@ Your Library
Climb Theater returns to the library next Wednesday afternoon, August 9th at 3:30 pm. Join us as they present “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” The always entertaining group will explore character building and community improvement through the power of live theater. For all ages.
A great new book for upper elementary and junior high kids who like scary stories, especially kids who think they might like to babysit or are just starting to babysit. Joe Ballarini has written A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting. “It’s not every day you learn monsters are real.” Kelly is babysitting for the first time on Halloween night when Baby Jacob is lost to the monsters who live under his bed. She discovers a secret society of babysitters who will help her rescue Jacob before his parents get home or the Boogeyman will bring all his nightmares to life! Just don’t take it with you babysitting.
Another fun read that takes place in small town Minnesota is Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard. Trav decides it is time to learn about his ‘dead-before-he-was-born dad and heads from from California to Minnesota to visit his grandmother and learn what he can about his dad. But he rapidly comes to the conclusion that maybe he doesn’t want to know about his dad because his dad was apparently involved in a bank robbery right before his disappearance. But the robbery has never been solved and the people in town seem to think he knows something about it.
And while we are talking robberies and bad guys if you haven’t read Mary Casanova’s Frozen and Ice-Out be sure and add them to your ‘to read’ pile. Stories based on local events with local places featured are always great fun. Add Diane Bradley’s series Wilder’s Edge, Wilder’s Foe and Wilder’s Ghost to the titles to read while on the lake. Great mysteries with awesome local appeal.
Read aloud to the youngest members of the family fun books like One Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova or Sheryl Peterson’s The Best Part of a Sauna for lots of local flavor.
Some new picture books to explore include Now by Antoinette Portis which is about a young child liking whatever they are currently doing best. Maybe us adults can learn to live in the present again. Barkus by Patricia MacLachlan is a wonderful story about a dog and his new owner. Short chapters each focus on a specific event in the life of Barkus and his new pal Nicky. A silly bedtime story with a very sweet ending is Go Sleep in Your Own Bed by Candace Fleming and Lori Nichols and involves lots of guessing about animals and plenty of silly sounds to play with. Stories that are definitely not quiet regardless of their titles include Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins and The Rooster Who Would Not Be Queit! by Carmen Agra Deedy. Both books feature animals who just can’t seem to follow directions.