LIBRARY MOUSE: A WORLD TO EXPLORE

This is the story of Sam, a library mouse who lives in a hole in the wall just behind the wall in the children's reference section of a library. Sam enjoys his home and he reads everything in the library including reference books, cookbooks, picture books , poetry and biographies.

But Sam is not the only mouse in the library. One night, while going in a stroll he meets a fellow mouse who lives on the other side of the library. Her name is Sarah. Sarah is an explorer. She loves to climb to the top of the tallest library shelves to explore all the corners of the building rather than to read. However, Sam is too afraid to climb up that high and he prefers to research subjects and pretty soon finds himself writing his own book…

This book is an excellent book to read to children at bedtime or anytime and also inspire other kids to write their own stories too. Written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk.
Ages 6-7

ALVIN HO IS HERE!

What do you do when a girl invites you to a birthday party, a tea party to boot? Well, if you're Alvin Ho, you freak out and worry a lot. What Alvin has been hoping for was to be invited to the boy birthday party and run run around and play. But with no invitation in sight, he decides he'd better prepare himself for Flea's tea party while he's waiting. Like what does RSVP mean? According to Cousin Bucky it means Resume Standing Very Promptly, and she should know since she's had etiquette lessons and she's a girl.

Once again Lenore Look has written a laugh out loud book about the predicaments of Alvin. Alvin Ho Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes by Lenore Look is for readers in 3rd-4th grades.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH

I was browsing through the book shelves in the library and GEORGE WASHINGTON’S TEETH by DEBORAH CHANDRA caught my attention. To be honest, I wasn’t sure why anyone would ever write a book on someone else’s teeth, even though this someone is the very first president of the United States of America. But still, I was intrigued! What I didn’t know is that some people still even now believe that his teeth were carved out of wood since he had bad teeth and the dentist at the time thought it was a good idea. However, this is not true at all; the fact of the matter is that his teeth were made from the ivory of hippo tusks!

For grades 1st-3rd.

DEER GETS HEAD CAUGHT IN PUMPKIN?

The Carter family are an animal loving bunch, and have devoted their lives to helping the urban wildlife in their neighborhood. HIDE AND SEEK by Sue Stauffacheris the third book in the "Animal Rescue Team" series, and deals with a half-dog, half coyote puppy who howls at the moon, and yes, a young deer who was very curious to see what was at the bottom of a plastic pumpkin, and is now wandering around town with it stuck to its head, the poor thing! the main character Keisha is determined to keep the puppy out of the humane society and to save the deer before it gets seriously hurt? Cute story for any animal lover in the 2nd - 4th grades.

MEET UNCLE PIRATE!

There is absolutely nothing that is going good for Wilson. His school life is full of drama and problems. His classmates are always picking on each other and making pointless arguments and gestures to one another. Everyone bullies each other and overall it is just a bad environment to be in. One would hope that at least his home life would be better and that Wilson can at least have a little balance. However, his home situation is pretty much the same. The family’s financial situation among other issues are affecting everyone, including Wilson.
All these do change however, because Wilson finds out that he has an uncle. Not an ordinary uncle who sends the occasional postcard or the birthday card, but a pirate uncle. Now, imagine Wilson in his house with his pirate uncle who also had brought with him a talking penguin. Of course, the talking penguin could have been a parrot, but that would complicate the story right? You will have to read this adventurous and fun book to find out! UNCLE PIRATE by DOUGLAS REES.
For grades 4th and up.

CINCO DE MOUSE

Cinco de Mouse 'o! is a fun adventure of a mouse that decides to help to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with his neighbors without realizing that Yellow Cat has other plans for him.A delicious aroma of beans, cheese, rice, wake up Raton. People is preparing to celebrate. There is a band playing at the bandstand, food everywhere, the children waving their flags, horsemen and dancers. All of a sudden Raton spotted a confetti-covered piñata in the shape of a donkey hanging from a tree. Raton is about to figure out how to get candies from it. Meanwhile danger is going around. Greedy Yellow Cat is planning a party for himself and Raton is on the menu!A nice story for preschool children to learn the meaning of Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Latino culture. Ages K-2. Written by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler.

ALIEN BUNNIES FROM MALLOW

What would you do if evil, sugar-addicted seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy invaded your summer camp?

a) SCREAM.

b) Hide your candy.

c) Say, "there's no such thing as evil,sugar-addicted seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy."

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty is super silly! Rabbits from another planet are looking to take over the human population, but first they must prepare by stuffing themselves with sugary treats, like marsmallow. They land near a summer camp and soon they take over the bodies of the camp counselors. The only ones who can save the earth from these fluffy alien horrors are twins, Joules and Kevin.

