5 Books Featuring…Magical Swords!

If you ever ended up in a fantasy world, what would be the one thing you would want to have? Potions from a wizard? A dragon companion? A unicorn to ride? How about a magical sword?

The kids in these books either have a magical sword, or are looking for one. If you’re a fan of fantasy books, you’ll know that they usually prove to be useful…if not right away, then eventually. If you love fantasy, one of these books is sure to fit your reading needs.

Our “5 Books…” lists include five books (usually with a couple extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if the story sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (Can you guess which is which?)

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Nightingale by Deva Fagan

 Lark is determined to escape her squalid life at Miss Starvenger’s boarding house, but she needs to find the coin to do it. Her grand scheme? To steal her fortune from the Royal Museum.

Unfortunately, her heist goes off the rails, and Lark ends up stealing a magical sword right out from under the nose of Prince Jasper, who’s none too happy to have his plans thwarted. Lark soon discovers that the Sword has a mind of its own, and has chosen her to be the next Nightingale, a fabled hero who must vanquish an ancient evil that is waking after centuries of sleep.

Working alone has its limitations, but relying on others after a lifetime of disappointments feels impossible. Still, Lark will need the help of her boarding house roommates if she wants to defeat the villainous forces that threaten to dismantle everything she holds dear.

The Demon Sword Asperides by Sarah Jean Horwitz

For the past two hundred years, the demon sword Asperides has led a quiet life. While his physical form has been tasked with guarding the body of an evil sorcerer, the rest of his consciousness has taken a well-earned vacation. That constant need to trick humans into wielding him (at the price of their very souls, of course) was rather draining.

Nack Furnival, on the other hand, is far from satisfied with his existence. Nack has trained since birth to be a brave and noble knight–but, unfortunately, he isn’t especially good at it. Determined to prove his worth, Nack needs a quest. And to complete that quest, he’ll need the one thing no knight can do without: a sword.

When an attempt to resurrect the evil sorcerer throws Asperides into Nack’s path, the demon sword can’t help but trick the boy into making a contract to become his new owner. And with the newly undead (and very, very angry) sorcerer on their trail, Asperides and Nack find themselves swept up in a bigger adventure than either of them bargained for: saving the world.

The Invisible Tower by Nils Johnson-Shelton (The Otherworld Chronicles #1)

Part of the spell has already been broken. The first stones have begun to crumble.

In Artie Kingfisher’s world, wizards named Merlin, fire-breathing dragons, and swords called Excalibur exist only in legends and lore–until the day his video game Otherworld springs to life. You are special, Arthur, says the mysterious message in his game. In one week’s time you will come to me at the it.

Cryptic clues lead Artie to a strange place called the Invisible Tower, where he discovers that nothing in his life is as it seems. Artie is none other than King Arthur, brought to life in the twenty-first century. Artie has won the battle in the virtual Otherworld–now the key to saving the real Otherworld lies in his hands as well.

Green dragons, hungry wolves, powerful sorcerers–suddenly Artie must battle them all as he wields Excalibur and embarks on a quest worthy of the Knights of the Round Table. With his sister, Kay, by his side, Artie steps into the Otherworld–straight toward his destiny. Magical swords REALLY come into play in book two, The Seven Swords. But read the whole series!

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Harry Crewe is a Homelander orphan girl, come to live in Damar from over the seas. She is drawn to the bleak landscape, so unlike the green hills of her Homeland. She wishes she might cross the sands and climb the dark mountains where no Homelander has ever set foot, where the last of the old Damarians, the Free Hillfolk, live.

Corlath is the golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the legendary Lady Aerin. When he arrives in Harry’s town to ally with the Homelanders against a common enemy, he never expects to set Harry’s destiny in motion: She will ride into battle as a King’s Rider, bearing the Blue Sword, the great mythical treasure, which no one has wielded since Lady Aerin herself.

Legends and myths, no matter how epic, no matter how magical, all begin somewhere.

The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

Ellie can’t help that she’s a witch, the most hated member of society. Determined to prove her worth and eschew her heritage, Ellie applies to the Fairy Godmother Academy–her golden ticket to societal acceptance. But Ellie’s dreams are squashed when she receives the dreaded draft letter to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s legendary Round Table. She can get out of the draft–but only if she saves a lost cause. Enter Caedmon, a boy from Wisconsin struggling with the death of his best friend.

He first dismisses the draft as ridiculous; magic can’t possibly exist. But when Merlin’s ancient magic foretells his family’s death if he doesn’t follow through, he travels to the knights’ castle, where he learns of a wicked curse leeching the knights of their power. To break the curse, Ellie and Caedmon must pass a series of deathly trials and re-forge the lost, shattered sword of Excalibur. And unless Ellie accepts her witch magic and Caedmon rises to become the knight he’s meant to be, they will both fail–and the world will fall to the same darkness that brought King Arthur and Camelot to ruin.

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura

All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is an ordinary life–like everyone else’s. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her.

But then Momo’s mother falls gravely ill, and a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she’s rescued by a talking fox . . . and “ordinary” goes out the window. It turns out that Momo’s mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi–a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and wreak havoc across the earth.

Joined by Niko the fox and Danny–her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with–Momo must embrace her (definitely not “ordinary”) identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother’s life, and force the demons back to Yomi.

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Daystar has never seen his mother, Cimorene, actually perform magic. Nor has he ever known her to enter the Enchanted Forest in all the years they have lived on its edge. That is, not until a wizard shows up at their cottage the day after his birthday. Much to Daystar’s surprise, Cimorene melts the unsavory wizard. And the following day, she comes out of the Enchanted Forest carrying a sword. With that and a few supplies, she kicks him out of the house and into the Forest.

Two rules one must always remember when traveling in the Enchanted Forest: always be polite and never say yes to a favor until you know what you’re being asked to do. Daystar has no idea why he’s tromping around the forest fighting wizards and monsters with what is obviously a magical sword, but he keeps those rules in mind as he stumbles upon a quick-tempered firewitch and a baby dragon. Daystar realizes that the sword is leading him to adventures beyond what he ever imagined. This is a stand-alone conclusion to the Enchanted Forest Chronicles–although you might want to brush up on all Cimorene’s adventures before reading this one!

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And there you have it. A phalanx of swords–or sword books, anyway. If you’d like more, just type Excalibur into our Library Catalog, and see what else pops up. You’ll have enough reading to last you through the rest of the winter!

Check out these books, on display over the paperbacks, and see what catches your fancy.

As always, if you need help finding these or any other books, ask one of our librarians for help. We love pairing books and readers!

