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The Summer I Saved the World In 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz
Hurwitz, Michele Weber. THE SUMMER I SAVED THE WORLD IN 65 DAYS New York : Wendy Lamb, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 3.9 ISBN 0385371063 It is the beginning of summer. 65 long hot, muggy days lay ahead. Nina’s parents and brother are preoccupied with their own problems. In fact, everyone in her neighborhood cul-de-sac seems to be busy. Normally, Nina and her grandmother would be involved in a project or cooking, but Grandma died last year and Nina is on her own. She needs a plan. Nina wonders, what would happen if she does one kind deed each day? “Does doing good really do any good?” (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Today's podcast 08/06/2015
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Today's podcast 08/05/2015
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The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
Holm, Jennifer L. THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH New York : Random, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.4 ISBN 0375870644 When her mother picks her grandfather up from jail, Ellie’s sixth grade year takes a drastic turn. Her grandfather is a scientist and, in his latest experiment, has discovered the fountain of youth. He is now a teenage version of himself and will be attending her middle school! How will she survive having her cantankerous grandfather at school every day? Is the world ready for this scientific breakthrough? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Today's podcast 08/04/2015
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The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell
Haskell, Merrie. THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS New York : Katherine Tegen Books, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 3.9 ISBN 0062008196 Sand, short for Alexandre, wakes up in an abandoned castle where everything is broken. A wall of thick, dangerous thorns makes escape impossible. Trained as a blacksmith, Sand begins to repair objects in the castle, awakening the castle’s magic. A girl appears and together they must find a way to escape before it is too late! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Monday, August 03, 2015
Today's podcast 08/03/2015
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Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart
Gephart, Donna. DEATH BY TOILET PAPER New York : Delacorte Press, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.9 ISBN 0385743998 Fact: Each day, 83,048,116 rolls of toilet paper are produced worldwide Fact: Prior to the invention of toilet paper, Eskimos used snow and tundra moss. Fact: World Toilet Day is celebrated on November 19. Fact: The most expensive toilet is found at the international space station. NASA paid nineteen million dollars for a Russian built toilet system. Fact: If Ben’s family can’t come up with the money, they will be evicted from their home. Ben’s dad died a year ago and things are tight. Ben tries to help by selling candy, entering sweepstakes and other contests. The latest contest is making up a new slogan for The Royal T Bathroom Tissue. How do Ben and his buddy, Toothpick, an aspiring horror movie make-up artist and Grandpa Jake save the day? Find out other amazing facts about toilets and toilet paper. Even with Ben’s serious family problems, this book will tickle your funny bone. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, August 02, 2015
Today's podcast 08/02/2015
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Code Name 711 by F. T. Bradley
Bradley, F. T. DOUBLE VISION : CODE NAME 711 New York : Harper, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 4.6 ISBN 0062104403 One minute Lincoln Baker is playing video games with his friends, and the next minute the CIA needs his help. An assassin is plotting to set off explosives at a White House costume party. With spies around every corner, it’s hard to know who to trust. Linc will have to team up with the President’s daughter to stand a chance at beating the clock, the assassin, and Ben, a junior secret agent who looks just like Linc. Can Linc find the Dangerous Double of George Washington’s Revolutionary War coat before it’s too late? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, August 01, 2015
Today's podcast 08/01/2015
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Bracken, Beth. WISH New York : Capstone Young Readers, 2013 IL 5-8, RL 4.3 ISBN 1623700035 When two best friends have a falling out, they find themselves in a strange new world after making a wish in the woods. Not only are fairies real, but these girls will hold the key to preventing a war in Faerieground. Read this fantasy story with numerous detailed pictures that will keep you turning the pages until the very end and then wanting more. Be careful what you wish for! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, July 31, 2015
Today's podcast 07/31/2015
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Stubby the War Dog by Ann Bausum
Bausum, Ann. STUBBY THE WAR DOG : THE TRUE STORY OF WORLD WAR I'S BRAVEST DOG Washington DC : National Geographic, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 7.2 ISBN 1426314876 This true story will amaze you. How could a stray dog become a war hero and loving companion? Private Robert Conroy found Stubby wandering around the streets of New Haven, Connecticut. When he was being shipped over to France in 1917 to fight in World War I, he couldn’t bear to leave his dog behind. This was a good thing because Stubby turned out to be a real hero! Stubby had an amazing nose and could sniff out an enemy soldier. He could take the medical teams right to wounded ally soldiers. He even captured a German soldier sneaking forward to the American lines. Besides Stubby’s heroic efforts you will read about the grueling life in the front lines and the other perils that these young men faced. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Today's podcast 07/30/2015
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The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Auxier, Jonathan. THE NIGHT GARDENER New York : Amulet Books, 2014 If you are in the mood for an old-fashioned, creepy, scary, bone-chilling twisted mystery, this book is for you. The spooky Victorian house where Molly and Kip, two Irish orphans are employed holds a deep dark secret in its "roots". Does the tall stranger with the black hat and watering can, who wanders the house at night, hold the key to this murky mystery? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Today's podcast 07/29/2015
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The Crossover by Kwami Alexander
Alexander, Kwame. THE CROSSOVER New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 4.3 ISBN 0544107713 Using rap poetry, Kwame Alexander introduces you to Josh and Jordan, twin basketball stars at their school. The twins are double trouble both on and off the court until Jordan gets a girlfriend. Suddenly Josh feels left out; add to that his dad, a former professional basketball player, seems to be keeping secrets. Why is his mom on a sudden health food kick? What is his dad hiding? Find out while tapping to the beat of Josh’s rap. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Today's podcast 07/28/2015