A true story for 5th - 8th grade readers. Really. Well, it could happen.

CRAZY THINGS BOYS DO A LA GARY PAULSEN

How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales About Extreme Sports by Gary Paulsen. This is of course extreme sports before extreme sports became a sport. Back in the days of the author's youth, they were just boys having fun and daring each other to do outrageous things like trying to break the speed record on skis. The only problem was there were no ski slopes on the flat Minnesota landscape. So a car, a very fast car, will have to do. And so this begins a hilarious collection of stories about the things the boys in this small town tried, just to, you know, see what would happen.

A short but hilarious tale of mischief making. For readers in 5th-8th grade.

A FUTURE QUEEN IN A QUANDRY

Dear Liza has arrived in London to make her society debut. But when her parents die in a tragic accident, she is left penniless and must find work to stay alive. Luckily, she is hired on as the hand maiden of Princess Victoria, who is one day to be queen. It is up to Liza to keep the best interests of Victoria at the forefront of the petulant princess's life, thwarting the over-protectiveness of Victoria's mother and deterring the unwanted advances of Sir John. It isn't long until Liza is being courted by her own beau, and a delightful romance is weaved into this exciting Victorian era novel. PRISONERS IN THE PALACE: HOW VICTORIA BECAME QUEEN WITH THE HELP OF HER MAID, A REPORTER, AND A SCOUNDREL (A NOVEL OF INTRIGUE AND ROMANCE) is written by Michaela MacColl and is a very enjoyable book for readers in middle school and older.

MURDER, MONEY AND MYSTERY

Logan just moved into a new house ...a haunted house where the previous owner was murdered. The dead woman was accused of embezzling from the town's now closed amusement park, The Magic Forest. But the boy next door swears that she wouldn't do that and if she didn't then what happened money? Arthur and Logan follow clues left by the dead woman in order to track down the real thief and her killer.

Closed For the Season: A Murder Mystery by Mary Downing Hahn is a short suspense novel for readers in grades 6th - 8th.

From Mr. B at the Grandview Branch:

Little White Rabbit
Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

As naturally curious Rabbit explores the world around him, he wonders what it would be like to be green, or as tall as a tree, to fly like a butterfly, to be a rock. With each question, there is a two-page spread, wordlessly demonstrating how Rabbit thoughtfully imagines the answer. Large images, bold lines, and friendly pastels make this seemingly simple story a lasting experience. Oh, and it’s a perfect bed-time book.

CINDERELLA SKELETON

I am sure that you have read and re-read the story of Cinderella. However, I bet that this story of Cinderella is definitely not the usual story that you have read. Imagine the sweet and innocent Cinderella…But instead of her cooking and cleaning and taking care of her family, she is hanging cobwebs and putting wilted and ugly flowers in vases for the admiration of people.
The story gets even more spooky when she, in order to attend the annual festive Ball, has to ask permission from the good witch to turn her bats and cats into a funeral wagon in order to have the proper transportation for the event…This is a really funny story that I am sure will be enjoyed by everyone! CINDERELLA SKELETON is by ROBERT D. SAN SOUCI.

For grades 1st-3rd.

FEARLESS HEROINE OR FOOL HARDY CHILD?

In Alison Dare and the Arabian Knights, she joins her mother on an archeological dig somewhere in an Arabian dessert. Alison sneaks off to rub a magic lamp that was dug up but ends up regretting making the wishes the genie granted her. In the second adventure, Alison Dare and the Mummy Child, she foils an attempt to steal a mummy at her mother's latest museum exhibition. Alison Dare and the Secret of the Blue Scarab her superhero/librarian father prevents a town from being iced forever by Auntie Freeze.

Three fun adventures of the intrepid school girl in Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures by J. Torres and . For readers 4th-6th grades and can be found in the graphic novel section of the Children's Room.

WHEN YOU CAN'T GO HOME

From Children's Librarian Jennifer at the Montrose-Crescenta Branch

Where The Streets Had A Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Hayaat’s grandmother, Sitti, likes to tell stories about her home in Jerusalem. Mostly, her eyes brighten when she talks. But when she describes the day – that awful day – her family was forced to move, her expression changes. Hayaat is Palestinian and lives with her grandmother behind the Israeli-built Separation Wall, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem. When Sitti falls ill, Hayaat believes it’s her heart, not her body, that’s suffering. It’s this realization that compels Hayaat to make the short but dangerous trip to Jerusalem. With a friend’s help, she vows to bring her grandmother soil from her native land.

