Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Hadley's life has been in turmoil ever since it was discovered that her father had been having an affair.  

They moved to a new town.  

Her mother has withdrawn.  

Her father is constantly trying to reconnect with Hadley.  

Then she meets Sam.  

He seems to get her -- her grief, her sorrow, and her anger.  

Hadley begins to fall in love with Sam.  

However, Sam has a secret that he hasn't told her . . .

This is a great story about how a single incident can change the lives of many people.  It's also a great story of forgiveness and hope.  I would recommend this to teens who enjoy Sarah Dessen, Jennifer E. Smith, or Morgan Matson.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite farm picture book stories for kids . . . .

I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs
An interactive introduction to farm animals invites youngsters to make animal noises and practice color and letter recognition while peeping through a spy hole on every page and observing clues to guess which animal will be revealed next in the story.

Moo! by David LaRochelle
When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer's car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country.

Aunt Minnie and the Twister by Mary Skillings Prigger
After a tornado rearranges their Kansas house, Aunt Minnie and the nine nieces and nephews living with her add on a much-needed new room.

Chicken, Chicken, Duck by Nadia Krilanovich
Easy-to-read, rhythmic text about a group of farm animals, led by a tenacious duck, who play a noisy game together.

Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
When a kind and hardworking duck nearly collapses from overwork, while taking care of a farm because the owner is too lazy to do so, the rest of the animals get together and chase the farmer out of town.


More Farm Stories --
Click, Clack, Moo! Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Cock-A-Doodle-Bop! by Michael Ian Black
Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Desert Rose and Her Highfalutin' Hog by Alison Jackson
Down by the Barn by Will Hillenbrand
Duck on a Tractor by David Shannon
Farm Flu by Teresa Bateman
A Farmer Boy Birthday by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round by Teri Sloat
Grandpa's Tractor by Michael Garland
Henry's Stars by David Elliott
The House That Zach Built by Alison Murray
Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Gus Grimly
Peep and Egg: I'm Not Hatching by Laura Gehl
The Pickle Patch Bathtub by Frances Kennedy
Princess Pig by Eileen Spinelli
Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Kennedy
Serious Farm by Tim Egan
The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg by Gemma Merino
Stanley the Farmer by William Bee
Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack
Wake Up, Big Barn! by Suzanne Chitwood
Who Will Tuck Me In? by Carol Roth

Check these and more farm books out at the Arnold Branch!

Read If You Dare: Teen Horror Stories

Last week, I shared chapter book ghost stories.  This week, I think I'll share some of my favorite teen horror books . . . .

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.

Lord Loss by Darren Shan
Presumably the only witness to the horrific and bloody murder of his entire family, a teenage boy must outwit not only the mental health professionals determined to cure his delusion, but also the demonic forces only he can see.

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.


More Teen Horror Books --
Alone by Cyn Balog
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer
City of the Dead by Sharon Stewart
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn
Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hirsch
The End Games by T. Michael Martin
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
The House by Christina Lauren
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine
The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
The Wrong Train by Jeremy de Quidt

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 7, 2018.

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Alice has been best friends with Teddy and Leo for the past nine years -- ever since she came to live in Chicago after her parents' deaths.  For the past four years, she's been in love with Teddy.  She's been too scared to let anyone know about this -- not even Teddy. 

Then for Teddy's 18th birthday, Alice buys him a lottery ticket that changes all of their lives.





This is a great rags to riches story that focuses more on the effects of the lottery win to the people in the winner's life than to the winner itself.  I would highly recommend this book to fans of Jennifer E. Smith, Sarah Dessen, and Morgan Matson.

Ghost Stories

The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson
A young English boy decides to establish a sanctuary for an assortment of ghosts when the homes they have haunted are replaced by highways and other modern "improvements."

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke
Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft and new friend Ella summon the ghost of Sir William Longspee, who may be able to protect Jon from a group of ghosts that threatens him harm from the day he arrives at Salisbury Cathedral's boarding school.

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she last left them lead Amy and her sister to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.


More Ghost Stories --
Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
The Ghost by the Sea by Eileen Dunlop
Ghost Town: Seen Ghostly Stories by Joan Lower Nixon
The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret
The Hanging Hill by Chris Grabenstein
Haunted Houses by Robert San Souci
A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander
School of the Dead by Avi
Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey
Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge by Kathryn Reiss
Thornhill by Pam Smy

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

Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Daisy has never wanted to be in the spotlight.  She leaves that to her older sister Ellie.

However, when Ellie becomes engaged to the prince of Scotland, Daisy's life turns upside down.

When Daisy's ex-boyfriend gives an interview about Daisy to the tabloids, she is summoned to Scotland for the summer so the palace can control her image.

The only problem is that the prince's brother and his friends keep getting her thrust into the spotlight over and over and over.

This was a fun, light-hearted story that was quick and easy to read.  It's perfect for those who enjoy learning about the British royals.  I would recommend this to fans of romance, gossip, and all things Scottish.