Christmas Farm

This picture book, written by Mary Lyn Ray, continues in the vein of her Pumpkins in telling a holiday tale.  It is a wonderful holiday story in which a young boy helps his elderly neighbor begin a Christmas Tree farm.  Each year, the trees and the boy grow until the trees find their new home where they bring joy and the Christmas spirit.  A story of patience, care and love, interspersed with some math (!), it is a lovely addition to any holiday book list!

Princess Posey and the Christmas Magic

This addition to the very popular Princess Posey series by Stephanie Greene will be a delightful addition to anyone's Christmas lists.  Posey is a first grader, so this series is a very early chapter book.  Posey asks Santa for a magic wand, but when she tells a lie, she wonders if she  may end up on his Naughty List.  It is a lovely story of the magic of Christmas and the courage to do the right thing, even when it is hard.

Snowflakes Fall

This picture book was written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Steven Kellogg had been a member of the Sandy Hook community for many years and was greatly affected by the tragedy there two years ago.  Patricia MacLachlan wrote this book after speaking with him about the tragedy. "A snowflake, A child.  No two the same - all beautiful."  It is a beautiful ode to winter and its wonders, but it also speaks of the power of renewal.  Part of the proceeds go to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.

How Murray Saved Christmas

I discovered this picture book several years ago and it has become one of my favorite read-alouds.  Written by Mike Reiss, it follows the pattern of many books who have taken the Clement Moore poem, T'was the Night Before Christmas and modified it.  In this version, Murray, a diner owner, has been asked to substitute for Santa. It is hilarious and heartwarming. 

Absolutely Truly

Heather Vogel Frederick is the author  of the very popular middle-school book series, The Mother-Daughter Book Club.  Although that series is a bit too mature for a K-5 library, I was hoping this one was not.  I was pleased that this was an innocent, lovely read.  Truly has moved to a small town in NH with her large family.  Her father is an Afghanistan War veteran who has lost his arm and inherited his family's bookstore.  The story is a mystery in which Truly and her new friends uncover an old love story, but it is also the story of a small town and its workings, and a brave veteran who learns to embrace life again.

Goofballs - The Crazy Case of the Missing Thunder

This early chapter book mystery series is written by Tony Abbott, who also wrote the popular Secrets of Droon series.  (E ABB)  In this first in the series, we meet four friends who pride themselves in being total goofballs and in being able to solve mysteries.  This is a great mix of humor and silliness with a simple mystery to solve.  

Captain Awesome to the Rescue

This early chapter book written by Stan Kirby with its 8-yr-old main character who thinks he is a superhero named Captain Awesome should be a hit with young readers.  Big illustrations mix with simple text to make it an engaging read.  There is enough bathroom humor to make even the toughest kids giggle.  He calls his little sister Queen Stinkypants.  What 2nd or 3rd grader wouldn't love that?

Jasper John Dooley - Star of the Week

This is an early chapter book.  It is the first in a series by Caroline Adderson (E ADD).  Jasper John is a young boy with some odd habits and tastes.  His loveable character adds to the story and young, early readers will enjoy laughing along with him and rooting for him.

One Dog and His Boy

This last book written by acclaimed author Eva Ibbotson before she died is a feel-good story of a boy who would rather run away than be without his dog.  His parents "rented" a dog for two days just to appease their son.  He was unaware of the plan and thought it was his pet.  When his mom took the dog back after the two days, the boy rescued the dog and ran away with him. Along with some other dogs from the "rental agency" they begin a dangerous and exciting journey that will bring them all a new life and happiness.

Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom

In this new series by Eric Wight, (E WIG) we meet Frankie, a young boy with a vivid imagination and an aversion to cleaning his room.  When his mom says he doesn't have to, things get ugly.  This was a quick read with comic style taking over when Frankie uses his imagination.  This is on my nooks at Bradford.

Bobby the Brave (Sometimes)

This is the second book in a series called Bobby Vs. Girls by Lisa Yee (FIC YEE).  I have it on my nooks at Bradford.  I enjoyed the story of this young boy who struggles to fit in with his family.  He thinks his dad is disappointed in him because he can't play football, is afraid of a cat in the neighborhood and has asthma.  But when an accident happens, he learns that maybe he was wrong about his dad, and himself.

Mandy

This is a realistic fiction story written by a famous actress, Julie Andrews. (FIC AND)  It tells the tale of an orphan girl who finds a deserted cottage and makes it her own.  But when she falls ill, the secret place she has been hiding may be such a secret that it becomes dangerous.  Will anyone find her in time? This a heartwarming story, beautifully told.

Geek Chronicles #1 - Partners in Grime

Barbara Park is the author of the spectacularly popular Junie B. Jones series.  This series is for older kids.  Its three main characters are fifth-grade misfits with no friends, until they all find themselves in trouble waiting outside the principal's office.  It is a funny, quick tale of finding friends in unexpected places.

Ghost Knight

Cornelia Funke is an amazing author of fantasy fiction for older kids.  I loved her Inkheart series as well as her stand-alone Dragon Rider.  This novel did not disappoint.  It is a story of vengeance, honor, love and friendship.  When a boy gets sent to a boarding school in a far-away town,  he doesn't know that his mother's ancestors have created some vengeful ghosts out to kill everyone in his family.  Only he can  send the ghosts away.  But he needs help.  Luckily, he has a brave new friend and a noble ghost knight to assist him.  But could he help his ghost-protector, too?
I haven't read a book this good in a long time.   Sit back and enjoy this one!

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

This book was compared to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and had as much magic as Harry Potter.  That didn't make me like it, though.  It seemed disconnected.  The bad guy wasn't bad.  The fantastical creatures seemed odd and out of place.  I was not a fan.
(FIC SAU)

The Power of Poppy Pendle

What a wonderful story!!!  The main character is a young girl who is a witch, but she doesn't want to be.  She pleads with her parents to let her be what she wants...a baker.  When they say "no", her magic goes tragically wrong.  This book has fantasy and magic, friendship and adventure.    It also has a wonderful theme of following your passion and being true to who you are, not what others wish or expect you to be.

Little Dog, Lost

What a terrific little story about three characters in a small town who all hope for something.  It was a very quick read, in the form of a poem, but it read like a story.  Heartwarming and delightful, I loved it.

The Saturday Boy

This is a big-kid fiction book by a new author.  The main character is an 11-yr-old boy whose father is a soldier in Afghanistan.  He loves comic books and cartoon as most young boys do, and yet he is forced to deal with grown-up issues when he turns on the TV one day and witnesses his worst nightmare.  It is certainly a story for mature readers in both its content and in its language, but a story worth reading.

Sun and Spoon

Kevin Henkes is a popular children's picture book author.  He has recently written several big-kid fiction books as well including Olive's Ocean.  This was a short story about greiving.  Spoon has lost his Gram and in an effort to remember her, he takes something from her house without asking his Pa.  It was a sweet, touching story.

Fortunately, the Milk

Neil Gaiman is a Newbery-winning author and the illustrator that he chose is brilliant.  The images are gorgeous. This short story is a very unique time-travel story that a Dad relays to his children when he comes home late with the milk.  Did it really happen or is he just making up a story?  You decide.

The Year of Billy Miller

This chapter book is written by Kevin Henkes, a popular picture book author. Billy is a second grader who is nervous about his year.  It is a big early chapter book, or a short big-kid fiction book. (FIC HEN)  It is a quick, easy read about a sweet boy and the people who mean someting to him.

Athlete vs. Mathlete

This is a great story of twin brothers who have very different interests.  One is a jock and popular while the other is a very successful student and not very popular.  When the smart brother makes the basketball team, things change.  Roles and stereotypes are challenged.  Why shouldn't they be?  Why can't a smart kid play hoops?  Why can't a jock be smart?  You can be anything you want!

One for the Murphys

I absolutely loved this book!  A girl who grows up in a less-than-perfect household ends up hurt and in the hospital with her mom.  When she is put in foster care, she sees a world she never knew existed...a world with a stable, unconditionally-loving family.  Because of her foster mom, she realizes she is worthy of love and care and that she can be anything she wants to be.  It was a beautifully written story that touched my heart and made me bawl.  (FIC HUN). A caution, though:  some references to domestic abuse make this a read for older, mature kiddos.

Monster Manor #1 Von Skalpel's Experiment

Paul Martin (FIC MAR) has created a winner with this series for kids who like silly voices, monsters, and random oozing body parts.  The first book introduces us to a mad scientist who creates monsters.  He doesn't like the scars, so he tries a glue and things go wrong.

Miss Daisy is Crazy

This early reader, which is first in a series called My Weird School (E GUT) is super popular.  It is funny and keeps kids interested.  Although it uses words I do not condone, like dumb and hate and stupid, I think a child can read this and enjoy it and understand that those are words that should not be used when speaking of others.  I love how his teacher pretends she doesn't know things to trick the kids into learning!

