Books Recommended by Robin

Link to Amazon to read more on any book

2009-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

As you read any recommendations Click on the Title to see the full Amazon information on the book - which will include description, professional reviewers, miscellaneous passionate individual reviews. You can also find out if the title is on the shelf (or place a hold) at richfieldlibrary.com, Richfield Library's website!

Used Children's Book Sale Feb 29/Mar 1

2008-02-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

Richfield Library is hosting a Used Children's Book Sale to celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday. Our sale will be Friday, Feb 29 and Saturday, March 1, from 11 am to 5 pm in the Children's Library. Come and buy used children's books (much used and greatly loved) for 10 cents each! For more information call the library at 896-5169. The library is located at 83 E Central, Richfield UT.

Enter a Deaf Girl's World in "Hurt Go Happy"

2008-02-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

(Grades 5-adult) -- The 2008 Schneider award winner "Hurt Go Happy" by Ginny Rorby (The Schneider Awards go to kid's books with a disabled protagonist) will win your heart. Joey is a girl who is now deaf; her mother desparately wants her to "act normal" and learn to lip read, but Joey is fascinated by the ease of communication of American Sign Language. By chance, Joey makes friends with a professor who has a chimpanzee who is learning sign language. As the plot deepens, you feel what it is like to lose your hearing, and what accomodations you can and cannot make. Joey becomes responsible for her chimpanzee friend, and must make a desperate journey to save the chimp from an animal testing facility. Strong story line, engaging characters, and an ethical dilemma will engage your interest. Robin recommends this book especially for those who want to understand how it feels to be deaf in a hearing world.

You Can't Give Up while in the White Darkness

2008-02-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Grades 5-adult -- An edge of your seat thriller,
The White Darkness is set in an Antarctica so white and cold and real you can feel the Ice creeping in on you as you read it...

Told you I couldn't put this book down in my last post; the writing carries you into a survival story that never loses its grip. No wonder it won the prestigious 2008 Michael L Printz Award for Teen Literature. (Robin)

"Stunning, gorgeously written, suspenseful, gripping, terrifying. I stayed up reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open. Then I picked it up over my breakfast cereal. The story begins with 14 year old Sym embarking on a trip to France from England with her mother and "Uncle" Victor. There is a very little bit of backdrop to this: We learn that Sym's father has recently died, the Uncle Victor is a friend of the family, and that Sym has a vivid inner imagination where she often withdraws to talk to Titus Oates, a famous (and dead) Arctic explorer who Sym idolizes. At the airport Sym's mother cannot find her passport, and Victor and Sym go ahead without her. After this the story develops quickly, and the reader is given a spark of unease and distrust about "genius" Uncle Victor. As it progresses, you see Sym begin to have questions, to doubt, and then not trust her own instincts. After all, how can she doubt her Uncle Victor, her surrogate father, the self-proclaimed genius, the man who loves her more than her own father? As this smart, shy 14 year old grapples with complex and bewildering adult behavior, not letting herself ask the questions that are begging to be asked, we the audience are shown the quick unraveling of a bizzare, pitiful and utterly insane plot by Uncle Victor to whisk Sym away to Antarctica where his life's work is awaiting to be realized. There is a horror in this survival story that is difficult to describe. Uncle Victor's mad obsession, when it is finally revealed to Sym, is so bizarre and absurd, that it would be laughable if its outcome wasn't so deadly. I felt cold for hours after I finished it. " Review thanks to Reepicheep from Amazon

Newberrry, Caldecott & other 2008 Awards for Children's Books

2008-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Children's Book awards are out, and Richfield Library has purchased many of the books which have gotten awards. The Newberry winner and honor books, including Elijah of Buxton, The Wednesday Wars, Feathers, and the 2008 winner Good Masters, Sweet Ladies: Voices from a Medieval Village are here. The 2008 Caldecott winner and honor books for illustrations have come, and you can check out The Invention of Hugo Cabaret, Knuffle Bunny Too, and First, the Egg. Don't forget the "Dr Seuss Awards" for First, The Egg and There is a Bird on Your Head. The Printz Award for teens is The White Darkness, a thriller by G. MCCaughrean. (I have only just pried myself away from White Darkness to update this blog and let me tell you, I'm going right back to it!)

The Schneider awards go to the best books featuring a disabled protagonist, and this year Kami and the Yaks has a wonderful hero in a deaf child in Mongolia. Hurt, Go Happy is a great teen book of a deaf girl who has only done lip reading who meets a scientist with a signing chimpanzee.

I'll be reviewing all these books in the weeks to come, but I can already recommend Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Curtis (author of that children's classic Bud, Not Buddy - a great book & read in the audio version by James Avery in on of the most marvelously read books on audio). Curtis has once again melded a black historical setting with a set of unforgettable characters. Not only will you learn about Buxton, the highly successful Canadian settlement carved out of the wilderness by ex-slaves who escaped from America. You'll also meet villians, buffoons, and quiet heroes, who can find the courage to do what they need to do to resist an inhumane system while helping their fellow man.

Is Llama Llama Mad at Mama?

2008-02-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Preschool-Grade 2 -- Does any child like to go shopping? Not Llama Llama! But Mama can’t leave Llama at home, so off they go to Shop-O-Rama. Lots of aisles. Long lines. Mama is too busy to notice that Llama Llama is getting m-a-d! And before he knows it, he’s having a full-out tantrum! Mama quickly calms him down, but she also realizes that they need to make shopping more fun for both of them. Parents and children are sure to recognize themselves in this fun-to-read follow-up to the popular Llama Llama Red Pajama. Ann Dewdney does it again in Llama Llama Mad at Mama!

Knuffle Bunny Too - Two Bunnies!

2008-02-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Kids Preschool-3rd grade -- Mo Willems is back with another adventure for Knuffle Bunny in this 2008 Caldecott Honor Book for kids 3-8 years old. Trixie can't wait to bring her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny to school and show him off to everyone. But when she gets there, she sees something awful: Sonja has the same bunny. Suddenly, Knuffle Bunny doesn't seem so one-of-a-kind anymore. Chaos ensues until the bunnies are taken away by Ms. Greengrove. After school, Trixie finally gets her beloved bunny back. But in the middle of the night, Trixie realizes something. She has the wrong bunny! Daddy comes to the rescue again as a midnight swap is arranged with the other bunny, the other little girl, and the other daddy. Needless to say, the daddies are not very happy. By the end of the story Trixie has her beloved bunny back, but she has also gained something new: her very first best friend. Knuffle Bunny, Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity is another heartfelt, hilarious picture book that children (and their parents) will love.

Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

2008-01-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

. "I was only looking for big things . . . but a small thing can be a prize too." That's the theme of Eben McAllister's search for local wonders in The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney. The year is 1923, and Eben, who lives on a farm in Missouri, longs for marvels like those in his Seven Wonders of the World book. His father challenges him to find local wonders to rival the famous ones. If Eben can gather seven wonders in seven days, his father will let him earn a train ride to visit relatives in the Colorado mountains. He ekes out time from daily chores to visit the neighbors, each of whom shares a wonder and tells a story. ... magical realism and country living make the book a great yarn. Booklist

If you enjoyed Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder & A Long Way from Chicago, try this book for a visit to a simple and wonderful time! Robin recommends for Grades 2-7 & family read-aloud!

Midnighter's Series - Enthralling!

2008-01-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

Scott Westerfeld (Pretties, Uglies, Specials series) produces a different series you won't be able to put down. The Midnighters is a compelling set of books. What if you moved from Chicago to boring Bixby Oklahoma - only to find that there was a 25th hour in every day? How about if only you and 3 other teens could move in this hour - and use your powers to fight off the ancient denizens of darkness? And what if you had to protect yourself from these creatures but you DIDN"T KNOW what your power was? Once you grant Westerfeld the one premise, the books and characters will reel you in to a great teen drama... If you enjoyed Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, be sure to check this one out!

Ooh, Ooh, Zoobooks!

2008-01-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Our 58 volume hardcover set of Zoobooks covers everything from Elephants to Zebras, Parrots to Skunks and Gorillas to Butterflies! If you and your child love animals, this is the series for you.

Inside each volume of Zoobooks the first page gives a brief overview of the profiled animal alongside a photograph that covers two pages. You'll see a view of the animal's skeleton and muscles, read what they eat, how they rear their young, their predators.. Lots of exciting photos, artwork and facts!

Leslee Hurd and Lana Barney, school librarians in Richfield, tell us that kids in their libraries love Zoobooks...

Richfield Library wants to thank "The Friends of the Richfield Library" and Walmart for donating $1000 to purchase this fine set to celebrate our Children's Library Remodel in 2007.

Robin says: "I love these books! I learned so much about animals & the pictures are gorgeous!"

John Scieszka Named First US Children's Literature Laureate

2008-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

How marvelous! Jon Scieszka - the author of that middle school favorite series The Time Warp Trio books - has been named the first US Children's Literature Laureate!

Evangelist for reading By DAPHNE LEE
JON Scieszka has been named the United States’ first ambassador for children’s literature by the
Library of Congress.
Scieszka’s job, a two-year appointment that comes with an annual stipend of US $25,000 is to promote reading and literature among the young. He was a popular choice, as the selection committee felt that the author is someone that children can easily relate to.
In an interview with The New York Times, Robin Adelson, executive director of the Children’s Book Council of America, said, “There are a lot of phenomenal writers and illustrators out there, but we wanted somebody with charisma, who is comfortable travelling and speaking and who could reach children, parents, educators and speak to a roomful of librarians.”
Scieszka (pronounced Shess-ka) has already had considerable experience actively promoting reading as he founded and runs Guys Read (guysread.com), a web-based literacy programme, which aims to motivate reading among boys (boys are biologically slower to develop reading and writing skills than girls) by connecting them to books they want to read: often, reading material that interests boys (non-fiction, joke books, comics, magazines, manuals) are not considered “worthy” by parents or educators.
As children’s literature ambassador, Scieszka will be able to reach out to an even wider audience. In The New York Times, he said, “People say, ‘All my son will read is Captain Underpants,’ or ‘My son is crazy about shark books, is that okay?’ I want to be the person to say, ‘Yeah, that’s really okay as long as he’s motivated to want to read.”
Scieszka is best known for children’s books that are funny, irreverent, silly and include fairly disgusting moments, which tend to endear them to young readers.

Scieszka's favorite book? "Go, Dog. Go!" by . "It sent me down the road to the absurd writing life. Dogs driving around in cars, and having a party in a tree! That's my kind of story" said the new laureate.

Here’s a brief guide to favourite Scieszka books, all of which are illustrated by Lane Smith:

COWBOY AND OCTOPUS
COWBOY and Octopus (both cut-out figures whose poses are fixed throughout the story) are an unlikely pair, the situations are absurd and the conversations bizarre and random, but all the better to stress the book’s message that true friendship transcends differences, the strangest quirks and most trying habits and scenarios. Sure, it doesn’t always make sense but then neither does life. Scieszka and Smith’s latest collaboration is one of my favourite picture books of 2007.

MATHS CURSE
FOLLOWING her teacher’s (Mrs Fibonacci!) observation that, “Almost everything in life can be considered a math problem,” a young girl finds it impossible to do, think about or look at anything without making a sum and dance out of it: a pizza lunch becomes a case of fractions; she solves her ugly plaid shirt problem by subtracting it from her wardrobe; and, finally, faced with an infinite number of math problems and armed only with a piece of chalk, she snaps it in two, puts the two halves together and escapes through the “whole”.

THE STINKY CHEESE MAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES
SCIESZKA parodies favourite fairy tales and storybook characters like Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Running Shorts) and the Gingerbread Man (the Stinky Cheese Man). Instead of the sky, it’s the book’s table of contents that Chicken Licken thinks is falling. In the meantime, Red Running Shorts finds out what’s in store for her at Grandma’s cottage and refuses to participate in her story! In 1993, this book won The New York Times’ best illustrated book award and was a Caldecott Honor book.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

THE classic fairy tale of the three pigs (who looked down their snouts at sty-living) is re-told by the wolf (Alexander T. Wolf) who, if he’s to be believed, was just a victim of circumstance.
For a start, he was not stalking pigs, simply trying to borrow a cup of sugar. And can you blame him if a bad cold resulted in a sneeze powerful enough to bring a house crashing down? (I wonder if Alex Wolf is also given to wearing nighties and impersonating grandmothers!)