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The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods
Woods, Brenda. THE BLOSSOMING UNIVERSE OF VIOLET DIAMOND New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.6 ISBN 0399257144 Eleven-year-old biracial Violet has a loving family – Mom, sister Daisy, Gam and Poppy – but she often feels out of place in Moon Lake, Washington, a mostly white community. Her African American father died before she was born and she has never met his side of her family, until her grandmother has an art exhibit in Seattle. Can she convince her mother to take her to the art exhibit? And will her grandmother accept her if she does? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Monday, July 27, 2015
Today's podcast 07/27/2015
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The Menagerie by Tui Sutherland
Sutherland, Tui. THE MENAGERIE New York : Harper, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 5.1 ISBN 0060780649 When seventh grader Logan Wilde wakes up in his new home in rural Xanadu, Wyoming, he spots large golden feathers on the floor. He soon discovers they belong to a hungry baby griffin hiding under his bed. Logan learns the baby griffin comes from a secret place called the Menagerie, a large habitat set up for the protection of mythical beasts. It contains unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes, and many other magical beasts. Who let the baby griffin out and is sabotaging the safety of all the magical beasts? Can Logan and his friends save the Menagerie? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Today's podcast 07/26/2015
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Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman
Sidman, Joyce. WINTER BEES AND OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 IL K-3, RL 5.1 ISBN 0547906501 You can feel the air get frostier as you open this book of poetry. Journey through the snow-covered forest to learn about how different animals experience winter. The page about snakes will curl your toes! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Today's podcast 07/25/2015
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Segel, Jason. NIGHTMARES! New York : Delacorte, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.3 ISBN 0385744250 Eleven-year-old Charlie Laird is absolutely convinced that his stepmother Charlotte is a witch. Charlie's dad, little brother, and friends all like Charlotte and think Charlie's still grieving for his mom. He's also suffering from terrible nightmares. His nightmares and his real life begin to become one and the same. Then his nightmares take a bold step into his waking world. Will Charlie learn to overcome his fears and stop the nightmares? (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, July 24, 2015
Today's podcast 07/24/2015
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Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka
Scieszka , Jon. FRANK EINSTEIN AND THE ANTIMATTER MOTOR New York : Amulet, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 5.9 ISBN 1419712187 Frank Einstein, a kid genius inventor, is eager to create contraptions to figure out how the world works. Read this book with or without your safety goggles but be prepared for an action packed science fiction adventure with cool science facts, silliness, some sign language and lots of detailed diagrams throughout. Frank tries to build a SmartBot in his garage but believes he has failed. Surprisingly, overnight a bolt of electricity from a lightning storm zaps the bot’s brain to life, it self assembles and makes another robot. Unfortunately, Frank now has Klink, a smart robot full of wisecracks that’s able to learn and then there’s Klank, a robot who really just wants to hug. Nevertheless, the three of them try to work together to perfect Frank’s Antimatter Motor to win prize money so that Frank’s Grandpa won’t have to lose his Fix-It Shop. Frank’s best friend, Watson, is also always there to help. But, will this antimatter idea fall into the wrong hands of Frank’s evil arch nemesis, T. Edison? You’ll have to read this book to find out why it’s important to never give up and that when it comes to science how the failures can be just as important as the successes. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Today's podcast 07/23/2015
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The Secret Box by Whitaker Ringwald
Ringwald, Whitaker. THE SECRET BOX New York : Katherine Tegan, 2013 IL 3-6. RL 3.9 ISBN 0062216147 On her 12th birthday, Jax receives a package in the mail from her great-aunt Juniper. Just another boring gift, she imagines. But when her mother anxiously snatches the mysterious package away, Jax’s curiosity is ignited. She must find out what’s inside! With the help of her shy, younger cousin Ethan and his obnoxious, older, tech genius, video gaming brother, Tyler, she begins the task of surreptitiously stealing her package back from the Post Office, where her mother has taken it to be returned to sender. Tearing the package open, Jax finds a box which can’t be opened. In order to find out what’s inside, the three learn they must unravel clues to lead them to the only location in which it will open. They are not the only ones who crave the secret box. Dangerous criminals will do anything to steal it. Will they be able to hold onto the powerful box? Are they clever enough to solve the clues in time? Told in the alternating voices of Jax and Ethan, this suspenseful mystery is full of intrigue and danger. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Today's podcast 07/22/2015
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Space Taxi : Archie Takes Flight by Wendy Mass
Mass, Wendy. SPACE TAXI : ARCHIE TAKES FLIGHT Boston : Little, Brown, 2014 IL K-3, RL 3.6 ISBN 0316243191 It's not every day a regular kid like Archie gets to wake up at midnight. But today is Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Archie is finally allowed to ride along in his dad's taxi cab. He has been waiting eight years, eight months, and eight days for this moment to arrive. But he's about to discover his dad is no ordinary cab driver...In fact, he drives an intergalactic space taxi! All night long, he shuttles aliens from one corner of the universe to another. And being a space taxi copilot is no easy task. Archie must steer them into wormholes, keep them from crashing into planets, deal with a very unusual cat...and save the universe from an evil mastermind! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Today's podcast 07/19/2015
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The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer Smith
Smith, Jennifer. THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Boston : Little Brown, 2012 IL YA ISBN 0316122386 Four minutes. That's all. Just four minutes late for her flight. When has a flight ever left on time? As she watches the plane leave, she is wondering if maybe she wanted to miss the plane. She is on her way to London for her father's second marriage. She is not happy about him leaving and she doesn't really want to go. As she waits for a later flight, she meets a young man who is also going to London for a family event. As the hours pass by on the flight, the two talk, share, tease and pass the time. They both feel very comfortable with each other and are reluctant to part when they land. Oliver likes throwing out statistics. What would he say was the statistical probability of them ever meeting again?
