ANNIE AND SIMON

Annie is the little sister and Simon is the big brother. Annie is a talkative one who never is content with anything that she does. Therefore, she asks her brother to always do different things with her. They embark on many adventures to fulfill Annie's curiosities. Simon, being the good old brother listens to his sister patiently and answers her questions as much as he can.

The colors used in the illustrations are soft, fresh and simple which depict the exact mood of the story.

ANNIE AND SIMON by CATHARINE O'NEIL

For grades 2nd through 4th.

DO YOU SPEAK DOG?

Who knew dogs had a language all to themselves? Not only that, in this book JACK AND REBEL, THE POLICE DOG by Jack (as told to Patricia Finney), dogs drive cars and solve crimes! Of course, this is all by accident, according to Jack the dog, but his "petapes" don't know any better. While his packleaders are out of town, Jack must mind the packleader "puppies" and the new, friendly smelling relative of the packleader. The relative loves to go for "walkies," and many adventures occur while the packleaders are away. There are a few cats that have a few things to say along the way, but Jack is the hero of the day! A great chapter book for 3rd through 6th grade.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

Sophomore, Frankie Landau-Banks doesn't want to be Bunny Rabbit anymore. She wants to be more like her popular sister, noticed and and a part of something cool. She wants to belong to her new boyfriend's cool crowd. Through chance Frankie discovers that he and his friends haved been "tapped" to join a secret male society at their boarding school just as her father had been many years ago. She wants to join desperately but realizes she would never be included because she is female.

Feeling challenged and desperate to belong, she sets on an ambitious path to prove herself. She masterminds school pranks, manipulates the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds members through a convoluted series of emails and false identities. Everyone at school enjoys the fun and Frankie is thrilled by the comments until one member is caught and everything unravels. When she unmasks herself as the secret leader of the pranks, her schoolmates, family and boyfriend have differing reactions and are thrown by this other side of Frankie.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is about one girl's attempt to make sense of her world; love, her identity, her ambition, social acceptance and the ultimate power and role of men and women. A great novel for mature readers 6th and older.

HISTORICAL FICTION FANS!

For those of you not yet familiar, it is time to read The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Starting with LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS, the story of this pioneer family begins to unravel as they leave their family and home and head out West. The main character is Laura, who tells all about Ma and Pa, and her sisters Mary and Carrie. Meeting “Indians” while they trek across the prairie in their covered wagon, wading with slimy creatures in a pond, there are some happenings that will make you cry, but many more that will have you laughing yourself out of your chair! Other titles include FARMER BOY, a book about her husband when he was young and lived on a farm, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK, BY THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, THE LONG WINTER, LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRARIE, and THESE HAPPY GOLDEN YEARS. Each volume depicts a certain point in the life of Laura and her family and the exciting things that happen to them over the years. For grades 4 and up.

IF YOU LIKE A GOOD SCARE...

Moving back to his dad's hometown in Connecticut to get a new start was a great idea, or so Zach's family had thought. No one could have predicted the evil that would be unleashed on the town when lightning struck the tree at the crossroads of a fifty year old bus accident. All but one had died that night. And now the ghosts have all converged toward one boy who has the ability to change things.

If you like R. L. Stine or a good scare then read The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein, but not at night and definitely not under the covers by flashlight. For readers in 4th and up.

For readers in 4th and up.

DO RE MI...

You have heard the do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do countless times. But I'll bet that you don't know much about it. Therefore, you should read DO RE MI: If YOU CAN READ MUSIC, THANK GUIDO d'AREZZO by Susan L. Roth. In this fun book you will learn about Guido d'Arezzo whose system of lines and spaces is the basis for today's musical notations.
He chose do-re-mi-fa from a poem and set it music to show that it was possible to write music and not just memorize it. The illustrations of funky and interesting collages makes this a great book to flip through.


For grades k and up.

THE DEADLY MEANING OF FLOWERS

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. In this third twisted tale of mystery for 6th - 8th grade readers, Dr. Watson has been kidnapped and committed to an insane asylum under another's name. Enola is on a parallel hunt with her older brother Sherlock to find Dr. Watson before the anonymous bouquet sender kills him. Enola must use all her skills to pull their beloved Dr. Watson from danger.

