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Book Bites – May 2013

Toddlers (Ages 1-3)

timebye1Time to Say Bye-Bye!            
by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
A toddler goes to the playground, to Grandma’s house, and home to play, then has a bath and goes to bed, each activity requiring a goodbye that also signals the beginning of new events.

 

 

 

redhatRed Hat
by Lita Judge
In this almost wordless springtime picture book, an adorable crew of baby animals borrows a familiar-looking red hat and embarks on a joy-filled escapade—until all that is left is a long piece of red string.

 

 

 

yakyuTake Me Out to the Yakyu 
by Aaron Meshon
A little boy’s grandfathers—one in America and one in Japan—teach him about baseball and its rich, varying cultural traditions.

 

 

 

 

Picture Books (Pre K-K)

opencarefullyOpen Very Carefully: a Book with Bite
by Nicola O’Byrne and Nick Bromley
A crocodile falls into a quiet storybook and wreaks havoc on the characters, in a tale that invites youngsters to slam the book shut or find the courage to take a peek inside.

 

 

 

 

museumThe Museum
by Susan Verde, Art by Peter H. Reynolds
A young girl tours and twirls through museum galleries, experiencing different emotions evoked by different styles of art, and then expresses her energy and inspiration when she finds an empty canvas.

 

 

 

squirrelOl’ Mama Squirrel
by David Ezra Stein
Ol’ Mama Squirrel has raised lots of babies, and she knows just how to protect them. Whenever trouble comes nosing around, she springs into action and scares trouble away. Her bravery is put to the test, however, when a really big threat wanders into town and onto her tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Early Readers (Grades 1-3)

monsterbackpackThe Monster in the Backpack
by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
Having trouble with your backpack zipper? Maybe there’s a monster inside! Annie warms up to the exasperating but lovable creature she finds in her backpack in this humorous story complemented by energetic illustrations.

 

 

 

 

 

bandWant to Be in a Band?
by Suzzy Roche, Illustrated by Giselle Potter
Do you want to be in a band? Well, here’s how! First, bug your two older sisters to start a band, and then beg them to join. (It helps if they already know how to sing and play guitar.) At least, that’s the way our little sister narrator explains it in her “guide” on how to start a band, based on the real-life experiences of author Suzzy Roche.

 

 

samcharlieSam & Charlie (and Sam, Too!)
by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
When Charlie moves next door to Sam, he’s thrilled to have a new friend—even if she is a girl. Charlie has a little sister, also named Sam–or Sam Too, as the other Sam comes to call her. Both Sam and Charlie (and Sam Too) are Jewish, and they try to live by the religion’s motto: love your neighbor as yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Children’s Fiction and Nonfiction (Grades 4-6)

dogdareDouble Dog Dare
by Lisa Graff
What would you do to win a dare war? This humorous and insightful novel tells the story of fourth-graders Kansas Bloom and Francine Halata, who start out as archenemies, until—in a battle of wits and willpower—they discover that they have a lot more in common than either would have guessed.

 

 

 

 

 

goldendoorThe Golden Door
by Emily Rodda
At night the skimmers fly over the Wall looking for human prey and the people of Weld huddle in their houses, but after his two brothers set out through the magic doors in an attempt to find the Enemy and don’t come back, young Rye knows that he must follow and find them. First in a stirring fantasy trilogy.

 

 

 

 

craftsBig Book of Crafts and Activities
edited by James Michem
Just in time for summer, this book features campfire activities, games for road trips, treasure-hunting ideas, how to make your own flip-flops, how to create your own secret text message language, and more. Young readers are encouraged to explore new interests and discover hidden talents, finding inspiration and fun activities.

 

 

 

 

Teen Fiction and Nonfiction (Ages 12 & up)

lightningStruck by Lightning
by Chris Colfer
Carson Phillips is at the bottom of the food chain in a high school filled with people he hates, stuck living with his depressed single mother in a small-minded town at the corner of nothing and nowhere. He has just one goal: escape to Northwestern University and a career as a hard-hitting journalist. His guidance counselor tells him that he needs to bolster his application by creating a literary magazine. Which means he needs submissions. From other students. Carson resorts to the only thing he can think of: blackmail.

 

 

 

marigoldOnce Upon a Marigold
by Jean Ferris
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father. Christian is gaga for Princess Marigold. But he’s just a commoner, and no match for royalty. Heck, he lives in a cave with a troll! And now he’s discovered another reason to put his love-soggy heart on ice: Queen Olympia is scheming to take over the kingdom—and she’ll bump off her own daughter to do it.

 

 

 

gatheringdarkThe Gathering Dark
by Christine Johnson
Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown. Until she meets Walker, who can somehow see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira. But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense and frightening her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions.

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