Super Stories of Super Heroes!

Superheroes are always a popular topic!  This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite superhero chapter books for kids . . . .

Flora & Ulysses: The Illumintated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
She is a natural-born cynic! He is an unassuming squirrel! Together, Fora & Ulysses will conquer villains, defend the defenseless, and protect the weak, or something

Sidekicked by John David Anderson
Thirteen-year-old superhero sidekick-in-training Drew "The Sensationalist" Bean must overcome his not-so-superpowers and become the hero everyone needs when a supervillain, The Dealer, returns to Justicia.

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.

The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow
A bus crash gives four very different middle schoolers odd super powers, and although they wouldn't normally be caught dead together, they must pool their powers to find out what happened to them.

Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
When ten-year-old Newton dresses up as an unusual superhero for Halloween, he decides to keep wearing the costume after the holiday to help save townspeople and eventually his injured brother.


More Superhero Stories --
The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich by Greg Trine
The Great Cape Rescue by Phyllis Shalant
Horace Splattly, the Cupcaked Crusader by Lawrence David
How to Be a Supervillain by Michael Fry
My Brother Is a Superhero by David Solomons
Public School Superhero by James Patterson
School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough
Super Chicken Nugget Boy and the Furious Fry by Josh Lewis
Super Schnoz and the Gates of Smell by Gary Urey
Wonder Woman at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through April 13, 2018.

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Mirika McCoola

Most children would think twice before braving a terrible woods and dreaded witch Baba Yaga.  But most children weren't raised on stories of her grandmother matching wits with Baba Yaga and winning like Masha. 

So when Masha's father decides to remarry, Masha answers Baba Yaga's advertisement for an assistant.  And thus begins Masha's adventure . . .


This is a great graphic novel for children.  It combines elements of a family story, horror, adventure and fairy tales to create a story that is fun to read.  The artwork is wonderful -- very emotive.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tales, adventures, or graphic novels.

You Can Trust Me! Don't Believe a Word I Say!

This week I am sharing teen fiction with unreliable narrators.  Can you trust what they are telling you?  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Going Bovine by Libba 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.

The Thief by  Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
Sent to counseling for hitting his girlfriend, Caitlin, and ordered to keep a journal, sixteen-year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father.


More Books --
After by Amy Efaw
Belzhar: A Novel by Meg Wolitzer
Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Crazy by Han Nolan
Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory
Schizo by Nic Sheff
The Sin-Eater's Confession by Ilsa J. Bick
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through April 6, 2018.

Paws to Read: Stories About our Furry Friends

This week, I am sharing picture book stories about cats and dogs.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond
While Charlie, a sleepy basset hound, tells about the busy life of a ranch dog, his best friend Suzie, a Jack Russell terrier, is getting the work done.

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
George finds it hard to be a good dog when there are cats to chase, flowers to dig up, and a delicious cake sitting on the kitchen table.

Hero Cat by Eileen Spinelli
A cat gives birth to a litter of kittens in an abandoned building that catches fire while she is out searching for food.

The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
Cow, Pig, Duck, and Mouse are afraid to retrieve their ball when it goes into the dog's house, but when they do go in they are pleasantly surprised.

Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
A group of cats sleep and play, until they decide to start stacking and unstacking.


More Books --
10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Be Gentle with the Dog by Matthew Baek
Black Cat, White Cat by Elise Broach
Boot & Shoe by Marla Frazee
Carl at the Dog Show by Alexandra Day
Cat Nap by Toni Yuly
Cat Napped by Leeza Hernandez
Cat Tale by Michael Hall
Circle Dogs by Kevin Henkes
City Cat by Kate Banks
Dog in Charge by K.L. Going
Dogku by Andrew Clements
Hickory Dickory Dog by Alison J. Murray
How to Be a Cat by Nikki McClure
I'm My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Matilda's Cat by Emily Gravett
My Bus by Byron Barton
No Dogs Allowed! by Sonia Manzano
Not Afraid of Dogs by Susanna Pitzer
Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli
Opera Cat by Tess Weaver
Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby
Painter and Ugly by Robert J. Blake
Police Cat by Enid Hinkes
Rrralph by Loi Ehlert
Some Cat by Mary Casanova
The Stray Dog by Marc Simont
That's My Dog! by Rick Walton
There Are No Cats in This Book! by Viviane Schwarz
Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through March 30, 2018.

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is the world famous author of children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and James and the Giant Peach.  But he started out as a young boy growing up in Wales and England.

In this memoir, the author recalls stories from his childhood including his time at boarding school, his summer vacations in Norway, and his large family of brothers and sisters.  The stories are interesting and humorous.  Dahl does a great job of highlighting how things have changed since the 1920s and 1930s when he was growing up.

I would highly recommend this biography for anyone who has enjoyed Dahl's stories for children.  It is a great audiobook for those who would like to listen to the stories.  It is narrated by Dan Stevens, the Beast in Disney's live-action movie Beauty and the Beast.

Remembering World War II: The Holocaust, The Fight, The Homefront

This week, I am sharing teen books set during World War II . . . .

Annexed by Sharon Dogar
Retells the story of Anne Frank from the perspective of Peter, who overcomes an initial loathing for the precocious young diarist before falling in love with her and questioning his faith in light of frightening persecutions.

Invasion by Walter Dean Myers
Josiah Wedgewood and Marcus Perry were friends in Virginia, but now that they are both involved in the Normandy invasion, the differences in their positions is uncomfortable, for Josiah is a white infantryman and Marcus is a black transport driver, the only role the segregated army will allow him.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas
Her life turned upside-down when a Japanese internment camp is opened in their small Colorado town, Rennie witnesses the way her community places suspicion on the newcomers when a young girl is murdered.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes
Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.


More Books --
Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin
B for Buster by Iain Lawrence
Escaping Into the Night by D. Dina Friedman
The Extra by Kathryn Lasky
Fly Girl by Sherri L. Smith
For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Four-Four-Two by Dean Hughes
Girl in the Blue Coat by Karen Hesse
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonia Iturbe
Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali
Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman
The Right Fight by Chris Lynch
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Shanghai Shadows by Lois Ruby


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through March 23, 2018.