Knight for a Day

Yesterday at the library we learned what it took to become a knight.  So I thought I would share some stories of knights.


Boogie Knights by Lisa Wheeler
When the knights of the castle are awakened by the noise from the Madcap Monster Ball, they decide to join the party.

The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
Princess Violetta, raised by her widowed father, the king, to ride and joust just like her brothers, is horrified when he announces plans to hold a tournament, the winner of which will win her hand in marriage.

Do Knights Take Naps? by Kathy Tucker
Rhyming text explores what it means to be a knight, what he wears, and what he does for fun.

Good Night, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas
A Good Knight helps three little dragons who are having trouble getting to sleep.

Summer Reading List for Teens

Are you looking for a good teen book to read this summer?  Here is the Arnold Branch's Teen Summer Reading List. . .

Airman by Eoin Colfer
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
           by Benjamin Saenz
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Every Day by David Levithan
Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction 
            and Fantasy edited by Sharyn November
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
In Darkness by Nick Lake
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn
A Northern Light: A Novel by Jennifer Donnelly
Railsea by China Mieville
Ship Breaker: A Novel by Paolo Bacigalupi
Sorcery & Cecelia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castelucci & Nate Powell

Taking from the Rich -- Giving to the Poor

From the heading of this post, you've probably figured out that I'm going to talk about Robin Hood.  Here are three great retellings for teens.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Will Scarlet shadows Robin Hood, with an unerring eye for finding treasures to steal and throwing daggers with deadly accuracy, but when Gisbourne, a ruthless bounty hunter, is hired by the sheriff to capture Robin and his band of thieves, Robin must become Will's protector risking his own life in the process.

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood: A Graphic Novel by Tony Lee
In the depths of the forest, Robin raises an army to challenge the evil Sheriff. Wearing a dark hood for disguise and with his unparalleled gift for the bow, Robin quickly becomes an outlaw, fighting the forces of evil for the good of the poor.

Forbidden Forest: The Story of Little John and Robin Hood by Michael Cadnum
Profiles Little John, from his quiet life before joining Robin Hood through his adventures protecting a beautiful lady when she is wrongfully accused of murdering her husband.

Royal Tales

In honor of yesterday's Royal Fashion Show held at the library, I thought I would share some royal picture books for boys and girls.

Princess Kim and Too Much Truth by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Young Kim discovers that there is a difference between being honest and always speaking the truth.

Princess Bess Gets Dressed by Margery Cuyler
A fashionably dressed princess reveals her favorite clothes at the end of a busy day.

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently
Jack, Zack, and Caspar build a castle fort, then spend a day fighting dragons and beasts, but at day's end giants carry away first Sir Zack, then Caspar, and King Jack is left to face night creatures alone.

Princess Pig by Eileen Spinelli
A pig believes herself to be a princess and behaves accordingly, but soon learns that being royalty has a price.



The Princess and the Pig by  Jonathan Emmett
When a new baby princess accidentally changes places with a piglet, both of their lives are forever changed.

Falling for Rapunzel by Sarah Wilcox
A prince tries to get Rapunzel to throw down her hair so he can rescue her, but she mishears him and throws down random objects from her room instead.

I Am the King! by Nathalie Dieterle
After his mother gives him a crown, a little boy decides to do only what he wants to do, until he is sent to his room.

May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
A well-mannered little boy, frequently invited to visit the king and queen, always asks to bring a friend--and the friends are always wild animals--and always well-behaved.

Summer Series

The start of summer means long days to fill.  It's a great time to start a series of books.  Here are some great series to read over the summer.

Calvin Coconut by Graham Salisbury
Fourth-grader Calvin lives near the beach in Oahu with his mom and little sister. Mom likes to call Calvin her “Man of the house.” But Calvin’s not great at being the man of the house, or taking care of his responsibilities. He’s too busy bouncing around with his friends and trying to avoid Tito, the tough kid.
1 - Trouble Magnet
2 - The Zippy Fix
3 - Dog Heaven
4 - Zoo Breath
5 - Hero of Hawaii
6 - Kung Fooey
7 - Man Trip
8 - Rocket Ride

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.  This series is the story of  Peter as he becomes the famous Peter Pan of legend.
1 - Peter and the Starcatchers
2 - Peter and the Shadow Thieves
3 - Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
4 - Peter and the Sword of Mercy

The Lady Grace Mysteries by Patricia Finney
Lady Grace is a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I.  Through her diary, we learn of her escapades solving mysteries in the royal court of England.
1 - Assassin
2 - Betrayal
3 - Conspiracy
4 - Deception
5 - Exile
6 - Feud

Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
Pronounced dead by the midwife and stolen at birth, Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son and has the capability of becoming poweful magician -- if he can survive his adventures as he studies with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard for seven years and one day.
1 - Magyk
2 - Flyte
3 - Physik
4 - Queste
5 - Syren
6 - Darke
7 - Fyre

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

Dinosaur books are some of the most popular books for young children.  Here are some of my favorites --

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
When three hungry dinosaurs lay a trap hoping to catch something to eat, Goldilocks who never listens to warnings, walks into their house and springs the trap.

Brontorina by James Howe
Despite her size and not having the proper footwear, a determined dinosaur pursues her dream of becoming a ballerina.

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Little Dinosaur roars his way through a number of daily challenges, but he cannot seem to defeat bedtime.

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus
A tiny primordial tadpole grows into a frog, feeling just as strong and powerful as the huge Tyrannosaurus rex that stomps through the mud.

T Is for Terrible by Peter McCarty
A tyrannosaurus rex explains that he cannot help it that he is enormous and hungry and is not a vegetarian.

Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoric Types by Sharon Werner
The dinosaurs in this stylish book are ingeniously engineered out of letters. A different typeface comprises each animal. Factual information about each dinosaur appears in multiple entries and fonts, making for an eye-catching and witty way to look at the ABC-DINO's.

Picture It! for Teens

Some of my favorite books to read are graphic novels -- stories told in a comic book format.  I find it interesting how they can convey a story with mainly pictures and little text.  Try some of the these great graphic novels for teens.

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life.

Library Wars: Love & War by Kiiro Yumi
Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the Library Defense Force ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore, but now that she's a recruit, her dream job is more like a nightmare.

Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant ... and a slip of a twelve-year-old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian, is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master's wishes.

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen
A graphic novel depicting Pinocchio as a monster-slaying warrior on a quest to protect the town of Nasolungo and avenge Geppetto, who was killed by vampires.

Miki Falls by Mark Crilley
Miki Yoshida has decided that her final year of high school is going to be her best. Then, Hiroo Sakurai shows up with a secret that Miki desperately wants to know.  She starts to fall for him and nothing, even Hiro himself, can stop her.