How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom by S.J. Goslee

Nolan's sister Daphne has given him an ultimatum -- ask a boy to prom or she will do it for him.  That's how he ends up "dating" Ira Bernstein. 

Daphne's promposal goes astray.  Instead of the cute Si O'Mara, Bern accepts his request. 

Now they are "dating" in a mutual partnership to get Daphne off Nolan's back and Bern's girlfriend Gia back for him.

But as seen with the promposal, Nolan's life never goes as expected . . . .



This is a fun romance of mistakes and misunderstandings.  It's a great send-up of the "fake dating" trope that is often used in teen romances.  However, it is the relationship between Nolan and Daphne that is really great.  Their family is one that anyone would want to a part of.

Our Favorite Teen Books of 2019

This week, I'm sharing some of our favorite teen books from 2019 . . . .

Dig by A.S. King
Five white teenage cousins who are struggling with the failures and racial ignorance of their dysfunctional parents and their wealthy grandparents, reunite for Easter.

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bennett
Seventeen-year-olds Revna, the daughter of a traitor, and Linne, the daughter of a general, must use forbidden magic to fly planes in wartime despite their deep dislike of each other.

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees
When the lives of a girl, who has terrifying visions, and a witch, who grants wishes to children in the woods, collide in the most unexpected of ways, a dark, magical truth threatens to doom them both.

Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez
Three Mexican-Americans--Juan, JD, and Fabi--each try to overcome their individual struggles as they all grapple with how to make a better life for themselves when it seems like brown lives don't matter.


More Favorites --
96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy
All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Beware the Night by Jessica Fleck
Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
His Hideous Heart: Thirteen of Edgar Allen Poe's Most Unsettling Tales Reimagined by Dahlia Adler
Hungry Hearts by Elsie Chapman & Caroline Tung Richmond
Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta
Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
Someday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskin
Spin by L.R. Giles
The Things She's Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott
We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
White Rose by Kip Wilson
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos
You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through February 14, 2020.

Our Favorite Books of 2019 -- Chapter Books

This week, I am sharing some of our favorite chapter books from 2019 . . . .

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin
Led by new student Caitlyn, seventh-graders at a tiny rural school in Vermont create a reality-show inspired competition to determine who will replace the school's legendary class clown, Paulie Fink.

Bernard Pepperlin by Cara Hoffman
When a girl in a blue dress crashes the Mad Hatter's tea party, the sleepy Dormouse wishes he could be a part of her adventure. As luck would have it, fate sends the Dormouse on an adventure of his own.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.

Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
Autistic and nearly nonverbal, twelve-year-old Nova is happy in her new foster home and school, but eagerly anticipates the 1986 Challenger launch, for which her sister, Bridget, promised to return.

More Books --

All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker

Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Estrada Kelly

The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva
Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Strange Birds by Celia C. Perez
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through February 7, 2020.

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt

Have you ever picked your nose?
Have you ever picked your nose and eaten it?
Have you ever picked your nose, eaten it, and by doing so get kidnapped by pirates from a world occupied entirely by animals?

Mabel Jones has.

Now, she must work with those pirates to find the missing pieces of "X" to re-open the portal back to her world and her home.



This is a hilarious book by author Will Mabbitt, who also wrote the picture book I Can Only Draw Worms.  I would suggest listening to it on the audio narrated by British actor Toby Jones.  He uses the perfect tones of sarcasm and over-emoting that the book calls for.  I would definitely recommend this book to all kids.

My Favorite Picture Books of 2019

With the start of a new year, it's the perfect time to share some of my favorite picture books that came out in the past year.

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt
Teaches the reader to count to ten using worms that have great adventures or everyday experiences, described but not illustrated due to the author's inability to draw anything but worms.

Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman
Eating too much pie causes Llama to rip his dancing pants, opening a black hole and threatening the entire universe.

I Am a Tiger by Karl Newsom
Despite the evidence, Mouse insists that he is a tiger--or maybe a crocodile.

I'm Worried by Michael Ian Black
Potato is worried about what might happen in the future, causing Flamingo to worry, too, but their friend, a little girl, encourages them to focus on enjoying the present, instead.


More Books --
Can Cat and Bird Be Friends? by Coll Muir
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey
The Good Egg by John Jory
Grumpy Duck by Joyce Dunbar
I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
Let's Scare Bear by Yuko Katakawa
Lion and Mouse by Jairo Buitrago
The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
One Is a Pinata by Roseanne Greenfield Thong
Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler
The Sad Little Fact by Jonah Winter
A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
Turtle and Tortoise Are Not Friends by Mike Reiss

Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through January 31, 2020.

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Harper Price is the acknowledge queen of her school.  She's president of the SGA, soon to be homecoming queen, and in line to be valedictorian.

Then the night of the homecoming dance, she's attacked in the bathroom while refreshing her lip gloss.  All of a sudden, she has an amazing ability to fight.  She's been imbued with the powers of a Paladin.

Now, she has to balance school, her boyfriend, and cotillion with trying to save the life of her nemesis, David Stark. 

He's the Oracle and she's sworn to protect him . . . .



This is a great opener to a teen fantasy series by Rachel Hawkins.  It's a nice twist on the "chosen one" story line -- focusing on the one protecting him more than the actual chosen one.  I would recommend this book for those who enjoy fantasy or adventure novels.