Afterschool Charisma series by Kumiko Suekane

St. Kleio Academy is a school for the clones of some of the most famous and notorious people throughout history.  Its students include the clones of Florence Nightingale, Adolf Hitler, Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, and many more.

Shira Kamiya is the only human among the entire student class.  But is he really all that different from all of the teenage clones?


This is a manga series for those who like history -- especially reading about famous figures from the past.  The personalities of the clones and their interactions are a great part of the story.

The Best Teen Books You Haven't Read!

Are you looking for a great book?  Something you haven't read before?  Here are some of the best teen books you haven't read yet . . . .

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
Years after writing stories about a superheroine character she created with a best friend who died in a tragic car accident, sixteen-year-old May is shocked to see stickers, patches, and graffiti images of the superheroine appearing around Seattle.

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.

Knockout Games by G. Neri
As a gang of urban teenagers known as the TKO Club makes random attacks on bystanders, Erica, who is dating the gang leader, wrestles with her dark side and "good kid" identity.

Infandous by Elana Arnold
Seventeen-year-old Sephora, a surfer and artist who loves fairy tales and mythology, struggles with a secret so horrible she cannot speak it aloud, especially not to her beautiful, single mother, although they have always been unusually close.

Swagger by Carl Deuker
High school senior point guard Jonas Dolan is on the fast track to a basketball career until an unthinkable choice puts his future on the line.


More Great Teen Books You Haven't Read --
Apollo's Outcasts by Allen Steele
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn
The Dead I Know by Scott Gardner
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
Eden West by Pete Hautman
Even in Paradies by Chelsey Philpot
Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy by Susan Vaught
Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh
Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens by Julie Mata
Not a Drop to Drink by Minda McGinnis
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
Utopia, Iowa by Brian Yansky
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker
You and Me and Him by Kriss Dinnisin

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 12, 2016.

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford

Claire has never minded being outnumbered by the boys in her school.  In fact, she's good friends with many of them.  Until the year, she is the only girl in the entire school.  Suddenly, the boys are all either ignoring her or mercilessly picking on her.  How is she going to survive an entire school year as the only girl in the school?


This story, told through Claire's letters to her best friend who moved away, is fun to read.  The dynamics between the boys and girl are realistic for their ages.  A great story for both girls and boys to read.

Laugh It Up with a Funny Book!

Looking for something fun to read this summer?  Want to laugh out loud as you read?  Try one of these funny chapter books for kids . . . .

Guys Read: Funny Business by Jon Scieszka
A collection of humorous stories featuring a teenaged mummy, a homicidal turkey, and the world's largest pool of chocolate milk.

100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons
At the time of his first transformation, a young werewolf of noble and proud ancestry, is driven from his pack when, instead of turning into a fierce wolf, he changes into a little black poodle.

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.

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space.

Clueless McGee by Jeff Mack
Through a series of letters to his father, a private investigator, fifth-grader PJ "Clueless" McGee tells of his efforts to discover who stole macaroni and cheese from the school cafeteria.


More Funny Books --
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Germs! by Alan MacDonald
Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson
I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Venuti
The Lost Treasure of Little Snoring by Lyn Gardner
Melonhead by Katy Kelly
My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog by Tom Greenwald
Remarkable: A Novel by Lizzie Foley
Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone
Sidekicked by John David Anderson


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 5, 2016.

Rosario + Vampire by

Tsukune has failed every high school exam.  Only one school will let him in without a passing exam.

What kind of school would accept him as a student?
Monster High!

Turns out everyone at the school is a monster -- including students and teachers.

On the first day, Tsukune meets Moka, a beautiful student who turns out to be a vampire.  Now they must somehow keep their friendship while trying to keep Tsukune's human-ness a secret and fending off everyone jealous of him being friends with Moka.



This manga series would be great for those who like friendship stories or stories with supernatural creatures.

Books That Inspire the Imagination

To be able to use our imaginations is one of our best abilities.  Books and stories are great ways to get our imaginations going.  Here are some of my favorite books that inspire imagination in kids and adults . . .

My Garden by Kevin Henkes
After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
Sam and Dave are sure they will discover something exciting if they just keep digging their hole.

Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar
Bertie, who loves the color blue and really wants a dog, finally gets his wish even though the dog he meets is white with black spots.

Press Here by Herve Tullet
Instructs the reader on how to interact with the illustrations to manipulate yellow, blue, and red dots.

Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
An imaginative young pig shows some of the many things that a stick can be.


More Imaginative Books --
Amelia's Fantastic Flight by Rose Bursik
The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Micheal Chabon
Big Plans by Bob Shea
The Birthday Box: Happy Birthday to Me! by Leslie Patricelli
Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
Dragon Dancing by Carole Lexa Schaeffer
Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail
For Just One Day by Laura Leuck
If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery
Imagine a Night by Rob Gonsalves
The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larwen
I'm Bored! by Michael Ian Black
Lizzie Nonsense by Jan Ormerod
Madlenka's Dog by Peter Sis
Meet My Staff by Patricia Marx
Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
On My Way to the Bath by Sara Maizes
One Busy Day by Lola Schaefer
Pirate Nap: A Book of Colors by Danna Smith
Pockets by Jennifer Armstrong
Rain Fish by Lois Ehlert
Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth
Snow Day! by Lester Laminack
Tap to Play by Salina Yoon
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
What If? by Jonathan Shipton

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through July 29, 2016.

2016 Summer Reading List for Teens

Every year, the Arnold Branch comes up with a summer reading list for teens.  These are a mix of classic teen books along with new teen books that highly reviewed.  Here is this year's summer reading list for teens . . . .

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
The best friend of a kid with superhuman qualities endeavors to have a life of his own that is both normal and extraordinary in the face of constant world-shaking challenges, threats against his school, and an elusive pretty girl.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos."

Emily's Dress and Other Missing Things by Kathryn Burak
A new girl in Amherst, Massachusetts, comes to terms with her mother's suicide and her best friend's disappearance with the help of Emily Dickinson's poetry--and her dress.

Star Crossed by Elizabeth Bunce
In a kingdom dominated by religious intolerance, sixteen-year-old Digger, a street thief, has always avoided attention, but when she learns that her friends are plotting against the throne she must decide whether to join them or turn them in.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Cath struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words, and worrying about her fragile father.


More Teen Books --
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
Character, Driven by David Lubar
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jones
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Head of the Saint by Socorro Acioli
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
The Wolf by Steven Herrick
The Year of the Beast by Cecil Castelucci & Nate Powell

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through July 22, 2016.