MR. MAXWELL'S MOUSE

Mr. Maxwell has gone to a restaurant to celebrate his recent promotion. He decides to celebrate with nothing than a live mouse. At first he hesitates, but than with the very clever mouse, he has a change of hearts and decides to try it.

This is a very clever cat and mouse story that will be liked by everyone who will read it. The illustrations are a bit eery due to the colors and the depiction of the cats with a human like hands. However, the story is clever and will keep you guessing until the very last page.

MR. MAXWELL'S MOUSE is by FRANK ASCH and DEVIN ASCH.

For grades k-up.

SPOOKY LONDON

Who knew that London was actually two cities, the one we know about and an alternate , damp, dark and dangerous one? Fourteen-year-old Jonathan Starling discovers this when his father becomes ill and he finds among his papers references to Darkside. While doing some research on the subject, Jonathan is almost kidnapped but manages to elude his captors and cross over to Darkside. There the adventure begins as he tries to solve the mystery with aid of a werewolf named Carnegie.

The Darkside by Tom Becker is an action packed story with lots of chase scenes and dastardly characters. This is the first volume of proposed series. For grades 5-8.

SCHOOL, READY OR NOT

At home Alvin is a superhero, Firecracker Man, able to save the world, but when summer is over and he has to go back to school, the same old fears overtake him and he can't talk. You see, Alvin has lots of fears and school is only one of them.

Before entering Second Grade Alvin decides to arm himself with a PDK- Personal Disaster Kit- a box with things he might need in case of a disaster. Inside are things like a whistle, garlic, escape routes, magnifying glass, and lists. Now that he can write, he's making lists for surviving a fire, or surviving show and tell, and one for making friends.

Coming Soon, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look is a humorous tale of one Second Grader's attempt to make the best of what he considers a scary and voice numbing place...school. For 4th-6th.

THE END OF THE BEGINNING: BEING THE ADVENTURES OS A SMALL SNAIL( AND AN EVEN SMALLER ANT)

Avon, the snail, loves to read. After reading so many enjoyable stories he decides to leave his comfortable home and go on an adventure. On his journey, he befriends an ant named Edward. The two develop a wonderful friendship that will make Avon's adventure a memorable one. Avi's chapter book for 3rd graders and up is a good introduction to witty dialogue between the characters. The illustrations are delightful!! I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end.

THE PLAYS THE THING

Seventh-grader Phoebe wants to be an actress and has looked forward to the middle school Drama Club for several years. She talks her best friend Harper into joining the club with her and they both get involved with the first production of the year, Harper as a producer and Phoebe in a small part. Phoebe gets caught up in the drama of the Drama Club and almost loses her friendship with Harper but ultimately discovers that being true to herself is more important that being popular.

Spin the Bottle by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel is a good depiction of middle school life. For readers in grades 5-7.

WHEN ART WAS LIFE!

Charlotte is a young American girl living in France with her mother and father, who is an impressionist artist. They live right next door to Monsieur Monet, run into Monsieur Gaugin while vacationing by the sea, and travel to New York where her father is comissioned to be a featured artist in a fancy gallery there. The story unfolds through Charlotte's journal, as she details the many exciting things that happen in France and New York, and what it's like to be alive in the 1890s. It even includes a recipe and quite a few paintings, post cards and other artistic tokens. A good story for 3rd-5th grades.

SNACKTIME READERS BOOK FOR AUGUST

Like a good mystery? Join seventh grader Minerva Clark as she tries to help the popular and rich Chelsea de Guzman find her missing diamond ring. With nothing else to do for the summer Minerva takes on the case and even with her recently gained brave new attitude she finds that it may be more than she can handle. She finds herself in the middle of the usual thirteen year old stuff such as peer pressure, trendy clothes, a pet ferret that is a kleptomaniac with the addition of a mysterious death, identity theft and a money scam. Get a copy of Minerva Clark Gets A Clue by Karen Karbo to see how it all turns out.

This is the August book for Snacktime Readers. The group will meet to talk about the book and to share some tasty snacks at the Central Library, 222 East Harvard, Glendale, CA 91205 on Wednesday, August 27 at 7:00 p.m. It's not too late to check out a copy and join us. For grades four and older.

FOR THE FIRST TIME STUDENT

The school year is just about to start and the following are perfect titles to share with that child that is going to be starting school this year.

