What WFL Children's Librarians are reading (and loving) - March 2015

Do you ever wonder what the WFL Children's Librarians are reading?  While we can't read every Children's and Youth book out there, we try to keep up with the best of the best, the most popular books, and also those that interest us personally!

Here are some books that I've read recently (and enjoyed):

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka - You usually can't go wrong with a Caldecott Medal winner, but some parents get intimida
ted by a book with no pictures.  My advice - trust yourself as a storyteller!  Wordless picture book are a great way of interacting with your child while reading.  If your child is fairly verbal, ask them to help you tell the story.  Ask them questions about the pictures and what is happening on each page.  Doing this will help develop their vocabulary and increase their narrative (storytelling) skills.  Plus, with wordless books each time you read it can be different!  Now back to Daisy.  This is a lovely and colorful book about a dog (Daisy) who has a treasured red ball.  Unfortunately Daisy must cope with the loss of her ball when another dog pops it.  But have no fear, this book has a happy ending.  The story is simple and sweet, and kids of all ages who have lost a beloved toy, or even those who have not, will sympathize with sweet Daisy.

Sidekicks by Dan Santat - Dan Santat is the creator of the Disney show "The Replacements" and most recently the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner "The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend."  Somewhere in between, Santat wrote Sidekicks, a fun graphic novel for kids ages 8 and up.  Sidekicks is a superhero comic with a twist: Captain Amazing, an aging superhero, is looking for a new sidekick and his eclectic group of pets are determined to win the role.  The book is funny, action-packed, and heart-warming too.  Great for the superhero-fans who are getting beyond Batman first readers, the animal lovers, and any reader who likes a satisfying story where the good guys win in the end.

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan - After reading this book I suffered from severe book-mourning.  That is, I didn't want to read any other book because this one had been so good.  At the age of 12, Willow Chance's parents both die in a car crash, leaving her to fend for herself in a world that often doesn't understand her.  She is an incredibly brilliant girl but has a hard time relating to other people.  She makes her way through her loss with the unexpected friendships she finds in an unqualified school counselor, a family keeping a secret, and a friendly cab driver.  The ending wraps up so nicely that in any other book it would seem too easy, too neat, but readers will be rooting so hard for Willow that this won't even cross their minds.  Definitely a winner for middle grade and middle school readers who like moving realistic fiction.

What WFL Children's Librarians are reading (and loving)

Do you ever wonder what the WFL Children's Librarians are reading?  While we can't read every Children's and Youth book out there, we try to keep up with the best of the best, the most popular books, and also those that interest us personally!

Here are some books that I've read recently (and enjoyed):

Picture Book:

Sophie's Terrible Twos by Rosemary Wells

You generally can't go wrong with Rosemary Wells, creator of the beloved Max and Ruby characters.  I have been reading her newest book, Sophie's Terrible Twos, with my toddler nearly every day for the last few weeks and she can't get enough.  Sophie is a mouse who just turned two and "got up on the wrong side of the crib."  After a grumpy morning she goes out on the town with her granny and comes home with an unexpected surprise!


Children's Fiction:

The Other Half of my Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

This book caught my attention when it was nominated from the Massachusetts Children's Book Award last year, and I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read it! It tells the story of biracial twins who look very different: one with their father's light skin and fine hair and one with their mother's dark skin and curly hair.  The girls travel from their small and very white town in Washington State to North Carolina to stay with their grandmother and participate in the Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America program.  Throughout their trip and experience with the pageant/program, both girls develop new understandings of identity, prejudice, bravery, wisdom, and sisterhood.  While this book could potentially read like an after-school special or a didactic tale, it does neither, instead presenting important lessons along with a rich plot and a story that is a joy to read.


Young Adult Fiction:

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

I'll be honest that I had no interest in reading this book when I first heard of it.  There was something about the description and the cover (and let's be honest, we do judge books by their covers at times) that seemed unappealing to me.  But after the umpteenth award nomination and starred review, I felt it was my duty to give it a try.  And I am so very glad I did!  Although a completely bizarre premise - it is narrated by Jacob Grimm, who, as a ghost, accompanies the main character throughout his life in small-town America - the plot draws you in and then takes unexpected turn after unexpected turn.  From teenage romance to fairy tales and game shows, there is nothing formulaic or predictable about Far Far Away.  I can't say too much more other than that a very satisfying ending (as opposed to a cliff-hanger) is much appreciated in a YA novel these days, and this book certainly delivered.

