September Picks

Welcome back! Here are some new books that have recently been added to the library collection. Come and check them out!


NON - FICTION 

 Jr. Graphic Novel Series

Founding Fathers

Colonial America 

Kids Can Series

Simple Machines Series 

What You Didn't Know About History Series 

FICTION

99 Frogs Wake Up, by Ken Kimura (Grades K-3)

It’s pretty darn difficult to find a more charming book than 999 Tadpoles. Kimura kindly updates us on the oversize family’s status, beginning with the little frogs poking their heads out of the dirt to awaken on a lovely morning. Mother Frog’s head count, though, only reaches 998. Who is missing? Ah, it’s their big brother, who is not only literally big but also leads the charge to rouse other slumbering animals from beneath rocks and leaves so that they too might enjoy the blossoming spring. A turtle, a lizard, some ladybugs—all are thankful for the wake-up call. And then there’s the hole. Better wake up whoever is in there too, eh? Bad idea: a snake, rather like the one in 999 Tadpoles, awaits to give the family more grief. Murakami’s big-eyed, kelly-green amphibians, set against large white backdrops, are just as cute now as they were as newborns, and their heedless groupthink as they race around being gee-whiz about everything remains downright ­adorable.  ~Daniel Kraus (Booklist)

I Wish I Had, by Giovanna Zoboli (Grades K-3)

*Starred Review* Books inviting children to imagine themselves as animals are ubiquitous and a playful way to encourage imagination, but most don’t have the scope of this beautiful Italian import. There is a dignified eloquence at work here, and the narrator’s wishes are not merely the desire of a child to be like an animal, but a longing for a tangible connection to an often intangible universe. Zoboli offers some rather everyday wishes, such as to become the wings of a wild goose or the tail of a lemur—who hasn’t wished to fly through the air or swing through trees? But longing for “the happy hunger of a bear in the orchard” or “the contentment of a dog in winter when the snow falls outside” transcends daydreaming to feel quite spiritual. The painterly illustrations in this oversize picture book (the works of Henri Rousseau come to mind) have a grandeur about them that matches the majestic ideas expressed throughout. Repeated motifs within the pictures—some of the animals are clutching a flower in their mouths, and the larger animals appear to be tattooed with images of other animals, plants, and flowers—create a sense of universality. This is a book of big ideas, sparingly told, and full of wonder. ~Kara Dean (Booklist) 


Double Dutch, by Sharon M. Draper (Grades 5-6)

Delia loves Double Dutch. And she's good at it. Really good. So good that her team has a chance to win the World Double Dutch Championships this year -- Delia is sure of it. What she is less sure of is her chance of passing the school's state exam, because Delia has been using her success at Double Dutch to mask a secret that could jeopardize her place on the team, and also her future. Delia's not the only one with a secret. Her potential boyfriend, Randy, has one too -- his dad has been missing for weeks, and Randy hasn't told anyone for fear he'll be put in a foster home. But he is running out of money and getting scared. The one thing that isn't a secret is that their classmates, the Tolliver twins, are out to cause trouble. With their skull caps, angry demeanors, and hints of violence emanating from even the way they stalk down the school halls, they seem to enjoy intimidating the other kids. But will they cross the line from intimidation to violence? With consummate skill and an uncanny ability to capture how real kids think, act, and feel, Tears of a Tiger author Sharon M. Draper weaves these three stories tighter and tighter, creating a novel that tingles with suspense and emotion. ~ Amazon


Survivors #1: The Empty City, by Erin Hunter (Grades 4-6)

From the author of the bestselling Warriors and Seekers books comes a thrilling new animal fantasy series. In Survivors, Erin Hunter shows readers the world through the eyes of dogs, as she did with cats and bears in her earlier series. The Empty City begins with the Big Growl, a devastating earthquake that changes Lucky’s world forever. Lucky has always been a Lone Dog, but now he needs a Pack in order to stay alive, so he teams up with a group of Leashed Dogs who have been separated from their owners. Lucky’s vivid point of view and the pulse-pounding action make for the start of an addictive series. The time has come for dogs to rule the wild! ~ Amazon