Prepped? Are You Ready for These Disasters?

This week, we're sharing teen survival stories.  Whether they're surviving a natural disaster, evil creature, alien invasion, or apocalypse, these teen stories are definitely worth checking out.

In Darkness by Nick Lake

In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, fifteen-year-old Shorty, a poor gang member from the slums of Site Soleil, is trapped in the rubble of a ruined hospital, and as he grows weaker he has visions and memories of his life of violence, his lost twin sister, and of Toussaint L'Ouverture, who liberated Haiti from French rule in the 1804.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Through journal entries sixteen year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

Wishing she could just spend time with her new girlfriend, Lea struggles with the decline in humanity as an environmental disaster strikes.

Above All Else by Dana Alison Levy

Rose and Tate are best friends and climbing buddies, and now they are embarking on the greatest climb of all--Mount Everest; but as the climbers encounter physical and emotional challenges the higher they go, the expedition starts to slide toward disaster, testing the teens' courage, determination, and their feelings for each other.

More Books --

All We Can Do It Wait by Richard Lawson

The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed

Dustborn by Erin Bowman

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Fractured Tide by Leslie Karen Lutz

Girls at the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson

The Great Big One by J.C. Geiger

The Living by Matt de la Pena

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Storm by Donna Jo Napoli
The Wild Lands by Paul Greci

Books So Funny You Have to Laugh Out Loud

We can all use a good laugh every now and then.  So this week, I'm share funny chapter books.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen
Twelve-year-old Henry's grand adventures spell disaster for best chums Riley and Reed, who always seems to land in a pile of "smelly goo."

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
Relates the adventures of a family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets as they make their way through a school year and deal with a grumpy new neighbor.

Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik
The students at the strange new Zoo School have never seen a school like it before, but when inspectors try to close it down because of irregularities, the students are surprised to find out how much they have learned.

Jimmy Dabble by Frans Vischer
An imaginative little boy named Jimmy Dabble, who brings a creative touch to his farm chores, strikes his traditional parents as a bit too eccentric, but the understanding and encouragement he receives from his visiting grandmother and an unusual creature may be what he needs to resolve an impending crisis.


More Funny Books --
A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern
Crown Me! by Kathryn Lay
Dr. Proctor's Fart Powder by Jo Nesbo
Funny Girl: Funnies. Stories. Ever. by Betsy Bird
Goldilocks, Go Home! by Martha Freeman
Hamstersaurus Rex by Tom O'Donnell
The Mummy's Mother by Tony Johnston
The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath
The Prizewinners of Piedmont Place by Bill Doyle
The Quigleys by Simon Mason
Squirrel in the House by Vivian Vande Velde
Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers by John Dougherty


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through September 6, 2020.

Great Read Aloud Books

With the holidays approaching, it is a great time to read a story together as a family.  So this week, I'm sharing some great chapter book read alouds.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her.

A Long Way From Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck
A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their larger-than-life grandmother.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
Relates the adventures of a family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets as they make their way through a school year and deal with a grumpy new neighbor.


More Great Read Alouds --
Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Buckle and Squash: The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny -- Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt
The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through January 3, 2020.

Happy Father's Day (A Little Late)

Yesterday, we celebrated Father's Day.  Here are a few of my favorite chapter books featuring dads ....

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
Relates the adventures of a family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets as they make their way through a school year and deal with a grumpy new neighbor.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleray
The family routine is upset during Ramona's year in second grade when her father unexpectedly loses his job.

Road Trip by Gary Paulsen
A father and son embark on a road trip to a distant animal shelter to save a homeless border collie puppy.


More Books --
100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
Blind Mountain by Jane Resh Thomas
Diary of a Monster's Son by Ellen Conford
Knightley & Son by Rohan Gavin
Lexie by Audrey Couloumbis
Like Jake and Me by Mavis Jukes
The Most Important Thing: Stories About Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers by Avi
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Space Race by Evelyn Waugh
Squirm by Carl Hiaasen
Tracking Daddy Down by Marybeth Kelsey
Weekends With Max and His Dad by  Linda Urban
Younguncle Comes to Town by Vandana Singh


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 12, 2019.

Me & My Mom

This week, I'm sharing chapter books for children featuring moms.  Here are a few of my favorite books . . .

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy
Sara's summer plans are upended by a surprise cross-country train trip with her moms, her sisters, and her sister's boyfriend, an adventure shaped by a group of Texans, the diverse landscape, and her mom's book about the journey.

Bringing the Boy Home by N.A. Nelson
As two Takunami youths approach their thirteenth birthdays, Luka reaches the culmination of his mother's training for the tribe's manhood test while Tirio, raised in Miami, Florida, by his adoptive mother, feels called to begin preparations to prove himself during his upcoming visit to the Amazon rain forest where he was born.

The Glass Cafe by Gary Paulsen
When twelve-year-old Tony, a talented artist, begins sketching the dancers at the Kitty Kat Club where his mother is an exotic dancer, it sparks the attention of social services.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.


More Books --
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
Confessions from the Principal's Kid by Robin Mellom
Digging Up Danger by Jacqueline West
The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Fairy Mom and Me by Sophie Kinsella
Graylings Song by Karen Cushman
Jack and the Seven Deadly Giants by Sam Swope
Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale
The Kazillion Wish by Nick Place
More Perfect Than the Moon by Patricia MacLachlan
The Mummy's Mother by Tony Johnston
My Life Starring Mum by Chloe Rayban
Road Trip with Max and His Mom by Linda Urban


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through June 7, 2019.

