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. 

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! 

Cheesy Books for a Cheesy Day

GUESS WHAT TODAY IS??

IT'S NATIONAL CHEESE DAY

Scroll to bottom to watch how cheese is made!

We're going to take some time to celebrate one of America's favorite foods. So grab your cheese knife and pay homage to the glory of this dairy product with your family and some of these books!

Our first book is tale of a miraculous, odorous cheese that is stolen under the noses of the Farmers in the Dell. They call on the intelligent Sherlock Bones, who uses his senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing to track down the thief. Along the way he visits the Muffin Man and the Giant. Who do you think stole the cheese? There's only one way to find out! Come visit us and help Sherlock Bones solve the mystery!

Book Level: 2.3

AR Points: 0.5

Did you know? There are around 2,000 kinds of cheese! The most popular one in America is "Macaroni and Cheese".  [Facts courtesy of the International Dairy Foods Association]

In this folktale, we have cheese at the heart of the matter. As two cats argue over how to split up their prized find evenly, a nearby monkey offers to help. Little do these cats know that they are about to be duped! After most of their cheese has mysteriously disappeared, they still continue to suspect the other of having more cheese. This story shows a lesson in sharing. Sometimes it's not how much you get, but just that you shared with a friend that matters. Otherwise, you might have a clever monkey come and steal all your cheese while you argue!

Book Level: 2.7

AR Points: 0.5

Cheesy Joke

Q: Did you hear about the cheese that failed to medal at the Olympics?

A: It fell at the final curdle! 

Let's get cooking! This book is a great way to introduce your children to working in the kitchen. It goes through kitchen safety, cooking tools and utensils, and how to measure ingredients. It also gives you some fun facts about cheese! But now to the fun part, the recipes! They start out simple and progressively get more difficult. You can learn how to make homemade cheesy mac, creamy cheese dip, Italian cheese bites, nutty cheese nibbler, fancy grilled cheese, fried cheese fritters, cheeselicious chowder, and cheddar crispies. Happy cooking!

Did you know? Cheese can be made from cow, buffalo, goat, horse, and even camel milk!

Join Remy on his adventure from the garbage..I mean food taster..in his rat family, to owning his very own restaurant! He gets separated from his family and finds his way to Paris, befriending a struggling chef named Linguini. The two of them become partners and crime and even impress the most intimidating food critic in all of Paris!

Book Level: 1.7

AR Points: 0.5

Cheesy Joke

Q: When should you keep an eye on your cheese?

A: When it's up to no Gouda!

Scieszk and Smith's book is a satirical take on many of the classic fairy tales we grew up with as children. It's a book gone topsy turvy with Jack the Narrator who tries to tame the Giant who is tired of being tricked every time Jack and the Bean Stalk is told. Little Red Riding Hood becomes Little Red Running Shorts. The classic tales Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin combine to become Cinderumpelstiltskin. And there's of course, the timeless classic, The Stinky Cheese Man filling in for The Gingerbread Man! This is not your typical read, but it will keep you guessing the whole way through!

Book Level: 3.4

AR Points: 0.5

Did you know? It takes about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese. Imagine how much milk would go to waste if it weren't for the wonderful creation of delicious cheese!!

We have come full circle back the Dell and all of its inhabitants. The rat just doesn't see why the cheese should stand alone just because of a silly song. It looks lonely! As he is sneaking his way to nibble the cheese, he runs into his cohorts: the cat, the dog, the child, the mom, the cow, and the farmer. The cheese just sounds so tempting and all their stomachs are growling...but the the song says to leave the cheese alone! Want to know what happens? Come check The Cheese out from the library and discover the fate of our struggling friends!

Book Level: 2.7

AR Points: 0.5

HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESE DAY

Enjoy this video about cheesemaking on both a farm and a factory!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXhXTs5uwyg

We're Back!

Thanks for bearing with us while we were busy at the library! We finished up our summer with a bang, and are full into our fall programs now. Fall is a great time for reading, and we wanted to share a really cool event with you.

On October 19^th, Read Across the Globe, a literacy initiative, is attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the most children reading with an adult in 24 hours! The official book selection is Farmer Will Alan and the Growing Table, but any reading counts! For more information, go their website.

Fall is in full swing, and a perfect time to grab a new read. Here are some of our favorite books of the season:

Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

A Friend for All Seasons by Julia Hubery

Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Adventures with Barefoot Critters by Teagan White

What are your favorite fall reads? 

Fresh Picks! April

April is nearing it's end, and we've been busily getting ready for summer reading. We're going to have lots of great programs and activities to keep you and your family busy. Only 51 more days until all the craziness starts! Until then, here are some of our new books to keep you occupied:

The Riverman by Aaron Starmer. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014. 

aaronstarmer.com

This first book in the Riverman trilogy is truly original and exciting! Fiona Loomis, the weird girl next door, tasks Alistair Cleary with writing her biography. After Fiona visits a magical world through the portal in her basement, she learns of a creature called the Riverman who steals the souls of children, and fears hers may be next. Alistair must separate fact from fiction, and fantasy from reality to save Fiona and possibly himself. 

Book Level: 4.9

AR Points: 10.0

Home by Carson Ellis. Candlewick Press, 2015. 

blog.nationale.us

 

Ellis' illustrations give a whole new meaning to home. Every page is filled with delightful interpretations of many different homes, from a Norse god, to a raccoon, to the little old lady who lives in a shoe. 

A Violin for Elva by Mary Lyn Ray. Illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Houghton Mifflin Hartcourt, 2015. 

 

This is a story not only for kids, but also great for adults. Full of passion for music, Elva wants a violin. After her parents won't let her get one, Elva spends her time pretending. As she moves through her life her passion never fades, but she always has some reason for not learning to play violin. A story that shows the importance of following what makes your heart sing, and for learning it's never too late.

The Wild Weather Book: Loads of Things to Do Outdoors in Rain, Wind, and Snow by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield. Frances Lincoln, 2013. 

Although there were some flakes recently, we're hoping that there won't be any more snow. This is Ohio, so who knows, but here's hoping. However, there's bound to be wind and rain. Some might think that neither are good for playing outside in, but this book will show you otherwise! Loaded with fun things to do in all kinds of weather, this book is great for chasing away boredom. Use your imagination and creativity to make a natural umbrella, or rain shadows. Blow some bubbles in the wind, and make a wind flag! This book is an exciting way to engage your imagination and wonder for the world.

With May almost here, our new calendar is out and chock full with all the programs we'll be doing this summer.  For more information on our upcoming programs check out our website. 

National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world! Founded in 1996, National Poetry Month is celebrated all over by schools, publishers, poets (of course), and libraries. As lovers of reading and all things literary, GMPL joins in the festivities. Here are some great books to introduce and foster the love of poetry in your kids:

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Silverstein is classic poetry for children. The poems are silly, sometimes weird, and heartfelt. Paired with fun illustrations, even adults can get behind the youthfulness of Silverstein.

i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings. Illustrated by Mati McDonough

This picture book takes the work of a poet, e.e. cummings, someone not necessarily recognized as writer of children's poetry, and makes it accessible to readers of all ages. McDonough's illustrations compliment the words of cummings, and creates a beautiful, heartwarming poetic experience. 

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

While some boys might take to poetry like it's second nature, other might not express interest. Raczka and Reynolds paired up to bring a book of haiku poems specifically with boys in mind. The book moves through the four seasons with poems involving all sorts of activities,  including splashing sisters with muddy puddles. A great book for boys who don't think they like poetry. 

Poems in Black & White by Kate Miller

Miller's illustrations are as beautiful as her poems in this book. Her poems vary in style, and explore different subjects, from a comet to bowling! This book is great for children and grown-ups alike.

For kids interested in exploring poetry online, check out Jack Prelutsky's website for all kinds of fun: http://jackprelutsky.com/ For the whole month of April, we'll have our poetry display up in the children's department. Come in to check out these, and many more!

Fresh Picks! December

As 2014 comes to a close, we thought we'd go out with a bang and have a slew of new books, especially picture books, for you. We'd love to share some of our favorites:

Henny by Elizabeth Rose Stanton. Simon & Schuster. 2014. 

 Henny isn't like any other chicken. Henny has arms.

As a chicken, having arms instead of wings brings many challenges. Henny struggles with being different from her other chicken pals, but soon finds all the wonderful things her arms allow her to do.

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Candlewick Press, 2014. 

When Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen team up magic happens. Their newest book is no exception. Sam and Dave are on a mission to find something spectacular. When looking for something spectacular the obvious course of action is to dig a hole. They dig, dig, dig, and find... nothing. But that doesn't stop them from having a spectacular day.

Tea with Grandpa by Barney Saltzberg. Roaring Brook Press, 2014.

Especially this time of year, the distance between family members can be difficult. Saltzberg shows how this family spends time together with a little help from their computers, making the distance seem not so far.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. Little, Brown and Company, 2014.

Beekle's story begins in a far away place where imaginary friends are created. Many nights Beekle waits for some special child to imagine him. Night after night of waiting, Beekle decides to do the unimaginable and go to the real world to find a friend.

We are looking forward to reading with you in 2015!