Daphne Lee has a huge book collection that goes back more than 30 years and is still growing. Her dream is to own a bookstore and write good children’s books. Send e-mails to the above address and check out her blog at daphne.blogs.com/books.

Robin says: Richfield Library already has The 3 Little Pigs & Stinky Cheese Man; I'll be asking Linda if we can order Cowboy and Octopus & The Maths Curse soon!

Snakehead - More Adventure in the Alex Rider Series

2008-01-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

Librarian Joleen Koehn recommends Snakehead, the newest Alex Rider Adventure from Anthony Horowitz. If you are looking for a page turning adventure series for teens and tweens with spine tingling thrills, be sure to consider the full set of Alex Rider!

We have filled in our Alex Rider collection with Alex Rider #5 and #6, Scorpia and Ark Angel , so that we have the full series now!

Want to read the "missing chapter" from the Alex Rider adventure Stormbreaker? Just click HERE.

What they are saying about Snakehead:

"From the slums of Bangkok to the Australian Outback to the middle of the Timor Sea, Snakehead is Alex Rider’s most action-packed adventure yet." Booklist

What goes up must come down, and when we last saw Alex Rider, he was as up as can be—in outer space. When he crash lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across South East Asia. Known as snakeheads, the gangs smuggle drugs, weapons, and worst of all, people. Alex accepts the assignment, in part for the chance to work with his godfather and learn more about his parents. What he uncovers, however, is a secret that will make this his darkest and most dangerous mission yet . . . and that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is anything but out of his life.

The Book of a Thousand Days - Utah Writer Shannon Hale Writes Another Engrossing Tale

2008-01-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Shannon Hale, a talented local Utah writer, is well known for her Goose Girl series, which won the 2007 Beehive award for children's books. Now Hale has taken an old Grimm fairytale and brings vividly to life the cliched "princess locked in a tower" in The Book of One Thousand Days.

Or rather, she brings us into the thoughts of the princess's maid during this confinement. It is Dashti, a lowly peasant, who keeps them fed and warm, organizes their escape, and grows to respect her own talents without losing her compassion. One of my favorite scenes is of Dashti's delight in discovering that they have SEVEN YEARS worth of food locked in the tower with them - she can't believe her good fortune in being able to count on so much to eat. And Dashti's love of her animals - My Lord the Cat, and the most wonderful yak in the world, enrich the story immensely. A tale of courage and perseverance which I hope you will enjoy as much as I did.

Grand for kids, teens and adults to read on their own, or as a wonderful family read aloud, we are fortunate to be blessed in Utah with an author with such a feel for language and characters.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period Would You Read This Book?

2008-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

What a great title - If A Tree Falls at Lunch Period!

This is a book I really enjoyed reading and discussing with tweens and teens.

Kirsten's parents are barely speaking to each other, and her best friend has fallen under the spell of the school's queen bee, Brianna. It seems like only Kirsten's younger science-geek sister is on her side. Walker's goal is to survive at the new white private school his mom has sent him to because she thinks he's going to screw up like his cousin. But he's a good kid. So is his friend Matteo, though no one knows why he’ll do absolutely anything that Brianna asks of him.

A funny, forthright take on middle school, with sparkling characterizations and touches of humor . . . tumultuous twists that ultimately convince Kirsten that, indeed, she does matter. "Unfolds in the less exotic setting of a fancy private school, but it treads more explosive ground as it switches between the viewpoints of two seventh-graders there -- Kirsten, who is white, and Walk, who is black. That catchy title is a metaphor for the uprooting that takes place when Kirsten and Walk learn they have a whole lot more in common than their "brilliance." At the same time, it signals this book''s real appeal for pre-teens: While it treats issues of race, class and marital discord fearlessly, it''s also one of the funniest they''ll read this year." The Washington Post Book World

Emma-Jean Lazarus: Nominated for Newberry in 2008?