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Today's podcast 07/18/2015
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Walters, Eric. RULE OF THRE3 New York : Farrar, Straus Giroux, 2014 IL YA ISBN 0374355029 It is just another day at school. Todd is trying to get a paper done before last period and Adam is trying to help. When the lights go out, it sends that giddy feeling to the kids in the library. But it is more than that. The cell phones don't work either. Then they find that the buses and cars don't work. Any item that needs a computer to run is just dead. No explanations and no way to find out what is going on. Fortunately Adam's car is an old one that doesn't need computers to run. He is able to get home but many others are not so fortunate. Everyone assumes things will be back to normal soon. As the days go by and that doesn't happen, things begin to get a bit desperate. There are three rules for survival. You can go 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Beyond that, you're dead. Now it is down to survival. What will happen to Adam's neighborhood? What happens when civilization breaks down?
Friday, July 17, 2015
Today's podcast 07/17/2015
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Martin, Ann M. RAIN REIGN New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2014 Homophones and prime numbers provide structure and comfort for fifth-grader Rose Howard. Rose has many challenges in her life. Her mother left home when Rose was just 2 years old. Her father is often absent and has a drinking problem. Rose also has a very hard time in school. She has been diagnosed with autism and has difficulties controlling her emotions and her behavior. One day her father brings a stray dog home and allows Rose to keep him. She names him Rain because the word rain (reign, rein) is a homophone. They bond completely. However Rose discovers that Rain has another family. What will Rose do? Will she let Rain’s family know where Rain is? How can Rose survive without Rain? Can she leave her Dad and live with her supportive uncle? Read Rain Reign for Rose’s heartwarming story. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Today's podcast 07/16/2015
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Blazing Courage by Kelly Milner Halls
Halls, Kelly Milner. BLAZING COURAGE Minneapolis MN : Darby Creek, 2015 IL 5-8 ISBN 1467772194 Prolific non-fiction author Kelly Milner Halls has turned her talents to a new fiction series. In the first in the Animal Rescues series, we meet fourteen year old Annie who has always dreamed of owning her own horse. And now her dreams have come true. She has finally saved enough money to buy her own horse. She buys a four year old buckskin named Poco. He isn't the most gentle horse and she will have to work with him to settle him down. But she has the love and the will to do it. She stables Poco at Top Tier Stables where she volunteers in exchange. She loves being around the horses and her work is going well with Poco. But someone has it out for the stables. When a terrible fire breaks out, Annie must draw on all her courage to try to save her horse. But is she strong enough to face the flames?
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Today's podcast 07/15/2015
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Lord, Cynthia. HALF A CHANCE New York : Scholastic, 2014 Twelve year-old Lucy is not happy to move again. This time she is moving to a remote lake in New Hampshire, but her nature photographer father will not be there. He will be traveling to Arizona for work. Moving for Lucy means new friends, new school, and lots of new experiences. Lucy handles her loneliness by entering a photography contest. She loves taking photographs. Because her father is the judge of the contest she enters under a false name. She uses the identity of her new neighbor Nate. Nate has spent all his summers at the lake with his grandmother, Lilah who is now losing her memory. Nate and Lucy try to help Lilah by working with her on her loon count. Will Nate be able to accept his grandmother’s loss of memory? Will Lucy tell her dad about deceiving him in the contest? Will Lucy and Nate’s friendship survive these challenges? Reading Half a Chance will give you some surprising answers. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Monday, July 13, 2015
Today's podcast 07/13/2015
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Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch by Anne Isaacs
Isaacs, Anne. MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH New York : Schwartz & Wade, 2014 In 1870, widow Tulip Jones packs up her twelve pet tortoises: January, February, March, and so on, and boards a ship traveling from England to By-Golly, Texas, where she inherits a ranch, along with thirty-five million dollars. Amazed at how fast and big things grow, she discovers that even her smallest pet tortoise grows six feet long in a month. His large size makes him move even FASTER; soon, he can outrace the fastest racehorse. When word of widow Tulip Jones and her inheritance spreads across the prairie, all the bachelors in Texas, (which is every cowboy, even some nasty ones) wish to marry her. Before long, Tulip Jones is overwhelmed with unsuitable suitors. Calico, one of her three ranch hands, comes up with a clever idea. She proposes that Tulip Jones put a notice in every newspaper in the U.S. stating, “Brides wanted! 1,000 cowboys available! Free to good homes! Lariats and hats included!” Tulip Jones does exactly that. Before long, the brides come, garbed in their finest wedding dresses. Read to find out if every bride gets her cowboy, and if widow Tulip Jones finds happiness in By-Golly. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Today's podcast 07/12/2015
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Mountain Dog by Margaret Engle
Engle, Margaret. MOUNTAIN DOG New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2013 Are you seeking a new adventure to take you away from your own backyard? Then you’ll want to put Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle in your backpack today and head west. This book is a compelling realistic fiction novel set in the remote Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. It’s filled with struggles and celebrations, relationships and rescues. And what’s even cooler is this story is told through two alternating perspectives. Meet Tony, the resilient 11 and a half year old boy who’s mom has been sent to jail for running pit bull fights and Gabe, the loyal chocolate lab rescue dog who becomes his trusted companion. After reading this book you’ll also be amazed at how much you will have actually learned about rescue dogs, tracking wild animals, hiking, making new friends, adapting to a new home, and even some interesting facts about bears and elephants. You’ll even manage to learn a few new Spanish phrases along the way. But more importantly, you will definitely learn the value of trust as you journey through life. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Today's podcast 07/11/2015
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Handle With Care by Loree Griffin Burns
