DETECTIVE MURILLA IS BACK

Murrilla Gorrilla is back with another case in Murilla Gorilla and the Missing Yellow Parasol by Jennifer Lloyd.  

Parrot's yellow parasol is missing and he wants Murrilla, the detective, to help him find it.  Murrilla is easily distracted by other yellow things she sees while looking for clues.  Will Murrilla ever find Parrot's yellow umbrella?  

 For beginning readers to practice their reading skills

1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN!

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRESCHOOLERS AND THEIR PARENTS, FOR SUCH A GREAT DANCE-OFF  FOR OUR NEW 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM.   If you took pictures will post them to our facebook?  Remember, music is a gateway to language acquisition.  

• Sign up your little ones (babies through pre-K) for our new reading program.  Runs all year long.  
• Sign up your little and big ones (babies through 8th grade) for our summer reading program, June-August.  

SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY MORNING!

All Glendale Public Libraries will be closed for the Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 -26, 2014.

Join us on Wednesday morning preschoolers for our 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN kick-off at Central's auditorium.  

KIDS READ! LIFE OF PI

Here's a review from 6th grader Naomi:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

An Indian boy named Pi is trapped on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger after a mysterious shipwreck. Stuck with no food, water, or safety, he is forced to stay on the boat. Eventually, almost every animal dies except the tiger which is named Richard Parker. At first he is scared of the tiger, but as time moves on, Pi gets used to being around Richard. He learns many practical skills during this voyage to help him survive.

In this book, there were some rather gory scenes and descriptions that I would have preferred not to read.The author was very descriptive in his writing. I could not tell if this story was based on Pi's imagination or reality. I liked this book because of the intensity and emotion the author has expressed. It was made into a movie which almost matches the book.

For readers 6th grade and up. 

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Thirteen-year-old Theodora Tenpenny’s grandfather’s last words to her before he dies are “It’s under the egg.” He tells her that there is a letter and a treasure under the egg, and she should find them before it’s  too late. Theo guesses that her grandfather meant the egg painting above the mantelpiece, under which she placed the best, most perfect egg from their chickens every day since she was little. As she is looking for the letter and the treasure under the egg, she accidentally spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the painting, which causes the paint to peel off and expose a different painting underneath. The painting looks suspiciously like a stolen masterpiece by a well-known artist, so Theo embarks on an adventure to find the real artist of the painting and its owner. Along the way, Theo will discover her grandfather’s secrets, a great deal of art and history, and a best friend.

Under the Egg has got it all - a page-turning mystery, art, history, and humor. It is a smart, witty book that has great writing and will continue to surprise the reader until the very last page. 

For grades 5-8.

SRP IS COMING!

So many books to read this summer. Bet you can't wait to put your paws on some books. Write them down in your reading log. Once you finish 8 books, you get a new paperback book as your prize. 

This year we  start on May 28, before school ends.  

NEW KIWANIS READ-ALOUD BOOKS

For Children's Book Week, May 12-18, check out our new (and old) books,  in the specially designated and revamped Kiwanis Read-Aloud Collection.  Below are a few noteworthy titles from the new additions. 

Training Tallulah by Rosie Reeve is a sweet and quirky cat and girl story about how each  make each other feel comfortable around each  other. 

An unusual book about the moon hanging so low that a young boy could touch it.   But soon the the low moon begin to have strange effects on  the citizens of the town in Moonday by Adam Rex.   

Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein is fast becoming the Children's Room favorite, when a baby dinosaur attempts to kiss everyone but it keeps getting it all wrong.  A hilarious trial and error story. 

Froggy Gets a Doggy by Jonathan London is a new addition to the ever popular Froggy series.  

READ YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK

Children's Book Week, May 12-18, 2014, is all about celebrating your favorite books, authors, and illustrators! From comics to mysteries, magic to history...you can find anything between the pages of a book!

Download an ebook or audiobook onto your device.    

BEAUTIFUL NEW TALES

The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney 
Spare in text but not in visuals. 



Beauty and the Beast by Ursula Jones and Sarah Gibb 
Visually appealing and atmospheric. 


Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella by Jan Brett 
Opulent visuals a la Brett. 

SUMMER READING IS COMING IN JUNE!

PAWS TO READ is 2014's summer reading theme.  Don't forget to come and pick up your log and write down all the books you're reading.  Read 8 books and you get a paperback book as your prize.  This program is open to children from babies to incoming 8th graders, but parents should also check out the Teen and Adult Summer Reading Programs. 

June 2-August 2 come get your logs and take join us for at all the special events. 

CELEBRATE BOOKS

From May 12-18, 2014 visit your library and read your favorite children's books. You can also download an ebook or audiobook onto any device.    

Children's Book Week is all about celebrating your favorite books, authors, and illustrators! From comics to mysteries, magic to history...you can find anything between the pages of a book!

DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.

Roan has always wanted to go to the Pilot Academy, just like his dad and his big brother.  After his exams, however, it turns out Roan is not meant to be a pilot but rather a farmer - doomed to spend the rest of his life on Tatooine killing plants.  Because he sure knows he doesn't know how to grow any.  That is, until he gets a letter from the Jedi Academy inviting him to study with the elite Jedi.  Although Roan knows nothing about being a Jedi, other than most of them are recruited as younglings, he figures anything is better than farming and heads off to Coruscant to learn about Wookies, Light Sabers, and "The Force".

Join Roan as he finds his place in the world in Jeffrey Brown's novel for 3rd and 4th graders, Star Wars: Jedi Academy.

MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC

A review by Theresa: 

With school soon to start, Lewis Blake, the main character in Eric Gansworth’s If I Ever Get Out of Here, decides to do something drastic and take another shot at making friends. As the only kid from the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in the brainiacs track at school, Lewis had spent the past six years not fitting in with the other kids. His solution is to chop off his braid and to hide the fact that he is on the free lunch program. Of course, it’s not that simple, the school bully starts torturing him, his classmates still ignore him and if anything he is on a downward spiral until he meets the new kid. They were an unlikely pair, George a middle class kid from an Air Force family and Lewis the poor kid from the reservation who bonded over a shared love of the Beatle’s music. 

The author paints a very realistic and likable story of two kids who stretched both cultural and economic boundaries to become friends. 

For grades 6-8.

LAST WEEK OF PROGRAMS UNTIL SUMMER

JOIN US FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS OF LIBRARY PROGRAMS.  WE'LL BE  GEARING UP FOR SUMMER DURING THE MONTH OF MAY.   

THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO CHECK OUT THE NEWLY RENOVATED BRAND  LIBRARY AND PARK.  

YOUR NEW SUPERHERO IS A GIRL

The Adventures of Jo Schmo by Greg Trine is the latest series by the author of the Melvin Beederman series. 

In Dinos Are Forever, Jo Schmo is the latest caped crusader in a family of caped crusaders living in San Francsico.  Along with her sidekick dog, whose weapon is creating a puddle of slobber, Jo tackles villains of all sorts after receiving a red cape in the mail from her newly retired uncle.  

After some training from her grandfather, 4th grader, Jo goes after an evil scientist who tries to resurrect dinosaurs in order to rob banks.  Greg Trine gives us another fun action-packed series with a cast of outrageous characters, but in a believable setting.  

This new superhero series is perfect for beginning chapter book readers 2nd-4th graders. 

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND

World War II home front and magical realism seem like an unlikely pairing, but they work together beautifully in Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco.

 While World War II is waging overseas, eleven-year-old Bee is fighting a war of her own. Orphaned at a young age, Bee works at the hot dog stand of a traveling carnival. She lives in the back of a hauling truck with Pauline, a young woman who works at the carnival and is the only person looking out for Bee. But, what makes Bee stand out is the “diamond” on her cheek. Born with a large birthmark covering one side of her face, Bee tries her best to be happy despite the cruel stares and taunts she endures on a daily basis. But, at least she has Pauline, who Bee knows will always protect her from the world. There is also the strange, yet comforting presence of the lady in the orange flappy hat, who it seems only Bee can see and who only shows up on days that have been particularly difficult.

When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is left truly alone and must face the harsh realities of the world.  Accompanied by her dog, Peabody, and the baby pig she smuggles out of the carnival, Bee digs deep within herself to summon strength and courage she didn’t know she possessed. Her journey of self-discovery and renewal is inspiring as Bee carves out a new life for herself and learns that she is not the only one who has faced hardship in their life.

Beholding Bee is an unusual and unexpected story. The cover art looks like a contemporary novel, but after a few chapters it’s clear that this is historical fiction that reads like a fairy tale. The stark realities of this country during the 1940s are apparent; polio, rationing, families broken apart by the war, and the treatment of children with special needs are all woven into the story. But, like any good fairy tale, there are bright points and moments of whimsy. Throughout it all, the character of Bee sparkles as she learns who she is and what she is capable of.

Recommended for 4th grade and up.

WHERE'S WALDO AT THE LIBRARY?

WALDO IS EVERYWHERE!   YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO SEARCH FOR WALDO BEFORE HE TRAVELS TO ANOTHER PLACE.

WOOF, IS AT MONTROSE!

No, it's really McEnroe, the Barks and Books volunteer reader joining in the Waldo fun.  Be sure to drop into Montrose Branch for their Waldo Scavenger hunt this week, too.

KIDS READ! ARTEMIS FOWL

Here's a review by 6th grader Grace of the Montrose Branch:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is a book about magic, fairies, and deranged criminal masterminds. Most of the time when you pick up a book and read the word fairies or magic, you would set the book back down. When you read that word, you instantly picture tiny little creatures with wings and flower dresses. Not Eoin Colfer's version. He brought together both fairies and criminal masterminds to make a whole different kind of book. In this book these "fairies" are not wand-carrying Tinkerbells,  but highly advanced creatures who can do magic and are extremely dangerous. This criminal mastermind and his bodyguard set off to find the "People" and attempt to steal their gold, which involves a dangerous plan, luck, and a certain female LEPrecon captain. 

Once you get a hold of this book and start reading you can't put it down. Eoin Colfer has concocted a book with a pinch of humor, a dash of magic, a sprinkle of adventure, and a whole lot of fun. So keep calm and read on!

For readers in 4th-8th grade.

CAN YOU FIND WALDO?

  Tomorrow, come to the Central Library and find the Waldos.  Find those staff members with the special Waldo pins.  Pick up your hunt sheet in the Children's Room and start your search.