Monday, March 25, 2024

Tales, Legends, and Myths Retold

Retellings of fairy tales, myths, and classic stories are always popular.  It's always fun to see a new twist on an old story.  This week, I'm sharing story retellings for teens.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .


Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow
Raised in luxury as the pampered, adopted heiress of Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven -- the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven -- Camille knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. Then she meets the mysterious Tor and begins to uncover the secrets of her birth.

William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First by Ian Doescher
A retelling of The Phantom menace in the style of Shakespeare, featuring a disguised queen, a young hero, and two fearless knights facing a hidden, vengeful enemy.


More Retellings --
96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy
Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey
Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett
Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
These Violent Deaths by Chloe Gong
Thorn by Intisar Khanani
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Monday, March 18, 2024

Mad About Hoops

 It's March!  Which means it is time for March Madness.  This week, we're sharing some basketball stories for kids.

Double Scribble: A Jake Maddox Graphic Novel by Brandon Terrell
Diego "Clutch" Rivera was the hero of his school's basketball team last year, but this season things have not started well, and Diego is losing his confidence--but with some help from his dad and a friend he starts to rediscover the fun in basketball.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher
Daren's tendency to blame everyone but himself when anything goes wrong causes problems with his best friend, with a young neighbor who idolizes him, and with one of his basketball teammates.

No Slam Dunk by Mike Lupica
In Annapolis, Maryland, seventh-grader Wes is a good teammate but this basketball season has been challenging because of his ball hog teammate Dinero, who is determined to steal the spotlight, and Wes's army veteran father who is suffering from PTSD.


More Books --
Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
Camp Average by Craig Battle
Fieldhouse by Scott Novosel
Meet Julie by Megan McDonald
My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Prince by Bruce Brooks
Rebound by Kwame Alexander
The Turnover by Mike Lupica
We Are Family by LeBron James
Wheel Wizards by Matt Christopher
A Whole New Ball Game by Phil Bildner

Monday, March 11, 2024

All About Water

 This March, the Jefferson County Library is focusing on water and aquatic animals with our Dive In! promotion.  So this week I'm sharing picture books featuring water and the animals that live in it.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Rain, Drop, Splash by Alvin Tresselt
Follows the raindrops as they grow from a puddle through a flood and on down the river to the ocean.

I Am Shark by Joan Holub
Humorously illustrated sharks introduce themselves and the characteristics that make them special, in a child-friendly, fish-out-of-water tale that includes profiles of species ranging from the Great White and Greenland to the Mako and Hammerhead.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde
The story of one young girl's quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village.

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske
Plankton tries hard to get Mister Mussel to return a friendly greeting, but when Mussel finally opens his mouth the results are unfortunate for Plankton.

Pigs Ahoy by David McPhail
A young man joins an ocean cruise on which some bad-mannered pigs create disaster while on board.


More Books --
At the Pond by David Elliott
A Bad Day for Fishing by Paige Hulsey
Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske
The Deep End by Drew Sheneman
Don't Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton
Duck and Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills
The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare
Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
How to Spy on a Shark by Lori Haskins Houran
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Sonam
Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Peter Bentley
Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer
Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman
Ocean Counting by Janet Lawler
The Ocean Story by John Seven
Oona by Kelly DiPucchio
Pierre the Penguin by Jean Marzollo
Poor Doreen by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
River by Elisha Cooper
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
Trapped! by Robert Burleigh
Water Day by Margarita Engle
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck

Monday, March 4, 2024

Winners from the Past -- The Mark Twain Award

This week, we're sharing some of our favorite winners from past years of the Mark Twain Award.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
Katie can make things move with her mind and understand what animals are thinking and one day, suspecting that there are three others with her powers, she runs away to find them.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games.


More Mark Twain Award Winners --
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Blended by Sharon Draper
Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Dork in Disguise by Carol Gorman
Framed: A TOAST Mystery by James Ponti
Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli
A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi-Winget
Millionaires for the Month by Stacey McAnulty
The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Stolen Children by Peg Kehret
Titanic Crossing by Barbara Williams
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Wenny Has Wings by Janet Lee Carey
White Bird by R.J. Palacio
Zach's Lie by Roland Smith

Monday, February 26, 2024

Got Game?

