Tales, Legends, and Myths Retold

Retellings of fairy tales, myths, and classic stories are always popular.  It's always fun to see a new twist on an old story.  This week, I'm sharing story retellings for teens.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow

Raised in luxury as the pampered, adopted heiress of Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven -- the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven -- Camille knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. Then she meets the mysterious Tor and begins to uncover the secrets of her birth.

William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First by Ian Doescher

A retelling of The Phantom menace in the style of Shakespeare, featuring a disguised queen, a young hero, and two fearless knights facing a hidden, vengeful enemy.

More Retellings --

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

These Violent Deaths by Chloe Gong

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Mad About Hoops

 It's March!  Which means it is time for March Madness.  This week, we're sharing some basketball stories for kids.

Double Scribble: A Jake Maddox Graphic Novel by Brandon Terrell

Diego "Clutch" Rivera was the hero of his school's basketball team last year, but this season things have not started well, and Diego is losing his confidence--but with some help from his dad and a friend he starts to rediscover the fun in basketball.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher

Daren's tendency to blame everyone but himself when anything goes wrong causes problems with his best friend, with a young neighbor who idolizes him, and with one of his basketball teammates.

No Slam Dunk by Mike Lupica

In Annapolis, Maryland, seventh-grader Wes is a good teammate but this basketball season has been challenging because of his ball hog teammate Dinero, who is determined to steal the spotlight, and Wes's army veteran father who is suffering from PTSD.

More Books --

Big Shot by Jeff Kinney

Camp Average by Craig Battle

Fieldhouse by Scott Novosel

Meet Julie by Megan McDonald

My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Prince by Bruce Brooks

Rebound by Kwame Alexander

The Turnover by Mike Lupica

We Are Family by LeBron James

Wheel Wizards by Matt Christopher

A Whole New Ball Game by Phil Bildner

All About Water

 This March, the Jefferson County Library is focusing on water and aquatic animals with our Dive In! promotion.  So this week I'm sharing picture books featuring water and the animals that live in it.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Rain, Drop, Splash by Alvin Tresselt

Follows the raindrops as they grow from a puddle through a flood and on down the river to the ocean.

I Am Shark by Joan Holub

Humorously illustrated sharks introduce themselves and the characteristics that make them special, in a child-friendly, fish-out-of-water tale that includes profiles of species ranging from the Great White and Greenland to the Mako and Hammerhead.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde

The story of one young girl's quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village.

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Plankton tries hard to get Mister Mussel to return a friendly greeting, but when Mussel finally opens his mouth the results are unfortunate for Plankton.

Pigs Ahoy by David McPhail

A young man joins an ocean cruise on which some bad-mannered pigs create disaster while on board.

More Books --

At the Pond by David Elliott

A Bad Day for Fishing by Paige Hulsey

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

The Deep End by Drew Sheneman

Don't Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Duck and Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare

Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert

Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis

How to Spy on a Shark by Lori Haskins Houran

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Sonam

Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Peter Bentley

Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman

Ocean Counting by Janet Lawler

The Ocean Story by John Seven

Oona by Kelly DiPucchio

Pierre the Penguin by Jean Marzollo

Poor Doreen by Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

River by Elisha Cooper

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Trapped! by Robert Burleigh

Water Day by Margarita Engle

Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck

Winners from the Past -- The Mark Twain Award

This week, we're sharing some of our favorite winners from past years of the Mark Twain Award.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

Katie can make things move with her mind and understand what animals are thinking and one day, suspecting that there are three others with her powers, she runs away to find them.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games.

More Mark Twain Award Winners --

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Blended by Sharon Draper

Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Dork in Disguise by Carol Gorman

Framed: A TOAST Mystery by James Ponti

Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli

A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi-Winget

Millionaires for the Month by Stacey McAnulty

The Pinballs by Betsy Byars

Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Stolen Children by Peg Kehret

Titanic Crossing by Barbara Williams

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Wenny Has Wings by Janet Lee Carey

White Bird by R.J. Palacio

Zach's Lie by Roland Smith