Yolo County Library
|
"My anger was strong enough to lift me to my feet and, one raised foot at a time, push me higher into the storm. I kept going. The storm was fierce, but so was I." ~ from Dan Gemeinhart's The Honest Truth
|
|
|
| Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David AndersonFiction. By the time they reach 6th grade, classmates Topher, Steve, and Brand have been taught by all kinds of teachers, but they've never had one quite like Ms. Bixby. She's one of "the Good Ones," the kind of teacher who really understands. When Ms. Bixby has to leave the school to start cancer treatments, the three boys band together to cut class, sneak into the hospital, and give their teacher the kind of send-off she deserves. Topher, Steve, and Brand take turns describing their offbeat (and not entirely legal) plan, as well as the different ways in which Ms. Bixby changed their lives. |
|
| Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger; illustrated by Cece BellMystery. If you've got a boring little mystery to solve, you can call any old detective. But if you've got a BIG DEAL mystery, you need Inspector Flytrap. Yes, he's a potted plant wearing a necktie. He's also one of the greatest detectives around…or at least he thinks he is. His assistant, Nina the goat, is not so impressed, but that might be because it's her job to push Inspector Flytrap around on a skateboard. Created by popular authors Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell, this cartoon-filled chapter book will make you laugh until you snort, making it perfect for fans of Bruce Hale's Big Bad Detective Agency. |
|
| Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert BeattyFantasy. Though she's firmly rooted in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Serafina is stuck between two worlds: in one, she's the Chief Rat Catcher at the lavish Biltmore Estate, but in the other, she's learning the ways of the wild from her mother, a shape-shifting catamount. When several unusual visitors arrive at the Estate just as the local animals begin acting strangely, Serafina realizes that only she has the unique skills to figure out what's really going on. If you haven't read Serafina's first adventure, be sure to check out Serafina and the Black Cloak before you dive into this sequel that promises "nonstop thrills from beginning to end" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| Towers Falling by Jewell Parker RhodesFiction. When Miss Garcia starts talking about two towers that used to be visible from the classroom window, Brooklyn fifth-grader Dèja doesn't really care. Why look back at the past when she's so busy worrying about her sick Pop and wondering when her family will move out of the shelter? As she finds out more about the attacks of September 11, 2001, however, Dèja begins to see just how much power the past can have -- both in her life and the lives of her friends. Curious readers looking for another sensitive but honest look at 9/11 may also want to pick up Nora Raleigh Baskin's Nine, Ten. |
|
| Dara Palmer's Major Drama by Emma ShevahFiction. With a name that means "star" and an impressive ability to make dramatic faces, British-Cambodian fifth-grader Dara Palmer just knows that she'll get a part in her school's big musical. When she's given a job on the stage crew instead, Dara is both crushed and confused. Okay, so her acting might need a little work -- but where are the leading roles for girls who look like her? Instead of waiting to find one, Dara decides to write the perfect part for herself. A quirky cast of Dara's friends and adoptive family adds humor and warmth to this cartoon-illustrated book from the author of Dream On, Amber. |
|
| The Honest Truth by Dan GemeinhartFiction. Faced with yet another bout of cancer, 12-year-old Mark decides to take a big chance. With only his devoted dog, Beau, for company, Mark runs away to follow his dream of climbing Mount Ranier. The pain of his illness, however, is just one of the many obstacles (both human and natural) that Mark faces on the way to the summit. Meanwhile, Mark's best friend Jessie -- the only person who knows where he is -- can't decide whether or not to reveal what might be her friend's final secret. Combining hard-hitting emotion with "heart-racing suspense" (Publishers Weekly), this story of friendship and survival will keep you turning pages until the very end. |
|
| Donner Dinner Party by Nathan HaleGraphic Nonfiction. They never made it to California, but the doomed pioneers of the Donner Party still went down in history. In this detailed and surprisingly hilarious graphic novel, you'll get a taste of their dangerous 1846 journey across America. Though the story is scary and sometimes gross (spoiler: people get eaten), the book contains helpful notes telling squeamish readers when to skip ahead. And like the other books in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, Donner Dinner Party uses a funny frame story to keep you laughing as you learn about this dramatic historical tragedy. |
|
| Survival at 40 Below by Debbie S. MillerNonfiction Picture Book. Talk about extreme! Winter is rough and very, very cold in Alaska's Arctic National Park, but many different types of wildlife flourish there, and this follow-up to the award-winning Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights describes the brutal conditions that they endure. From hibernating ground squirrels to bears, foxes, musk oxen, and wood frogs that literally freeze and then thaw out in the spring, each tundra animal has a different survival strategy that Survival at 40 Below explains in fascinating detail. |
|
| Finding Someplace by Denise Lewis PatrickFiction. A trip to pick up her birthday cake turns into a desperate ordeal for newly 13-year-old Reesie when Hurricane Katrina slams into her New Orleans neighborhood. Rumors had been swirling about the approach of the deadly storm, but Reesie never suspected that she'd wind up separated from her family and trapped with her elderly neighbor in a rapidly flooding house. Now, Reesie has to figure out how to survive not only the hurricane, but also the painful aftermath. Similar to Julie T. Lamana's Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere, this intense tale about a real-life disaster will grab readers who enjoy sad yet hopeful stories. |
|
| Nuts to You by Lynne Rae PerkinsAnimal Fantasy. After escaping the talons of a hungry hawk, Jed the squirrel is relieved -- and lost. Yet even as Jed begins his long trek home, his loyal friends Chai and TsTs are out searching the forest for him. During their journeys, these three furry heroes explain squirrel culture ("TsTs" is actually a very trendy squirrel name), encounter fearsome predators, and confront the biggest threat of all: humans with chainsaws. Once Jed, Chai, and TsTs return, can they convince the other squirrels that their home is in danger? Blending environmental concerns with "funny and exuberant" (Kirkus Reviews) squirrel antics, Nuts to You is a must-read for animal lovers. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Yolo County Library
226 Buckeye St. Woodland, California 95695 530-666-8005
|
|
|
|