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White Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan
Posted on May 15, 2013 by Jessica in animals, Early Chapter Books, Family Read-Aloud, Realistic FictionI’ve been a soft touch for animals since birth and have fostered dozens of rescue dogs myself, so I tend to read most of the rescue animal books that come through on the new books cart. I also generally like Patrica MacLachlan books. Put the two together, and it’s no surprise I picked this one [...]
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Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It by Michael Kaplan
Posted on May 13, 2013 by Children's Department Staff in UncategorizedMy son ate his whole dinner before getting that ice cream out and Betty Bunny didn’t do it. Yep, both are lies. When my son discovered lying, I decided to introduce him to Betty Bunny. Betty Bunny has also just discovered that she doesn’t have to tell the truth. It’s such an epiphany that she [...]
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Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Posted on May 9, 2013 by Children's Department Staff in animals, Nonfiction, Picture BooksThe team of Brenda Guiberson and Gennady Spirin has created another stunning science picture book. Frogs from all over the world are featured in detailed double page illustrations. Guiberson writes clever descriptions of eleven exotic frog species. Spirin creates the artwork using tempera, watercolor, and pencil on watercolor paper. Knowing that there is no computer manipulation in Spirin’s [...]
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Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
Posted on May 2, 2013 by Jennifer in fairy tales and folklore, FantasyThis is fun fantasy that retells and provides a new backstory for the age-old Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. I appreciate the author’s leap of faith as she takes on an unloved trollish character as her main character. I found myself compelled to keep reading as Rump’s story unfolded, and, despite several mistakes and wrong turns, Rump had [...]
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Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Posted on April 30, 2013 by Brian in Science FictionIn a world where the government regulates the number of children per family Luke, an illegal third child, constantly finds himself in danger because of his very existence. All he has ever known is how to hide, and how to run. And until this point hiding,on a secluded farm, has been easy. But when the [...]
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Homesick by Kate Klise
Posted on April 21, 2013 by gbenedick in Realistic FictionBenny’s dad calls himself a collector, but lately he’s becoming more of a hoarder. He collects all kinds of stuff, but his most prized possession is a small splinter which he believes came from the holy cross. Benny’s mom is sick and tired of his dad’s hoarding habit and the splinter becomes a symbol of [...]
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Destiny Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Posted on April 17, 2013 by Jessica in Realistic FictionEmily is named after Emily Dickinson, and it is her destiny to become a great poet. Well, that’s what her mom thinks. Emily, on the other hand, much prefers writing romance novels to writing poetry. So who exactly is in charge of your destiny? Is it something that is decided at birth or do you [...]
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Invincible Microbe by Jim Murphy
Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jessica in Nonfiction, social issuesInvincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure by Jim Murphy I saw this book laying out on a library table one evening, and for some reason, it intrigued me. I checked it out thinking I’d just skim it, but ended up reading it from cover to cover. I’d only ever gotten little [...]
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Really Really Big Questions About Me and My Body by Dr. Stephen Law
Posted on April 9, 2013 by Children's Department Staff in Nonfiction, UncategorizedThe Really, Really Big Questions series tackles some of the philosophical questions that older kids often ask their parents. These books are meant to bring these questions up for thought and discussion. There are five books in the series; MPL also owns Really, Really Big Questions About Space and Time and Really, Really Big Questions About God, Faith [...]
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The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
Posted on April 5, 2013 by Jennifer in Realistic FictionThis is a quiet story without a lot of adventure or crazy plot lines or outlandish characters. But if you like to read about someone who feels real, Anna is the perfect character to get to know. She is introspective and thoughtful, but it is not easy for her to make friends. Instead, Anna reads…a [...]
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