Back to School!

School has started for most children in the area.  Check out one of these great school stories.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Like her mother, a professional medium, Kat has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school.

The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith

Flora, the world's most educated mouse, saves her family during a crisis.

More Books --

In Honor of Broken Things by Paul Acampora

Lights, Camera, Middle School by Jennifer L. Holm

Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs by Katherine Applegate

The New Kid at School by Kate McMullan
Restart by Gordon Korman

Scary School by Derek Kent

School Daze by Nick Bruel

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The School Is Alive by Jack Chabert
School of the Dead by Avi

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl

 

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl 

This book contains seven stories by children's author Roald Dahl.  Six of the stories are fiction while the other two are rare nonfiction pieces by the author.  There are a variety of stories including fantasy (The Boy Who Talked to Animals), war fiction (Piece of Cake), magic realism (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), and a true story of treasure (The Mildenhall Treasure).  

I listened to this on audio and highly recommend that format.  The narrator does a great job of reading the stories.  While I didn't care for all the stories and one of them I found very disturbing (The Swan), I would still recommend this to fans of Roald Dahl.

The Witches by Roald Dahl

 The Witches by Roald Dahl - 244 pages

Grandmama has told him everything there is to know about witches.  They hide in plain sight although they must wear disguises to cover their bald heads, clawed fingers, and squared-off feet with no toes.  They are also deadly dangerous to children.  It is their sole purpose to get rid of children.

While on vacation, he accidentally runs into the witches of England having their annual meeting.  At the meeting, the Grand High Witch shares her evil plan to turn all the children of England into mice.  Will he be able to stop them?


This book is a little creepy and a lot of fun.  Like most Roald Dahl books it doesn't have a traditional happy ending but you are satisfied with how the story ends.  I also recommend the audio version of this book narrated by Miranda Richardson.  And after reading the book, make sure to watch one of the movie versions of this story.

Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl

Have you ever REALLY thought about the story of Goldilocks?  She's not quite the sweet little girl everyone thinks she is.  She's really a criminal who has no problem ruining other people's lives.

And what about Cinderella?  Is the Prince REALLY such a great guy?



This audio book includes two of Roald Dahl's books -- Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts.  Both are rhymed retellings of popular fairy tales to tell the real story.  I would highly recommend this audio book for all kids who enjoy fractured fairy tales and Roald Dahl's unique sense of humor.

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is the world famous author of children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and James and the Giant Peach.  But he started out as a young boy growing up in Wales and England.

In this memoir, the author recalls stories from his childhood including his time at boarding school, his summer vacations in Norway, and his large family of brothers and sisters.  The stories are interesting and humorous.  Dahl does a great job of highlighting how things have changed since the 1920s and 1930s when he was growing up.

I would highly recommend this biography for anyone who has enjoyed Dahl's stories for children.  It is a great audiobook for those who would like to listen to the stories.  It is narrated by Dan Stevens, the Beast in Disney's live-action movie Beauty and the Beast.

Books to Movies

This year is a great year for children's books being made into movies.  There are new movie versions of Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit and A Wrinkle in Time all coming out in 2018.  This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite children's books that have been made into movies . . .

The BFG by Roald Dahl
Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
An extraordinary English nanny blows in on the East Wind with her parrot-headed umbrella and magic carpetbag and introduces her charges, Jane and Michael, to some delightful people and experiences.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin are guided by unearthly strangers as they go on a journey through space and time to search for Meg's and Charles' scientist father who disappeared while experimenting with a new form of space travel.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.


More Books --
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through February 23, 2018.

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.