hospital recovering from this terrible illness. Not a simple matter as the polio virus attacks the lungs of the patient making it difficult for them to breathe and necessary for them to lie inside a “big, wheezy green iron tube called and iron lung.” Lying in this machine that helped her breathe meant that she could not hold a book, so the tutor read to her every day. When Sister Ed the tutor started reading to her from a newly published book, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, it was love at first listen and Franny asked to hear it again and again. 

Finally well enough to go home and live outside of the iron lung, Franny started finding some unusual notes from someone who knew her deepest secrets. Thinking they were written by her sister Min, she ignored them. But Fleabrain, a very smart flea who was living on tail of Franny’s dog, persisted and they finally end up meeting and sharing adventures made possible due to his magic powers. But this is more than just a magical adventure tale of two friends slightly similar to those in the famous book, as the author gives the reader access to another period in time and a chance to meet an incredible girl who overcomes much to regain her place in the world. 

For grades 4-6.

A MAGICICAL SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Jay Leslie* will astound you with his incredible feats of magic this coming Saturday at 2PM. Join us for a post Halloween treat.
For Ages 4 and older.

Central Library
Auditorium
2 p.m.
Call 818-548-2035 for more information.

* Jay Leslie will perform in place of Arty Loon.

FEED THE BRAIN!

Did you feed your baby's brain today? Just as children’s bodies need food, so too do their brains need “brain food”. And there is no better source of brain food - vocabulary, pre-literacy skills, knowledge-building, rich interactions - than reading aloud!

-From the Read Aloud Campaign

http://www.readaloud.org/15minutes.html

NEVER GIRLS AUTHOR IS COMING

Author Kiki Thorpe will be visiting the Children's Room next Wednesday to talk about her new Never Girls book.  Come meet the Author have some tea and sweets and find out what those fairies are up to in her new book.  For children reading beginning chapter books, grades 3rd-4th.

No reservations needed.  

Central Library

Wednesday, October 29 at 4pm

For more information - 818-548-2035

A HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER HUNT

What's Halloween without a black cat?  Well, Bad Kitty is roaming around the Children's Room so come and look for him during this week's Halloween scavenger hunt.  Everyone can join in the hunt from Saturday - Sunday 10/25 - 11/2 all day long.

Ask at the desk in the Children's Room for the game.

WHY DO THE SPOOKIEST THINGS HAPPEN AT NIGHT?

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

It wouldn’t be Halloween without at least one spooky book on the list and The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is one that is not to be missed. It has all the required ingredients for a scary story, an old crone telling innocent orphan children a warning tale; a dark and forbidding house where the appearance of the occupants is rapidly changing; sinister characters and lots of suspense. 

This story is told by two Irish orphans who after being hired as servants arrive at the aforementioned house which needs to be mentioned, has been built practically on top of a very old, very large and diseased looking tree, is actually one of the main characters in this story. Undaunted by this very dark scene Molly and her brother Kip enter the house to meet their employers, the four Windsors, and begin their spine-chilling adventure. Want to come along? Just remember, it’s only a story in a book. 

For readers in grades 5-8

HELLO KITTY TURNS 40!

There's still time to join us for some Hello Kitty fun this week.  

Make a cupcake finger puppet in honor of Hello Kitty's birthday today, Thursday,  during Art Cart from 3:30-5 p.m.  

Saturday, 10/25, after Chalk the Walk from 2p.m. to 6p.m. come upstairs to and decorate a pair of paper reading glasses a la Miss Hello Kitty and read her new comic books. 

Don't forget to ask for the Hello Kitty coloring sheet of the day.   

For all ages

Children's Room 

818-548-2035

THE SCAVENGER HUNT IS ON!

Don't miss our Bad Kitty Scavenger Hunt during Halloween week, Mon.- Sun. 10/27- 11/2 all day.

Bad Kitty is wreaking havoc throughout the Children's Room.  Come and get him.

ARE YOU EASILY FRIGHTENED?

If so this might not be the book for you, but if you aren’t afraid of much and a trip through a very spooky and almost too real to be true amusement park sounds like fun, then come along for a very thrilling ride in Laurie Faria Stolarz’s WELCOME TO THE DARK HOUSE. 

You won’t be alone on this trip but in the company of some very unusual characters. The first person you meet, Ivy Jensen, suffers from terrible, sleep stopping, scary feelings don’t go away in the daylight, nightmares. When an announcement in the Nightmare Elf’s newsletter promises to take away the bad dreams of the winners of an essay contest, she starts writing and enters the 1000 words or less contest hoping for a cure. She wins, of course. Arriving via a hearse to the Dark House, a replica of the house from a very scary movie, she joins the rest of the winners, all dedicated horror movie fans. 

Not wanting to ruin this for anyone who decides to join the adventure, there will be no spoiler alerts here, you will just have to see for yourself what lies behind the gate of the Dark House when you read in this fast-paced story told by Ivy and her fellow contest winners. 

For readers in grades 6-8.

READ ALOUD! FEED THE BRAIN!

The amazing benefits 15 MINUTES of daily reading aloud will have your child's pre-literacy skills and lifelong learning success.

Sign up for the library's 1000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program to help your family get started.  Ask us about it.

STORY OF A GIRL

Here is a story of a twelve-year-old girl named Mysti Murphy who lives with her loving parents and sister. Never mind that her mother hasn't left the house for years, and her best friend Anibal Gomez is doing a social experiment where he pretends to be a hipster and not to know her so he can go out with popular girl Sandy. Mysti is determined to stay positive despite everything and think about her plans to live in Paris when she grows up. But things get worse before they get better. When Mysti's father - the only one who can leave the house and buy groceries - ends up in the hospital, Mysti has to change the story of her life. Here is a story of a girl who can muster the courage to go grocery shopping, stand up to her bullies, and make a new friend.

Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington is a book about a girl who will teach you all about courage, while telling you a joke or two. She shows us that even if things don't always end up perfect, there is always a solution.

For grades 6 and up.