2008-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, a first novel by Lauren Tarshis, is a unique and sensitive perspective on 7th grade. Sadly, the love of Emma-Jean and her mother's life -- her father, the mathematician -- died in a car crash two-and-a-half years ago, and that is why Emma-Jean has not climbed a tree (either literally or figuratively) since then. But, in a move that is uncharacteristic for this cautious observer, this foe of disorder that she has since become, seventh grader Emma-Jean Lazarus decides to go out on a limb to assist a schoolmate in distress. "All Emma-Jean knew was this: Some irrational, emotional force had compelled her to enter the chaotic world of her peers, where the rules of logic did not apply."

-- Richie Partington

This book has been nominated for a Newberry Medal because of its unforgettable characters and extraordinary immersion in a 7th grade atmosphere. I agree with one Amazon reviewer - weeks later, I still recalled each character and situation in the novel with great distinctness. Tarshis's subtle respectful language leaves you deeply in touch with Emma-Jean, and greatly impressed by her courageous decision to join hands with the rest of humanity. Read it yourself and let me know - do you think it should win the 2008 Newberry Prize for Children's Literature?

Another Kind of Cowboy, and a Good Read

2008-01-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

I greatly enjoyed Another Kind of Cowboy, a fine coming of age story by Susan Jubal... Alex's love of dressage and horses shines through the story, and the issue of his homosexuality is dealt with in a mature realistic fashion.

"For Alex Ford, dressage is an oasis. In the stable, he can slip into his riding pants, shed the macho cowboy image, and feel like himself for a change. For Cleo O'Shea, dressage is a fresh start. She's got a new boarding school, absentee parents, and, best of all, no one to remember her past. At Limestone Farm, their lives collide and while originally Alex doesn't want anything to do with privileged Cleo, he soon realizes that maybe she could be the only person around to fully understand him. From the author of the Alice series comes a fun, but heartbreaking stand-alone story, with two realistic main characters with not-so-great pasts and not much better presents..." James Booth

More adventures among the Norse & English; Kids, Hobgoblins, Elves

2008-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

A grand read! Three time Newberry Honor winner Nancy Farmer has continued her medieval saga of Jack and his family as he deals with Norse and Celtic gods, hobgoblins and elves. Jack began his adventures in the Sea of Trolls, in which he and his sister were stolen away from their small English village by Vikings and ended up in the Norseland of myth. In The Land of Silver Apples, Jack must pursue his quest into the underground and evade the hobgoblins and elves to find his sister.

Farmer weaves the threads of Norse and Celtic mythology into a coming-of-age tale that followers of Tolkien and J.K. Rowling will enjoy. If you enjoyed Avi's Newberry award winner "Crispin", be sure to give this a try. No quester who enters these pages with Jack will go away unsatisfied!

Jan 1 2008 New & Recommended Kid & Teen Books at Richfoeld Public Library

2008-01-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's been an exciting year at the Richfield Library in the Children & Teen Library - we've fully remodeled the basement, installed a handicapped ramp to the lower floor, and added lots of books.

As a librarian, I've been thrilled that patrons of all ages enjoy some of the children's and teen books we've been buying. I'll be adding descriptions of some of the books I've enjoyed reading to this blog so folks can consider them.

The first book I'd like to recommend for this year is Katie Coomb's "The Runaway Princess". If you liked the Newberry prize winning Kate Dicamillo's The Tale of Desperaux: A Tale of a Mouse, A Princess, Some Soup, and A Spool of Thread a few years ago, I think you'll enjoy the plucky princess and her friends in this fast paced fairy tale. A great read aloud!
For those of you who have enjoyed Lois Lowry (The Giver, The Messenger, etc), I would recommend Sharon Shin's new trio -- The Safekeeper's Daughter, The Truthteller's Tale and Dream-Maker's Magic. Set mostly in small village life with a degree of small magics, they explore human ethics with memorable characters.

Now back to reading, so I can tell you about the latest additions to our library!