This week, I'm sharing sports stories for teens.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Rez Ball by Byron Graves
These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team, even though he can't help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. 

Winger by Andrew Smith
Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, fourteen-year-old Ryan Dean West grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dorm-mates.

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli
With gold-medalist parents and her older sister headed to the Olympics, all she wants is to live up to the family name and stand atop the ice dance podium at the Junior World Championships. As the biggest competition of her life draws closer and her family's legacy hangs in the balance, Adriana is caught between her past and present, between the golden future she's worked so hard for, and the one she gave up long ago.


More Books --
Brawler by Neil O. Connelly
Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli
Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey
Call Me By My Name by John Ed Bradley
Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach
Curveball by Jordan Sonnenblick
Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
Gut Check by Eric Kester
Gutless by Carl Deuker
Hit Count by Chris Lynch
Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler
The Justice Project by Michael Betcherman
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin
Michigan vs. the Boys by Carrie S. Allen
They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman



Monday, February 12, 2024

So You Like Video Games . . . .

This week, I'm sharing stories about video games.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Slacker by Gordon Korman
Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It's not too hard for him to get away with it . . . until he gets so caught up in one game that he almost lets his house burn down around him. Oops. It's time for some serious damage control.

Unbelievably Boring Bart by James Patterson
Brainy twelve-year-old Bart attracts little attention at his new middle school near Hollywood, California, but whenever he can get around his gym-coach father, he secretly hunts electricity-guzzling aliens.

Click'd by Tamara Ireland Stone
Allie Navarro can't wait to show her best friends the app she built at summer camp. CLICK'D pairs users based on common interests and sends them on a fun (and occasionally rule-breaking) scavenger hunt to find each other. And it's a hit. But when Allie discovers a glitch that threatens to expose everyone's secrets, she has to figure out how to make things right.


More Books --
Crack in the Code! by Nick Eliopulos
Cyberspace Warrior by Edward Packard
The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer
Dragon Ops by Mari Mancusi
Gamer Army by Trent Reedy
The Good War by Todd Strasser
Mac Cracks the Code by Mac Barnett
The Nerdy Dozen by Jeff Miller
The Ruby Code by Jessica Khoury
Saving Thanehaven by Catherine Jinks
Tournament Trouble by Sylv Chiang
Ultimate Gaming Showdown by M.K. England

Monday, February 5, 2024

Water Habitats and the Life in Them

The focus for March at the library is Dive In!  A promotion all about water and water animals.  This week, we're sharing some informational books are water habitats and the life in them.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Ocean Atlas: A Journey Across the Wave and Into the Deep by Tom Jackson
A comprehensive exploration of our oceans, covering geography, ecosystems, and animals through a mix of illustrations, photographs, maps, and diagrams. Map out the oceans' layers, from the sunlight zone to the abyss, exploring the conditions within each zone and the different creatures that live there, as well as exploring features of the ocean floor such as underwater volcanoes, thermal vents, and the mid-Atlantic ridge.

From Shore to Ocean Floor: The Human Journey to the Deep by Gill Arbuthnott
The story of how humans went from building the first boats to discovering the secrets of the deep. Marvel at incredible scientific discoveries, be dazzled by some of the most exciting new species, and admire the incredible people who took the very first steps below the surface.

Life in Hot Water: Wildlife at the Bottom of the Ocean by Mary Batten
The scalding-hot water gushing from vents at the bottom of the ocean is one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Yet over millions of years, many organisms have evolved in amazing ways that enable them to thrive in this unlikely habitat. Scientists are hard at work to learn more about the complex ecosystems of the ocean depths.


More Books --
Amazing Rivers: 100+ Waterways That Will Boggle Your Mind by Julie Vosburgh Agnone
Coral Reefs by Seymour Simon
Freshwater Biomes by Louise Spilsbury
Marine Ecosystems by Tammy Gagne
Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy
Ocean by Miranda MacQuitty
Ocean Animals From Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Pond & River by Steve Parker
Weird But True: Ocean by National Geographic Kids
Wetland Life Connections by Raymond Bergin