All the World's a Stage

 Many dream of being up on stage or their names in lights.  This week, we're sharing teen books featuring stories about theater, movies, and television.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne

Audrey gave up on romance before meeting aspiring filmmaker Harry at the cinema where they work, but soon they are deeply in love--and not like it is portrayed in movies.

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

On her eighteenth birthday, Hilde leaves her orphanage in 1930s Berlin, and heads out into the world to discover her place in it. But finding a job is hard, at least until she stumbles into Café Lila, a vibrant cabaret full of expressive customers.

Waste of Space by Gina Damico

Cram ten hormonal teens into a spaceship and blast off: that's the premise for the ill-conceived reality show Waste of Space. The kids who are cast know everything about drama--and nothing about the fact that the production is fake.

More Books --

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley

Behind the Scenes series by Bisco Hatori

Better Together by Christine Riccio

Echo After Echo by A.R. Capetta

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold

I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley

Love, Jacaranda by Alex Flinn

Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

This Book Is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni

Super(Hero) Books for Kids

Superhero are always a popular topic with kids.  Here are a few of our favorite superhero chapter books ...

Almost Super by Marion Jensen

Two brothers in a family of superheroes are forced to reexamine everything they knew about being super when the powers they receive are total duds and their enemy is revealed to be just like they are.

Zodiac Legacy: Tiger Island by Stuart Moore

When six teenagers gain strange, magical superpowers, the vanguard launches a surprise attack in hopes of stopping the young heroes before they fully understand their abilities.

Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor

In southeastern Nigeria, twelve-year-old Mnamdi is determined to avenge his police chief father, who was murdered while triyng to rid the town of criminals, but Nnamdi feels powerless until he receives a magical object which gives him superpowers.

Cape by Kate Hannigan

Soon after being recruited by the mysterious Mrs. Boudica to join a secret military intelligence operation, Josie, Mae, and Akiko discover their superhero abilities and use them to thwart a Nazi plot to steal the ENIAC computer.

More Superhero Stories --

Battling Boy by Paul Pope

Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith

DC Superhero Girls: Final Crisis by Shea Fontana

Dear DC Supervillains by Michael Northrop

The Flash: Johnny Quick by Barry Lyga

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch

The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow

My Brother Is a Superhero by David Solomons

Public School Superhero by James Patterson

Sidekicked by John David Anderson

Super Schnoz and the Gates of Smell by Gary Urey

Wonder Woman at Superhero High by Lisa Yee

It's a Hard Knock Life: Stories of Orphans

It seems a common theme in children's books -- the plucky orphan going on an adventure.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

The Onts by Dan Greenburg

Ten-year-old orphan twins Wally and Cheyenne Shluffmuffin have had it bad at Cincinnati's Jolly Days Orphanage, but things get much worse when the Mandible sisters offer to share their home in the Dripping Fang Forest.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

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.

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

When an evil man claiming to be their uncle removes them from an orphanage, Tony and Tia, siblings with unusual powers, run away and try to find other people like themselves in hopes of learning something of their mysterious past.

More Books --

At the Bottom of the World by Bill Nye

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race by Jen Breach

Dactyll Hill Squad by Daniel Jose Older

Henry & Eva and the Castle on the Cliff by Andrea Portes

Loot by Jude Watson

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas

Wave Riders by Lauren St. John

We Own the Sky by W.R. Philbrick

April is Punny! Jokes, Riddles, and Wordplay Fun for April

Get ready for a month full of fun with these joke and riddle books.

Riddle Me This! Riddles and Stories to Challenge Your Mind by Hugh Lupton

A whimsical collection of riddles and riddling stories from all over the world. The playful illustrations offer clues that will help children to solve the riddles.

Just Joking LOL! by Rosie Gowsell Pattison

This collectible little book is packed with 300 silly kid-friendly jokes paired with photos of laughing animals and funny people.

