A NECESSARY JOURNEY

Kate Di Camillo and Chris Van Dusen have partnered up once again for a third Tale From Deckawoo Drive: Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? Baby Lincoln, whose real name is Lucille, strikes out on a necessary journey after an inspirational dream.   She packs her suitcase with a few necessary items and sets off to the train station to go as far as she can with the money in her pocket.  With the help of Stella, Baby Lincoln sets off for the town of Fluxom, on her own without her bossy older sister.  During the train ride she meets new people and makes her own discoveries about life, herself, family and friends.  

The creative duo has created another sweet and touching offshoot for the people connected to Deckawoo Drive  and fans of the Mercy Watson series.  

For readers in grades 1st to 3rd.  

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM KATHERINE APPLEGATE

Our One Book One Glendale ... for Younger Readers author, Katherine Applegate, will be coming to speak about her Newbery Award-winning book, The One and Only Ivan this Friday, December 9th at the Adult Recreation Center next to the Central Library. It's the 10th year that Children's Services is bringing you amazing local California authors to speak about their writing inspirations. Watch Katherine's special message to Glendale young readers below! 

A LESSON LEARNED

Chuck befriends Scooter the squirrel who is a great artist and baker who now outshines him as the best in the forest. Chuck is not so happy with his new friend or himself once he realizes how badly he's behaved.  With the help of his many forest friends, Chuck gets a reality check and they help him to see his talent and joy in making art.

A well written story for those almost ready to start reading a chapter book solo or a great family read aloud. What's Up, Chuck? by Leo Landry is a sweet tale of morality. 

For 1st through 3rd graders.

AN ORDINARY BOY MEETS AN EXTRAORDINARY WATCH

A review by Adam: 

Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society series, is back with The Secret Keepers, a new mystery where an ordinary boy goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

Living in a tiny, rundown apartment, Reuben Pedley and his widowed mother spend their evenings together dreaming and drawing up blueprints for magical homes filled with firefighter poles and hidden staircases. During the day, while his mother is at work, Reuben spends his solitary afternoons wandering the streets of New Umbra. As he explores the nooks and crannies of the city Reuben tries his best to avoid the searching eyes of the Directions, a group of sinister men who terrorize the citizens of New Umbra under the orders of a secretive and tyrannical figure known only as The Smoke.

One day while climbing up a perilously tall building Reuben comes upon a mysterious pocket watch. To Reuben’s surprise the watch doesn’t tell time, but instead gives Reuben an incredible power and launches him on a whirlwind journey as he attempts to stay one step ahead of The Smoke’s searching grasp and uncover the secret behind the watch’s mysterious origin.

4^th to 8^th graders will love the twists and turns Reuben’s journey takes, and will delight in uncovering the book’s many mysteries along with Reuben.​​

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

Bob Shea's newest picture book, The Happiest Book Ever! gives other books about feelings a run for their money. Instead of focusing on just plain happiness or sadness or anger, with no allowance for anything in between, this very meta book subversively examines the complex ways emotions can be expressed and shows that it's okay not to feel happy all the time. 

Right away, this book introduces us to some of its so-called happiest friends, an inexpressive frog and a dancing cake. The dancing cake is rendered in simply-drawn, brightly-colored caricatures, like the rest of the over-the-top happy cast (cheerful clouds, contented kittens, and a whimsical whale, to name just a few), that is, except for "grumpy" frog, the only photo-realistic image in the entire story and the unwitting monkey wrench in the book's goal of total happiness domination. 

Will the happiest book ever wear down frog with its incessant outward displays of the only socially-acceptable emotion allowed within its pages, and make frog turn his "unhappy" deadpan expression upside down--or else? This thoughtfully engaging yet ultimately entertaining meditation on expressing one's feelings and giving others the space to express theirs makes a fun read-aloud, as well as a compelling book to share one-on-one. 

Recommended for preschoolers to 2nd graders. 

RORY THE DINOSAUR WANTS A PET

Rory the dinosaur, who made his first appearance in Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad, returns in this story about finding the perfect pet.

