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

Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid? What's Next?

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is hilarious! The series has become so popular. But Greg Heffley, the main character, is in middle school. So, the experiences he writes about in his journal may not be appropriate for younger readers. Of course, his ‘journal entries’ are from a boy’s perspective as well. Don’t worry though, there are other books with the same quirky sense of humor for girls and younger children to read!