Burns, Loree Griffin. HANDLE WITH CARE : AN UNUSUAL BUTTERFLY JOURNEY New York : Millbrook, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 3.7 ISBN 0761393420 Have you been to a live butterfly exhibit at a museum or at a zoo? Where do these lovely exotic butterflies come from? Come visit a butterfly farm in Costa Rica in Central America. Follow the life cycle of the Blue Morpho Butterfly from a tiny egg to a voracious larva (caterpillar) to pupa or chrysalis to finally a beautiful adult butterfly. Raising a butterfly or moth is not easy. The farmers must find the special plants for their food and keep them safe from predators like frogs, birds or snakes! When the caterpillars become chrysalises, the farmers send them, carefully packaged, to museums and zoos all over the world. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, July 10, 2015
Today's podcast 07/10/2015
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Bell, Cece. EL DEAFO Amulet Books, 2014 In this semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Cece, a bunny, gets sick and loses most of her hearing. She then goes to a school for the deaf for one year. After that first year, she goes to regular school where she is the only deaf student. She has to wear a device called the Phonics Ear, which allows her to hear what the teacher is saying, and often more than she wants to hear if the teacher forgets she is wearing the microphone part of the Phonics Ear and goes to the bathroom. Cece imagines herself as a superhero, El Deafo, who is accepted by classmates. This is a good story about friendship and about accepting who you are. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Today's podcast 07/09/2015
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Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong
Armstrong, Kelley. LOKI'S WOLVES Boston : Little, Brown, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 4.4 ISBN 031620496X Matt always knew that he was the modern day descendent of Thor, but he never guessed that he would be selected as Thor’s representative to try to prevent Ragnarök, a series of events foretold to result in the end of the world as we know it. Teamed up with his cousin Laurie and classmate Fen, Matt must find Thor’s hammer and shield to prepare for impending battle. His journey of preparation leads him and his friends into encounters with a series of monsters from Norse mythology. If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, you will love this adventure into lesser-known mythology from Scandinavia! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Today's podcast 07/08/2015
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Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
Soman, David. THREE BEARS IN A BOAT New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 3.4 ISBN 0803739931 When young bears Dash, Charlie and Theo “did something they really shouldn’t have,” they accidentally break their mother’s blue seashell. Their quest to make amends takes them on a remarkable journey across the sea where they meet new friends and encounter danger. Will they make their way home again? Will they find a seashell for their mother? Read to find out! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, July 07, 2015
Today's podcast 07/07/2015
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Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea
Shea, Bob. BUDDY AND THE BUNNIES IN DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! New York : Disney Hyperion, 2014 IL K-3, RL 1.6 ISBN 1423168070 Buddy is a very grumpy monster who has no time for niceties. When he stumbles upon some bunnies, he knows he must eat them! But the bunnies have another idea. You will giggle and cheer as the bunnies find trick after trick to keep Buddy distracted from his dinner plans! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Committee)
Monday, July 06, 2015
Today's podcast 07/06/2015
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The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock
Rosenstock, Barb. THE NOISY PAINT BOX New York : Knopf, 2014 Vasily Kandinsky was a pioneer of abstract painting, but as a child he was encouraged to be serious about his studies. He studied to become a lawyer and put his childhood hobby of painting aside. He had an unusual condition that allowed him to experience music and sounds visually: in addition to hearing sounds, he also saw them as colors. Read The Noisy Paint Box to find out how this condition led him to return to his childhood interest and invent a whole new style of painting. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Today's podcast 07/05/2015
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A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O'Connell
O'Connell, Caitlin. A BABY ELEPHANT IN THE WILD New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 IL K-3, RL 4.6 ISBN 0544149440 Meet adorable Liza, a baby elephant with strikingly pink ears, toenails, and tummy. Born in Namibia, Africa, she shares her scrub desert habitat with giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and lions. As a newborn weighing 250 lbs., Liza has tons of growing to do, since her mother weighs 8,000 lbs. Within a few hours of birth, Liza must travel with her extended family, covering up to 20 miles a day, to reach food and water. All of the family-oriented elephants stick together to protect Liza and the other young from attacks by prides of lions or hyenas. Read about Liza and her elephant family and discover many fascinating elephant facts, such as, they are the largest mammal on earth with the largest teeth (tusks). Elephants pass down their wisdom from generation to generation. That must amount to a lot of knowledge, since they come from the Proboscidea order, which has been on earth for 55 million years. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, July 04, 2015
Today's podcast 07/04/2015
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Poem-Mobiles by J. Patrick Lewis
Lewis, J. Patrick. POEM-MOBILES New York : Schwartz Wade, 2014 Two of children’s poetry’s most prolific and entertaining writers pair up to bring you a collection of wild and wonderful poems about cars. But you won’t see these cars on the highway! The poets and illustrator Jeremy Holmes have created a fantastical world full of imaginary automobiles like the bathtub car, the banana split car and the eel-ectric car. Filled with word play, rollicking rhymes and illustrations that are even wackier than the poems that inspired them, this book is impossible to read only once! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, July 03, 2015
Today's podcast 07/03/2015
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Little Red Pencil by Joan Holub
Holub, Joan. LITTLE RED WRITING New York : Chronicle Books, 2013 IL K-3, RL 3.4 ISBN 0811878694 Little Red Writing is a story about Little Red in Pencil School, where Ms. 2, her teacher, instructs the class on how to write a story. The other pencils, Birthday pencil, State pencil, and Basketball pencil, can’t wait to write their happy, nonfiction “Great State of Pencilvania,” stories. Ambitious Little Red truly wants to write an adventure story about a brave and courageous character, who journeys through the school, fighting evil to “save the day.” Little Red begins by traipsing through the gym, bouncing, boogieing, and finally cartwheeling into the “deep, dark, descriptive forest,” the school library, on the next page. Hearing growling, the suspense intensifies as she spots a tail, and follows it into Principal Granny’s office, where Little Red meets Wolf 3000, showing his big sharp teeth instead of her Principal. Big Red musters her courage and bravery to combat the fierce pencil sharpener. Read to find out if she saves Principal Granny, now a short stub of a pencil, before it’s too late. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Today's podcast 07/02/2015
