Jolly Good Jousts

I love books of knights, dragons, and daring deeds.  So here are a few of my favorite stories . . .

Digory the Dragon Slayer by Angela McAllister
Digory, a gentle boy who likes to spend time alone in the forest and make up songs to sing, accidentally becomes a knight and reluctantly sets off to rescue damsels in distress, slay dragons, and marry a princess.

The Lovesick Salesman by Margaret Gray
Even after being refused admission to the Heroic Academy, Irwin, a lowly shopkeeper in the Kington of Coriander, longs to prove that he is a true hero and win the love of the beautiful, wise, Princess Julia.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris
Relates tales of Sir Lancelot, the bravest knight in King Arthur's court.

Pagan's Crusade by Catherine Jinks
In twelfth-century Jerusalem, orphaned sixteen-year-old Pagan is assigned to work for Lord Roland, a Templar knight, as Saladin's armies close in on the Holy City.

Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher
In an alternate Victorian England, fourteen-year-old orphan Henry Grim, a maltreated servant at an exclusive school for the "sons of Gentry and Quality," begins a new life when he unexpectedly becomes the first commoner to be accepted at Knightley Academy, a prestigious boarding school for knights.

Summer Reading for Teens

One of our most popular displays each year at the library, is the recommended summer reading books for teens.  Here are some of the books we recommend this year . . .

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
A sixteen-year-old boy wrestling with depression and anxiety tries to cope by writing poems, reciting Walt Whitman, hugging trees, and figuring out why his sister has been kicked out of the house.

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Following a stray football to the other side of a wall where there is a secret, Standish Treadwell discovers astonishing truths about a moon landing that the overseeing Motherland, a ruthless regime, is determined to hide.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
In this twist on Edgar Allen Poe's gothic short story, a wealthy teenaged girl who can afford a special mask to protect her from the plague that decimated humanity in the mid-1800s, falls in love, becomes caught up in a conspiracy to overthrow an oppressive government, and faces the threat of a new plague.

Survive by Alex Morel
A troubled girl is stranded in an arctic winter terrain after a plane crash and must fight for survival with the only other boy left alive.

Let's Take a Trip . . . To the Zoo

One of my favorite places to visit as a child was the zoo.  My favorite animal there was the elephant.  This week I thought I would share some books about the zoo. . .

Two at the Zoo: A Counting Book by Danna Smith
A grandfather and grandchild go to the zoo, where they count animals from one to ten.

1 Zany Zoo by Lori Degman
When one fearless fox grabs the zookeeper's keys and opens all the cages, increasing numbers of animals behave in most unusual ways.

Never Ever Shout at a Zoo by Karma Wilson
Rhyming text depicts the chaos caused by shouting at the zoo.

The Great Escape from the City Zoo by Tohby Riddle
An anteater, an elephant, a turtle, and a flamingo break out of City Zoo and, disguised as people, try to make a life for themselves on the outside.

We Remember . . .

With Memorial Day coming up this Monday, we spotlight books for children remembering the soldiers who fought during World War II . . .

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.

Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman
In 1943, eleven-year-old Ellie is her brother Jimmy's "best girl," and when he leaves Pittsburgh just before Thanksgiving to fight in World War II, he promises he will return, asks her to leave the Christmas tree up until he does, and reminds her to "let the joy out."

Four Steps to Death by John Wilson
A young Russian boy is caught between a Russian soldier and a German tank officer as the bloodiest battle of World War II ravages his city.

It's a Mystery!

Here are some great mysteries for teens . . .

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones
After a disturbing freshman year at New York University, Mimi is happy to get away to her father's remote Canadian cottage, only to discover a stranger living there who has never heard of her or her father and who is convinced that Mimi is responsible for leaving sinister tokens around the property.

First Shot by Walter Sorrells
David Crandall, haunted by his mother's murder two years ago, uncovers a dark family secret that leads him to believe that his father, headmaster of the military school in which David is currently a senior, is the killer.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee
Stuck working in the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

Jasper Jones: A Novel by Craig Silvery
In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.

When I Was a Child . . .

Children often love to hear stories of what life was like when their parents and grandparents were children.  Here are some great historical fiction picture books for young children that explore life before computers, televisions, and cars . . .

Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone
Peppe's father is upset when he learns that Peppe has taken a job lighting the gas street lamps in his New York City neighborhood.

Dance at Grandpa's by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A young pioneer girl and her family attend a wintertime party at her grandparents' house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin.

Mama Went to Jail for the Vote by Kathleen Karr
In Washington, D.C., when Susan Elizabeth's mother, a suffragist, is arrested for picketing the White House and jailed, Susan takes up the cause of votes for women. Includes historical note and text of the nineteenth amendment.

William's House by Ginger Howard
Arriving in New England in 1637, William is determined to recreate his home in England but realizes that the climate requires modifications to it.

The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson
When Papa's pants--worn thin from dancing on his visit to France--split as he sits down to picnic with the king, the embarrassing moment provides both cooling and comic relief for the guests, prompting them to take off their hot clothes and dance.

