Hugo the Movie

Thursday, Nov. 17th at 5:00
Hugo Program- trivia, giveaways, movie passes!

Relic Master: The Lost Heiress by Catherine Fisher

Ok, I read the second one and the third one is on its way! I do like this series. It's interesting and fast paced. Now, the relationship between the master and the apprentice are nothing like my beloved Halt and Will from Ranger's Apprentice. Galen and Raffi have a very different relationship. Galen is very harsh and moody, although Raffi admires him.

So, they team up with the Sekoi- a cat-like creature- and Carys, who happens to be on the enemy's side- to find the 'lost heiress' who they believe can help restore the world to what the Makers designed originally before it was corrupted by Kest.

I think you would enjoy this series! I am waiting to see what others think!

Lots of Great Books to Read!

Ok, so what's on my nightstand?

The second book in the Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner- The Scorch Trials.
The second book in the Relic Master Series by Catherine Fisher- The Lost Heiress.
The new series by John Flanagan- The Brotherband Chronicles- The Outcasts #1.
Lost stories from my FAVORITE series, Ranger's Apprentice- The Lost Stories.
AND.........
Inheritance- the final chapter in the Inheritance Cycle!!!

Lots of reading to do....

Relic Master: Dark City by Catherine Fisher

Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.


I just finished this and I really like it. I will be reading the others in this series. This is a unique series because The Dark City came out in May, The Lost Heiress in June, The Hidden Coronet in July and the final book The Margrave in August. That's a quick series!!! So, they are all out right now and ready for you to read!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I finally finished another book! Since I have returned to school, I haven't had much time to read for pleasure- yuck! There are so many good books on  my list!

One of our patrons suggested this trilogy and I really liked the first book. I will definitely read the next two so I can find out what happens. The third book just came out- The Death Cure.

In the Maze Runner, Thomas wakes up in a place called the Glade with no memory except his first name. There are other boys there in the same situation. There is a maze that surrounds the Glade and every morning the doors open to the maze and every night they close, thankfully, to keep out awful things called Grievers. Every 30 days a new boy is delivered to the Glade, but next the first girl arrives and she brings a message.

This was a fast read and a page-turner. I really wanted to know what happened next. I thought it was an interesting concept and enough action, suspense and character development to keep me interested. It ended in a great cliff hanger!

I don't generally read science fiction, but I would definitely suggest this trilogy!

Sparrow Road by Shelia O'Connor

I finally finished Sparrow Road. It took me a long to read not because it wasn't good, but because I have been so busy.

This was a quiet, touching book that had such a sense of longing, I thought. A lot of emotion and depth without the usual weight that goes along with some heavy topics. I thought it was a lovely book, but I am not sure how children will enjoy.

Let me know what you think!

Resources for Lexiles

Here are some great links to find the right book for your child's reading level...

http://www.lexile.com/fab/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reading-level-reading-books-lexile/search.asp
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/sri_reading_assessment/pdfs/SRI_ProfPaper_Lexiles.pdf

Public libraries do not catalog their books by lexiles. This measurement is used primarily in schools and school libraries generally will label their books in some fashion or organize them in some way according to reading levels. Public libraries do not. But a librarian will be able to help you find a book that is right for your child. Just ask!

What is a Lexile Measure?

A Lexile measure is a valuable piece of information about either an individual's reading ability or the difficulty of a text, like a book or magazine article. The Lexile measure is shown as a number with an "L" after it — 880L is 880 Lexile.

A student gets his or her Lexile reader measure from a reading test or program. For example, if a student receives an 880L on her end-of-grade reading test, she is an 880 Lexile reader. Higher Lexile measures represent a higher level of reading ability. A Lexile reader measure can range from below 200L for beginning readers to above 1700L for advanced readers. Readers who score at or below 0L receive a BR for Beginning Reader.

A book, article or piece of text gets a Lexile text measure when it's analyzed by MetaMetrics. For example, the first "Harry Potter" book measures 880L, so it's called an 880 Lexile book. A Lexile text measure is based on two strong predictors of how difficult a text is to comprehend: word frequency and sentence length. Many other factors affect the relationship between a reader and a book, including its content, the age and interests of the reader, and the design of the actual book. The Lexile text measure is a good starting point in the book-selection process, with these other factors then being considered. Lexile text measures are rounded to the nearest 10L. Text measures at or below 0L are reported as BR for Beginning Reader.

Favorite Series- New Book

One of my favorite series, Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan, ended this year with the 10th book in the series. I thought it was all over for my beloved  Halt and Will. But there is a new book- The Lost Stories!

Inspired by questions and letters his loyal readers have sent over the years, John Flanagan offers a gift in response: a collection of "lost" tales that fill in the gaps between Ranger's Apprentice novels. For the first time, readers can learn the truth behind how Will came to be orphaned and what his real relationship to Halt is, or watch Alyss in action as the young Araluen diplomat disguises herself and becomes the perfect spy. Can't wait to read it!

Also, John Flanagan has a new series, Brotherband Chronicles.

I am excited to read this as well!

Possible Newbery Medal Winners

The librarians in the area meet and pick a book that they think deserves to win the Newbery Medal- the top award for the best in literature for children in the US. Here is the list that we are considering. You might find some great new books to read from the list!

Okay for Now

by Gary Schmidt

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

by Candace Fleming

The Aviary

by Kathleen O’Dell

Never Forgotten

by Patrica McKissackYoung Fredle by Cynthia Voight
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin
Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott

So Many Books...So Little Time

I have gotten so behind in my reading! Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger was hilarious. Now, I have started Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld because my daughter loves this series and the third book in this trilogy just came out.
I am also reading Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor.

It's the summer before seventh grade, and twelve-year- old Raine O'Rourke's mother suddenly takes a job hours from home at mysterious Sparrow Road- a creepy, dilapidated mansion that houses an eccentric group of artists. As Raine tries to make sense of her new surroundings, she forges friendships with a cast of quirky characters including the outrageous and funky Josie.

Together, Raine and Josie decide to solve the mysteries of Sparrow Road-from its haunting history as an orphanage to the secrets of its silent, brooding owner, Viktor. But it's an unexpected secret from Raine's own life that changes her forever.

Leviathan
This is World War I as never seen before. The story begins the same: on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated, triggering a sequence of alliances that plunges the world into war. But that is where the similarity ends. This global conflict is between the Clankers, who put their faith in machines, and the Darwinists, whose technology is based on the development of new species. After the assassination of his parents, Prince Aleksandar's people turn on him. Accompanied by a small group of loyal servants, the young Clanker flees Austria in a Cyklop Stormwalker, a war machine that walks on two legs. Meanwhile, as Deryn Sharp trains to be an airman with the British Air Service, she prays that no one will discover that she is a girl. She serves on the Leviathan, a massive biological airship that resembles an enormous flying whale and functions as a self-contained ecosystem. When it crashes in Switzerland, the two teens cross paths, and suddenly the line between enemy and ally is no longer clearly defined.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is one of the best books I have read. Read the trilogy before you see the movie. The movie will be released in March of 2012. 

What am I Reading Right Now?

Dystopian novels...recently, I made a booklist (you can pick it up at the library). I had read a lot of the newer books, but while I was making the list I noticed I had missed a number of the older, well-known ones. I had always wanted to read them, but there are soooo many books for middle school and YA, that I always have a long list! And then they just keep coming out with more!

So, I read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: I liked it. It was an interesting concept. I do want to read the next book, Pretties, to see what happened. But, there wasn't enough action for me to love it.
I read Feed by M.T. Anderson: I really did not enjoy this one. It's so chaotic and rambling for me. The heavy slang was a distraction. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters at all and I didn't like any of them.
Now, I am reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: so far, it is very interesting and Ender is an interesting character. I want to find out more about him and what happens to him. I will come back to this list!

What Comes Next in That Series?

The Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, MO has a fantastic resource on their website. It will tell you the order and title of any youth or teen series. Check it out!

http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/juvenile-series

First Stage Theater's New Season

Each year, I display the new season of the First Stage Children's Theater Productions. I used to order season tickets when my daughter was younger and I always got the books for us to share together before we went to see the production.

Here are the new productions.

So, stop by at the library to pick up any Seuss book like The Cat in the Hat or Horton Hears a Who! Pick up Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems or any of the 'Diary' books by Doreen Cronin- Diary of a Worm, Spider or Fly! Pick up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl or Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! by Barbara Park.

Checkout all these books and many others written by these popular authors!

Visit by Author Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margaret Peterson Haddix will be at the library on Monday, September 19th from 5:30-6:30pm. She is the author of Just Ella, The Missing series, the Shadow Children series and the 10th book in the 39 Clues series.


She will talk about her new book, Torn, the 4th book in The Missing series. There will be time for questions and book signings. Buy one there or bring your own!

No registration is required. Everyone is welcome.

Inheritance

On November 8th, the 4th and final book in the Inheritance Cycle will be out!

If you have never read Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr, start reading these awesome books NOW before the final book is released. I have to reread them myself because it has been some time and I forgot where they left off.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever is the 6th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It will be released November 15th.


Read the 5 other hilarious books before then!

Hugo, The Movie

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a historical-fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic Press. The hardcover edition was released on January 30, 2007, and the paperback edition was released on June 2, 2008. With 284 pictures between the book's 533 pages, the book depends equally on its pictures as it does the actual words. Selznick himself has described the book as "not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things." The book won the 2008 Caldecott Medal, the first novel to do so, as the Caldecott Medal is for illustrations.

The movie will open in theaters on November 23rd.

Dark Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book by Tom Angleberger

If you haven't read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, you should pick it up right away before this next installment comes out!

Fun!

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Maggie Blair is an isolated, illiterate girl who lives alone with her mean grandmother on a tiny island in 17^th century Scotland. Her life consists of hard work and not much else. Maggie is a strong character who proves herself to be more sensible than those around her even before she learns to read. This is a solid historical novel about a witch scare and the true-to-life persecution of Scottish Presbyterians by the English King Charles II.

The witch scare, trial and hanging are only the beginning. It goes on to cover a part of history that is not well known and it does so from Maggie's perspective which is very thought-provoking. Great book for 7th grade and up.

Between the Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

This novel offers a harrowing and horrifying account of the forcible relocation of countless Lithuanians in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country in 1939.

What a beautifully written book. It was extremely heartwrenching to read, but very eloquently written. It is a great historical fiction novel for 7th graders and up.

The Magician by Michael Scott

This is the second book in the 6 book series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. It is my new FAVORITE series!! Love, love, love it.
It is everything I love in fantasy- mythology, magic, adventure, mystery, suspense, action, a great plot and great characters!

This book is not new. I don't know how it slipped past me when it was first published. There aren't a lot of copies of this series in the MCFLS system, so I know that this just did not get the buzz it deserved when it was first published in 2008.

I have started to read the third installment. What I think is very cool about this series, is that all the characters are from history- either real or legend. World Mythology is abundant in this series and it is very interesting to research the characters to learn more about them. So much so that I am going to do it at the library! So, look for a new reading challenge for 5th grade and up involving this series.

Although this book is found in our YA section, it is only because the main characters are 15 years-old. This series is definitely appropriate for 5th grade and up! So, check it out!

Horton Halfpott: Or, the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor

Tom Angleberger's first book, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, was hilarious! It came out last year and I loved it!

This book is a little younger, with the same loopy sense of humor, but not as hilarious as Origami Yoda. It's a historical mystery farce with very short chapters. It is an easy read filled with Angleberger's droll humor and wacky asides.

Most 3rd graders will enjoy it!

Primary Craft Days (Grades 1-3)

Here are some of the crafts the families could make today! Come back next time for all new crafts to do together!

Mock Newbery

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year.



We have hosted a Mock Newbery Election for the past few years for local librarians. I have created a blog to post books throughout the year that could be potential contenders for the Mock Newbery. I would like to invite our patrons to visit the blog- FPL MOCK NEWBERY.

True (Sort Of...) by Katherine Hannigan

This is a beautifully written book about a girl named Delly who always seems to be in trouble, but really doesn't understand why. She has a special bond with her brother, RB, who idolizes her. She doesn't have any friends until Ferris Boyd moves to town. They help each other and through their friendship Delly learns to be the kind of person she wants to be. This book is touching. I loved Delly's spunk and heart. It does touch on a some tough issues, though. Although it is written for 3rd-5th grade, I would recommend it for a little older audience. There are a lot of raw emotions, self-doubt and despair in this book.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

"Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure" -Abraham Lincoln

Craft Days

Primary Craft Days- (Grades 1-3 only)
Wednesday, June 22nd and July 20th from 1-3pm
No registration is required. Adult MUST accompany child.
Stop in and roam from station to station completing crafts from around the world!

Elementary Craft Day- (Grades 4 & 5 only)
Wednesday, July 27th from 1-3pm
No registration is required. Stop in and make some fun creations for your room, locker or to give someone!

Geography Bee (Grades 4 & 5 only)

Wednesday, June 29th from 1-3. No registration is required.

Do you know your geography? Practice and partner up for this 2-person trivia contest. Come prepared to play for the top spot! Prizes will be awarded.

Book Trivia (Grades 4 & 5 only)

Pick up the book list beginning June 13th. Read all 6 before July 25th and then come test your knowledge with a partner or on your own!

No registration is required. Prizes will be awarded.

Summer Reading Program 2011

The theme this year is "One World, Many Stories". Please take a look at the newly designed Children's Department website for all the details. Also, checkout the calendar at the bottom of this page!

Summer Reading Clubs

Monday, June 13th at 10am is the first day to register for a Summer Reading Club! There's a club for every age.You read over the summer for chances to earn prizes.
The first day to turn in your Reading Record is Monday, June 20th. The first time you turn in your Reading Record you will receive a packet of coupons for various Milwaukee County destinations! Each subsequent time you turn in your Reading Record, you will receive a raffle slip for a chance to win a prize.

The Reading Clubs end Friday, July 29th. Winners of the summer prizes will be called on Monday, August 1st.

Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

I really loved this sweet, gentle, touching story. It reminded of Charlotte's Web, Cricket in Time Square and others. I loved the voices of the raccoons and the dog, Sadie!

Secrets of a Lab Rat Series by Trudi Trueit

Scab McNally has set his sights on a new challenge--proving once and for all that his classmate, Missy Malone, is really an alien in disguise. Scab and his friends have nicknamed Missy "Never Missy" because her hand is always first in the air every time the teacher asks a question, and Missy never gets one wrong. Come on, how is that really possible? When Missy decides to run for class president, Scab sees the perfect opportunity to challenge her by running against her.

This is a funny, new series that I definitely would put in the hands of boys in grades 3-5, especially reluctant readers. I think the humor and voice of Scab is perfect!

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

When Tessa pulled the loose thread in the curious tapestry she and her father acquired at an estate sale, she freed Will de Chauncy, who was in thrall to a bitter witch known as Gray Lily. For Will, it is a second chance at life, 500 years after his imprisonment. Gray Lily has the most at stake, though; Will is the key to her eternal youth, and she will stop at nothing to retrieve the tapestry and place Will back in it. Debut author Guibord easily shifts the action between de Chauncy’s 1511 Cornwall village, the timeless and forbidding forest world of the tapestry, and Tessa’s modern-day Portland, Oregon.


This is a good light read. Fantasy mixed with mystery, adventure and wee little bit of romance. I give it a thumbs up!

