Thursday, June 30, 2016

Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark

Abram and Juliette have lived down the street from each other their whole lives.  Their lives never really crossed though until last year . . . when his dad and her mom died in a car crash while having an affair.

Now it's one year later and Abram runs into Juliette at the CVS pharmacy counter as they both refill their anti-depressant prescriptions.  They both know they shouldn't say anything, yet they end up together at Taco Bell that night.

And that's when the real story starts . . . .



This story of two grief-stricken teens trying to survive their lives is a great story for teen girls who enjoy romance and star-crossed love stories.

Monday, June 27, 2016

On Your Mark, Get Set . . . READ! Sports Stories

Looking for books to fit this summer's reading theme for sports?  Here are some great sports chapter books for kids . . . .

Guys Read: The Sports Pages edited by Jon Scieszka
A collection of sports stories featuring everything from fighting to friendship, set everywhere from the tennis court to the hockey rink.

Arcady's Goal by Eugene Yelchin
When twelve-year-old Arcady is sent to a children's home after his parents are declared enemies of the state in Soviet Russia, soccer becomes a way to secure extra rations, respect, and protection but it may also be his way out if he can believe in and love another person--and himself.

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
Fourteen-year-old Eleanor "Peewee" McGrath, a tomboy and automobile racing enthusiast, discovers new possibilities for her future after the 1914 arrival in her small Indiana town of four young librarians.

Hoop Girlz by Lucy Bledsoe
When ten-year-old River, who is crazy about basketball, is not chosen to play in the tournament set up in the town of Azalea, Oregon, she decides to organize a team of her own and accepts the help of her older brother.

Sports Camp by Rich Wallace
Eleven-year-old Riley Liston tries to fit in at Camp Olympia, a summer sports camp where he is one of the youngest boys.


More Sports Stories --
Below by Megan McKinlay
Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner
The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John Ritter
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
MadCat by Kathy Mackel
Morgy Coast to Coast by Maggie Lewis
The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka
Tackling Dad by Elizabeth Levy
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through July 15, 2016.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Jerusha Abbott has spent her whole life in the John Green Asylum for Orphans . . . until an anonymous trustee decides to send her to college.  His only stipulation?  That she must write a letter each month detailing her education and its progress.  So Jerusha heads off to college and the experiences of a lifetime.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who liked Little Women or the Anne of Green Gables series.  The entire story other than the first chapter set in the orphanage is told through Judy's letters to her benefactor whom she calls Daddy Long Legs.  The audio version of the book is also great with a narrator that invests a lot of emotion into the reading.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Celebrating Dads!

Yesterday was Father's Day.  However, I think we should celebrate our dads and grandpas every day of the year.  Here are some of my favorite picture books featuring dads and grandpas . . .

Oh, Daddy! by Bob Shea
A young hippopotamus shows his father the right way to do things, such as getting dressed, watering the flowers, and especially giving big hugs.

Raisin and Grape by Tom Amico
A young grape and his grandfather, a wrinkly raisin, enjoy spending time together telling jokes and going to the park.

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden.

My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle
A young girl suspects that her father is really a dog because he performs such acts as fetching the newspaper and chasing balls.

Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein
A growing tadpole loves his frog dad so much he never gives him a moment's peace.


More Books Celebrating Dads --
Big Daddy, Frog Wrestler by Maribeth Boelts
The Dad with 10 Children by Benedicte Guettier
The Daddy Mountain by Jules Feiffer
Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
The Fathers Are Coming Home by Margaret Wise Brown
Grandpa's Garden Lunch by Judith Caseley
Grandpa's Overalls by Tony Crunk
Grandpa's Tractor by Michael Garland
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
How to Cheer Up Dad by Fred Koehler
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Let's Go to the Hardware Store by Anne Rockwell
Mitchell's License by Hallie Durand
My Dad is Big and Strong, But . . . by Coralie Saudo
Night Shift Daddy by Eileen Spinelli
Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse
Pete's a Pizza by William Steig
Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin
Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad by Liz Climo
Saturday with Dad by Dan Andreasen
Tea with Grandpa by Barney Saltzberg
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith
Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg
What Daddies Do Best by Laura Numeroff
When Dads Don't Grow Up by Marjorie Parker


Check out these and more related books on display at the Arnold Branch through July 8, 2016.




