Fast Five Fiction: New Playaways

 It's FRIDAY! Which means it's time for Fast Five Fiction. Each week I share 5 fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. We added a ton of new Playaways to our shelves this week so I wanted to highlight five of my favorites. Click the title to be directed to the books in the library's catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

In case you don't know what a Playaway is, it is the simplest way to listen to an audiobook on the go. With the audio already contained within, and a battery to make it play, there’s nothing left to do but plug in Headphones* and enjoy.

As the first self-playing audiobook, Playaway brings pages to life at the push of a button. Audio content and simple digital technology are now merged into an easy-to-use, self-contained player. And weighing only two ounces, Playaway is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and goes anywhere you do!

*Headphones are not included

It was HARD to narrow it down to only five, but here we go. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger

We previously had volumes 1-3 in Playaway format but were able to add numbers 4-8 recently. This series is constantly checked out. Beware, once you start it.....you can't stop until you've read them all!

A telepathic girl is the key to an unknown world and it’s up to her to save it!

Sophie Foster has never quite fit into her life. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks…

It turns out the reason Sophie has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. And as she sets out for a new life that is vastly different from what she has ever known, telepathy is just the first of many shocking secrets that will be revealed.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

This 2014 Newberry award winner is excellent in the audio format. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

April didn’t mean to start the fire. She wasn’t even the one who broke the vase. 

She had absolutely no intention of becoming the only person who knows that Gabriel Winterborne, the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, is neither missing nor dead and is actually living in the basement of Winterborne House, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance. 

Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, it’s up to her to keep him that way. But there’s only so much a twelve-year-old girl can do, so April must turn to the other orphans for help. Together, they’ll have to unravel the riddle of a missing heir and a creepy legend, and find a secret key, before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.

Front Desk series by Kelly Yang

From book 1 Front Desk:

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.

Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.

Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.

Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?

It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

We've also got some titles for younger listeners too.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and more stories by Mo Willems

Curious George and Other Stories by H.A. Rey

When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo Willems perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum.

The first story tells how the little monkey Curious George, was caught in the jungle and brought back to the city by a man in a yellow hat. He can't help being interested in all the new things around him. Though well meaning, George's curiosity always gets him into trouble. It also includes four other Curious George Stories

We've also got Playaways for teens and adults available. Some of our teen titles include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Cinder, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Some of our adult titles are The Chain, Never Have I Ever, Daisy Jones & the Six, The Dutch House, The Flatshare, and Sudden Prey.

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Dino Chapter books

It's Friday, and dinosaurs have invaded the library!  All month long we'll be celebrating Dinovember in the children's department. From story time, displays, programs and some fun pictures on social media, we'll be having a ton of Dino Fun this month! A couple of weeks ago I shared some of my favorite dinosaur picture books. This week I've got five Dino-centric chapter books. Click on the title to be directed to our catalog to place a hold. 

Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie's very first fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!

Where did the tree house come from?

Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark . . . or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?

Dinomighty! by Doug Paleo

The first in a new graphic novel series, perfect for fans of Dog Man, Hilo and The Bad Guys.  

On their own, they are four mild-mannered dinos, but together they are . . . DINOMIGHTY!

Everything is pleasant and good in Dinotown . . . until Teri-Dactyl discovers a cryptic email that says the precious Golden Egglettes are in danger! Dinomighties unite! But can they spring into action fast enough to save these valuable jewels from evil baddies?

Dino Riders series by Will Dare

Welcome to the Lost Plains!

A Wild West frontier where dinosaurs never went extinct.

Josh Sanders wants to be the next big dinosaur cowboy - roping raptors and ridin' bucking brontosauruses just like his hero, Terrodactyl Bill!

Too bad he's stuck working on his family's iguanodon ranch, riding his ancient dino, Plodder. The closest Josh has ever been to a T. rex is reading about them in his Dino Rider Handbook.

