Tails & Tales: Pig Stories (Picture Books)

 This week, I'm sharing picture books featuring . . . PIGS!  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson

In this rhyming, counting book, ten pigs build a very strange sandwich--until a wolf comes along and sends them running.

Wolf Won't Bite by Emily Gravett

Three little circus pigs capture a wild wolf and make him do outrageous tricks, safe in the belief that he would never bite them.

Is That Wise, Pig? by Jan Thomas

Mouse and Cow are making soup but Pig keeps trying to add strange ingredients.

Pug Meets Pig by Sue Gallion

Pug is happy at home until Pig arrives, when he must share his bowl, his yard, and even his bed, but just as Pug is packing his belongings to leave things change for the better.

Ribbit! by Rodrigo 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.

More Pig Stories --

All for Me and None for All by Helen Lester

Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio

Day by Day by Susan Gal

Do Not Open This Book by Michaela Muntean

Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop

Ginger and Petunia by Patricia Polacco

Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! by Candace Fleming

I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza

A Normal Pig by K-Fai Steele

Nursery Crimes by Arthur Geisert

Olivia by Ian Falconer

One Rainy Day by Valeri Gorbachev
A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black

Pignic by Matt Phelan

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail

Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman
The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

Toot & Puddle: Top of the World by Holly Hobbie

Wait! No Paint! by Bruce Whatley

Yum! by Colin McNaughton

Check these and more pig stories out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 16, 2021.

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen

Author Gary Paulsen is known for his tales of survival in the woods and wilderness.  This book is a different sort of survival story -- the true story of how he survived his childhood.

He escaped his neglectful mother in Chicago when he travelled to spend a summer with his aunt and uncle in the North Woods.  It was this experience that inspired his most famous book -- Hatchet.

He then spent the remainder of this childhood in post-WWII Philippines and his teen years back in the states with two drunk parents who continued to neglect him.  His saving graces at that time were the woods that he still loved and the public library.  The library handed him the first book he ever read at 13 years.  It started a lifelong love of reading and then writing when she gave him a notebook to write his own stories in.

The book ends with his time in the army when he discovered his true calling as a storyteller.

This is a sad, yet hopeful, story of a neglected child becoming who he was meant to be.  It is inspiring to hear how he turned his life experiences into stories that have thrilled children for decades.  I would recommend this to older children and teens who are fans of Gary Paulsen's stories.  (It might be a little rough for younger children.)  I would also recommend the audio version as the narrator did a great job of sharing Gary Paulsen's story.
 

Animals Stories for Children (Chapter Books)

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

Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson

Racing against the clock, shy middle-school student Lily and her best friends, Katie and Jasper, must foil the plot of her father's conniving boss to conquer the world using an army of whales.

Squirrel in the House by Vivian Vande Velde

A Squirrel narrates this story of a family get-together turned upside down when he climbs down the chimney to join the festivities.

Spy Penguins by Sam Hay

Young penguins Jackson, also known as Secret Agent 00Zero, and his inventor-friend, Quigley, investigate who is stealing rare fish from the Rookeryville aquarium, hoping to prove themselves to the Frosty Bureau of Investigation.

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

A young wolf cub, separated from his pack, journeys 1000 miles across the Pacific Northwest, dealing with forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before finding a new home.

Quack by Anna Humphrey

A young wolf cub, separated from his pack, journeys 1000 miles across the Pacific Northwest, dealing with forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before finding a new home.

More Animal Stories --

Akimbo and the Lions by Alexander McCall Smith

The Elephant Thief by Jane Kerr

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

Isabel of the Whales by Hester Velmans

The Last Polar Bears by Harry Horse

Llama in the Library by Johanna Hurwitz

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

Mr. Tiger, Betsy, and the Blue Moon by Sally Gardner

Mystery on the Ostrich Express by Laura James

Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond

Toaff's Way by Cynthia Voigt

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 9, 2021.

