Read Something a Little Strange

I love books that are just a little different -- oddball characters, strange lands, mysterious happenings.  So this week, I'm sharing some children's chapter books that are just a little strange . . . .

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.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
When a mysterious old man gives James some magical, tiny green things, he certainly never imagines that they will grow into an enormous peach.

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater
Arthur goes to pick up the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but comes home with a 260 pound chicken.

Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
The wind brings two English children a new nanny who slides up the bannister and introduces them to some delightful people and experiences.


More Strange Stories --
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Buckle & Squash: The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld
The Elevator Family by Douglas Adams
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny -- Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O'Hara
Shivers! The Pirate Who Is Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone
Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 25, 2017.

Yo Ho Ho! Stories of Pirates

It's a little early in the month, but Talk Like a Pirate Day is coming up.  So here are some of my favorite books featuring pirates . . .

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.

Dragon's Plunder by Brad Strickland
Having been kidnapped by former pirates because of his ability to whistle up the wind, fifteen-year-old Jamie agrees to help their leader, a living corpse, find the dragon of Windrose Island.

Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone
Shivers, the pirate who's afraid of everything, battles a giant squid, discovers hidden treasures, and gets pooped on by a pigeon to save his parents from the clutches of evil.


More Pirate Stories --
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress
Fish by Gregory Mone
The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash
Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz
Little Wolf: Terror of the Shivery Seas by Ian Whybrow
The Lost Treasure of Little Snoring by Lyn Gardner
Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
Pirate Pig by Cornelia Funke
The Pirates of Turtle Rock by Richard Jennings
Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey
Tales of Pirates and Buccaneers by Howard Pyle
Uncle Pirate by Douglas Rees
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through September 23, 2016.

Let's Go On an Adventure

Open any book and you can find yourself on the adventure of a lifetime.  Check out one of these great adventure stories for kids . . .

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.

Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River.

We Are Not Eaten by Yaks by C. Alexander London
As the children of two world-famous explorers, eleven-year-old twins Celia and Oliver prefer television-watching to adventure-seeking until their father takes them to Tibet to help search for their long-lost mother.