Fast Five Fiction: Novels in Verse

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! April is National Poetry Month so today's roundup features five novels in verse. A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. 

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

The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park

If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class. 

When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates' responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another--and themselves.

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules-like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space-her swimming pool-where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self

The Book of Not Entirely Useful Advice by A.F. Harrold

Packed with silly rhymes and witty wordplay, A.F. Harrold's poetry is positively bursting with fun--and advice. But it's not always the most useful. . .

Never apologize to a door you've walked into, unless it's a really special door.

Don't serve a cat soup when the cat wants jelly. Tomato soup won't fill a feline belly.

Don't put a rock in a roll, unless you hate having teeth.

Among the seemingly nonsensical stanzas on onions, sausages, and kilted koalas are exercises in critical thinking--what advice should readers follow, and what should they dismiss? Harrold's short, clever poems work seamlessly alongside Mini Grey's vibrant art to create visual gags that will have readers in stitches. Both silly and poignant, this book is perfect for curious readers, poets, and cabbages everywhere.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.


Happy Friday and happy reading!

What Should Oliver Read Next?

Greetings! It’s Oliver and I am here with another great book. My fur-end Kalina thought I should read Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey. This book is about a pug named Pig and a wiener dog named Trevor. Wait a meow-ment! A dog book! Trevor just wants Pig to share his toys and play with him. Sometimes I want toplay with my sister Ellie but she ignores me. Pig ends up grabbing every toy in the house so Trevor can’tplay with anything. Wow! Pig is so greedy! Pig boasted to Trevor while sitting on his pile of toys. Pig wasn’t paying attention and he fell right out of the window. Hiss-terical! Pig ends up having to share because he is in a cast from his fall. Even though this book is about dogs it was claw-fully funny. I hope you enjoyed my review. Now someone recommend me some cat books, right meow! Until next time fur-ends.

Fast Five Fiction: Celebrate Earth Day with Eco-Fiction

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. Since its start in 1970, Earth Day has evolved into the largest civic event on Earth, activating billions across 192 countries to safeguard our planet and fight for a brighter future. We've seen a rise in the amount of eco-fiction being published so in honor of Earth Day, today I'll be sharing 5 great eco-fiction reads. 

Eco-fiction are books about the environment and humans' relationship with it. The struggle for balance and coexistence between the Earth and humans is the running theme that you will see in these books.

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Be careful. Your next step may be your last.

Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined.

In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue by Paige Braddock

Sometimes big stories happen in small places. Sometimes big things happen to small creatures. This is one of those stories . . .

Cecil is a toad. A toad busy doing what any other toad does with its days--judging the pond splashing contest (Reggie the fly is usually the honorary winner by dint of his five-day lifespan), or visiting his friends, Jeff the free-range hamster, Rayray the lizard, Jeremy the worm, or Sprout the frog. And, of course, trying to keep clear of the local hawk.

But when Cecil discovers a freeway construction project aimed right at the pond, he knows he has to come up with a plan to save his home. But what can a small group of amphibians and a reincarnating fly do against construction vehicles and a steady onslaught of hot asphalt? Cecil isn't sure, but he knows they have to try.

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone

When Mary Kate Murphy joins a special science pilot program focused on climate change, the class opens her eyes to lots of things she never noticed before about her small suburban town- Kids waste tons of food at school without a second thought. Parents leave their cars running in the pick-up lane all the time. People buy lots of clothes they don't really need. Some of her friends who live in the city and are bused to her school don't always feel included. And the mayor isn't willing to listen to new ideas for fixing it all. Mary Kate and her friends have big plans to bring lasting change to their community and beyond. And now is the time for the young people to lead and the leaders to follow-or get out of the way.

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes--to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park's elders, three ancient Bison. His friends--a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican--work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.

But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats--an actual boatload of goats--who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes's view of the world.

A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.

Two Degrees by Alan Grat

Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira is riding her horse in the California woods when a wildfire sparks--and grows scarily fast. How can she make it to safety when there are flames everywhere? Owen and his best friend, George, like spotting polar bears on the snowy Canadian tundra. But when one bear gets way too close for comfort, do the boys have any chance of surviving? Natalie hunkers down at home as a massive hurricane barrels toward Miami. When the floodwaters crash into her house, Natalie is dragged out into the storm--with nowhere to hide. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them--and could alter their destinies forever

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Books featuring Libraries!

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. Since we've been celebrating National Library Week this week, today I thought I'd share five books and series featuring libraries!

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

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.

Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It's about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you).

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein

When Kyle Keeley learns that the world's world's most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town's new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, Kyle is determined to be there! But the tricky part isn't getting into the library--it's getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must catch every clue and solve every puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

The Library of Ever series by Zeno Alexander

With her parents off traveling the globe, Lenora is bored, bored, bored--until she discovers a secret doorway into the ultimate library. Mazelike and reality-bending, the library contains all the universe's wisdom. Every book ever written, and every fact ever known, can be found within its walls. And Lenora becomes its newly appointed Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian.