In this book, Abdel-Fattah creates a portrait of everyday life in occupied Palestine. But without taking sides. Instead, she shows the strength of the human spirit, even in the most difficult of times. Abdel-Fattah balances the seriousness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with what people naturally use to handle hard things – humor.

An engaging, must-read novel. Grades 5-8

ONE WAY, TWO WAY...THIRTEEN WAY!

Want a fun and relatable book about the crazy things that happen in a usual classroom? Now imagine that all those fun and relatable things are happening without your teacher. The regular teacher is out and a new substitute teacher has taken over the class. Imagine all the pranks and all the endless possibilities of great mishaps that the class can come up with the hope that the substitute teacher will not be as harsh as their regular teacher? Sounds fun ha? THIRTEEN WAYS TO SINK A SUB is by JAMIE GILSON and one you finish reading this book, I am sure that you will be able to come up with more than thirteen ways to "sink a sub."

Warning: Don't try the pranks that you read in this book in your classroom!

For grades 5th and up.

ABRACADABRA!

This is a story of two boys, Darren Jackson and Jamie Jenks, who are looking for the quickest way up the millionaire ladder. Darren works as a giraffe at a nearby pizza joint, miserably dealing with rude, abusive children. Jamie works at a nearby deli, annoying patrons with his great puns and catchy rhymes. When one of the boys' inventions goes crazy, it looks like a pretty dim future. One day, when things are at their worst, the boys stumble upon something that sends their magician careers soaring into fame and fortune! JACKSON & JENKS: MASTER MAGICIANS by actor Dan Frischman is a hilarious book for grades 4 and up.

READING + DEATH = PERFECT SUMMER?

Derek's perfect summer was ruined. His mother did not want to have fun. She wants him to READ! His best friend goes away for a great vacation back East, and he gets to go to a learning camp so he can learn to enjoy reading "real" books. Then he finds out that he almost died when he was a baby and he may have caused the death of the babysitter. He's obsessed with finding out what happened, but his mom is also determined not to let him.

A funny look at one boy's wreck of a summer with stick figure commentaries on the side. My Life as a Book by Janet Tashijian is great read for 5th-8th grade.

THE TRIPLE BANANA SPLIT BOY/EL NIÑO GOLOSO

Enrique’s insatiable sweet tooth is getting out of control and his dad has forbidden him to eat anything sweet. His birthday is coming and Enrique won’t be allowed to help his grandmother with her baking. Since his father has forbidden to eat anything sweet, Enrique comes up with a plan to trick his father’s. Soon his mother catches him up and prepare a plan of her own . Enrique is allow to have desserts only on Mondays and Fridays after school.
Following Monday when they visited the ice cream parlor, Enrique orders a huge triple banana split, with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla scoops of ice cream, nuts, sprinkles and chocolate syrup.Later that night, Enrique is having terrible stomach aches and El Coco , a frightening creature with a huge mouth and sticky hair, haunts his dreams. Vibrant colors, and great facial expressions. Ages 4-9. Written by Lucha Corpi, illustrated by Lisa Fields.

YOU!

For Kyle Chase, things just don't seem to go the way he plans. He is confused whether his actions are being sabotaged or if he is just making the wrong choices in life and hanging out with the wrong people. Because every time that he wants things to go smoothly in his life, they go in the exact opposite directions.

He is not sure if it's because he chooses to hang out with the wrong people or it's because his destiny is set and that there is not much that he can do. There are a lot of unanswered questions in his life and his brain is working too fast to try to figure out what he is not doing accordingly. YOU by CHARLES BENOIT is an excellent, fast paced read that will take you on a cool journey with Kyle while he investigates the things that should have or should have not happened to him.

For grades 7th and up.

IS ORIGAMI YODA MAGIC?

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

First of all, this author is an absolute geek or an absolute genius. It's hilarious. Each character's story had me laughing out loud. One day, Dwight, the class weirdo starts giving his friends advice via a paper origami Yoda puppet on his finger. He would spout in a Yoda like voice some bit of wisdom. For example, Tommy wasn't sure if he should ask this girl to dance> Well, Origami Yoda said "Rush in fools do". Basically, no don't do it! Everyone else was saying go ahead. And before he can embarrass himself with the girl AND her BOYFRIEND in front of the entire school, he gets saved by Yoda, cause he stopped to think about it. AND that was what Yoda did for Tommy.

So is the advice of Origami real or not? It seems like a lot of things kids have asked Origami Yoda really came true and the only way to find out for sure is to investigate it scientifically and document it.

A truly funny read about boys and coming of age - falling for girls, standing up for yourself and your friends and what you believe in. Basically, the mystery of growing up but done in a hilarious way- a cross between Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Gary Paulsen's writing. A short read for readers in 6th - 8th grade.