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Dory Fantasmgory by Abby Hanlon
Hanlon, Abby. DORY FANTASMAGORY New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 2.1 ISBN 0803740883 If you laugh at Junie B. you’ll laugh out loud when you meet lovable six-year old Dory Fantasmagory in this new beginning chapter book series. Everyone calls her Rascal but all that Dory really wants is attention and she has just enough wild imagination and endless energy to never stop trying. She’s the youngest in the family and unfortunately, her older brother, Luke, and older sister, Violet, only roll their eyes and invent scary sharp-toothed Mrs. Gobble Gracker to try and stop their little sister from being such a pest. After all, Rascal is supposed to be ready to go to first grade and it’s about time she stopped acting like a baby by asking so many annoying questions. Dory won’t quit outsmarting monsters and you’ll be surprised when she actually proves her bravery in real life! The hilarious illustrations will also help you to see her antics more clearly, and you can watch her grow in the second Dory story, Dory and the Real True Friend due out later this year. The author/illustrator, Abby Hanlon, is already thinking about her third Dory book too! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Today's podcast 07/01/2015
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The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
Hale, Shannon. THE PRINCESS IN BLACK Somerville, MA : Candlewick, 2014 IL K-3, RL 3.2 ISBN 076366510X While young Princess Magnolia entertains an unexpected guest with hot chocolate and delicious scones in her majestic castle, her monster alarm rings. Her guest, Duchess Wigtower, enjoys visiting unsuspecting friend’s homes to uncover their secrets. Oh no, the princess does have a big secret, and, hearing the alarm, she scurries into the broom closet, secretly changing from her frilly pink gown and tiara into her black dress, tights, and cape. Clad in her Princess in Black outfit, she slides down the secret chute of her castle, climbs upon her unicorn Frimplepants, and scoots off to Monster Land. Will she reach Monster Land before the big, hungry Blue Monster gobbles up two tasty goats? Read to find out if the Princess in Black saves the tender goats and returns to her castle before nosy Duchess Wigtower figures out her true identity. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Today's podcast 06/30/2015
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DiPucchio, Kelly. GASTON New York : Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 2.8 ISBN 1442451025 Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Three of these puppies are French poodles and no bigger than teacups but Gaston, who is actually a French bulldog, is the size of a teapot! As you get to know Gaston, you’ll want to give him credit for trying to be such a proper pooch just like his sisters. One day, Gaston’s family meets a bulldog family in the park with roundish faces and three brothers named Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and their dainty poodle sister named, Antoinette. Gaston and Antoinette quickly realize there must have been a mix-up between the families and decide to switch places. The new families look right…but they just don’t feel right. You’ll have to read this book to find out where these two adorable dogs find their rightful place and happiness. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Monday, June 29, 2015
Today's podcast 06/29/2015
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Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo
DiCamillo, Kate. LEROY NINKER SADDLES UP Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2014 IL K-3, RL 4.2 ISBN 0763663395 The tiny thief, Leroy Ninker, who tries to steal the toaster in Mercy Watson Fights Crime, has mended his ways and returns in this spinoff series. Still planning on a career as a cowboy, Leroy, the drive-in movie concession salesman, makes plans to fulfill his dream. His coworker, Beatrice, informs him that he needs a horse, handing him a “Horse for Sale” advertisement. Leroy can’t wait to find the horse of his dreams and soon locates Maybelline, an old horse with a velvety damp nose and only four teeth. After hearing her former owner’s advice (firstly, be kind to her, “you got to talk sweet to Maybelline,” secondly, give her lots of grub, and, thirdly, never leave her alone), Leroy and Maybelline gallop away faster and faster across the fields. He has never been happier! But when he forgets an important tip about Maybelline, he fears his cowboy dreams are over. Read to find out what hair-raising adventure occurs, AND if Leroy and Maybelline ever run into some old friends. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Today's podcast 06/28/2015
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The Chicken Squad : The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
Cronin, Doreen. THE CHICKEN SQUAD : THE FIRST MISADVENTURE New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 3.1 ISBN 1442496762 J.J. Tully, a dog, has his paws full. He is in charge of protecting the Chicken Squad and their mother, Moosh. Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie (the members of the Chicken Squad) are trying to solve the mystery of what BIG, SCARY, ENORMOUS, FRIGHTENING, HUGE, TERRIFYING, ROUND, SHINY thing has scared the squirrel, Tail. You won’t believe what it is! Read The Chicken Squad and discover along with Tully what has gotten the chickens’ feathers ruffled. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Today's podcast 06/27/2015
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Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox
Cox, Lynne. ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF THE SEAS New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2014 IL K-3, RL 4.2 ISBN 0375958886 Elephant seals belong in the ocean, but Elizabeth is different. No one knows what draws her to settle in a busy intersection in the middle of Christchurch, New Zealand, but she makes it clear that is where she wants to be. This true story of love and determination will warm your heart! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, June 26, 2015
Today's podcast 06/26/2015
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My Teacher Is a Monster by Peter Brown
Brown, Peter. MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER! (NO, I AM NOT) Boston : Little Brown, 2014 IL K-3, RL 1.7 ISBN 0316070297 A young boy named Bobby has the worst teacher. She's loud, she yells, and if you throw paper airplanes, she won't allow you to enjoy recess. She is a monster! Luckily, Bobby can go to his favorite spot in the park on weekends to play. Until one day... he finds his teacher there! Over the course of one day, Bobby learns that monsters are not always what they seem. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Today's podcast 06/25/2015
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Bloom, C. P. THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS
Bloom, C. P. THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3 ISBN 1419708856 Monkey spies a banana tree. What will he do to get his hands on them? Monkey cleverly finds a way to outsmart a shark and get to the bananas. This mostly wordless picture book is truly hilarious! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Today's podcast 06/24/2015
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Barnett, Mac. SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE
Barnett, Mac. SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE Somerville, MA : Candlewick, 2014 IL K-3, RL 1.9 ISBN 0763662291 Sam, Dave and their dog have a challenge. They want to dig and dig and dig until they find something spectacular – something huge – something thrilling. They seem unsuccessful. But are they really? Pay close attention to the illustrations and you’ll discover what Sam and Dave found. This book won a Caldecott Honor Medal for outstanding illustrations. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Today's podcast 06/23/2015
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Tregay, Sarah. FAN ART Katherine Tegen Books, 2014 Jamie is a senior on the staff of Gumshoe, the school's literary magazine. He is confident with his sexuality at home where his mom and stepdad applaud him - in fact, his mom can't wait for him to have a boyfriend, and his stepfather wanted to be sure to support Jamie when he came out, so he threw him a party with balloons and "congratulations" - very charming family! At school, though, it's a different story. He's had a crush on his best friend Mason for a long time and fears losing his friendship if he fesses up to being gay. The girls in the art class have it all figured out, though, and they attempt to work their magic to get Jamie together with his dream boy and best friend. When Jamie makes an independent decision about including a gay-themed comic for the magazine, things start happening - big time! .(Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Monday, June 22, 2015
Today's podcast 06/22/2015
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I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Nelson, Jandy. I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN New York : Dial Books, 2014 IL YA ISBN 080334964 Noah and Jude are twins who have always felt connected. Jude is the popular one, pretty and outgoing. Noah is the quiet, artistic one, who sees more in the world, but is always being picked on, until Brian moves in next door. Fast forward two years, and things have changed. Their mom is dead, and the twins seem to have swapped lives. What happened and why comes in spurts of insight/story from each twin, both past and present, until it all comes together. The language and imagery is delightful, with Noah being the more fanciful, but this excerpt is Jude talking to Noah: “‘Maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people’ I say. ‘Maybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time.’ Hauling them in as we make choices, good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things. “He grins. ‘Each new self standing on the last one’s shoulders until we’re these wobbly people poles?’ “I die of delight. ‘Yes, exactly! We’re all just wobbly people poles!’” (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Today's podcast 06/21/2015
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To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Han, Jenny. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE New York : Simon and Schuster, 2014 IL YA ISBN 1442426705 Lara Jean has this habit of writing really detailed love letters to boys she has crushes on in order to get them out of her system. Detailed, down to cataloging their good and bad qualities. Then she puts them away, and is done with both the boy and the letter. Suddenly, the letters are missing, and boys are coming up to her with her letter in their hands. This wasn't just a story of mortification, though it could have been, but it's about how Lara Jean copes with the revelations, as well as her sister Margot going off to college in Scotland, being in love with Margot’s boyfriend, taking care of her father and Kitty, now that Margot isn't around to do it, etc. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Today's podcast 06/20/2015
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Jury, Walter. SCAN GP Putnam's Sons, 2014 I expected to hate this from the very beginning. Wrestling? Um, no. Aliens? Nope. But then the action drew me in. The story of Tate and his friends and family was relatively interesting until people started shooting at them, and then the pace really picked up. “[Dad’s] fingers close over my shoulder. ‘Tate, I know you’re angry with me. But we can fight later.’ “I wrench myself away from him. ‘Get off me.’… “‘Tate.’ Dad grabs my arm again. ‘It’s very important that we run. Now.”… “Tate, wir müssen fliehen. Jetzt. Jetzt!” my father barks, snapping me out of my trance. “We have to escape. Now. Clipped German words, tinged with pure desperation.” I was emotionally involved right up until the big cliffhanger. Luckily, the sequel, Burn, comes out May 12th. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Friday, June 19, 2015
Today's podcast 06/19/2015
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Beautiful Music For Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills Flux 2012 Gabe is a trans man, born as Liz, finally about to get out of high school, so he can begin living his life as himself. He tells us: “I’ve been a boy my whole life. I wish I’d been born a vampire or a werewolf instead, or with a big red clown nose permanently stuck to my face, because that stuff would be easy. Having a brain that doesn’t agree with your body is a much bigger pain…” His best friend, Paige, is totally supportive, though there's that pesky attraction to her that makes life difficult. Gabe's parents and brother haven't been able to look him in the eye since he broke the news to them. His next-door neighbor and mentor, John, doesn't know yet, and Gabe's nervous about telling him. In the meantime, John and Gabe share a passion for music, and John's just gotten Gabe a gig DJing on KZUK in the middle of the night. Gabe calls his show Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, and is so honest and inspiring, he inspires an Ugly Children Brigade to form. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Today's podcast 06/18/2015
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Lockhart, E. WE WERE LIARS Delacorte 2013 The wealthy Sinclair family (or is this the Kennedys?) owns a private island off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. They are beautiful and perfect in every way. Or are they? Cadence is our narrator who talks about a particular summer she spends with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and also Gat Patil (a friend and love interest of Cadence) who often stirs up the family with his political stance on the wealthy - trying to remind them that there are people who are NOT ridiculously loaded with money . They've been summering on the island together as a group for years (the patriarch of the family built three houses on the island besides his own for his three daughters, and these houses are filled with people who have secrets and lie), but this year deserves a special telling, and along the way, we learn that seemingly typical quirky teenager Cadence is damaged - has debilitating migraines and we don't learn why -- until we reach, or so we think, the TRUTH, and the book's end. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Today's podcast 06/17/2015
