Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Let's Party!

This June the Jefferson County Library is celebrating our 25th birthday!  In honor of the celebration, here are some great picture books featuring parties . . . .

Duck, Duck, Moose! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallan
Duck and Duck busily prepare for a party, while their housemate, Moose, only gets in the way.

The Entertainer by Emma Dodd
Arriving at a little boy's birthday party, an entertainer in a big cuddly bear costume delights the children with his antics and surprises them when his costume will not come off.

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail
Pigs galore invade a house and have a wonderful party.

Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin
While Raccoon is eating pizza at his secret pizza party, he sees a masquerade party going on in the house next door to him and joins the fun.

Stanley's Party by Linda Bailey
Stanley the dog, having discovered he can get away with a lot while his owners are out, takes things a little too far when he decides to have a party that gets way out of hand.


More Party Picture Books --
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Bearsie Bear and the Surprise Sleepover by Bernard Waber
The Boll Weevil Ball by KElly Murphy
Bulldozer's Big Day by Candace Fleming
Chato and the Party Animals by Gary Soto
Come to the Fairies' Ball by Jane Yolen
The Costume Party by Victoria Chess
Dance by the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder
The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson
Dozens of Cousins by Shutta Crum
Happy Birthday, Tacky! by Helen Lester
How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle
Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleepover by David Melling
I'm Not Invited? by Diana Blumenthal
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff
A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats
The Lion's Share by Matthew McElligott
Piggies in a Polka by Kathi Appelt
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park
Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio


Check out these and more party picture books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 24, 2016.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

The Devil Is a Part-Timer by Akio Hiiragi

The Demon Lord suffered defeat when attacking Ente Isla and retreated through a dimension portal.  Unfortunately, the portal sapped the last of his magical powers and he is now trapped in modern Japan with his loyal general.

Now they must masquerade as regular Japanese while trying to find a way to restore their powers.  This means that the Demon Lord is now Sadao Maou who works part-time at the local fast food restaurant.  But this is just the first step in his plan to take over Japan in this world before going back to rule over Ente Isla.


This is a hilarious manga series for teens.  Not only is Maou's plan nonsensical but he must also deal with the hero that has followed him to Japan and earthquakes caused by someone hunting them both.  This is a great series for those who like fantasy, humor, or adventure.


Monday, May 23, 2016

Guys Read

This week I thought I would share some great teen books for guys . . .

Human.4 by Mike Lancaster
Twenty-first century fourteen-year-old Kyle was hypnotized when humanity was upgraded to 1.0 and he, incompatible with the new technology, exposes its terrifying impact in a tape-recording found by the superhumans of the future.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
After his parents, two sisters, and he have spent six years in a vast underground compound built by his wealthy father to protect them from a nuclear holocaust, fifteen-year-old Eli, whose twin brother and grandmother were left behind, discovers that hisfather has perpetrated a monstrous hoax on them all.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett
In an alternative version of Victorian London, a seventeen-year-old Dodger, a cunning and cheeky street urchin, unexpectedly rises in life when he saves a mysterious girl, meets Charles Dickens, and unintentionally puts a stop to the murders of Sweeny Todd.

Four Secrets by Margaret Willey
Through journal entries required by their social worker at a juvenile detention center, middle-schoolers Katie, Nate, and Renata relate how they came to kidnap their tormentor, Chase, a star athlete from the town's most prominent family, who surprisingly became their willing victim.

Trapped by Michael Northrop
Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.


More Teen Books for Guys --
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Convicts by Iain Lawrence
Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin
The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian Thompson
The King's Arrow by Michael Cadnum
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena
Peak by Roland Smith
Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff
Phoenix Island by John Dison
Samurai Awakening by Benjamin Martin
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
The Story of Owen: Dragonslayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 10, 2016.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar

When Wayside School was built something went wrong.  Instead of one floor with 30 classrooms, it was built 30 floors high with one classroom on each floor.  Mrs. Jewls' teaches the classroom on the 30th floor.  These are the stories about herself, her class, and her students.

Wayside School is a hilarious collection of short stories about the students the school.  Each story focuses on one of the students.  Each student it just a little different from the students you would normally see in a school.  This is a great book for kids look for a little humor with their reading.


Also, check out the other books in the series --
Wayside School Is Falling Down
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School
More Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School

Monday, May 16, 2016

The Book Is Better!

While I love to watch movie adaptations of books, I almost always find that I liked the book better than the movies.  However, I do have to say that I love several of the movies made from the following chapter books for kids . . . . .

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.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon.

Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick-King Smith
A piglet destined for eventual butchering arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheep dog, and discovers a special secret to success.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
The wind brings two English children a new nanny who slides up the bannister and introduces them to some delightful people and experiences.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
The land of Prydain is threatened by the evil Arawn and his band of invincible warriors.


More Books Turned into Movies --
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex



Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 3, 2016.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Demigods and Magicians by Rick Riordan

Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes

Carter Kane is tracking a monster through the park when he is accidentally attacked by a kid in an orange camp shirt -- Percy Jackson.  He's tracking the same monster.  Only by working together will they be able to defeat it.

Later Annabeth is on her way to meet up with Percy when she sees a girl in linen pajamas chasing after a monster in the subway.  They have to work together to kill the creature.


This book contains three short stories of when Percy Jackson and Annabeth meet up with Carter and Sadie Kane to try to stop an Egyptian magician determined to become a god.  A must read for all fans of either the Percy Jackson books or The Kane Chronicles series.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Celebrating Mom!

I'm a day late with my Mother's Day list.  However, I believe moms should be celebrated year-round.  So here are some of my favorite picture books celebrating mom . . . .

Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell
Because their mother seems too busy preparing for company, Christopher and Robbie cook up the idea of a Mom pie to serve as her surrogate.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Maryann Kovalski
The lyrics of the familiar song, with illustrations showing two baseball-mad girls enjoying a ballgame with their grandmother.

My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
A young monster describes all the things its mother does to show she loves it.

Kiss Kiss by Margaret Wild
Baby Hippo is in such a rush to play one morning he forgets to kiss his mama, but strangely all the jungle noises seem to remind him.


More Books About Mom --
Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Big, Bad Bunny by Franny Billingsley
Dinosaur vs. Mommy by Bob Shea
Don't Wake Up Mama! by Eileen Christelow
Floating on Mama's Song by Laura Lacamara
The House on Dirty-Third Street by Jo Kittinger
Is Mommy? by Victoria Chang
Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino
It's the Bear! by Jez Alborough
Lucky Ducklings by Eva Moore
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse
Mama Went to Jail for the Vote by Kathleen Karr
Mama's Coming Home Soon by Kate Banks
Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg
My Mom by Anthony Browne
Oh No, Little Dragon! by Jim Averbeck
Piggies in Pajamas by Michelle Meadows
Thanks, Mom by Ed Emberley
When Mommy Was Mad by Lynne Jonell
Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi
While Mama Had a Quick Little Chat by Amy Reichert
Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight? by Carol Roth


Check out these and more books on display through May 27, 2016 at the Arnold Branch




Thursday, May 5, 2016

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

Class 3-E is loser class.  The students have all been relegated there by their bad grades.  Their school life all takes place in a rundown building nearly a mile away from the main school.  They're looked down on by all the other students and teachers.

Then one day, they get a new teacher.  He appears to be an octopus-like monster.  They have one year to kill this monster before he destroys all of earth.

Can the students finally excel at their studies enough to kill the teacher and live to see another school year?

This is a wonderfully funny manga.  Although the topic of assassination figures into nearly every page of the story, it isn't gory or gratuitous.  The students are interesting and the teacher is fascinating.  A great series for teens.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Have You Read the Series?

Series books are always popular.  We love to read stories that just keep on going.  Here are some of my favorite series for teens . . .

(First book in series is listed.)

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, a learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

Elemental by Antony John
In a dystopian colony of the United States where everyone is born with powers of the elements, water, wind, earth, and fire, sixteen-year-old Thomas, the first and only child born without an element seems powerless, but is he?

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede
After a traumatic accident removes his telekinetic ability, or psy, twelve-year-old Taemon is exiled to the "dud farm," where he is surprised to find kind, open people who enjoy using their hands but there are also mysteries at the colony and when Taemon unwittingly leaks one of the secrets he must find the courage to repair the damage, even if it means returning to the city from which he was banished.

Legacies by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Thornhill
Spirit is shocked to discover that she is a Legacy -- a child of a former student at Whitehall Academy.  Even more shocking is that the school is for those who have magical powers.

Abandon by Meg Cabot
A near-death experience, a horrible incident at school, and a move from Connecticut to Florida have turned seventeen-year-old Pierce's life upside-down, but when she needs him most John Hayden is always there, helping but reminding her of her visit to the Underworld.


More Teen Series --
Crash by Lisa McMann
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Half Bad by Sally Green
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Slathbog's Gold by M.L. Forman
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher
Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee
Zom-B by Darren Shan


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through May 20, 2016.