11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day, at the same hospital. This happens a lot all around the world every day, so why are these two babies special? You could ask the elderly woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek who is looking at the two babies through the nursery window and later spies on the two sets of parents as they look through the nursery window OR you could read the story 11 Birthdays and find out.

Amanda and Leo are destined to spend every birthday celebrating together. It starts with their birth, and again on their 1st birthday. So every year their families give them a birthday party - together. At their 10th birthday party Amanda overhears something Leo says that will change their friendship and birthday forever.

One year later Amanda and Leo plan separate parties for the first time ever! Amanda does not like the way her birthday turns out, she misses Leo, but the next day is Saturday and she won’t have to face anyone at school until Monday. When Amanda wakes up the next morning it is her birthday AGAIN! The whole day plays out exactly like it did, including the party that she did not like. Amanda is totally confused, is she dreaming? What is going on? She goes to bed and wakes up on her birthday AGAIN! What? This cannot be happening. Read 11 Birthdays and see how Amanda gets out of this insane loop. Can anyone help her? Does anyone else realize that the day keeps repeating? And what does the mysterious woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek know? So many questions ... that is why I could not put down the book until I finished it!

Visit the author's web site for more titles by Wendy Mass

Swimming Sal by Carol Molski

Every dog at Hilltop Farm was a winner --
every dog except Sal.

Sal couldn't jump hurdles.
Her legs were too short.
She couldn't herd sheep.
It gave her a woolly mouth.
And her nose was too flat
to win Best of Show.

Poor Sal!

Sal was good at only one thing -- swimming!

Sal had to learn how to swim so she could win medals like all the other dogs at Hilltop Farm, but how? Sal had a perfect idea! She would join the swim team with Annie. She hid in Annie's gym bag and went to the local pool. Sal was swimming until Coach Mary spotted her in the pool and kicked her out. Coach Mary even put a sign up on the fence that said, NO DOGS ALLOWED. Sal tried to figure out how she would learn to swim and win her medal, but she could not come up with a plan. She figured it was a lost cause UNTIL she went to the pool to watch the relay race and became the hero. Read Swimming Sal to find out if Sal ever wins her medal. Does she become the Swimmingest Dog in the World?

Summer Reading is Killing Me! By Jon Scieszka

The Time Warp Trio – Joe, Sam, and Fred – find themselves face to face with characters of stories that they are suppose to read for their Summer Reading. How did all the characters get there? The boys discover that Fred stuck Sam’s summer reading list inside The Book. The Book was a gift from Joe’s uncle and it allows the boys to time travel. They were not going to use The Book this summer, but when the list was placed inside The Book they were thrown into a new world where storybook characters are alive! Trying to understand Joe says, "I saw Homer Price being carried by the Headless Horseman. Dracula was dragging Winnie the Pooh in a headlock. Mr. Twit was breaking Harold's Purple Crayon." Readers will recognize some of the characters and hopefully will be inspired to read other books to find out about the other characters. The boys need to find The Book and yank the list out before the evil teddy bear takes over all of the storybooks. With the help of “some girl”, (maybe Laura Ingalls? Anne of Green Gables? one of the Little Women?? they can't tell since they haven't read them!) the boys try and put a stop to the madness. Read Summer Reading is Killing Me! and see how many characters you recognize. Click on the link above to check out the other titles in this series, or visit the author Jon Sciezka's web site.

Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall

Horace, Morris, Boris, and Doris are back in their second book and they are hungry!! These bossy, smelly, stinky boars want pudding - massive pudding.- gross pudding! The boars add squid, donuts, bananas, and other unbelievable ingredients to their pudding. Doris stirs the pudding with her tail! UCK! Will the pudding be the "messiest, stickiest, gooiest, chewiest, most delicious pudding in the whole wide world”? Join the boars and see how it turns out. Also enjoy their first book, Meet the Boars.

