A HUG-- A SPECIAL THING TO GIVE

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

THE LIVING MUSEUM OF HUMAN ODDBALLS

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

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

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

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING BETTER THAN EVER

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

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

For reader in 4th - 6th grade

PLEASE WRITE IN THIS BOOK

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

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

THE BLAH BLAH MAN WITH HIS BLEE BLEE BLEEs

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

IT'S ALMOST HERE...

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

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

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

For grades 4th grade and up.

AN ALASKAN ADVENTURE

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

HALLOWEEN READS

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

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

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by Wendelin Van Draanen

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

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

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

Whispering to Witches by Anna Dale

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

All Hallows' Eve by Vivian Vande Velde

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

Witch Child by Celia Rees

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

A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT HAWAII

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

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

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

IF CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SHERLOCK HOLMES...

... YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY THESE BOOKS


The Eye of the Crow: the Boy Sherlock Holmes by Shane Peacock. A complex story of how poverty and his parents shape the young boy into the tormented man and famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. For mature 6th and up.

Death in the Air - 2nd in the series




The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas: Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars by Tracy Mack
The boys who work on the street follow clues to help Sherlock Holmes figure out what happened to a group of tightrope walkers. For 4th - 8th grade readers.

The Mystery of the Yellow Hands by Jake and Luke Thoene
The Irregulars help Sherlock solve mysteries throughout London. For 6th - 8th grade readers.

The Jewel of Persia, Thundering Underground -series

The Raven League: Sherlock Holmes is Missing by Alex Simmons
Sherlock Holmes is missing and the Irregulars who normally assist him must now become detectives themselves and find Sherlock before he is killed. For 4th - 8th grade readers.
The Raven League: Buffallo Bill Wanted- series

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.
Sherlock and Mycroft have a younger sister! Enola is a product of her mother; strong-willed, spirited and unwilling to conform to her brothers' Victorian ideas of what a girl can or can't do. She escapes and hides from her brothers in London while working as a detective in various disguises. For 6th - 8th grade readers.
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets -series

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams
Seventh grader, Ingrid must use her skills, like her idol, Sherlock Holmes, to find out who killed a woman in her small town while trying not to be a suspect herself. For 6th - 8th grade readers.

Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery, Into the Dark: An Echo Falls Mystery - series

COMPUTER CAPERS

Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks is the sequel to Evil Genius and continues the very suspenseful story of Cadel Piggott. This installment finds his situation very much changed as he is hiding from the evil Dr. Darkkon in a foster home with no computer and virtually no life while he waits to testify against the man who might be his father, Prosper English. He is approached by a group who call themselves the Genius Squad and even though they sound too good to be true, Cadel decides to join them in their investigation into Dr. Darkkon's pet project, GenoME.

This thrilling installment tests Cadel's resolve to overcome his evil past and work on the side for good which can only happen if he can avoid the clutches of the very wicked Prosper English. An exciting adventure, this will keep readers in grades 5 through 8 on the edge of their seats.

WHAT IS THE MOZART QUESTION?

Journalists, reporters and writers all over the world are in search of the never before answered question... Here is a compelling story about a boy who discovers his love of music while learning about his family's painful history.
Paolo Levi has become a world famous violinist, traveling the world and mesmerizing audiences all over with his beautiful music. However, he never plays the music of the famous composer Mozart, people that ask him never get to find out the answer. Until one woman gets to find out by simply not asking it.
THE MOZART QUESTION by MICHAEL MORPURGO and the illustrations by MICHAEL FOREMAN.

For grades 4th and up.

TOM TRUEHEART FANS!!

The writer from the Land of Stories has written stories that lead the great Trueheart adventurers to talk about their triumphs. Their grand stories show the villagers that beginning and ending an adventure in the Land of Stories is courageous and exciting, especially, to Tom, the youngest of the seven brothers. Unfortunately, the rogue writer secretly changes the stories that lead the brothers to danger. Tom is just about old enough to enter the Land of Stories, but is he ready to complete one adventure of his own, or how about six adventures?
The Secret of the Tom Trueheart is a fun read. I know that other Glendale readers are ready to continue the adventure, too! Click on the book cover and reserve your copy of the next adventure story, Tom Trueheart and the Land of Dark Stories.