Magic Kitten #1 A Summer Spell

This is the first in a new series by Sue Bentley (E BEN) .  It is written at close to a 4th grade reading level, but I think it will be very popular for eager readers in grades 2 and 3 as well.  A young lion prince is in danger and magically transforms into a kitten and hides from those who wish to claim his throne.  A young girl named Lisa finds and befriends him.  The adventure and the magic will keep young readers entertained and wanting more.

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade

This first book in this early reader series is delightful.  It is a great beginner book for emerging readers.  It has chapters, but they are very short and manageable.  The storyline will resonate with little ones.  I am a Posey fan!

Paperboy

I enjoy historical fiction stories.  As I was a history teacher, that should not be surprising.  This story is set in the segregated south in the 1950's.  A white boy who has a black nanny takes over his friend's paper route for the summer.  He struggles with his speech impediment and the racial problems at the time.  But he grows up that summer and learns a lot about who he is and who he wants to be with the help if the people he meets on his route.

Counting by 7s

I loved this Great Stone Face book from this past year.  A 12-yr-old girl named Willow is the main character.  She does not fit in at school.  She is a genius and very unique with her interests and style.  When her parents die suddenly, a group of (almost) strangers rally around her to help her find her way.  The theme is mature, but for mature 5th graders, I would recommend it highly.  It is a touching, feel-good story about being different and realizing it is the only way to be.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading

This book was very funny and engaging.  I read it to see if I should buy it for my shelves.  Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed it, I think it belongs in a middle school library.
The main character is a boy who has never read a book and is very proud of it and wants to continue his streak.  He bribes others to read for him.  He puts more effort into NOT reading than it would take to read.  As you would imagine, it becomes a cautionary tale about the problems in this philosophy.  I enjoyed it very much.

The Hypnotists

This is the first in a big-kid fiction series by popular author, Gordon Korman.  A boy with special powers is drafted by a secret agency to use his powers in a bad way.  It is a story of right and wrong and following your conscience.  I  loved the book.  It was very exciting.  The ending left you wanting to read the next one.

The Center of Everything

I found this big-kid fiction book by Linda Urban to be slow.  It was a short read about a young girl who has recently lost her beloved grandmother and a wish she made.  Although I have liked some of her other work, I was not a fan of this one.

Hatchet

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is a classic survival story.  I love to read this aloud to my 5th graders.  They love it and are eager to eat up the sequels and find out the rest of Brian's story.  The language is beautiful and varied from the beginning, where he is broken and emotionally a wreck, to the end where he is more in tune with nature and at peace.

The Mighty Miss Malone

This author writes a lot of historical fiction.  He won a Newbery Medal for his Bud, Not Buddy.  This one is set in the same period, the Great Depression... America in the 1930's.  I fell in love with the characters.  The title character is a bright, fiery young girl.  Her family is forced to move when her father needs work, and find themselves, like many during that period, in a "camp" with others struggling to survive.  I found it a bit slow, but was cheering for Deza the entire story!

Bird Lake Moon

This story by Kevin Henkes was a short, easy read about friendship and loss.  Two boys meet at a lake house.  Each carries an emotional burden.  Through the time the spend together, they grow to deal with their problems.

Losing It

Written by Erin Fry, this big-kid fiction book (FIC FRY) tackles a troubling subject.  But where it seems there is a multitude of recent stories about disabilities (Wonder, Out of My Mind, Rules), this novel tackles obesity. The main character is a boy who struggles with his weight (and bullies) and makes a decision to change his life after his overweight dad suffers a stroke.  I loved the main character and my heart went out to him knowing there are a lot of kids who can relate to his issues.

In a Heartbeat

This is a unique story about a girl whose family donated her heart after her death and the girl who received it.  I enjoyed it immensely but it is not an elementary school book.  There were several references that made it too mature for my shelves.  Try it in middle school.  I will be sending my copy there.

The Secret Tree

The Secret Tree  is written by Natalie Standiford.  It is a big-kid fiction book about 5th grade girls and the summer before they enter middle school.  There is a tree in the woods where people hide notes with their secrets on them.  Two characters act as spies to figure out to whom the secrets belong.  While doing that, they uncover other secrets as well.  It was a quick, cute read.

Jake and Lily

This big-kid fiction book by Jerry Spinelli centers on twins with an amazing bond.  I adored not only this story but the wonderfully witty, lovable characters in this book; Poppy especially!  When Jake makes a very bad choice, he struggles with making it right.  It is a story of a twin bond, but it is also about bullies, and stereotypes, and listening to your heart.

Chained

This is a big-kid realistic fiction story written by Lynne Kelly and set in India.  (FIC KEL) A boy takes a job taking care of an elephant training to be in a circus to help pay off his younger sister's medical bills. He disagrees with the treatment of the elephant and makes a courageous decision to change not only his life, but that of the elephant, too.  It is a beautifully written, touching story of friendship, courage, and duty.

The Boy on the Porch

This is one of the best stories I have read in a long time.  Written by Sharon Creech, it is a story of a husband and wife and the curious, quiet boy that is left on their doorstep one day.  I loved this book.  The last page actually gave me chills.  There are some books that you read and enjoy but forget it soon after reading.  This sweet story will stay with me for a very long time to come.

Everyday Angel New Beginnings #1

This is the first in a series by Victoria Schwab.  It is about a girl who happens to be a guardian angel.  She is tasked with helping a 12-year-old girl named Gabby find herself again. That is a difficult job because Gabby's brother is really sick and her family's life revolves around him and his illness.  This book is a bit heavy and has some mature content, like terminal illness.  Be warned...you may need a tissue or two.  I liked it very much and look forward to reading the next in the series.

The Name of This Book is Secret

Written by Pseudonymous Bosch,  this big-kid fiction book is very popular.  It is the first of a series.  I wanted to decide if I should buy it for my libraries.  It is a mystery about a lost magician who has left a book behind.  The two main characters embark on a mission to uncover the mystery of his death. (It reminds me a bit of Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms.). I found it a bit slower than I expected.  I also tend to be annoyed when the narrator talks to the reader apart from the story, like "Stop here if you scare easily, " which this author did constantly.  The storyline was interesting enough to encourage me to finish it, but it was not a favorite, nor will I read the rest of the series.

The Shadow Throne

The last in the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen was not as good as the first two, in my opinion.  It was not as engaging as the others. Though still exciting, I did not find myself as invested as the others.  It was a satisfying conclusion, nonetheless.

The False Prince

This is one of my new favorite authors!  What an amazing first book in the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen.  I had to read this as a read-aloud.  There is so much action and suspense...the kids are loving it.  When three orphan boys are purchased from their orphanages, they never suspected they would be involved in a plot to overthrow a kingdom.  But, they must succeed, or die.

The Runaway King

This second installment in the Ascendance Trilogy written by Jennifer Nielsen (FIC NIE) was not a disappointment after the excitement of the first.  It is an action-packed adventure full of close escapes, pirates, and heroes.  The cliff-hanger at the end will have you scrambling for the last book in the series, The Shadow Throne.

Among the Hidden

This first book in a series called "The Shadow Children" written by Mary Peterson Haddix is a terrific read!  It is a story set in a futuristic, dystopian world where the government controls everything... even how many children a family is allowed to have.  If you break the rules and have more than two children, the third has to stay hidden.  Luke is such a child.  He has stayed hidden in his house for all of his 12 years!  But that is about to change.  This is his story, full of action and suspense.  It also has a great message about civic action.   If you don't like something going on, do you wait for others to act and bring about a  change, or are you an active participant investing in it?  Who did you relate to more... Jen or Luke?  Explain with details from text.

Flora and Ulysses

Flora and Ulysses is this year's Newbery Award winner.  I love this author. Some of my favorite works were written by her.  I was still hesitant to read this, though.  A squirrel gets sucked up by a vacuum cleaner and gets superpowers.   It did not appeal to me.  Even though I knew DiCamillo would weave her beautiful themes and language into it, I was not excited about it.  When it won, though, I had to read it.  I have to say it was an interesting, funny read with some memorable characters in it.

Tomorrow Girls: Behind the Gates

In the first of this big-kid fiction series written by Eva Gray, we are introduced into a war-torn futuristic society.  Girls and boys are sent away to special schools to "keep them safe."  But the schools, although they are on beautiful campuses and offer the girls exciting opportunities they did not get at home, are curiously controlling.  What kind of education are they getting?  It is not what they expected and they are in danger.
This first of four books in the series was from Louisa's perspective.  The remaining novels relate their tale from the other three main female characters' points of view.
These e-books are on our nooks.