"Coming of Age"

The reviews you have been reading this past month are all part of an assignment looking at books with a coming-of-age theme. I love this theme and see it in almost all YA (teen) books. It is a point in a young person's life when they look beyond their every day life, and make decisions that will have an impact on their whole life. It can be a decision to stand up for someone who is being bullied, or refusing to listen to jokes that make fun of a group of people; could be ethnic jokes, blond jokes, or any group. Coming-of-age can also be a time when you come to understand someone's (usually a beloved relative) behavior and accept the person for who they are, not for who you want them to be. It can also be a story where the protagonist must make adult decisions. In other words, no matter what age, the character comes of age to accept and truly make decisions that make a difference in their own life or their family's life.

I enjoy reading these stories because I put myself into the specific character and wonder if I could take that adult step. Of course, as an adult I already have had to do that, but adults need to be reminded of those important roles we play, how we must mentor to students and always try to do our best. Fiction helps us see not an individual situation, but a universal situation that we project into our own life. It's an amazing process.

Here are some more guest reviews from Voorheesville Middle School;

Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. New York. 2007. Print.
“Mrs. Baker hates me.” The Wednesday Wars is a great fun, and an exciting book. Mostly takes place at a school in the 1960s. The main character in the book is a kid named Holling Hoodhood. He thinks that the English teacher hates him.
But in the end he finds out her life story. And how it is not right to judge until you know what the problem is. Mrs. Baker’s husband has been lost in a special mission in Viet Nam and it almost ruins her. You’ll need to read the book to find out what happens. I like the book because it is interesting and there is always something going on. ~Adam

Connor, Leslie. Waiting for Normal. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. Print.
Award-winning writer Leslie Connor is the author of the terrific and life changing story, Waiting for Normal. Imagine having to lie to your step-father every time he would call to check in. Eleven years old, Addie, is in this situation. This sweet story takes place in Schenectady, New York, in a trailer across the street from the minimart. It’s an amazing journey that at some parts may make you cry, laugh, or even giggle.
Addie is stuck between choosing which life she wants to live, either with her step-father, Dwight or her “all-or-nothing” mother, Mommers. Over the course of the story Addie grows and matures and begins to realize which life she wants to live. Along the way she makes some friends, Soula and Elliot, who work at the minimart. Later, Addie comes to a conclusion that Soula has cancer. Things then get rough. Read the book, Waiting for Normal, to find out which life she chooses and find out if Soula is going to be okay. The Recommended ages for this book are 10-14.~Jaynie

Hinton S.E. The Outsiders. N.Y.: Del Publishing Co. 1982. Print.
What would you do if you were running away from a murder? And what if the murderer was your best friend? Unfortunately for Ponyboy and his friend Johnny it isn’t an image in his head it is really happening to them. Ponyboy and his friend live in the rural part of Oklahoma in the 1960’s. In the city there are two main gang groups, the Greasers and the Socs. Johnny and Ponyboy are part of the Greasers along with Dallas, Two-Bit, and SodaPop.
The way Ponyboy came of age is when he turned himself in because he helped a murderer escape the hands of the police. Another way he came of age is when he saved a bunch of kids in a church. A lot of people would like this book; maybe people who like suspense, action, and thrills. The book had a good beginning and middle but the end was not so good.~Cameron

What to read? Pay attention to readers!

I've got more reviews from the 7th graders at Voorheesville Middle School.

Preller, James. Six Innings. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2008. Print.
Do you enjoy baseball? Well if you do read Six Innings by James Preller. This book takes place in a little league baseball field. Sam Reiser is the main character. Sam has cancer and he can’t play in the championship game so he announces the game.
The coming of age moment for the main character Sam is he is going through a tough time. Sam realizes that he is growing now. The reason that I like this book is because it is not just about baseball. It has stories about a handful of the characters. It has a strong baseball setting throughout the book. ~David

Weeks, Sarah . So B. It. New York: Harper Collins Children Books, 2004. Print.
Imagine a 14-year-old girl traveling across the country by herself. A girl named Heidi is a strong-willed girl determined to find “soof”. Heidi lives in a small apartment with Bernadette and her mama who has a “bummed” brain.
Heidi comes of age when she gets over the fear of not being able know everything; when she leaves the house and travels alone to New York. I think this book is for people who enjoy a little bit of a mystery, a little sadness, and a thrilling adventure.~ Victoria