Happy Reading!
::kelly::

5 Books Featuring…Groundhog Day!

Our second movie feature! First Parent Trap read-alikes, now Groundhog Day!

What would you do if you were stuck in a time loop…re-living the same day over and over again, until you change something significant? Would you survive, or would you slowly lose your mind? The kids in these books are holding out hope for a happy ending….but will they get it?

Our “5 Books…” lists include five books (occasionally with a few extra!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

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The Retake by Jen Calonita

Zoe knows that the only thing harder than middle school is losing a best friend. She and Laura used to do everything together from taking silly selfies, to joining all the same clubs together and even throwing surprise birthday parties for one another.

But lately things have been weird between them. Now Laura will post a photo of her hanging out with other girls before responding to Zoe’s simple text. She doesn’t even want to sit with her at lunch anymore. Zoe is heartbroken–all she wants is for things to go back to normal.

But then a magical app downloads on her phone…and things get even weirder! Suddenly Zoe can travel back in time to moments where her and Laura started drifting apart. It is like a dream come true. A chance for Zoe to mend their friendship.

But as Zoe goes back to moments of middle school drama–sleepover games gone wrong, field trips with cliques and crushes, and school projects that bring on more-than-awkward encounters–she realizes that second chances don’t always go as planned and that sometimes you need to trust the magic of new beginnings.

A picture-perfect look at tween friendship, that also explores more serious themes of social media pressure, bullying and what it means to be yourself.

The First Last Day by Dorian Cirrone

What if you could get a do-over–a chance to relive a day in your life over and over again until you got it right? Would you?

After finding a mysterious set of paints in her backpack, eleven-year-old Haleigh Adams paints a picture of her last day at the New Jersey shore. When she wakes up the next morning, Haleigh finds that her wish for an endless summer with her new friend Kevin has come true. At first, she’s thrilled, but Haliegh soon learns that staying in one place–and time–comes with a price.

And when Haleigh realizes her parents have been keeping a secret, she is faced with a choice: do nothing and miss out on the good things that come with growing up or find the secret of the time loop she’s trapped in and face the inevitable realities of moving on.

As she and Kevin set out to find the source of the magic paints, Haleigh worries it might be too late. Will she be able to restart time? Or will it be the biggest mistake of her life?

Rewind by Lisa Graff

As far as McKinley O’Dair is concerned, the best thing about living in Gap Bend, Pennsylvania, is the Time Hop–the giant party the town throws every June to celebrate a single year in history. That one day is enough to make the few things that aren’t so fantastic about McKinley’s life–like her crabby homeroom teacher or her super-scheduled father–worth suffering through. And when McKinley learns that this year’s theme is 1993, she can’t wait to enter the Time Hop fashion show with a killer ’90s outfit she’s designed and sewn all on her own. But when the Time Hop rolls around, nothing goes as planned. In fact, it’s the biggest disaster of McKinley’s life.

Before she knows what’s hit her, McKinley somehow finds herself in the real 1993–and it’s not all kitschy parachute pants and Jurassic Park. All McKinley wants is to return to the present, but before she can, she’s going to have to make a big change–but which change is the right one?

This humorous and heartfelt novel about destiny and self-discovery shines a poignant light on the way life could play out–if a person is given a chance to rewind.

Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman

Mason and Ty were once the very best of friends, like two nerdy sides of the same coin . . . until seventh grade, when Ava Petrakis came along. Now Mason can trace everything bad in his life to that terrible fight they had over the new girl. The one thing he’d give anything for is a do-over. But that can’t happen in real life–can it?

As a science kid, Mason knows do-overs are impossible, so he can’t believe it when he wakes up from a freak accident and finds himself magically transported back to seventh grade. His parents aren’t yet divorced and his beloved sheepdog is still alive. Best of all, he and Ty haven’t had their falling-out yet.

It makes no logical sense, but Mason is determined to use this second chance to not only save his friendship (and his dog!) but do other things differently–like trying out for the football team and giving new friends a chance. There’s just one person he’ll be avoiding at all costs: Ava. But despite his best efforts, will he be able to stop the chain of events that made his previous life implode?

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

It’s Amanda’s 11th birthday and she is super excited — after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she’s shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven’t shared together.

After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately. It’s as horrible as she thought it would be.

But when Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating itself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . .

Vivian Lantz’s Second Chances by Kathryn Ormsbee

Vivian Lantz is cursed. Every year, terrible things happen on her first day of school. This year, Vivian has a plan to conquer eighth grade. But eighth grade Turns out to start with her worst first day yet.

Vivian can’t wait to put it all behind her. But instead of waking up to a brand-new day, Vivian somehow gets stuck reliving her catastrophic one. Curse: 9,000 – Vivian: 0. Then she sees her misfortune for what it is: the golden opportunity to get her perfect plan back on track. But when her second chance turns into a third, a fourth, and a fifth, Vivian might have to let go of the perfect day of her dreams… and make a few surprising choices along the way.

You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro

Middle school is the worst, especially for David Bravo. He doesn’t have a single class with his best (okay, only) friend, Antoine. He has to give a class presentation about his heritage, but he’s not sure how–or even if–he wants to explain to his new classmates that he’s adopted. After he injures Antoine in an accident at cross-country practice, he just wishes he could do it all over.

He doesn’t expect his wish to summon a talking, shapeshifting, annoying dog, Fea, who claims that a choice in David’s past actually did put him on the wrong timeline… and she can take him back to fix it.

But when their first try (and the second, and the third) is a total disaster, David and Fea are left scrambling through timeline after timeline–on a quest that may lead them to answers in the most unexpected places.

A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming middle grade novel that explores how our choices make us who we are. 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

“I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.”

When Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, she doesn’t know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter, a true story, and that she can’t share her mission with anyone–not even her (former) best friend, Sal.

It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them appears to have an uncanny ability to predict the future. And if that’s the case, Miranda has an even bigger problem–because the notes tell her that someone needs saving, and she might be too late to help.

Groundhog Day as if seen through the eyes of one of the other characters…the one not reliving the same day.

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So. What do you think? Would you be able to relive the same day over and over if it helped you to fix something? Do you think the characters in these books made things better? Would any of these books make as good a movie as Groundhog Day?

As always, if you need help finding these–or any other books–in the library, ask one of our librarians for help. We LOVE matching kids and books!

Happy Reading!
::Kelly::

5 Books Featuring…In the Spotlight!

Have you ever been in a play or musical? Were you confident, or did you have stage fright? Either way, being on stage is both amazing and scary! Some kids are natural hams, others are brave enough to put themselves right out there, and still others have to overcome stage fright. Read all about what it’s like to join a production in one of these fun books!

Our Five Books list include 5 books (or sometimes more!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

So now…on with the show!

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The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown

What starts as a diversion to stave off boredom during the holidays soon becomes much more for the seven young members of the Blue Door Theatre Company. The four girls–Lyn, Sandra, Vicky and Maddy–and three boys–Bulldong, Nigel and Jeremy–play every part in the theatre, not only on stage but off it too, producing everthing from the scripts and sets to the music and costumes. They also learn that the show must go on, even in the face of their arch-enemy, Mrs. Potter-Smith, local critic and leader of the Ladies’ Institute.

The classic story of seven children with a longing to be on stage: the inspiration for actors from Maggie Smith to Eileen Atkins.

Pippa Passes by Scott Corbett

Meg Kendrick and her sister Lulie expect the usual boring train ride to summer camp. But before the girls can say Camp Hockawattamesset, they’re up to their ears in excitement and intrigue! At the train station, the sisters bump into Pippa Phillips, a famous child movie star, who is running away from her aunt and uncle. She thinks they’re exploiting her talents for their own profit. Immediately sympathetic, Meg and Lulie concoct a brilliant strategy to help Pippa–stage one is to disguise the young actress as just another camper, and to sneak her into Hockawattamesset as their cousin.

Once they’re at camp, Pippa and Lulie have a great time…but Meg is having some doubts. Pippa isn’t used to NOT being in the spotlight, and some of her escapades are getting Meg into trouble. She also starts to have some doubts about hiding someone so famous…who has people looking all over for her. As the week goes on, the girls are facing all kinds of complications, including a riotous ballet performance in the camp Talent Show. How can Meg make Pippa and Lulie see that they need to bring some adults into their little conspiracy? Will this end well for Meg, Pippa, Lulie and all the adults in their lives?

Better Nate Than Ever! by Tim Federle

Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.

A hilarious and heartwarming debut novel full of broken curfews, second chances, and the adventure of growing up–because sometimes you have to get four hundred miles from your backyard to finally feel at home. And read the rest of the trilogy too: Five, Six, Seven, Nate! and Nate Expectations.

Fearless by Mandy Gonzalez

Monica Garcia has arrived in NYC with her grandmother and a few suitcases to live her dream on Broadway. She’s been chosen as understudy to the star of Our Time, the famed Ethel Merman Theater’s last chance to produce a hit before it shutters its doors for good. Along with her fellow castmates–a.k.a. “the squad”–Monica has a big and very personal reason to want this show to succeed. But rumors of a long-running curse plague the theater. And when strange and terrible things start to threaten their hopes for a successful opening night, Monica and the rest of the squad must figure out how to reverse the curse before their big Broadway debuts. With the help of her new friends, her family, and a little magic, can Monica help save the show–and save their dreams?

From Broadway and television star Mandy Gonzalez comes a story about what it means to dream, be yourself, and be fearless. Read the sequel as well: Boulevard of Dreams.

Leading Ladies by Marlee Maitlin & Doug Cooney

Megan’s class is putting on their own original musical based on the book The Wizard of Oz, and Megan wants to be the star of the show and play Dorothy. Since she’s deaf, she will sign the songs for her audition. However, a problem develops when Lizzie, her best friend from camp, transfers from her all-deaf school to Megan’s class – and signs the same two songs that Megan was going to do! Luckily, Megan has some other ideas up her sleeve…

From the Best Actress (For Children of a Lesser God) Academy Award winner.

Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller

Shannon Carter never considered herself much of a theater person. Not like her two BFFs, Elise, an actress, and Fatima, a techie. Shannon’s always been content to stay backstage, helping wherever she can. But when the director of the summer musical hears Shannon singing, he encourages her to step out of the wings and into the spotlight. At first, Shannon is hesitant. As a twelve-year-old with obsessive-compulsive disorder, she depends on routine.

But when she braves the audition, she discovers that center stage is the one place where she doesn’t feel anxious. She lands a lead role, and everyone in her life is ecstatic . . . except Elise. To make matters worse, Shannon’s eccentric and opinionated grandmother moves in with her and her mom after a fluke house fire. As opening night approaches, Shannon feels pressure to save her friendship with Elise, to make Mom and Grandma Ruby act like grown-ups, and to follow the old theater adage The show must go on.  

A contemporary middle-school novel about strained friendships, the positive power of theater, and the realities of being a tween with OCD

Theater Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

When orphans Sorrel, Mark, and Holly are sent to live with their grandmother, a famous English actress, she enrolls them in the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, the same academy that made the orphans from Ballet Shoes famous so long ago. It’s the chance of a lifetime, but the academy won’t give the children the “proper” education their parents would have wanted. However, the children learn to love the academy when they discover that Sorrel has dramatic flair, Mark can sing, and Holly charms everyone with her adorable impish ways. Maybe talent does run in the family.

This classic children’s book is perfect for kids who dream of being onstage–dancing, singing, or acting. Don’t miss the other classic Noel Streatfeild books Ballet Shoes, Skating Shoes, and Dancing Shoes!

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I’m pretty sure everyone has already read Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel Drama, but if not, you should definitely read that one too! If you’ve been to a play (or maybe have a friend in one of the Weston Drama Workshop productions this summer) you may be picturing yourself up on stage as well. Would you rather be in a musical, or a dramatic play? Check out one of the books on this list and see what MIGHT be happening behind the scenes. We also have some great books on being backstage at a musical or Broadway production. Check them out in J 792.02.

If you can think of any titles we’ve missed, let us know! As always, if you need help finding these or any other books, ask one of our librarians. We love matching readers with books!

Happy Reading!
::Kelly::

5 Books Featuring…Pets who Solve Mysteries!

Have you ever wondered what’s in your dog or cat’s head? What they do all day when you’re at school? How smart they really are?

All–well, most of–the pets in these stories are smart! And when they’re alone, they tend to do more than you would ever expect. Some just have mysteries fall into their laps, some go out on adventures, and some go out seeking mysteries so that they have something to do.

However they start, their adventures will make you look at your cat…or dog…or gerbil…with new eyes. So let’s go solve a mystery!

In case you don’t remember, our Five Books feature is a booklist of five books (occasionally with a few extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one Old, one New, one Popular with Kids, one Award winner, and one Favorite. Some are two or three at the same time! (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

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The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler

King has a very big mystery to solve. His family is missing, and he’s been put in the P-O-U-N-D. Why doesn’t his beloved human  Kayla come to get him? When King is adopted by Connor and his mom, things get more confusing. The new family calls him Buddy! And just as Connor and Buddy start to get acquainted, Connor disappears! Buddy (aka King) has big problems to solve, but with some help from his friend Mouse (a very large dog) and the mysterious cat with no name, he shows what a smart, brave dog can do. 