Thursday, June 16, 2016

Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart

Who was Walt Disney?
A. A boy who loved practical jokes
B. An ambulance driver during World War I
C. The creator of Mickey Mouse
D. All of the Above

Find out in this biography of Walt Disney which starts with his childhood in Missouri through his years with Disney Studios.

This is a great biography on Walt Disney for kids.  It gives just enough information to intrigue.  It also gives information on several related topics.  Check it out on audiobook!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Shhhh! It's a Secret!

This week we are focusing on teen books that contain plots hinging on secrets and lies . . . .

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.

The Miles Between by Mary 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."

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet online when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an e-mail about his pet pig, Wilbur. The two 17-year-olds strike up an e-mail relationship from opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names. What's more, Ellie doesn't know Graham is a famous actor, and Graham doesn't know about the big secret in Ellie's family tree. When the relationship goes from online to in-person, they find out whether their relationship can be the real thing.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.


More Secrets & Lies --
34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
After the End by Amy Plum
Before Wings by Beth Goobie
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Crushed by Laura McNeal
The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn
Sea Change by Aimee Friedmann
September Girls by Bennett Madison
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
The Truth Commission by Susan Juby
V Is for Villain by Peter Moore
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell


Check out these books on display through July 1, 2016.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Buckle and Squash: The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld

Lavender received a book of fairy tales for her last birthday.  Now she knows that her destiny is to meet and marry a prince.  So she sets out for the dragon-infested forest where she knows a prince will rescue her and then marry her.

Lavender's sister Eliza dreams of adventure.  However, she's stuck doing all the work on the farm as Lavender spends the day dreaming.  Until she has to go after her sister and rescue her from a dasterdly kidnapper.



This is the first book in a projected series of two sisters -- one a dreamer, one a realist.  It is a humorous story of princesses, kidnappers, villains, giants, and goats.  This is a great book for younger elementary kids.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Travel the World Through a Book

Summer is a great time to take a trip to somewhere new and exciting.  While it would be great to visit foreign countries, it is not always possible to travel that far.  So instead, take a trip to faraway lands by reading books from around the world . . . .

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Loosely based on Charles Perrault's "Tom Thumb," seven brothers in modern-day France flee their poor parents' farm, led by the youngest who, although mute and unusually small, is exceptionally wise.

The Legend of the Wandering King by Laura Gallego Garcia
Motivated by jealousy and the desire to receive acclaim as a great poet, Walid ibn Huyr, a prince of ancient Arabia, commits acts which completely change the course of his life.

Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak
An orphaned Syrian brown bear cub is adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II and serves for five years as their mischievous mascot in Iran and Italy. Based on a true story.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Orphaned brothers Prosper and Bo, having run away from their cruel aunt and uncle, decide to hide out in Venice where they fall in with the Thief Lord, a thirteen-year-old boy who leads a crime ring of street children.


More Books from Around the Book --
Against the Odds by Marjolijn Hof
A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern
The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer
Duel: A Mystery by David Grossman
Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff
Eye of the World by Daniel Pennac
The Key is Lost by Ida Vos
The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Nicholas by Goscinny
Poor Little Witch Girl by Marie Desplechin
Secrets in the Fire by Henning Mankell
The Shadows of Ghadames by Joelle Stolz


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

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Pilfer Academy by Lauren Magaziner

George has just been kidnapped by men in an ice cream truck.  They take him to Pilfer Academy -- the premiere school for training master thieves.

George excels at Pilfer Academy.  He had always gotten into trouble before for his sneaking, cons, thievery, and mischief.  Now he gets all As in those exact subjects.  He loves the school.

Then he goes on his mid-term and discovers that he's too nice to be a thief.
But what can he do?  Nobody ever leaves Pilfer Academy!



This was a wonderful story of a mischievious kid who learns that he is not as bad as he always thought he was.  The characters are hilariously wacky.  The plot is unbelievably fun.  This is a great story for both boys and girls.