Loup City Public Library

As we move farther into “cold weather” territory, it is important to stock up on the things that will get us through until Spring:  hot chocolate, blankets, fuzzy socks, and BOOKS!  Here are a few recommendations to help with those stacks.

A beautifully written novel packed with imagination, wit, friendship, and hope. I plan to recommend this to everyone.  It is the perfect size for a classroom read-aloud.

It is hard to find out you aren’t the only one with a certain talent. When a new girl moves in, Ella finds out her “kickball bombs” aren’t unstoppable any more. As she learns to deal with her feelings, she also learns how to be a good teammate and friend.

The cool weather is moving in! Is it really time to put away those summer reads in favor of some spooky, gothic tales?

Hey! If it must get cooler than hats should be shared equally in the animal kingdom.  Besides, cats look regal in EVERYTHING.  A fun book containing pictures of lots of cats, hats, and the realization that the greatest things should be shared by everyone.

Poetry is hot right now and this one contains some gems!  Many of the most atmospheric of the poems are set in the desert.

Oh, alright!  If it must get cooler, I will join the hordes of readers selecting gothic reads. One story, two monsters. A story of arrogance, stupidity, self-involvement and betrayal. That covers the scientist portion of the story. Loneliness and brutality are ascribed to both monsters.

Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell historical series is all good fun!  If you are looking for something frothy to read this Summer, look no further. It has mystery, romance, and sparkling wit. This is the fourth book in the series.  It is set on an island where superstitions abound about Mermaids and smugglers.

While Raybourn’s novel winks at the reader as she describes the islanders’ beliefs in Merfolk, this novel by Shea Ernshaw gives the “mermaids” a sinister turn. Many, many years ago, three sisters were hung as witches in this little village by the sea. Each year since that time, the three sisters come back, take over the bodies of three teenage girls, and lure young village boys to their deaths. The writing is good but the story was predictable and suffered a bit at the end.

There were no mermaids in this middle-grade novel. There were escaped prisoners. An imaginative use of letters, texts, and comic strips to illustrate the state of a small town before, during, and after a prison escape helped hold my attention. However, it felt as if the author decided to get a specific message across and built her story around that message instead of vice versa.  In this case, racism is prevalent and bad became a cudgel to drive home the point when it might have been better to “show” instead of “tell” all of the time.

Tara Lazar, Author, and Ross MacDonald, Illustrator, struck comic gold with this little book. What a fun way to present numbers! Private I looks into the disappearance of 9 after rumors abound that 7 ate 9. I will recommend this to several of our teachers.

https://meet.libbyapp.com/

Ayaz Virji is a young doctor who moved his family to rural Minnesota to provide care to the community. However, after the election of 2016, he felt betrayed and concerned for the safety of his family.  Encouraged by a local Lutheran Minister to speak publically about what it is to be Muslim, Virji made several appearances to talk with concerned citizens; however, this often left him more discouraged. This was an enlightening audiobook.

When a young woman moves into a new neighborhood, her kleptomaniac cat decides to “fix” the lonely people in the community while he simultaneously tortures the neighbor’s dog. This is a cute, light story that is perfect for a palate cleanser between heavier books. If you love cats, you should definitely check this one out.

Jessie’s mother died when she was fourteen-years-old. Now she is sixteen and starting a new school after her father eloped and drug her across the country to sunny L.A. where every girl seems to be blond, skinny, and rich.  All of the things that Jessie is not. Soon after her arrival, Jessie receives an e-mail from an anonymous source offering to give her all the info she needs to survive her junior year. I have been surprised at just how many teen books deal with grief in a very realistic, compassionate way. This book does a great job of describing the loneliness of grief and dislocation. There is also quite a bit about sexuality.

When Jilly’s sister is born deaf, she attempts to find out more about being deaf from an on-line friend. Her friend is not always nice or patient with her questions. I found this book to be realistic in the responses of frustration from the oft questioned acquaintance. There are a lot of serious issues discussed in this book. There is also a police shooting.  I think the issues were covered in a sensitive way.

If you haven’t hopped on the “Pete the Cat” train, you need to get your groove on!  This groovy cat thinks life is “all right”.  Kids love Pete.

www.libby.com

Albright was the first female Secretary of State under President Clinton. She was also a refuge as a child fleeing to the United States from the Nazis. This was a deep dive into various fascist regimes in the past and her concerns for the future. Check it out on audio on Libby!

Whether you like fantasy, mystery, or literary fiction, there is something on this list for you to enjoy!

Hank likes to be alone and is quite rude to anyone who steps into his yard. However, when someone tells him that “Nobody Hugs a Cactus” he begins to see how lonely his life is. This is an adorable story and a great read aloud!

An imaginative fantasy novel where the humans are the bad guys.  It is a well-written adventure/quest story.  Grief, danger, loyalty, and betrayal all make an appearance as well as a decent amount of humor to keep things from getting too dark. If you hate cliffhangers, you might want to wait for the rest of the series.  However, for kids who love Erin Hunter’s Warrior series, this is a good comp.

Karen McManus, author of “One of us is Lying”, returns with a second teen mystery.  In this one, teen homecoming queens go missing in this small town never to return. As they investigate the dysfunctional families around them looking for a killer, they aren’t aware of all of the secrets this small town harbors. While the writing and plot is good, it doesn’t have the same “soapy fun” feeling of the first book.

Our book club book this week was a backlist title and inspiration for one of my favorite movies. If you like Southern fiction or fiction about small town life, this is a good pick.  There were plenty of issues to discuss! The only downside to this novel was the daunting number of characters.