Quote of the day!

I have been working on a large book order and it is so much fun! I wish I could spend all day tracking down the best books. I can't wait to have them all in the library! 

Quote of the day

Book Review - Flora & Ulysses

I just read the Newbery award winner for this year, Flora and Ulysses. It is by Kate DiCamillo, one of my favorite authors. 

I enjoyed this funny, fantastical tale of Flora and a very special squirrel, Ulysses. There is an unforgettable scene at the beginning of the book where a squirrel is accidentally vacuumed by a powerful outdoor vacuum. Then strange and amazing things happen. It includes short sections of illustrations in graphic novel format, Flora's favorite book to read is a comic. If you like superheroes, humor and adventure then you must read this book!!

Need an idea for a read aloud?

I love a good list of books and this one is great! This list is 38 books to read aloud with your kids. Some are picture books, some novels, some old, some new. All excellent! 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/books-for-kids

Book Review - The Year of Billy Miller

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes won a Newberry Honor award this year. Henkes is famous for his picture books including Chrysanthemum, Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Wemberly Worried, Kitten's First Full Moon (a Caldecott award winner) and many others.

The Year of Billy Miller is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different person in Billy's life. Billy is just starting the 2nd grade and worried about being smart enough. After a misunderstanding with his teacher, Ms. Silver, Billy tries to show her he likes her by bringing her silver gifts. This moment allows them to talk in private and eventually Billy shares his worries. His fears are forgotten when Ms. Silver tells him that he is smart. This book is full of touching moments between Billy, his friends and family. It would be an excellent read aloud to a younger child.

 

Quote of the day

I couldn't put it down!

I have always been a fan of natural disaster movies. I love to see what new way the planet will be destroyed and how humans will rally together to overcome these new incredible obstacles.

This book, Life As We Knew It, is the ultimate disaster book. It centers around Miranda, a 16 year old girl in Pennsylvania. An asteroid is headed towards the moon and everyone is planning to watch this historic event. Scientists believed it would crash into the moon, creating a new crater and because of its size people would be able to watch this event without a telescope. The asteroid is visible and crashes into the moon but then the moon gets bigger! It moves closer to earth and it's orbit is permanently changed. Immediately changes start happening on earth, flooding, power outages and eventually much worse. What starts out as an inconvenience turns into a struggle for survival. This is an amazing story that I could not put down!

Librarians Can Do It!

I saw this image, reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter and thought "yes, librarians can do it!" Now that the possibility of a teacher strike is over I can breathe a sigh of relief. Though part of me still wants to stand up and fight. It is hard to turn off that energy once it is flowing. So now I have to turn that desire to fight for what is best for students towards my library. It is time to... order more books! 

Quote of the Day

If Only

This book was recommended by a student who reads voraciously. Once it was finally back in the library I took it home to read. I started reading it without knowing anything about it and was surprised and hooked. The book focuses on Corinna, as summer is ending and 8th grade is starting. But this year is much harder for Corinna because her mother has recently died of cancer. If Only deals with the grief of a lost parent in an honest but touching way. Corinna struggles with how her mom's death is affecting her friendships, her new worries about her dad and just how to get through each day. Not many books deal with such a real topic in a truthful yet positive way. An excellent book!

FIC GEI - for middle school only