Thursday, October 29, 2009

On to Thanksgiving!


Now that all the storyhours have celebrated Halloween, it's time to move on to Thanksgiving, a holiday known for eating lots of your favorite foods and watching football. Little known facts: Did you know that there were 15 men and boys named John on the Mayflower? That the Mayflower traveled at a speed of only 2 miles an hour? That the Indians used cranberries to draw out poison from wounds? That Americans eat almost 45 MILLION turkeys at Thanksgiving? No wonder we're stuffed! Get it? Stuffed? Oh well, these facts and others can be found in "Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving" by Peter and Connie Roop. There's some corny jokes in there, too. For example:

What letters did the Pilgrim boy say when he saw there was no food on the table?
OICURMT

When things went wrong, what could the Pilgrims always count on?
Their fingers!

When does Dracula eat turkey?
At Fangsgiving!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Witches, Aliens and Fifth Graders

We have a new series for juniors called "My Unwilling Witch" by Hiawyn Oram. Rumblewick Spellwacker Mortimer B. (RB for short) is the cat of Haggy Aggy, the unwilling witch. In the first book "My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School" Rumblewick complains in his diary about Haggy Aggy's unability to be a proper witch--imagine, she wants to be a ballerina! Well, we both know that some ballerinas are divas and Haggy Aggy turns out to be the diva supreme! Do you think a diva like Haggy Aggy would dance the Little Match Girl in rags instead of a fluffy tutu? You do? Then you don't know Haggy Aggy! Second through fourth graders will enjoy this short series. You'll find these books on shelf under J ORA.





Also new, "The Doom Machine" by Mark Teague. Here's the blurb from the back of the book: "When Jack Creedle spots a flying saucer, not everyone believes him. After all, he spends a lot of time in juvenile detention and isn't famous for telling the truth. But when he unexpectedly teams up with Isadora Shumway, the daughter of a brilliant scientist, these two unlikely friends set off on an intergalactic adventure filled with fast-paced twists, turns and spins. Strap yourself in for a wild ride brimming with humor and a cast of colorful villains and heroes. Award winner MARK TEAGUE brings a strikingly fresh new voice to the world of children's fiction." Check it out in our new books under J TEA.



Lauren Myracle brings us her new "Luv Ya Bunches", describing the beginning of school for fifth graders. There's the new girl Violet, enthusiastic Katie-Rose, quiet Yasaman, popular Milla and that evil queen bee Modessa who creates a plot that will wreak havoc on the other girls. Middle school can be a pain but these girlfriends work together to bring down that ghastly Modessa. You'll find this book in our new fiction under J MYR.