After an exuberant morning of playing fetch and hide and seek with his friend’s exciting new pet hermit crab, Rory is determined to seek out a pet of his own. He earnestly scours his island home, but is dismayed to discover that none of the other animal inhabitants are keen to play his pet. Just as he’s resigned to his pet-free fate, Rory proves that, with a bit of creativity, we can find friendships in all places and forms.

Liz Climo’s Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet is a quirky picture book that charmingly captures the preschool-aged imagination and spirit. For more endearing, if odd, picture books about unconventional pets and friends, check out Peter Brown’s Children Make Terrible Pets and Pat Zietlow Miller’s Sophie’s Squash.

Ages 4+

VISUALLY APPEALING VEGETARIAN COOKING

Here's Erin Gleeson's forest feast for younger cooks featuring some fabulous photos and vegetarian recipes.  Set with large text, these very easy recipes are for kids who are adventurous eaters.  Recipes such as Kale Tacos or Pesto Pepper Pizza may be easy but kids with difficulty reading or not yet fluent will need adult help since each recipe is in a different font style, size and have directional arrows pointing to things may make it difficult to track.   

All in all, Forest Feast for Kids : Colorful Vegetarian Recipes that are Simple to Make is a very stylish and visually appealing cookbook like its adult counterpart.  Look through this cookbook for some holiday cooking choices along with the children's cooking magazine Chop Chop. 

For 4th-8th graders. 

APPLES AND ROBINS

All you need for apples are circles and the color red.

As summer ends, the apples in a tree hang just out of reach. What would you need reach the fruit? In this French import by Lucie Félix, cut-out shapes and bold colors ask and answer a series of questions to tell the story of an apple tree through the seasons.

The magic of this deceptively simple picture book is in the author’s ability to transform ordinary shapes and colors into tangible solutions. Six rectangles make a ladder. Two circles become an apple with a single missing bite. Three triangles, two circles, and an oval take flight as a red-breasted robin.

Apples and Robins invites young readers to exercise their problem solving abilities and imagine the potential in shapes. Pair with Christie Matheson’s delightful interactive book Tap the Magic Tree.

Ages 4+

A STATE-OF-THE-ART HISTORICAL MYSTERY

Laura Marx Fitzgerald, author of Under the Egg, is back with a new art-centric mystery in The Gallery. It's the height of roaring twenties, and twelve-year-old Martha O'Doyle finds herself employed as a servant for the wealthy, pompous newspaper magnate, Mr. Archer J. Sewell. The grand Fifth Avenue mansion is a far cry from the tiny Brooklyn apartment she shares with her family, and our inquisitive heroine wastes no time exploring every opulent corner. But it is the ever-absent eccentric mistress of the house--Mrs. "Wild Rose" Sewell, supposedly bedridden due to her madness--who really piques Martha's curiosity. What drove her so crazy in the first place? What is the story behind her hidden collection of world-renowned paintings? And what can a mere maid like Martha possibly do to bring all the secrets of this mansion to light? 

This compelling middle-grade novel features a spunky and relatable protagonist, backed by a cast of intriguingly quirky characters, fascinating historical details, and an action-packed mystery that will keep young readers in 5th to 8th grades turning the pages all the way to the very end. 

THE MISSING FOOD INVESTIGATORS ( MFIs)

Suspects:  Fowler the Owl, Porcini the Pig, or Hot Dog the Dog? 
Victim:  Miss Rabbit
The Case: The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake by Robin Newman Illustrated by Deborah Zemke

Our hardworking mice detectives are on the hunt for the thief who stole Miss Rabbit's Carrot Cake.  Doggedly following all the crumbs and interviewing all suspects the two detectives track down the cake thief and it's not who might have suspected. This is a fun beginning reader with lots of puns and word plays.

For 1st - 2nd grade readers.

FRIENDSHIP MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY...ANYTHING AT ALL?

