Mo’s Mustache

Sat, 07/05/2014 - 2:06pm by manz

The world needs mo mustaches and Mo’s Mustache by Ben Clanton is a charming and funny new picture book that brings us MANY stylish and silly ‘staches. The awesome Mo is a trendsetter and his ‘stache styles are copied by many and Mo worries that he won’t stand out anymore. Can you be unique and still have the same mustache as those around you?!

Does YOUR ‘stache stand out?! For Mo and other mustache picture books here’s a handy dandy list for you.

Scary Murder Mystery – With Ghosts!

Thu, 07/03/2014 - 5:19pm by skcramer

In the mood for something spooky this summer? Then give The Screaming Staircase by a try.

This unusual murder mystery is set in an alternative England where ghosts have grown more and more active in the last few decades and Psychic Detection Agencies like Lockwood & Co. employ talented young agents to track down and destroy the sources of these hauntings. When Lucy and her fellow Lockwood & Co. agents uncover an unsolved murder while searching for the source of a haunting, they decide to solve the mystery with the help of the victim’s locket…but someone is out to make sure they never solve this case.

Full of adventure and genuinely scary encounters with ghosts, this story may be written for children but it is not for the faint of heart. Recommended for fans of Alvin Schwartz’s scary stories or older readers who enjoyed Libba Bray’s The Diviners.

Audiobook fans may also wish to check out the audiobook of The Screaming Staircase, which was named one of ALA’s Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2014.

Hogwarts for Fairy Tales

Tue, 06/24/2014 - 4:55pm by skcramer

School may be out for the summer, but this summer is the perfect time to discover The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.

At this school, students learn how to be fairy-tale heroes and villains, with good students (known as Evers) attending classes like princess etiquette and animal communication and evil students (known as Nevers) tackling subjects like uglification and henchman training. The story focuses on two new students, best friends Sophie and Agatha, who seem to have been mixed up in the wrong schools. As golden-haired Sophie struggles in the School for Evil, trying to convince everyone she really belongs in the School for Good, foul-tempered Agatha just wants to escape the School for Good and return home.

Fans of the Harry Potter series will enjoy this new twist on a magical boarding school, complete with its own annual traditions, mythical creatures and unusual headmaster, while fans of ’s A Tale Dark and Grimm will appreciate its exploration of the darker side of fairy tales.

Bawk Bawk!

Tue, 06/17/2014 - 1:45pm by manz

Think CHICKENS!

Last week Ms. Amanda told CHICKEN stories during her storytimes.
We heard about a hen with a surprise in Bumpety Bump, a hen searching for the best place to lay an egg in Mama Hen’s Big Day, and a little book that featured the littlest Little Chick.

Here’s a wonderful, new CHICKEN book to roost with, Peggy: A Brave Chicken on a Big Adventure. The beautiful illustrations tell the story of a chicken named Peggy who was happy living in countryside and one day she gets swooped off and lands in the big city! It’s a darling story about getting out of the nest once in a while and enjoying new things, while yet still enjoying that special place you call home.

If you still have chickens on the brain like I do, and are playing the SUMMER GAME, don’t forget to visit Director Josie Parker’s office downtown and look for the CHICKENS– it’s a CODE worth 1,000 points!

Make a Flowernote Bouquet with us this afternoon!

Mon, 06/16/2014 - 10:10am by eapearce

Join library staff and elementary-aged kids for a fun flowernote bouquet craft today (Monday, June 16) at Traverwood at 1:00! Children will use flower templates to cut out and fold special flowers that open up to reveal a handwritten note on the inside. Pipe cleaner "stems" and ribbons will also be provided so that the flowers can be constructed into a beautiful bouquet to give to someone special. This program is intended for grades K-5.

At the Art Table: Make a Comic Strip!

Wed, 06/11/2014 - 10:15am by manz

This month you can make your own comic strips at the Art Table in the youth area at the downtown branch! We have blank comic strips ready for your stories. Be sure to check it out next time you’re here.

At AADL we’re gearing up for Kids Read Comics which happens on June 21-22. If you’re a fan of comics, this is the place to be.

For the enthusiasts, here are some books on how to draw comics.

Move over Sherlock, a new detective is in town!

Mon, 06/02/2014 - 10:15am by Enzy

Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans should definitely check out Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis. Timmy Failure is a detective who has big ideas and is determined to be the best sleuth in town. Unfortunately, he does not seem to be particularly gifted in solving mysteries. This little detail does not stop him from thinking and saying he is. Along with Total, his polar bear sidekick, Timmy does his best to solve crime and cement his reputation as the world’s best detective agency.

The format of this book follows the popular diary format and the illustrations are brilliant visual humor. Timmy often completely distorts the truth and the truth is shown in the pictures, often with a hilarious outcome. If you enjoy Mistakes Were Made, don't miss the second installment to the Timmy Failure series, Now Look What You've Done.

Pastis is also the creator of Pearls before Swine for the slightly more mature reader.

Love Roald Dahl? Try Mr. Gum!

Sat, 05/31/2014 - 3:59pm by skcramer

Mr. Gum is a thoroughly rotten old man, but the Mr. Gum series by Andy Stanton is anything but rotten. In fact, it’s downright hilarious.

Reminiscent of Roald Dahl, this series combines plenty of off-the-wall humor with an eccentric villain and a touch of magic to create a thoroughly enjoyable read that is also a fantastic read-aloud. The series begins with You’re a Bad Man, Mr. Gum!, in which our villainous Mr. Gum attempts to get his revenge on the dog who dug up his yard. It continues with Mr. Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire, Mr. Gum and the Goblins, Mr. Gum and the Power Crystals, Mr. Gum and the Dancing Bear, What’s for Dinner, Mr. Gum?, Mr. Gum and the Cherry Tree, and Mr. Gum and the Secret Hideout.

So if you’re looking for new adventures after journeying to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and making friends with Matilda, then you should definitely take a look at the Mr. Gum series.

Sophie’s Squash

Tue, 05/27/2014 - 1:56pm by manz

It’s the season for gardens, planting, and VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES. The local farmer's markets have been HOPPING with vendors and shoppers. Though it's not quite squash season... Sophie’s Squash is a darling new picture book that features a young girl who loves her freshly plucked squash. So much so that she names it Bernice and treats it as though it’s a baby doll. Her parents are perplexed and don’t know what to do when Bernice starts to rot. Sophie is determined to love Bernice forever! This is a funny and sweet book that talks about the seed to plant process and goes along with that stack of kids gardening stories you’ve got at home. It has such a cute ending.

School Library Journal lists it as one of the Best Picture Books of 2013.

Moo!

Fri, 05/23/2014 - 2:46pm by manz

There are a lot of books about mooing at AADL. If you’re a reader of children’s picture books, animals and animal sounds are heavily featured in this area. Moo! by David LaRochelle is one of my favorite new picture books, and it’s told with only one word: MOO!

The gist of the story is that the cow gets ahold of the farmer’s car and takes it for a ride, and well, things don’t go so well for him. The coolest part of the whole book is that the entire is story is told using only the word “moo.” It’s a great opportunity for kids to learn about reading aloud, voice inflection and how the same word sounds differently when said with a “.” or an “!” at the end. Moo. Moo? Moo! Mooooooooooooo. Give it a whirl be ready to laugh!