Connor, Leslie. Waiting for Normal. New York: Harper Collins Publisher, 2008. Print.
Waiting for Normal jumps out and grabs you. In this book by Schneider Family Book Award Winner Leslie Connor, Addie is growing up in her own little world. Addie has found herself in Schenectady, NY living in a bright yellow trailer. Addie is the main character of this story, very musical and plays the flute. She has to miss her concert because she is very scared that someone is going to see something that is hers.
This book is a very good book. She has to make some big decisions about who she wants to live with. It portrays the coming-of-age theme. Addie matures to become a young lady and takes matters into her own hand. People would like this book if they like surprises; because this book has many surprises that jump up and grab your attention.~Julia

Award Announcements

Throw the confetti; blow your horns; the announcements were made on Monday, in Dallas, of the most distinguished books for young people. I was thrilled by the announcements, although I did not read a lot of these books, so I can't really comment on them until I do. What I can write is that I am positive the committees gave thoughtful deliberation to all the titles that were excellent. It is hard to make a final choice, as I had quite a few titles that I was hoping to see win.

Here are the winners for the big awards:
Newbery Award: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Caldecott Award: A Ball For Daisy by Chris Raschka
Printz Award: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Sibert Award: Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

What I can tell you is that I saw original art for Balloons Over Broadway and A Ball for Daisy in New York City. The Society of Illustrator's always has a show in November of the very best children's illustrations. Both of the books were represented and Sweet's collages were incredible. Her collages are hung in a box because they are 3-dimensional with her different materials. I was very impressed with the colors and the size of the different elements. This is a story of the man who made the giant Macy's Thanksgiving parade balloons. Raschka's illustrations are filled with lines and curves, action and joy. How is he able to do this in a wordless book? His art propels the story with emotion and personality.

We'll have more quest reviews tomorrow!

Award Winning Books

ALA (The American Library Association) is about to announce (Monday, January 23rd) the very best literature for young people. I am always excited by these announcements and have favorites that I want to see honored. I'll be writing about them next week. In the meantime, here are some more guest reviews of the coming-of-age project from Voorheesville Middle School. Many of the titles are award-winning, too.

Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. New York :Clarion Books,2007. Print.

Seventh grade is tough but especially for Holling Hoodhood (that is his real name). The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is about Holling Hoodhood dealing with his teacher, his religion, and father. The book is set in the late 1960’s (1967-1968) during the Vietnam War. The setting is mostly at his school Camillo High School in Long Island New York. The book tells about Hollings relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker and how they don’t see eye to eye. They do become good friends. This coming of age book is perfect for kid’s grade 4-8. This is a fast read. I was not a fan of the book, but other people might enjoy it. Gary Schmidt is a creative author and puts creative things in the book. ~Connor

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Dell Publishing, 1967. Print.

Greasers and Socs, poor and wealthy, theses are the characters you will find in S.E. Hinton’s book The Outsiders. If you want an action packed and all around good story than this is your book. Growing up in a rural small town is hard when you are a person like Ponyboy. Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, and Johnny are the main characters of the book, who are struggling to fit in. They are faced with many difficult obstacles. Their rivals the Socs, who they despise, and the loss of a gang member add to their conflict.
Ponyboy is the youngest greaser in his gang. With his parents dead, and his two brothers looking after him, he realizes that his rivals, the Socs, are real people too. This book is for anyone interested in an action packed, coming of age book. I thought the book was a great book. S.E. Hinton’s book The Outsiders is the book is the book to read if you have to do a book report or any other school assignment. ~Trevor

Giff, Patricia, Reilly. Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York; Random House of Children’s Books, 2002. Print.

Pictures of Hollis Woods was a heart-breaking, tear jerking book this novel is written by Patricia Reilly Giff. This book had the best description about growing up!

The book takes place in the woods and in people’s houses that Hollis might have to spend her whole life with, but she runs away from them. The time that the book takes place in is not in the past of the future, it is most recent. The whole book is mostly about Hollis. You will go for a ride and see how different her life is from yours. Throughout the book Hollis has to realize she probably won’t be normal. She also has to meet new people. When she runs away from the family she might live with, she realizes her life will not ever be normal. She realizes she won’t have a family that is really related too. She starts to know that she needs to take care of herself, but until she sees clearly her heart will be a blur. So are you up for a lesson on how hard someone’s life is without a stable family. Are you ready to cry for Hollis? Then this book is for you. I personally think the book needs to have more action, but it was definitely great to read for a coming of age novel! ~Jessica

More Reviews - Great Reads!

Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books, 2007. Print.

Imagine you are hated by your teacher for no reason. In Gary D. Schmidt’s book, The Wednesday Wars, that is the case for seventh grader Holling Hoodhood. Set in 1967 at a typical middle school, some very peculiar things are going on. Holling Hoodhood is a normal seventh grade Presbyterian boy. However, on the first day of school he seems to be hated by his teacher. Why? Because on Wednesday afternoons his classmates leave for religion and he is left alone with his English teacher. Now I read this book expecting a coming-of-age moment for Holling; however there really wasn’t. He ends his rivalry with his siblings and he has a fight with his dad but other than that nothing. This book would be good for kids ages 10- 12. ~Eli


Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Dell Publishing, 1967. Print.

The Outsiders was a memorable book with various people dying and a battle between gangs. The setting is a rural small town. One of the most important characters in the book is Ponyboy. Ponyboy has a conflict much like the rest of the gang. The Greasers don’t like the Socs but he realizes the Socs are people too.

Ponyboy “comes of age” in this book in a very meaningful way. He “comes of age” by realizing even people you might not like are still real people. I liked the book because of all of the conflicts that happen during the book. ~Travis


Spinelli, Jerry. Crash. Toronto: Random House, 1996. Print.

My thoughts about this book are that it is a great book. I liked the characters, the setting, and the plot. Overall I would give it 5 stars out of 5 stars. It was a fast read but within its small number of pages it was great.

The setting, characters, and plot was awesome. The setting was in a small town in Pennsylvania, it was around the 90’s. The characters included the main character Crash, an athletic kid who was very strong and tough. There is Mike, his friend who has similar character traits. Penn Webb, Crash’s neighbor who is nerdy and dorky. Another character is Crash’s grandpa, Scooter. The plot was very good also; it started out with Crash meeting Penn when they were about 6, ever since then he has always picked on him and messed with him. But something happens that changes everything; I’m going to leave it at that because I don’t want to spoil it.

Overall I recommend this book. It has a great plot to it. It’s hard to put down. Jerry Spinelli is a great author, he is very creative. I have read 2 of his books and they were both great. READ THIS BOOK! That is all. ~Andrew

More Reviews - More Books!

I hope you are enjoying and reading our guest reviews. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm for titles that some of these students would never have read.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York: Dell Yearling, 2002. Print.

Imagine being a twelve-year-old foster child who was left in the woods at two days old with no evidence of your identity, except for a tag pinned to your blanket that read, “Please name her Hollis Woods”. Patricia Reilly Giff, a Newberry Award winner, takes you into the unforgettable story of a young girl in Pictures of Hollis Woods. Pictures of Hollis Woods takes place in a modern-day time period at multiple different places including: a car, present foster homes, past foster homes, and more. The main character is a twelve-year-old girl, Hollis Woods, who has a great imagination, memory, and artistic skill. She has been placed in multiple foster homes and eventually runs away from these families as she gets tired of them.

In this story, Hollis has to help out her current foster parent, Josie, as Josie gradually gets older. Hollis never experienced something like this before, and she realizes that she can’t keep running away from her problems. This experience causes her to mature and become more responsible. If you think you’d like a realistic fiction story about a young girl and her relationships with past and present foster families, then you should read this book. Overall, it’s a good story about life and feelings; however, the book’s ending was to be expected and lacked interest. ~Karly

Weeks, Sarah. So B. It. New York: Scholastic, 2004. Print.

Some things in life a person just can’t know. Sarah Weeks creates a wonderful story, called So B. It, around this very sentence. This story takes place in a small apartment in the city of Reno. The most important characters in the book are Heidi and her Mama. Mama is mentally disabled and Heidi is trying to understand her even though she says the strangest things, like “soof”.

Heidi is at Hilltop Home when she realizes the true meaning of knowledge. She hears the word “soof” wherever she goes. It is the one word in Mama’s vocabulary that Heidi can’t figure out. In the end, Heidi realizes that some things in life a person just can’t know. Anyone between ages eleven and fourteen will love this book about a nice girl with the quest to know everything. I love this book because it combines a world a world falling apart around a little girl and a mystery almost impossible to solve. Happy reading. ~Spencer

Leslie Connor. Waiting for Normal. New York, NY: Harper Collins: 2008. Print

In this Schneider Family Award winning book, Leslie Connor creates a twelve-year-old girl that has to deal with family problems. Waiting for Normal is about a girl that lives with a crazy irresponsible mother that keeps leaving Addie home alone. Addie is a smart, responsible, and mature girl and not at all like her mother. This story takes place in present day Schenectady, New York.

Addie comes of ages by maturing and becoming a young woman. Addie learns how to take care of herself when her mom leaves her alone at home. However when Addie needs help she can always go to Dwight, her stepfather, or Soula and Elliot, her neighbors and close friends.
This book has many happy and sad moments. If you like reading books that have unexpected endings, fiction, or overcoming family problems, then I highly suggest this book for you. ~Annie

More Guest Reviews from Voorheesville Middle School

Park, Barbara. The Graduation of Jake Moon. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000. Print.

If you know anything about Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s is a bad thing. The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park is set in New York with a young boy named Jake Moon. His grandfather, Skelly, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Jake must cope with the fact that his grandfather has a terrible disease. All-the-while, Jake must maintain a normal life. But, as he tries to make friends and maintain his, “normal” life, Skelly can destroy it in seconds.

Jake feels angry with Skelly for how he acts even though he knows he has Alzheimer’s. Jake
will soon realize how much he does truly love Skelly when he wanders off and gets lost in a city. If you like depressing, funny, or heart-warming books, this is the perfect book for you. This book truly shows the problems of theaverage boy; plus, an Alzheimer’s diseased grandfather. ~Alex

Woodson, Jacqueline. Locomotion. New York: G.P, 2003. Print.

The day Lonnie Motions parents died his whole life changed. He was separated from his sister and moved into a foster home in New York. He has a new teacher, Miss M, and a foster mom, Miss Edna. Lonnie lives in a foster home near his old home where all the memories come flooding back.

Lonnie’s challenge in the book is to mature and move on with his life after his parents’ death. His sister moves away to a friendly home but doesn’t take Lonnie with her. His relationship with his sister starts to get distant; soon the parents decide they don’t want him to come around her anymore. He finally realizes that his life is never going to be the same and accepts it. He uses poetry to get out of his head and find happiness. I think this book would
be good for kids around 10-13 years old because you can understand the pain of Lonnie and relate to it. ~Brianna

Prellar, James. Six Innings. New York: Feiwal and Friends, 2008. Print.

The title of the book is Six Innings by James Preller. Imagine that you are playing in a
championship game of baseball tied at 3 going into the bottom of the 5th inning. The main characters are Sam Reister, Nick Clemente, and Tyler Weinberg. Tyler and Nick are players. Nick plays for Northeast Gas & Electric. Tyler plays for Earl Grubb’s Pool Supplies. Sam is the announcer of the game. The coming of age moment is that Tyler’s parents are never there. It makes him feel upset and abandoned.

If you like a book about hard work in sports and not giving up, this is the book for you. The game was tied 3 to 3 going into the bottom of the 5th inning and well I guess you will just have to read the book to see who wins the game. ~John

New Year - Guest Reviewers

I've been doing a lot of reading in anticipation of the Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, and Printz awards from the American Library Association. I have favorites and many that I want to share with you. However, I'd like to start with some older titles that were recently read and reviewed at the Voorheesville Middle School with Ms. Kathleen Gaspary's 7th grade English class.

Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Loses Control. New York City: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

What could possibly happen to a hyperactive 11-year-old boy when his medicine patches get flushed down a toilet? Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos, tells a funny but serious story of a preteen and his dad who both try to overcome their ADHD. The story takes place in Pittsburgh in the early 1990s. The main characters are Joey and his father,Carter Pigza. The main conflict in the story is between Joey and himself. Joey wants to please his dad by not wearing his patches, but he knows that if he does not wear his patches, the old wired Joey will catch up to him. The “coming of age” moment for Joey happens one morning when he is preparing for a semifinal baseball game. He notices some of his old behaviors, like pulling out his hair. He knows he needs his meds, or else bad things will happen.

The protagonist of this book puts himself in many hilarious situations, such as when he covers himself in shaving cream, making him look like the abominable snowman. Those who enjoy comedy would LOVE this book, but it also has a serious side to it. The story provides an understanding of the challenges faced by an adolescent with ADHD. ~Ryan

Preller, James. Bystander. New York: Macmillan Company, 2009. Print.

Thirteen-year-old Eric Hayes moves to Bellport, Long Island ready to face the new school year andgets off to an interesting start. Griffin, the popular kid in his grade seems nice. But is he trustworthy? Eric becomes friends with Griffin and comes totrust him. (More than he should.), When Griffin takes one of Eric’s most cherished possessions, it is Eric’s “coming of age” moment and Eric takes matters into his own hands. Eric fights back, physically and verbally. He also becomes aware of who to trust. And then he finds out just the kind of person Griffin Connelly really is and that he won’t give up this fight. He also encourages others to stand up for
themselves. I think anyone between the age of 10-14 who has dealt with bullies, had trouble standing up for themselves or moved to a new place would like this book. ~Maya

Bauer Joan. Stand Tall. New York: G.P Putnum & Sons, 2002. Print.

Who could believe a flood and a new girl and a divorcecould change a kid’s life? This book takes
place during spring in a city in 2002. Tree is the most important character in the book. He is trying to get people to stop thinking he is good at basketball just because he is tall. Tree grows up by learning how to take care of himself and others. The other way he grows up is he learns to be morerespectful and responsible.
People who are younger than the age recommendation wouldn’t like this book because they
wouldn’t understand it. I didn’t like how the book started. ~Ian

Presents, presents, presents!

The holidays will be here soon and the snow last night helped me realize how little time I have. I always look forward to shopping and picking out books for family and friends. If you are looking for suggestions, I'm ready!

Board books for the youngest children can be found from TV characters (please don't) to classic books that have big chunky pages (but the board book is not always the best format for some of these titles). My favorite board books have bright colors, little text, and lots of noises or pictures that help babies and toddlers learn vocabulary from animals to toys. Babies love to look at babies, so choose some that have real babies in the pictures. I also love board books that can be sung. From nursery rhymes to lullabies, to silly songs with crazy rhymes, all will be read and re-read by babies, toddlers, and you.

Picture books are next. I've got some new titles and some favorites. My favorite book this year is easily Meadowlands: a Wetland Survival Story by Thomas Yezerski. Every border around each two-spread page has animals, birds, and more that are part of what has been lost and found in the meadowlands. It's an "I Spy" book and a science story. The illustrations are lovely.
Another new book I love this year is Grandpa Green by Lane Smith. It, too, has an ecological message but fun and playful. An older book, and Caldecott medal winner, that is a lovely addition to "good night" books is The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson. It is dark, with striking white and gold light on every page. And another old favorite for kids of all ages is Steve Jenkins' Actual Size. Parts of animals on each page is the actual size of that animal - from a hand, to a head, to a tooth or the whole animal. At the end of the book are all the animals and information about their size and habitat. Another one for kids to read and re-read.

Chapter books for independent readers are popular. There are many series which are perfect for these readers. At our library we are very fond of the "Ready Freddy" series by Abby Klein, "Pony Tales" by Bernadette Kelly and "The Buddy Files" by Doris Hillestad Butler.
For young people who enjoy a longer book, you might want to give Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. This book is really two stories, one wordless with no text and the other with text and no pictures. The two stories eventually converge and it is a book to view over and over again. Richard Peck has a new animal fantasy called Secrets at Sea that is a delight! For your mythology fans don't forget Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series or his newer series. And George O'Connor is the comic artist behind "The Olympians" - 12 graphic novels. Right now there are 4 finished in the series.

As I write out these titles, I'm thinking of so many other books. Come in and ask us for favorites, or visit your local independent book store. Happy reading!

School Daze

We can tell in the library that young people have started school. We've been seeing students come in with homework; others asking for books for new assignments. But the biggest difference is not seeing kids during the day. It feels quite lonely, if you must know!
Mrs. Brown and I had a little time off at the end of the summer. Most of my vacation was rainy - can you guess when that was? Oh well, I had a couple of nice days between Irene and Lee (hurricanes/tropical storms). There was a power outage when neighboring trees took down lines and a major transformer blew up! It was like a fireworks demonstration.
But it is time to begin storytimes again - we start next week; book discussions are coming up at the end of the month and into October. Don't forget the little ones with our Babygarten programs.
Lastly, kids still need to read for pleasure. Just because school has started, there should always be time for reading for enjoyment. We have a couple of different displays in the children's area. One is school stories, with all your favorites and some new books. The other display is picture book biographies. These are great for reading aloud, a little longer than most picture books, and filled with fascinating information. Check them out this week! ~Joyce Laiosa

Anya's Ghost

Here's a graphic novel that is for any teen - middle or high school - that feels left out. I read it yesterday and I have to agree with reviewers that it is a first rate story. The art work contributes to the story, but it isn't distracting either.

Anya is a Russian immigrant. Her mother still lives as she would back in Russia, while Anya wants to assimilate into the American life. At school she has only one friend, another outcast, and would do almost anything to be noticed by the cool kids. One day, as she skips classes, she falls down a hole and finds a ghost. The ghost's bones are in this hole, too. When Anya is rescued, the ghost tags along. At first she becomes a friend to Anya, but then the ghost becomes more demanding of Anya's time and attention. What will Anya do to get rid of her, or can she?

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol reminds me of American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, a Printz medal winner. It is about the immigrant experience, trying to fit in, and renouncing your own heritage. These two books aren't the same, but if you like realistic fiction (OK, I know there is a ghost in one of these books), I think you would enjoy both titles.

Lastly, for another middle school-high school experience you might try Smile by Raina Telgemier. A young girl must wear braces for most of middle and high school and learn to cope with her own self image.

I've enjoyed all these books, all in graphic format. I hope you'll check them out! ~Joyce Laiosa

Family Stories

If you have been following the Penderwick family, you are in for a treat with the latest installment. The Penderwicks at Point Mouette is a summer story that takes place in Maine. Jeanne Birdsall, the author, lets you feel the ocean spray up against the rocks, hear the gulls calling, and enjoy summer as children are meant to; time to think, walk, explore, write, read, and imagine.

I fell in love with the very first Penderwicks book because of the love that is shared among the four sisters. There are typical sibling problems but first and foremost they look out for each other, care about each other, and try to be interested in each other. Into the four sisters lives enters a boy who is "adopted" by the girls as a brother. He fits into their adventures, and they truly care about his unfortunate life with his mother and stepfather.
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette has the three younger sisters visiting an aunt in Maine while their father is on his honeymoon with his new wife. The oldest daughter is on her own vacation in New Jersey, while Jeffrey, their "adopted" brother is forced to stay home. Eventually his mother relents and he comes to Maine, meets the very musical next door neighbor and finds that the youngest Penderwick may have some musical talent. (The rest of the family does not!) Their aunt is a great, patient friend to each member of the Penderwick family.

I highly recommend this book! If you like family stories, don't forget Saffy's Angel and all of the sequels (4) by Hilary McKay. Each book highlights a particular sibling, but the whole family is involved in all their escapades. These are contemporary stories set in England. I love the Casson family, especially the youngest child, Rose. Another interesting piece of information is the fact that each child is named for a color as the parents are artists. It may sound batty, but they are delightful.

Lastly, there are some older but wonderful family stories that shouldn't be missed! There are The Moffats by Eleanor Estes and sequels; The Saturdays about the Melendy family (and the sequels) by Elizabeth Enright; and The All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor.

Try some special family stories today! ~Joyce Laiosa

Puppet People and The Firebird

The Puppet People will be here on Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. with a performance of The Firebird. It is one of my favorite pieces of music! Now, some of you may be thinking that you are reading this wrong. The Firebird is a Russian folktale. Igor Stravinsky composed the music for a ballet of the folktale, and I know you will hear some of the music in the background of the puppet show.

