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!

Fast Five Fiction: Spring Break Reads

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. This week I've got some road trip reads! As Dr. Seuss said, "Reading can take you places you have never been before." So whether you're traveling for spring break or staying at home, these books can take you where you've never been before!

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

The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser

The popular Harlem family is putting the VAN in Vanderbeekers as they hit the highway to give their dad the best birthday surprise EVER! Re-creating a road trip Papa never got the chance to take with his own father, the whole crew is packed and ready for a cross-country adventure.

Things get off to a rocky start when the car breaks down on their way to pick up Papa. But they really veer off course when Laney discovers that Jessie and Orlando are interviewing at a college once they get to California. How can they even think about leaving New York Wouldn't that change their family And how can she and her other siblings stop them

Exploring themes of leaving home, embracing change, and the lessons to be learned from going to new places, The Vanderbeekers on the Road is every bit an engaging and rewarding journey.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, crisscrossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.
Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it.
Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys....
Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after”.

Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling

Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old "Addie Earhart" shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. While watching this daring girl fly through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, far away from her own troubled home life where her mother struggles with a narcotic addiction. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, her biggest--and only--fan.

Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won't survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator. Packed with adventure and heart, Across the Desert speaks to the resilience, hope, and strength within each of

 us.

The Map to Everywhere series by Carrie Ryan

To Master Thief Fin, an orphan from the murky pirate world of the Khaznot Quay, the Map is the key to finding his mother. To suburban schoolgirl Marrill, it's her only way home after getting stranded on the Pirate Stream, the magical waterway that connects every world in creation. With the help of a bumbling wizard and his crew, they must scour the many worlds of the Pirate Stream to gather the pieces of the Map to Everywhere--but they aren't the only ones looking. A sinister figure is hot on their tail, and if they can't beat his ghostly ship to find the Map, it could mean the destruction of everything they hold dear!

Heart-pounding escapades and a colorful cast of characters will have readers setting sail through this wholly original and unforgettable tale.

Secrets of the Seven series by Sarah L. Thomson

When middle school puzzle master Sam and history wiz Martina win a contest for a summer trip across the US, they discover they've been drafted into something vastly more extraordinary. Joining another kid on the trip, Theo, a descendant of George Washington himself, they must follow clues to find seven keys left behind by the Founding Fathers. Together the keys unlock Benjamin Franklin's greatest invention--a secret weapon intended to defend the country. Each key is hidden in a unique location around the U.S., protected with puzzles, riddles, and traps. This has kept the weapon safe . . . until now! Gideon Arnold, a dangerous descendant of the infamous Benedict Arnold, is on the chase.
In competition with Arnold and his thugs to reach the artifacts first, Sam, Martina, Theo, and readers must use their wits to solve ingenious puzzles, escape death-by-booby-trap, and, by the end of the series, save our nation by uncovering many of its greatest secrets.




Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Disability Awareness Month

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. This week  I'll be sharing some Middle Grade books with disability representation since March is Disability Awareness Month.

On February 26, 1987 President Ronald Reagan officially made March National Disabilities Awareness Month. The proclamation called for people to provide understanding, encouragement and opportunities to help persons with disabilities to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Everyone wants, and deserves, to enjoy life, feel productive and secure and in March, we take extra steps to raise awareness about the supports and rights of the people with disabilities and to celebrate their contributions to our communities and society as a whole!

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

The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker & Stacy Davidowitz

Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon loves a lot of things: her dog Warbucks, her best friend Chloe, and competing on her wheelchair racing team, the Zoomers, to name a few. But there's one thing she's absolutely OBSESSED with: MUSICALS! From Hamilton to Les Mis, there's not a cast album she hasn't memorized and belted along to. She's never actually been in a musical though, or even seen an actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility on stage. Would someone like Nat ever get cast?

But when Nat's family moves from California to New Jersey, Nat stumbles upon auditions for a kids' production of Wicked, one of her favorite musicals ever! And she gets into the ensemble! The other cast members are super cool and inclusive (well, most of them), especially Malik, the male lead and cutest boy Nat's ever seen. But when things go awry a week before opening night, will Nat be able to cast her fears and insecurities aside and Defy Gravity in every sense of the song title?

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school — in the hallway... in the teacher's lounge... in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper

Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can't walk. She can't talk. She can't write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She's the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people--her teachers, her doctors, her classmates--dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can't tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow.

Focused by Alyson Gerber

Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can't help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?

It's starting to be a problem—not just in school, but when Clea's playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.

Clea knows life can't continue the way it's been going. She's just not sure how you can fix a problem that's all in your head. But that's what she's going to have to do, to find a way to focus.



Happy Friday, and happy reading!

What Should Oliver Read Next?

