Spies & Espionage

It's always interesting to read about spies and espionage.  This week, we're sharing teen books featuring spies . . . .

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

In a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies, the stakes are high for two agents, Caden and Dylan, whose mission to compete for a girl destined for great power becomes complicated when Caden finds himself falling in love with his competition.

Spy x Family series by Tatsuya Endo

Master spy Twilight is the best at what he does when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions in the name of a better world. But when he receives the ultimate impossible assignment--get married and have a kid--he may finally be in over his head! Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn't know is that the wife he's chosen is an assassin and the child he's adopted is a telepath!

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

More Spy Stories for Teens --

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Also Known As by Robin Benway

Cold Wire by Chloe Gong

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Killing November by Adriana Mather

Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

Wolf Soldier by James R. Hannibal

The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

Unearth a Story: Dinosaur Stories

This summer's theme is Unearth a Story with a main focus on Dinosaurs.  So this week, we're sharing dinosaur picture books.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

I Am Tree Rex! by Mo Davey

Rex loves counting and hugging every one of his twenty-one trees. So, he is absolutely heartbroken when one of his trees goes missing. Where could it be? Who could have taken it? Rex isn't the only one who wants to know. A little bird who lost her home comes to him for help. Together, and with a group of feathered friends, they hatch a plan to scare away the tree cutters once and for all. 

Cookiesaurus Rex by Amy Fellner Dominy

Not satisfied with his green frosting and little hat, a cookie shaped like a dinosaur demands to be redecorated.

Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett

When a lizard hatches from the egg Leonard finds in the park, he names it Buster and takes it all around the city, but Buster grows bigger and bigger until Leonard realizes he must devise a way to return his pet to the deepest, darkest part of the park and set him free.

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon

When her best friend, a rather large dinosaur, goes missing after a bath, a little girl tries everything, including snacks, to find him.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur... and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, fluffing up the beds and preparing pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go... someplace else. They were definitely NOT setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!

More Dinosaur Books --

All Aboard the Dino Train by Deb Lund

Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs by Suzanne Lang

Bop Bop Dinosaur by Jim Cosgrove

Crunch the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap

Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland

Dinosaur Roar by Paul Stickland

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea

Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes by Timothy Knapman

Granny Rex by Kurtis Scaletta

Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin

How Dinosaurs Went Extinct by Ame Dyckman

If I Had a Triceratops by George O'Connor

I'm Bad! by Kate McMullan

The Little Green Goose by Adele Sansone

The Littlest Dinosaur by Michael Foreman

Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble by Diane Alber

One-asaurus, Two-asauaurus by Kim Norman

Penny & Pip by Candace Fleming

T. Rex Time Machine by Jared Chapman

That's What Dinosaurs Do by Jory John

Tiny Dino by Deborah Freedman

Tiny T.Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Edna, the Very First Chicken by Douglas Rees

When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor

Award Winning Picture Books

Did you know that Missouri has two readers' choice awards for picture books?  
The Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award (sponsored by the Missouri Library Association) is voted on annually by children ages 0-5 years.
The Show Me Readers Book Award (sponsored by the Missouri Association of School Librarians) is voted on annually by students in grades K-3rd.
Check out one of these past Building Block Award or Show Me Award winning books.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry

A monster searches everywhere to find the things he loves: bunnies!!!

Magnus at the Fire by Jennifer Armstrong

When the Broadway Fire House acquires a motorized fire engine, Magnus the fire horse is not ready to retire.

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, a series of dots multiplies, grows, or changes color by pressing, tilting, or blowing on the previous page.

Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson

Tells the true story of Bobbie the dog and Bob Cat, two pets who bonded together and were able to survive the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

More Award Winning Books --

Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

The Blue House Dog by Deborah Blumenthal 

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings

Dandy by Ame Dyckman

Epossumondas by Coleen Salley

Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein

Hero Cat by Eileen Spinelli

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

I'm Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich

Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed by Leslea Newman

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt

The Magic Word by Mac Barnett

Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos

Naked! by Michael Ian Black

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Pug Meets Pig by Sue Gallion

Snack Attack! by Terry Border

Some Dog! by Mary Casanova

Strongheart! The World's First Movie Star Dog by Emily Arnold McCully

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass

Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Take a Break to Read -- It's Summer!

Summer is the perfect time to grab a book and read for fun!  So take a break, grab one of these teen books, and spend some time reading this summer . . . .

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It's her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making. It's a summer of secrets and heartache, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds

The discovery of a packet of old letters sends seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg to Nantucket to unravel a family mystery about her grandmother's past, but things get complicated when Abby meets the cute grandson of a prominent family who wants to stop her from investigating.

The Many Lives of John Stone by Linda Buckley-Archer

When seventeen-year-old Spark takes a summer job working at a secluded house in England, organizing journals that span centuries and all written in the same hand, she discovers her true connection to the people who live there and the trait that makes them unique.

More Books --

99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Getting Over Max Cooper by Marcelle Karp

Golden Boys by Phil Stamper
It Started With Goodbye by Christina June

Just Kill Me by Adam Selzer

The Lightning Circle by Vikki VansSickle

One or Two Things I Learned About Love by Dyan Sheldon
Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny

This Place Is Still Beautiful by Xixi Tian

Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

If You Lemony Snicket . . .

 Lemony Snicket has written two great series -- The Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions -- as well as several standalone books.  But what should you read after reading all of her books?  Try one of these great read-alikes for Lemony Snicket . . . .

The Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd

Seven siblings are forced by the destruction of their swamp home to move into their grandpa's mansion, but greedy neighbors plot to steal their secrets and place them in homes far away from each other.

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

Deciding that he must sire a child to carry on his tradition of Loathing Light and Blighting the Beautiful, the Great Wizard Arriman announces a competition among the witches of Todcaster, one of whom will marry him.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Shouldn't we be orphans?" one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents--well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. So they concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel. 

Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger

Horton, an upstanding kitchen boy in a castle in nineteenth-century England, becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding a series of thefts, which is also connected to the pursuit of a very eligible and wealthy young lady's affections.

More Books --

Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch

The Crims by Kate Davies

The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street by Lauren Oliver

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette For Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Super Stories

 Superhero Stories aren't just for little kids!  Superheroes are a popular fandom for all ages.  This week, we're sharing some superhero stories for teens.

Runaways: The Complete Collection, v.1 by Brian K. Vaughan

They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents' annual business meeting ... until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride. For years, the Pride controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist ... and now, with their true natures exposed, the Pride will take any measures necessary to protect their organization--even if it means taking out their own children. Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.

The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

Living in a world where superheroes are obnoxious bullies, Abby is rescued from a mugging by a vigilante newcomer, a fledgling supervillain who tries to convince her that he is not as evil as reputed and that the city is under a dire threat.

Umbrella Academy: Young Blood by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

The Umbrella Academy has always been extraordinary--ready to leap to superpowered action at a moment’s notice. But now that Five has disappeared and their fame has crested, sometimes the only thing Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Ben, and Viktor want is to be normal... which is much easier said than done, when you’re raised by someone like Hargreeves. For their exacting and tyrannical father figure, nothing is ever enough; which is why, during a dinnertime debriefing on their latest mission, Ben snaps, prompting Klaus to suggest that they all need a change of scenery--just one night of partying like a bunch of average teens. In fact, Klaus knows just the place; there’s a frat house in a neighboring college town that throws weekend blowouts. What could go wrong? 

More Books --

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez
Micheal Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, v.1 by Hideyuki Furuhashi

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld

Let's Play!

 This week, we're sharing picture book stories about playing.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy has been on the department store shelf for a long time. Yet as soon as Lisa sees him, she knows that he's the bear she's always wanted. Her mother, though, thinks he's a little shopworn -- he's even missing a button! Still, Corduroy knows that with a bit of work he can tidy himself up and be just the bear for Lisa. And where better to start than with a quick search through the department store for a new button!

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.

Invasion of the Unicorns by David Biedrzycki

Secret agent Bubble07 has an undercover mission: to infiltrate the home of an Earthling Family and decide whether an army of alien unicorns should invade planet Earth. Danger follows in the form of dog slobber, tea parties, and show-and-tell. Will Bubble07 be forced to give up and call for backup? Or will this fluffy alien's heart be won over by story time and snuggles.

Where Is Bear? by Jonathan Bentley

A little boy and his best friend, an actual bear, go on a search for a teddy bear before bedtime.

Found by Salina Yoon

Upon finding a toy rabbit in the forest, Bear tries his very best to return it to its home but by the time its owner appears, Bear has become attached to Bunny.

More Books --

The Boy Who Wouldn't Share by Mike Reiss

Crybaby by Karen Beaumont

Dino-Grow by Matt Myers

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

Don't Lose Mr. Cuddles! by Dav Petty

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick by Drew Daywalt

A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Little Whistle's Dinner Party by Cynthia Rylant

Louis by Tom Lichtenheld

Miss Mouse's Day by Jan Ormerod

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney

Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero by Deb Pilutti

Toys Galore by Peter Stein

Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins

Traction Man by Mini Grey

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe & Amy Tuma