Storytime Is Out of This World!

At Storytime this week we shared two fantastic children's books with an outer space theme. The stories included The Aliens are Coming! by Colin McNaughton and Bob's Best-Ever Friend by Simon Bartram.

The Aliens Are Coming was about a group of wacky aliens traveling towards Earth looking for a fight. In the end, the children look into a mirrored page seeing that they are the reason the aliens halted their attack on Earth. In Bob's Best-Ever Friend the children were introduced to Bob, who is bored without the company of his friends who are away at a pet show on Pluto.

Linda W was our volunteer reader of the week. She provided each of the children the chance to see themselves as the hero that saved Earth, captivating each of them. Seeing the smiling faces as each child experienced being the hero was an exciting ending to Storytime.

 

We concluded Storytime with two more fun-filled crafts. This week we made flying saucers and an alien. Here's a look at a couple of the out-of-this world creations.

 

A special thank you to all of the amazing library volunteers that make Storytime a success each week. If you are interested in volunteering as a Storytime reader or if you would like to help assist the children during activities please contact Jennifer at the library to sign up.

To see more library event photos click on the "See What We've Been Doing" photo on the upper right.

See you next Thursday!

What Are You Reading This Weekend?

Don’t Say a Word by Beverly Barton

Cross Your Heart…

One by one, they will die. He has waited patiently, planning their final moments. Their tortured screams, their pleas for mercy—all will be in vain...

And Hope…

Homicide detective Julia Cass has witnessed plenty of crime scenes. But the murder of a Chattanooga judge is shocking in its brutality. Teamed with FBI agent Will Brannock, Julia delves into an investigation that soon unearths more bodies—all mutilated in the same way, all left with a gruesome souvenir of a killer’s ruthless rage…

To Die…

The only way to stop the slaughter is to predict the next victim. But when you’re dealing with vengeance at its most ruthless, one wrong move can make you a target…and the next word you utter could be your last…
 

Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly

A group of Mayville Heights’ business people hope to convince the Chicago-based company, Legacy Tours, to sell a vacation package in their town. Legacy Tours partner, Mike Glazer, grew up in Mayville Heights, but it seems he’s not the same small-town boy people remember. 

Everyone seems to have an issue with the opinionated loudmouth Mike has become—until someone shuts him up for good.

When Kathleen and her cat, Hercules, discover Mike’s body near the boardwalk, she can’t help but get involved in the investigation—even if it might torpedo her relationship with Detective Marcus Gordon. 

Now, with a little help from Hercules and Owen, it’s up to Kathleen to make sure the killer is booked for an extended stay in prison before some else takes a permanent vacation.

Trouble Shooter by Louis L’Amour (Western)

Hopalong Cassidy is one of the most enduring and popular heroes in frontier fiction. His legendary exploits in books, movies, and on television have blazed a mythic and unforgettable trail across the American West. Now, in the last of four Hopalong Cassidy novels written by Louis L'Amour, the immortal saddleman rides again—this time into a lonely valley of danger and death.

Hopalong Cassidy has received an urgent message from the dead. Answering an urgent appeal for help from fellow cowpuncher Pete Melford, he rides in only to discover that his old friends has been murdered and the ranch Pete left to his niece, Cindy Blair, had vanished without a trace. Hopalong may have arrived too late to save Pete, but his sense of loyalty and honor demands that he find that cold-blooded killers and return to Cindy what is rightfully hers.

Colonel Justin Tradwar, criminal kingpin of the town of Kachina, is the owner of the sprawling Box T ranch, and he has built his empire with a shrewd and ruthless determination. In search of Pete's killers and Cindy's ranch, Hopalong signs on at the Box T, promising to help get Tradway's wild cattle out of the rattler-infested brush. But in the land of mesquite and black chaparral, Cassidy confronts a mystery as hellish as it is haunting—a bloody trail that leads to the strange and forbidding Babylon plateau, to $60,000 in stolen gold, and to a showdown with an outlaw who has already cheated death once... and is determined to do it again.

Bitter Night by Diana P. Francis

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon — a Shadowblade — and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. 

Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances — including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him — and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right — if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is. 

Children's Books to Inspire Young Readers

Dear Dragon Goes to the Library by Margaret Hillbert

A boy and his pet dragon go to story time and take out books from the library.
 

Glory by Nancy White Carlston

With words that sing and colors that spill joy across the pages, Glory celebrates creation and the way every creature praises God. Whether winged or finned or furry, each creature -- by being and doing what it was made to be and do.

The Whole Night Through by David Frampton

The moon's sweet lullaby of light falls softly through the jungle night down past the leafy bongo tree where everyone's asleep but me!

The rhino is nestling in his bed. So are the crocodile and the zebra. The mouse is resting, the butterfly is snoozing, and the lions are snoring, Every animal in the jungle has closed its eyes for the night-everyone except the leopard. He is determined to stay awake the whole night through, but suddenly, wink...blink...yawn...yawn...shushhhhhhhhhh

David Frampton has created a charming lullaby for tiny children who try very hard every night to stay awake, Rhythmic text and beautiful woodcuts of jungle animals combine to make a perfect book to share at bedtime.

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way: a Barrio Story/ No tiene que ser asi: Una historia del barrio by Luis Rodriquez (Bilingual--Spanish/English edition)

Monchi likes to write poems, hang out with his cousin, and tell stories to his uncle. Then one day, a member of the local gang tells him it's time to join up. Monchi is scared but excited. The older boys give him the handshake, girls talk to him, and even teachers are afraid of him. But when a tragic event changes everything, Monchi must make an important decision. There is no easy answer to his dilemma, but the love and respect of his uncle help him find a way out. 

Written in both English and Spanish, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way is a compelling tale of a young boy's encounter with the world of gangs.

I’m Going to California/Yo Voy A California by Mary Wade (Bilingual--Spanish/English edition)

Who doesn't dream of being a movie star?  When a little girl imagines that she is in the movies --can you figure out which ones?-- her mother points out many of the fascinating features of the state.

Brilliantly colored pictures reveal the way the child sees herself, but the real things are there too -- the swallows at Capistrano, the  mammoths at La Brea Tar Pits.    Dream about being a movie star if you like, but add excitement to your life by cruising California.

My Mexico/Mexico Mio by Tony Johnston (Bilingual--Spanish/English edition)

Sway to the sounds, reach for the colors, dance to the rhythms, and you will find your own Mexico in these poems in both English and Spanish. 

Barfburger Baby, I Was Here First by Paula Danziger

Barfburger Baby isn't the only name Jonathon has for his new baby brother, Daniel. Sure, he spits up all the time, but Gasburger Baby and Snotburger Baby also fit him - for obvious reasons.
And today all the relatives are coming over to meet the baby. They make silly faces and coo at Daniel. Jonathon just doesn't get it. 

Why does everyone make such a big deal out of the baby? And why do they still insist on calling him his baby nickname - Jonathon Pookie Bear? He doesn't even play with Pookie Bear anymore. But he does know just where to find him, and he figures out the perfect way to pass his nickname on so he can be just Jonathon.

Salsa by Lillian Colon-Vila (Bilingual--Spanish/English edition)

Young Rita gets all kind of advice about salsa music from her family -- how to play and sing it, how to dance to it, even how to dress for it! Learning about dance steps and musical instruments such as the guiro, piano, timbales, congas, and brass, Rita becomes so filled with enthusiasm that she dreams of someday becoming a salsa band director. 

With vibrant illustrations that capture the very essence, spirit and rhythm of salsa, this captivating picture book literally dances in the reader's hands. Both children and adults will have trouble keeping their feet from tapping as they read this enchanting tale.

Enticing NEW Additions in Large Print

A Very Merry Murder, She Wrote by Jessica Fletcher

In "Manhattans & Murder, " Jessica's new book tour brings her to New York for Christmas, where she sees notorious Cabot Cove crook Waldo Morse dressed as a sidewalk Santa and ends up witnessing a murder. With the police slow on their feet, and the victim's wife on the run, Jessica decides to do whatever it takes to stop a killer from spoiling the season. 

And in "A Little Yuletide Murder," Cabot Cove local Rory Brent is found shot to death on his farm, and everyone assumes the culprit is Brent's longtime enemy, Jake Walther, the meanest man in town. But Jessica thinks otherwise, and she's determined to deliver the real killer before Christmas. The trouble is, the next sound she hears this silent night may be a scream of her own.
 

Unexpected Daughter by Suzanne Cox

Returning to Cypress Landing brings back the best-- and worst--moments of Cade Wheeler's life. Because the bayou was where he'd first tasted the sweetness of love and the bitterness of loss... . Ten years ago Brijette Dupre had been a pregnant backwoods girl who felt her only choice was to accept the Wheelers' money--to leave Cade alone. She couldn't know his family had lied to them both... .

Now Cade's back. Considering their past relationship "and" current attraction, working with him is hard enough. Add to the mix his unknown daughter--the daughter Brijette had kept despite the Wheelers' demands--and it becomes close to impossible.
 

More Than a Cowboy by Susan Hornick

The identity of her daughter's father is a secret, one that single mother Haley Clayton must keep forever--for a very good reason. But when a tragedy takes the man's life--a tragedy Haley fears was her fault--the truth comes out. And now the man's stepbrother, handsome rancher Jared Sinclair, wants answers. 