She rockets to the stars, travels to a future filled with robots, and faces down a dark nothingness that wants to destroy all knowledge. To save the library, Lenora will have to test her limits and uncover secrets hidden among its shelves.

The Story Collector series by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

In the tradition of E. L. Konisburg, this middle-grade mystery adventure is inspired by the real life of Viviani Joffre Fedeler, born and raised in the New York Public Library.

The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is a middle-grade historical fiction inspired by the real life of Viviani Fedeler. Eleven-year-old Viviani Fedeler has spent her whole life in the New York Public Library. She knows every room by heart, except the ones her father keeps locked. When Viviani becomes convinced that the library is haunted, new girl Merit Mubarak makes fun of her. So Viviani decides to play a harmless little prank, roping her older brothers and best friend Eva to help out.

But what begins as a joke quickly gets out of hand, and soon Viviani and her friends have to solve two big mysteries: Is the Library truly haunted? And what happened to the expensive new stamp collection? It's up to Viviani, Eva, and Merit (reluctantly) to find out.

Library Mouse series by Daniel Kirk

Beloved children's books author and illustrator Daniel Kirk wonderfully brings to life the story of Sam, a library mouse. Sam's home was in a little hole in the wall in the children's reference books section, and he thought that life was very good indeed. For Sam loved to read. He read picture books and chapter books, biographies and poetry, and ghost stories and mysteries. Sam read so much that finally one day he decided to write books himself! Sam shared his books with other library visitors by placing them on a bookshelf at night. Until there came the time that people wanted to meet this talented author. Whatever was Sam to do? The joy of reading, writing, and sharing is brought to life in this warmhearted tale.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

What Should Oliver Read Next?

Greetings! It is I, Oliver the cat and I am back with another book review. This book recommendation comes from my fur-end Bradley. They chose "Tiptoe Tiger" by Jane Clarke. Our story starts with Tara the tiger taking a walk in the jungle. Wow! I would make a purrfect tiger. Tara meets many friends along the way like butterflies, peacocks, monkeys and owls. She wants to play, but her pouncing scares them away. I love pouncing, especially on my human's feet. Tara pounces, bounces and roars, but it scares her new fur-ends away. You should hear my ROARRR! Tara is thirsty after all her adventuring. She stops at a river, but there is a crocodile. She tiptoes away as fast as she can and bumps right into her mom. I'm glad she learned to tiptoe so she didn't become a crocodile snack, yikes! Tara ends her adventure by cuddling up and falling asleep with her mom. I end my day the same way. Nothing beats a snuggle with my human. This book was a-meow-zing! I'm going to go practice my bouncing and pouncing right now! 

Thank mew for going on this adventure with me. Don't forget to pounce to your local library and check this book out! Until next time fur-ends.

Fast Five Fiction: National Library Week

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. Next week we'll be celebrating National Library Week and will have our costumed characters traveling all throughout the community to various schools and communities as well as doing a meet and greet at the library. In honor of that, today I'll be sharing 5 series featuring this year's characters. These series of books, translated from Italian, are some of the most checked out items in the children's department. 

Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton is an Italian children's chapter book series created by Elisabetta Dami and written under the pen name of the title character. Scholastic began publishing the English version of the series in the US in February 2004. The series is set on a fictional version of Earth dominated by anthropomorphic mice and rats and focuses on the title character, a mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. A best-selling author, Geronimo Stilton, works as editor and publisher for the newspaper, The Rodent's Gazette. Geronimo is a nervous, mild-mannered mouse who prefers a quiet life, yet keeps getting into faraway adventure. The books are written as fictional memoirs of him on these adventures. The books are designed and distributed in full color, depicting important words in the text as colored and in illustrative typefaces.

Thea Stilton by Thea Stilton

The series is aimed toward female audiences and focuses on the Thea Sisters, a group of five friends who are from different continents and were the students of Thea Stilton.

Kingdom of Fantasy by Geronimo Stilton

The series chronicles Geronimo's adventures in a magical world known as the Kingdom of Fantasy.

Spacemice by Geronimo Stilton

The series is set in a parallel universe based on space opera, featuring Geronimo Stiltonix as the captain of the entire spaceship MouseStar1.

Mouseford Academy by Thea Stilton

This series follows Nicky, Colette, Violet, Paulina and Pamela, five of Thea Stilton's students at Mouseford Academy who call themselves the Thea Sisters. Mouseford Academy is a prestigious college located on Whale Island. Thea, who is a graduate of the prestigious academy, is a visiting professor of journalism. 

Happy Friday and happy reading!