June = World Ocean Month

Did you know that June is World Ocean Month?  Celebrate by reading one of the following chapter books with an ocean setting.  Here are a few of our favorites . . . .

Odder by Katherine Applegate

Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she's known. She's a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself -- and about the humans who hope to save her.

Northwind by Gary Paulsen

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to ٢the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.

A Whale in Paris by Daniel Presley

During the German occupation of Paris, Chantal, twelve, spies a whale while fishing with her father in the Seine and is determined to return it to the ocean before the Nazis or starving Parisians can destroy it.

More Books --

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Compass South by Hope Larson

Consider the Octopus by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

Global by Eoin Colfer

Into the Killing Seas by Michael Spradlin

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar

Scary Sea Stories by Mark Kehl

Sea Sirens by Amy Chu

Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea by Lynne Rae Perkins

Secrets We Tell the Sea by Martha Riva Palacio Obon

Celebrate World Music Day!

Did you know that June 21st is World Music Day?  This year, celebrate by reading one of these music-themed picture books.

Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena

Parents put their young daughter to sleep with the help of some music and dancing.

Seven Golden Rings by Rajani LaRocca

In ancient India, a boy named Bhagat travels to the rajah's city, hoping to ensure his family's prosperity by winning a place at court as a singer.

The First Music by Dylan Pritchett

A series of accidents in the jungle proves that everyone has something special to add when it comes to making music.

Gabriella's Song by Candace Fleming

A young girl finds music all around her as she walks about the city of Venice, Italy, and she shares her song with everyone she meets.

Music Is by Lloyd Moss

A rhyming salute to the many ways in which people enjoy music.

More Books --

Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie by Kwame Alexander

Animal Albums from A to Z by Cece Bell

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield

Bring On That Beat! by Rachel Isadora

Double Bass Blues by Rudy Gutierrez

Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle

Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

How to Be a Rock Star by Lisa Tolin

I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello by Barbara Garriel

Music Over Manhattan by Mark Karlins

Music for Mister Moon by Philip Christian Stead

The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants by Eric Litwin

The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom by Colleen Venable

Roar-chestra! by Robert Heidbreder

Rock 'n' Roll Mole by Carolyn Crimi

Ruby Sings the Blues by Niki Daly

Singing in the Rain by Arthur Freed

This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt

Violet's Music by Angela Johnson

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss

Book vs. Big Screen

It's great that so many teen books have been made into movies.  It's always fun to see the differences between the print and movie versions.  Check out some of these teen books and see if you prefer the book or the movie.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel -- a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Confined to her home because she is allergic to the outside world, a teenage girl's life changes when she begins a romance with the new boy next door that challenges everything she's ever known.

More Books --

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Maze Runner by James Dashner

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer