Fast Five Fiction: Rocks & Gems

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Our summer reading theme this year is Read Beyond the Beaten Path and we've got a ton of great books for readers of all ages. This weeks theme is rocks and gems.......

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

 The Singing Rock and other brand new Fairy Tales by Nathanial Lachenmeyer

With a deft, lively text from Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and eye-popping, painterly art by Simini Blocker, The Singing Rock & Other Brand-New Fairy Tales is the perfect read for kids who love a good yarn--and good comics!

A genie just wants a chance to grant a wish to the frog who accidentally let him out of his lamp--meanwhile, the frog just wants to be left alone. A witch is tormented by the cheerful (and awful) singing of a persistent bard, but when she finally snaps and turns him into a rock, he just keeps on singing--somehow the power of terrible music overcomes all magic. A wizard wants a pet. An ogre just wants to make beautiful art.

Four original, wry, and utterly charming fairy tales comprise this new collection for young readers.

Crystal's Quest: An Adventure into the World of Gemstones by Lisa Fontanella

Crystals Quest: an adventure into the world of gemstones is an Award-Winning Finalist in the Children's Mind/Body/Spirit category of the 2019 International Book Awards.

This inspiring book invites young readers into the world of geology through Crystal's entertaining adventures. This children's book was written for young readers ages 7-11, the young at heart, and anyone who loves rocks and gemstones. But that's not all

Crystal's Quest: An Adventure into the World of Gemstones is also a story about friendship, emotions and the amazing properties of gemstones. Each story revolves around Crystal and her beagle buddy, Noodle, and all the characters they meet.

This unique book is sweet, educational, and full of fun facts, but it also covers social issues about fitting in and accepting yourself for your uniqueness.

Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendariz

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Merci Suarez in this smart young middle-grade mystery about a diamond gone missing from the Louvre and the sweet and spunky girl who cracks the case.

Nine-year-old Julieta is finally about to put a purple pin in her family's world traveling map! She's off to Paris to help her art-handler dad collect pieces for a new exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Sadly, they must leave Julieta's very pregnant mother behind, but they're sure they'll be back before the baby is born.

Julieta sees the best of Paris: the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Coeur, and plenty of great art. But things go awry when she and Dad walk in on a thief stealing the Louvre's most prized piece, the Regent Diamond--a priceless cursed diamond with a shady history.

When Julieta runs for help, she accidentally frees the thief instead! Now Dad's job is in danger and he's become a suspect. Can Julieta determine who the thief really is before it's too late?

DK Adventures: Awesome Rocks by Katy Lennon

Look up close at rocks, minerals and sparkling gems to unravel the clues to classify and identify them. Find out how they were formed, where in the world they're found and how to start your own rock collection.

DK Adventures is a nonfiction series for kids ages 8-11 featuring visually rich theme spreads, and fascinating facts that help kids build their skills in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and critical thinking while developing a love of reading. Designed to keep interest high, build knowledge, and enrich the reading experience with fascinating background information, each title in the DK Adventures series is filled with information yet eminently accessible, and available in a wide range of kid-favorite topics including rain forests, animals, rocks, and shipwrecks. 

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

Amazing rocks, found on a stretch of beach near the author's home, comprise this unique alphabet book. A is for Addition, and there are rocks in the shape of real numbers, too. B is for Bird, and there is a bird rock on a nest with an egg. G is for Ghosts, and there is a host of rocks that look like ghosts! 

Children and adults alike will pore over these fascinating rocks, and will be inspired collect their own.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

 

Fast Five Fiction: Plants

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Our summer reading theme this year is Read Beyond the Beaten Path and we've got a ton of great books for readers of all ages. This weeks theme is plants so this week I'm sharing book about plants and gardens. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

The Flower Garden by Renee Kurilla

A magical graphic novel adventure perfect for fans of Peter & Ernesto or Tiger vs. Nightmare After planting a seed packet in the backyard, things don't go as expected for best friends Anna and Tess. They fall asleep in the sun and wake up to blooms as tall as buildings! Did the seeds really grow that fast?All is explained when Anna and Tess meet May, a little garden gnome whose magic is responsible for the transformation. The girls are May's size now, and they follow her through the flower garden and into May's underground gnome home--discovering new things about their world and themselves along the way.This immersive graphic novel from author-illustrator Renée Kurilla is perfect for emerging readers. It explores growing and changing friendships and offers details to discover on every page and with every read.

Ada Twist Files: All About Plants

What do plants eat? Why do some plants have flowers and others don't? And what's the tallest plant out there?

Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files is the perfect nonfiction resource for all these questions and more. Based on the bestselling series and the new Netflix show, this new nonfiction series is perfect for the youngest scientists of tomorrow, as they learn along with Ada. Designed in a scrapbook format, these books combine art from the show, illustrations, and photography to bring simple science concepts to life.

Inspector Flytrap series by Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell

Inspector Flytrap in the Da Vinci Cold introduces kids to the humorous and wacky world of Inspector Flytrap's Detective Agency, home to the world-renowned solver of BIG DEAL mysteries. The plant detective works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat on his community's unsolved cases. There's no case too big, but there are definitely cases too small for this endearingly self-important plant detective.Celebrating the disabled yet enabled, the character of Inspector Flytrap is wheeled everywhere (on a skateboard, of course) by his goat sidekick as this mystery-solving duo works on cases such as "The Big Deal Mystery of the Stinky Cookies" and "The Big Deal Mystery of the Missing Rose."On his first caper, Inspector Flytrap heads to the Art Museum's Secret Lab to discover what important message lies in a mysterious glob on a recently discovered Da Vinci flower painting. The ingenious solution: Da Vinci was allergic to flowers, and the glob is, er, evidence of that ancient sneeze.Combining wacky humour and a silly cast of characters with adventure, friendship, and mystery, the powerhouse team of Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell have created a uniquely engaging series that is perfect for newly independent readers.

The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers

One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

Big Tree by Brian Selznick

A mysterious voice has been speaking to Louise in her dreams. She and her brother Merwin are Sycamore seeds, who hope to one day set down roots and become big trees. But when a fire forces them to leave their mama tree prematurely, they find themselves catapulted into the unknown, far from home. Alone and unprepared, they must use their wits and imagination to navigate a dangerous world--filled with dinosaurs, meteors, and volcanoes!--and the fear of never finding a safe place to grow up. As the mysterious voice gets louder, Louise comes to realize their mission in life may be much bigger than either of them ever could have imagined!

Brimming with humor, wonder, mystery, and a profound sense of hope, Big Tree is a trailblazing adventure, illustrated with nearly 300 pages of breathtaking pictures. It is Selznick's most imaginative and far-reaching work to date and a singular reading experience for the whole family.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Nature at Night

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Our summer reading theme this year is Read Beyond the Beaten Path and we've got a ton of great books for readers of all ages. This weeks theme is Nature at Night so today I'm sharing recommendations of books featuring nocturnal animals. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Nocturnals series by Tracey Hecht

The Nocturnals is a fun-filled chapter book series about three unlikely animals who solve unpredictable mysteries of the night with friendship, teamwork, and humor.
In the first book, The Mysterious Abductions, animals are disappearing without a trace—and it’s up to Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin, and Bismark, a pint-sized sugar glider to find out why. With the help of a gentle wombat, a jittery jerboa, a band of coyotes, and some kooky bats, the Nocturnals journey to the depths of the earth and play a wacky, high stakes game that will determine their survival.

Order of the Night Jay series by Jonathan Schnapp

Frank is perhaps the most un-bear-like bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. Actually, he's probably the ONLY bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. And there are tons of bugs, he's getting picked on, and he can't seem to earn a single badge! But there's Ricky, an excitable little raccoon who shares Frank's love of Mega Bunny comics. But Ricky's friendship might be more than Frank can handle. After breaking camp rules, getting lost in the woods, and discovering ancient secrets about the long-forgotten Order of the Night Jay, how will Frank explain all this to his dad?

The Moth Keeper by Kay O'Neill

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn't exactly what Anya thought it would be?

Night after night, it is lonely in the desert, with only one lantern for light. Still, Anya is eager to prove her worth, to show her thanks to her friends and her village. But is it worth the cost? And yet something isn't right. When Anya glimpses the one thing that could destroy what she's meant to protect, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

K. O'Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy with lush, gorgeous art and intricate world-building. A story about coming of age and community, The Moth Keeper is filled with magic, hope, and friendship.

Owl Diaries series by Rebecca Elliott

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This book is written as Eva's diary -- with Rebecca Elliott's owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout!

A Girl, a Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon by Karen Romano Young

In a slightly fantastical New York City, one very special library branch has been designated for possible closure. Bookish, socially awkward Pearl, the daughter of the librarian, can't imagine a world without the library—its books, its community of oddballs, its hominess. When the head of their Edna St. Vincent Millay statue goes missing, closure is closer than ever. But Pearl is determined to save the library. And with a ragtag neighborhood library crew—including a constantly tap-dancing girl who might just be her first friend, an older boy she has a crush on, and a pack of raccoons who can read and write—she just might be able to.

Happy Friday and happy reading!