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Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson, Brandon. . STEELHEART Delacorte, 2013 The future is rather grim - populated and dominated by superheroes, but these superheroes - or EPICS as they're called, are not your comic book characters. Ever since "Calamity"arrived, which from the description sounds like a kind of satellite - and is hovering over the Earth, the superheroes have populated the earth as villains intent on ruling the world and eliminating anyone - human or fellow epic - who get in their way. Main character and snarky teen David's city of Chicago is ruled by Steelheart who is strong beyond measure, and can control the elements. He has turned Chicago into a shining city of STEEL. After losing his father to Steelheart as a 6 year old, David spends his entire life dedicated to finding this Epic's weakness and plans to destroy him. Enter the Reckoners - a group of rag tag kids and adults whose mission is to restore peace by systematically taking out the epics. When David finds them, his knowledge becomes essential to their plans. Will they get to the strongest Epic to destroy him? (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Today's podcast 06/16/2015
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More Than This by Patrick Ness
Ness, Patrick. MORE THAN THIS Take a moment to imagine what your own private hell might look like... Got an image? Well, in the opening scene of this book, our main character Seth drowns and dies - a rather intensely portrayed drowning, I might add (and note that this is NOT the worst of it!) He is bewildered to awaken unclothed, starving, and thirsty in a bizarrely unpopulated and dusty world that is somehow familiar to him. Turns out, it's his childhood home in England - where he lived before the family moved to America - and he's about to face his own private hell. Interestingly, it's taken his own death to get him to confront his demons. Whenever Seth closes his eyes in this strange world, troubling past events haunt him in nightmares - these dreams include his family, the boy he loves and past traumas. The reader shares the oddity of the situation and wonders whether Seth is in heaven, hell, a fully reborn life? What the heck is happening? Is he really alive? (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Monday, June 15, 2015
Today's podcast 06/15/2015
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McNeal, Tom. FAR FAR AWAY New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0375849726 Jeremy is a regular kid in modern-day middle America, but there are a couple of unique things about him: he lives in the back of the Two-Book Bookstore that he inherited from his grandfather, which only sells both volumes of his grandfather's memoir, with his shut-in dad, and he has an interesting relationship with a ghost that only he can hear: Jacob Grimm. Yep, that Jacob Grimm, or, as it is properly pronounced and specifically mentioned in the book, Yaukub. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee) This beautifully written story follows Jeremy through the tribulations of both regular teenage life and the potential loss of his home as the bookstore fails, and then life begins to resemble the fairy tales that he loves so much (and don't forget that they are the grim Grimm versions).
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Today's podcast 06/11/2015
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Footer Davis Might Be Possibly Is Crazy by Susan Vaught
Vaught, Susan. FOOTER DAVIS MIGHT BE PROBABLY IS CRAZY New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015 IL 5-8, RL 5.4 ISBN 1481422766 Footer Davis' mother just "ain't right". That's what they all say. Actually, she has bipolar disorder. When she is sent to a mental hospital, Footer misses her so much. To distract herself from thinking about her mother, Footer and her best friend Peavine Jones set out to investigate the disappearance of two children. Both girls take the investigation seriously and want to find out what happened. But Footer begins to have hallucinations and worries that she is going crazy just like her mother.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Today's podcast 06/10/2015
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Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
Matheson, Christie. TOUCH THE BRIGHTEST STAR New York : Greenwillow Books, 2015 IL K-3, RL 1.7 ISBN 0062274473 What happens when the sun goes down? The night becomes magic. “Magic happens every night. / First wave good-bye to the sun’s bright light.” Come along on a journey through the night. Tap the firefly to make it light. Pat the deer. Swipe the sky. Rub the owl heads. And when the night is over, a new magical day begins.
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Today's podcast 06/09/2015
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Watson, Jude. LOOT : HOW TO STEAL A FORTUNE New York : Scholastic, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 4.2 ISBN 0545468027 Advice from Alfie McQuin to his son, March: *Never trust a guy who says “trust me”. *If you think nothing can go wrong---you’d better think again. *Panic doesn’t get you anything but arrested. March McQuin has led an “interesting” life so far. Being raised by his widowed dad, who also happens to be an international jewel thief, has resulted in many moves to many countries and countless transfers from one school to another. Through it all, though, they’ve always had each other, and Alfie has passed on his wisdom as well as “homeschooling” March in the art of burglary. But Alfie’s latest heist has gone terribly wrong. Now March is on his own, and he’s being followed. He’s going to need all of the skills and wisdom his father gave him just to survive, let alone to solve the mystery of Alfie’s last request---“Find jewels…” What jewels? Or, maybe, who is Jules? March will find friends and allies where he least expects them, but there are enemies out there, too. And they’re all trying to be first to find….the loot. This high-speed adventure will have you hooked from the first chapter to the last. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Monday, June 08, 2015
Today's podcast 06/08/2015
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Lord, Cynthia. HALF A CHANCE New York : Scholastic, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.3 ISBN 0545035333 When you take pictures do you just point and shoot? Do you frame your picture? Do you consider the “story” the photo will tell? Lucy’s family has just moved into a year round home on a lake in New Hampshire, her third move in her twelve years. Lucy’s Dad, a famous photographer, never stays in one place too long, and truth to tell he will be taking off within a day for a summer long assignment in Arizona leaving Lucy and her Mom to sort out the move and settle into this new life. Even before unpacking her first box Lucy is driven to grab her own camera and, with her dog Ansel (after Ansel Adams), “capture a first New Hampshire photo, so that in time she will feel the relief and comfort of looking back at this first one and remember how brave and scary everything was then, and realize she ‘made it’ once again. Like creating a memory in reverse.” Memory and photography intertwine in the telling of this story. Very quickly, Lucy meets Nate, the boy next door, and his family who are summer residents in the cottage owned by his Grandma Lilah. Grandma Lilah is passionate about participating with the Loon Preservation Society’s annual egg count and hatchings. However, she can no longer manage daily kayaking to the loon nesting island and enlists the help of Nate, his sister, and “Lucy of the Loons” as she dubs Lucy on her first venture. Sometimes another neighbor Megan, who sees Lucy as a rival, participates as well. As you will discover, Grandma Lilah is having more trouble managing other things as well this summer. Through a desire to help Grandma Lilah and a secret longing to have her photography skills measure up to her father’s highly demanding standards, Lucy, with Nate’s interest and help, work to gather samples for a Photo Scavenger Hunt run by a magazine, nine photos reflecting a creative approach to nine words or phrases. Ethical issues arise when Lucy has to enter the contest under Nate’s name since her father is one of the contest judges. But even more difficult ethical, friendship, and creative choice issues arise over the use or non-use of a particular photo of Grandma Lilah that “reveals a story, show me why I care?” but one that Nate cares too much to want to see. (Kathleen Fencil, NH Great Stone Face Committee, 2015)
Friday, June 05, 2015
Today's podcast 06/05/2015
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Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly. FISH IN A TREE New York : Nancy Paulsen, 2015 IL 5-8, RL 4.2 ISBN 0399162593 Ally Nickerson spends a lot of time in the Principal’s office. She does not always understand what she did wrong to get there. She has also had to move a lot, seven schools in her twelve years. Her father is in the military and is currently deployed overseas. Ally demonstrates unique brightness and interesting drawing capabilities as she doodles in her “Sketchbook of Impossible Things,” but at other times her good intentions lead to disastrous consequences, all because she cannot tell the absolute truth, not to her principal, not to her teacher, not to her Mom, not to her friends. Ally still cannot read, no matter how hard she tries. And she does try, but reading for Ally is “still like trying to make sense of a can of alphabet soup that’s been dumped on a plate. She just doesn’t get how other people do it. Ally Nickerson + reading = Impossible! To say that Ally stands out is stating the obvious, but she is not totally alone. She develops friendships with a couple of other class misfits; “Tell–it-like-it-is Keisha and science and fact obsessed Albert who wears the same “Flint” shirt to school everyday and is often seen with mysterious bruises. In the course of their school year they get a new teacher, Mr. Daniels who sees the child first, before the student. There are heroes in this book and they are not only the adults. This book is a “Silver Dollar” read. The Fish in a Tree title comes from a quote often misappropriated to Albert Einstein; “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The truth of a quote has nothing to do with who it came from, but it would be fine and fitting had it been Einstein. (Kathleen Fencil, NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Today's podcast 06/04/2015
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Durham, Paul. LUCK UGLIES New York : HarperCollins, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 5.5 ISBN 0062271504 Rye O’Chanter and her best friends Quinn and Folly know well the history of Village Drowning, a village said to be “built on a foundation of secrets, rules, and lies but mostly just mud.” The children have heard tell of the hideous Bog Noblins–creatures who wear human feet as necklaces–and the bands of lawless men known as Luck Uglies, both thought to be long-gone from the village. But when Rye herself has a horrible encounter with a Bog Noblin late one night and a mysterious cloaked and tattooed man appears in the village, Rye and her friends learn that things aren’t always what they seem and what becomes history isn’t always true. The author creates a multi-layered, rich world inhabited by characters that sparkle with life and practically leap from the pages. Readers will be thrilled to know that this engrossing fantasy is the first book of a series. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Today's podcast 06/03/2015
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Where I Belong by Mary. Downing Hahn
Hahn, Mary Downing. WHERE I BELONG New York : Clarion, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 5.3 ISBN 0544230205 “If only I had someplace to go besides home. A safe place where I’d belong and nobody would call me names or beat me up or laugh at me. No school. No teachers. No mean kids. No Mrs. Clancy. Just me, Brendan Doyle”. (p. 13, Where I Belong) No one is nice to sixth-grader Brendan Doyle: his foster mother, his teachers, his classmates, and especially the teens who bully him. He escapes in books, drawing, carving, and daydreaming. When Brendan meets an old man near his treehouse in the Virginia woods, he believes that this is the Green Man, the magical spirit guardian of the forest. Brendan builds a treehouse and retreats into his fantasy world. With the help of another new friend, a girl named Shea with secrets of her own, Brendan just might find a place where he belongs. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Today's podcast 06/02/2015
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The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE New York : Dial Books, 2015 IL 3-6. RL 3.9 ISBN 0803740816 From the moment you meet Ada, the main character, you are going to not want to let her go. She’s imperfect, impertinent, smart, and strong. Ada lives with her younger brother Jamie and flat out evil mother in a tiny London flat on the eve of World War II. Ada has a club foot. She’s never walked, and she’s never left the apartment. Her mother shames her and punishes her in deplorable ways. Jamie is Ada’s only lifeline to the world, and when Ada hears that Jamie will be evacuated to the countryside due to the impending bombings, she secretly teaches herself to walk, and very painfully escapes with Jamie in the evacuation. What happens to Ada, and Jamie, and Susan, the woman who has to care for them, is transformative both for the characters and every reader who meets these characters. This book will have you thinking about Ada long after it ends, waiting impatiently for the sequel to be able to spend more time with her. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Monday, June 01, 2015
Today's podcast 06/01/2015
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The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett
Barnett, Mac. THE TERRIBLE TWO New York : Amulet Books, 2015 IL 3-6, RL 4.9 ISBN 1419714910 It was the first day of school, and Miles Murphy faced it with a sense of dread; he had just moved to the cow town of Yawnee Valley from his beloved home town back in Florida. Miles looked around and saw all the typical school stuff: typical marquee, typical flagpole, typical bunch of kids milling around, typical school entrance blocked by the typical principal’s car high up on the steps…huh? Wait a minute…what a fantastic prank! The only trouble was, it wasn’t his prank! Back at his old school, he was known as the master of pranks…who was the mastermind here at Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy? He had to find out! The one person he was sure it couldn’t be was Niles Sparks, the designated School Helper. Every school has one: the suck-up, the do-gooder, the snitch… Can Miles be out-pranked? This book is funnier than a rubber chicken… and contains some interesting facts about cows! Hilarious for all ages…fun illustrations. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
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