April Picks

April is National Poetry Month, and it is also a time to celebrate the conclusion of winter (yay!) Come to the library and check out some new books, or some old favorites, and find a sunny place to curl up and enjoy the coming of spring! 


This Moose Belongs to Me, by Oliver Jeffers (Grades 2-5)

The age-old tale of a boy and his moose . . . now a New York Times bestseller! Wilfred is a boy with rules. He lives a very orderly life. It's fortunate, then, that he has a pet who abides by rules, such as not making noise while Wilfred educates him on his record collection. There is, however, one rule that Wilfred's pet has difficulty following: Going whichever way Wilfred wants to go. Perhaps this is because Wilfred's pet doesn't quite realize that he belongs to anyone. A moose can be obstinate in such ways. Fortunately, the two manage to work out a compromise. Let's just say it involves apples.


Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, by Henry Cole  (Grades 1-6)

A young girl's courage is tested in this haunting, wordless story.
When a farm girl discovers a runaway slave
hiding in the barn, she is at once
startled and frightened. 

But the stranger's fearful eyes
weigh upon her conscience,
and she must make a difficult choice.
Will she have the courage to help him?
Unspoken gifts of humanity unite the girl
and the runaway as they each face a journey:
one following the North Star,
the other following her heart.

The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart, by Julie Andrews and Emma Hamilton (Grades K-3)  

It's Valentine's Day, one of Geraldine's favorite times of year! She gets out her very best glitter to

make cards for her family and friends at school, trying extra hard to think of ways to showcase all of their special qualities. But when Gerry gets to school and realizes she accidentally took a folder of Daddy's work papers instead of the cards she worked so hard on - oh no! - she can't help but be disappointed. Thankfully, her teacher helps her find an extra special way to celebrate the inner sparkle of each of her friends.

Wolves of the Beyond: Star Wolf (Book 6), by Kathryn Lasky (Grades 3-6)

The latest in Kathryn Lasky's hit series - a stunning spin-off set among the wolves of Ga'hoole. A great cold has seized the Beyond. The warmth of summer, the smell of sweet grass and the great caribou migrations are distant memories. Now the wolves know only ice, dark, snow and endless cold. The order that kept the wolf clans strong for thousands of years has broken down completely. The wolves have only one chance for survival. They must find their way to a new land, a land of warmth and summer. But the journey will take them over a frozen sea and through thousands of miles of perilous territory. Will the wolves trust young Faolan to lead them?


Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun (Book 5), by Liz Kessler (Grades 3-6)

Strange storms are blowing up from the ocean, caused by the nightmares of Neptune, King of the Sea. Convinced that his dreams herald an approaching threat, Neptune enlists half-mermaids Emily Windsnap and Aaron for a top-secret mission to find and eliminate the source of the trouble. But Emily and Aaron quickly get in over their heads in the frigid waters of the frozen north. Deep within an alpine lake where magical reflections show what could be rather than what is, the two discover a trove of stolen memories and Neptune’s darkest secret. Double-crosses and double-takes abound in Liz Kessler’s fifth magical mermaid adventure.

Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout (Book 8), by Megan McDonald (Grades 1-3) 

Stink may be super smart, and Stink may be uber clever, but he’s been in the Polliwog swim class frog-ever and he still can’t bear to put his face in the water. Why would he want a geyser up his nose, on purpose? But then something weird happens: Stink starts to see frogs everywhere — in the locker room, in his boot, in the bathtub. And when a freaky blue frog licks his arm, his froggy senses start tingling! He has an urge to slurp up raisins (that look like flies). He can’t wait to play in the rain and mud. He’s a wiz at identifying frog calls. And he has become very interested in the local frog population. Could it be that Stink is turning into . . . the amazing Stink-Frog, fighter of slime? Pree-eep! Craw-awk!

Poetrees, by Douglas Florian (Grades 1-6)

Seeds are sprouting, roots are spreading, and branches are swaying

in this tree-mendous poetry collection. From coconut palms and bristlecone pines to baobabs and banyans, Douglas Florian explores the arboreal world with his signature wit and whimsy. Featuring a dynamic vertical format that illustrates the incredible heights and shapes of the trees, this book illuminates the natural history of these majestic beings as well as their unique and quirky characteristics.






A Joyful Noise by Tom Fleischman (Grades 2-6)

Written to be read aloud by two voices--sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous--here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the

book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise. In this remarkable volume of poetry for two voices, Paul Fleischman verbally re-creates the "Booming/boisterious/joyful noise" of insects. The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. Eric Beddows′s vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way. A clear and fascinating guide to the insect world--from chrysalid butterflies to whirligig beetles-- and an exultant celebration of life.

A Full Moon is Rising, by Marilyn Singer (Grades 2-6) 

Mysterious and evocative, the full moon is the most celebrated phase of the earth s only natural satellite. Around the world, people and other living things interact with and are affected by the full moon in fascinating ways. Sailors set out to sea on the high tides

the full moon causes. Insects and migrating birds are guided by its brilliant light. Families dance, sing, and feast at full moon festivals, while traders buy and sell camels. Corals reproduce, wolves howl, and children dream of being astronauts. In this poetic exploration of full moon science, celebrations, beliefs, and illusions, Marilyn Singer and Julia Cairns take us on a whirlwind international tour. Along the way we visit Canada, Israel, Morocco, India, China, Australia, and more as we learn about the many ways people welcome and honor Earth's wondrous full moon.

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, by Joyce Sidman (Grades 1-6) 

Discover the hidden world of the meadow in this unique combination of poetry riddles and science wisdom. Beginning with the rising sun and ending with twilight, this book takes us on a tour through the fields, encouraging us to watch for a nest of rabbits, a foamy spittlebug, a leaping grasshopper, bright milkweed, a quick fox, and a cruising hawk.