Dennis is a regular boy in some respects, but has a markedly unconventional way of expressing himself. Why does he speak through movement instead of just talking when he has something to say? It's because Dennis is a mime. It's not easy for the other kids to relate to "Mime Boy," who dresses in a top hat and stripes, wears white face makeup and gloves, and only acts out scenes during show-and-tell and on the playground. Living a silent yet poignantly dramatic life can get a bit lonely sometimes. Will Dennis ever find a friend who understands how he sees the world and speaks his language? 

Be a Friend is sparely written and strikingly illustrated by Salina Yoon, so that, much like Dennis himself, the book is more visual than textual. Yoon articulates Dennis's expressive movements with a red dotted line to make his mime skills really come alive. This fascinatingly offbeat yet compellingly sweet picture book will make an affecting read for preschool through second graders, whether in a group or one-on-one setting. Just be sure to get your jazz hands ready!

WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT

A review by Theresa: 

The whole town including Charlie and his friends had gathered together to celebrate the New Year and also to watch what was supposed to be an extra spectacular night viewing of the northern lights. Rodman Philbrick’s THE BIG DARK begins with the town standing out on the baseball field under a sky that is so bright that “shadows could be seen on the snow,” enjoying the intense colors and flashes of the light show. Suddenly there the sky was filled with an enormous burst of light followed by intense darkness. 

All the electric power was knocked out, no cars, no phones, no lights, no TVs or radios—nothing not even batteries or generators. Things get even worse when the area is hit by a major blizzard, an attempted take-over of the town by hate-mongers and arsonists and a medical emergency involving Charlie’s mother.  It’s up to the kids and the town’s lone volunteer policeman to save the day if they can in this very suspenseful disaster-survival story. 

The author includes some follow-up leads for the curious who want to know more about geomagnetic events.

For grades 5-8

ABZZZ.. IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE ALPHABET

Have you've been looking for the perfect alphabet story to read to a child right before nap or bedtime? Well here it is! Introducing... ABZzz...A Bedtime Alphabet.

As expected, this story starts with the letter A and ends with the letter Z. but in between the pages you'll see more than just the rest of the alphabet.  The book is loaded with questions for the reader and young child to consider.  It's absolutely fun, thought-provoking, and a great way to share some memories before heading off to dreamland.

Isabel Minhos Martins and Yara Kono's delightful story and illustrations make this an ABC favorite, along with Bill Martin Jr. and Lois Ehlert's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  

For PreK- 2nd grade.

SPOILER ALERT

There’s nothing worse than having someone spoil the ending to the book you’re reading. I mean, unless you’re the type that’s into that sort of thing. Spoiler alert: this reviewer is.

As it happens, the young hero of Minh Lê’s picture book Let Me Finish!, illustrated by Isabel Roxas, most emphatically is not. In fact, there’s nothing he’d like more than to be left in peace to finish reading his books. This proves surprisingly difficult when every animal in the vicinity is clamoring to share very specific thoughts on his reading material.

When a long-awaited, scarlet book arrives in the mail, the exasperated boy is determined to make it to the end on his own. He’ll traverse forests, oceans, and mountains, all the while stalked by bright-eyed, garrulous, book-ruining animals. I won’t ruin the surprise ending, but spoiler alert: it’s a good one.

Ages 6+

ANIMALS ALL AROUND

Ah-Choo!  A big brother wants a pet but his little sister is allergic to animals so off they go to find one that won't make her sneeze.  A silly romp through the zoo and the alphabet is what they do until they find an unusual animal from Mrs. Grey's Pet store that has no hair, feathers or fur.  Written by Lana Wayne Koehler & Gloria Adams and illustrated by Ken Min.

A Hungry Lion or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cummins surprises us all with lion's choices. A fun and unexpected choice for everyone.  

The Sloth Slept On and on and on until he finds himself in an unfamiliar place having slept through everything. Frann Preston-Gannon's story of a "lost" sloth who through many helpful hands makes it back "home", or is it home? 

For ages 4 and up. 