To prove he has what it takes, Josh is determined to win the annual settlement race. But he's gonna need one fast dino to stand a change. With the help of his friends Sam and Abi, Josh will need to tame a wild triceratops!

Knights Vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan

This heavily illustrated middle grade novel from award-winning author and artist Matt Phelan is a hilarious, rip-roaring tale of derring-do perfect for reluctant readers and fans of How to Train Your Dragon and The Terrible Two. 

Let me tell you a secret about the Knights of the Round Table: they don’t have much to do. The realm is at peace and dragons are few and far between. So Merlin decides to send the knights out on a real adventure to a world filled with the most terrible lizards of all: DINOSAURS!

Cavemice series by Geronimo Stilton

Who is Geronimo Stiltonoot?
He is a cavemouse -- Geronimo Stilton's ancient ancestor. He runs the stone newspaper in the prehistoric village of Old Mouse City. From dealing with dinosaurs to dodging meteorites, his life in the Stone Age is full of adventure and dinosaurs!

THE STONE OF FIRE
Old Mouse City is in an uproar. The most precious artifact in the mouseum -- the Stone of Fire -- has been stolen! Geronimo Stiltonoot and his cavemouse friend Hercule Poirat are on the case. It's up to them to retrieve the stone from the ferocious Tiger Khan and his band of fearsome felines!

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: New Releases

It's FRIDAY! Which means it's time for Fast Five Fiction. Each week I'll be sharing 5 fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. This week I'm featuring 5 of my most anticipated books new to our shelves. Click the title to be directed to the books in the library's catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney

In The Deep End, book 15 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley and his family hit the road for a cross-country camping trip, ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

But things take an unexpected turn, and they find themselves stranded at an RV park that’s not exactly a summertime paradise. When the skies open up and the water starts to rise, the Heffley's wonder if they can save their vacation—or if they’re already in too deep.

Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

The world’s youngest and smartest genius is forced to use her unbelievable code-breaking skills to outsmart Einstein.

Charlie Thorne is a genius.
Charlie Thorne is a thief.
Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive.

And now it’s up to her to save the world…

Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it.

But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger.

In an adventure that spans the globe, Charlie must crack a complex code created by Einstein himself, struggle to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and fight to keep the last equation safe once and for all.

The sequel, Charlie Thorne and the Lost City comes out March 2, 2021. 

Hello Future Me by Kim Ventrella

Eleven-year-old June is a problem-solver. Some people might call her a busybody, but that's okay. Just look at all the couples she helped find love! (Grateful newlyweds Marlene and Big Vic have even promised June free hot chocolate for life at their café.)

However, when June learns that her parents are getting divorced, she has to face the fact that there are some problems too big even for her. At least, that's what the adults in her life keep saying.

But June's convinced there's a way to make her parents fall back in love. While brainstorming ideas on her new secondhand laptop -- purchased from a mysterious store in town called The Shop of Last Resort -- June gets a strange IM from someone named JuniePie28 . . . someone who claims to be an older version of June messaging her from the future.

At first, she assumes it's a prank. But JuniePie28 knows too much about June's life to be a fraud, and future June warns her against interfering with her parents' marriage. But June can't just sit around and watch her parents' marriage dissolve, not when there's a magical shop in town that could be the answer to all her problems! Will June prove her older self wrong and stop the divorce? Or will she have to accept that there are some things she can't control?

Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster

On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it.

Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power.

The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin...the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch.

With only his village's terrifying, ancient stories as a guide, and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side, Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island, filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths, in a race against his dwindling lifeline.

All He Knew by Heen Frost

Henry has been deaf from an early age—he is intelligent and aware of language, but by age six, he has decided it's not safe to speak to strangers. When the time comes for him to start school, he is labeled ""unteachable."" Because his family has very little money, his parents and older sister, Molly, feel powerless to help him. Henry is sent to Riverview, a bleak institution where he is misunderstood, underestimated, and harshly treated.

