Children’s Books for Spring

Spring’s greatest joy beyond a doubt is when it brings the children out – Edgar Guest

It is said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Springtime arrives in the middle of the month. March is a picture of baby bunnies, baby chicks and flowers. March also brings us the beginning of daylight-saving time, St. Patrick’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter.

There are so many delightful books about the season of spring.  Many of the subjects covered in these books are about warming temperatures and new life. These books focus on the end of hibernation, the sprouting of seeds, the budding of trees, and the return of migratory birds. March is a month full of new life and new beginnings.

Abracadabra, It’s Spring!

Bloom, Boom!

Diego’s Springtime Fiesta

Finding Spring

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

Spring is Here

by Christy Schurter, Youth Services Assistant

2024-03-07T14:12:12-06:00March 15th, 2024|

New Children’s Book Highlight: Light and Air

New Book Highlight: Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell

Genre: Historical Fiction

Suggested Age: 8-14 years old

Light and Air takes place in the 1930s and shows the widespread impact of tuberculosis. Halle’s mother falls ill and is taken to a nearby sanitorium, which treats tuberculosis patients with sunlight and fresh air. Halle struggles with a strained relationship with her father and fallout from her classmates, before she mysteriously becomes sick and must also move to the sanitorium. This is a beautiful book that shows family struggles and building new friendships in unexpected places. It also includes some reference notes at the end, which explains more about early tuberculosis treatment and compares the story to reality. This is a great book for readers who love to read about history, with a light mystery mixed in!

Read this if you like: books based on history, Refugee by Alan Gratz, Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ignalls Wilder, I Survived series

Light and Air is available in print, and as an ebook on the Boundless app!

by Alyssa Young, Youth Services Assistant

2024-03-07T14:14:25-06:00March 11th, 2024|

New Adult Fiction March 2024

Spring is almost here, so check out some fresh, new arrivals in the month of March!

Murder in the Tea Leaves by Laura Childs

A movie director’s death on set at a haunted manor launches Theodosia Browning into an electrifying investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series. Theodosia and Drayton were expecting a mellow break from the bustle at the Indigo Tea Shop while catering a film, until the director ropes Theodosia into a role as a fortune teller. At the haunted Brittleback Manor, Theodosia’s character will read tea leaves and give a bitter prediction. But when it’s time for her close-up, the lights flash and the movie director spasms on the floor until he is dead. Amid the conflicts on set and the spooky legend of Brittleback Manor, where the film is set, Theodosia must investigate all the suspects–living or dead–to find the culprit.

 

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison

Petra Grady has known since adolescence that she has no talent for magic–and that’s never going to change. But as a sweeper first-class, she’s parlayed her rare ability to handle dross–the damaging, magical waste generated by her more talented kin’s spellwork–into a decent life working at the mages’ university. Except Grady’s relatively predictable life is about to be upended. When the oblivious, sexy, and oh-so-out-of-reach Benedict Strom needs someone with her abilities for a research project studying dross and how to render it harmless, she’s stuck working on his team–whether she wants to or not. Only Benedict doesn’t understand the characteristics of dross like Grady does. After an unthinkable accident, she and Benedict are forced to go on the run to seek out the one person who might be able to help: an outcast exiled ten years ago for the crime of using dross to cast spells. Now Grady must decide whether to stick with the magical status quo or embrace her own hidden talents … and risk shattering their entire world.

 

Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi

For reasons of her own, Hero Tojosoa accepts an invitation she was half expected to decline, and finds herself in Prague on a bachelorette weekend hosted by her estranged friend Sofie. Little does she know she’s arrived in a city with a penchant for playing tricks on the unsuspecting. A book Hero has brought with her seems to be warping her mind: the text changes depending on when it’s being read and who’s doing the reading, revealing startling new stories of fictional Praguers past and present. Uninvited companions appear at bachelorette activities and at city landmarks, offering opinions, humor, and even a taste of treachery. When a third woman from Hero and Sofie’s past appears unexpectedly, the tensions between the friends’ different accounts of the past reach a new level.

 

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

Landing on a new planet where he’s instantly caught up in the struggle between a tyrant and the rebels, Nomad, in a world under constant threat of a sunrise whose heat will melt the very stones, must gain enough power to leap offworld before he pays the ultimate price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never Too Late by Danielle Steel

Kezia Cooper Hobson, recently widowed, arrives in New York from San Francisco. Determined to make a fresh start, she has just completed the sale of her Pacific Heights home, not to mention her late husband’s venture capital firm, and in doing so is also freed from her responsibility as a board member of the company. Bringing with her only a few personal treasures, she is excited to move into the blank slate of a beautiful midtown penthouse in the city that she has always loved. It is also where her two adult daughters now live. As Kezia settles into her new apartment, she meets her movie-star next-door neighbor, Sam Stewart, whose terrace borders hers. Just a couple of weeks after she arrives, however, a devastating crisis strikes New York City. Kezia and Sam find themselves connecting over their strong impulse to help those in need. As they share a life-changing experience of volunteering, a bond is sparked and a friendship is formed. Kezia’s daughters, Kate and Felicity, both more focused on their own love lives than hers, are taken aback by their mother’s new friendship. But Kezia is learning that the changes she’s making are just what she needs to open new horizons.