Let's Go On an Adventure

Open any book and you can find yourself on the adventure of a lifetime.  Check out one of these great adventure stories for kids . . .

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River.

We Are Not Eaten by Yaks by C. Alexander London
As the children of two world-famous explorers, eleven-year-old twins Celia and Oliver prefer television-watching to adventure-seeking until their father takes them to Tibet to help search for their long-lost mother.

School Is Nearly Out

School is nearly out for the summer.  Here's a few teen books for the last weeks of school . . .

The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

Accidental Love by Gary Soto
After unexpectedly falling in love with a "nerdy" boy, fourteen-year-old Marisa works to change her life by transferring to another school, altering some of her behavior, and losing weight.

A Winter Night's Dream by Andrew Matthews
Casey, a high school freshman, and Stew, a senior, search for love separately, with the help of a favorite teacher, before meeting each other.

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
Class brain Bindy Mackenzie has alienated her entire high school but when she realizes someone is trying to kill her, she has to make friends in order to get help.

Rainy Reads

We are faced with a whole week filled with rain.  Here are some great rainy-weather reads for young children.

Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle
As a thunderstorm sweeps into the city, the people of the neighborhood rush into the subway to wait out the wind and weather.

The Deep, Deep Puddle by Mary Jessie Parker
During an overnight rainstorm, a large and deep puddle forms across a city street, and the next day increasing numbers of creatures or things disappear into it, from one shaggy dog to nine robbers.

My Side of the Car by Kate Feiffer
Sadie and her father have been planning a trip to the zoo for a long time but something always gets in the way, so when they finally start out and her father sees some raindrops, Sadie insists there is no rain on her side of the car.

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld
Cloudette, the littlest cloud, finds a way to do something big and important like the other clouds.

Jolly Good Jousts

I love stories of knights and their daring deeds.  Here are some of my favorites . . .

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
When the princess is kidnapped by a dragon queen, thirteen-year-old Thomas, a new--and very small--squire-in-training boldly sets out on a quest to rescue her.

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery.

The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short by Gerald Morris
While not the most intrepid knight of the Round Table, Sir Givret the Short helps King Arthur and the other knights with his cunning and cleverness.

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: Tales of Witches

The image of the witch standing over a cauldron and stirring a disgusting potion is an image that we are all familiar with.  Here are some stories that feature witches -- both good and evil.

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde
A girl finds herself running through the forest at the edge of a village with no memory of anything, even her own name, and later learns that she might be twelve-year-old Isabelle, believed to be stolen by a witch six years before.

The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
When her baby brother seems to become possessed by an evil spirit, fourteen-year-old Laura seeks the help of the strangely compelling older boy at school who she is convinced has supernatural powers.

The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
After learning sorcery to become a healer, a good-hearted woman is turned into a witch by evil spirits and she fights their power until her encounter with Hansel and Gretel years later.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is coming up this weekend.  This week share some great mother and me stories with your child.

Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
In a reversal of the classic bedtime story, a child helps her mommy get ready for bed, enduring pleas for one more book, five more minutes of play time, and a glass of water before the lights go out.

Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements
When challenges arise during a hiking and camping trip a mother could do a lot of things herself, such as carrying her son's heavy pack or putting up the tent by herself, but always finds a way to lovingly teach self-reliance.

 While Mama Had a Quick Little Chat by Amy Reichert
While Rose's mother has a "quick chat" on the telephone, Rose is supposed to get ready for bed but finds she is hosting a party instead.

Who Will Tuck Me In Tonight? by Carol Roth
Various farm animal mothers do their best to tuck Wooly the lamb into bed, but nothing is quite right until Mother Sheep arrives.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore . . .

I love The Wizard of Oz -- the fantastical setting, the frightening witch and her minions, the quest to find their way home.  Here are some more books that feature elements from The Wizard of Oz . . .

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

The Great Good Thing by Rod Townley
Twelve-year-old Princess Sylvie's storybook kingdom really is a storybook, where nothing ever changes, even the character's mad scramble to reach their places whenever the book is opened, until Sylvie discovers she can enter new worlds with the Reader, and find new adventures.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A little girl falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a world of nonsensical and amusing characters.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving humans, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.

I'll Never Tell -- Characters with a Secret

The following books all feature characters with a secret . . .

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
As seventeen-year-old Jill Jekel and classmate Tristen Hyde work together on a chemistry project, hoping to win a scholarship for her and a cure for his curse, they also uncover family secrets and a chemistry of their own.

Revealers by Amanda Marrone
Seventeen-year-old Jules, a high school student by day and a witch who slays vampires and werewolves by night, discovers frightening secrets about her coven's inner circle.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Grace Divine, almost seventeen, learns a dark secret when her childhood friend--practically her brother--returns, upsetting her pastor-father and the rest of her family, around the time strange things are happening in and near their small Minnesota town.

 The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood
In late eighteenth-century Northumberland, England, sixteen-year-old Jessamine Luxton and the mysterious Weed uncover the horrible secrets of poisons growing in Thomas Luxton's apothecary garden.