Salutations! Oliver here, back at it with my next book recommendation. This one comes from my clawsome furend, Catter—I mean, Carter. He introduced me to the hiss-terical litter-ary duo of Narwhal and Jelly in Peanut Butter and Jelly. In the book, Narwhal discovers a new food—the mysterious butter of peanuts. Whoever heard of such silliness? To be fair though, I have not heard of a lot of these bizarre foods Jelly speaks of: artichokes? Sounds dangerous; sushi? Gesundheit; french fries? Not a fan of French cuisine. But I know what ice cream is! It is a delicious, frozen treat my human says I’m not allowed to eat because I lack toes intolerant. But I think she’s lying so she doesn’t have to share because when I look at my paws, all my toe beans are there! So, toe beans, or no toe beans. That is the question. But as much as I like it, I don’t think I would change my name to “Ice Cream” like Narwhal does with “Peanut Butter.” Although I could always use it as a new nickname to replace my human’s favorite of “OLIVERSTOPTHATRIGHTNOW!” It’s kinda a mouthful.

To read more about Narwhal and Jelly’s love of foodstuff, check for this book and others in our juvenile graphic novel section in our children's department. They are paws-itively great reads for everyone to enjoy. Until next time, furends!

Fast Five Fiction: Highest Circulating Middle Grade Series

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. We're at the midpoint of our Middle Grade Madness competition for kids in grades 5-8 and there's still time to participate if you're not signed up already! You can register by visiting the library or using the Beanstack app. 

Books in a series are incredibly popular here at the library so today I'm sharing the five middle grade series with the highest checkouts. Combined, these series offer thousands of choices for your reading enjoyment. 

 

Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce

I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis

Happy Friday and happy reading!

What Should Oliver Read Next?

Guten-cat, everyone! It’s me Ollie, aka Oliver, back for more radiclaw reads. Today’s book recommendation comes from my furry good pal, Brock. He suggested I give the book Snack Attack a bite. I mean try. Purr-haps you shouldn’t read this book on an empty stomach. This funny book follows three delicious, scrumptious…delectable…enticing…mouth-watering…I’m sorry, what was I saying? Oh right, snacks! This book is about snacks and while it made me purr out loud, it definitely made my belly want some snacks while reading. Sorry snacks, I may have learned the wrong lesson from your book. I guess I never paws-ed to think about the difficult life snacks lead. It also taught me to be more claw-tious of my snacks. I did not know that they could sprout limbs and run away! This is pawfully alarming to me but I must explain why my snacks from my treat ball are always gone. And not because I eat them all in one sitting like my human accuses me of.

I hope you give today’s book a read and don’t furget that you can always find the books I review in our pawsome children’s department. See you next time for another fang-tastic book recommendation! And if you want  a chance to meet this book's author, don't furget he'll be visiting Bremen for the Marshall County Reading Council's Young Author's Conference on March 14!

Fast Five Fiction: Super Mario Edition

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. Registration for our Super Tea open up on Monday, March 11 so today I'm sharing 5 books to go along with our Super Mario Bros theme. 

We are still in need of kids to be actors in our Reader's Theater production. If your child is interested please email Kate at kblakely@bremen.lib.in.us or call the library at 574-546-2849!

Super Mario Manga Mania by Yukio Sawada

Experience the zany world of Super Mario through manga!

Features stories based on the hit Super Mario games!

From crazy to classic, Mario and his friends star in adventures that find them traveling through the many worlds of one of the biggest video game series ever!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Storybook by Michael Moccio

From Nintendo and Illumination comes a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. Featuring Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach, boys and girls ages 3 to 7 will love this full-color deluxe hardcover picture book illustrated with scenes from the film!

Meet Mario! by Malcolm Shealy

Nintendo and Super Mario fans ages 5-8 will love to meet Mario, Luigi, and all their friends and foes in this Step 3 Step into Reading level reader. Featuring over 30 stickers! Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

Mario first appeared in 1981 with the arcade classic Donkey KongTM, and has since gone on to star in many adventures, allowing him to evolve into the beloved icon he is today. He is a video game sensation, appearing across all genres--from action-platformers to sports, kart racing and beyond.

Mario's Big Adventure Mary Man-Kong

Power up with this full-color leveled reader based on Nintendo and Illumination present The Super Mario Bros. Movie—in theaters April 7, 2023!

From Nintendo and Illumination comes a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. Featuring Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach, boys and girls ages 5 to 8 will love this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader inspired by the film.

Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

Off to the Races! by Steve Foxe

Here we go! Keep the pedal to the metal with Mario, Luigi and all their friends in this Mario Kart(TM) Step into Reading level reader!

Nintendo and Mario Kart(TM) fans ages 5-8 will love to meet Mario, Luigi, and all their friends and foes in this Step 3 Step into Reading level reader as they compete and race to win! Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

Happy Friday and happy reading!