Knock! Knock! Where is There? by Brian Elling

Collects over three hundred jokes featuring such famous locations as Stonehenge, Easter Island, the Bermuda Triangle, and Mount Rushmore.

More Books --

101 Hilarious Pranks and Practical Jokes by Theresa Julian

1001 Jokes for Kids: Laughs for All Ages

Belly Laugh Funniest, Grossest Jokes for Kids: 350 Hilarious Jokes

The Challenging Riddle Book for Kids by Danielle Hall

Dinosaur Jokes by Pam Rosenberg

The Jokiest Joking Puns Book Ever Written . . . No Joke! by Brian Boone

Silly Joke Books series by Michael Dahl

Tales, Legends, and Myths Retold

Retellings of fairy tales, myths, and classic stories are always popular.  It's always fun to see a new twist on an old story.  This week, I'm sharing story retellings for teens.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow

Raised in luxury as the pampered, adopted heiress of Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven -- the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven -- Camille knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. Then she meets the mysterious Tor and begins to uncover the secrets of her birth.

William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First by Ian Doescher

A retelling of The Phantom menace in the style of Shakespeare, featuring a disguised queen, a young hero, and two fearless knights facing a hidden, vengeful enemy.

More Retellings --

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

These Violent Deaths by Chloe Gong

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Mad About Hoops

 It's March!  Which means it is time for March Madness.  This week, we're sharing some basketball stories for kids.

Double Scribble: A Jake Maddox Graphic Novel by Brandon Terrell

Diego "Clutch" Rivera was the hero of his school's basketball team last year, but this season things have not started well, and Diego is losing his confidence--but with some help from his dad and a friend he starts to rediscover the fun in basketball.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher

Daren's tendency to blame everyone but himself when anything goes wrong causes problems with his best friend, with a young neighbor who idolizes him, and with one of his basketball teammates.

No Slam Dunk by Mike Lupica

In Annapolis, Maryland, seventh-grader Wes is a good teammate but this basketball season has been challenging because of his ball hog teammate Dinero, who is determined to steal the spotlight, and Wes's army veteran father who is suffering from PTSD.

More Books --

Big Shot by Jeff Kinney

Camp Average by Craig Battle

Fieldhouse by Scott Novosel

Meet Julie by Megan McDonald

My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Prince by Bruce Brooks

Rebound by Kwame Alexander

The Turnover by Mike Lupica

We Are Family by LeBron James

Wheel Wizards by Matt Christopher

A Whole New Ball Game by Phil Bildner

All About Water

 This March, the Jefferson County Library is focusing on water and aquatic animals with our Dive In! promotion.  So this week I'm sharing picture books featuring water and the animals that live in it.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Rain, Drop, Splash by Alvin Tresselt

Follows the raindrops as they grow from a puddle through a flood and on down the river to the ocean.

I Am Shark by Joan Holub

Humorously illustrated sharks introduce themselves and the characteristics that make them special, in a child-friendly, fish-out-of-water tale that includes profiles of species ranging from the Great White and Greenland to the Mako and Hammerhead.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde

The story of one young girl's quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village.

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Plankton tries hard to get Mister Mussel to return a friendly greeting, but when Mussel finally opens his mouth the results are unfortunate for Plankton.

Pigs Ahoy by David McPhail

A young man joins an ocean cruise on which some bad-mannered pigs create disaster while on board.

More Books --

At the Pond by David Elliott

A Bad Day for Fishing by Paige Hulsey

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

The Deep End by Drew Sheneman

Don't Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Duck and Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare

Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert

Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis

How to Spy on a Shark by Lori Haskins Houran

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Sonam

Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Peter Bentley

Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman

Ocean Counting by Janet Lawler

The Ocean Story by John Seven

Oona by Kelly DiPucchio

Pierre the Penguin by Jean Marzollo

Poor Doreen by Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

River by Elisha Cooper

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Trapped! by Robert Burleigh

Water Day by Margarita Engle

Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck