Hot Winter Reads! Fortune's Magic Farm by Suzanne Selfors

Isabelle has never seen the sun. She lives in Runny Cove, where the rain never stops and all the miserable people work in an umbrella factory. The only thing to do is watch the mushrooms growing in your toes and the mold in your hair....until one day, a mysterious monster comes up out of the sea and spits an apple at Isabelle. She's never seen an apple before, but that one little thing will start a marvelous, magical adventure and change her life forever!
Look for this book on the new shelf or in the juvenile fiction, J SEL

Hot Winter Reads! The Buddy Files by Dori Butler

Do you like dogs? Do you like mysteries? Do you like chapter books?

Try this great new series from the publisher of The Boxcar Children! Buddy is a dog who just wants his old family - and his old name - back. But his new family needs him too and there are mysteries that have to be solved!

Find this series in the juvenile fiction (chapterbooks) under J BUT

Crispy Fall Reads: 100% Pure Fake by Lyn Thomas

Want to freak out your family and gross out your friends? Does fake blood sound like the perfect birthday present? Do you like gross and icky projects? Then 100% Pure Fake is the book for you! With clear, step-by-step instructions (plenty of warnings and safety precautions to reassure parents) and ingredients you can probably find in your own kitchen, you'll learn how to make different types of fake blood, scars, rotting flesh, eyeballs, the classic spill, broken glass, shrunken heads, and more! This book is genius, pure genius. What other gross craft book can you think of that not only tells you how to make fake blood....it differentiates between arterial blood, "basic" blood, and scabs? Even parents who don't like gross crafts will be resigned to the fool-proof projects which include cleaning-up instructions!

Look for this book in the Juvenile Nonfiction, J 793.8 THO

Crispy Fall Reads: The New Totally Awesome Business Book For Kids by Arthur and Rose Bochner

This book not only gives ideas for businesses kids can run on their own or with some help, it also explains, simply and practically, how a business works, how to work with people (including your parents) and how to stay organized and profitable.This is more than just a book on earning money, it's about learning life skills that kids will need throughout their adult working life. It's about economics, independence, being environmentally responsible, networking, and and taking ideas from daydream to reality. One of the things I especially appreciated was the authors' encouragement to parents to share financial information and work together on businesses as a family for success. Financial success and responsibility should include much more than a class in high school on budgeting or economics and this book is a great starting point for kids who want to start their own business, parents who want to teach their children about finances, or anyone looking to start a simple family business or fill in a long and boring summer!

Look for this in the Juvenile Nonfiction, J 658.041 BOC

Crispy Fall Reads: The Brain Finds a Leg by Martin Chatterton

Martin Chatterton is Carl Hiassen on a double dose of weird crossed with Roald Dahl. In the first Brain story, we start out with a kind of weird introduction, which I had a little trouble getting through - a pod of whales goes crazy and kills a boat of whale watchers. However, the real story starts afterwards, with the whale watcher boat captain's family. His average son Sheldon is getting bullied in school and slogging through life in a haze of misery, his dumb surfer son Sean, who is their mother's favorite, is being nasty to everyone, and their mother is helpless and miserable.Then Sheldon meets The Brain. He's the combination of every famous detective who ever lived and exerts a strange influence over Sheldon's impossibly nasty teacher. The Brain informs Sheldon that he is suitable for a sidekick, something The Brain finds himself in need of. Together, they investigate strange occurences from the suddenly aggressive whales to missing bodies, not-so-missing body parts, canine reptiles, and light-fingered koalas. The ending is a little abrupt, but matches the zany flavor of the story!

Look for these in the Juvenile Fiction, J CHA

Crispy Fall Reads: My Cousin the Alien by Pamela Service

Do you have weird relatives? Maybe a nutty sibling? Well, Zack has the Weirdest. Cousin. Ever. His Cousin, Ethan, thinks he's an alien. Not only is Ethan positively convinced he's an alien, he's sure weird guys from the government are following him around. And Zack has to spend The Entire Summer (okay, okay, a couple weeks) with this crazy guy?

Except....weird guys are following his cousin around. And if that's true....could Ethan really be an alien?

This story has an ending so shocking, so unexpected, so amazing...

I can't tell you what it is, because it would spoil the story.

Enjoy My Cousin the Alien and all the hilarious, exciting, and utterly fun books in Pamela Service's Alien Agent series.

Find them in the juvenile fiction (chapter books) under J SER

Crispy Fall Reads: Doggone Dogs by Karen Beaumont

David Catrow's unmistakeable pear-shaped figures romp through this exuberant counting and rhyming picturebook without a pause. From early morning to evening, a raucous crew of plump doggies cause havoc, from the house to the park and back again. While the conscientious dog owner will want to point out that an obedient and well-trained dog is happier, healthier, and safer, these doggies are so full of joie de vivre, we simply can't grudge them a day of unbridled freedom.

Look for this book in the picturebooks, E BEA PIC

Crispy Fall Reads: Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War by Thomas & Roger Allen

The North's advantages in the Civil War didn't just include factories, manpower, and having an infrastructure already in place and running. A major advantage was President Lincoln and his progressive mindset towards technology. Throughout the Civil War, Lincoln encouraged inventors and often tested their innovations himself or forced reluctant generals to use them.National Geographic Kids does some really excellent history books and this is no exception. It details the many technological advances during the Civil War, from new inventions to new uses for old inventions, such as ballooning, telegraphs, railroads, ironclads, weaponry, and more. Not only does it explain the uses and construction of the various inventions in a clear, interesting manner, it also relates them to the progress of the war, arranging the book into chronological order and including multiple timelines that show the progress of the war and how the technology of the day played a part.If you’re interested in technology, history, the Civil War, weapons, or inventions you’ll love this book!

Look for this book at another library in our system – ask a librarian for help placing a hold!

Crispy Fall Reads: Whaling Season by Peter Lourie

This is not just the story of an Arctic whale scientist (who just happens to be Jean Craighead George's son...) it's also the story of the Inuit people who live in Barrow, Alaska, and whose lives revolve around the bowhead whales.Peter Lourie details the everyday life of the Inuit and of John Craighead George's life as a whale scientist. We learn about the life cycle of a bowhead whale and how Inuit culture and economics are centered on these huge and fascinating creatures. We learn how "Craig" became a scientist and how he came to study whales in Alaska; a job he's been doing for twenty years. We even discover something of the way whales were studied in the past and how scientists now listen to the native peoples' insights and knowledge of the whales, built over centuries of hunting and living with these giant creatures.And for reluctant readers, I have only one final thing to say: bloody whale eyeball the size of a softball. What more do you need?

Look for this on the New shelf!

Crispy Fall Reads: The Hive Detectives by Loree Burns

There are three main sections of this fascinating non-fiction. First, is the work and life of a small beekeeper, Mary Duane. Burns tells us how Duane came to beekeeping and what it means to keep bees as a part of life in Duane's own words, amply illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz's photographs. The second and main section of the story is the mystery of the bee disappearance, starting with Dave Hackenberg's discovery of millions of missing bees among his thousands of hives. The mystery continues with the work of three scientists, each pursuing a different angle of the problem through research and experimentation. Finally, these two narrative threads are interspersed with facts about the life cycle of bees, honey production, and more.Like all Scientists in the Field books, this is an excellent resource for school reports or for students interested in the lives and work of real scientists. It takes the reader through the steps of a scientific investigation, and shows how science in the real world is very different from a cut and dried experiment in a textbook. As in this example, sometimes the answers aren't found right away - or at all. Science enthusiasts or budding entomologists and apiarists will find much to fascinate them in this excellent book.

Find this book at another library in our system and request it! Ask a librarian for help!

Crispy Fall Reads: Ella Bella Ballerina by James Mayhew

Release your inner ballerina and enter the magical world of Ella Bella Ballerina! Ella Bella loves to dance - and she loves ballet. Each of these stories takes the reader on a magical journey through a special ballet story; Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. These are perfect stories to read before attending a ballet or for anyone who loves to dance. Younger children will enjoy the delicate, vintage-style pictures, while older children will enjoy listening to the magical stories or even reading them for themselves. They're long enough to make an enjoyable read-aloud at bedtime for several nights. We're looking forward to new adventures from Ella Bella Ballerina!