  

A STRANGE SUMMER ADVENTURE

A review by Theresa:

In Elizabeth’ Atkinson’s THE ISLAND OF BEYOND the reader learns immediately how big a disappointment  11-year old Martin is to his father.  So much so that Dad has decided to send Martin off for a month of his summer vacation to visit his, never met before,  great-aunt Lenore who lives on a tiny island in the middle of a remote lake in Maine to do some “boy stuff” and toughen him up.  To say that Martin hates everything about the island and the creepy house would be an understatement. There is no cell reception, no video games and no food he likes. Lacking self- confidence Martin is afraid of everything he encounters, the creaks the house makes, the rustling of the bushes, his great-aunt and most of all the lake. Eventually he meets Solo, a wild child who appears to do as he pleases with no parental supervision. Warned by the aunt’s caregiver to stay away from this boy, Martin admires his new friend’s abilities and is drawn to him even though there are trust issues. Solo does become his guide though and encourages him to try new things which Martin does hesitantly.  

For Martin, this becomes a summer of meeting challenges and self-discovery. Things on the island are not always as they seem, neither is the reason for his being sent to the island. This title is part adventure, a little mystery and a coming of age story all in one. Gary Paulsen’s fans will find much to like here. 

For grades 5-8

A NEW ITALIAN COOKBOOK (FOR US)

The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes by Phaidon is presented in the style of the Moosewood Cookbook series, with simple text and illustrated cooking techniques easy enough for the beginning cook to follow.   There are great classic recipes like potato gnocchi, leg of lamb, and stew, just to name a few.  It's a beautiful book with photos of each finished dish so you can see what the dish will or should look like at the end of the cooking process.  It's a slim, large formatted book which will lay flat so that it is easy to read from as you cook, just put plastic over it so the next person can enjoy it stain free.   

For ages 10 and up. 

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A CHILD WANTS MORE!

Henry laughs when he's lifted into the air by his Papa.  He enjoys playing the piano with his Grandma, and he plays fun games with his siblings.  At the end of the day, Henry gets to cuddle up with his Mama and listen to the best stories ever! With all this adventure, it's no wonder why Henry Wants More! He's truly loved by his family.  

Linda Ashman's delightful story about a young child who enjoys a variety of activities, especially with the people he loves the most. Brooke Boynton Hughes adds a sweet touch of color to this very loving family. 

Pre-K- 2nd

LEO CAN SWIM

Summer vacation may be drawing to a close, but here in sunny Southern California the heat rages on. It’s the perfect time to head to the pool or to share a lovely pool story with your little one.

Anna McQuinn, author of the lovable Lola series, adds a second picture book to her newest series, illustrated by Ruth Hearson, about Lola’s baby brother, Leo. In Leo Can Swim Leo and Daddy are taking baby swim lessons. The story follows the pair each step of the way as they ready themselves for the pool, from changing into a swim diaper and trunks to taking a well-deserved post-swim nap, with lots of splashy fun along the way.

There are plenty of familiar faces among the diverse group of babies and caregivers returning from Leo’s first outing, Leo Loves Baby Time. As a fun side note, to prepare for swim class Leo and Daddy read what appears to be Eric Carle’s undersea classic, Mister Seahorse; Leo later snuggles and snoozes with his own little board book version. Reading about everyday experiences helps children develop text-to-self connection. Share Leo Can Swim with your child to prepare her for her own pool playtime.

For ages 0 to preschool.

READ ALL THINGS STAR WARS IN OCTOBER!

What do a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy have in common? There's at least one thing: a desire for adventure.  Unfortunately, deep within the Galaxy an evil Empire is gaining control over different star systems and killing off the galaxy's great peace keepers- the Jedi Knights.  

What roles will the princess, scoundrel, and farm boy play in this struggle?  Will they find ways to get along after their paths merge? Andrea Brackenberg's junior novelization of Star Wars: A New Hope is a welcome addition to the sci-fi genre.  She provides such interesting insight to each of the key characters' thoughts as they move through key scenes in the story.  Both humorous and memorable, this is best for 4th grade and up, or for budding Star Wars fans.  

For 4th grade and up.