Friday, October 30, 2020

A Few of Miss Amy's Favorite Chapter Books

 This week I'm sharing a few of my favorite chapter books for kids . . .


Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill
It's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village.

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer
Ten-year-old Frederick, who is surreptitiously watched over by a household elf, is plucked from a London orphanage to be a servant to a wealthy wizard, and eventually his uncanny abilities lead him to become the wizard's apprentice.

Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick
This novel in verse follows the school year of Australian students in classroom 6C, as their unconventional teacher encourages them to discover their own strengths and talents and perform in a memorable concert.


More Favorites --
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
Horton Halfpot by Tom Anglberger
A Long Line of Cakes by Deborah Wiles
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elise Primavera
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone
The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall by Tony Johnston
The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 by Honest Lee


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 11, 2020.


Friday, October 23, 2020

Missing the Movies? Read One of These Teen Books Made Into a Movie

If you're anything like me, you've missed going to the movies these past months.  To help fill the void, read one of these teen books made into a movie (and check out the movie while you're at it).  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .


Stardust by Neil Gaiman
In the quiet English hamlet of Wall, Tristran Thorn embarks on a remarkable journey through the world of Faerie to recover a fallen star for his lover, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Fourteen-year-old Mia, who is trying to lead a normal life as a teenage girl in New York City, is shocked to learn that her father is the Prince of Genovia, a small European principality, and that she is a princess and the heir to the throne.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Sixteen-year-old, not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity--and that of his pen pal--will be revealed.
Movie Title -- Love, Simon

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer
When a number of Mara Carlyle's fellow high school students spontaneously combust, the FBI and a swarm of journalists descend upon her suburban New Jersey town in the search for answers.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.


More Books Turned Into Movies --
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Paper Towns by John Green
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 4, 2020.


Thursday, October 22, 2020

Hello, Arnie! An Arnie the Doughnut Story by Laurie Keller

 

Arnie knows every doughnut in the bakery . . . every doughnut except one. 

He's never seen a doughnut like this one before. 
It's big!  It's giant!
It's not a long john.  It doesn't have a hole.  
It doesn't even have sprinkles!

Arnie is determined to figure out what kind of doughnut it is!



I love the Arnie the Doughnut stories.  They are some of my favorites.  This is a great addition to the series.  It's funny!  It also includes the reader in on the joke.  I would definitely recommend this book -- to those who already love Arnie and those meeting him for the first time.

Thursday, October 8, 2020

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson

 

They thought they were enemies.  They thought they could never be friends.

After all their parents are running for president against each other.  

But that was before they were forced to spend time together and discovered they had more in common than anyone thought.  

Slowly their friendship turns into something more.  But their relationship must remain a secret.  It could ruin both of their parents' campaigns.  

Then someone discovers the truth and threatens to tell everyone . . . 


This is a teen book is a great book to read during the election year.  While it focuses on the main characters of Dean and Dre it also includes a lot of politics in the book.  It's also a great book for exploring relationships -- family, friends, and romantic.