Why has Haley kept the child from his family? What is she hiding? Haley can't tell him--ever. But then Jared insists Haley and young Sarah spend time at the family ranch, where she discovers he's not just a proud cowboy; he's her--and her daughter's-- deepest wish.

Beat the Texas Heat With A Great Read!

Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann Ross
Miss Julia Series Book # 13


Can Miss Julia spring J. D. Pickens from a sheriff's clutches and investigate a cult-plus keep up appearances as a proper Southern lady?

Miss Julia simply can't abide sitting idle. With young Lloyd moving out and husband Sam off to the Holy Land for two weeks, Miss Julia's feeling restless already. Maybe it's time for that overdue home makeover.
But before she can even pick a color scheme, Miss Julia must race to the rescue of Hazel Marie's new husband. J.D. has gone missing while on his latest private investigation job. And police in West Virginia have detained an injured man fitting his description. Now it's up to Miss Julia and Etta Mae to free him before he cusses himself into a jail cell.

Back in Abbotsville, wealthy eccentric Agnes Whitman has returned to town with a following of misfits. Could they be a religious cult set on converting the locals? And will Miss Julia get back in time to stop them? One thing's for sure: she won't waste time watching paint dry-no matter which shade of beige is the latest rage.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day
Crossfire Series Book #1

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory
Cousins' War Series Book # 4

Spies, poison, and curses surround her...
Is there anyone she can trust?

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.

At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.

The Iron King by Maurice Druon
The Accursed Kings Series Book #1

The Iron King – Philip the Fair – is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men.

A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques de Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

At the heart of this 1930 novel is the Bundren family's bizarre journey to Jefferson to bury Addie, their wife and mother. 

Faulkner lets each family member -- including Addie -- and others along the way tell their private responses to Addie's life.

Fever by Maya Banks
Breathless Series Book #2

Jace, Ash, and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Jace, it’s a woman whose allure takes him completely by surprise...

Jace Crestwell, Ash McIntyre, and Gabe Hamilton have been best friends and successful business partners for years. They’re powerful, they’re imposing, they’re irresistibly sexy, and Jace and Ash share everything—including their women.

When they meet Bethany, Jace begins to feel things he’s never experienced before: jealousy, and a powerful obsession that threatens him, overwhelms him—and excites him beyond control.

Jace isn’t sharing Bethany—with anyone. He’s determined to be the only man in her life, and it’s jeopardizing a lifelong friendship with Ash. Bethany will be his and his alone. Even if it means turning his back on his best friend.

Starting Now by Debbie Macomber
Blosson Street Series Book #9

For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.

With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways.

As A Good Yarn becomes a second home—and the women a new kind of family—Libby relishes the different person she’s become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.

Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
Clifton Chronicles Series Book # 3

1945, London. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed. When the general election is called, Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sebastian Clifton, Harry and Emma's son, who ultimately influences his uncle's fate.

In 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family marches onto the page. But after Sebastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in an international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. Does he become a millionaire? Does he go to Cambridge? Is his life in danger?

12^th of Never by James Patterson
Women's Murder Club Series Book #12

It's finally time! Detective Lindsay Boxer is in labor--while two killers are on the loose.

Lindsay Boxer's beautiful baby is born! But after only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career.

A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49ers is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, Lindsay is confronted with the strangest story she's ever heard: An eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and he's convinced is real. Lindsay doesn't believe him, but then a shooting is called in-and it fits the professor's description to the last detail.

Lindsay doesn't have much time to stop a terrifying future from unfolding. But all the crimes in the world seem like nothing when Lindsay is suddenly faced with the possibility of the most devastating loss of her life.

 

New York Times Best Seller List (5/26/13)

Note: Titles highlighted in BLUE are currently available for checkout. Titles highlighted in RED have been ordered and will be available for checkout soon.

FICTION

1. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
2. Silken Prey by John Sandford
3. 12th of Never by James Patterson
4. The Hit by David Baldacci
5. A Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans
6. A Delicate Truth by John le Carre
7. Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
9. Daddy's Gone a Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark
10. Robert B. Parker's Wonderland by Ace Atkins
11. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
12. Best Secret Ever by Jeffrey Archer
13. Paris by Edward Rutherford 
14. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
15. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
16. The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart
    

Have You Checked Out Our Children's Section Lately? Here's a Look at the Latest Additions...

Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen

Mortimer Henryson loves Plantzilla, the plant he's been taking care of all year in his third-grade classroom. He loves him so much, he takes him home for summer vacation. What could go wrong with a . . . plant? But life in the Henryson household soon takes a strange turn. A pot roast disappears, then steaks from the grill--and where has Mrs. Henryson's prize Chihuahua gone?

In this hilarious story told ingeniously through letters, Jerdine Nolen and David Catrow team up to show that when there's enough love, even the most unlikely character can become part of a family.

