Emily's Fortune a Bluestem Nominee with possibilities

Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010. 

Emily has been sheltered all of her life living in big Ms. Luella’s house until her crazy driving kills her and her mom. Now all Emily has is little Rufus, her little pet turtle as she is trying to figure how to get to her Aunt Hilda’s house.  Traveling by stagecoach is not fun especially when you have never done anything outdoors or been wild. Moreover, there are the Child Catchers and her evil Uncle Victor trying to get her after finding she has a large inheritance from Ms. Luella.  During her travels, Emily meets Jackson, also an orphan who will try to teach her how to survive in the Wild West, but can she really trust him?  Could he be working for Uncle Victor?    

This historical fiction is a great read for American Girl followers.  I liked this book a lot more than I thought I was going to and found myself cheering Emily and little Rufus.  Naylor does a fantastic job at creating remarkable characters with distinct personalities and traits. The book includes lovely sepia drawings and each chapter end with big bold cliffhangers. Check it out at our library. 

A Great Monarch Picture Book

Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw Henry Holt & Company, 2011.

“Same, same but different” is a saying Nepal natives use to compare cultures and it is the perfect title for this beautiful picture book.  The author/illustrator shows readers how two kids from different countries- United States & India- can experience the same events in different ways. From going to school to having pets, Elliot and Kailash show us in their pen pal letters how they are similar and different at the same time.  The illustrations are colorful and full of details made with acrylics, crayons, pencils, collage and tissue paper.  This is a great book to start a conversation about our unique differences and similarities.

Rogue

Rogue by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Penguin Young Readers Group, 2013. Copy provided via inter-library loan.

Kiara has struggled all her life with making friends and controlling her emotions. Now that her mom has left and she has been suspended from school, all she has is Mr. Internet to make sense of her world.  When Chad moves next door Kiara tries to figure how to become friends but his trouble past will lead them to risky decisions.  Would Kiara endanger herself and others to keep a new friend? 

This is a great book with the unique perspective on Asperger’s syndrome, friendship, and acceptance.

 

Half Way Throrugh Summer Reading

It has been a busy summer attending my first ALA conference, implementing online summer reading, and catching on my juvenile and YA reading. As I start to look towards Fall planning I realized that lately I have abandoned my picture books- I am still reading picture books to my youngest but I haven’t been grabbing the newest arrivals, well that changed yesterday when I managed to snag a couple new picture books. And of course they were great!

Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie by Mary Ellen Jordan and Andrew Weldon Albert Whitman & Company, 2011. 

This is no ordinary rhyming farm, none of the animals do what they are supposed to do like “my pig, she’s called Nancy. She should like mud, but she’s too fancy.” And while none of our farm friends follow their animal instincts they are all good at one thing…what would that be?  The illustrations are cartoonist with thick black lines and white backgrounds.  I loved the surprisingly funny rhyming and the silly illustrations.Check it out at our library.

 

I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs, Templar Books, 2013. 

This was a lovely surprise that is going straight into my Baby Bloomers story time. I loved the oversized pictures and the simplicity of the book- great to review colors and letters, animals and sounds.  The reader has a spread to guess what animal is peeping at them thru a circle followed by the next spread with a full view of the animal looking back at you.  The circles are cleverly positioned to capture the animal’s eye to continuously look at the reader. I am already thinking of a fun game of “I Spy” to play with my babies and tots. Check it out at our library.

So what else have I been reading….

Three Ring Rascals The Show Must Go On!   Kate Klise, illustrated by Sarah Klise. Release date Sept. 10, 2013
I got this galley copy at ALA and if you have read any of Kate and Sarah Klise work you know they are funny and quick paced.  This new series is sure to be another success like 43 Old Cemetery Road with a combination of drawings, letter exchanges, and witty narration. 

W.A.R.P. The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer, Puffin Books, 2013. 

I read this book for a possible fall program and I must confess that I wasn’t crazy at first as it was a bit confusing and slow paced, but as you start to figure where you are in time- present or past- it gets better and ends with a new villain lurking in the shadows.  The story revolves around Chevron, a special FBI Teen assigned to a secret location in London, and Riley,  who was abducted as a child by a magician turned assassin for hire. These two orphan tales connect when a witness in a very special witness protection program tries to use time travel technology to travel back from the past.  Chevron and Riley must figure how to use a wormhole to travel back in time and set things right in our present. Check it out at our library.

The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos, Starscape, 2013.  
This was another one I read thinking of a possible program, the first installment in a new middle-grade series dealing with futuristic societies and space cadets. Copy provided by borrowing library.

 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, Henry Holt & Co., 2013.

