A Few of Miss Amy's Favorite Chapter Books

 This week I'm sharing a few of my favorite chapter books for kids . . .

Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill

It's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village.

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King

Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer

Ten-year-old Frederick, who is surreptitiously watched over by a household elf, is plucked from a London orphanage to be a servant to a wealthy wizard, and eventually his uncanny abilities lead him to become the wizard's apprentice.

Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick

This novel in verse follows the school year of Australian students in classroom 6C, as their unconventional teacher encourages them to discover their own strengths and talents and perform in a memorable concert.

More Favorites --

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Horton Halfpot by Tom Anglberger

A Long Line of Cakes by Deborah Wiles

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elise Primavera

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone

The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall by Tony Johnston

The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 by Honest Lee

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 11, 2020.

Feast on a Good Book

This week, I am sharing children's chapter books featuring food.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake by Donald J. Sobol
The ten-year-old detective solves "The Case of the Missing Garlic Bread" and other food-related mysteries. Includes menus and recipes for a Fourth-of-July party, a birthday brunch, and other occasions.

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
Twelve-year-old Rose Bliss wants to work magic in her family's bakery as her parents do, but when they are called away and Rose and her siblings are left in charge, the magic goes awry and a beautiful stranger tries to talk Rose into giving her the BlissCookery Booke.


More Books --
Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman
Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace by Mary Borsky
Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan
Eggs Over Evie by Alison Jackson
Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence
Just Grace and the Trouble with Cupcakes by Charise Mericle Harper
Lights, Camera, Cook! by Charise  Mericle Harper
The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories by Alexander McCall Smith
The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through May 5, 2018.

Gobble Up a Good Book!

It is officially the holiday season -- a time when we enjoy feasts of food.  But how about enjoying a feast of food stories?  Here are a few of my favorite books featuring stories about food . . .

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Pish Posh by Ellen Potter
Eleven-year-old Clara Frankofile sits in her parents' elegant New York City restaurant, Pish Posh, and passes judgement on each customer as a Somebody or a Nobody, but her all-seeing eyes fail to observe the mysterious events occurring right under her nose.

Cosmoe's Weiner Getaway by Max Brallier
Meet Cosmoe, the Earth-Boy. He’s captain of the Neon Weiner, the finest flying food truck in the galaxy. Along with his bud, Big Humphree, he spends his days cruising the cosmos and staying crazy busy

Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace by Mary Brosky
Benny Bensky, a dog, investigates the mystery of why the Perogy Palace restaurant is losing cutomers.


More Food Stories --
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya
I Am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos
Lab Coat Girl in My Triple-Decker Hero by Margie Palatini
Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles by Rupert Kingfisher
Mallory Makes a Difference by Laurie Friedman
The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories by Alexander McCall Smith
The Pizza Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle by David Elliott

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 13, 2017.

Who Knew There Were So Many Stories About Mice?

The other week when I was trying to come up with a new chapter book display for kids, I noticed that a lot of stories seemed to feature mice as the main characters.  And so, here are some great chapter books featuring mice . . .

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

The Tale of Desepereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler
Follows the experiences of an escaped pet shop mouse who descends into a utopian rat civilization before confronting threatening rebels, ravenous cats, and a generations-long battle involving deadly secrets.


More Mouse Stories --
Charlie Muffin's Miracle Mouse by Dick King-Smith
Journey to Freedom by Gilbert Morris
Magnus Maybe by Errol Broome
A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith
The Mousehunter by Alex Milway
The Orphan and the Mouse by Martha Freeman
Poppy by Avi
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
The Show Must Go On! by Kate Klise
Starring Prima! The Mouse of the Battle Jolie by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Survival School by Frank Asch

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through March 11, 2016.

Who-Dun-Its for Kids

Looking for a good mystery?  Check out one of the following . . .

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together--Ted with his brain that is "wired differently" and impatient Kat--to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim.

I Put a Spell on You by Adam Selzer
When Gordon Liddy Community School's resident tattletale-detective, Chrissie Woodward, realizes that the adults are out to fix the big spelling bee, she transfers her loyalty to her fellow students and starts collecting evidence. Told through in-class letters, administrative memos, file notes from Chrissie's investigation, and testimony from spelling bee contestants.

The Potato Chip Puzzles by Eric Berlin
Winston and his friends enter an all-day puzzle contest to win fifty-thousand dollars for their school, but they must also figure out who is trying to keep them from winning. Puzzles for the reader to solve are included throughout the text.

Sensible Hare and the Case of Carrots by Daren King
When Mazy Rabbit arrives at the Hare Detective Agency, she asks Sensible Hare to find her missing suitcase of carrots.

Weird and Wacky Food

Are you all stuffed from your Thanksgiving eating?  How about reading a good book about some odd foods instead of eating more?  Check out these books . . .

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex
A boy who may be part changeling, twins involved in a bizarre secret experiment, and a clurichaun in a red tracksuit try to save the world from an evil cereal company whose ultimate goal is world domination.

Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake by Katie Speck
Maybelle the cockroach is tired of all the rules she must follow to safely get food from Mr. and Mrs. Peabody's kitchen, but when Bernice, an ant with a head cold, insists on helping out, the situation only gets worse.