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

Ocean -- 4/14/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet

Books:
How to Put an Octopus to Bead by Sherri Duskey Rinker
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Milo Is Missing Something by Vern Kousky
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Sharky McShark by Alison Murray

Craft: Squid

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out squid's head

- Cut four 5" pieces of crepe paper and one 4" piece of crepe paper

- Cut all five strips of crepe paper in half longways

- Glue strips to bottom of squid's head as tentacles

Extension Activities:

- Secret Seahorse includes a hidden seahorse in each spread to try to find.  Hold an ocean scavenger hunt by hiding ocean animal stuffies or printing our pictures of ocean animals to tape up.  Then have your child(ren) find the ocean animals.

- I Need Pants! imagines a fish and octopus in clothes.  Discuss which clothes would best fit the different ocean animals.  Draw pictures of what that would look like.

Template --

National Poetry Month

Every April we celebrate National Poetry Month by sharing poetry books.  This April, read one of these great novels in verse for teens . . . .

Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Seven teens facing such problems as pregnancy, closeted homosexuality, and abuse each describe in poetic forms what caused them to leave home and where they found home again.

Spin by Rebecca Caprara

Arachne is ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After the tragic loss of her family, Arachne challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.

Miles Morales: Suspended by Jason Reynolds
Miles Morales is still just your average teenager. He has unexpectedly become totally obsessed with poetry and can never seem to do much more than babble around his crush. Nothing too weird. Oh! Except, just yesterday, he used his spidey superpowers to save the world (no biggie) from an evil mastermind called The Warden.


More Novels in Verse for Teens --

19 Love Songs by David Levithan

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole

Facing the Enemy by Barbara Krasner

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk

Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

One Step Forward by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams by Shari Green

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott

Wave by Diana Farid

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

The Magical World of Unicorns

What could be more magical than unicorns?  Enjoy one of these great unicorn stories . . . .

Punycorn by Andi Watson

Carbuncle is a land of endless rainbows and sugar-sprinkled doughnuts--until the vile Sir Ogre unleashes his evil army on the happy kingdom. Who can stop his outsized appetite for destruction? Punycorn! Who? Punycorn. The smallest, clumsiest, and, yes, puniest of all the unicorns. Punycorn may not look like a hero, but aided by a fireless dragon, a feisty dung beetle, and a magic sword with a hidden secret, he might just be Carbuncle's only hope!

The Rescue of the Unicorn by Deborah Lerme Goodman

You make the journey across the ocean to Scotland, and vow to protect your unicorn from danger in these new, strange lands. Will the unicorn's magic reach those who need it most, or will it be stolen by the greedy and violent people who know its full power?  One you can decide how the story ends.

Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark

Max Spencer is an underachiever but when a carnivorous unicorn, Princess the Destroyer, and an evil wizard, Rezormoor, bring him, the only one who can read the legendary Codex of Infinite Knowability, to their magical realm, he must find the courage to save himself, his friends, and the entire human race.

More Unicorn Books --

Even and Odd by Sarah Beth Durst

Gotta Warn the Unicorns by Nancy Krulik

How to Save a Unicorn by Meg Cannistra

Leona the Unicorn Fairy by Daisy Meadows

The Order of the Unicorn by Suzanne Selfors

Phoebe and Her Unicorn series by Dana Simpson

A Plague of Unicorns by Jane Yolen

Save the Unicorns by Helen Perelman

Unicorn Boy by Dave Roman

Tangled Magic by Kamilla Benko

The Unicorn's Spell by Cort Lane

Strong & Independent: Female Characters in Teen Books

This March, read one of these teen books featuring strong and independent female characters in honor of Women's History Month . . . .

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl.

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

When sixteen-year-old Beka becomes "Puppy" to a pair of "Dogs," as the Provost's Guards are called, she uses her police training, natural abilities, and a touch of magic to help them solve the case of a murdered baby in Tortall's Lower City.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that might overthrow her world as well as her heart.


More Books --

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Fire by Kristin Cashore

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadano

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Silly Stories for Young Readers

We love books that make us laugh!  They tend to be some of our favorite books.  Check out these silly picture books . . . .

Cowlick! by Christin Ditchfield

A fanciful account of how two boys get cowlicks in their hair as they sleep. She comes in the middle of the night, when everyone is sleeping. When she sees a smooth little head on a pillow, she can't resist giving it a cow kiss--sluuurrrp! Cowlick!

Hello Hot Dog! by Lily Murray

Hot Dog is having a good day until he realizes it is time for lunch.

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here's how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . . BLORK. Or BLUURF. Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY.

My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee

A rhinoceros does only two things: pop balloons and poke holes in kites. But rhinoceroses can really do more--so much more--than that!

More Silly Books --

Bark, George! by Jules Feiffer

Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black

The Cows Are Going to Paris by David Kirby

Dandy by Ame Dyckman

Did You Take the B From My _ook? by Beck Stanton

Don't Feed the Coos by Jonathan Stutzman

Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays by Jon Stahl

Ducks Don't Wear Socks by John Nedwidek

Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox

Frog on a Log by Kes Gray 

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

Mail Harry to the Moon! by Robie H. Harris

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos

Norman, the Slug With a Silly Shell by Sue Hendra

People Don't Bite People by Lisa Wheeler

Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli

Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka

What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night? by Amy and Refe Tuma

Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio

Game On! Sports Stories for Teens

Check out some of these great sports stories for teens.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Check, Please! series by Ngozi Ukazo
Eric Bittle, an ex-junior figure skating champion turned college hockey player learns to cope with the contact sport--and his feelings towards Jack, his attractive team captain.

Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

The boys of Kings Row are assigned a course of team building exercises to deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart.

Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports edited by Dahlia Adler & Jennifer Iacopelli

A YA anthology from editors Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli about the trials and triumphs of girls in sports.

More Books --

Brawler by Neil Connelly

Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

Call Me By My Name by John Ed Bradley

Game Change by Joseph Monninger

Game On edited by Laura Silverman

Gut Check by Eric Kester

Gutless by Carl Deuker

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Kneel by Candace Buford

Swagger by Carl Deuker