The first book in a fun series.

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin

Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie. These chicks are not your typical barnyard puffs of fluff, and they are not about to spend their days pecking chicken feed and chasing bugs. No sir, they’re too busy solving mysteries and fighting crime.

So when Squirrel comes barreling into the chicken coop, the chicks know they’re about to get a case. But with his poor knowledge of shapes (“Big” is not a shape, Squirrel!) and utter fear of whatever it is that’s out there, the panicky Squirrel is NO HELP. Good thing these chicks are professionals.

But even professionals get worried. Especially once they see that round, shiny, green, BIG thing in the yard. What if it’s a UFO full of aliens who want chickens as pets? It’s up to the Chicken Squad to crack a case that just might be out of this world.

The first of four titles about The Chicken Squad. You will also enjoy the J.J. Tully Mysteries, about the Chicken Squad’s loyal protector solving his own series of mysteries.

Obi, Gerbil on the Loose! By Michael Delaney

Obi the Gerbil is home alone! Obi’s owner is on vacation, and the neighbor feeding the pets has forgotten all about the gerbil tucked away in her cage. Obi loves her cozy home, but without food and water she must escape to survive. So, taking on the courage of her namesake (Star Wars Jedi knight Obi-Wan), she breaks out and meets her fellow pets–cats up to no good, a maniacal tarantula, an insecure snake, a grumpy mouse, and a crotchety dog. Obi finds danger, but also makes new friends as she embarks on her great adventure.

A great series for gerbil fans!

The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton

Butterbean knew she wasn’t always a good dog. Still, she’d never considered herself a BAD dog–until the morning that her owner, Mrs. Food, fell in the hallway. Admittedly the tile was slipperier than usual, mostly because Butterbean had just thrown up on it.

Now Butterbean and her fellow pets have to come up with a grand plan to support themselves in case Mrs. Food is unable to keep taking care of them. When they discover a mysterious man in their building who seems to have lots of loot, they plan a heist. Oscar the mynah bird is the brains of the operation. Walt the cat has the necessary slyness and slink. Marco and Polo are the reconnaissance rats. And Butterbean…well, no one would ever suspect a cute little wiener dog, right? Can these animal friends can pull off the heist of the century?

Read the sequel, The Great Ghost Hoax, coming soon!

Jack and Rebel, the Police Dog as told to Patricia Finney

Jack the excitable labrador retriever tells the tale of his awesome adventures at home (like when he crashed the car) and stories about when he reunites with his old friend Rebel, the police dog…including how the two of them broke up a burglary ring that had been robbing houses while police were occupied with other strange human things. It’s almost as fun as steak and chasing cats! 

Also read I, Jack and hear about Jack’s first adventure.

My Dog is Better than Your Dog by Tommy Greenwald

Jimmy Bishop loves doing 3 things:  1) Laughing at funny dog videos online,  2) watching his favorite show (Stop! Police!) on TV,  and 3) Reading his favorite vampire book (Fang Goodness) over and over.

His self-involved older sister and workaholic Mom think he needs to stop obsessing already! But when his Dad finally allows Jimmy to get a puppy before school starts, everything changes and Jimmy has something new to focus on: his amazing dog, Abby who seems to have some very unusual habits. She sleeps all day but is wired at night, and she runs from the garlic kelp biscuit made by Jimmy’s strange new babysitter Mrs. Cragg. There’s just something different about Abby. Could she possibly be…a vampire? Jimmy’s best friend Irwin thinks Jimmy’s being ridiculous, but then when Abby uncovers a real crime in progress and helps him become friends with an actual, human girl, even Irwin has to admit that perhaps Abby might have some super powers after all. 

Read all the Crime Biters! books!

Howliday Inn by James Howe

The Monroes have gone on vacation, leaving Harold and Chester at Chateau Bow-Wow — not exactly a four-star hotel. On the animals’ very first night there, the silence is pierced by a peculiar wake-up call — an unearthly howl that makes Chester observe that the place should be called Howliday Inn.

But the mysterious cries in the night (Chester is convinced there are werewolves afoot) are just the beginning of the frightening goings-on. Soon animals start disappearing, and there are whispers of murder. Is checkout time at Chateau Bow-Wow going to come earlier than Harold and Chester anticipated? 

Read all the Bunnicula books, as well as the Howie Adventures! (My favorite is Nighty-Nightmare.)

Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

What do REAL PIGEONS do? They fight crime, of course! Wait, what? You didn’t know your town is protected by a secret squad of crime-fighting feathered friends? Well, you are about to get schooled. REAL PIGEONS solve mysteries! REAL PIGEONS fight bad guys! And REAL PIGEONS won’t stop until your neighborhood is safe and the questions are all answered: Like, why have all the breadcrumbs disappeared? And which food truck smells the best? 

With master of disguise Rock Pigeon, bendy Tumbler, strong Frillback and super-finder Homey, the Real Pigeons will solve any mystery and fight any bad guy to keep the city safe! 

A trilogy sure to amuse and delight mystery fans.

The Grand Escape by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Marco and Polo might have been content to stay house cats forever. But Marco has read all about ranches and decides he must find one, while Polo longs to find the mother he barely remembers. And then Mr. Neal leaves the side door open by mistake! Now, after their Grand Escape to the outside world, their lives are full of challenges and opportunities they never imagined. Their search for food and a dry place to sleep leads them to Texas Jake, the ornery cat-leader of the Club of Mysteries. With the help of Carlotta, a friendly and resourceful she-cat, Marco and Polo try to earn admission into the club. Before they can join, however, they must solve three dangerous mysteries. Facing Bertram the Bad (every cat’s nightmare) is only the beginning….

If you enjoy this book, read the other titles in the Cat Pack Mysteries.

Nuts to You by Lynn Rae Perkins

How far would you go for a friend?  Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed as the friends carry out their quest.

Ruff vs. Fluff: A Queenie and Arthur Novel by Spencer Quinn

From the outside, Queenie the cat and Arthur the dog appear to have a lot in common. Both pets live in the charming Blackberry Hill inn. They both love their humans, twins Harmony and Bro. They both have a fondness for sausage. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are mortal enemies. Goofy, big-hearted Arthur loves everyone he’s ever met . . . except the snobby, scheming cat who’s devoted her life to ruining his. Queenie is a bit choosier. And who can blame her? When you’re brilliant AND exquisitely beautiful, you can’t be expected to rub tails with commoners. Especially not slobbery dogs. But when the twins’ beloved cousin is framed for murder, Queenie and Arthur must work together to clear his name . . . something Queenie finds even more distasteful than inexpensive caviar. Can two enemies put aside their differences long enough to solve the mystery?

