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Sparrow Road
Sparrow Road is a story of mystery, of intrigue, of interesting characters, and of connecting to a world that is not your own, or better yet can become a part of your own. Sheila O’Connor’s characters in Sparrow Road are the type of people I would love to spend time…
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Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time
Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time written by Lisa Yee is an in-depth look at what it is to be a teenage boy in today’s society with the pressures of family, friends, teachers, and girlfriends. All Stanford wants to do is play basketball, but when he fails 6th grade English and…
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Slacking…
If anyone else is a children’s librarian then you know, summer reading sucks up all your time and you can be left reeling by August. Other than Summer Reading at my library, I had to fit in 4 weddings, a funeral, and a family vacation. Thankfully, summer is winding down…
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Mindblind
Mindblind written by Jennifer Roy is a fascinating look into the mind of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome. The main character, Nathaniel, is inspired by Roy’s young son, Adam. This book is clearly written by someone whose life has been affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nathaniel is a fourteen-year-old boy…
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Between Shades of Gray
Between Shades of Gray is a beautifully written novel about a part of World War II that is often overlooked. Lina’s family is deported from Lithuania and are forced to work in labor camps in Siberia. The story follows their harrowing journey by truck, cattle car, and boat to the…
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A Long Walk To Water
I have read a number of things by Linda Sue Park, but A Long Walk to Water was by far the best I’ve read! This is a dual narrative based on a true story. The first narrative is by one the Sudanese “Lost Boys.” It is the story of how…
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Out of Patience
I knew when I read the first page of this book that I would be in for a treat. “… It bounced off his head and flopped on the burnt-out grass. The sudden blow was startling, but not as surprising as what delivered it. A toilet plunger.” This is the…
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Story Time and Sign Language
As part of the Summer Reading Program this summer we are providing preschoolers with a 4-week bilingual story time session . We are going to be focusing on French, Spanish, either Hindi or Chinese depending on who we can find to help us and American Sign Language (ASL). Now I…
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Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
If you’re having trouble getting young adults interested in history, biographies, or just reading in general – just hand them Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. This non-fiction, young-adult book is phenomenal. Let me caveat this book review by saying that the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln have fascinated me for many years. …
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Happy (belated) Chinese New Year
This year our library teamed up with some high school volunteers for a Chinese New Year Celebration. The volunteers did an amazing job with a short PowerPoint presentation about Chinese New Year, a lesson on Chinese calligraphy, a story, a Chinese dragon craft, and of course a snack. The children…