No.6 by Atsuko Asano

Shion lives the life of a privileged elite student in the utopian city No. 6.  Then he meets the fugitive boy Rat and offers his sanctuary and aid for the night.  For that infraction, he is kicked out of his elite school and he has to move to Lost Town with his mother.

Four years later, Shion is working in the Maintenance Department of the Forest when he discovers a man who has aged rapidly and dies.  The next day, Shion's co-worker is struck the same way.  Immediately the authorities show up to arrest Shion for their murders.  It's while on his way to prison that Rat shows up once again -- this time saving Shion.


This manga series follows Shion and Rat as they survive to live in the slums outside the utopian No. 6.  Not only must they survive harsh living conditions with little food, clothes, or other life necessities, but they soon discover that the No.6 isn't quite as wonderful as everyone thinks.  A mysterious illness is spreading through the city.  Citizens are being arrested for voicing dissent.  Now it is up to Shion, Rat, and their friends to help save No.6.

Let's Have Some Fun!

It's the first week of summer vacation!  So it's time for a little fun!  This week I'm sharing picture books are having fun . . .

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
To an imaginative bunny, a box is not always just a box.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
Chicken's cow visitors try to jump, dance, and wiggle on his couch, which is much too tiny for such exuberant activities.

Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig
The sounds of the farm animals create a lively beat that keep Farmer Sue, the chicks, sheep, and other farm animals awake.

Snowball Fight by Jimmy Fallon
On a snow day off from school, a young boy cannot wait to have a snowball fight.

Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile
Believing they have done all there is to do, two bored boys come up with a strange new activity to keep them occupied and discover an entirely new way to pass the time by doing--nothing.


More Fun Books --
Are We There Yet? by Dandi Daley Mackall
At the Boardwalk by Kelly Fineman
Barnyard Fun by Maureen Wright
Bea at Ballet by Rachel Isadora
Bears in the Bath by Shirley Parenteau
Blackout by John Rocco
The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds by Marisabina Russo
Carl's Summer Vacation by Alexandra Day
Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango
Circus Play by Anne Carter
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack: An Alphabetical Adventure by Doreen Cronin
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Fall Ball by Peter McCarty
Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow
Follow the Leader! by Emma Chichester Clark
Friends and Pals and Brothers, Too by Sarah Wilson
George and Martha, Tons of Fun by James Marshall
Gumption! by Elise Broach
Horseplay! by Karma Wilson
Hurray for Spring! by Patricia Hubbell
Jake at Gymnastics by Rachel Isadora
Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis
Let's Play Rough! by Lynne Jonell
The Line by Paula Bosso
Me and My Dad by Alison Ritchie
Mitchell's License by Hallie Durand
Pirate Nap by Danna Smith
Pretend! by Jennifer Plecas
Puddles by  Jonathan London
Robot Zombie Frankenstein by Anette Simon
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
Ruthie's Big Old Coat by Julie Lacome
Snow Day! by Lester Laminack
Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland
This Little Piggy by Tim Harrington
Treasure by Suzanne Bloom
What Can You Do with a Shoe? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Wiggle by Doreen Cronin

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 12, 2015.

May Is Mental Health Month

One in four people, including teens, will suffer from some form of mental illness in their lives. Yet, there is a stigma against talking about mental illness.  This May for Mental Health Month, read one of the following teen novels dealing with mental health issues and discuss it with your friends and family.

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones
A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.

Walkaway by Alden R. Carter
Fifteen-year-old Andy, fed up with his alcoholic father and annoying older brother, leaves their northern Wisconsin cabin on his version of a walkabout, leaving his medications to combat depression, anxiety, and delusions behind.

Inside Out by Terry Trueman
A sixteen-year-old with schizophrenia is caught up in the events surrounding an attempted robbery by two other teens who eventually hold him hostage.

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
Graduating from their school's special education program, Quincy and Biddy are placed together in their first independent apartment and discover unexpected things they have in common in the face of past challenges and a harrowing trauma.

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser
Fourteen-year-old Tara describes how her increasingly strange compulsions begin to take over her life and affect her relationships with her family and friends.


