What We're Reading

From Ms Kelly:

Hey, parents!  Looking for a series for your middle-schooler now that they’ve finished Harry Potter? Try Holly Black and Cassandra Clare’s new series, Magisterium.  Like the Harry Potter series, Black and Clare create a world in which magic exists in this coming-of-age story set in the modern U.S.

In the first book of the series, The Iron Trial, we meet our protagonist Callum Hunt.  Call’s father has spent his whole life telling Call magic is dangerous, and to avoid it at all cost.  Now that he’s twelve years old, Call fears his upcoming entrance test to the Magisterium, a school of magic that tests all the young mages, but only accepts the best. Although most young mages in the world would love to go to the Magisterium, Call knows of its dark reputation, and with the help of his father, plans to fail the test and live an ordinary life.  Will Call be able to keep his magic hidden, or will he be forced to leave his father and embrace his magical future at the Magisterium?

AR Level: 5.6

AR Points: 13

Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare:

1.The Iron Trial

2. The Copper Gauntlet

3.The Bronze Key

If you like The Iron Trial, you’ll also enjoy these Readalikes:

The Novice by Taran Matharu Misfit guys find themselves enrolled at magical schools where they must uncover deadly secrets. AR Level: 6.5 AR Points: 16 The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co.) by Jonathan Stroud Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood to investigate London’s ghostly epidemic. AR Level:5.1 AR Points: 14

From Ms. Kim Click Here to Start by Denis Markell When Ted's great-uncle dies, he leaves the entire contents of his apartment, including any treasures found within, to Ted.  Little does Ted know that he, along with two friends, will end up becoming a part of a real-life escape-the-room type computer game.  The 12-year-old just happens to be an expert at these games but soon realizes that there might be some real life danger involved as he works through the puzzle. If you like Click Here to Start, you’ll also enjoy these Readalikes: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein Twelve-year-old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his hero (the famous gamemaker, Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape AR Level: 4.5 AR Points: 7 Greenglass House by Kate Milford At Greenglass House, a smuggler's inn, twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his winter holidays relaxing but soon guests are arriving with strange stories about the house sending Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, on an adventure. AR Level: 5.4 AR Points: 15 The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. AR Level: 5.6 AR Points: 18 From Ms. Abby The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend.  AR Level: 5 AR Points: 12 If you liked The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle try these readlikes: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker Set in an alternative 16th-century England, Elizabeth Grey is the only girl in the king's elite group of witch hunters. When she's framed for being a witch herself, Elizabeth finds freedom at the hands of the world's most wanted wizard and her loyalties are tested AR Level: 4.2 AR Points: 13 Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón When boarding-school student Oscar Drai meets Marina, she promises him a mystery and takes him to a secret graveyard deep in Barcelona, where they witness a woman dressed in black lay a single rose atop a gravestone etched with a black butterfly. Their curiosity leads them down a dangerous path, and they discover a decades-old conspiracy that puts their lives in the hands of forces more sinister and mystical than they could have believed possible. Not an AR reader.

Goldilocks and the Three...

We hope that everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July Weekend! Nothing beats fireworks and barbecues as well as good times with family and friends.

Now that we're getting back into the swing of things, I thought I would share a little scenario that happened this last Saturday, which was actually my inspiration for this week's post. 

As many of you know, we have chairs set up in our main lobby, where Patrons can just sit and read, or simply relax. I suddenly realized Saturday that I had never sat in any of these comfy-looking chairs before, so I decided to try them out. 

When I sat down on the first one, I said  "This chair is too hard". So I moved on to the chair across from it, and when I sat down, I said "This chair is too soft". A coworker of mine laughed and said "You sound just like Goldilocks". 

Later that night, I looked up the Goldilocks books that we had and realized we had WAY more than just the original "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" story. So this week, I decided to share a few of the wacky Goldilocks books that we have in our collection. 

 

The Silly Story of Goldie Locks and the Three Squares is a fun re-telling of the original Goldie Locks. In this story, we meet the great-great granddaughter of the fairy tale Goldilocks, who like her Grandmother, finds a house in the woods and decides to take a look around. 

This re-telling not only retells the original Goldilocks and the Three Bears story, it gives you a fun and easy math lesson. Since this is a beginner book, I would recommend this book for ages 7+. 

AR READING LEVEL: 2.4
AR READING POINTS: 0.5 


 

Jan Brett is one of my all-time favorite children's authors, not just because of her amazing illustrations, but because she tells older fairy tales/fables that we sometimes forget about. 

This is the original story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Goldilocks wanders into the woods and stumbles across a house, where little does she know, three bears live! I don't want to spoil the whole story, for those of you who have not read yourself or to your little ones, but this is definitely a good one. 
  
AR READING LEVEL: 4.4
AR READING POINTS: 0.5 

  

Have you ever wondered, "What would it have been like if one of the Bears came into Goldilocks' house?" Leigh Hodgkinson does just that in Goldilocks and Just The One Bear,  where the Baby Bear from the old fairy tale visits a house in the big city. What will happen to the Baby Bear when he does all of the things that happened to him and his family in the woods? 

This fun and heart-warming story really made me fall in love with the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story in a whole new way.  
AR READING LEVEL: 3.5
AR READING POINTS: 0.5  





While the three bears go out for a walk, Goatilocks decides to take a little peak into their house to see what kind of mischief she can get into. What will happen to a goat when three bears find her rummaging through their home? 

AR READING LEVEL: 2.1
AR READING POINTS: 0.5 




This was definitely not the typical Goldilocks and the Three Bears retelling that I was prepared for. In Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, the three dinosaurs are PURPOSELY trying to get Goldilocks into their house so they can trap her and well... Eat her. 

Will Goldilocks fall for their diabolical scheme or will she discover their plot before it's too late? 

AR READING LEVEL: 4.2
AR READING POINTS: 0.5  

  

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas is a Chinese retelling of the original Goldilocks the Three Bears story. 
  
One Chinese New Year, her mother sends Goldy Luck to the pandas next door with a plate of turnip cakes, but the pandas are out and disaster follows. Includes a recipe for turnip cakes and an explanation of Chinese New Year.

This amazing retelling is definitely a way to show your little ones a little bit of a different culture, and how other cultures have the same problems we do with little girls causing disaster in bear's homes. 

AR READING LEVEL: 3.2
AR READING POINTS: 0.5   

Check out these charming and funny Goldilocks retellings, so everything will be "just right" when you're reading them with your little one(s)!  




  

National Hug Day

It's National Hug Day!! 

Celebrate this day by giving those you love a great big BEAR HUG and reading one of these 
hug-tastic children's books!

 

 The hug machine is available to hug anyone, any time, whether they are square or long, spiky or soft.







A huge bear is wandering through the forest - but wait a minute! Who's that he's hugging? A beaver? And a moose? And a bird? And a tree?

Welcome to the world of Big Bear Hug, a contemporary fable about a bear who has an appetite for hugging everything in sight - even creatures that bears have been known to eat. One day, the benevolent bear meets up with a human. This human proceeds to do something the bear cannot understand: he raises his axe and begins to cut down a tree. Suddenly the bear doesn't feel like hugging anymore and must make a difficult decision on how to stop this destruction in his forest.

The environmental message of Big Bear Hug is both funny and powerful, while simple enough to engage very young children and show them the awesome power of a hug.






Could you imagine no one wanting to hug you? Poor Ella porcupine is just hoping that someone will hug her someday very soon! Will she finally receive a hug, like she's always wanted? Find out in Hug Me  

AR Points
0.5 

Book Level 
2.6



In this Beginner book, Howie is trying to find someone in his family to give him a hug but everyone just seems to be too busy. Read this adorable book to find out if Howie Finds a Hug.

AR Reading Level: 1.1
AR Reading Points: 0.5





 A collection of eighteen short poems celebrating love and friendship between animals, from cats and sheep to giraffes and crocodiles.

AR Reading Level 
2.9

AR Points                                                                                                                                             0.5 

 

A perfect book to read to your toddlers. This fun board book shows how hugging, as well as singing, kissing, etc. can show your little ones you love and care about them! 

HAPPY NATIONAL HUG DAY!! 

Hope your day is filled with hugs of love and friendship! 

Vacation Reads

Happy (belated) New Year! We have been busy preparing our programs and catching up from the holidays. We hope you all had a most enjoyable holiday season. We had some time off in late December, and I filled my time with reading. I read three books over my vacation, and it got me thinking about how we choose what to read. I usually have a trunk full of books to choose from and generally have no less than 20 checked out at a time. This may seem like over-kill, but I rest easy knowing that I can select a book from various genres, reading levels, and length on a whim. The three I read over vacation were: Diary of  Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle. These books couldn't be more different from each other, but I enjoyed them all.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. Amulet Books, 2007.

This book series is still very popular at our library, especially with the recent release of book 9 in the series, The Long Haul. When I was browsing the shelves for good vacation reads and actually saw book one on the shelf, I snatched it up. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!

With minimalistic and goofy drawings coupled with his own words, Greg Heffley walks us through life in middle school in his diary journal. Greg goes through some tough times with his best friend, Rowley, as they get chased by bullies on Halloween, try to avoid the Cheese Touch at recess, and have to survive through a unit on wrestling in gym. In typical preteen fashion, Greg is utterly unaware of others feelings and his commentary is what drives the humor in the book.

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle. Harry N. Abrams, 2012.

I mean, look at that cover! Who wouldn't want to immediately crack this baby open?? I chose this book based on the cover (I know, I know! We shouldn't do that.) The story takes place in Ireland and follows 12 year-old Mary O'Hara as she struggles between being a girl and growing up. Mary is very close with her ailing grandmother, Emer, and visits her daily in the hospital with her mother, Scarlett. On Mary's walk home from school she meets an odd and old-fashioned woman. Upon further interaction, the woman turns out to be the ghost of her great-grandmother, Tansey! This book is so beautifully written, and celebrates the love a family can share, as well as the special bond between generations. After reading this cheeky and touching book, I want to move to Ireland and start saying 'grand'.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Bullseye Books, Reprint Edition 1988.

This classic book was originally published in 1961, and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. I often think I missed the boat on so many classics and have been chipping away at a list. If you're looking for a list New York Public Library shares a list of 100 classic children's books.

Milo is a young boy who is easily bored and unenthused about life in general. All of this changes for young Milo when he arrives home one day to find a magical tollbooth in his room! He assembles the booth and motors off in his play car, and into a world of imagination. Milo quickly makes several friends and they travel through a strange new world to save the princesses, Rhyme and Reason. The word play in this book had me laughing aloud, and I instantly fell in love. I was so eager to finish reading this book during a car trip that my helpful husband read the end to me. 

What books did you miss the first time around? Are there classics on your radar you want to read? What is it about a book that grabs your attention? Be sure to follow our books on Goodreads!

Fresh Picks! November

Can you believe it’s already November?! Here are some new books to cozy up with as the weather gets colder:

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes. By Nicola Davies. Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Candlewick Press, 2014.

Image from Amazon

Image from The New York Times

  

Did you know that there are creatures so tiny that millions of them can fit on an ant’s antenna? Using facts such as these to introduce the topic, Davies creatively makes the concept of microbes easily understandable. Tiny Creatures is a simple, concise, and beautifully illustrated look into a microscopic world all around us. With easy-to-relate-to analogies, comparisons, and retro-ish illustrations, Tiny Creatures is a fun, and informative book for learning about our world’s hardest workers. 

Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters. By Oliver Jeffers. Philomel Books, 2014.

Much more than your average alphabet book! From an Astronaut who’s afraid of heights, a hole that goes on Forever, to an Owl that rides onward on the back of an octopus, Jeffers' humorous and delightful mini-narratives make for a fun, surprising and exciting alphabet experience. 

Quest. By Aaron Becker. Candlewick Press, 2014.

The journey continues! An imaginative, and adventure-packed sequel to the Caldecott Honor book, Journey. This wordless picture book takes readers into a fast-paced, thrilling fantasyland. “Becker creates a visual narrative that is clear enough for children to decipher but complex enough to reward multiple readings.” –School Library Journal  

Sisters. By Raina Telgemeier. Scholastic, 2014.

A companion to Telgemeier’s #1 New York Times bestselling, and award-winning graphic novel, Smile. Telgemeier once again creates a relatable, and funny story for young adults. As Raina heads out for a family road trip from California to Colorado, she experiences an eventful trip with her mother, sister, and younger brother. A great story about families, but especially sisters.

Spirit’s Key. By Edith Cohen. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014.

 After Spirit's dog, Sky, mysteriously dies, a strange sickness spreads throughout her town killing its people and dogs. Everyone on the island blames the wild dogs, thought to possess dangerous spirits. Everyone except Spirit. A race against time, Spirit must solve the mystery to save the island before it's too late. With themes of belonging, doing what is right, and overcoming loss, Cohn's debut novel is like no other.

Books That Will Fright and Delight!

We have selected our favorite books for this creepy season! We hope you enjoy our suggestions.

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage. Kathy Dawson Books, 2014.

Image from Amazon

Miss Mo LoBeau may be the most charming southern detective I have encountered! This book is the sequel to Turnage's Three Times Lucky, Mo's introductory story and equally amazing book. Mo is one half of the Desperado Detective Agency, along with her pal Dale. Together they tackle a possibly haunted inn, the new kid in town, and all the other every day problems a sixth-grade has to deal with. This book is so spectacular, I could not put it down!

The Game of Shadows by Hervé Tullet.  Phaidon Press Limited, 2013.

Image from eslite.com

This time of year leads us to think about what may be hiding in the shadows. Tullet's board book takes an interesting look at light and dark, and invites readers to play with the pages! Grab a flashlight, shut the curtains, and investigate the wonderful cut-outs that adorn each page. You may find that some shadows are worth exploring.




Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara. Square Fish, 2008.

Image from Amazon.

When a young girl moves into the big house at the edge of town, she discovers a spooky problem: her house is haunted! She takes a witty and unexpected tactic to deal with her specters. Her approach will have younger readers delighted with this ghost story.




Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka. Walden Pond Press, 2011.

Image from Goodreads.

Jon Scieszka is the founder of Guys Read, a group that encourages boys to read. In the second book of the Guys Read library, Scieszka has compiled ten stories that will make you squirm and shriek until the very end. 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. HarperCollins, 2008.

Image from Goodreads.

This Newbery award winner begins with a murder, and ends with readers wanting more. Nobody Owens, or Bod for short, is orphaned and taken in by the inhabitants of the local graveyard. His new ghostly family teach him the way of the world, both now and as it was during their own lives. Bod has to try and make his way in the human world and leave the ghosts of his past behind. This book is now available as a graphic novel, as well.

 


If you are looking for some spooky series to read, we have you covered! Take your pick of over 70 Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine, the Creepover series by P.J. Night, or the Poison Apple books. Ask your librarian for more recommendations.


If you are looking for spooktacular ways to celebrate the season, we will be hosting several programs!

Trail Tale:
The Grafton-Midview Public Library and the Lorain County Metroparks are collaborating to bring you a new way to share reading and nature with your families!
All week long you can find pages from Click, Clack, Boo: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin along the Beech-Maple Trail at Indian Hollow Reservation to read while you hike. Once you finish the hike, head to the Grafton-Midview Public Library and tell your librarians your favorite part of the story for a prize. Registration is not required.

If you would like to get extra wear out of your costumes, we will be hosting a Spooky Stroll to hike and read the Trail Tale at Indian Hollow from 1-2 PM on Saturday, October 25th.

The Great Pup-kin:
Join GMPL for a howlin' good time at this 4th annual event. Bring your dog in a costume for a chance to win doggone good prizes. Dog rescue groups promoting National Dog Adoption month. Adoptable dogs will be available. Meet your new best friend. Professional photographer Laura Bower will be on hand to take pictures during this event. Door Prizes, doggy goody bags and much more. Registration is required.

Monster Mash:
*Please note: we will not be having our regularly scheduled storytimes the week of Halloween. Join us on Wednesday, October 29th from 6:30-7:30 PM for a fun-filled night of stories, games, and creepy snacks. We'll monster mash at this Halloween bash. Coming in costumes would be wise, you don't want to be caught without a disguise!