Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Fiction for All Ages

Grades 3-6
Astounding Broccoli Boy - Frank Boyce Cottrell
Rory Rooney likes to be prepared for anything, but when he inexplicably turns green and finds himself in an experimental hospital ward with his nemesis, school bully Tommy-Lee "Grim" Komissky, everyone is baffled but Rory believes he and Grim have become superheroes.


Fable Comics - edited by Chris Duffy
Amazing cartoonists take on classic fables from Aesop and beyond!


Sunny Side Up - Jennifer Holm
Sunny Lewin is sent to live with her grandfather for the summer in Florida, where she befriends Buzz, a boy completely obsessed with comic books, and faces the secret behind why she is in Florida in the first place.

Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan... again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He's been gone for four years, but has come back into Jackson's life to help him. Is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

The Shrunken Head - Lauren Oliver
Orphans Philippa, Sam, Thomas, and Max must find out who stole a valuable artifact in order to save to save their home, Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders.



Grades 5-8
The Nest - Kenneth Oppel
When wasps come to Steve in a dream offering to fix his sick baby brother, he thinks all he has to do is say yes. But yes may not mean what Steve thinks it means

Somewhere There is Still a Sun - Michael Gruenbaum
When the Nazis invade Czechoslovakia in 1941, twelve-year-old Michael and his family are deported from Prague to the Terezin concentration camp, where his mother's will and ingenuity keep them from being transported to Auschwitz and certain death.

Young Adult
The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman
On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword, and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future -- and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems.

Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs
(The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.) Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They'll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? (Features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.)

The Hired Girl - Laura Amy Schlitz
Fourteen-year-old Joan Skraggs, just like the heroines in her beloved novels, yearns for real life and true love. But what hope is there for adventure, beauty, or art on a hardscrabble farm in Pennsylvania where the work never ends? Over the summer of 1911, Joan pours her heart out into her diary as she seeks a new, better life for herself -- because maybe, just maybe, a hired girl cleaning and cooking for six dollars a week can become what a farm girl could only dream of -- a woman with a future. (Inspired by the author's own grandmother's journal.)

Throne of Glass series - Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight
As the royal assassin to an evil king, eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien must decide what she will fight for--survival, love, or the future of a kingdom.

Heir of Fire
Royal assassin Celaena must travel to a new land to confront a truth about her heritage, while brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world.

Picture Books

When Sophie's Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt - Molly Bang
Sophie's is hurt when the other children laugh at her painting of her favorite tree--but when she explains her painting everybody understands what she was trying to do.

The Nonsense Show - Eric Carle
Ducks growing out of bananas? A mouse catching a cat? What's wrong with this book? Yes, there's something strange, something funny, and even downright preposterous on every page of this book. But it's not a mistake--it's nonsense! And it's also surrealism.

Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues - Kim Dean
Pete the Cat wants to go to sleep, but his animal friends want to stay up and play.

Koala Hospital - Suzi Eszterhas
Take a tour of a hospital dedicated to caring for sick and injured koalas.

Beastly Babies - Ellen Jackson
Introduces all sorts of mischievous baby animals--and the grown-ups who love them no matter what.

The Fun Book of Scary Stuff - Emily Jenkins
A little boy tells his two dogs about all the things that scare him.


Tacky and the Haunted Igloo - Helen Lester
Tacky is not very helpful as Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect plan and prepare for Halloween, turning their igloo into a haunted house and making treats, but while Tacky is finishing his costume something really frightening arrives, and only he can chase it away.

Written and Drawn by Henrietta - Liniers
When Henrietta's mother gives her a box of colored pencils, she sets out to draw a terrifying and fantastic adventure.


Thank You and Good Night - Patrick McDonnell
Maggie hosts a pajama party at which Clement, Alan Alexander, and Jean play a variety of fun games, tire themselves, and drift off to sleep, but not before sharing their gratitude.


