I Know It’s Autumn
by Eileen Spinelli
Catalog: E Spinelli

This is a great picture book about all the different ways that you can tell that autumn is here.

It makes a great read aloud book too. If this book is not on the shelf, also try E Hall, Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall, another great book about fall. 

Blue Fingers: A Ninja’s Tale
by Cheryl Aylward Whitsel
Catalog: J Whitesel (Juvenile section)

Koji is an apprentice dye maker but his life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes lost and is captured and forced into ninja training. This is a very exciting and interesting book and anyone who likes a good adventure story will enjoy this tale. If Blue Fingers is checked out, you might also try    The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander located under J Alexander

(the first book in the Prydain Chronicles.)

How to Keep Dinosaurs
by Robert Mash
Catalog: J 818.54 Mash (Juvenile section)

This is a hilarious book that answers the question: What if dinosaurs were still around and you could have one for a pet?  This book is arranged like a pet care manual and it even has little important notes like “Likes children” or “Likes to eat children”! If you have ever wished you could have your very own dinosaur then this is the book for you. If this book is checked out try Reptiles and Amphibians for Dummies,      J 639 Bartlett. This is a great book about keeping real reptiles as pets.

Assassin: Lady Grace Mysteries #1
by Grace Cavendish, Patricia Finney
Catalog: YA Lady (Young Adult section)

The Lady Grace series is great for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Lady Grace is Queen Elizabeth the First’s maid of honor and these stories give a very accurate picture of daily life during Elizabethan times. Lady Grace seems to get into a lot of difficult situations but she always solves the mystery. If Assassin is checked out, also try for Betrayal, Conspiracy and Deception, all located under YA Lady. These stories don’t need to be read in order and they are all fun.

Jenny and the Cat Club
by Esther Averill
Catalog: J Averill (Juvenile section)

Jenny is a shy little black cat with a red scarf and in this book she has many adventures with her cat buddies. I read all of the Jenny books when I was a girl and until just last year, these stories were all out of print and very hard to find. They are great for families to read-aloud and they are all some of my favorite stories.  If Jenny and the Cat Club is checked out, you might also try Jenny’s Moonlight Adventure  or Jenny Goes to Sea also by Esther Averill

Birdhouses
by Renee Schwarz
Catalog: J 690 Schwarz (Juvenile section)

This book will give you something to do on those really cold days when you just want to stay inside. There are many examples of really cool birdhouses that aren’t too hard to make.

You can attract a lot more birds into your yard just by providing water and houses and this book will give you a great start. If this book is checked out try Beastly Abodes J 639.9 Nee. This book will give you some great ideas about how to build homes for birds, bats and butterflies.

Dragon and Thief
(the First Dragonback Adventure)
by: Timothy Zahn
Catalog: YA Zahn (Young Adult section)

This is a fast-paced science fiction story about a human and an alien that form an interesting and helpful alliance. I don’t want to give away the story so you will just have to read it, but it is a very exciting and action packed read.  When you have finished Dragon and Thief , also look for

Dragon and Soldier (#2) and Dragon and Slave, (#3)all located under YA Zahn.

I have read all of these books and I am now waiting for the next book to be published. (Dragon and Herdsman)

The Night Before Valentine's Day
by Natasha Wing
Catalog: E Wing

Little House in the Big Woods
by Esther Averill
Catalog: J Wilder

This series is perfect for reading aloud together. I always enjoy reading about how the pioneers lived everyday life without all of the luxuries that we enjoy today. It is also a great series about love and family values and all of the books are equally great reads. Little House in the Big Woods is actually the first book in the series right before Little House on the Prairie. If this book is checked out try Farmer Boy. All of the “Little House” books are located under
 J Wilder.

All New Crafts for Valentine's Day
by Kathy Ross
Catalog: J 745.59 Ross (Juvenile section)

This book has some fantastic ideas for gifts to make for Valentine’s Day. My favorite craft was the Valentine Candy Jewelry. What a great way to use leftover candy hearts! If this book is checked out, you can make really cool cards with How to Make Pop-Ups located under J 745.5 Irvine. The book has lots of examples of easy pop-up cards and with a little imagination they can be used for Valentine’s Day.

Bloody Jack
by: Louis A. Meyer
Catalog: YA Meyer (Young Adult section)

This is a really exciting book about a girl named Jacky Faber who decides to stow away on a warship and become a ship’s boy. She is an orphan and living a miserable life on the streets of London in 1797. She learns many new things including how much more fun it is to be a “boy” and not a girl. I won’t give away the ending but I will say that there are 2 more “Jacky” adventures, The Curse of the Blue Tattoo(2)  and and Under the Jolly Roger(3), also located under YA Meyer.  I will say that it is more fun to read the books in order if you can. If you want to read about a boy who works on a ship, try The Convicts, located under YA Lawrence.

Spring Thaw
by Steven Schnur
Catalog: E Schnur

It’s springtime at last! Simple, colorful pictures show how spring creeps up on a snowy world. The farmer and his child see many different signs of warmer weather coming. This is a nice book to share when discussing the change of the seasons too. For another great book about spring, check out Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic—also by Steven Schnur in the picture book section. E Schnur

Rabbit Hill
by Robert Lawson
Catalog: J Lawson

If you like books with talking animals in them, you will really enjoy this story. Little Georgie the rabbit watches anxiously with his family and the other animals on “The Hill” as new people move into the empty house nearby. Will the people be nice and will they plant a big garden that the animals can enjoy? There are many questions to be answered. This book won the Newbery Award in 1945 and is one of my favorite classics. It is a great story for family read aloud time. If you like this story also try the sequel, The Tough Winter , which also features Georgie and the other animals in a winter adventure. This book is located in J Lawson, right next to Rabbit Hill.

The Magnificent Book of Kites
by Maxwell Eden
Catalog: J 629.133 Eden

This is a fantastic book about kites. It includes information about kite safety, construction and tips for flying kites too. It also has sections on kite stores and festivals. Some of the designs are really complicated but I really like the Hornbeam Sled Kite Mark 1 (on page 172). You can create this kite out of a plastic trash bag and it is quick and easy to make. Look for other kite books in the juvenile nonfiction section under J 629.133 and J 796.1

Because of Winn-Dixie
by: Kate DiCamillo
Catalog: YA Dicamillo

Opal Buloni goes to the grocery store and comes home with a very friendly dog, naming him, “Winn-Dixie”on impulse. Opal and

Winn-Dixie have several adventures and make many new neighborhood friends. This book is a fun, quick read about relationships and friendship. If you liked the movie, the book is just as entertaining. If you like this story you should also check out When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberley Willis Holt. YA Holt

Island of the Aunts
by Eva Ibbotson
Catalog:  J Ibbotson

This story begins with three unusual aunts kidnapping three children. The aunts are getting older and need some assistants to help them with their work on the island. The work turns out to be looking after strange, mythical beasts including some mermaids, ghosts and a boobrie bird that lays an egg large enough to make 72 omlettes. Minette and Fabio come to love the creatures and the aunts but Lambert is just spoiled rotten and threatens to ruin everything. Will the children find happiness in their new surroundings? Read and find out. This is a great book for anyone who likes fantasy. If this book is checked out, try, The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith (J King-Smith).

Good Night, Garden Gnome
by Jarmichael Henterly
Catalog: E Henterly

Have you ever wondered what the garden gnome in your yard does after you go inside for the night? This book only has a few words, but the beautiful pictures tell the story very well. I like this book because you can make up your own idea and practice your storytelling skills. If you enjoyed this book also check out When the People are Away by Ann Jungman (E Jungman) and find out what your cats do when you are not at home.
 

Kids Garden!
by Avery Hart
Catalog: J 635 Hart

Are you suffering from spring fever? Are you ready to start your garden? This book is filled with great gardening ideas including sprouting seeds indoors, making a scarecrow, growing a salsa garden, starting a special garden for butterflies and how to tell a beneficial insect (yes there are some good insects) from a garden pest. All you need to get started are some seeds and your imagination. For other really fun gardening books look in the juvenile nonfiction section under 635.

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
Catalog: YA Card

If you enjoy reading science fiction then this is the book for you! Andrew Wiggins (nicknamed Ender by his sister) is chosen to join the Battle School to become a soldier and fight the alien menace that threatens the earth. He is six years old when this story begins. This book is so action packed it is difficult to put it down once you start reading it. I even recommend this story to people who don’t read science fiction and most of them really like it. We also have this unabridged story on audio CD, also in the YA section under SR (CD) YA Card. When you finish this story also try Have Space Suit, Will Travel by Robert Heinlein. This is an older story but still a great one, we also have this on audio if you are traveling or just like to listen to stories. This story is also located in the YA section under YA Heinlein.

Over in the Garden
by Jennifer Ward
Catalog:  E Ward

Do you like to count things and look for hidden numbers? If you do, this is the book for you. It is loaded with crawly (but not creepy) mothers and babies hiding in the garden. I love the pictures and even the spiders are cute!  If this book is checked out, look for the companion stories: Somewhere in the Ocean and Way Out in the Desert. (E Ward and E Marsh).  These books are all a spin-off of Over in the Meadow.

Walking the World in Wonder: a Children's Herbal
by Ellen Evert Hopman
Catalog: J 615.3 Hopman (152 pages)

The next time you go walking in the woods, check this book out and take it with you. It has wonderful photographs of many common flowers, herbs and trees that you might see in the wild. It also gives some information about learning to use medicinal plants, including a note on safety for parents and teachers. This book is grouped by seasons so it can be used for learning in several different ways. If you like nature crafts also check out   Berry Smudges and Leaf Prints: Finding and Making Colors from Nature, written by Ellen Senisi. (J 745.7 Senisi)  

The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Catalog: J Burnett

Mary Lenox is newly orphaned and must now live with her uncle at Misselthwaite manor. She is spoiled and lonely until she meets a boy named Colin. They form a friendship and when they discover a hidden, secret garden their lives are changed forever. This is an old story but it is just as terrific now as it was when it was written. If you enjoyed the story, give the video a try too. It is a very good representation of the book. Look in the children’s video section Secret Garden, (Vid J Secret)

Seedfolks
by Paul Fleischman
Catalog: YA Fleischman

This story is about the “flowering” of a community garden and it is told from thirteen          different voices. All of the people involved are different ages and from very diverse cultures, but they all come together with hope to start this unique garden. This is a great book about community awareness and friendship.  Holes by Louis Sachar, is another great book about friendship and adversity. (J Sachar)