Me & My Family

Family stories are great to read.  Whether the idealized family that we all long to have or the dysfunctional family that makes us feel better about our own, family stories are fun to read . . . .

Family Ties: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Relatives by Gary Paulsen
'I'm the greatest family member you'll ever meet.' Kevin Spencer has a history of big ideas going completely awry. This time around, it's personal--suddenly he's kind of in charge of a double wedding in his backyard, and a whole tribe of wacky relatives is crowding him out of his own house.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
In this tongue-in-cheek take on classic themes in children's literature, the four Willoughby children set about to become "deserving orphans" after their neglectful parents embark on a treacherous around-the-world adventure, leaving them in the care of an odious nanny.

Jack Strong Takes a Stand by Tommy Greenwald
Tired of being forced to participate in sports and take extra lessons and tutoring to become well-rounded in anticipation of college, middle-schooler Jack Strong stages a sit-in on his couch until his parents ease up.

Tracking Daddy Down by Marybeth Kelsey
Daredevil eleven-year-old Billie has an exciting summer, in spite of her overprotective stepfather, when she figures out where her father and uncle are hiding after robbing a bank and enlists her cousin's help in convincing them to surrender.

Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti
In Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay, put-upon butler Tristan Benway writes a memoir of his years spent working for the chaotic and eccentric Bellweather family in their lighthouse, as he prepares for his long-awaited departure from indentured servitude.


More Family Stories --
Andrew North Blows Up the World by Adam Selzer
The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm by Patricia McLachlan
Brother from a Box by Evan Kuhlman
Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan
Finding Family by Tonya Bolden
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
The Magic Half by Anne Barrows
My Invisible Sister by Beatrice Cohn
Part of Me: Stories of a Louisiana Family by Kimberly Willis Holt
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Trophy Kid, or, How I Was Adopted by the Rich and Famous by Steve Astinksy


These books are on display at the Arnold Branch through March 7, 2015.