Fancy Nancy: the 100^th Day of School by Jane O’Connor

With the 100th day of school just around the corner, Nancy finds herself utterly stumped. She can't think of anything exciting, special, or imaginative enough to bring in to class to commemorate the day. Just as Nancy begins to lose hope, she finds inspiration from an unexpected source--and learns that even sad events can bring with them a glimmer of beauty.

This is a sweet and touching addition to the Fancy Nancy I Can Read series. With simple text, eye-popping illustrations, and a glossary of Fancy Words in the back, this is a perfect choice for young readers everywhere.

Bebe’s Bad Dream by G. Brian Karas

Bebe has a problem. Aliens are trying to eat her for dinner. She can see their beady eyes. She can hear their slurpy lips. They are everywhere, and they are out to get her.It doesn't matter to Bebe that her mother and her friends and ever her mean older brother, Walter (talk about a problem ), are telling her that the aliens are just a bad dream. Bebe KNOWS.

Just as she finally knows it is up to her to send them back to deep space, forever.

First Night by Harriet Ziefert

First Night is a fast-growing holiday celebrated in towns and cities all over America. What could be more fun than dressing up, marching in a parade, and heralding in the new year with music and fireworks! Leading this parade is the lucky little Amanda Dade. With baton in hand, she keeps a cast of one-of-a-kind, humorously-clad characters in line.
 

Zoom! by Diane Adams

A timid young boy joins his eager father for a ride on a roller coaster. After zigzagging through the line, the pair boards the DinoCoaster for a fast-paced ride that takes them upside down, lurching and tilting round and round. When the roller coaster finally comes to a stop, the excited young boy is ready for another ride?but his queasy father has other ideas.  
 

Is My Friend at Home by John Bierhorst

Here are seven interconnected stories about making and keeping friends, jewel-like tales originally told to the youngest listeners at Native American firesides in the Hopi country of northern Arizona. In John Bierhorst's authentic re-creation of a Pueblo storytelling session, readers and listeners will find out how Coyote got his short ears, why Mouse walks softly, and how Bee learned to fly.  
 

Flicker Flash by Joan Graham

Light can be dynamic, exciting, dramatic, comforting, fascinating, and welcoming. Turn on the light and open this book to see and feel the energy, emotion, and surprise of light in its many forms! Flicker Flash is a poetic exploration of a mutable yet omnipresent part of the world around us. 

From the flicker of birthday candles to a flash of lightning, from the bold bright sun to the calm full moon, from the steady beams that pulse from a lighthouse to the glow of a lamp that illuminates the pages of a book lovingly held by a child, all forms of light are given shape in this remarkable collection of poetry. 

Young readers' eyes will be opened to an amazing new way of perceiving poetry in everyday life.
 

The Steel Pan Man of Harlem by Colin Bootman

The city of Harlem is overrun by rats. One day, a mysterious man appears with a steel pan drum, promising to rid the city of its problem--for a price. The mayor has no choice but to agree. The steel pan man plays the sweetest melody anyone has ever heard and dances the rats out of the city.
 

Lupe Yargas and Her Super Best Friend/Lupe Vargas y Su Super Mejor Amiga by Amy Costales

Lupe and Maritza are super best friends. When they?re together, they can be anything they want?pirates, scientists, or heroes. When they?re apart, well, life just isn?t as fun. 

This is the story of two girls who make each day a new adventure. And when they get into a spat?which is inevitable even among the most super, best of friends?they have to find a way to make it right. And luckily, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, they do. Lupe Vargas and Her Super Best Friend brings the wonder of childhood friendships to life and captures the essence of what it means to be a kid? pirates? caps, magic potions, and all.
 
This is a multilingual edition that tells the story in English and Spanish.

Bearcub and Mama by Sharon Jennings

Bearcub follows his mama wherever she goes. By Mama's side, he discovers how to catch a fish and dig for grubs. With Mama's help, he learns to climb a tree and find honey. One day, Bearcub is exploring the high country when the sky darkens and a storm blows in. But this time, Mama is not there. Frightened and alone, Bearcub must rely on himself -- and all that his mama has taught him -- to weather the fierce winter storm.
 

Money Madness by David Adler

This brightly illustrated picture book introduces the concept of money, first by looking at its development as an alternative to bartering and then by explaining the many forms of money, from primitive rocks, feathers, and metal lumps to the familiar coins and paper bills to alternatives such as checks, credit cards, and digital forms of payment. 

Pattern Bugs by Trudy Harris

Patterns galore! In this book for young children, the concept of patterns is delightfully introduced with both graphics and text. The text indicates the pattern to be discovered through repeated words, and the illustrations reinforce the pattern with many different cues such as the other objects in the scene and the borders around the first piece of art in each pattern. An additional learning readiness skill -- prediction -- is also effectively used in this book.