 

The Icarus Job by Timothy Zahn

For years Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene worked as crocketts, combing through the atmospheres of uninhabited worlds for places that might be colonized or hold valuable resources. Now, they work for the Icarus Group, a top-secret government organization hunting for portals created by a long-vanished alien race, portals that can teleport a person hundreds or thousands of light-years in the blink of an eye. Usually, those hunts are long and tedious. But Roarke has now been handed an intriguing offer. A criminal boss, Robertine Cherno, will hand over a hitherto unknown portal to the Icarus Group in exchange for Roarke and Selene agreeing to transport a passenger named Nikki across the Spiral. There’s only one catch. Nikki is a professional, high-priced, highly feared assassin. And she’s on the job. That would have been bad enough. But when the alien Patth also move to gain possession of the portal, bad quickly promises to go to worse. Especially when it becomes clear that Nikki herself is being hunted by someone.

 

COMING SOON!

In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner

A Love Discovered by Tracie Peterson

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

2024-03-07T12:14:51-06:00March 7th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Zilot & Other Important Rhymes

Zilot & Other Important Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk

Reviewed by:  Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant

Genre: Poetry, Comedy

Suggested Age: All Ages

What is the book about?  Bob Odenkirk (yes, Saul from the Breaking Bad universe) has compiled this anthology of hilarious poetry with the assistance of his adult children. Growing up, the Odenkirk family were profoundly literary and bonded over story times. Bob recalls that they particularly loved laughing together over funny stories and pictures. He wanted his children to see that authors were bona fide people and that they too could create something fun. That’s where Zilot began. The family wrote these poems which they bound in a homemade tome they entitled “Old Time Rhymes”. Later, the Odenkirks chose to share their creativity with the world by publishing their original works under the title poem “Zilot”. Each poem is unique- sometimes even using words made up by the young Odenkirks (a la’ Suess). Bob’s daughter, Erin, has contributed to the collection by illustrating these hilarious rhymes- adding even more context to the jokes.

 My review: It has been a very long time since I first read Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, but Zilot reignited my interest in comedic children’s poetry from the first page. These rhymes were hilarious and inventive and I loved getting a peak into the Odenkirks’ childhood, especially as a fan of Bob from his acting career. This is a great book to read straight through, or page-through at random. I think kids and adults of any age will find a poem or two that elicits a giggle.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Zany, witty, imaginative

Give This a Try if You Like… Shel Silverstein, laughing at bed time, Dr. Seuss

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

 

 

2024-02-28T14:16:30-06:00February 28th, 2024|

Youth Services Highlight: The Takeout

The Takeout by Tracy Badua

Reviewed By: Julie Fonseca, Youth Services Assistant

Genre: Adventure Fantasy (graphic novel)

Suggested Age: Kids (8-12)

Read this if you like: books by Lily Lamotte (Measuring Up), or Tae Keller (Jennifer Chan is Not Alone)

Filipino-American, Mila spends the summer working in her Dad’s food truck in an upscale California beach-front community. When the famous Fad Foodie Brothers come to town with a too-familiar menu, Mila goes undercover to save her family’s business. Unravelling their plot takes place as Mila struggles to find her place amongst her friends and family. As Mila says, “All our stories are different, even if we come from the same place or go to the same schools or share the same ancestors. So why, all this time, have I been struggling to strip away the parts that make me special?.” A fun story with a good message.

Find it at the library!

2024-02-16T09:28:36-06:00February 15th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Katie the Catsitter

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable

Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager

Genre: Superhero fantasy (graphic novel)

Suggested Age:  Kids (7-12)

What is This Book About:  Katie desperately wants to join her friends at camp this summer, instead of being left behind to read glittery postcards about it. When her mom considers sending her if she can raise the money to attend, Katie immediately starts on fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, all of her attempts end in funny failures so things are looking bleak until Katie’s mysterious upstairs neighbor hires her to pet sit. Katie thinks she might be a bit out of her league when she discovers that Madeline has 217 cats, and once their owner leaves they go berserk. Katie grows suspicious at the cats’ antics as well as Madeline’s behavior. Why is it that Madeline is always out when super villain Mousetress commits her crimes?

My Review: If you ever wanted to believe that your troublesome pets are actually angels, this is a perfect book. I could read biographies of all 217 rambunctious cats and be entertained for ages. I love that they all get names, personalities, and are able to help out Madeline – I mean, Mousetress – with her heroic efforts. This alternate New York City sets up a really interesting society with Yelp-approved super-heroics. Katie and her friends are easy to relate to also. Despite the fantastic nature of Katie the Catsitter, they have normal problems such as struggles with potentially growing apart and wondering if they’re still as important to each other as they used to be. All in all, this is an energetic superhero story with 218 delightful sidekicks.

