A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

It's 1958 and there is a new family living next door to Mrs. Dowdel . . . a family that desperately needs her help whether they know it or not.

There's 12 year old Bob who is shy and being picked on by bullies.
There's 14 year old Phyllis who is obsessed with Elvis Presley.
There's 6 year old Ruth Ann who is looking for a larger than life role model.
And there are their parents, a young minister and his wife, who are adjusting to small town life.

As they go through the fall season from the start of school to Christmas, they'll realize just how special Mrs. Dowdel is and all the gifts she's given them.


This is a companion novel to A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.  It continues the exploits of Mrs. Dowdel and the small town she lives in.  This is an excellent story for children, especially during the holiday season.  It's also available in audiobook for those who would prefer to listen to the story.

Girl Power! Teen Books Featuring Strong Females

As this is Women's History Month, I thought I would share some teen books featuring strong female characters.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the Blue Sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
Seventeen-year-old Harper Price's charmed life is turned upside down when she discovers she's been given magical powers in order to protect her school nemesis David Stark, who's an Oracle.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with a unique and sometimes uncanny gift, Katsa was certainly no exception. At an early age, she demonstrated an uncomfortable gift for killing. This makes her the perfect tool for her uncle, King Randa. Katsa detests being used and decides to stand against the injustice surrounding her.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
In a world where Beauty is a commodity only a few control, one Belle will learn the dark secrets behind her powers, and rise up to change the world.


More Books --
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa tahir
Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody
Slayer by Kiersten White
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through April 3, 2020.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Joey and his sister Mary Alice are sent every summer for one week to their Grandma Dowdel's small southern Illinois town.  They are not happy about this.  Nothing ever happens there . . . or does it.

August 1929 -- They see their first corpse . . . and it isn't resting peacefully.

August 1930 -- Grandma gets payback on the teen boys terrorizing the town.

August 1931 -- They trespass, pinch property, poach, and catch the sheriff in his underwear . . . all in the same day.

And there's much more as Joey and Mary Alice make seven summer trips to stay with Grandma Dowdel.


This is a fun historical novel for kids.  It focuses on the ornery character of Grandma Dowdel and her interactions with the town.  I would recommend this for kids looking for humorous or historical fiction. 

Enter If You Dare . . . . Stories of Odd and Unusual Houses

This week, I'm sharing chapter books that feature unusual houses.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
A boy goes to live with his magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in the walls which is ticking off the minutes until doomsday.

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon
When little, twelve-year-old Molly arrives at Castle Hangnail to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the minions who dwell there have no choice but to give her the job and at first it seems she will be able to keep the castle open, but Molly has quite a few secrets that could cause trouble.

Larklight by Philip Reeve
In an alternate Victorian England, young Arthur and his sister Myrtle, residents of Larklight, a floating house in one of Her Majesty's outer space territories, uncover a spidery plot to destroy the solar system.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones
After his grandfather dies, Andrew Hope inherits a house and surrounding land in an English village, but things become very complicated when young orphan Aidan shows up and suddenly a host of variously magical townsfolk and interlopers start intruding on their lives.


More Books --
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
The Beastly Arms by Patrick Jennings
Club Earth by Gail Gauthier
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace
Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf
Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter
The Phantom Tower by Keir Graff
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through March 27, 2020.

Pinch Proof Picture Books for St. Patrick's Day

With St. Patrick's Day quickly approaching, I'm sharing picture books featuring green objects.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Good Luck Bear by Greg Foley
When Bear's friend Mouse tells him that finding a four-leaf clover means one is lucky, the little bear searches for one, despite the discouraging words of other animals.

The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
Frogs sing and do their own version of the Hokey Pokey.

My Snake Blake by Randy Siegel
The extremely long, bright green snake a boy receives from his father as an early birthday present proves to be incredibly smart and talented.

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him have his spinach dessert until he cleans his plate.

Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper
Little Green only knows one word: 'Go!' It's the perfect thing to get the construction site moving, but how will they stop?


More Books --
Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack
Alligator Boy by Cynthia Rylant
Carrot & Pea by Morag Hood
The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy by Martha Brockenbrough
The Frog Principal by Stephanie Calmenson
Gator Gumbo by Candace Fleming
A Girl and Her Gator by Sean Bryan
Go, Little Green Truck! by Roni Schotter
The Good Ship Crocodile by J. Patrick Lewis
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Green as a Bean by Karla Kuskin
The Green Bath by Margaret Mahy
I Don't Want to Be a Frog by Dav Petty
The Little Green Goose by Adele Sanson
The Little Pea by Eric Battus
Lizette's Green Sock by Catharina Valckz
The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg
The Pea Blossom by Amy  Lowry
Pedro and George by Delphine Perret
Red Light, Green Lion by Candace Ryan
Rory and the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad by Liz Climo
Three Little Peas by Marine Rivoal
Too Many Frogs by Sandy Asher
Turtle Island by Kevin Sherry
Verdi by Janell Cannon
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Check these and more books out on display at the Arnold Branch through March 20, 2020.