This show will be our finale to the Summer Reading Program. Our prizes will be distributed and our programs will officially be over. We have one more program on Wednesday, August 31st at 10:15 a.m. That will be our "Camping" program with some boys from Boy Scout Troop 73. It is for Club 1-2-3 (children going into grades 1, 2, or 3).

What a summer we have had! "One World, Many Stories" has taken us around the world exploring stories, art, food, and games. The best part of the summer, is the reading so many kids do. Mrs. Brown and I are so proud of the children that are reading or listening to books by themselves or with other family members.

School will be starting soon and we have books on display about going to school - most of them funny! Check out those titles as you prepare the little ones for all their new experiences about taking a bus, meeting new teachers, and making new friends. Read about it all from the library.~Joyce Laiosa

Read-alouds

Summer vacation is the perfect time to read aloud to the whole family. Choose an old classic or a short story collection. We have suggestions in either category.

Classics: If I had to choose one or two glorious books, I would choose The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahme or Charlotte's Web by E.B White. Both feature animals and are well written. These will please all ages, but probably elementary school-aged children into adulthood. If you want to entice younger children, please read Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. By the way, if you aren't up to the task of reading aloud, you can always get out an audio book for when you are driving. Listening together will make the trip fly by.

Short story collections are numerous. Are you up to scary stories, perfect around a campfire, or backyard fire? You can find humerous stories, sports stories, or famous tall tales. Here are a few from our library: The Random House Book of Ghost Stories, Ribbiting Tales, The Kingfisher Book of Great Girl Stories and From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasure of American Folklore and Folk Songs. You'll find short story collections in the nonfiction and fiction collections. Don't hesitate to ask your librarian for help.

Lastly, what is your favorite book from childhood? I bet it will make a great read-aloud to your own children! ~Joyce Laiosa

Thumbprint, Funprint

I'm a big fan of Ed Emberley books. These are drawing books for those looking for directions (if you are not the most imaginative person) and ideas. My favorite of his books are the ones that show you what you can draw when you start with your thumbprint.

Start with a washable ink pad, a couple of fine point sharpies and paper. If you have a couple of colors of ink pads, that's even more fun. The books are Ed Emberley's Great Thumbprint Drawing Book, and Ed Emberley's Fingerprint Drawing Book. Both of those books are combined into a third book.

After you have made some drawings, think about bookmarks, or funny cards. After all, Valentine's Day is next week. This would make a fun craft idea, or special cards for classmates. The books are on the shelf this week at J741.2 EMB - check them out today!

Downloadable books for Teens

How many people have purchased a Kindle, Nook, Sony e-reader, or an itouch? These and other devices are hot, hot, hot! If you purchased a Kindle, then you must use Amazon to download books to your device. If you have other devices, and I am a Nook owner, then you can purchase titles from Barnes and Noble, or you can download free books from the library's website with Overdrive.

The system is a little clunky, but once it is running, it is very easy to use. The hard part may be finding something to read, though. When I first went online, I could barely find a title to download immediately. If it was available, it was an older title that I'd already read. I solved that quick enough by immediately ordering more titles. Here are my recent purchases for Overdrive. I hope you will find some to suit your fancy.

For those who enjoy realistic fiction I chose A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, The Cardturner by Louis Sachar, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green or Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers. If you enjoy the paranormal, vampires, etc. you might try ghostgirl or The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Historical fiction fans will enjoy The Luxe, Moon Over Manifest (this year's Newbery winner), One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (one of this year's Newbery Honor awards), and Gary Paulsen's Woods Runner. Also, I am a huge fan of Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace (about the French Revolution) and I'm going to read the sequel The Silver Blade. Both are now on Overdrive.

When you download your titles to the compatible free software you are able to read the books, or listen to them, on your computer. If you want to move them to your mobile device, they stay there until you decide to delete them. So, on my Nook, I've got quite a few titles that I might not get to for weeks. They stay there for as long as I like. That is not the case of those same files on my computer. They stay for only 21 days or less. I can choose which loan date I want. At the end of 21 days, they disappear! And there are no fines.

