Summer Reads

Summer is nearly over.  However, you still have time to read one of these great summer picture books.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

Weslandia by Paul Fleischman
Wesley's garden produces a crop of huge, strange plants which provide him with clothing, shelter, food, and drink, thus helping him create his own civilization and changing his life.

The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation by Delphine Perret
When Bernard, the Big Bad Wolf, joins Louis and his grandfather on their annual trip to the beach, getting there is half the fun.

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.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes
After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.

Honey by David Ezra Stein
A young bear wakes from hibernation craving honey, but soon recalls the many things he can enjoy while waiting for his favorite food to be ready.


More Summer Picture Books --
At the Boardwalk by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman
Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konagaya
The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram
Canoe Days by Gary Paulsen
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
Day at the Beach by Tom Booth
Don't Splash the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker
Flip Flop Bop by Matt Novak
Garmann's Summer by Stian Hole
Goldfish on Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Green Beans by Elizabeth Thomas
Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
Hot! Hot! Hot! by Neal Layton
How to Build a Sandcastle by Josh Funk
If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
Louie's Goose by H.M. Ehrlich
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Pictures From Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins
See You Next Summer by Andrew Larson
Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez
Six Sandy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
Surfer Chick by Kristy Dempsey
Summer Stinks by Marty Kelley
Tales from the Waterhole by Bob Graham
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
Uptown by Bryan Collier
Wave by Suzy Lee
The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan
When Cows Come Home by David L. Harrison
Yes, Let's by Galen Goodwin Longstreth

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 16, 2019.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman

The Shadow Market is a place for Downworlders to meet, socialize, and purchase magical items.  Shadowhunters are not usually welcome there.  However, Brother Zachariah is on a mission to search for a missing Shadowhunter and haunts the Shadow Market for information family.

This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series.  The tying theme between the stories is Brother Zachariah and the Shadow Market.  This is a definite must-read for those who enjoyed the Shadowhunters series as it fills in the back story and history of several characters and events.

Road Trip!

This week, I'm sharing books for teens about road trips.  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 Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
A young British lord embarks on an unforgettable grand tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush in this eighteenth-century romantic adventure for the modern age.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

You Are Here 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.

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.


More Books --
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
First Love by James Patterson
Four Three Two One by Courtney C. Stevens
The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas
Paper Hearts by Ali Novak
The Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Road Tripped by Pete Hautman
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
When Elephants Fly by Nancy Richardson Fischer
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 2, 2019.

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky

Eleven little school girls and their teacher went to the park quite often to think, to draw, and to write.

Eleven little school girls and their teacher met the poet Morgan who showed them an aboriginal cave.

Eleven little school girls returned to school without their teacher.


What happened to their teacher Mrs. Renshaw?
Where did she go?
And will she ever return?



This is a great look at secrets and what keeping those secrets will do to people.  Although the story is set in Australia in the 1970s, it is a very relatable book for kids and teens.  I would suggest listening to this book on audio.  The narrator does a great job of telling the story.

Aliens

This week, I'm sharing chapter book stories about aliens.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

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.

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.

Froonga Planet by Bryan W. Fields
Earth is in danger from evil extraterrestrials and it is up to Lunchbox, the super-intelligent basset hound, his boy Nate, and two hapless aliens to stop them from destroying the Earth and its neighboring orbs, while also dealing with great-aunt Nelly's monstrous fruitcake.

Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka
Michael K. tries to save the world amid aliens, kindergartners, and an agent hunting for the SPHDZ.


More Books --
Alien Feast by Michael Simmons
Escape from Planet Yastol by Pamela F. Service
Herbert's Wormhole by Peter Nelson
How to Sell Your Family to Aliens by Paul Noth
Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano
Mars Evacuees by Sopha McDougall
My Life Among the Aliens by Gail Gauthier
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Unbelievably Boring Bart by James Patterson

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 26, 2019.

Friends Come in All Shapes and Sizes

This week, I am sharing picture books featuring stories about friendship.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough
Eddie is feeling sad, and so is the bear. They both wished they had a friend to talk to, All they have are their teddies, and teddies can't talk. or can they?.

Waiting for Goliath by Antje Damm
While waiting for his friend Goliath, Bear ignores the suggestion made by other animals that Goliath will never arrive.

Ribbit! by Julie Folguiera
When a pig visits a frog pond, sits on a rock, and says only "Ribbit!", news spreads fast but only the wise old beetle has an explanation.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable--he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.

Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
Stick and Stone are both lonely until Pinecone's teasing causes one to stick up for the other, and a solid friendship is formed.


More Friendship Stories --
And to Think That We Thought We'd Never Be Friends by Mary Ann Hoberman
Boom, Snot, Twitty by Doreen Cronin
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman
Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea
Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi
Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley
Elwood Bigfoot: Wanted: Birdie Friends! by Jill Esbaum
Four Friends Together by Sue Heap
Good Night Bat! Good Morning Squirrel! by Paul Meisel
He Came with the Couch by David Slonim
Horace and Morris But Mostly Dolores by James Howe
How I Found a Friend by Irina Hale
I Got a New Friend by Karl Edwards
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
The Lonesome Polar Bear by Jane Cabrera
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
My Friends Make Me Happy by Jan Thomas
Pug & Doug by Steve Breen
Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi
A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom
Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Deb Pilutti
Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
Waddle! Waddle! by James Proimos
We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 19, 2019.