Have a Happy New Year!

New Year's is only a few days away.  To celebrate, read one of these great New Year's books . . . .

The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing
In this version of Clement Moores' classic poem, a brother and sister struggle to stay awake until midnight to ring in the new year.

Angelina Ice Skates by Katharine Holabird
Angelina has an idea that might keep the hockey players from interfering with her rehearsals for the New Year's Eve ice skating show.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

There are only a few more days until Christmas -- only a few more days for some of our favorite Christmas stories . . .

Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk
Yukio wants to have a snowball fight but all the other ninjas want to stay good for Santa. So Yukio decides to sabotage Santa.

Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
A simple retelling of the Nativity story.

Have You Been Naughty or Nice? by Ethan Long
The duck is sure he has been nice, not naughty, and to prove it he makes a plate of home-made cookies for Santa, only to end up eating them all himself, and he must come up with a way to get himself off of Santa's naughty list.

Uncles and Antlers by Lisa Wheeler
Each year, all seven of Octavia's unique uncles gather from far and near to join their favorite niece in a very special job.

Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn
While traveling, Babushka gives her gifts for the Christ child away and thinks she has nothing left to give the baby, only to discover that everything she gave away, she also gave to him.

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula by Andi Watson

Princess Decomposia is overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of running her father's underground kingdom while he is too ill to rule.

Then the cook quits . . . and she hires Count Spatula.

Count Spatula is a chef who loves to bake delicious treats.  He also becomes Decomposia's first friend . . . changing his world, her world, and the entire kingdom.


This was a quick, fun graphic novel.  It's a simple story that was told very well.  While the book was marketed towards teens, I think that older children would also really enjoy this graphic novel.

'Tis the Season: Books for the Holidays

The holidays are quickly approaching.  And while I couldn't find a chapter book focusing on the Kwanzaa holiday, we do have several books for both Christmas and Hanukkah.  Here are some of my favorites . . . .

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark as they battle during the twelve days of Christmas.

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper
Twelve-year-old Sam, the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother, struggles to understand religion and its role in his family's life during the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays.

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab
Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square and people tie wishes to it, but nobody knows where the tree comes from--but this year four children are determined to solve the mystery of the Angel Tree.

The Very Best Hanukkah Gift by Joanne Rocklin
During his family's eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, eight-year-old Henry learns the pleasure of giving and overcomes his fear of dogs.

Winterfrost by Michelle Houts
Left in charge of her home and infant sibling when her parents are called away at Christmastime, Bettina disregards a family custom about leaving out rice pudding for the nisse, who make their magic known when the baby disappears.


More Holiday Reads --
Certain Poor Shepherds: A Christmas Tale by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
The Christmas Barn by D.L. Davis
Clementine for Christmas by Daphne Benedis-Grab
How I Saved Hanukkah by Amy Goldman Koss
Jake by Audrey Couloumbis
Kringle by Tony Abbott
On Christmas Eve by Ann M. Martin
Rover Saves Christmas by Roddy Doyle
A Shiloh Christmas by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The True Story of Christmas by Anne Fine
Who Is Stealing the 12 Days of Christmas? by Martha Freeman


Check out these book on display at the Arnold Branch through December 30, 2015.

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase has been living on the streets of Boston ever since the night two years ago when his mother told him to run -- the night his mother was killed by wolves with glowing eyes.

Now his Uncle Randolph has finally decided to search for Magnus.  He wants Magnus to find the Sword of Summer -- a summer lost by the Norse god Frey.

But finding the sword is just the beginning of Magnus' adventures.  Now he is on a quest going through the Nine Worlds trying to save the world from the Wolf of Fenris.


This is the first book in Rick Riordan's new Norse mythology trilogy -- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.  It is a great introduction to the series.  It is immediately engrossing and catches you up in the thrill ride that becomes Magnus' life.  The Norse mythology is explained along the way to Magnus and the reader in a way that is completely  natural.  This is a wonderful first book of a series.

I Just Want to Laugh

While emotional books are great at times, often we just want a book that will make us laugh.  So here are some of my favorite funny picture books . . .

Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger
A pony tries to convince his cranky owner to take a ride into town. Includes notes about the song, "Yankee Doodle."

Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev
Miss Bell loves her cat Tiger, despite his tendency to act like a tiger.

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos
A picture book about baby Billy, who is born with a mustache, and his parents, who must figure our if it's a Good-Guy mustache, or a Bad-Guy mustache.

Sylvie by Jennifer Sattler
When Sylvie the pink flamingo learns her color comes from the little pink shrimp she eats, she decides to expand her choices, trying everything under the sun and, unfortunately, overdoing it.

Falling for Rapunzel by Leah 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.


More Funny Picture Books --
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Beware of Tigers by Peter Horacek
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
Brief Thief by Michael Escoffier
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Cowlick! by Christin Ditchfield
Don't Squish the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker
Ducks Don't Wear Socks by Jon Nedwidek
The Entertainer by Emma Dodd
Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round by Teri Sloat
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
I'm a Shark! by Bob Shea
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Little Nelly's Big Book by Pippa Goodhart
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Mail Harry to the Moon! by Robie H. Harris
Moo! by David LaRochelle
A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid
Put It on the List! by Kristen Darbyshire
This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris
This Is Not My Hat! by Jon Klassen
This Little Piggy by Tim Harrington
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
Who Needs a Hug? by Jeff Mack


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through December 23, 2015.

Beetle Boy by Margaret Willey

Charlie never intended to become the world's youngest published author at the age of seven.

He just wanted to cheer up his dad.  So he told him one of the bedtime stories his mother used to tell him.

But his dad thinks he made up the story.  Now Charlie has two books and is on the author circuit -- selling books at local author fairs and dressed in a beetle costume for school appearances.  Charlie hates it.

Twelve years later, Charlie is trying to recover his life . . .


This was a very interesting look at what we do for family.  Also how our choices made in the past lead to effects many years later.  This would be a great story for teen boys.

Which Is Better? The Book or the Movie?

This has been a great year for movies based on teen books.  From Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to the final Hunger Games movie, there have been several movies released this year based on books.  Here are some of my favorite books turned into movies . . . .

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. He has fallen in love with beautiful Victoria Forester and in order to win her hand, he must retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to her.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher
A retelling of Star wars in the style of Shakespeare, in which a wise Jedi knight, an evil Sith lord, a beautiful captive princess, and a young hero coming of age reflect the valor and villainy of the Bard's greatest plays.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.


More Books Turned into Movies --
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Paper Towns by John Green
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through December 18, 2015.

Blast Off! with a Good Book

Stories of outer space can be thrilling, scary, or humorous.  Here are some of my favorite stories set in outer space for kids . . .

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.

The Princess, the Scoundrel and the Farmboy by Alexandra Bracken
Presents an illustrated retelling of the first Star Wars film in which the galaxy's fate lies in the hands of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo.

Larklight by Philip Reeves
In an alternate Victorian England, young Arthur and his sister Myrtle, residents of Larklight, a floating house in one of Her Majesty's outer space territories, uncover a spidery plot to destroy the solar system.

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors.

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Liam Digby is so unusually tall that people think he should act like an adult, which leads him to compete against adults for a chance to go into space.


More Outer Space Stories --
Akiko on the Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley
Cakes in Space by Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre
Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl
Field Guide to Aliens by Johan Olander
The Incredible Space Raiders from Space! by Wesley King
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford
The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles
Space Race by Sylvia Waugh
Space Taxi: Archie Takes Flight by Wendy Mass & Michael Brawer
Willy Maykit in Space by Greg Trine
Zorgoochi Intergalactic Pizza: Delivery of Doom by Dan Yaccrino


Check out these books on display at the library through December 11, 2015.

Once Upon a Time . . .

Fairy Tales are popular stories for kids of all ages.  Here are some great picture book versions of fairy tales . . . .

1 2 3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay
A little girl awakens to scenes from fairy tales in which she can count familiar characters or objects from one to ten and back again.

The Ugly Duckling by Sebastian Braun
Though his mother loves him just the same as his siblings, a young duckling feels ugly because he looks and sounds different from the other ducks, but one day he discovers who he really is.

Princess by Anne Wilsdorf
A girl proves that she is a real princess in an unusual way.

A Catfish Tale by Whitney Stewart
When Cajun fisherman Jacques encounters a magical wish-granting catfish, his wife, Jolie, wishes for many things, including a paddleboat and the title of Mardi Gras queen.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.


More Fairy Tale Books --
Beauty and the Beast by Max Eilenberg
Beware of Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child
The Brave Little Seamstress by  Mary Pope Osborne
Cinderella by Barbara McClintock
Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale by David Ellwand
Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming
East of the Sun & West of the Moon by Mercer Mayer
The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jim LaMarche
The End by David LaRochelle
The Firebird by Jane Yolen
The Fully Belly Bowl by Jim Aylesworth
The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
Hansel and Gretel by Holly Hobbie
Iron John by Marianna Mayer
Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg
Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne
The Little Match Girl by Jerry Pinkney
Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elua
The Malachite Palace by Alma Flor Ada
The Nightingale by  Jerry Pinkney
One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice
The Princess Mouse by Aaron Shepard
The Red Wolf by Margaret Shannon
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky
Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale
Thumbelina by Brian Pinkney
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora
The Valiant Red Rooster by Eric A. Kimmel
The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be by Mini Grey
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child


Check out these and more fairy tale books on display at the Arnold Branch through December 4, 2015.

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Serenity, New Mexico is the perfect town.  Honesty and integrity are valued above all else.  The kids who live there never lie -- they know it's a short leap from lying to the awful problems found elsewhere in the world.

Eli has never left Serenity . . . why would he want to?

Then one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens that it changes everything.  Eli convinces his friends to investigate further and it's soon apparent that nothing in Serenity is as it seems.  The clues lead to an awful discovery . . . one that will causes them to realize they can trust no one -- especially their parents.


Masterminds is the first book in a new adventure series by Gordon Korman.  It's a great, suspenseful read for kids.  Each chapter is narrated by one of five children in the town.  They each discover shocking secrets about their lives that will change everything they've every thought and believe.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for an adventure, suspense or a mystery.

Read These Books with the Lights On!

Horror books are always fun to read!  Even though Halloween is a couple of weeks in the past, we still like to get chills as we read a scary book.  Here are some of my favorite horror books for teens ...

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam LaCroix, a Seattle fast-food worker and college dropout, discovers that he is a necromancer, part of a world of harbingers, werewolves, satyrs, and one particular necromancer who sees Sam as a threat to his lucrative business of raising the dead.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
For three years, seventeen-year-old Cas Lowood has carried on his father's work of dispatching the murderous dead, traveling with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat, but everything changes when he meets Anna, a girl unlike any ghost he has faced before.

Prom Dates from  Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
High school senior and yearbook photographer Maggie thought she would rather die than go to prom, but when a classmate summons a revenge-seeking demon, she has no choice but to buy herself a dress and prepare to face jocks, cheerleaders, and Evil Incarnate.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Sunshine is abducted by a vampire, and as she waits through the night, fearing the worst, she forms an unlikely bond with her captor.

Jinx by  Meg Cabot
Sixteen-year-old Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch, the descendant of a witch, must leave Iowa to live with relatives in Manhattan after the first spell she casts goes awry, but she will have to improve her skills to stop her cousin from practicing black magic that endangers them and the boy they both like.


More Teen Horror --
Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke
Bonechiller by Graham McNamee
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
In the After by Demetria Lunetta
A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine
My Swordhand Is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick
Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan
Pretty Monsters: Stories by Kelly Link
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through November 25, 2015.

Legacies: A Shadow Grail Novel by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill

Spirit is devastated after a car accident that kills her parents and younger sister.  She is shocked to discover that her parents made plans for her to attend Oakhurst Academy in case anything ever happened to them.  When she arrives at Oakhurst, she discovers that it is a school for those who have magic.  However, this is no Hogwarts or other happy school.  Students are going missing.  Friendships are discouraged.  Spirit must discover what is going on before something happens to her also . . .

This is the first book in the Shadow Grail series by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill.  The series continues with Legacies, Conspiracies, and Sacrifices.  It is a series filled with magic, conspiracy, suspense, great evil, and true heroism.  This is a great series for any fantasy fan.

Weather Gone Wild!

This November, the country's weather is being affected by El Nino.  We're experiencing above normal temperatures for the month.  Weather is a topic that continually interesting -- whether talking about the day's weather, freak storms from the past, or upcoming possible snow storms that will cancel school.  Today I'm sharing chapter books featuring wild weather . . .

The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith
Twelve-year-olds Ruby and Simon have been growing apart since their parents moved them to a Wisconsin farm, but weird weather events that seem tied to Simon's emotions bring a stranger into their lives who introduces them to the Makers of Storms Society,strengthening the bond between the twins.

Blizzard's Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
In March of 1941, when a severe blizzard suddenly hits Bismarck, North Dakota, a girl trying to save her stranded father and brother inadvertently helps the man who killed her mother four years before.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Rhodes
In New Orleans' Ninth Ward, twelve-year-old Lanesha, who can see spirits, and her adopted grandmother have no choice but to stay and weather the storm as Hurricane Katrina bears down upon them.

The Lightning Catcher by Anne Cameron
When eleven-year-old Angus McFangus learns that he is a storm prophet, someone who can predict and control catastrophic weather, he must stop the villainous Scabious Dankhart from unleashing an unending storm and achieving world domination.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.


More Wild Weather Stories --
Anna's Blizzard by Alison Hart
Blown Away! by Joan Harlow
The Book of Storms by Ruth Hatfield
The Buddha's Diamonds by Carolyn Marsden
Hurricane by Terry Trueman
The Maloney's Magical Weatherbox by Nigel Quinlan
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
Treasures in the Dust by Tracey Porter
The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen
Where the Four Winds Blow by Dan Yaccrino


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through November 20, 2015.

Halloween Hauntings!

Halloween is fast approaching!  This week I'm going to share some of my favorite Halloween picture books for young kids.  These are perfect for those kids who don't want too scary of a book . . .

Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
In this Halloween countdown book, ten orange pumpkins are each carried off by a witch, a ghost, a spider, and other Halloween creatures until there's just one.

Jungle Halloween by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Rhyming verses tell the story of jungle animals which decorate for Halloween, dress up for the occasion, and participate in the night's festivities.

The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey
All the other dogs make fun of Oscar the dachshund until one Halloween when, dressed as a hot dog, Oscar bravely rescues the others.

Six Creepy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle
Out trick-or-treating on Halloween, the six sheep meet a passel of pirates, a gaggle of goblins, and other trick-or-treaters who scare the wool off them.

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Tamaya Dhilwaddi and Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from school together for years.  It's a long four-mile walk around  the woods to their house.  Then one day, Marshall decides to take a "short cut" through the woods to avoid a school bully and Tamaya follows him into the woods.  They soon get lost.  Then they bully finds them.  Then they escape only to find that something in the woods was a lot more dangerous than they thought.

This was a great story of courage, suspense, adventure, and mystery.  The issues of bullying, telling the truth, and doing the right thing are handled with great care.  I would recommend this book to any reader.

Get Away @ the Library

This week is Teen Read Week -- a time to celebrate reading for fun and pleasure.  This year's theme is Get Away @ Your Library which highlights how reading a book can take you anywhere you would like to go.  So here are some great teen books that will transport you to new lands, worlds, and adventures . . .

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.

Nil by Lynne Matson
Transported through a "gate" to the mysterious island of Nil, seventeen-year-old Charley has 365 days to escape--or she will die.

Gateway by Sharon Shinn
While passing through the Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, a Chinese American teenager is transported to a parallel world where she is given a dangerous assignment.

Trash by Andy Mulligan
Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country's dump.


More Books --
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Game Changer by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Lawson
The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes
Love by the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith
A Meeting of Minds by Carol Matas
More Than This by Patrick Ness
Now That You're Here by Amy Nichols
Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
Stravaganza: City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
Summerland by Michael Chabon


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through November 13, 2015.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan & Maureen Johnson

Magnus Bane was one of the most fascinating characters in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices series.  A warlock who has lived for centuries, Magnus' life intertwines with the Downworlders -- vampires, werewolves, fairies, and warlocks -- and the Shadowhunters who hunt them.  His life has been full of adventure and romance.  Here are the stories that reveal yet more about him and his life.

The audio version of these short stories is wonderful.  Each story is narrated by a different British actor.  Anyone who has read either of Cassandra Clare's series should definitely check out this book.

Boo! Tales to Haunt You

Halloween is quickly approaching, which means that one of the most popular requests at the moment is "scary" books.  Ghosts are always a popular answer to those requests.  So here are some of my favorite ghost stories for children . . .

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey.

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle by Eva Ibbotson
While spending the summer with elderly relatives at Clawstone Castle in northern England, Madlyn and her brother Rollo, with the help of several ghosts, attempt to save the rare cattle that live on the castle grounds.

The Seer of Shadows by Avi
In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house.


More Ghost Books ---
Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
Doll Bones by Holly Black
The Ghost Behind the Wall by  Melvin Burgess
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke
The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton Shaw
Knee-Knock Rise by Natalie Babbitt
Paranorman: A Novel by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Please the Ghost by Sharon Creech
Stealaway by K.M. Peyton
Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge: A Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss
The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones
The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase


Check out these and other ghosts stories at the Arnold Branch!

What Should I Wear Today?

Clothes are an important part of our lives.  We love to pick out what we are going to wear for different occasions and activities.  Here are some great picture books featuring clothes . . . .

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
Wilbur, a naked mole rat who likes to wear clothes, is forced to go before the wise community elder, who surprises the other naked mole rats with his pronouncement.

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
A tiny fish wearing a blue hat hopes not to wake up the trouble that might be following close behind.

Chamelia by Ethan Long
Chamelia loves to stand out and often wears outrageous outfits, but eventually she learns to shine in other ways.

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold
When her tiny purple socks start to expand, Sally turns them into a scarf and then curtains, but things soon get out of hand.



More Books About Clothes --
Baby Shoes by Dashka Slater
Bridget's Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
Buy My Hats by Dave Horowitz
The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson
Dog in Boots by Greg Gormley
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
The Emperor's New Clothes by Demi
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Glasses: Who Needs 'Em? by Lane Smith
Grandpa's Overalls by Tony Crunk
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Hello, Sun! by Dayle Ann Dodds
I Love My Hat! by Douglas Florian
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
Lamby Lamb by Christopher Raschka
Lost and Found by Bill Harley
The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
My Grandfather's Coat by Jim Aylesworth
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen
The Orange Shoes by Trinka Hakes Noble
Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
Red Hat by Lita Judge
Ruthie's Big Old Coat by Julie Lacome
The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle
Tacky and the Emperor by Helen Lester
Time to Get Dressed! by Elivia Savadier
What Can You Do With a Shoe? by Beatrice Schenks de Regnier
Which Hat is That? by Anna Grossnickle Hines


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through October 23, 2015.

Teens' Top Ten

Each year, YALSA (Young Adult Library Service Association) asks teens across the country to determine the Top Ten Books for teens.  Teens are asked to vote for up to three of their favorite books from the list.  They can vote online at http://www.dogobooks.com/book_clubs/teens-top-reads.  Voting ends on October 24, 2015.







Teens' Top Ten Nominees

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan & Maureen Johnson
Boys Like You by Juliana Stone
Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout
Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Heir of Fire by Sara J. Maas
I Become Shadow by Joe Shine
The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson
Let's Get Lost by Adi Alasaid
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake
My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain
The Shadow Throne by Jennifer E. Nielsen
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Unhinged by A.G. Howard
We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski
The Young Elite by Marie Lu


Check out these books at the Arnold Branch!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa is a Gracelign -- someone gifted with an amazing gift that is signaled by her two different colored eyes.  She has what is considered the most dangerous of the graces -- the gift of killing.  Her uncle, King Randa, uses her as his enforcer and bully to keep his subjects in line.  Until the day she refuses to harm someone.  Now she's left everything she knows to work with Po, a neighboring country's prince, who is searching for why his grandfather was kidnapped.

This is the first book in the Graceling Realms series.  It is a wonderful fantasy novel featuring one of the strongest female characters written for teens.  Katsa is sure of her abilities, knows her mind, and isn't afraid to be stronger than everybody else.  The villain of the book is truly evil in a way that seems completely invincible.  Yet the ending is realistic and completely believable.  This is great series for both teen girls and boys as well as adult readers of fantasy.

The Times Were A-Changin'

The 1960's were a time of great change for America.  The Civil Rights movement, the Cuban Missle Crisis, the counterculture movement all occurred during those turbulent years.  Here are some great books set during the 1960's for kids . . .

Gentle's Holler by Kerry Maden

In the early 1960s, twelve-year-old songwriter Livy Two Weems dreams of seeing the world beyond the Maggie Valley, North Carolina, holler where she lives in poverty with her parents and eight brothers and sisters, but understands that she must put family first.

90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis

Julian's parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

As eleven-year-old Franny Chapman deals with drama at home and with her best friend in 1962, she tries to understand the larger problems in the world after President Kennedy announces that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba. 

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African-Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.

Spitting Image by Shutta Crum

In the small town of Baylor, Kentucky, twelve-year-old Jessie K. Bovey and her friends confront some of life's questions during their summer vacation in the late 1960s.

More Novels of the 1960s --

Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack

The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Dancing in Cadillac Light by Kimberly Willis Holt

Flying South by Laura Elliott

Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marino

The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye by Bonnie Shimko

Sources of Light by Margaret McMullan

Spelldown by Karen Luddy

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

When Pirates Came to Brooklyn by Phyllis Shalant

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through October 9, 2015.

Sometimes the Classics Are the Best

Sometimes as a library, we get so focused on the newest books that we forget about the old favorites that have been popular for so long.  Sometimes classic books are the best books to read.  So here are some of my favorite classic picture books for kids . . .

Corduroy by Don Freeman

A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him he finds what he has always wanted most of all.

Elmer by David McKee

All the elephants of the jungle were gray except Elmer, who was a patchwork of brilliant colors until the day he got tired of being different and making the other elephants laugh.

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail

Pigs galore invade a house and have a wonderful party.

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

George the puppy's mother is in for a big surprise when she takes him to the veterinarian to find out why he does not bark.

More Classic Picture Books --

Absolutely, Positively Alexander: The Complete Stories by Judith Viorst

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys by H.A Rey

Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak

The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans

Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse

May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Moondance by Frank Asch

Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowery

Possum Magic by Mem Fox

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Check out these and other classic picture books at the Arnold Branch.

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is back with another irreverent look at Greek mythology.

This time he's telling us about the lives of the Greek heroes.

You would think the life of a Greek hero would be great!
Giant monsters!  Deadly Warriors!  Jealous Gods and Goddesses! Murderous Kings!

Read these stories to find out what life as a Greek hero was truly like.


For added fun, try the audio version of this narrated by  Jesse Berstein.

I Want a Pet!

It's a common request from kids.  They want a pet!  Whether it is a dog, cat, fish, horse, etc.  So this week, I'm sharing picture books about pets -- both usual and unusual.

The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle
A young boy enlists the help of a dragon to persuade his mother to let him have a dog as a pet.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy lost in the woods, she asks her mother if she can have him as a pet, only to find him impossible to train.

How to Train a Train by Jason Eaton
A whimsical guide to training a "pet train" instructs young enthusiasts about important issues including where trains live, what they like to eat, and how to get them to perform the best train tricks.

Me Want Pet by Tammi Sauer
When Cave Boy wants a pet, he tries a woolly mammoth, a saber-toothed tiger, and a dodo bird, but none seems suitable.

A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmimd
Petunia so desperately wants a pet skunk that she refuses to believe her parents when they say skunks stink.


More Pet Books --
Alberto the Dancing Alligator by Richard Waring
The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick
The Big Bad Wolf and Me by Delphine Perret
Cats are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev
C'Mere Boy! by Sharon Jennings
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by  Mark Teague
Hondo & Fabian by Peter McCarty
I Need a Snake by Lynne Jonell
If I Had a Raptor by George O'Connor
The Kindhearted Crocodile by Lucia Panzieri
"Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate by Bob Graham
Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Mammoth and Me by Algy Craig Hall
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachalet
My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett
The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini
A Pet for Miss Wright by Judy Young
Sparky! by Jenny Offill
That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child
That's My Dog! by Rick Walton
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson
Wanted, the Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton
What Pet to Get? by Emma Dodd
Worst in Show by William Bee


Check out these and other pet picture books on display at the Arnold Branch through September 25, 2015.

Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Alanna has always dreamed of being a knight and going on adventures, but she is a girl.  When her father decrees that she will go to the convent to learn to be a lady and her twin brother Thom will go to the castle to become a knight she hatches a plan -- they switch places.  Alanna is determined to hide her identity long enough to become a knight.  But it's difficult always being on guard and hiding your true identity from your friends.  Plus, there's Duke Roger who seems to be out to get her for some reason . . .

The Song of the Lioness Quartet was one of the first female empowered fantasy series for teens.  It's a wonderful story of a girl who shows that she can do anything a boy can and often can do it better.

Alanna: The First Adventure shares the story of Alanna as a page training to be a knight.
In the Hand of the Goddess tells of her years as a squire and her showdown with Duke Roger.
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man tells of her adventures after winning her shield and revealing her true identity.
The Lioness Rampant closes the series with the story of her quest for the Dominion Jewel.

Will You Survive High School?

School has been in session for a couple of weeks now.  We've met out teachers.  We've figured out our schedules and classes.  We're settling into the school routine.  So I thought I would share some books for teens about high school.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Vampire High by Douglas Rees
When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day.

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, follows the chilling stories of eleven school girls who struggle to identify a mysterious poet in the aftermath of a teacher's innocence-shattering disappearance.

Story Time by Edward Bloor
George and Kate are promised the best education but instead face obsessed administrators, endless tests, and evil spirits when they are transferred to Whittaker Magnet School.

Legacies: A Shadow Grail Novel by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
After her family is killed, Spirit White is taken to Oakhurst Academy, a combination orphanage and school for those with magical powers, where she and her new friends investigate when students start mysteriously disappearing.

Quarantine by Lex Thomas
When a virus deadly to adults infects their high school, brothers David and Will and the other students soon break into gangs that fight each other for survival and the hope of escaping their quarantine.


More Teen Books About High School --
The Brimstone Journal by Ron Koertge
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudson
A Field Guide to High School: A Novel by Marissa Walsh
Freshman: A Novel by Michael Gerber
Game Changer by Margaret Peterson Haddix
How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller
New Boy by Julian Houston
Nothing: A Novel by Janne Teller
Period 8 by Chris Crutcher
Rikers High by Paul Volponi
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie: A Novel by David Lubar
The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems by Mel Glenn
Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
Variant by Robison Wells


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through September 18, 2015.

The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson

Everybody has neighbors they don't care for.  Neighbors that are too loud.  Neighbors that fight.  Neighbors that annoy.

For the Floods, those neighbors are the Dents.  The Dents are a family of loud-mouths, sneaks, and thiefs.  Nobody in the neighborhood likes them.

Luckily, the Floods are just any family.  They are a family of witches.  And they have the means to make the Dents into good neighbors . . .




Good Neighbors is the first book in The Floods book series for children in elementary school.  They are family stories that include magic and humor.  In fact, they remind me a lot of the Addams Family in that they are a strange family that is extremely loving.  This is a great series for kids.

It's a Mystery

I love a good mystery book.  I like to see if I can solve the mystery before the characters in the book.  Sometimes I can.  Sometimes I can't.  Here are some great mystery books for kids . . .

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
Twelve-year-old Teddy investigates when a popular Texas zoo's star attraction--Henry the hippopotamus--is murdered.

Madhattan Mystery by John J. Bonk
On her first day in New York City with her younger brother, Kevin, twelve-year-old Lexi overhears thieves discussing where to hide stolen jewels, and the siblings, along with their aunt's neighbor, Kim Ling, skip day camp to investigate "the crime of thecentury."

Reality Leak by Joni Sensel
Train noises without trains and mysterious explosions baffle the residents of South Wiggot as eleven-year-old Bryan and his friend Spot try to connect the strange happenings with the town's newest industry and its president, Mr. Keen.

Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell
While her mother undergoes radical cancer treatment, eleven-year-old Ella stays with her father's mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she learns about grammar and family history, and helps investigate the theft of an extremely rare book from her grandmother's library.

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarity
In early twentieth-century New York, Sacha Kessler's ability to see witches earns him an apprenticeship to the police department's star Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf, to help stop magical crime and, with fellow apprentice Lily Astral, Sacha investigates who is trying to kill Thomas Edison, whose mechanical witch detector could unleash the worst witch-hunt in American history.

Time for School!

The kids are starting back to school this week -- so I'm sharing some of my favorite school stories for children.

Minerva Louise at School by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Out for an early morning walk, a chicken wanders into a school that she mistakes for a fancy barn.

Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard
The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Presents vocabulary words and life lessons, with cookie-baking as the theme of the book.

How Do Dinosaurs Go to School by Jane Yolen
Illustrations and rhyming text depict dinosaurs as they ride the bus to school, jump on top of their desks, read their favorite books, and have fun on the playground with all of their friends.

The Orange Shoes by Trinka Hakes Noble
Delly Porter enjoys the feel of soft dirt beneath her feet as she walks to and from school, but after a classmate makes her feel ashamed of having no shoes she learns that her parents and others, too, see value in things that do not cost money.


