Creepy Cryptids and Other Mysteries

Kids love to read about cryptids and other unsolved mysteries.  So this week, we're sharing some informational books on various cryptids and other creepy mysteries. 

Area 51, Lizard People, and More Conspiracy Theories About the Unexplained by Jose Cruz

Did an alien spacecraft crash near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? Is the U.S. government hiding alien secrets at Area 51? Could lizard people be in positions of power around the world? Get details about different conspiracy theories to find out why people believe them and what experts say. 

Inside the Bermuda Triangle by Megan Harder

Disappearances and other strange phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle have long inspired speculation and theories. Theorists chalk it up to everything from bad weather to time warps. Explore this mysterious history.

The Magnificent Book of Monsters by Diana Ferguson

From the man-eating Manticore and the dastardly demon Beelzebub to the corpse-munching Aztec goddess Coatlicue and the southern African tokoloshe, monsters from across the globe and many different cultures are brought to life in this large-format volume bursting with detailed full-color images and fascinating facts.

More Books:

Behind the Legend: The Loch Ness Monster by Erin Peabody

Chasing the Chupacabra by Anna Anderhagen

Crop Circles by Kyla Steinkraus

Encountering Chupacabra and Other Cryptids by Megan Cooley Peterson

Mysterious Disappearances by Louise Spilsbury

Mythical Monsters by Jen Breach

Sea Serpents by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Vampires by Xina M. Uhl

What Do We Know About Yeti? by Ben Hubbard

The Young Investigator's Guide to Ancient Aliens by The History Channel

Award Winning Picture Books

Check out these award-winning picture books.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Where Is the Dragon? by Leo Timmers

The king can't sleep until the dragon is found. Luckily, the three knights know everything about dragons and are armed to the teeth! Now they just have to find him. They set out into the night with a candle in hand. Soon they find something that looks very much like a dragon . . .

Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph

It's lonely being the odd dog out, when all she wants to do is find her place in the world. She's willing to go to the other side of the world to look for it. However, it might take a different kind of journey for her to discover that maybe where she's meant to be is right back where she started . . . 

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian

When assorted intruders invade his personal space and bowl, Goldfish is put out, to say the least. He wants none of it, preferring his former peace and quiet and solitude. But time away from his new companions gives him a chance to rethink the pros and cons of a solitary life. And discover what he's been missing.

Moo! by David LaRochelle

When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer’s car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country. Moooo! But a bump in the road brings this joy ride to a troublesome end. 

More Books --

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet Sarg

A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom

A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston

Don't Hug Doug by Carrie Finison

Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Hello Sun by Julie Downing

Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides by Anna Kang

Leap by Jonarno Lawson

Let's Play Monsters by Lucy Cousins

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Off to See the Sea by Nikki Grimes

The Problem with Problems by Rachel Rooney

Pumpkin Heads by Wendell Minor

Saturday by Oge Mora

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan

Family Friendly Classics

Today, I'm sharing classic stories that can be read by the whole family.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Headed for Canada to visit his father for the first time since his parents' divorce, thirteen-year-old Brian is the sole survivor of a plane crash, with only the clothes he has on and a hatchet to help him live in the wilderness.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

No case is too tricky for the world's most famous sleuth and his incredible powers of deduction, in a collection of mystery stories for young readers.

More Books --

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling

Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Stuart Little by E.B. White

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

White Fang by Jack London

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Back to School!

School has started for most children in the area.  Check out one of these great school stories.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Like her mother, a professional medium, Kat has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school.

The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith

Flora, the world's most educated mouse, saves her family during a crisis.

More Books --

In Honor of Broken Things by Paul Acampora

Lights, Camera, Middle School by Jennifer L. Holm

Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs by Katherine Applegate

The New Kid at School by Kate McMullan
Restart by Gordon Korman

Scary School by Derek Kent

School Daze by Nick Bruel

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The School Is Alive by Jack Chabert
School of the Dead by Avi

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik

Familiar Tales, New Perspectives -- Retellings of Disney Stories

Disney stories are eternally popular.  We love the Disney versions, the original stories they are based on, and retellings with a twist.  This week, we're sharing some Disney stories told from a new perspective.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Evil Thing by Serena Valentino

This graphic novel follows the rise and fall of the deranged and glamorous fan favorite, Cruella De Vil. If it doesn't scare you, no evil thing will....

Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller

Prince Eric is cursed to die if he kisses someone other than his true love. Eric must find his true love, the one with a voice pure of heart or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place.

Reflection by Elizabeth Lim

When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend.

More Retellings --

Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao

Dangerous Secrets by Mari Mancuso

Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne

Fractured Path by J.C. Cervantes

Go the Distance by Jen Calonita

Prince of Thorns and Nightmares by Linsey Miller

Pure of Heart by Delilah S. Dawson

Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault

Shattered Midnight by Dhonielle Clayton

So This Is Love by Elizabeth Lim

Straight on Till Morning by Stephanie Kate Strohm

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Summer Travels

Summer is a great time to travel to somewhere new.  Check out one of these informational books on different places to see where you want to go . . . .

Where Is Yellowstone? by Sarah Fabiny

Established in 1857 as the first national park in the United States, Yellowstone has been drawing visitors to its beautiful landscape for over 150 years. Before it became a national park, the region was home to Native Americans for over 11,000 years. Today, tourists come to the park from all over the world to camp and to visit the famous Old Faithful geyser and the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super volcano in North America. 

Mount Rushmore: Memorial to Our Greatest Presidents by Lisa Kozleski

Discusses the history and sculpting of the images on South Dakota's Mount Rushmore, and provides facts about the four presidents represented there: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Everglades National Park by Christina Leaf

From airboats to alligators, Everglades is a unique national park! Fluent readers can explore the habitats, history, and threats to this subtropical wetland with this informative title.

More Books --

Glacier National Park by Chris Bowman

Grand Canyon National Park by Christina Leaf

Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Chris Bowman

Rocky Mountain National Park by Christina Leaf

July = Disability Pride Month

Every July, Disability Pride Month invites us to celebrate a powerful truth: people with disabilities may have different abilities, and that is something to honor and celebrate.  Check out these teen books featuring characters with disabilities . . . .

Run On Your New Legs series by Wataru Midori
After the loss of his leg, Kikuzato’s dream of becoming a soccer ace comes to an end. But with use of a prosthetic leeg, he finds a new goal -- to become a track star and win gold at the Tokyo Paralympics!

Maybe We're Electric by Val Emmich

In Edison, New Jersey, in a museum devoted to the inventor Thomas Edison, a bitter, self-loathing sixteen-year-old girl with a deformed hand and the seemingly coolest boy in school spend the night during a snowstorm, growing close until a shameful secret threatens everything.

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

Abandoned on Earth because of her inability to survive on other planets, Jarra crafts a fake background for herself to join a class of norms who are excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities.

Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick

Harassed at her middle school, not taken seriously at home, and with a "perfect" older brother, Matthew, to live up to, thirteen-year-old Claire has always felt like her life was cursed--then one morning, when she are her beloved father are talking at breakfast, her father suddenly falls over with a stroke, and suddenly everything changes.

More Books --

Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalis Sylvester

Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Heroes by Robert Cormier

The Innocent Treatment by Ari Goelman

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnhard

The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner

When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest