Our Favorite Books of 2017!

We've read some great books this year in the GMPL Children's Department and want to share with you some of our favorites. Click the title of the book to see it in our catalog and place a hold. Pro tip: books also make great gifts! Happy reading and a happy 2018!

Miss Abby's Top 3
1. Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
Why: I thought the world she created was really interesting, and I liked that it had an open ending. It wasn't tied neatly in a bow. I thought the concept was original and really enjoyed seeing Jinny's journey, both her successes and failures. She was a very real character to me, good qualities and flaws.








 2. Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty
Why: This series has just the right amount of creepy and fantastic/magical elements to be really intriguing to me. It was a very engaging story. I needed to know what things were going to play out, and I like the characters and world. It's mostly realistic, yet contains magic. It made me think about how I feel about magic's place in the world we live in. 






3. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Why: This was a clean, simple, good story. It takes place over one summer and follows sisters and the shenanigans they get into. Each sister has a distinct personality. It's kind of a coming of age story, yet takes place in a very short span of time. It's a good snippet of childhood, I think. 







Miss Kim's Top 3
1. The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors  by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Why: We've all played the game but I can bet we have never thought about WHY Rock and Paper and Scissors need to battle.  This book begs to be read aloud to a group of slightly older kids.  Just before summer break, my own 3rd grader and her class loved it!








2. Escargot by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Sydney Hanson
Why: I can truly say that this is the only book I feel I need to read with a French accent.  There are even some interactive bits to get kids involved in getting Escargot the snail to his salad.

3. The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Why: I have been listening to many different books this year but this was one of my favorites.  There was puzzle solving, code breaking, explosions, mystery, apothecaries, and it all takes place in 1665 London, just before the Great Plague hit in full force.

Miss Liz's Top 3

1. Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Why: Making and keeping friends is not easy, and this graphic novel based on the author's own childhood experiences is one of the most relatable friendship stories I've ever read. Fans of Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson or any of Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels will love this. 

2. The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Why: Ever wondered why wolves howl at the moon? This hilarious picture book will give you the answer, along with many belly laughs along the way. 

3. Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Why: This story set in the 1920s off the coast of Massachusetts is full of adventure and mystery while being beautifully written at the same time. I loved the backdrop of the rustic Elizabeth Islands and often felt as if I were there myself. Crow's courageous and spunky personality is really endearing and readers will definitely be rooting for her throughout the entire book. 

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.

What We've Been Reading--Abby

This January I decided to set a goal to read 50 books this year, and have since been reading away. While not all the books have been children’s books, these past few months I’ve been picking them up more. Around this time of year, as the season changes, I find myself drawn to stories that lean towards being a bit darker. I want some mystery. Maybe a creepy house, a twisted fairytale, or something just weird. I found what I was looking for in Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry, and Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson.

Anya’s Ghost is better suited for older readers. We consider it a YA novel, because of the cigarette smoking, and some other mature content. However, it’s a great story of Anya, a first generation Russian immigrant, as she deals with her cultural identity, being a teenager, and the creepy events that happen after she falls down a well, and finds a human skeleton.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a super fun murder mystery. The students of St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls face a harrowing situation, as their headmistress and her brother drop dead during dinner. Do they tell someone what’s happened and face being separated from each other, or conceal the murder, and pretend all is well? Set in Victorian England, it’s a fun read full of great characters.

Nooks & Crannies is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets the board game Clue. Tabitha Crum a smart, mystery-loving girl is unloved by her parents. With no friends besides her pet mouse, Pemberley, she sets out on an adventure after receiving a mysterious invitation to the country estate of the wealthy, and reclusive Countess of Windermere, whose mansion is rumored to be haunted. She finds herself among five other children, unsure of why they’ve been invited. Soon, a large secret, one that could change their lives forever will be revealed, but not before Tabitha’s investigative skills are put to the test.

As a Librarian and lover of books, I often get swept up in the newest book that we’ve got in, and completely ignore my own bookshelf at home, which is full of books I’ve meant to read, but haven’t got to. While trying to get back to the I’ve-been-meaning-to-read-this-for-5-years-or-longer book, I picked up the classic, Heidi. The copy I have was once my grandmother’s, which she has since gifted to me. Published in the 1945, the book has beautiful illustrations, and makes reading a classic even more enjoyable. I found Heidi’s innocence, and positivity to be very inspiring, and found great joy in reading a story that’s 134 years old. Having not given travelling to Switzerland much thought previously, I now think travelling through the Swiss Alps would be an incredible, and restorative experience, just as it was for Heidi. 

In keeping with reading classic Children’s literature, I also recently picked up The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. I found the friendships between Mole, Ratty, Badge, and Toad to be most amusing, and somewhat inspirational. I found a certain honesty, and introspection to the characters and the writing that I haven’t read for a while, and very much enjoyed.

Here are some other books I’ve read, and really enjoyed:

Beyond the Laughing Sky by Michelle Cuevas

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Fortunately, the Milk

 Can a container of milk save the entire universe? Sounds unlikely, but you never know what is possible when the wonderful Neil Gaiman is in control. If you read his newest children's novel, Fortunately, the Milk, you may be surprised to discover the sort of heroic feats one can accomplish with a container of milk.

The whimsical story begins with a fairly typical uninspiring conundrum, there is no milk for the children to eat their breakfast cereal or for Dad to have with his tea. Mom is out of town for the week on a work trip leaving Dad in charge of the house and family and he has forgotten to pick up more milk. Dad leaves his two children staring at their bowls of dry cereal to quickly pick up some milk. Time goes by, "ages" according to the children, until Dad finally returns home with the milk in hand. The children ask what took him so long, curious whether he was held up chatting with a friend at the market. Indeed, he said hello to a friend, but that was not what held him up. He was held up due to his run-in with various crazed snot aliens obsessed with redecorating the Earth. To escape, he had to use the emergency exit through the space-time continuum door, which only led to more dangerous encounters. Reader, are you enticed yet?!

Upon entering the emergency exit, he is dropped into the ocean only to be scooped up by the Queen of Pirates and her crew. He is saved by a genius stegosaurus in a hot air balloon time machine, or a "Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier" as Professor Steg calls it. Dad travels through space and time with the amazing dinosaur, clutching his container of milk the entire time. The two of them meet many other raucous, unfriendly characters along the way and eventually must face off with the disgustingly drippy aliens once again. Aliens who are bent on replacing the Earth's trees with plastic pink flamingos I must add.  

The story is a great, short read filled to the brim with hilarious scenes and unlikely creatures (ahem, enter dinosaur police force). I laughed and giggled out loud at many passages and the book is filled with Gaiman's signature humor. The illustrations by Young are equally impressive and lend a further lightheartedness to this slightly absurd story. This is a good middle grade pick for readers who may not be drawn to Gaiman's other wonderful, but significantly darker, tales. Fortunately, the Milk would be a splendid reading option for adventure, fantasy and science fiction fans alike. What better way to spend a rainy October afternoon then traveling through time with a genius stegosaurus in a hot air balloon?


Gaiman, Neil. Fortunately, the Milk. Illustrated by Skottie Young. 114 p. Harper. 2013.