Great New Trilogy

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Kate, Michael, and Emma have suffered through ten years of odious orphanage "care"; now they have slipped into the care of the eccentric, disturbingly mysterious Dr. Pym. While exploring their new home, the children discover a magical green book. With that discovery, a decade of tedium dissolves into cascades of dangerous time travel adventures and struggles with a beautiful witch and decidedly less attractive zombielike Screechers.

I thought the book was gripping, adventurous and exciting. I definitely would recommend it!

Mice Are Creeping Around the Library

I've noticed a number of books with mice as the main character recently...

I read Nest for Celeste and enjoyed it. The other two are on my reading list.

And don't forget some of the older ones...

Tale of Despereaux
Stuart Little
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Poppy
Redwall
Geronimo Stilton

150th Anniversary of the Civil War

There are a lot of great non-fiction kid's books on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, as well as historical fiction books! Stop in and check them out!

226th Birthday of John James Audubon

Take a peek at these 2 books that are about Audubon!

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole for grades 3-5. I really enjoyed this book.

At Oakley Plantation near New Orleans, temporary home to naturalist John James Audubon and his assistant, Joseph Mason, lives a mouse named Celeste. Industrious and sweet, she forages for food in the dining room and weaves baskets of grass. Unfortunately, she is harassed by resident rats, and, attempting to assuage their hunger, she is trapped by a cat and unable to return to her nook under the floorboards. A chase brings her to Mason's room and there develops a friendship between the homesick apprentice and the little mouse.

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt for grades 6th & up..
As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer—a fiery young lady who “smelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.” In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon’s birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. In this stunning novel, Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.

39 Clues Continue...

The Cahills thought they were the most powerful family the world had ever known. They thought they were the only ones who knew about Gideon Cahill and his Clues. The Cahills were wrong.

Powerful enemies — the Vespers — have been waiting in the shadows. Now it’s their time to rise and the world will never be the same. In Vespers Rising, a brand new 39 Clues novel, bestselling authors Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson take on the hidden history of the Cahills and the Vespers, and the last, terrible legacy Grace Cahill leaves for Amy and Dan.

The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

It is finally here! The 10th and last book in one of my favorite series!I have only read some of it so far...but, as always, I love it. I am sad that this series will end.

If you haven't read it, I encourage you to start. I love the characters. I love the action. I love everything about it. Great read for 4th and up!

Summary of first book:
Like the other 15-year-old wards of Castle Redmont, Will is nervous about Choosing Day, when each of them will be assigned to a different master for training. Though his dearest wish is to enter the Battleschool, his small stature prevents it. Instead, Will is apprenticed to the grim-faced, mysterious Ranger. Soon Will learns that becoming a ranger is more difficult, dangerous, and worthwhile than he had imagined. He earns the respect of his elders and the friendship of a former foe, but all this is prelude to the great adventure that follows, when his skills wielding a knife and keeping a heightened awareness of his surroundings become vital to the survival of his mentor and the safety of the kingdom.

New Paperback Series in the Library

Ripley's RBI
Ripley High—located in the former home of the creator of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!—is now home to students with special powers. The best of the best are inducted into Ripley’s Bureau of Investigation (RBI), a high-tech operation that sends kids on dangerous missions around the world, where they, like the Ripley’s series of old, try to separate fact from fiction. Solid graphic elements help sort this all out, with visual introductions to the RBI team, both teachers and students. Grades 3-5

Monster Squad
The Monster Squad is a group of kids who have to stop monsters of all kinds from wreaking havoc on their town. These fast-paced adventures with dynamic illustrations will capture any reader!  Grades 2-4

Taking the Reins (American Girl)

It’s time to ride! Girls can select their own endings in this story that takes place on the campus of Innerstar University™. Readers can imagine themselves as the main character, a girl who rides horses at the stable but steers clear of competition. Whenever there's an audience, her confidence heads for the hills. So when she's invited to ride a spirited horse in the next event, she has some tough choices to make. Will she find her confidence and climb on? With more than 20 different endings, girls will enjoy this book again and again to see how different decisions change the story. Plus, this interactive book comes with a secret access code to unlock additional endings online! Grades 3 & up