Dystopian Stories for Teens

 This week, I'm sharing books for teens featuring dystopian societies . . . . 

Shards & Ashes by Mellisa Marr, Kelley Armstrong & more authors

Gripping and powerful original stories of dystopian worlds from New York Times bestselling authors

All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

In a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented or trademarked, one girl elects to remain silent rather than pay to speak, and her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society.

How We Became Wicked by Alex Yates

When an insect-borne plague begins to envelop the world, three sixteen-year-olds struggle to survive amongst the healthy "trues" and the infected "wickeds". 

Incarceron by Catheine Fisher

To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Caludia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.

Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza

In 2032, when sixteen-year-old Vali's mother is detained by the Deportation Forces, Vali must flee Vermont with her little brother, Ernie, hoping to reach their Tía Luna in the sanctuary state of California.

More Dystopian Fiction --

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Beware the Night by Jessika Fleck

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Dry by Neal Shusterman

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

The Hive by Barry Lyga

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Loop by Ben Oliver

Matched by Ally Condie

Nine by Zach Hines

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
The Tomb by S.A. Bodeen

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Wilder Girls by Rory Power


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 2, 2021.

Narwhal and Jelly: Books 1-5 by Ben Clanton

This audio contains the first five books of the series Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton:
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea 
Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt 
Peanut Butter and Jelly 
Narwhal's Otter Friend 
Happy Narwhalidays 

When they first meet, Jelly thinks Narwhal isn't real and Narwhal thinks Jelly is her new imaginary friend.  Both of them discover a best friend.

Over the course of five books, Narwhal and Jelly go through the same things many best friends experience -- jealousy of new friends, finding the perfect gift for the other, and pretending to be superheroes.


This audiobook retelling of the first five books in the graphic novel series for children was really done.  It translated well to the spoken format.  The stories were interesting and the cast did a great job of incorporating sound effects to enhance the story.  I would definitely recommend this series.

 

Farm Yard Tales: Picture Books for Kids

 This week, I'm sharing stories of farm animals.  Here a few of my favorite farm picture books . . . .

Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

The sounds of the farm animals create a lively beat that keep Farmer Sue, the chicks, sheep, and other farm animals awake.

Leon and Albertine by Christine Davenier

Leon the pig follows the advice of the other barnyard animals in trying to get the attention of Albertine the chicken, with whom he has fallen in love.

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.

Down by the Barn by Will Hillenbrand

Adapts a familiar children's song with a barnyard theme and pairs verses with illustrations of a puppy tractor driver who picks up his farm animal friends early in the morning.

Chickens to the Rescue by Jon Himmelman

Six days a week the chickens help the Greenstalk family and their animals recover from mishaps that occur on the farm, but they need one day to rest.

More Farm Picture Books --

Beauty and the Beaks by Mary Jane Auch

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

Chicken, Chicken, Duck! by Nadia Krilanovich

Chicken Chuck by Bill Martin

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronni

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo-Bop! by Michael Ian Black

Cow Boy Is Not a Cowboy by Gregory Barrington

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson

Cows in the Kitchen by June Crebbin

Duck! by Megan McKinlay

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Farm Flu by Teresa Bateman

Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round by Teri Sloat

Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! by Candace Fleming

Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie by Mary Ellen Jordan

The Mystery of the Haunted Farm by Elys Dolan

The Noisy Way to Bed by Ian Whybrown

Oink by David Elliot

Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora

Punk Farm by Jarrett Krosoczka

Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Kennedy
Serious Farm by Tim Egan

Sheep Go to Sleep by Nancy Shaw

The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg by Julie Paschkis

Soggy Saturday by Phyllis Root

Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack

Wake Up, Big Barn! by Suzanne Tanner Chitwood

Who Will Tuck Me In Tonight? by Carol Roth

Check out these and more farm picture books on display at the Arnold Branch through June 25, 2021.