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

Everyone in her small town thinks that her parents are lost at sea, but not 11-year-old Primrose Squarp. She asks, "Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?" That is her feeling, her parents are on an island somewhere wondering if she is OK and she doesn’t much care what anyone else thinks. Primrose was left with a babysitter when her mother went out to rescue her father who failed to return from his fishing trip before a typhoon hit off the coast of their small British Columbia town, and the babysitter is getting paid three dollars an hour! The town council quickly tries to find a relative to take care of Primrose. Finally they find her Uncle Jack. Primrose has a lot to deal with, missing parents, a wacky uncle, accidentally setting the class guinea pig on fire, plus much more. The school counselor, Miss Honeycut was not very helpful. Primrose did find comfort in Kate Bowzer who is the cook and owner of The Girl on the Red Swing, a restaurant where everything is served on a waffle, anything you would like to eat. Join Primrose and the quirky adults in this charming adventure. Find out if Primrose is right about her parents. An added bonus are the recipes in the book. To find more titles by Polly Horvath check out her web site.

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood. That is the title of the book and it tells you what to expect! Judy Moody is not happy about starting third grade! She knew it would not be as fun as second grade. She was right, her seat?, right in the front row next to Frank "Eats-Paste" Pearl.....PLEASE! When she is assigned to do a "Me collage" for school she puts it together with a lot of thought and hard work. She decides that her cat is too boring for her pet section so she goes to pick out a new pet for her "Me collage". When she can't find a two-toed sloth, she ends up with a Venus fly-trap. Do you know what to feed a Venus fly-trap? Raw hamburger, gross! Join Judy in her adventure through third grade. If you like this one, check out the other titles in her series at JudyMoody.com

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary has been writing children's books since 1950 when she was a school librarian and one of her students came to her and said, "Where are the books about kids like us?". That is when she wrote her first book, Henry Huggins. Since then she has written many more books about "kids like us". Visit her web site to see more titles.

This weekend I picked up Muggie Maggie. Maggie is starting third grade and she is not happy that she will have to learn to write in cursive. When her teacher, Mrs. Leeper, tells the class that cursive is like a roller coaster Maggie decides she will just make roller coasters - up, down and around. No cursive for her! As the year goes on and the class is learning cursive, Maggie continues to protest-she can print and she uses the computer, why should she learn cursive? Maggie finds out that if you cannot write in cursive, you cannot read cursive! Read Muggie Maggie and find out if this gifted and talented third grader learns to write and read cursive.

Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy

April is Poetry month! Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has written a children's poetry book (actually he has written two, see below).
The title poem is:

Dirt on My Shirt
There's dirt on my shirt
And leaves in my hair
There's mud on my boots
But I don't really care

Playing outside is so much fun
To breathe the clean air
And feel the warm sun

To stomp in a puddle
Or climb a big tree
Makes me quite happy
Just look and you'll see

The illustrations by Steve Bjorkman are perfect for each poem. Pick up a copy today and enjoy! The duo teamed up again for their second poetry collection which was released in February 2009 - Silly Street. Happy Poetry Month!

How I Survived Being a Girl by Wendelin van Draanen

Carolyn enjoys a lot of things most girls do not, and she does not like a lot of things other girls like. She likes short hair, stickball, hanging out with her brothers and her best friend. She does not like dresses, ruffles or anything "girly". Carolyn tells her story in first person. She is a tomboy with scabbed knees who has figured out that she can wear shorts under her dresses or skirts. While reading this book, I could relate to a lot of the things Carolyn described, including having to wear dresses to school, hanging out with her brothers and not being able to have a paper route. Even though the story does not identify a specific time period, the reader can guess that it takes place in the 1960s. Along with her two brothers Carolyn spies on her neighbors “the freckos”, plays stickball and digs foxholes in their backyard. Charlie is Carolyn’s best friend and they do a lot of things together, but why does Carolyn’s feelings for Charlie take a strange turn during the summer? When her baby sister is born at the end of the book, Carolyn tells the readers, "I tell her... how being a girl is actually all right once you figure out that you should break some of the rules instead of just living with them." A good book about the innocence of growing up.

He Came With the Couch by David Slonim

"He came with the couch" is all Sophie's Dad said. When Sophie's family needed to find a new couch they went from rummage sale to garage sale to yard sale, but they could not find the perfect couch. Her Dad finally found a twenty four hour rummage sale AND the perfect couch. They loaded it on the truck and drove home. Sophie noticed that someone was sitting on the couch and when she asked her Dad all he said was, "He came with the couch". Sophie tried to find out who he was, but he didn't move or speak. Her parents tried to get rid of him, but they could not move him. They called a doctor who said that he had upholsterosis and needed to get out more. So the family took him, and the couch, to the Grand Canyon, the Beach, and even the Lincoln Memorial but nothing could move him off the couch...UNTIL! Read He Came With the Couch to find out what finally gets him off the couch and what happens when the family has to buy a new chair!

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Meet the Beaumont family - Momma, Poppa, Rocket, Fish, Mibs, Samson, and Gypsy. They live with their Grandpa Bomba. They are not your ordinary family, except for Poppa. Grandpa Bomba can move mountains (and other parts of land) just by thinking about it; Momma does everything perfect (even when she doesn't try); Rocket has a special spark, he sends electricity through things and usually makes a mess; Fish has a storm brewing inside him, the wind and rain that appear are very unpredictable; Mibs (short for Mississippi), Samson and Gypsy are not thirteen yet, which is an important birthday for the Beaumonts. On their thirteenth birthday their SAVVY - a magical power - presents itself. Mibs is just days away from her thirteenth birthday and she cannot wait to find out what her SAVVY will be. Just days before her big day, Poppa is hurt in a bad car accident far away from home. Rocket and Momma leave the family to be at Poppa's bedside.

Things get worse for the remaining Beaumonts when Miss Rosemary, the preacher's wife, comes to take care of the family figuring that Grandpa Bomba needs her help. The problem now, is Miss Rosemary wants to have a birthday party for Mibs at the church. The Beaumonts know that this is not a good idea since they have no idea what Mibs' SAVVY will be and when it will present itself.

On her thirteenth birthday Mibs is excited and scared when she thinks about what will happen when her SAVVY appears. When Fish turned thirteen his SAVVY appeared as a storm which rapidly turned into a hurricane. Fish could not control his SAVVY so the family moved far away from any water. They settled between Kansas and Nebraska - which the family calls Kansaska-Nebransas. Now it is Mibs' turn, will she be able to control her SAVVY?

When Mibs' SAVVY presents itself she is very confused, but she is convinced that her SAVVY can save her Poppa. Join Mibs, Fish, Samson and the preacher's kids - Bobbi and Will Junior - on their wild ride to get to the hospital and save Poppa. What happens along the way surprises everyone.

This is the first novel for Ingrid Law - and she won a Newbery Honor Medal for the book! It is a magical tale of friendship and adventure. This is a book that you will find hard to put down once you start reading it.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

....and the winner is! The Hilton and Spencer first graders all voted for their favorite book of 2008 and the winner is Are You Ready to Play Outside? This book also won the Dr. Seuss award for 2008! Way to go first graders! Are You Ready to Play Outside? is a new Elephant & Piggie Book, which all our readers love! Gerald, the elephant and Piggie try to play outside until it rains. The rain ruins their fun, UNTIL they see two worms playing in the rain. Do Elephant and Piggie find happiness in the rain?

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson; illustrated by Beth Krommes

The library awards are out! The American Library Association announced their medal winners Monday, January 26, 2009. The Caldecott winner is The House in the Night. Journey inside the house with the simple text, “In the house / burns a light/ In that light / rests a bed. / On that bed / waits a book". The illustrations are black and white, with yellow accents. Half way through the book the story begins to climb backward, watch the excitement of the students when they realize that the story is "rewinding". Enjoy the illustrations, it is this year's Caldecott medal winner!

What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley

Alice Roosevelt was a very curious young lady. Her father was Teddy Roosevelt. Alice enjoyed "eating up the world." She wanted to go places, meet people, and do things. When Alice was young she watched as the academy girls walked properly down the walk to school. Alice went to school at home, where she had plenty of adventures. When Alice was seventeen her father became the President of the United States. Alice became a Goodwill Ambassador as she visited other countries as a representative of her father's presidency. This charming book follows the story of one of America's sweethearts - Alice, the President's daughter. See why the President once said, "I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly DO BOTH!" Another possible Caldecott winner - tune in at the end of January to see if the illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham wins the Caldecott for his first picture book.

Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan

From the moment that Jake looked into Edward's beautiful blue eyes, he knew that Edward was something special. Those eyes, Jake knew, looked at the world in a way no one else could. Edward was destined for greatness.

Edward's Eyes is the story of a loving family. However, it is Jake and Edward that have a special bond. Jake loves Edward more than anyone! There is no one like Edward. He can throw a perfect knuckleball. Edward knows how to make people laugh and he always knows the right thing to say at the right moment.

For Jake and Edward, the summer is proving to be a time of great changes. However, Jake learns that not all changes are easy to accept. Friendships, family, love and loss are all beautifully examined in this short, simple book.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Wilbur is not like any other naked mole rat in his colony. He wears clothes...and he likes it! Even when the others in his colony tease him, Wilbur continues to pursue his love for clothes. Being different isn't easy. When the other naked mole rats see Wilbur dressed in clothes they say things like, "Ewwwwwwwww" and "Yuuuck". They even bring Wilbur in front of Grandpah, the oldest, wisest and most naked mole rat in the colony. What will happen to Wilbur and to his clothes?

Mo Willems is back! This engaging story promotes individuality and self-pride.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

What is the buzz about these books? I cannot keep them on the shelf in my libraries!! Jeff Kinney has a winner in his series of the Wimpy Kid. His third book came out this week and I had several requests for the book, before it came out! The Wimpy Kid books follow the life of Greg Heffley. Greg is in middle school and like many other middle school students there is a lot to deal with. Greg's mom buys him a diary to help him record his thoughts - he specifically asked her NOT to buy anything that had the word "diary" on it - in Greg's words, "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that". And so it begins ...

Did you know that the books started out on Funbrain.com in 2004, as daily entries in Greg's journal? What makes these books so popular? "They are just a lot of fun to read.", is a comment from one of my students. Pick one up today and have fun! Kinney also published a Do-It-Yourself Book (the orange one above) that allows you to create your own diary - “First of all, let me get something straight: This is a journal, not a diary.” - from Greg.
Watch for book 4 and 5 to be published soon!

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Old Bear falls asleep for the winter. He dreams about all the seasons. In his dream he is a cub in the spring sleeping in the flowers. He dreams about the butterflies and rain in the summer. In the fall everything he dreams about is yellow, orange, or brown, even the fish and the water! Then he dreams it is a beautiful winter day. When old bear wakes up he feels like no time has past, but when he steps outside it is spring ... and he is not dreaming! The illustrations in this book are wonderful. Mr. Henkes may be the Caldecott medal winner again this year for his illustrations (the award will be given out on Monday, January 26, 2009) . Visit Mr. Henkes' website for more information about his books and illustrations.

The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Michael Glenn Monroe

Michael Glenn Monroe is our very own hometown artist. When The Christmas Boot came out in the fall of 2007 we were all excited about his newest addition! This is a heart warming story about a lonely old woman who finds a boot on her property. When she puts the boot on her foot it magically molds to her size. The boot is very warm, so when she goes to bed that night she wishes that she had the mate to the boot so both her feet could be warm. When she wakes up the next morning, there is a pair of boots ... not just one boot! The old woman is amazed by the magic of the boot and she wishes for a pair of warm mittens. When she wakes up she finds a nice warm pair of red mittens inside of the boots. Will the woman continue to wish for things AND will she get everything she wishes for? Who does the boot belong to? Read this magical Christmas story and enjoy the incredible illustrations of our own Mike Monroe!

Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan

We cannot keep the cookbooks in our library on the shelf! As soon as one comes in, it goes right back out. Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook is no exception. With Dr. Seuss' original words and illustrations this is a pleasure to read, plus you can make some great dishes : Green Eggs and Ham; Cat in the Hat Pudding; Sneech Salad; and Moose Juice and Schlopp. You will enjoy making this wacky recipes with your family.