Dear Diary . . .

This week, I am sharing chapter books for children that feature a diary format.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Little Wolf's Diary of Daring Deeds by Ian Whybrow
In letters home to Mom and Dad, Little Wolf describes his journey to rescue his little brother, Smellybreff, from a crafty cubnapper, Mister Twister the Fox.

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy
Sara's summer plans are upended by a surprise cross-country train trip with her moms, her sisters, and her sister's boyfriend, an adventure shaped by a group of Texans, the diverse landscape, and her mom's book about the journey.

Diary of a Fairy Godmother by Esme Raji Codell
Hunky Dory is an unconventional witch who would rather grant wishes than cast spells which gets her kicked out of charm school; so Hunky sets out to become the best fairy godmother she can be.


More Books --
After Iris by Natasha Farrant
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo
Cat Diaries by Betsy Byars
Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville
Diary of a Monster's Son by Ellen Conford
Eliza's Freedom Road by Jerdine Nolan
My Diary From the Edge of the World by Jodi Lynn Anderson
My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale
North by Night by Katherine Ayres
Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins
Stowaway by Karen Hesse
This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy J. Cavanaugh

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 19, 2018.

Time for a Summer Vacation

This week, I'm sharing chapter books about going on vacation . . .

The Vacation by Polly Horvath

When his parents go to Africa to work as missionaries, twelve-year-old Henry's eccentric aunts, Pigg and Mag, take him on a cross-country car trip, allowing him to gain insight into his family and himself.

The Merman by Dick King-Smith

While on vacation in Scotland on her tenth birthday, Zeta meets a wise, kindly old merman who teaches her not only to swim, but also many, many more fascinating things.

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy

Although not thrilled when her summer plans are upended for a surprise cross-country train trip with her family and embarrassed because one of her moms is writing a tell-all book about the trip, twelve-year-old Sara Johnston-Fischer finds herself changing along with the landscape outside the train windows.

Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea by Lynne Rae Perkins

When her parents take the family to the beach for a vacation, Alix is nervous about leaving home.

More Books --

Abigail Iris: The One and Only by Lisa Glatt

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith

Calvin Coconut: Man Trip by Graham Salisbury

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret

Lexie by Audrey Couloumbis

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond

Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard's Point by Phyllis Naylor Reynolds

The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda

Summer with Elisa by Joanna Hurwitz

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 3, 2018.

This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy

Sarah had big plans for the summer.  She was going to learn to surf and speak Latin.  She was going to rebrand her image with a new look and nickname.  She was going to practice yoga daily for inner peace.

She was not going to take a month-long train trip with her family.
However, that's exactly what she ends up doing when Mimi, one of her mothers, wins a free trip across the country for the whole family as part of a writing program.

Now, Sarah is trapped on the train with her animal-obsessed younger sister Ladybug, her activist older sister Laurel and her boyfriend Root, and her two moms.  To make it worse, there's a second family also in the same program with a Texan dad, too-friendly teen son, and two rambunctious senior citizen aunts.

It's going to be a crazy summer!

This book by Dana Alison Levy follows the family mentioned quite often in her Family Fletcher books.  It's another great book featuring LGBT parents without making it the entire issue of the book.  It's just the way their family is made.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the Family Fletcher books or  those who like family stories.

Stories for Summer

It's Summer!  It's time for sleeping in, playing all day and vacations.  Take some time to read one of these great chapter books set during the summer . . .

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy
Summertime brings the Fletcher Family back to Rock Island where the good times never end, but this summer the boys' favorite lighthouse is all boarded up and with the help from their new neighbors, the Garcia girls, the boys are determined to find out what is really happening with their lighthouse and saving it, no matter what the cost.

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly Jones
When twelve-year-old Lise spends the summer on an island in Maine with her self-reliant mother and bright--but oddly mute--younger brother, her formerly safe world is complicated by an aged Indian neighbor, her mother's childhood friend, and a hurricane.

Ivy Takes Care by Rosemary Wells
Brokenhearted when her best friend departs for the summer, Ivy spends her own summer caring for animals in the mid-century Southwest, sharing her season of discovery with a stubborn pony, a mischievous puppy, and a scarred racehorse.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business.

The Great Good Summer by Liz Scanlon
Loomer, Texas, twelve-year-old Ivy Green, whose mother may have run off with a charismatic preacher to Panhandle, Florida, and classmate Paul Dobbs, who wants to see a Space Shuttle before the program is scrapped, team up for a summer adventure that is full of surprises.


More Summer Stories --
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald
The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Leila Howland
Melonhead and the Big Stink by Katy Kelly
Morgy's Musical Summer by Maggie Lewis
Summer According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
The Summer Experiment  by Cathie Pelletier
Summer of the War by Gloria Whelan
Summer with Elisa by Johanna Hurwitz
Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
When My Sister Started Kissing by Helen Frost


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through July 7, 2017.

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy

The Family Fletcher is back!

This time they're spending the month of August on Rock Island -- just like they do every summer.

The boys are looking forward to all of their favorite things about Rock Island -- playing soccer on the beach, going for ice cream in town, and most of all the lighthouse.

But this year, change is coming to Rock Island!

For the first time ever, there are people staying in the big house next door with children.  There is an ice cream that comes out to their house.  And worst of all, the lighthouse is closed due to safety concerns.


This is the second book about the Fletcher family.  It's a lot of fun to catch up with the four boys during the summer.  Those who read the first book -- The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher -- will definitely want to read this book.