Victor, a conscientious objector to World War II, is part of a Civilian Public Service program offered as an alternative to the draft. In 1942, he arrives at Riverview to serve as an attendant and quickly sees that Henry is far from unteachable—he is brave, clever, and sometimes mischievous. In Victor's care, Henry begins to see how things can change for the better.

Heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful, Helen Frost's All He Knew is inspired by true events and provides sharp insight into a little-known element of history."

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Dinovember

It's Friday, and dinosaurs have invaded the library!  All month long we'll be celebrating Dinovember in the children's department. From story time, displays, programs and some fun pictures on social media, we'll be having a ton of Dino Fun this month! For this week's Fast Five Fiction, I've got five of my favorite dinosaur picture books, including one by the Refe & Susan Tuma, the parents who started Dinovember. 

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe & Susan Tuma

Since Toy Story (and maybe since the very first toys!) children and their parents have wondered what it would be like if toys came to life. Refe and Susan Tuma take this wonder several steps further in What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night.

Every November, writer and social media master Refe Tuma and his wife, Susan, work into the night to bring their four children scenes from the secret lives of their toys—specifically the nighttime antics of their plastic dinosaurs. The dinosaurs wreck bathrooms, destroy vases, rock out, encounter terrifying hot irons, even do the dishes with hilarious, magical results. Each scene is photographed in meticulous detail, letting viewers joyfully suspend disbelief and think to themselves—just LOOK what the dinosaurs did last night?

The How do Dinosaurs? series by Jane Yolen

A long time favorite of both kids and parents, Jane Yolen's How do Dinosaurs? series share messages about behavior and manners in a fun and reassuring way. Full of beautiful illustrations and subtle humor, the full of personality dinosaurs will connect with the young readers in your life. 

Some Dinosaurs are Small by Charlotte Voake

Some dinosaurs are small and slow. They take their time in the prehistoric jungle, collecting fruits and leaves and using their tiny teeth to munch them. Some dinosaurs are big and fast. With huge teeth and claws, they steal food from small dinosaurs, and they’re always hungry for more. So when three big dinosaurs come across one small one, what — or who — can save the little plant-eater? Beautifully drawn and brightly colored, Charlotte Voake’s imaginative introduction to the concept of size brims with visual humor and culminates in a sweet surprise ending.

I'm Big! by Kate McMullen

A hilarious new picture book about one BIG dino who’s just trying to find his herd again. He’s BIG, a whole lotta lizard-thunder comin’ at you! But he’s also…lost. Have you seen his herd? BOOM, BOOM! Uh, oh! Help this sorry sauropod find his pals before he becomes lunch for some hungry predator. Yikes!

Library Books are Not for Eating! by Todd Tarpley

It's time for school, but Ms. Bronte has one small problem...she really loves eating books. (Did I mention she's also a dinosaur?) Math books, cookbooks, old books, new books--she just can't help herself. Will Ms. Bronte ever be able to curb her page-turning appetite, or will she continue chomping her way through a tasty book buffet? Open the fun peek-through cover of this lively picture book, and get ready for a story that will leave readers hungry for a second helping!

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Witches

It's FRIDAY! Halloween is tomorrow, and like the Five Little Pumpkin song say, "there are witches in the air." From beloved classics, to new graphic novels, and even books originally published in England, today I've got a roundup of witch themed stories for the young readers in your life. 

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono

Half-witch Kiki never runs from a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she's eager to follow a witch's tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.

Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.

For long time fans, the movie adaptation is also available for rent too!

The Witches: The Graphic Novel by Penelope Bagieu, Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl's darkly funny masterpiece, The Witches, now available as a graphic novel from Eisner Award-winning artist Pénélope Bagieu!