The best books for young toddlers: Leslie Patricelli

Having a hard time with potty training?  Have a kiddo who resists taking a bath?  Does your tot try to eat everything they can get their hands on?

Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend, Leslie Patricelli, author of fun board books for young toddlers.  She present countless lessons about life in a simple, humorous manner, through a football-headed baby.

From No No Yes Yes to Binky to my personal favorite, Toot, Patricelli's books are fun for young kids and even their parents.  They will surely become favorites in your household, with kids shouting, "Again! Again!" and you not even minding it!  Unlike many books that aim to directly teach lessons, these books are actually fun and engaging to read, and speak to toddlers on their own level.

Find Patricelli's books in the Board Book section of the Wellesley Free Library, or on the Minuteman Catalog here.

Favorite genre books from rising 6th graders!

Our rising 6th graders have been reading away as part of the Countdown to 6! summer reading game!

Check out some of their reviews of books in their favorite genres!

Dystopian:

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Reviewed by SophieM

Jonah lives in a society where your family is matched up for you, as is you future job and life. Jonah is happy until he receives his job. As receiver he must bear all the bad memories of the community. He also must do it alone. As he progresses he learns things, dangerous secrets, secrets that lead him to question everything he has ever believed.
 

Realistic Fiction:

Holes by Louis Sachar
Reviewed by EWC

Everyone knows that Stanley Yelnats spelled backward is Stanley Yelnats, so what's the big deal? Actually, it's a big deal. It is amazing that Sachar can make up so many different stories and combine them all together to make a book. I can't even keep track of the stories! Sachar adds comedy and suspense into his book, and I'm very happy that they also made a movie of the book.

Science Fiction:

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
Reviewed by michaeljn

My favorite science fiction book is Zita The Space Girl. It is a book about a girl who goes through a portal to an alien planet that is about to be destroyed by a meteor. An alien steps on the devise that creates the portal and it needs to be fixed. She has to stop the meteor from destroying the planet and leave or else she is done for.

Historical Fiction

Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman
Reviewed by cloudster101

Will Sparrow's mom ran away and his dad sold him away. He worked in an inn but ran away as a criminal. He meets new friends and enemies, has fun adventures, and changes his criminal ways.
- All in All 10 in 10 a fun adventure for kids any age.

Spotlight on Series: Middle School Book Reviews

Looking for something to keep you busy over the summer?  Start a new series!  Check out these reviews of the first books in series, written by Middle School students participating in the 25 in 25 Reading Challenge.  Find these books, and more, in the Quigley Youth Room at the Wellesley Free Library!


Heist Society by Ally Carter
Reviewed by mdubwags, grade 6


This book was really exciting, and made me want to read it a lot! Kat's whole family has a very crooked past. When she was three Kat's parents took her to the Louvre to case it, and for Kat's seventh birthday she and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Australia to steal the crown jewels. She's trying to get a new life, but crime has called to her


The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Reviewed by beastmode24, grade 6


I enjoyed this book. It is about a kid who is dropped in a mysterious world and remembers nothing about himself except for his name. The world is surrounded by a dangerous maze. The author makes the book have a lot twists.





Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Reviewed by 4869, grade 7


This book is about a girl named Katsa who has an amazing skill of fighting and killing. The king, Randa, uses her skill to punish his people unfairly. Katsa does not like how she is being used and she runs away. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy action. This is a story for both boys and girls.



Middle School- The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Reviewed by Wardog5000, grade 7


This was a great book. It really kept my attention. The characters were well thought out and very realistic. I also very much enjoyed the illustrations. This is a fun read with a lot of laughs.






Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Reviewed by t_mac, grade 8


This book was great! It is about a boy named Ethan who lives with his dad in a small town where nothing ever seems to happen. Then, weird things start to happen. A song called "Sixteen Moons" appears and disappears on his iPod at random. Also, a new girl shows up- and Ethan thinks she is beautiful. However, she is part of a family that has powers-but these powers come with consequence. On Lena's sixteenth birthday, The Book of Moons (a book that controls the fate of her family) will decide whether she will be Light or Dark-good or evil. To find out what happens, read the book!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Reviewed by wms111, grade 8


Although this is a long book, it's an amazing one for all those who love fantasy with dragons, mystery and adventure in it. Beware of the Shades... You never know where they are... Unless...