Read the whole series!

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel by Spencer Quinn

There is trouble brewing in the Louisiana swamp — Bowser can smell it. Bowser is a very handsome and only slightly slobbery dog, and he can smell lots of things. Like bacon. And rawhide chews! And the sweat on humans when they’re lying.  Birdie Gaux, the girl Bowser lives with, also knows something is wrong. It’s not just that her grammy’s stuffed prize marlin has been stolen. It’s the weird rumor that the marlin is linked to a missing treasure. It’s the truck that seems to be following Birdie and the bad feeling on the back of her neck. When Birdie and Bowser start digging into the mystery, not even Bowser’s powerful sniffer can smell just how menacing the threat is. And when the danger comes straight for Birdie, Bowser knows it up to him to sic ’em. 

Read all the books in this fun series!

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I don’t know about you, but now I want to set up a camera and see what my dog gets up to during the day, when I’m at work!

So stop by the library and see if one of these books is something you might enjoy! You could even read it to your pet…if you want to give them some interesting ideas…

As always, if you need help finding these or any other books, ask one of our librarians. We love to match books with readers, and we’re happy to help you find something new.

Happy Reading!
::Kelly::

Five Books Featuring…Kids Save the Planet!

Aliens from another world? Do they want to befriend us, or do they want to eat us?

What would you do if you were put on the spot and had to save the planet from aliens? Could you do it? The kids in these books are sure going to give it a try–and they’ll use anything they can. From a mysterious lunchbox to something found stuck in a sofa or the help of an alien with a weird name…these kids are on it!

Our Five Books feature is a booklist of five books (occasionally with a few extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

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Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox by Michael Buckley
Finn Foley has a lunchbox, and when he opens it, weird things come out . . . like a seven-foot-tall robot and a strange, blinking device that glues itself to his chest. The lunchbox also opens wormholes–shortcuts through space–that take Finn to the farthest corners of the galaxy. Sounds awesome, right?  Not so much. Rocketing through the cosmos attracts the attention of the Plague, a race of gigantic bugs. The thing on Finn’s chest belongs to them–it’s the most dangerous weapon in the universe–and they want it back.  To fight the Plague, Finn will need the lunchbox, as well as an unlikely squad of assistants: Lincoln, the bully; Julep, the coolest girl in school; Kate, Finn’s unicorn-obsessed little sister; and Highbeam, a robot spy from another galaxy. If they can learn to work together, they just might have a chance, but the bugs are coming, and they’ll stop at nothing to get their weapon–even if it means destroying the world.

What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World by Henry Clark
When River, Freak, and Fiona discover a mysterious sofa sitting at their bus stop, their search for loose change produces a rare zucchini-colored crayon. Little do they know this peculiar treasure is about to launch them into the middle of a plot to conquer the world!  The kids’ only hope is to trap the plot’s mastermind when he comes to steal the crayon. But how can three kids from the middle of nowhere stop an evil billionaire? With the help of an eccentric neighbor, an artificially intelligent domino, a DNA-analyzing tray, two hot air balloons, and a cat named Mucus, they just might be able to save the planet. . .
Try other books by this very funny author.

Boom! by Mark Haddon
From the moment that Jim and his best friend, Charlie, bug the staff room and overhear two of their teachers speaking to each other in a secret language, they know there’s an adventure on its way.  But what does “spudvetch” actually mean, and why do Mr. Kidd’s eyes flicker with fluorescent blue light when Charlie says it to him? Perhaps Kidd and Pearce are bank robbers talking in code. Perhaps they’re spies. Perhaps they are aliens. Whatever it is, Jimbo and Charlie are determined to find out.  There really is an adventure on its way. A nuclear-powered, one-hundred-ton adventure with reclining seats and a buffet car. And as it gathers speed and begins to spin out of control, it can only end one way . . . with a BOOM!

Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.  Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he’s capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken–including his dead mother–and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There’s only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. Read the sequel too!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. “Wild nights are my glory,” the unearthly stranger told them. “I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I’ll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.”  And those words start Meg and her brother Charles Wallace and new friend Calvin O’Keefe on the adventure of a lifetime in search of Meg’s father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem. The classic series of time and space adventures for the Murray family.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
When her mother is abducted by aliens on Christmas Eve (or “Smekday” Eve since the Boov invasion), Tip hops in the family car with her cat and heads out to rescue her.  So while the rest of the American population gets shipped via rocketpod to Florida–the proposed site of the new United State of America–Tip heads that way on her own to find her mom.  On the way, she meets a solitary Boov mechanic named J. Lo.  He’s unarmed, and he can fix her battered car, so she agrees to give him a ride, which leads to two alarming discoveries.  One is that J.Lo turns out to be not so bad.  The other is that J.Lo is number one on the Boov’s most wanted list for making the hugest mistake in the history of Smekland (or Earth, depending on your point of view). Now Tip and her many-legged friend are the only ones who can save the planet from a really big catastrophe!  Don’t forget to read the sequel, and if you can, listen to the audiobook…which is the best recording of any children’s book ever! ;D

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There you have it! Five…er, six…books on how to save the planet from aliens! But do you know…? This was so much fun, I ended up making an entire bookLIST of kids saving the planet from aliens! Look for that later this month.

Until then, if you notice any suspicious tentacles in your neighborhood, or friends who look like they might have an extra eye, or a teacher who always covers his head…think twice about what they might be up to!

As always, if you need help finding these or any other books in the library, just ask one of our librarians for help. We always love to match kids with their next favorite book. 😀

Happy Reading!
::kelly::

5 Books Featuring…Robots!

Tin Men? Metallic Humans? At any rate, the heroes in these books aren’t exactly flesh and blood…but they are friends with humans. But what makes somoene human? Is it their body, or is it their personality and sense of self? As you join these adventures with these human and not-human friends, you’ll have to decide–which one is the hero? If you like books featuring adventures and figuring out what is human…this booklist is for you!

Our Five Books feature is a booklist of five books (occasionally with a few extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)! And if there are more than five…it’s anyone’s guess why they’re all there!

But now…on with the metal magic!

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Fuzzy by Tom Angleberger
When Max – Maxine Zelaster – befriends her new robot classmate Fuzzy, part of Vanguard One Middle School’s new Robot Integration Program, she helps him learn everything he needs to know about surviving middle school – the good, the bad, and the really, really, ugly. Little do they know that surviving seventh grade is going to become a true matter of life and death. Because Vanguard has an evil presence at its heart: a digital student evaluation system named BARBARA that might be taking its mission to shape the perfect student to extremes!

The Last Human by Lee Bacon
In the future, robots have eliminated humans, and 12-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, no pollution, no crime. Every member of society has a purpose. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Until the day XR discovers something impossible: a human girl named Emma. Now, Emma must embark on a dangerous voyage with XR and two other robots in search of a mysterious point on a map. But how will they survive in a place where rules are never broken and humans aren’t supposed to exist? And what will they find at the end of their journey? A humorous, action-packed story about friendship, technology, and challenging the status quo no matter the consequences. It’s not just about what it means to be a robot–it’s about what it means to be a friend.

Andy Buckram’s Tin Men by Carol Ryrie Brink
Andy’s imagination (and his Popular Mechanics collection) leads him to builds four tin men from scraps of metal. Campbell is ferocious looking, but actually just a big, cute baby. Bucket was created to do the chores that Andy hates. Lily Belle was created because Andy’s friend Sparrow needed a friend. And the fourth tin man? He’s to help Andy with the leaky rowboat he uses to get between jobs to pay for all his ten men. All four robots help him with the farm work and other jobs, as well as being his companions. But when flood waters overrun his small farm, Andy, his baby cousin Dot, and all four robots are swept down the river. No one would have ever dreamed of the heroic services the robots will perform in an emergency to save Andy, Dot, Sparrow and each other.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
Don’t miss The Wild Robot Escapes, the sequel!

Eager by Helen Fox
It’s the end of the 21st century where technocrats rule and robots take care of humans’ every need. Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And your closest friend can be—a machine? Gavin Bell and his sister Fleur come from a middle-class family. Their much-loved, old-fashioned robot, Grumps, is running down and can’t be repaired, so a scientist friend loans them EGR3, an experimental new robot to help Grumps. EGR3, known as Eager, learns from his experiences, as a child would. He feels emotions—wonder, excitement, and loss. When the ultra high-tech, eerily human BDC4 robots begin to behave suspiciously, Eager and the Bells are drawn into a great adventure. As Eager’s extraordinary abilities are tested to the limit, he will try to find the answer to this question: What does it mean to be alive?

Tin by Padraig Kenny
Christopher is ‘Proper’: a real boy with a real soul, orphaned in a fire. He works for an engineer, a maker of the eccentric, loyal and totally individual mechanicals who are Christopher’s best friends. But after a devastating accident, a secret is revealed and Christopher’s world is changed forever… What follows is a remarkable adventure, as Christopher discovers who he really is, and what it means to be human.

Cog by Greg Van Eekhout
Cog looks like a normal twelve-year-old boy. But his name is short for “cognitive development,” and he was built to learn. But after an accident leaves him damaged, Cog wakes up in an unknown lab–and Gina, the scientist who created and cared for him, is nowhere to be found. Surrounded by scientists who want to study him and remove his brain, Cog recruits four robot accomplices for a mission to find her.
The journey that Cog, ADA, Proto, Trashbot, and Car take will likely involve much cognitive development in the form of mistakes, but Cog is willing to risk everything to find his way back to Gina.

Friendroid by M.M. Vaughan
Danny’s a kid. Eric’s a kid, too. They’re on the way to being best friends, until they hit a snag. For Danny, it becomes hard to ignore Eric’s super strange tendencies. He has weekly “dentist” appointments and parents who never stop smiling. It’s almost impossible to wake him up and he’s always getting fancy gifts from his mysterious uncle. Danny always assumed that Eric was just a spoiled rich kid…until he discovers Eric’s hidden robot reality.
As the two friends dig deeper into Eric’s origins and purpose, powerful forces swarm into town, and Danny and Eric are left with more questions than answers–and more danger than humanly possible.

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So there you have it. Five…(okay, eight)…stories of dangerous situations, daring rescues, and friendships that will last forever.

It almost makes you want to go out and build a friend!

I haven’t read every one of these books, but now I plan to! And I hope you will as well. There were a couple books that I would have loved to add, but we don’t own them anymore. If you can find them at another library, or maybe in your parents’ old collections of their childhood favorites, maybe you could try those books too: My Robot Buddy, by Alfred Slote and Conrad by Christine Nostlinger. Both fun reads from long ago…

If you need help finding these or any other books, just ask one of our librarians when you call or visit the library. We’ll look forward to seeing you!

Happy Reading!
::kelly::

Five Books Featuring…Storms!

Thunder!  The smell of ozone and fresh rain is always exciting.  But sometimes…a little too exciting?  Power outages, thunder, lightning strikes, floods…these books all feature wild storms that lead to the climax of the story.

Our Five Books feature is a short booklist of five books on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

Now—Crash! Sizzle!  Boom!  On with Five Books Featuring…Storms!

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The Lotterys More or Less / Emma Donoghue
Sumac Lottery is the keeper of her family’s traditions — from Pow Wow to Holi, Carnival to Hogmanay — Sumac is on guard to make sure that no Lottery celebration gets forgotten. But this winter all Sumac’s seasonal plans go awry when a Brazilian visitor overstays his welcome. A terrible ice storm grounds all flights, so one of her dads and her favorite brother can’t make it home from India. And then the power starts going out across the city…  Can Sumac hang on to the spirit of the season, even if nothing is going like a Lottery holiday should?

A Talent for Trouble / Natasha Farrant
Desperate to meet up with her unpredictable father, quiet Alice persuades two friends to abandon their boarding school’s orienteering exercise and head for a remote, inaccessible island. As they confront storms, illness, injury, and a gang of international jewel thieves, the quest tests their courage and loyalty and strengthens the bonds of friendship. Readers will cheer the runaways on, laugh with them at their foibles, and share Alice’s pleasure in overcoming the obstacles that stand in her way. This combination adventure, school story, and family story will delight fans of all three genres.

The Book of Storms / Ruth Hatfield
Danny O’Neill has never been what you’d call adventurous. But when he wakes the morning after a storm to find his house empty, his parents gone, and himself able to hear the thoughts of a dying tree, he has no choice but to set out to find answers. He soon learns that the enigmaticBook of Storms holds the key to what he seeks . . . but unraveling its mysteries won’t be easy. If he wants to find his family, he’ll have to face his worst fears and battle terrifyingly powerful enemies, including the demonic Sammael himself.   In the beautifully imagined landscape of Ruth Hatfield’sTheBook of Storms, magic seamlessly intertwines with the everyday, nothing is black and white, and Danny is in a race against time to rescue everything he holds dear.

Eye of the Storm / by Kate Messner
In the not-too-distant future, huge tornadoes and monster storms have become a part of everyday life. Sent to spend the summer in the heart of storm country with her meteorological engineer father, Jaden Meggs is surprised at the strides her father’s company StormSafe, has made with custom shelters that keep her family safe in even the worst of storms. At her exclusive summer science camp, Eye On Tomorrow, Jaden meets Alex, a boy whose passion for science matches hers. Together, they discover that her father’s company is steering storms away from the expensive neighborhoods and toward the organic farming communities that are in competition with his bio-engineered food company, NatureMade. Jaden must confront her father, but when she does, she uncovers a terrifying family secret and must call on both her scientific knowledge and her faith to save the people she loves most from one of her father’s monster storms.

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms / Katherine Rundell
Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa can’t prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school.  Wilhelmina Silver’s world is golden. Living half-wild on an African farm with her horse, her monkey, and her best friend, every day is beautiful. But when her home is sold and Will is sent away to boarding school in England, the world becomes impossibly difficult. Lions and hyenas are nothing compared to packs of vicious schoolgirls. Where can a girl run to in London? And will she have the courage to survive?

Storm Runners / Roland Smith
Chase and his dad are “storm runners”, traveling across the country chasing hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Anywhere the Weather Channel is concentrated, they aren’t far behind. When disaster strikes, Chase’s dad is ready to lend a hand… and if he makes a buck along the way, that isn’t such a bad thing either. It’s an exciting life for thirteen-year-old Chase, and it definitely beats sitting in a classroom the whole school year. But in the aftermath of the hurricane of the century, Chase realizes his “disaster hunter” dad isn’t the hero he makes himself out to be. Now it’s up to Chase to do the right thing… and in the process rescue the father he once knew.

Hurricane : a novel / Terry Trueman

After hours of cowering in the dark with no lights, no warmth, and the terrible noises of the rain and wind pounding on the walls, José walks out his front door and steps into a nightmare. Everything is gone. Everything except for the desperate courage of those who survived that terrifying night.  But his nightmare has only begun as he and the few who are left in his small village dig for survivors, search for food and water, and try to start pulling their lives back together.

The Lion’s Paw / by Robb White

Ben is the keeper of his dad’s sailboat, and memory—as his father has been declared missing, likely killed in action, in battle. Ben lives in a marina on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, dreading the day, fast approaching, when his uncle will make him sell the boat and accept the grim fact that his father is never coming back.
Nick and Penny are runaways from an orphanage who hide on Ben’s boat. He tells them of his crazy notion that somehow his dad will return if he can only find a rare shell, the lion’s paw. Penny and Nick persuade Ben to take on the quest and join him.  So they set off through Florida towards the Gulf of Mexico, with Ben’s uncle, the Coast Guard and bounty hunters giving chase. Will they find the Lion’s Paw, deal with a mighty storm at sea with the forces of evil closing in?

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And there you have it.  Five books (plus three) featuring rip-roaring storms.  Would you rather deal with floods, hurricanes, power outages or magical powers?  Try each of these books and compare.  Maybe a regular thunderstorm wouldn’t be so bad!

So grab one of these books and a flashlight this weekend, and read.  Let me know if you enjoyed any of these, or other books!

Happy Reading!
;;kelly::

 

Five Books Featuring….Loki!

I always love a good mythology-based story, and the tricksters around the world are some of my favorites. From Coyote to Hermes to Raven, they often cause mischief and trick mankind for their own good.  But lately, one chaos-bringer has become more popular in modern culture, through books, comics, movies and imagination.  So here are five stories featuring the Loki, the Norse god of mischief!

Our Five Books feature is a short booklist of five (usually!)  books in a specific genre or on a fun topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

So here we go!  Five Books Featuring…Loki, God of Mischief!

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The Raven God / Alane Adams
After defeating the Volgrim witches, life in Orkney is quiet. Too quiet. Before Sam Baron can catch his breath, an army of fire giants led by Surt gather –and it’s all Sam’s fault. After all, he took Odin’s life with an ancient cursed dagger, and now, mankind has lost its protector. To make matters worse, the God of Mischief, Loki, is on the loose and determined to reunite with his evil wife, Angerboda, and their three children: Fenrir the wolf, Jormungand the sea serpent, and Helva, Goddess of Death. Orkney’s only hope lies with Sam and his stalwart friends. As Surt prepares to launch his forces against Orkney, Sam and two of his fellow witches set out on a journey to rescue Odin, aided by Skidbladnir, a magical ship of the gods that can fly over land and sea, and Geela, a Valkyrie who can transform into a battle-ready goose. Meanwhile, others travel north to stop Loki from starting a war between the Eifalians and the Vanir, while Howie is left to watch over Skara Brae. With time running out, our heroes try frantically to prove once again that they can find the courage to do what’s needed when the odds are stacked against them–even when the sacrifice asked is greater than any of them could imagine.  (This is the third book in The Legends of Orkney trilogy, so you would have to read the others first.)

Loki’s Wolves / K.L. Armstrong
While Matt Thorsen has always known he’s a modern-day descendent of Thor, he’s been living a normal kid’s life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt’s classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.  But now Ragnarok is coming, and it’s up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen’s lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor’s hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.

Odd and the Frost Giants / Neil Gaiman
Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid. In his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd’s destiny begins to change.  The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor’s hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…

Eight Days of Luke / Diana Wynne Jones
There seemed nothing strange about Luke to begin with, except perhaps the snakes. If they were snakes — David wasn’t sure. He was just grateful for a companion as agreeable as Luke, who seemed able to twist anyone around his finger, even David’s odious relatives. “Just kindle a flame and I’ll be with you, ” Luke said, and he always was — which turned out to be more awkward than useful in the end.  For who were the people who seemed to be looking for Luke: the man with one eye; the massive, malevolent gardener, Mr. Chew; the offensively sprightly Frys; the man with ginger hair? Why were ravens watching the house, one in front and one at the back gate? And then of course there was the fire. .

Loki : Where Mischief Lies / Mackenzi Lee
Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard’s resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit-someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.  But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard’s most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor.  When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power-and who he’s meant to be.

Secrets of Valhalla / Jasmine Richards
It’s not every day that you find a famous weatherwoman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mary–and it’s only the start of their adventure.  Now, as the people of Earth are forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mary must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

The Hammer of Thor / Rick Riordan
Thor’s hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon–the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn’t just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can’t retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer’s return is the gods’ worst enemy, Loki–and the price he wants is very high.

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And there you go!  Loki, Norse god of mischief and chaos, with a sideline into being a hero…or a villain.  Sometimes he’s good, sometimes he’s not…but mostly he’s very complex.  These books show Loki as all of the above.

So read on, and draw your own conclusions!

