Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

  Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl.  Mr. Fox and his family are being horribly hunted down by three extremely nasty farmers.  Just when you think they will all die horribly, they barely escape—only to be trapped again!  This book is really a little bit scary!  But Mr. Fox is truly Fantastic, and you will love discovering his ingenious plan to save them all as it unfolds before your eyes.  You should read this book before you go see the movie—there is lots in the movie to enjoy that doesn’t happen in the book, but if you see the movie first, it gives away what happens in the book!

Book read and reviewed by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian

Click here to read a few pages of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Click here to see a trailer of the new Fantastic Mr. Fox movie.

Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt

What is Scaredy Squirrel afraid of now? Ghosts, unicorns, vampire bats and polka dots monsters of course! All those freaky thing could end up in Scaredy Squirrel's dreams if he ever fell asleep. In Melanie Watt’s latest Scaredy Squirrel installment, Scaredy Squirrel At Night, you'll find out if the squirrel is able to fend off the night frights with his molasses, "don't disturb" sign and teddy bear decoy.

Book reviewed by Renee N., Youth Services Assistant

Watch Out For Wolfgang by Paul Carrick

Watch Out for Wolfgang by Paul Carrick.  Do you like robots and fractured fairytales?  You will love this new twist to an old fairytale “The Three Little Pigs”.  Mother robot sends her three very different young robots out to seek their fortunes.  She warns them to watch out for Wolfgang the Recycler who would love to recycle all their parts.  Read this book to see if Wolfgang captures a robot.

Book reviewed by Barb M., Youth Outreach and Programming Assistant

Click here to look at a few pages from Watch Out for Wolfgang.

Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev

  Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev.  Srulik is an orphan from pretty much the start of this book, which takes place during World War II.  The book basically shows how he learns to survive on his own.  First, he lives in the forest with a group of other orphaned boys where they are so hungry that they steal food and clothes from local farmers and have to sleep outside in the bitter cold.   Then he remembers that the last time he saw his dad, he told him to forget who he was and to use a different name to protect himself.   He ends up working for several farmers and then having to leave each after a few months after they discover he is Jewish.  He is a hard worker though, and even after a devastating accident, he is able to survive and still do odd jobs for people, in exchange for food and shelter.  Despite all of the anti-Semitism, he does encounter a lot of kind people who take him in along the way as well, until he eventually is taken to a Jewish Children’s Orphanage after the was is over.
(for fifth grade and up)
 
Book reviewed by Julie D., Elementary School Liaison

Click here to read a few pages from Run, Boy, Run.

The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar

The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar.  Are you looking for something slightly weird to read, kind of bizarre but still kind of funny, maybe even a little scary?  Try one of the “what if” stories in this collection and you are likely to get the creeps.  Like “what if…” the wildest adventure ride at the carnival got a man-eating mean streak?   Read just one of stories, or maybe two, or eat up whole bunch when you’re in the mood for something a little far-fetched, spooky and funny all at the same time.

Book reviewed by Mary Ann S., Assistant Head of Youth Services 

Click here to read a few pages from The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies.

Click here to listen to the author read part of The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies.

Beauty and the Beaks: A Turkey's Cautionary Tale by Mary Jane Auch

The illustrations are what make the picture book Beauty and the Beaks: A Turkey's Cautionary Tale so adorable and hilarious.  The characters are hens sculpted out of clay with cloth dresses.  One day a turkey named Lance wanders into Beauty’s shop, The Chic Hen, and he very rudely informs Beauty and her friends that none of them are invited to the “special feast” that he is going to.  When Beauty finds out that Lance IS the feast, the hens band together to help him.

Book reviewed by Erin E. Youth Services Programming Coordinator

Click here to look at a few pages from Beauty and the Beaks.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Things by Lenore Look

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Things by Lenore Look.  From the moment you meet him, Alvin Ho makes you laugh out loud.  He's afraid of everything.  This means he carries around a PDK (personal disaster kit) containing items such as garlic for scaring off vampires and masks for keeping away girls.  The problem is since he's too scared to speak in school, a GIRL volunteered to be his desk buddy.  Even worse, she's made "The Book on Alvin"--all about him!!  Now Alvin has decided he's allergic to both school and girls.  What is he going to do?  I highly recommend this book.  The audio is great but so is the book with all its amusing illustrations.  Whatever format you choose, you are certain to love Alvin.

Book reviewed by Mary S., Youth Services Department Head

Click here to look at a few pages from Alvin Ho.

Click here to listen to some of the audio version of Alvin Ho.

Race Cars Up Close by Andra Serlin Abramson

Love race cars? Ever wanted to see one in person? Well Race Cars Up Close by Andra Serlin Abramson is the next best thing! In this picture and information filled book there are huge foldouts of every part of a race car from the engine to dash board to the pit crew. A lot of the photos are the actual size of the car part too! So if you're a die hard racing fan than this is the book for you!

 

 

Book reviewed by Renee N., Youth Services Assistant

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

In Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury, Dylan is a kid in a scout troop in Hawaii.  His best friend is in the troop and his best friend’s dad is the troop leader.  The troop is going on a hiking and camping trip on a beach below an ancient volcano.  The trip is beautiful and wonderful except for one thing--there is a new kid in the troop too, a tough, troubled kid who Dylan once had a run-in with, who seems intent on making this camping trip miserable for him.  Oh, and did I mention the magnitude 7.2 earthquake and tidal wave that comes and nearly wipes them all out?  These developing characters get put to the ultimate test of survival in a gripping adventure tale based on a true story!  Yow!  This book will be featured at our Oct. 12th Chat-n-Chew--you can still sign up to come eat pizza and talk about this book!  If you read it, leave a comment below...

Book read and reviewed by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian

Click here to read a few pages from the book.

Click here to listen some of the audio book of Night of the Howling Dogs.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

I’ll admit that the striped socks on the cover of A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban caught my attention. I’m certainly glad that I read it!  Ten year old Zoe is a believable and lovable character who longs to play the piano but to her dismay, receives an organ instead. She has a mother who works too much, a father who rarely leaves the safety of home, troubles with friends, yet enough T.P. stockpiled in the basement to last the entire family until she goes to college!  This is a humorous and touching story that makes you realize that even the craziest of lives can be surprisingly perfect.

 

Book read and reviewed by Carol C., Youth Assistant

 

Click here to listen to part of the audio book of A Crooked Kind of Perfect.

 

Click here to look at a few pages from A Crooked Kind of Perfect.