More School Picture Books --
Axle Annie by Robin Pulver
Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka
Bedhead by Margie Palatini
Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea
The Frog Principal by Stephanie Calmenson
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child
I'm Not Ready! by Jonathan Allen
Jeeper's Creepers: A Monstrous ABC by Laura Leuck
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler
Moses Goes to School by Isaac Millman
Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton
The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Score One for the Sloths by Helen Lester
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polaaco
We Share Everything! by Robert Munsch
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
You Can't Go to School Naked! by Dianne Billstrom


Check out these books and more at the Arnold Branch.

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

Taemon's family is slowly imploding . . .

His mother is overprotective and refuses to let her sons leave the family.
His father is speaking out against the religious leaders.
His brother is falsely being groomed as the True Son, the prophesied leader of the new age.
And Taemon must hid the fact that he has lost his psi so he doesn't get exiled to live with the Powerless.


Freakling is the first book in the Psi Chronicles by Lana Krumwiede.  It is a great introduction to a new dystopian world.  Where there have been books in the past where everything is done with magic or psychic abilities, this book takes it even further.  It is fascinating to see Taemon learn how to use his hands to accomplish tasks like eating and dressing.

Road Trip! Stories of the Journey

I love a good road trip.  Whether I have a destination in mind or if I'm just making it up as I go, a road trip is always fun.  Here are some great teen books featuring road trips . . .

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt.

Going Bovine by Libby Bray
Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
After their best friend Ross dies, English teenagers Blake, Kenny, and Sim plan a proper memorial by taking his ashes to Ross, Scotland, an adventure-filled journey that tests their loyalty to each other and forces them to question what friendship means.

You Are Here: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith
Sixteen-year-old Emma Healy has never felt that she fit in with the rest of her family, so when she discovers that she had a twin brother who died shortly after they were born, she takes off on an impulsive road trip to try to discover who she really is.


More Books Featuring Road Trips --
100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Being Henry David by Cal Armistead
Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora
Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
Num8ers by Rachel Ward
Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown
The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf
Witch World by Christopher Pike


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 28, 2015.

Good Books You Haven't Read Yet!

There are always those books in the library that for some reason or other just don't seem to check out.  They're great books that people would love to read but they are just not being found on the shelf.  This week, I'm focusing on good books that you haven't read yet . . .

The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans
The four members of the Wilson family decide to spend their holiday in one of the elevators at the San Francisco Hotel.

Dog by Daniel Pennac
Rescued from certain death by a kindly dog at the city dump, an abandoned puppy grows up fending for himself until he finds a home with a willful little girl. Could she be the mistress of his dreams?

Secret Letters from 0 to 10 by Susie Morgenstern
Ten-year-old Ernest lives a boring existence in Paris with his grandmother until a lively girl named Victory enters his class at school.

Elin's Island by Cynthia Copeland
Thirteen-year-old Elin can't imagine living anywhere but the island off the coast of Maine where her father is lightkeeper, until the night in 1941 when she awakes to the sound of German torpedoes while her parents are on the mainland.

Flip by David Lubar
Eighth-grade twins Taylor and Ryan are complete opposites and seem to have nothing in common, until they find a set of mysterious disks that magically allow them to transform into legendary figures from the past.


More Books --
The Autobiography of Meatball Finkelstein by Ross Venokur
Christopher Mouse: The Tale of  Small Traveler by William Wise
Death by Eggplant by Susan O'Keefe
Don't Pat the Wombat! by Elizabeth Honey
The Dragons of Spratt, Ohio by Linda Zinnen
The Handle and the Key by John Neufeld
Horrendo's Curse by Anna Fienberg
Kidnap Kids by Todd Strasser
Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby
Shadow Shark by Colin Thiele
Where the Four Winds Blow by Dan Yaccarino


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 21, 2015.

Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of EVERYTHING by Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White

Shivers is the most scaredy-cat pirate you have ever seen.  He's scared of the ocean, other pirates, squids, snails, and pretty much everything else.  He lives on a pirate ship permanently settled on the beach while his brave pirate parents and older brother go on adventures.

But Shivers is going to have to face his fears!  His parents and brothers have been captured and it is up to Shivers and his new friend Margo to rescue them.


Check out this fun pirate adventure for grade schoolers.  It's also available as an audio performed by co-author Connor White.

Take a Trip . . . with a Picture Book

The great thing about books is that they can take you to other places.  This week, I'm sharing some great picture books that will allow you to take an armchair vacation -- simply by reading a book.

The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson
When Papa's pants--worn thin from dancing on his visit to France--split as he sits down to picnic with the king, the embarrassing moment provides both cooling and comic relief for the guests, prompting them to take off their hot clothes and dance.

Gumption by Elise Broach
When Peter goes on an African adventure with his beloved Uncle Nigel, who hopes to spot a rare gorilla, the oblivious Nigel urges Peter on by telling him to have gumption, while Peter keeps his eyes open and uses his ingenuity.