This is the sequel to Bone and Shadow . In the first book we meet Alina and Mal, orphans whose past and future are linked to Alina's powers. In the second book, we experience Alina's transformation as a Grisha- humans with magical powers to command natural elements- as she learns to use her powers and battle against the Darkling. There is a love story, power struggle,  forbidden magic, and much more. Check it out at our library.

 

The Sasquatch Escape. The Imaginary Veterinary Book 1 by Suzanne Selfors, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013. 

I enjoyed this fast pace adventure/mystery.  I especially like the suggested activities and book discussion questions. Copy provided by borrowing library.

Favorite Summer Reading Picture Books

I love to read picture books, didn't thought I would at first but the complexity of the stories- when you think of a subject from a four-five year old to the beautiful illustrations just won my heart.  This summer I am reading lots and lots to my own kids since we have a story time break. This is giving me the opportunity to find some new picture books for my fall story time sessions.  Just yesterday I found a great new book for this fall.  We had just started reading this book last night when the wind picked up and the leaves started to fall down. It was the perfect setting for Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall, illustrated by Matt Phelan.
I found the story to be absolutely adorable and one that most kids with younger siblings can relate to- who hasn't dreamed of giving away a pesky little brother or sister.  In the book Flora has the perfect opportunity to give Crispin, her younger brother away when the wind whisked them away.  She gets offers from a dragonfly, a bird, a rainbow, and even the man in the moon. But at the end she decides that is best to bring him back home, just in case mom would get upset. I am a big fan of watercolors and Phelan's illustrations are perfect. The balance of colors and light, the characters' moods like mom's tired face or the man on the moon sad face are all convey with the subtle pastel colors, dark grays, and autumn browns.  Check it out at our library.

 

Let's Go, Hugo! by Angela Dominguez. Another great picture book with a strong message and adorable illustrations.  Set in Paris, Hugo is a lovely little bird who rather walks instead of flying-truth be told because he is afraid of flying.  Until he meets Lulu, who is determined to fly over Paris with him, will Hugo finally learn to fly? Hugo uses every excuse he can think off to avoid flying but with the help of Bernard the Owl, Lulu's encouragement, and his own courage Hugo faces his fear and learns to fly.  I love the watercolor illustrations and the nostalgic feeling they evoke, but the main reason this book is special is because of its message. This book teaches children to overcome their fears and to being open to those around them for help facing life's challenges.Check it out at our library. 
 

Monarch Picture Books

 

Biblioburro: a true story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter, Beach Lane Books, 2010.This is a true story about the power of stories.  Luis Soriana loves books and wanted to share them with others in their remote Colombia town.  Since he lacked any form of transportation he used the only transportation he had available, his trusty burros Alpha and Beto. He built some crates and started bringing books to kids in other towns.  He became a storyteller and reader advisory guru all in one.  I love the acrylic illustrations depicting Luis storytelling tales like “The Three Little Pigs”, Winters uses bright details  to create images of the native landscape and the challenges Luis encountered like no road or bandits.  The story reminded me of other traveling librarians like  “The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq”  which I found out was written by the same author.  

 

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press, 2011.I read this book a while back to a class of preschoolers and loved the settle humor on it, and was surprised at how young children seem to got it too.  Bear has lost his hat and he almost gives up until he remembers a key detail that will get him his hat back.  Klassen’s illustrations are captivating and a bit spooky as I realized the character’s eyes were following us throughout the story when I re-read it to my son.  

Summer Reading is Finally Here!

The last few weeks have been consumed with Summer Reading planning and school visits.  I have had so much fun visiting all our schools and interacting with the students. This year we have moved our entire process online- no more paper slips to fill and tally. We are excited and we think our patrons are too. We actually know that they are liking registering online with over 350 children and teens already registered.   The entire process is easy to follow simply create an account, log books, you are done! It is environmentally friendly and accessible 24/7 so you don't need to depend on the library been open to log your books.  It is interactive allowing patrons to submit reviews and even share them via Facebook.

We have planned 6 weeks of fun activities, reading, contests, stories at local parks, and much more.  Our teen programs is also packed with hands on events like "Make It- Take It" and a Hunger Games Geocatching event at Iron Oaks. For our younger readers we have movies, an animal awareness show with exotic animals, a magician, and a race car show. Our finale will take us to Izaak Walton, a local forest preserve, for an all family fun picnic with lots of outdoor games.

Our theme is "Have Book, Will Travel" with an emphasis on traveling around our community.  I loved this theme because it truly touches my heart. As a kid I didn't traveled much, but grabbing a book was my way to escape, to make new friends, to have adventures, and to travel all without leaving my room.  I hope all our young patrons enjoy their "travels" this summer.