Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind is a dark, yet eye opening novel of a world without a choice. A war has broken out pertaining to abortion. No one wins this war. And the children of the future pay for it. It is decided that abortion is no longer accepted and is now illegal. Unwanted babies are now left on doorsteps and storked to unwilling families. The babies whom are unwanted by the mothers and the storked family are now wards of the state. Without a mother’s choice, that world is overrun with unwanted children. The state is doing cutbacks.
Unwanted, troubled children are now given up to be Unwound. Unwinding is a way of transplanting all of the unwinds body to another person who is in need. Tithes are also given to unwinding. They were born for it.
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.  Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

Book Description

Video booktalk

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Is there life after death?
If there is, what does it look like?

This is what Colton thinks.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of a four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who experienced heaven during emergency surgery. He talked about looking down to see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn’t know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.


In heaven, Colton met his miscarried sister whom no one ever had told him about and his great-grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born. He shared impossible-to-know details about each. Colton went on to describe the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how “reaaally big” God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit “shoots down power” from heaven to help us.

Told by the Colton’s father often in Colton’s own words, the disarmingly simple message is that heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and to be ready … there is a coming last battle.

Heaven is for Real Website

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time—when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying brothers— making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for other people. Until Rachel.

Rachel has leukemia, and Greg’s mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand. It’s a hilarious, outrageous, and truthful look at death and high school by a prodigiously talented debut author.

Video Book Talk

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Polio is not just a vaccine you get when you are a kid. It is a real disease that affected many people. This is the true story of the year Author Peg Kehret got polio. She was 12 and went from worrying about the upcoming dance to being paralyzed and terrified. With the help of her family, roommates,  and doctors and therapists, she fought her way to recovery.

You are probably thinking this is a depressing book about getting sick- WRONG. This is a great story of what you can do if you put your mind to it and get a little help along the way.

This is what Peg feared her life would be like:

Peg's Website

Middle School: Get Me Out of Here by James Patterson

Everything you need to know about this book you will find at this website:

Middle School Books

It is a quick read and almost everyone will find parts they can relate to.

Enjoy!

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

It doesn't take long for Tara Brennan to realize that breaking into school to steal a goat while wielding a can of pepper spray is not a good idea. As punishment for her misdeed, Tara's parents send her to the sleepy little town of Willow Falls to stay with relatives she hardly knows, including her eleven-year-old cousin Emily, who, the last time they were together, ate an entire stick of glue. Tara quickly learns that Emily isn't even remotely the strangest person in town. There's a boy who sings in the bottom of an empty pool, two best friends who use blackboards to Communicate, and a green-eyed girl who may—or may not—be dating the world's hottest teen movie star .

Due to another huge lapse in judgment, Tara finds herself beholden to perhaps the strangest person of all: Angelina D'Angelo. If Tara can't collect thirteen mysterious objects for the old woman in time for her rapidly approaching thirteenth birthday, the consequences will be REALLY BAD. Like losing-her- immortal-soul kind of bad. And that's just for starters! Tara's adventures take her and her new friends to places they'd never thought they'd find, some in the real world, and a lot deep inside themselves.

Author Interview

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

It's 1968 during the height of the Vietnam War, with the first lunar landing on the horizon. When eighth grader Doug Swietek  and his family move to a small town in upstate New York after his bad-tempered father loses his job, Doug immediately dubs the town "stupid."

After he meets local girl Lil, everything changes. Lil challenges him to prove he is not the "skinny thug" everyone assumes he is. Following her into the library, he finds the works of Audubon on display and befriends a librarian, who coaxes him to try drawing. Doug's artistic efforts parallel his struggles to fit into the town and rise above the preconceptions people have about his family. When Doug says, about the first Audubon painting he sees, "This bird was falling and there wasn't a single thing in the world that cared at all," it's clear he's talking about himself as much as he is the Arctic tern.

Doug's journey to self-acceptance isn't a straight one, and several times he proves his theory that "when things start to go pretty good, something usually happens to turn everything bad," but readers will root for him even when he stops rooting for himself.