Witches are real, and they are very, very dangerous. They wear ordinary clothes and have ordinary jobs, living in ordinary towns all across the world -- and there's nothing they despise more than children. When an eight-year-old boy and his grandmother come face-to-face with the Grand High Witch herself, they may be the only ones who can stop the witches' latest plot to stamp out every last child in the country!

This full-color graphic novel edition of Roald Dahl's The Witches, adapted and illustrated by Eisner Award winner Pénélope Bagieu, is the first-ever Dahl story to appear in this format. Graphic novel readers and Roald Dahl fans alike will relish this dynamic new take on a uniquely funny tale.

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

Magic is harder than it looks.

Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.

In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.

The Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The books focus on Mildred Hubble, a young witch who attends Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, a school of magic. Although well-intentioned, Mildred's clumsy personality leads the girl to disastrous situations, and she is thus considered the worst student in the school. The benevolent headmistress, Miss Cackle, is generally understanding, whereas Mildred's form teacher Miss Hardbroom thinks she just isn't trying hard enough. Mildred's friends include Maud Spellbody, a rotund, sensible girl who is always trying to avoid confusion, and Enid Nightshade, a practical joker who is more likely than Mildred to get them all into trouble. The three girls have a strong rivalry with Ethel Hallow, a high-born, snobbish and vindictive classmate.

The Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

Effie lost her mom. Lost her home. And now she has to live with two strange aunts who she's never met before.

Life in Brooklyn takes a strange twist for Effie as she learns more about her family and herself. With new friends who will do whatever they can to be there for her, a cursed pop-star, and her new magically-inclined family -- Effie's life is about to get interesting.

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Halloween Picture Books

It's FRIDAY, which means it's time for Fast Five Fiction. As Halloween draws ever nearer, today I'm featuring five favorite Halloween picture books. Even though my kids are older and can read independently we still like to sit down as a family and read holiday books. These are some of our favorites. 

Click on the title to be directed to our catalog and place items on hold. 

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

When Duck decides to make a jack-o-lantern, he and his friends Pig and Mouse are in for a scary adventure.

Vegetables in Halloween Costumes by Jared Chapman

It's Halloween, and Carrot is headed to a costume party. What should Carrot wear?

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

Ghost tries to help Skeleton get rid of the hiccups.

Bone Soup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

In this version of the classic tale, Stone soup, three witches are looking for a tasty treat on Halloween morning and they find only a small bone in their cupboard. So they decide to go from door to door in their village to find just the right ingredients for their bone soup.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz

Linus convinces Sally to wait for the Great Pumpkin to arrive on Halloween.

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Scary Stories

It's Friday, so it's time for Fast Five Fiction. Today I've got five spooky stories for the middle grade readers in your life. As Halloween gets closer, it's a good time to settle in with a good (not so scary) book and a blanket and read. 

Click on the title to be directed to our catalog and place items on hold. 

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

Disney Chills: Part of Your Nightmare by Vera Strange

In this first book in the NEW Disney Chills Series, Eleven-year-old Shelly Anderson just wants to be popular. Her parents have split and she has to start over at a new school with different classes, a brand new swim team and an unfamiliar social scene. So what if she just wants the cool kids to like her? Is that really too much to ask? So when Shelly finds a mysterious nautilus shell that summons the infamous sea witch, Ursula, she jumps at her chance to make a deal that will solidify her as one of the coolest girls in school. But when Shelly's wish quickly goes belly-up, she must figure out how to back out of the witch's deal before it forever binds her fate.

Spark and the League of Ursus by Robert Repino

Toy Story meets Stranger Things in this epic tale of warrior teddy bears and the children they protect.

Spark is not your average teddy bear. She’s soft and cuddly, sure, but she’s also a fierce warrior. At night she fulfills her sacred duty: to protect the household from monsters. But Spark’s owner Loretta is growing up and thinks she doesn’t need her old teddy anymore.

When a monster unlike any other descends on the quiet home, everything changes. Children are going missing, and the monster wants Loretta next. Only Spark can stop it. She must call upon the ancient League of Ursus—a secret alliance of teddy bears who are pledged to protect their human friends. Together with an Amazon-princess doll and a timid sock monkey, the bears are all that stands between our world and the one that lies beneath. It will be a heroic chapter in the history of the League . . . if the bears live to tell the tale.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice.

But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.

There is a story here for everyone—skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.

Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories—and even scary songs—all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.

For more scary stories, check out this roundup of podcasts for kids craving scary stories put together by School Library Journal.

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Hispanic Heritage Month Picks

It's Friday! At the library we've been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with various displays and programs, so today I'll be sharing a little bit about it's history and five books written by Latinx authors

Beginning in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week” under President Lyndon Johnson, but it was later extended to a month during President Ronald Reagan's term in 1988. It's now celebrated each year from September 15 - October 15th. It honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.

Dreams from Many Rivers by Margarita Engle

From award-winning poet Margarita Engle comes a middle grade verse history of Latinos in the United States, told through many voices.

From Juana Briones and Juan Ponce de León, to eighteenth century slaves and modern-day sixth graders, the many and varied people depicted in this moving narrative speak to the experiences and contributions of Latinos throughout the history of the United States, from the earliest known stories up to present day. It's a portrait of a great, enormously varied, and enduring heritage. A compelling treatment of an important topic.

First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school--you can't fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (Maria Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School's queen bee, violates the school's dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.

The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself!

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

In this Newbery award winner, Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You! by Sonia Sotomayor

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges—and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask. 

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. 

Happy Friday and Happy Reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Banned Books

It's FRIDAY, so it's time for Fast Five Fiction. All this week at the library we've been celebrating Banned Book Week so today I've got five of my favorite banned books.

Banned Book Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

Banned book lists can be a great resource for parents looking for books that teach kids about the world and themselves. When your children read books that have been challenged or banned, you have a double opportunity as a parent; you can discuss the books themselves, and the information they provide, and you can also talk about why people might find them troubling. Here are a few books that are often challenged, yet present great opportunities for children to learn.

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

When you read this book title as a directive, rather than as an innocent and undeniably catchy rhyme, it’s easy to see why a Toronto father challenged it at the Toronto Public Library in 2014 for inciting violence. The complainant also wanted an apology from the librarians to all fathers in the Toronto area and for the library to “pay for damages resulting from the book,” the letter stated. Members of the review committee decided to retain the books, saying that it was designed to engage children and that the story actually advises children against hopping on their fathers.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. The first book in this popular series was first banned in 1990 because adults were concerned by its “graphic violence, mysticism and gore.” Then in 2005, a group focused on the separation of church and state tried banning the book from Florida’s public schools after then Governor, Jeb Bush, promoted it in a statewide reading contest.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure—one that will threaten their lives and our universe. This Newbery Award winner’s been challenged a few times for undermining religious beliefs, and in 1985 it was challenged at a Florida elementary school for promoting witchcraft, crystal balls and demons. A Wrinkle in Time,” by Madeleine L’Engle, has been challenged as both overly and insufficiently religious.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has been translated into 68 different languages, distributed in over 200 different territories worldwide, and has sold over 450 million copies at last count. And the number of challenges and bans on this series, usually for depicting witchcraft and wizardry and promoting anti-family themes, is also impressive. By 2000, it had been challenged about 650 different times.

Alice Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This book tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit-hole into a fantasy realm populated by grotesque figures like talking playing cards and anthropomorphic creatures. The Wonderland described in the tale plays with logic in ways that have made the story of lasting popularity with adults as well as children. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was originally banned in China and other parts of the world because some people objected to the animal characters being able to use human language. They felt this put animals on the same level as humans.

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

*To learn more about how censorship is a dead end, visit these websites:

Banned Books Week

ALA information about the First Amendment and Censorship

The Freedom to Read Statement

The Library Bill of Rights