Check out your books online and start reading or listening through Overdrive. You won't be disappointed.

Smile

A 2010 graphic novel for upper elemenatry kids into middle school is called Smile by Raina Telgemeier. There isn't a kid wearing braces that can't relate to the story, which is autobiographical. There is an added complication for our main character, Raina, in that she has an accident right before the braces go on and has to have teeth replaced. Even if you aren't a big reader of comics, this is very accessible. The reader is able to follow the cartoon in a linear manner, the story is the trials and tribulations of adolescence, but Raina is able to grow and learn from her experiences with friends, bullies, family and her Smile. I think you will enjoy this book.

Long, Cold Days of Winter

Winter days are not long, except when you feel cooped up inside. This is a great time to visit the library and stock up on read alouds for all ages, craft books for boredom, and cookbooks for children. All of this means involvement, but that is the best part of family.

I've been trying to display books, especially ones with Readers' Advisory cards, telling you how much Mrs. Brown or I enjoyed a specific book. I just pulled Julie Andrews Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies to display. This is a beautiful book, great for read alouds, plus there is a CD with Julie Andrews reciting selections from the book. Check this out, put this on your CD player, and start baking with the kids. You'll find the book at J808.81 JUL; and cook books for kids at J641.5.

As for craft fun, don't go out and buy any supplies. Cut up some fruits and vegetables. Use an apple cut in half (so you see a "star"), peppers, mushrooms, whatever looks interesting in the refrigerator. Pull out some paint, and newspapers, computer paper, or wrapping paper, and check out the possibilities of stenciling. If you are having fun, make stationary from the computer paper and have the children write notes to friends and relatives. Don't forget to take pictures of these special times. The library starts the fun!

Historical Fiction - American History

This week I was travelling and chose to read a book that I've had on my "to-read" list, but had never tried. It is The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume 1, The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. Quite a mouthful of a title. This book won a Printz Honor Award in 2007,and the National Book Award for Young People. The second volume also won a Printz Honor in 2009.

First, let me say that it was wonderful. It was also a book that took time. I read it on my new Nook, which has the capability of looking up words in a dictionary by placing your finger on a word that you want to check. I love this feature! I can see students using this technology and looking up words. It wasn't that I didn't understand the sentences, but Iwanted to check, to make sure I was correct. The Nook also gave me the derivation of the words, too. (Most were from Latin.)

This book is set in the pre-revolutionary Massachusetts colony. A group of subsidized scientists study an African-American slave in all ways to see what he is capble of learning, thinking, and accomplishing.

Octavian was born on a slave ship and purchased with his mother. He is the ultimate experiment. He and his mother are treated like guests or members of the household until funding for the scientists is changed and the revolutionary war looms closer. Octavian and his mother are then treated and worked as slaves. When Octavian's mother dies from small pox (given to her and all attending a "pox party"), Octavian is determined to have freedom.

Anderson has done a masterful job of writing in the style of the 18th C. It is high school level, but certainly not a problem for good readers of any age interested in American history. I can't wait to start volume 2!

Young Adult Literature - The Printz Award

It seems that I was wrong about every book that should/would win an award, including the Printz award. However, I have read Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker, the Printz medal winner. Do you want a rip-roaring, page turning, nail-biter of a book? Well, this book is certainly for you. I do have a caveat. It is another violent dystopia! If you thought Hunger Games was violent, Ship Breaker takes it up a notch.

In the near future, with global warming, coastal cities will be underwater. There will be money to be made and industries thriving as companies search the world for fossil fuels, and any metal that can be found. There will also be the scavenger crews that will search for any metal they can get their hands on. It's a hard life to be part of these crews. Nailer, a teenager, works "light crew" because of his small size, with his friend, Pima. They find a wreck filled with great materials to scavenge, but also a girl, barely alive. They decide to keep her for the reward, or a ransom. Nita does not give them much information before she is kidnapped by others for a much bigger payment.

The book was very intense and I had to put it down at times. Nailer's father is a horrible character: a brutal, lying, angry, drunken crystal-meth scavenger. Every time he came into the story, I had a hard time handling the violence. That said, I bet both guys and girls will want to read Ship Breaker for the roller-coaster ride!