Horse Tales

 This week, I'm sharing chapter book stories about horses . . . .

Astra by Chris Platt
Forbidden to ride after her mother's death in a riding accident, thirteen-year-old Lily nurses her mother's beloved horse, Astra, back to health, hoping that someday Astra will win the Tevis Cup endurance race.

Rescue by Jessie Haas

When Chess moves near Joni, their differing opinions have Joni defending her family's farm, and she must find the courage to stand up to Chess when she decides to "rescue" the minature horses from a nearby farm.

Libby of High Hopes by Elisa Primavera

When ten-year-old Libby Thump stumbles upon High Hopes Horse Farm and finds her dream horse, Princess, a prize-winning jumping horse that has been put out to pasture, Libby tries to convince her parents to give her riding lessons.

Dream of Night by Heather Henson

Told from their different points of view, twelve-year-old Shiloh, a troubled foster child, Dream of Night, an abused former racehorse, and Jess, a woman who cares for both, find healing by helping one another through their pain.

More Horse Stories --

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Blue Roan Child by Jamieson Findlay
Chauncy of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau

The Devil in Ol' Rosie by Louise Moeri
A Horse Called Hero by Sam Angus

A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean

The Island Horse by Susan Hughes

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

Mary Margaret Meets Her Match by Christine Kole MacLean

Mending Horses by M.P. Barker

My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

No Small Thing by Natale Ghent

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through September 10, 2021.

The Five Faces of Grief: A Teen Fiction Booklist

Everybody reacts to grief in a different way.  This week, I'm sharing fiction stories for teens about the grieving process.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
The summer following her father's death, Macy plans to work at the library and wait for her brainy boyfriend to return from camp, but instead she goes to work at a catering business where she makes new friends and finally faces her grief.

Goodbye Days: A Novel by Jeff Zentner
Looks at a teen's life after the death of his best friend and how he navigates through the guilt and pain by celebrating their lives--and ultimately learning to forgive himself.

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 --

All That Was by Karen Rivers

Bang: A Novel by Barry Lyga

Breakaway by Katarina M. Spears

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody

The Color of the Sun by David Almond

Fadeaway by Maura Ellen Stokes

The Half-Orphan's Handbook by Joan F. Smith

The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belander

I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain by Will Walton

The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young

Legacy by Jessica Blank

Maybe by Brent Runyon

Pretend She's Here by Luanne Rice

Ready to Fall by Marcella Fleischman Pixley

Road Tripped by Pete Hautman

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Sorry for Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

Start Here by Trish Doller

The Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch September 3, 2021.

Tails & Tales: Reading Safari

 This week, I'm sharing picture books featuring animals you might find on a safari.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Lion Lessons by Jon Agee
Learning to be a lion takes some serious lessons, but luckily, this kid has a teacher who is a real pro.

Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

Elephant wakes up in a grumpy mood, but a present on his doorstep--a hat--cheers him and he sets out to greet his neighbors who all, it seems, need hats of their own!

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
The reader is invited to count the animals that have frightened the monkeys off the pages.

Hippos Are Huge! by Jonathan London

Presents an introduction to the hippopotamus that describes its less well-known characteristics, including its strength, speed, and deadly nature.

Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen

With a tramp and a roll and a swat, Great Big Elephant, Great Big Hippo, and Great Big Tiger try to capture Tiny Little Fly as he teases each one in turn.

More Books --

Alan's Big Scary Teeth by Jarvis

Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys by H.A. Rey

Elmer by David McKee

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

The Good Ship Crocodile by J. Patrick Lewis

Hello, Hippo! Goodbye, Bird! by Kristyn Crow

It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle

Mouse & Lion by Rand Burkert

Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora

On Safari by Emma Lynch

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bergstrom

One Gorilla: A Counting Book by Anthony Browne

The President of the Jungle by Andre Rodrigues
Rhino Romp by Jean Craighead George

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera

The Short Giraffe by Neil Flory

Sloth Went by Adam Lehrhaupt

Snappsy the Alligator Did NOT Ask to Be in This Book! by Julie Falatko

Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freeman

Tales from the Waterhole by Bob Graham

Tiptoe Tapirs by Han-Min Kim
The Travels of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

Verdi by Janell Cannon

Wally Wants to Hug by Barbara M. Joosse

What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

Check these and more safari animal books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 27, 2021.

Horse Tales

This week, I'm sharing chapter books stories about horses . . . .

Libby of High Hopes by Elise Primavera
When ten-year-old Libby Thump stumbles upon High Hopes Horse Farm and finds her dream horse, Princess, a prize-winning jumping horse that has been put out to pasture, Libby tries to convince her parents to give her riding lessons.

Chancey of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau
After being abandoned, Chancey, an albino Appaloosa horse, finds a new home with Claire who needs him as much as he needs her, but as his eyesight deteriorates, he and Claire start anew as a therapeutic team.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his experiences with both good and bad masters.


More Horse Stories --
Astra by Chris Platt
The Blue Roan Child by Jamieson Findlay
The Devil in Ol' Rosie by Louise Moeri
Dream of Night by Heather Henson
A Horse Called Hero by Sam Angus
A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean
The Island Horse by Susan Hughes
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
Mary Margaret Meets Her Match by Christine Kole MacLean
Mending Horses by M.P. Baker
My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
No Small Thing by Natale Ghent
Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan
Rescue by Jessie Haas
Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 20, 2021.

Outside In by LeUyen Pham

Outside In by LeUyen Pham

One day all the people outside . . . went inside.
What were they doing?
Why did they go inside?

This book explains in a simple manner the effects of covid-19 and quarantine to young children.  The words are simple -- highlighting  the ways people coped and felt.  The illustrations offer more depth to the words.  This is a great book to share with children who might be upset and confused as to the events of the past year.

Classics of Teen Fantasy

 This week, I'm sharing some of the classics in teen fantasy.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip

Raised on Eld mountain with only her father's magical menagerie for company, a young wizard is drawn irrevocably into the human world with all its sorrows and delights when a baby comes into her care.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones

Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl .

More Classics of Teen Fantasy --

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Girl of Fire and Thorn by Rae Carson

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 13, 2021.