Possum Magic by Mem Fox
When Grandma Poss's magic turns Hush invisible, the two possums take a culinary tour of Australia to find the food that will make her visible once more.

Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant
A young man and his dog drive west from Ohio and marvel at the farms of Iowa, the skies of Nebraska, the wind in Wyoming, the mountains of Colorado, the desert in Nevada, and the ocean in Oregon.


More Great Books --
Adele & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock
Aloha Is -- by Tammi Paikai
Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn
Big Anthony: His Story by Tomie DePaola
Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein
Bintou's Braids by Penda Diakite
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema
Cactus Soup by Eric Kimmel
The Cows Are Going to Paris by David Kirby
Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa by William Steig
Erandi's Braids by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal
The Firebird by Jane Yolen
Gabriella's Song by Candace Fleming
Hula Lullaby by Eric Kono
I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino
I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakite
Kamishibai Man by Allen Say
Eloise in Paris by Kay Thompson
Kumak's Fish by Michael Bania
Lila and the Secret of Rain by David Conway
Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans
Mirror by  Jeannie Baker
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
No Year of the Cat by Mary Dodson Wade
Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora
Papa Do you Love Me? by Barbara Joosse
Tacky in Trouble by Helen Lester
Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon
Togo by Robert Blake
The Wolfhound by Kristine Franklin
Yoshi's Feast by Kimiko Kajikawa


Check these and other books about other places out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 14, 2015.

My Little Monster series by Robico

Shizuku isn't happy when a teacher requires her to deliver homework to a student who hasn't attended all year.  She's even less thrilled when that student Haru attacks her before declaring he loves her.  Now Haru has decided to attend school once more to be near his only friend Shizuku,  And Shizuku must deal with the distractions from her studying.

This manga series is an interesting story of several students who have a hard time making friends.  Studious Shizuku doesn't see the need for friends.  Haru scares everybody off with his glaring.  Natsume's beauty causes all the boys to fawn over her while the girls are all extremely jealous.  Will they be able to make their friendships last?

Do You Believe in Magic?

Fantasy novels are some of the most popular books for teens.  This week, I'm highlighting some great fantasy stories involving magic . . .

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabil, an unusually talented weaver, must master her mysterious power and join a young wizard in stopping an imminent war in her land.

White Cat by Holly Black
When Cassel Sharpe discovers that his older brothers have used him to carry out their criminal schemes and then stolen his memories, he figures out a way to turn their evil machinations against them.

An Exchange of Gifts by Anne McCaffrey
A runaway princess and a poor young boy try to make a new life for themselves without revealing their pasts or the magical powers they possess.

Impossible: A Novel by Nancy Werlin
When seventeen-year-old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.


More Magical Books --
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
The Alchemyst by Michael Scotgt
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick
Breath by Donna Jo Napoli
Firebug by Lish McBride
Garden Princess by Kristin Kladstrup
Girl of Fire and Thorn by Rae Carson
Magic Can Be Murder by Vivian Van Velde
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
Shadows by Robin McKinley
Wishing Moon by Michael O. Tunnell
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 7, 2015.

My Summer Vacation . . .

It's summer!  So let's read some books about kids and their summer vacations . . .

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
Unhappy at being sent to stay with his grandmother at the inn she operates, The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast, Scrub discovers that each room is actually a portal to space and the inn's visitors are aliens who are vacationing on Earth.

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill
Jack is practically invisible at home, but when his parents send him to Hazelwood, Iowa, to spend a summer with his odd aunt and uncle, he suddenly makes friends, is beaten up by the town bully, and is plotted against by the richest man in town.

Dreamer, Wisher, Liar by Charise Mericle Harper
Ashley's summer is filled with babysitting, letters to her best friend at camp, and a wish jar filled with secret revelations that help her understand her mother in a whole new way.


More Books About Summer Vacation --
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation by Tom Greenwald
The Cottonmouth Club by Lance Marcum
Crow by Barbara Wright
The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman
Hunter Moran Hangs Out by Patricia Reilly Giff
Justin Case: Shells, Smells and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail
Notes from a Dog by Gary Paulsen
The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors
Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor
Spitting Image by Shutta Crum
Sports Camp by Rich Wallace
Summer of the War by Gloria Whelan


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through July 31, 2015.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Tales by Terry Pratchett

This wonderful collection of short stories includes several stories written by Terry Pratchett when he was a teenager working for a local newspaper in England.  Only a few changes were made to the story to update them a little.  Some of the stories included are . . .

"Dragons of Crumbling Castle"
Ralph is sent by King Arthur to deal with the problem of dragons at Crumbling Castle.

"Hercules the Tortoise"
Hercules decides to become an explorer and leaves the garden for the unknown.

"Dok the Caveman"
Dok comes up with several wonderful inventions including the wheel and fire.

"Father Christmas Goes to Work"
Father Christmas is encouraged by his wife to find a job to give him something to do during the rest of the year.

These and the ten other stories in the collection will be a wonderful read for anybody -- whether they are familiar with Terry Pratchett's books or not.  Also, try listening to the book on audio.