The Exciting Adventures of Jeff Corwin

Want a captivating read to while away the hours? Try "Jeff Corwin: A Wild Life". You know who Jeff Corwin is --he hosts that nature show on the Discovery Channel where he's picking up snakes , racing after various mammals and swimming in the ocean with sharks. This book tells the stories behind those adventures. For example, Corwin went on a dive to observe great white sharks. He was in a protective cage, wearing a very heavy diving helmet. The air to the helmet was obstructed and Corwin was unable to attract the attention of others on the dive to get help. He swam out of the protective cage to the boat and only after he had been pulled into the boat did he find out there was a 16 foot great white shark circling him! And what about the time as a child when he ran into the house with a garter snake dangling from his arm--still biting him! And the time a jealous elephant grabbed his arm and shook him like a rag doll! As you can see, there's enough adventures here to keep you captivated for quite some time! You'll find this book in our paperback section, call number J PPB C.

Good Twins, Bad Twins and Those Evil Baggetts

Well, if you ever thought your family was a trial, I have three books that might just change your outlook--in fact, your family will look golden! These books will keep you on the edge of your seat!

In "William S. and the Great Escape" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, seventh grader William S. Baggett has had enough of his bullying father, tormenting twin brothers and their life of living on the wrong side of the law. He's been saving his chore money and is ready to leave when the twins decide to flush his little sister Jancy's hamster down the toilet. William and Jancy both know that for their safety it's time for them to go and, with their two youngest sibs Trixie and Buddy in tow, pack up and begin their journey to Aunt Fiona's. By now, the police have been notified and it's up to William to find a way to outsmart his father and the police to get to Aunt Fiona. But will Aunt Fiona want them all? This deserving book won the Parent Choice Silver Award. The call number for this book is JH SNY.



"Yes, I Know the Monkey Man" by Dori Hillestad Butler is the sequel to "Do You Know the Monkey Man?" This story of thirteen-year-old T.J. Three weeks ago , T.J. found out she has a twin sister and a mother, facts her mentally ill father has kept from her. Now her sister Sam and her mother want her to come be a part of her mother's wedding. Since Gram and her father are both hospitalized, T.J. and her dog take the bus to her mother's house. Feelings of fear, grief, and envy wash over her as she learns to deal with her new family. Why did her father not tell her her mother and sister were alive? How she copes with this emotional tidal wave makes an engaging read. Call number J BUT



Peg Kehret's "Runaway Twin" is an awesome story. According to School Library Journal, "Sunny Skyland has missed her twin sister ever since they were separated at age three after their mother and grandmother were killed in an automobile accident. Sunny has kept her memories of Starr alive over the past decade and in seven foster homes. Then, the discovery of a canvas bag containing $800, with no claimant, spurs Sunny to travel from Nebraska to her old neighborhood in Enumclaw, WA. Sunny is an experienced runaway who plans carefully and tells no one. She boards a bus for the first leg of her journey but then complicates her life by adopting a stray dog. Her trip is thwarted by a group of teenage boys, and she survives a tornado. She does reach her destination, but not with the expected ending." Call number JH KEH

Star Wars:The Clone Wars Has Arrived!

We've just received a new Star Wars series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars. You'll find all fourteen shelved in junior fiction under J STA. These books will grow with you, as they start with an easier content level and work into a more complex storyline. The illustrations are a combination of the older Star Wars movies and the new Star Wars cartoons.

The Charlie Small Journals

Hope your holidays were as awesome as mine. Now, though, it's back to school and all that homework. Please take time on the weekends between science fair and animal projects to read a few relaxing books.
Boys, you know that reading can be a little boring at times--too many classics are required reading and, let's face it, they sometimes can be really yawn-inducing! We have a new series for you to try, though, called The Charlie Small Journals. These journals supposedly washed up on shore and there are doubts that Charlie Small, an eight-year-old, really had these adventures. On each book is the plea, "If you find this book, please look after it. This is the only true account of my remarkable adventures." I'll let you decide if they're authentic or not!

"I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil..."

Well, I have read the most conflicting book-- "I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want To Be Your Class President" by Josh Lib. On one hand, it's all sarcasm and evilness and on the other hand, it's really very touching. Oliver Watson is the typical chubby seventh grader, subject of taunts, criticism and physical abuse at the hands of his fellow students. At least, that's what you see. What you don't see is a seventh grade genius who has found a way to make millions of dollars, a way to make those insensitive louts who plague him pay for their abuse (I love it when the bullies get a cream on their hands that creates zits or gives instant gas when they abuse Oliver) , and a way to deal with his less than attentive father. All those seventh grade mixed-up feelings of frustration, hatred and even maybe that first crush appear in this book. Perhaps the best description of this book would be to cross "Animal House" with "James Bond", add seventh grade
boys and shake well.

Robert Sabuda's Pop-up Cards Free!

If you are looking for an interesting craft for your kids, Robert Sabuda, the award-winning king of pop-up books, has a website that offers free patterns for seasonal pop-up cards. (The Christmas tree was fun but the reindeer has more of an "ooooo!" factor. The turkey is much easier than it looks and I can't wait to try the snowman.) Also, ask at the Youth Services desk to see his "Alice in Wonderland" book. It's just amazing what this artist can do with paper!
For more information:
http://robertsabuda.com/popmake/index.asp

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!