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Three Times Lucky
“Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt. Almost before the dust had settled, Mr. Jesse turned up dead and life in Tupelo Landing turned upside down.” –…
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Hey Authors, Wanna Hear a Secret?
I just recently read an article from American Libraries Direct written by Christopher Harris, entitled “Hey Authors, Wanna Hear a Secret?” about the love librarians have for authors. “Librarians love you [authors]; authors are our rock stars. And it isn’t just us. We have shared our love with so many people…
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For Darkness Shows the Stars
For Darkness Shows the Stars written by Dianna Peterfreund is a science fiction novel inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, a time when the world’s population was wiped out or reduced to a basic human form…
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Down By the Station
Down By the Station written by Jennifer Riggs Vetter and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz is one of my favorite “transportation” themed stories for young children. It works really well in story time because you can actually sing the whole story which keeps the kids interested, but it would work just as well as a…
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What Comes After Easy Readers?
Transitional Books! Transitional books are (usually) a series of books that you may be familiar with that are around 100 pages or less with short chapters and often some pictures throughout the book. The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne is a perfect example of a transitional book. …
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Tough Chicks
As I was searching the stacks for those perfect read-aloud books for story time, I came across Tough Chicks written by Cece Meng and illustrated by Melissa Suber and I fell in love! Tough Chicks is the story of three little chicks by the names of Penny, Polly, adn Molly…
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Show Me a Story!
I can’t remember how I came across this book, but it looked very intriguing and so I decided to try it out. Show Me a Story!: Why Pictures Books Matter, Conversations with 21 of the World’s Most Celebrated Illustrators is a fascinating read for librarians, book lovers, and artists alike! Leonard…
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The Unforgotten Coat
Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of Millions and Cosmic, has created a short novel called The Unforgotten Coat written about two Mongolian brothers who appear in Julie’s playground at school. Chingis, the older brother declares Julie their “Good Guide” a nomadic tradition of welcoming strangers, and Julie takes her job seriously teaching the…
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Enchanted
Enchanted (not the Disney movie, but a YA novel) written by Alethea Kontis combines a number of fairy tales into one complete story which is magical in its own right. This is the story of Sunday Woodcutter who is born to be (as written in the childhood rhyme) “but the child born on…
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School is Right Around the Corner
For many kids beginning school or a new school year can be a very anxious time. We always get a number of requests for “Starting Kindergarten or Preschool” or “Back to School” books. I’ll give you a list of my favorites, but check your local library for more! The Kissing…