In Wemberly Worried Kevin Henkes introduces the reader to a little mouse who worries about everything from the crack in the living room wall to going to school. But when she meets a new friend on the first day, Wemberly discovers that there was nothing to worry about after all.



Wow! School by Robert Neubecker tells the story of Izzy who takes a bus from her house on the mountain and discovers all kinds of new and wonderful things at her school. There is a lot to discover in this book's bright and colorful pictures of school objects and activities which offer a good opportunity for the readers to also play search games.





Meet Yellowbelly and Plum, two best friends, in Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School by Nathan Hale. On his first day at school Yellowbelly takes his stuffed bear along and they have a wonderful time meeting new friends and learning all kinds of new things until Plum disappears. Fortunately they are reunited and able to share some of the new things they learned.

For preschool through Kindergarten.

IT'S AUGUST AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T READ ANYTHING YET...

Here's another list of summer themed books for the older readers.

If you start now, you'll have plenty of time to read before you go back to school.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen - A boy gets an old lawnmower for a present and makes a ton of money mowing lawns. If you like making money, you'll enjoy this book. A very funny and short read for mature 6th - 8th graders.

The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California by Mary Hershey - A one legged kid has to spend the summer in California with his dad and new wife who's super rich. He also learns how to swim to impress a girl he has a crush on. Note: this boy has a lot of anger issues. Fast read for mature 6th -8th graders.

My Almost Epic Summer by Adele Griffin - This girl fantasizes about having a hair salon based on her literary heroines during a boring summer of babysitting. But, the boring summer turns into a one of intrigue when she finds herself featured in the online journal of a pretty but self absorbed lifeguard. Also for mature mature 6th -8th .

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison - A girl figures out a way to get a free trip to San Francisco by using her psychic ability to solve her distant cousin's ghostly mystery. Not so scary but good for mystery lovers. 6th - 8th.

Deep Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn- During a summer stay at the family cabin, the sisters discover an old family secret at the bottom of the lake. If you like being scared, then this is a great book with one angry and spooky ghost. 6th-8th .

NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL CINDERELLA

In this delightful retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine, there are some funny and creative twists. Ella has been cursed at birth to always do as she is told. This becomes increasingly bothersome upon her mother's death, as her father marries an awful woman with two snobby daughters of her own. Once they discover Ella's curse, she is doomed. Ella does everything in her power to rid herself of this horrible obligation. She experiences many adventures in her quest. The prince in this story is friend's with Ella and time will tell if it ever is to become romance. For 4th - 8th grades.

WRITING WITHOUT WORDS

Juno lives with his parents and a dog named Sam. His grandmother lives far away in Seoul, Korea, but she writes him letters. Juno cannot read the words she writes as they are in Korean, but he knows what it says because of the items that accompany the letter. When Juno decides to write a letter in return, he draws pictures of his life and sends a leaf from his swinging tree. Juno learns to interpret meaning through a language outside of writing. Even though they don't speak the same language, they can still communicate with images from the world around them. DEAR JUNO by Soyung Pak is a beautiful story for pre-k through 3rd grade.

AN AUSTRALIAN LOVE STORY

Seth is in love. But not with just any girl. She's beautiful, muscular, and the daughter of the awful housing inspector who has been hounding his family ever since his dad "accidentally" splattered mud on him. It's causing so much stress on his family that his parents' relationship is in jeopardy. His brother, gorgeous and useless, flip flops from one girl to the next and one interest to another. It's up to Seth to come up with a plan to get the girl of his dreams ... and fix everything else.

I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow by Doug Macleod is a fun book about a "hippyish/alternative" family in Australia and a boy who will overcome anything for the girl of his dreams. For mature readers in 6th - 8th grade.

MINTY THE SLAVE

Minty, the nickname of Harriet Tubman when she was a little girl, hates being a slave. All she thinks about is getting off the plantation. She is lucky in that she lives with her family, and they do their best to make her situation more bearable. But Minty is bound and determined to leave, and her father sees it best that he train her to live off the land. When Minty finally gets a chance to escape, she hesitates too long and the opportunity slips away. While she is saddened by her inability to follow through, she is not discouraged and vows to one day escape. MINTY: A STORY OF YOUNG HARRIET TUBMAN by Alan Schroeder is great for 3rd grade and up. This book also won the Coretta Scott King Award for Jerry Pinkney's gorgeous illustrations.