I know that a book about a boy who likes paintings sounds lame- but it isn't at all. You will root for Doug, you will care about Doug, you will want the best for Doug. And you may learn to appreciate Audubon's artwork too. Maybe.

Author Discusses the book
Video Book Talk
Video Book Talk for Wednesday Wars

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Did you know that the Cinderella story is one of the world’s oldest fairy tales? The first version can be traced back to ninth-century China and was written about a heroine named Yeh-shen. Today, more than 1500 versions of the tale exist, many with a unique twist. Marissa Meyer has written a new story based on the old fairy tale that I found to be really interesting.

Cinder Linh is a cyborg – part human, part robot – who knows nothing of her birth parents or history. She is a ward of her evil stepmother, Adri, who relies on Cinder’s extraordinary talent as a mechanic to support the family all the while vilifying Cinder at every opportunity. Together with two stepsisters, Pearl and Peony, they live in technologically advanced, post-World War IV “New Beijing.” Unfortunately, New Beijing is threatened by an airborn plague called letumosis, which strikes at random and has an almost 100% fatality rate.

When Prince Kai brings a broken robot to Cinder to fix, romance is sparked between these two star-crossed, unlikely lovers. As a cyborg, Cinder is hated by New Beijing society, and there is no one higher on the societal echelon than Prince Kai, heir to the empire. This doesn’t stop the two from becoming friends, although Cinder takes pains to hide her cyborg nature from him.

Meyer introduces another evil villain to the fairy-tale plot in the form of Queen Levana, the mind-controlling ruler of the Lunars – a colony of people originally from Earth, who are inhabiting the moon. Over time, the Lunars have evolved from human to something else entirely, with their own culture and psychic powers. Levana craves the throne and pursues poor Prince Kai relentlessly.

Does this story turn out like the traditional Cinderella story?
Does the prince win Cinder over? or does Queen Levana win her prince?

Video Book Talk
Video Book Talk 2

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

Well, he would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are lots of dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?
Can he learn to live among the living?
Can Bod evade those who want him dead?

Video Book Talk

Crush by Gary Paulsen

Every time Kevin Spencer sees Tina Zabinski, the Most Beautiful Girl in the World, he's in danger of tripping, falling and making a fool of himself. He can hardly say a word to her. But Kev knows he'd be the perfect boyfriend for Tina. He's not bragging. Just pointing out the obvious.

When new kid Cash Devine zeroes in on Tina, Kevin hustles to find the formula that will make her forget all about Cash.

To win Tina's heart, and learn all about romance, Kevin decides to take a scientific approach and create experiments to observe the behaviors of test subjects. By applying the principles of scientific method, he believes he can understand the chemistry between males and females. Afterall, isn't love based on chemistry?

The budding Casanova's experiments begin with his family. His observation of his parents, with the help of his young neighbor Markie, ends dismally. Frequently married and often divorced Auntie Buzz doesn't have the best track record in the lasting romance department. Kevin turns to his sister Sarah for help, but she turns the tables on him, which is an eye-opening experience. Kevin's observations of his hockey-playing brother Daniel and some other skating stars yield promising results. Then there are his experiments with health-nut and best friend JonPaul, along with friends Dash and Wheels. His direct attempt at questioning Connie Shaw gets messy, but he learns an important lesson.

While implementing his scientific approach, Kevin reaffirms Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion "that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." He also comes to agree with Francis Bacon that "Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion." In the end, Kevin discovers that the scientific mind is no match for action.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

"I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse."

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with severe facial deformities that have required years of corrective surgeries. He's been homeschooled up until now, but his parents have decided that he's strong enough to try regular school.He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

 How would you react when you meet someone for the first time whose face looks completely different than yours? And how would that affect the other person?

Auggie's voice feels authentic and real. He's into Star Wars, he laughs at fart jokes, he notices everything other kids do, and he cracks really good jokes. He isn't perfect; he gets angry and justifiably so. But he's hopeful and yet realistic at the same time.

Palacio draws readers in by telling the story not only from Auggie's point of view, but also from his sister's perspective, Auggie's best friend's viewpoint, and others'. This shifting first person narrative keeps the reader involved, making them think about the characters all from different angles. It makes us feel like we're right there in school with Auggie.

Video Book Talk

Bystander by James Preller

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

But something isn't right about Griffin.

He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.
Video Book Talk
Teen Bully
Will you be a bystander?
The Meanest Girl in Second Grade
McGruff: Anti-Bullying Video

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.
Author talks about the book
Video Book Talk

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This is a novel from 16 year old Hazel Grace Lancaster's point of view, a girl who has terminal lung cancer and has been battling cancer since she was thirteen. She has an oxygen tank attached to her via the tubes through her nose because in Hazels' words "My lungs suck at being lungs". When she attends a Cancer Children Support Meeting and encounters Augustus Waters, her life changes dramatically.
Augustus provided much needed companionship, humour, and reminded Hazel not to let the cancer consume her; to not let it take away her hopes, dreams and social life. He also showed her what it felt like to be unconditionally loved. His bravado and swagger was very much like how a young male might handle situations, but he was also not afraid to let Hazel (and the reader) see his vulnerable side. The witty and thought-provoking conversation between the two really helped the flow, and lightened the mood of a novel surrounding a rather serious topic. They ask the questions that relates to all of us: Will I be loved? Will I be remembered? Will I leave a mark? (http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2012/may/04/fault-in-our-stars-john-green-review)

Video Book Trailer
Booklist interview with author John Greene

Morris Gleitzman

These were some really serious books to start the summer with. But they were really good books.

Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.

Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.

My name is Felix.

This is my story.

Everybody deserves to have something good in their life.

At least once.

Video Book Talk
Video Book Talk
Author Morris Gleitzman talks about Once
Listen to part one read by Morris Gleitzman

Then is the second story of Felix and Zelda. They escaped from the Nazis, but how long can they now survive when there are so many people ready to hand them over for a reward? Thanks to the courage of a kind, brave woman they are able to hide for a time in the open, but Felix knows he has a distinguishing feature that identifies him as a Jew and that it is only a matter of time before he is discovered, which will mean death for them all. Even though he promised Zelda he would never leave her, he knows he has to, before it is too late . . .

Video Book Talk


And More is coming...

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

Available from the Wonewoc Public Library.

There's been an accident.
A fatal one.
And for a group of boys at a tight-knit boarding school, that accident is about to shape their school year -- one vicious secret at a time. Protagonist Alex thinks he knows what happened, but remains afraid of the truth. His friend Glenn definitely knows what went down at the river, and is intent on his secret never getting out. And Miss Dovecott? She's in a perilous position. Can the only female at this old boys? institution manage to expose the truth, and keep her job? This tightly-woven mystery will keep you turning the pages until you find out the truth for yourself.


Video Book Talk

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

Available from the Wonewoc Public Library.

When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero. There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together. Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad—Justin, Wolf, and Charlene—the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. But he sees potential threats everywhere and lives in fear of not being able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In combat there is no black-and-white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed.
Promotional book trailer
What inspired the author to write Purple Heart.
Video Book Talk

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Available from the Wonewoc Public Library

Every night, while 16 year old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memory of things to come.


When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks or flash-forwards she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting- before it destroys her future.


Video Book Trailer

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Available from the Wonewoc Public Library.

Who is Katherine Patterson? It is a question she hopes no one can answer. To erase her past Katherine has moved to a new city, enrolled in a new school and even changed her name. Now, wary and alone, she seeks nothing more than anonymity. What she finds instead is the last thing she expected: a friend.

Even more unlikely, Katherine's new friend is the most popular and magnetic girl in school. Extroverted, gorgeous, flirtatious and unpredictable, she is everything that Katherine is not and doesn't want to be: the center of attention.

But Alice has secrets, too- darker than anyone can begin to imagine...


Video Book Talk
An excerpt read by author Rebecca James

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be your Class President by Josh Lieb

Video Book Talk

Another video book talk

Author talking about his book

"If War and Peace had a baby with The Breakfast Club and then left the baby to be raised by wolves, this book would be the result. I loved it." - Jon Stewart

Oliver Watson is basically your average twelve-year-old kid. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska. His favorite after-school snack is a grilled cheese sandwich. His best friend is his pit bull mix, Lollipop. And...oh yeah. He's an evil genius on his way to total world domination.

Nobody can stop Oliver from getting what he wants. Not Jordie Moscowitz, the seventh grade bully. Not his moronic English teacher, Mr. Moorhead. Not even his father and arch nemesis, "Daddy." (He hates being called that.)

Until now. Because Oliver Watson is running for class president. And it turns out that overthrowing cranky foreign dictators is actually a lot easier than getting the other kids to vote for you.

Even for a genius of unspeakable evil.

Desert Angel by Charilie Price

Fourteen-year-old Angel wakes up one morning at her desert trailer home to discover her mother has been murdered by a lowlife named Scotty, who has vanished. Angel has no water, no weapon, but she knows that Scotty, an expert tracker and hunter, will surface soon in order to eliminate her as a witness. She has to run, to disappear, if she is to survive and tell the world what happened. Her flight takes her through a harsh landscape to places she never expected to be, forcing her to trust others for the first time and strengthening her in ways she doesn’t even anticipate . . . until it’s time to take a stand.

10 Things To Do Before I Die by Daniel Ehrenhaft




 If you knew you were going to die within 24 hours, what would you do?Well this is what



 

Ted and his friends came up with:



1) Lose my virginity

2) Apologize to Rachel

3) Get back at Biff

4) Jam and party with Shakes the Clown

5) Laugh in death’s face

6) Go to Africa

7) Rob a bank

8) Tell Mark to screw himself

9) Find out why Grandpa and Dad don't talk 

10) Tell the truth

Let the fun begin.

Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen

This summer will be different... that's for sure.

When an eleven-year-old city boy is dropped off to stay on a farm with relatives, he doesn't know what to expect. His cousin Harris soon takes care of that. Harris is rude and crude and finds trouble at every turn. He leads his city cousin into everything from wrestling slippery pigs to catching mice to a daredevil jump our a barn loft.

Farm life is hard, but never lonely. If only summer could last forever.

Video book talk

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Check our Sharon Creech's website to learn more about this book.

You can also take a look at this video book talk.

The Eleventh Plague

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

America is a vast, desolate landscape left ravaged after a brutal war. Two-thirds of the population are dead from a vicious strain of influenza. People called the sickness the eleventh plague.

15 year old Stephen Quinn was born after the war and only knows the life of a salvager. His family was among the few who survived and took to roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen's grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler's Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. When they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler's Landing- and their lives- forever!

Video Book Talk

The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories by Alexander McCall Smith

The Appetizer: The Perfect Hamburger
When a snazzy fast-food chain moves into town, business at Joe's favorite hamburger restaurant begins to suffer. He gets an idea that's sure to bring back the diners, but there's jsut one problem: the secret recipe for the burgers is missing! Can Joe figure out the ingredients to recreate the perfect hamburger before it is too late.

The Entree: The Spaghetti Tangle John and Nicky, forced to live with their vegetable-loving Aunt Rebecca, dream of eating spaghetti for every meal. So when they enter a recipe contest and win a trip to Mr. Pipelli's spaghetti factory, they couldn't be happier! But are they prepared for an encounter with the spaghetti spinner?

The Dessert: The Doughnut Ring Jim thinks a doughnut sale is the perfect fund-raiser to help his friend, Mr. Pride. And it is- at first. But when an email chain asking for donations gets out of control, Jim finds himself up to his ears in doughnuts! Will he ever be able to see all the stock and stop the doughnut ring for good?

Eight Keys

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

Elise discovers a secret: a mysterious key labeled with her name. Could it open one of the 8 doors in the barn above Uncle Hugh's workshop, the ones that have been locked as long as she can remember? Could whatever's behind those doors be for her?

On a quest to make sense of a complex gift left for her by her father before he died, Elise discovers the heart of family and friendship, and begins to unlock the biggest mystery of all: Herself.

Video:

A Dog's Life

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin.
Squirrel is not like most dogs. At first she has companions on her journey- her mother and her brother, Bone. But when they are seperated, Squirrel must experience the world in a different way. As a stray she faces busy highways, changing seasons, and humans who can be both friendly and cruel. It's a hard life.
This is Squirrel's story, told in her own words.
Video

Some interesting videos about books

Just click on the title you would like to see...

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Joy of Books

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Book Dominoes

Dark Fusion Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

Take the Medusa Myth, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Ugly Duckling, add some modern day thrills and you have the Dark Fusion Series by Neal Shusterman.

Dreadlocks- Tara's "friends" start developing strange quirks like drinking gallons of milk at a time or eating dirt. Only Parker realizes what she is up to. But Tara has given him certain cravings of his own. Can he stop her destructive game in time, or is he doomed to be under her spell forever?

Red Rider's Hood- When Red's grandma is mugged by the Wolves gang, he decides to join the Wolves so he can learn how to defeat them. Soon he uncovers their terrible secret: They are werewolves with a thirst for human blood. Instead of being horrified, Red envies the Wolves' freedom and power. Will Red take up the Wolves murderous ways or take them down?

Duckling Ugly-Cara is so ugly that mirrors break and even her own parents can't deny her ugliness. Tormented and tortured by people, Cara has a miserable life. Then she receives a shimmering note from some exotic place that suggests there is more to her than meets the eye. Cara soon discovers that this place is real. It's a place where the ugliest of duclings can become swans. A swan, however, can have a serious taste for revenge...deadly revenge.

Video book talk- just click here.

Want to know more about Neal Shusterman? Click here.

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

I get scraped and bruised so much, I don't notice it anymore.
Except that I did notice my scabbed knuckles yesterday.
I try to tell myself it's nothing-that it's one of life's simple tricks, just like a stage magician's clever misdirection, keeping the audience baffled. Yet deep down, I know there's something more going on here. Something truly inexplicable I'm afraid to consider.

Video booktalk- just click here.

The rest of the Jan JLG box

These books are great too- just don't have a video book talk right now.

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes- Up till now, the math of my life has been pretty simple: friends plus family plus sports. What more could I ask for, right? But lately, my outside has been changing and my inside keeps telling me more is on the way. Trouble is, I'm not sure I'm ready.

The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta-When 13 year old Eric comes across glowing mushrooms in the woods behind his house, he's sure there is a scientific explanation. But when they begin to encroach on the town, covering the football field and popping up from beneath his house's floorboards it doesn't take Eric long to realize something is seriously wrong.

Aftershock by Bernard Ashley-Makis and his mother escape to London after a devastating earthquake in Greece. At first, it is hard, especially at school, but being a gifted footballer means that Makis slowly begins to fit in. But, through, no fault of his own, Makis lets down his team at an important match and the whole school, even the teachers, seem to turn against him.

Without Tess by Marcella Pixley-If you look inside Lizzie Cohen's locker you will see that her world is falling apart. Unfinished homework, papers with failing grades, crushed coffee cups. But look closer and you will find a secret hidden under an old sweater on the top shelf. A journal that belong to her older sister Tess, who died 6 years ago. Now Lizzie is using the journal to come to terms with living.

Dragons of Silk by Laurence Yep-Silk binds the lives of four girls from different generations with the fate of the Weaving Maid. Across a span of 75 years, both in China and in America, each girl shows the strength and courage of a dragon as she fights and sacrifices for the survival of her family and the pursuit of passion.

Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Frozen Hearts by Emma Kennedy-Wilma Tenderfoot, a small but determined 10 year old orphan, dreams of becoming a world-famous detective so she can find out who her parents are. She is very good at finding clues and making deductions, especially with the help of her dog, Pickle. But now the pricesll Katzin Stone has been stolen and anyone with a connection to the stone seems to end up with a frozen heart. Wilma is sure she can solve the mystery if her neighbor, the legendary detective, Theodore P. Goodman, lets her help... and Pickle stops eating all the clues.

The JLG box from January

Just click on a book cover to see a video book talk for each.

Just click on these book covers to view a video book talk.