Welcome Back!

More New Books have arrived in the Library!

Look-alikes around the World - Joan Steiner
Bell's Breakthrough - Stacia Deutsch
Ratatouille - Katherine Emmons
Dora Goes to School - Leslie Valdes
Playful Little Penguins - Tony Mitton


Book Reviews

The Lightning Thief - by Rick Riordan ( grades 6-8)

This is the first in a series of books about Percy, a contemporary 12 year old boy from New York, that learns he is the son of the Greek god Poseidon. He knows he has problems when he is kicked out of six schools, has learning and behavior problems, and lacks self control. His mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood where he learns that his father has been accused of stealing the lightning bolt from Zeus. Percy embarks on an adventure to recover the lost bolt in order to avert a war between the gods. This is a fast paced, multi-faceted fantasy that is fresh, dangerous and funny.

No Talking - by Andrew Clements (grades 3 - 6)

When Dave learns about India and how Gandhi spent one day a week in silence, he is inspired to devise a contest to see whether the girls or the boys in fifth grade can keep quiet for two whole days. The rules allow them to answer adults with three word replies which leads to some humorous situations. The principal is drawn in to the contest and tries to put an end to it. We see the students bond over the experience as we see the experiment unfold from the viewpoints of the students and the teachers.


Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village - by Laura Amy Schlitz

This is the 2008 Newbery Award winner! Recommended for grades 5 -8, it is a series of interconnected monologues that highlight young people living in an English medieval village. Each character has a distinct personality and a role in the village society. It can be read and performed as a play.


With Courage and Cloth: Winning the fight for a woman's right to vote - by Ann Bausum ( grades 5 - 8)

This provides some fascinating details and background information about the women's suffrage movement. We learn that women suffered horribly, were attacked by mobs, imprisoned and force fed in jail as they battled for 72 years to get the right to vote. We learn about some of the key players in the women's movement and how they split into two groups that did not always work together. Photos bring the details to life and we see the cloth banners that woman sewed with messages of protest.