Fresh Picks! September

Happy September! Here are some of our current favorite books:

Turtle Island by Kevin Sherry. Dial, 2014.

Picture from nytimes.com

Turtle, the star of this story, is indeed as big as an island. Even giant turtles get lonely sometimes, however. One day Turtle comes across a group of animals that have been shipwrecked and offers to use his shell to make a home for the animals. Once they are settled, the animals begin to miss their own families and decide to set off and leave Turtle alone once again. The story does have a happy ending, but you'll have to read it to find out more.

Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrup. Scholastic Press, 2014.

Image from Goodreads

Davey is vacationing with his family in the Florida Keys and wakes up early morning feeling quite bored and decides to head out to explore.   His morning adventure quickly turns dangerous as Davey finds himself unintentionally drifting off to sea at the mercy of a school of tiger sharks.  How will Davey survive?  He didn’t leave a note, so how will his family ever find him?  Author Michael Northrup provides the answers in short, suspenseful chapters.  Surrounded by Sharks is a thrilling page-turner, perfect for reluctant readers and anyone interested in stories of survival.  

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin. Flash Point, 2012.

Image from Amazon

Steve Sheinkin’s latest offering explores the race to build the first atomic bomb during the Second World War.  Readers will learn about this intense race through the stories of brilliant physicists, secret missions, and spy rings.   Sheinkin reveals a host of intriguing characters and side notes as he informs readers about this tumultuous chapter in history.  While the conclusion is already written in history, Sheinkin presents this material in such an engaging manner that readers will likely find themselves looking for even more answers and details on this topic.

Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell. Running Press Kids, 2014.

Image from Goodreads

Still holding on to the last bits of summer?  Bethany Crandell offers teens the true summer experience through the realistic voice of Cricket Montgomery who is forced into summer camp by her father.  Find out what happens as Cricket finds herself out of her comfort zone as she is volunteered to supervise a pack of special needs tweens all summer long.  This book is a light, but moving read that is filled with plenty of humor and romance and will likely leave readers craving their next summer break.