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.

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Nikolas must find his father. 

His father traveled to Elfhame to find proof that elves exist.  But he's been gone too long. 

Now, Nikolas must travel to Elfhame to try to find his father.  Along the way, he'll deal with starvation, the cold, mountains.  He'll be imprisoned by elves and attacked by a troll. 

But he'll also make a lifelong friends with a flying reindeer, a pixie, and others as he journeys towards finding his father and ultimately, his purpose in life.


This is a great book for those looking to get into the holiday spirit.  It's basically the story of the events that lead up to Nikolas being Santa Claus.  I would highly recommend listening to the book on audio.  It is narrated perfectly by British actor Stephen Fry.

Bedtime Stories for Children

Just one more story?  Please? 
This is a common question at night before bedtime.  So this week, I'm sharing some great bedtime reads.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helene Boudreau
A comical cautionary tale for bedtime-resistant youngsters which challenges them to avoid yawning, from a dozing dog and a cuddly blanket to endearing baby orangutans who stretch out long arms for a nighttime hug.

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
Frances finds it difficult to go to sleep with the strange noises and menacing shapes that seem to fill her room after dark.

Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson
After wandering out at night to watch a magical star shower, a polar bear cub returns home to snuggle with her mother in their warm den.

Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell
During a fun pajama party, three animal friends dance and play, but at last everyone is getting sleepy. Is it time for bed yet? Not before taking the time to say thank you for the day, the night, and good friends.


More Bedtime Stories --
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul
All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep by Crescent Dragonwagon
Bears in Beds by Shirley Parenteau
Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer by Tonya Bolden
Bedtime for Little Bulldozer by Elise Broach
Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep by Barry Saltzberg
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow
Go Sleep in Your Own Bed by Candace Fleming
Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton
Hello, Moon! by Francesca Simon
I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child
I Just Want to Say Good Night by Rachel Isadora
In the Sky at Nighttime by Laura Deal
Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest
Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Little Night by Yuyi Morales
Naamah and the Ark at Night: A Lullaby by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
No Sleep! by Kate Feiffer
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin
Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
Sheep 101 by Richard T. Morris
Shhhh! Everybody's Sleeping by Julie Markes
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue
Sleep Train by Jonathan London
When Sheep Sleep by Laura Numeroff
Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight? by Carol Roth

Check these and more bedtime stories out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 27, 2019.

Frau Faust series by Kore Yamazaki

The legend of Dr. Faust who made a deal with the demon Mephistopheles is famous throughout the land.  What people don't realize is that Dr. Faust was really a woman Johanna.  Now she is searching for the pieces of Mephistopheles who has been dismembered with his various body parts hidden away by the church.


This is an excellent manga series for teens.  It shares the story though the viewpoint of teen Marion who decides to travel with Johanna after she rescues him from a life of crime.  The story moves quickly in only five volumes.  Try this series if you enjoyed Bungo Stray Dogs or The Ancient Magus' Bride.

An Now For Something Completely Different

Sometimes you're just in the mood for something new . . . something different.  So this week, I'm sharing some teen stories that are quirky and different.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castelucci
Tessa tries to be happy when her crush, Charlie, falls for her younger sister, Lulu, and it becomes easier after she begins a secret relationship with Jasper, a social outcast who lives next door to Tessa's best friend. Alternate chapters are in graphic novel form.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl .

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Seventeen-year-old Cullen's summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin's death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother's sudden disappearance.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
The best friend of a kid with superhuman qualities endeavors to have a life of his own that is both normal and extraordinary in the face of constant world-shaking challenges, threats against his school, and an elusive pretty girl.


More Books --
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schrieber
Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Paper Towns by John Green
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer
Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer
There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
Wax by Gina Damico
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 20, 2019.

Robot Reads

This week, I am sharing chapter books featuring stories about robots . . . .

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Fuzzy by Tom Angleberger
When Max (Maxine Zealster) befriends her new robot classmate Fuzzy, she helps him navigate Vanguard Middle School and together they reveal the truth behind the Robot Integration Program.

Brother From a Box by Evan Kuhlman
Sixth-grader Matt Rambeau finds out what it is like to have a brother when his father, a computer genius, creates a robot kid that goes to school with Matt, shares his feelings and ideas, plays, does chores, fights for his "life" when chased by spies, and becomes a part of the family.

The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi
Living in isolation with a robot on what appears to be an alien world populated with bizarre life forms, a twelve-year-old human girl called Eva Nine sets out on a journey to find others like her. Features "augmented reality" pages, in which readers witha webcam can access additional information about Eva Nine's world.


More Robot Stories --
The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
A Boy and His Bot by Daniel Wilson
Cats vs. Robots: This is War by Margaret Stohl
Eagar by Helen Fox
The Fran with Four Brains by Jim Benton
Frank Einstein & the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka
Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities by Mike Jung
How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
Janitors by Tyler Whitesides
Monstrous Devices by Damien Love
Tin by Padraig Kenny
Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 5, 2019.

Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Comfort Snowberger has attended more funerals that anyone else her age as her family owns the local funeral parlor.  But when Great Aunt Florentine dies it is different.  Comfort not only has to deal with her grief for Aunt Florentine but also her annoying cousin Peach and her best friend who has suddenly turned away from her.


This book is loosely connected to the Aurora County novels by Deborah Wiles.  I enjoyed this book.  It was entertaining and funny even while dealing with the various forms grief can take.  I would recommend this book to all kids.