ANOTHER WORLD

Things change from day to day. But very rarely do they change SO much that you leave the world as you know it and go on an adventure in realms unknown. That's what happens to Arthur Penhaligon in the first book of The Keys to the Kingdom series entitled MISTER MONDAY by Garth Nix. On the brink of death due to asthma attack, Arthur is introduced to a world so strange, dark and weird, he saves himself with a mere curiosity for what might happen next. And a special key he is given by an odd, pale man in a wheelchair. Mister Monday himself! An exciting journey through many layers of other worlds, some dark, dreary caves, or jungles full of dinosaurs, with not a lot of hope. For those too old for Lemony Snicket's books, this is a great series kick-off for grades 6 and up.

GIRLS AND BASEBALL

It's 1980 and no girls in her small Michigan town play baseball in the Little League, that is until twelve-year-old Madison joins the team. She just wants to play baseball but when the press starts writing about her and the crowds start showing up to the team's games, all that changes. In No Cream Puffs by Karen Day, the author tells the story of one girl's very eventful summer that started off with her punching a boy on the last day of school and went on to losing her best friend to the popular girls, becoming friends with the rock star who was staying with her neighbor, developing a crush and ending with a very exciting championship ball game. Best for readers in grades 5-8

CURSES AND COMICS

Just when it seems like things can not get any worse, they do for Addy. She would like to blame it all on that Irish ancestor who chopped down the fairy tree but her mother says the stories are just jokes. When her best friend deserts her because one of her hand drawn comics got shown around the entire school and her mother's boyfriend moves into the guest room she is not so sure that she isn't cursed.

Katie Davis tells the story of a talented creator of her own "autobiogra-strip"* in The Curse of Addy McMahon. Best for readers in grades 4-6,

*Read the book to discover just exactly what this is!

Summer vacation has just started and brother and sister Ned and Hazel Frump are looking forward to sleeping in, shooting hoops and all the other joys of summer but when their dad disappears, their summer plans change in The Mystery of the Martello Tower by Jennifer Lanthier. At first they assume that he is just off on a short business trip then when they see a photo of him in handcuffs being put in a Turkish jail it appears that this not one of his usual trips. Soon life for the pair becomes dangerous when they babysitter leaves town and their apartment is burgled. Safety comes in the form of some previously unknown relatives who take the kids in and help them solve not only their father's mysterious disappearance but some long unanswered questions about their family as well in this very exciting and suspenseful mystery.

For grades 5 through 8.

GRK THE DOG, PART 3

GRK AND THE HOT DOG TRAIL by Joshua Doder is the third book about Grk and his British owner, Timothy Malt. Tim and Grk are visiting New York when the Stanislavian Golden Dachsund statue is stolen, and Tim takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. Managing to wheel through New York City with no money, Tim and Grk chase the infamous Dr. Weiner, owner of a big hot dog stand company, and colletor of all things Dachsund. Tim and Grk suffer many close calls along the way, but are helped along by many adults who don't seem a bit concerned about a young boy running around New York with his dog without any supervision! What an exciting life! Great for grades 4-6.

AN EVENT TO REMEMBER

It's the end of middle school and Phoebe and her four best friends plan on throwing a big party to celebrate the event. Everything is going to be perfect from the special invitations to the fashion photographer hired to document the party. The entire school is talking about this and hoping to be invited to the big celebration. Phoebe considers herself to be a very lucky girl who seems to have it all. Sometimes though luck runs out and when her mother loses her job and everything, including the party, is suddenly in jeopardy.

Rachel Vail starts a sisterhood trilogy with her book Lucky and tells the story of Phoebe and her sisters during a year that changes all of her lives.

For grades 6 through 8.