Where Are My Books? - Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Spencer loves books and reads one every night, sometimes aloud, then puts the book back in its place, but one morning his favorite book is missing, and the next day another, each replaced by a different object.


Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle - Miranda Paul
Includes an illustrated glossary and facts about percentages of water in humans, animals, and other elements of the natural world.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

New Picture Books

This is My Home, This is My School - Jonathan Bean
The boy from Building our house takes us through a typically boisterous homeschooling day with his big family.-- Provided by publisher

Where's Walrus? And Penguin? - Stephen Savage
Walrus and Penguin have escaped from the zoo! Will the zookeeper find them? Or will these clever runaways stay one step ahead disguised as subway riders, baseball players, and even grand opera performers? In this mischievous, wordless picture book, join Walrus and Penguin on their breezy escapade in the big city as they find fun wherever they go.

I Used to Be Afraid - Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A novelty picture book exploring the many forms fear can take and the importance of overcoming it.-- Provided by publisher

The Little Shop of Monsters - R.L. Stine
An illustrated, interactive story with a narrator who invites the reader to meet a vast array of pet monsters, such as the Yucky Mucky twins, and choose one to take home.


My Many Colored Days - Dr. Seuss
This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions.

What Pet Should I Get? - Dr. Seuss
What happens when a brother and sister visit a pet store to pick a pet? Naturally, they can't choose just one! The tale captures a classic childhood moment--choosing a pet--and uses it to illuminate a life lesson: that it is hard to make up your mind, but sometimes you just have to do it!

My Leaf Book - Monica Wellington
A young girl visits an arboretum in the autumn to collect fallen leaves. She identifies various trees by the shapes of their leaves and pastes her collection into her own leaf book. -- Provided by publisher

I Really Like Slop! - Mo Willems
Piggie really likes slop. She likes it so much, she wants Gerald to try some! But can Gerald find the courage to do it? Or will the smell alone be too much to handle?-- Provided by publisher


The Full Moon at the Napping House - Audrey Wood
In this cumulative tale, a chirping cricket calms a worried mouse, a prowling cat, and other restless creatures, helping them to finally fall asleep.

My Autumn Book - Wong Herbert Yee
A young girl rushes outside when the air is crisp and the sky turns gray to observe all of the changes that autumn brings.

New Picture Books

Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons - Margaret Wise Brown
Twelve seasonal lullabies are illustrated by contemporary artists, including Floyd Cooper, Leo Espinosa, and Dadu Shin.

I Am a Bear - Jean François Dumont
A homeless bear living in a city has a hard time getting by, but when a little girl makes friends with him, his life becomes brighter.


I'm Right Here - Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen
Even as William's grandmother soothes him with the knowledge that his fears will lessen as he grows up, he reassures her that she need not fear losing the things she loves.



The Moon is Going to Addy's House - Ida Pearle
The moon follows Addy all over the city before finally settling in at her house for bedtime.

Wait - Antoinette Portis
A ... picture book about the joys of waiting and taking in what is around you.-- Provided by publisher


Animal Beauty - Kirstin Roskift
Zoo animals find a fashion magazine, pass it around, and start to follow its advice.


Brother Giovanni's Little Reward: How the Pretzel Was Born - Anna Egan Smucker
Brother Giovanni is a happy man and the best baker his monastery has ever seen, but when he is tasked with preparing the children for the Bishop's visit, he has no luck until he twists some bread dough into a special shape, sprinkles it with salt, and offers it as a reward for learning prayers.

Lenny & Lucy - Philip C. Stead
A picture book about moving to a new house and making new friends.-- Provided by publisher


The Dog That Nino Didn't Have - Edward Van de Vendel
Nino has a wonderful time playing with his imaginary dog until he gets a real one, and although the new dog does not always behave as he expects, Nino is still content.




I Will Take a Nap! - Mo Willems
Gerald is tired and cranky and wants to take a nap, but Piggie is not helping.