Three Words that Describe this Book: upbeat, superheroes, friendship

Give This A Try if You Like…  The Click series by Kayla Miller, Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, the Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey, the PAWS series by Nathan Fairbairn, Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd, and Sparks! by Ian Boothby

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

2024-02-12T10:16:50-06:00February 12th, 2024|

Kids’ Book Blurb: Allergic

Youth Services Manager, Alice, read the junior graphic novel Allergic, by Megan Wagner Lloyd. Allergic was also the January selection for our Kids’ Comic Book Club! Here is what Alice had to say:

“This was an awesome book that had been on my TBR list for a long time (and definitely didn’t make me tear up at all). Maggie has a lot of change going on in her life, with a new school, new baby sibling on the way, and a new neighbor. She wanted something all her own, but her hopes for a pet dog and a career as a vet are quickly dashed when they realize she’s allergic to fur and feathers.

Maggie goes through a few disappointments and friendship struggles, and comes out on the other side with stronger relationships with her friends and family, as well as new passions for non-furry animals. The art will strongly appeal to fans of Karla Miller, Raina Telgemeier, and The Baby-Sitter’s Club. Great for upper elementary and junior high kids.”

Joins for Kids’ Comic Book Club in February when we read Drama, by Raina Telgemeier!

2024-01-26T10:46:05-06:00January 26th, 2024|

Animals in Winter

How do animals survive in winter?

Winter is here and it’s snowy and cold!!! You put on your hat, scarf, coat, and boots to keep warm outside. What do animals do in the winter? Do they hibernate, migrate or adapt? Are they active or inactive? Check out some of the books Fondulac District Library has on Animals in Winter!!!

Non-fiction

Animals in Winter

What Do Animals Do in Winter?: How Animals Survive the Cold

Hello, Winter!

Over and Under the Snow

Picture Books

Baby Bear Counts One

Under the Snow

Kitten’s Winter

In the Small, Small Pond

hoopla eBooks

Animals in Winter

Where Do Worms Go in Winter?

All About Animals in Winter

What Do Animals Do in Winter?

by Kris Tyler, Youth Services Specialist

2024-01-19T10:33:57-06:00January 21st, 2024|

FDL Reads: Virtually Me

Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Youth Services Specialist

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Suggested Age: 8-11 years

What is this book about? Virtually Me follows a group of middle school kids, post-pandemic, as they start a new school year. The group consists of Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko. Each of them have chosen to take a chance on the new virtual reality school in an attempt to start fresh or keep up with their reputation. As the book goes on, though, they discover it becomes harder and harder to keep their pasts a secret. Soon they learn that perhaps the people they want to be in virtual reality have been them all along.

My Review: Morris and Brown do a great job at bringing all the real hopes, fears, and anxieties of middle school to the virtual world. They use relatable text to challenge the reader to question what it means to be a good friend. They also give great examples of how to treat everybody no matter what they look like or the reputation they hold. Virtually Me highlights the great possibilities and anxious worries of what virtual reality can be when implanted into the everyday practices of our society.

Three Words that Describe this Book: Fun, timely, friendly

Give this a try if you like… Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas, Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

 

FDL Reads

 

2024-01-11T18:21:50-06:00January 11th, 2024|

December is Cat Lovers’ Month!

December is Cat Lovers’ Month!

December is full of celebration. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas are a few of the holidays we recognize this month, but did you know December is also National Cat Lovers’ Month?

During National Cat Lover’s Month, we honor the beauty, smarts and sass of our feline friends. Evidence suggests that cats were domesticated more than 9,500 years ago, and according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 25 percent of households are home to a cat. (source: americanhumane.org)

We have books that not only celebrate Christmas, but also celebrate our kitty companions!

Kids

Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by Kimberly and James Dean

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin and James Dean

Where’s Santa Boo? By Salina Yoon

The Shy Little Kitten’s Christmas by Kristen Depken

The Cat Who Ate Christmas by Lil Chase

Sammy Claws the Christmas Cat by Lucy Rowland

Stowaway in a Sleigh by Roger C. Mader

Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood

A Very Fuddles Christmas by Frans Vischer

Mouse’s Christmas Cookie by Patricia Thomas

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty by Diane De Groat

Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron

Christmas Kitten, Home at Last by Robin Pulver

Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton

A Christmas Surprise (Magic Kitten Series #15) by Sue Bentley

Santa’s Snow Cat by Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer

Adults

A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary

Snowball’s Christmas by Kristen McKanagh

Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley

The Christmas Cat by Melody Carson

The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown

The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas: How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love by Julia Romp

The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory

2023-12-13T16:55:29-06:00December 16th, 2023|
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