Find these stories in the picturebooks, E MAY PIC

Cool Summer Reads: Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers

If you haven't met Theodosia yet, Theodosia Throckmorton is a very improper and unconventional girl in the Victorian Age. She has discovered she has a talent for ancient Egyptian magic, which is a Good Thing, since her parents run the Museum of Legends and Antiquities and you never know when a nasty curse is going to crop up. In the first two Theodosia books, we learn many secrets, meet several secret societies that range from ridiculous to terrifying and get a glimpse of secrets yet to come.

In her third adventure, Theodosia retains every bit of her sharp and curious personality, from her bossiness and intelligence to her vulnerability and very human mistakes. Will continues to emerge as a character as we learn more about his life and ambitions. The plot continues to fit together smoothly and tightly and grips the reader from the first sentences; "I hate being followed. I especially hate being followed by a bunch of lunatic adults playing at being occultists." to the satisfying but still suspenseful conclusion. And it's still funny!

Read Theodosia’s first two adventures, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos and Theodosia and the Scepter of Osiris and then dive into her third exciting and delicious adventure! A perfect summer read for 3rd through 6th grade.

Located on the New books shelf, J LAF

Cool Summer Reads: Melonhead and the Big Stink by Katy Kelly

Melonhead has always been prone to disaster, but in this story he's determined to thwart his propensities for inventive destruction. School is out for the summer (really, that chair-walking episode wasn't his fault) and he and his friend Sam have decided there's one thing that will make their summer perfect: a trip to see the Titan Arum, the biggest and stinkiest flower in existence! With some help from friends, they form the Boys' Improvement Guide for Acting Responsible Till Stink Sunday. Armed with good intentions and his ever-growing Remind-o-Rama card of rules from his mom, Melonhead sets out to behave. Unfortunately, this is harder than it looks, especially when you throw wayward balls, cranky old ladies, friendly teenagers, a huge garden competition, and baby ducks into the mix. Can Melonhead make it to the Big Stink?

A hilarious summer read for 3rd through 5th grade. If you haven't met Melonhead before, read his adventures with Lucy Rose or his first book on his own, Melonhead

Located on the New children's shelf, J KEL

Cool Summer Reads: Crunch by Leslie Connor

Dewey's parents are on their anniversary truck drive when The Crunch happens. There's been gas rationing for a while, but nothing this bad. Suddenly, his parents are stuck up north and Dewey, his younger brother Vince and the five-year-old twins are going to be stuck with their older sister Lil for who knows how long? Plus, their little bike repair business is growing amazingly, now that it's the only transportation. Maybe it's growing too much. Just when Dewey thinks he has things under control, the thefts begin!

I loved the energy, initiative, and determination of Dewey and his younger brothers and sisters. They have a "can do" attitude and although they're not without their faults, they do the best they can. Dewey isn't a paragon and he makes a lot of big mistakes, but he works hard to fix them and be responsible. There's a strong theme of optimism and hope running through the story. Although bad things happen and bad people sometimes show up, Dewey and his family's determination and responsibility, buoyed by his parents' warmth and caring, see them through The Crunch.

Located on the New shelf in the children's area! J CON

Cool Summer Reads: My Best Frenemy by Julie Bowe

Ida May has a best friend, finally. Everything should be great! But....there's a new game in school, and somehow it gets out of hand. Now, not only has Ida May lost her best friend, she doesn't have ANY friends! How can she get them back?

Bowe presents the perfect blend of friendship angst, and her characters are rich and varied, no stereotypes here! The characters are realistic and their actions are believable, but not black and white. Ida's realization of the different ways people can be friends and the growth of the various characters pulls the plot of school excitements and friendship bumps along to a satisfying conclusion.

A perfect summer read - or back to school read - for 3rd and 4th graders. If you haven't met Ida May before, check out the first two books, My Last Best Friend and My New Best Friend.

Located on the New shelf in the children's area, J BOW