As always, if you need help finding anything, please reach out to the Youth Services Department.  We love matching up books and readers…maybe especially now!  If you have any requests for our “Five Books” topics, comment below.  If I can find something old, something new, and something popular…I can find two others fitting your suggestion.  And maybe more…

Happy Reading!
::kelly::

Five Books Featuring…Misfits Unite!

We all know someone who doesn’t quite fit in.  Sometimes, we are the one who doesn’t fit in.  But when you have a bunch of kids who don’t fit in…maybe it’s time to make a new group!

These five stories feature kids who find themselves changing their perspective by looking around and discovering someone who is…maybe not like them, but who they can respect, explore the world and find a friend.

Our Five Books feature is a short booklist of five books on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like.  Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

Now, on with misfits who rule!

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The Losers Club / Andrew Clements
Sixth grader Alec can’t put a good book down.  So when Principal Vance lays down the law–pay attention in class, or else–Alec takes action. He can’t lose all his reading time, so he starts a club. A club he intends to be the only member of. After all, reading isn’t a team sport, and no one would want to join something called the Losers Club, right? But as more and more kids find their way to Alec’s club–including his ex-friend turned bully and the girl Alec is maybe starting to like–Alec notices something. Real life might be messier than his favorite books, but it’s just as interesting.

The Odd Squad : Bully Bait / by Michael Fry
Nick is the shortest seventh-grader in the history of the world (he’s pretty sure), doesn’t fit in with any groups or clubs (who needs ’em?), and spends more time inside than outside his locker (they’re roomier than you’d think). Things only get worse when a well-intentioned guidance counselor forces Nick to join the school’s lamest club-along with fellow misfits Molly and Karl-in her quest to cure all three of their “peer allergies.” What starts off as a reluctant band of hopeless oddballs morphs into an effective and empowered team ready to face whatever middle school throws at them, including bullies, awkward romance, zany adults, and a brave new world of surprising friendships.

Hello Universe / Erin Entrada Kelly
In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.  They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

Swindle / Gordon Korman
After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his valuable Babe Ruth baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle’s compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way – a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive – but Griffin and his team are going to get back what’s rightfully his . . .

Here in the Real World / Sara Pennypacker
Ware can’t wait to spend summer “off in his own world”–dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called “normal” kids do.  On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot.  Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer–he doesn’t live in the “real world” like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge.  But when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware looks to the knights’ Code of Chivalry and vows to save the lot.  But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?

Save Me a Seat / Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they’re both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.  Joe’s lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own.  Ravi’s family just moved to America from India, and he’s finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.  Joe and Ravi don’t think they have anything in common -but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

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Misfits Rule…or they should.  Read one of these stories of surprise friends saving their world, and enjoy.  And look around your world and see if there’s anyone out there who might change your life with an unexpected friendship.

Happy Reading!
::kelly::

Five Books Featuring…Watched Whales!

Whales.  The largest mammal in the world…and maybe the most mysterious.  In these stories, kids befriend whales and learn much more about themselves than they learn about the whales.  This “five” books ends up being eight…but it was too hard to decide which ones to remove!  From high fantasy to historic to survival to realistic fiction with just a touch of magic…these books are all wonderful reads.  Especially if you like the sea and whales.

Our Five Books feature is a short booklist of five books (sometimes more!)  on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like.  Five Books–One Old, One New, One Popular with Kids, One Well-Reviewed, and One Favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!

So here we go…Five Books Featuring…Whales!

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Deep Wizardry / Diane Duane
Coming to the aid of a wounded whale, Kit and Nita are plunged into deep wizardry. The whale is a wizard, and she enlists Kit and Nita in battle against the sinister Lone Power. Becoming whales themselves, Nita and Kit join in an ancient ritual performed by whales, dolphins, and a single fearsome shark. But which poses more of a danger: the Lone Power, or ed’Rashtekaresket, the enormous shark as old as the sea?

The Deep / Helen Dunmore
Sapphire lives in two worlds. On land she walks the rocky shores of the Cornwall coast–but under the sea she can swim like a seal by the side of her Mer friend Faro.  Now both of Sapphy’s worlds are threatened. In the profound depths of the ocean, where the Mer cannot go, a monster called the Kraken is stirring. He has the power to sweep Ingo away and shake the land from its foundation.  Because of her mixed blood, Sapphire can enter the Deep. With a great whale as her guide, she will journey to a place so far from the sun, no light can find it–and confront an evil that’s even darker.

Ice Whale / Jean Craighead George
In 1848, a young boy witnesses a rare sight–the birth of a bowhead, or ice whale, that he calls Siku. Years later, he unwittingly brings about the death of an entire pod of whales, and only Siku survives. For this act, the boy receives a curse of banishment. Through the generations, this curse is handed down: Siku returns year after year, in reality and dreams, to haunt the boy’s descendants. Told in alternating voices, both human and whale, Jean Craighead George’s last novel shows the interconnectedness of humankind and the animals they depend on.

Whale Rider / Witi Ihimaera
Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary “whale rider.” In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir, and the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild–and Maori tradition has no use for a girl. But when hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the Maori tribe, it is Kahu who saves the tribe when she reveals that she has the whale rider’s ancient gift of communicating with whales.

Song for a Whale / Lynne Kelly
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios,  Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. If you’ve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.  When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him! But he’s three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?

Stranded / Ben Mikaelsen
Koby’s whole life changed after the accident four years ago. Between the smothering concern of her separated parents and the awkward glances from the kids at school, Koby only feels at home when she is on the ocean in her dinghy.  That all changes when she rescues two dying pilot whales. Day after day, she visits the whales as they begin their long road to recovery. She finds a new friend in Dr. Tracy Michaels, a veterinarian, and gains the admiration of her classmates. But most importantly, Koby starts to recognize her own strength and courage.

Why the Whales Came / Michael Morpurgo
Gracie and her friend Daniel have been warned by their parents time and again to stay away from the Birdman, the island recluse. Despite their fears, they come to know and trust the old man. When a whale is beached, they help the Birdman convince their hostile neighbors to help the whale back into the sea, rather than slaughter the animal and bring a curse upon the island.

A Possibility of Whales / Karen Rivers
Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she’ll see whales on the beach near her new home, that the boy she just met will be her new best friend, that the photographers chasing her actor father won’t force Nat and her dad to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses and loves Nat–and is waiting for Nat to find her.  The thing is, Nat doesn’t even know who her mother is. She left Nat as a baby, and Nat’s dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn’t need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing.  In this heartfelt story about family, friendship, and growing up, Nat’s questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

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So there you are: Five…(plus three!) books featuring whales.  With all the choices on genres, something should appeal to every reader.

Now I want to go on a whalewatch.  See you there!

Happy Reading!
::kelly::