More Books Dealing with Mental Health Issues --
Angel by Cliff McNish
Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
Framed in Fire by David Patneaude
I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena
The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin
Pictures in the Dark by Patricia McCord
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
Right Behind You by Gail Giles
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen
Wild Roses by Deb Caletti
Without Tess by Mercella Pixley



Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 5, 2015.

Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elise Primavera

Ms. Rapscott runs a school for girls of very busy parents.  With the start of the new term comes five new students, shipped to the school in their flying boxes.  Unfortunately, one of the girls fell out of her box as it was flying to school.  Now Ms. Rapscott and the other students must find the missing girl.

This was a very interesting story.  I loved the idea of a school for children whose parents are too busy.  I also liked that they did not have regular classes, but instead learned skills that their parents were too busy to teach them.  This is a great story for girls to read.

Fairy Wings & Pixie Dust

We've had an increase lately in requests for books featuring fairies.  Here are some of my favorite fairy chapter books to recommend . . .

The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood by Barb Bentler Ullman
After her parents divorce and she moves to the country with her mother, fourth-grader Willa Jane, anxious and unhappy with the changes in her life, discovers a world of little people called Nutfolk living in the woods around her new home.

Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson
Along a magic-saturated stretch of the Mississippi River near Blue Wing, Minnesota, twelve-year-old Claire and her bullying cousin Duke are drawn into an adventure involving Bodacious Deepthink the Great Rock Troll, a helpful fairy, and a group of trolls searching for their fathers.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
When Flory the night fairy's wings are accidentally broken and she cannot fly, she has to learn to do everything differently.

Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer
When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks
A rebellious fairy named Tiki, already in trouble for breaking the rule against wearing jeans, risks the further wrath of the Fairy Queen by trying to fulfill a human's special request for help.


More Fairy Books --
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You by Toni DiTerlizzi
Birdie's Book by Jan Bozarth
Clemency Pogue: The Fairy Killer by J.T. Petty
Fairy Dust by Jane Smith
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
Fat & Bones by Larissa Theule
The Flint Heart: A Fairy Story by Katherine Paterson
Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
The World's Worst Fairy Godmother by Bruce Coville


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through May 29, 2015.

Family Stories for Young Children

This week, I'm sharing picture books featuring family stories.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

Another Brother by Matthew Cordell
Davy the sheep wishes he had time alone with his parents, as he did before his twelve brothers came along and started imitating his every move, but when his wish comes true Davy misses playing with the youngsters.

He Came with the Couch by David Slonim
When a family acquires a new couch, they discover that something else comes along with it, and they gain a new friend in the process.

Put It on the List by Kristen Darbyshire
After family members see the consequences of forgetting to write things on the grocery list, they not only do better at keeping the list up-to-date, they also help with the shopping to ensure they never again eat pickled grubs.

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Some children create a family out of snow. Includes labeled pictures of all the items they use, as well as information about how snow is formed.

A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban
When things change around the house after her baby sister is born, Frances decides to run away--but not too far.

Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman
After helping the Greenstalk family get to the county fair, the cows busy themselves finding solutions to many other problems that arise during the day.


More Great Family Stories --
Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic by Ginnie Lo
Bear's Busy Family by Stella Blackstone
Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio
The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold
A Book for Black-Eyed Susan by Judy Young
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds by Marisabina Russo
The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato
Coming Home by Greg Ruth
Dad Runs Away with the Circus by Etgar Kerrett
Don't Eat the Baby! by Amy Young
Dozens of Cousins by Shutta Crum
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio
The Graves Family by Patricia Polacco
Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler
Mama's Coming Home by Kate Banks
Meet the Parents by Peter Bently
Middle Child Blues by Kristyn Crow
Most Beloved Sister by Astrid Lindgren
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin
The Old House by Pamela Duncan Edwards
The Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor
Stick Kid by Peter Holwitz
The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas by Sally Lloyd-Jones
When Daddy Prays by Nikki Grimes
Who's in My Family? All About Families by Robie Harris
The Worm Family by Tony Johnson
You See a Circus, I See a -- by Mike Downs
You Were First by Patricia MacLachlan

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through May 22, 2015.