It's That Time of Year: BACK TO SCHOOL!

The following books are Children's Easy Readers that can help children who are going to school for the first time, or those who have anxiety about returning to school. Why not read these together?!

"From bestselling author and storyteller Anna Dewdney comes Llama Llama Back-To-School featuring the beloved Llama Llama! Summer days are getting shorter and it's almost time for the first day of school for Llama! But Llama Llama isn’t ready for summertime to end. It's been full of backyard camping, family picnics, and ice cream with friends. All he wants is for summer to go on forever! He’s anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!" (from Amazon.com)

In Laurie B. Friedman's Back-to-School Rules, "school's in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy's at the head of the class. If you can follow his ten simple rules, making the grade will be a piece of cake (and school will be a lot of fun). But there's more to school than showing up on time and staying awake in class. If you have any doubts, Percy also shows exactly what not to do. 

• No spitballs!
• No running in the halls!
• No bouncing off the ceiling!
• No crazy scheming!

See what other trouble―and tips―Percy has in mind!" (from Amazon.com)

"The character Rotten Ralph was created more than twenty years ago by Jack Gantos. Now the worlds most rotten cat and his friend, Sarah, set out again on a variety of capricious capers. In three brand-new boisterously entertaining stories, Rotten Ralph is sure to weasel his way into the hearts of another generation of readers. In Back to School for Rotten Ralph, summer is over, and Sarah cant wait to start school and make some new friends other than her rotten cat, Ralph. But Ralph wants to be Sarahs only friend, and he won't be left behind. When Sarah boards the school bus, he disguises himself as a student, follows her to class, and starts his scheme of sabotage. Ralphs plan works brilliantly until his true identity is revealed and the entire class wants to be friends with Sarah and Ralph!" (from Amazon.com)

Arthur's Back To School Day is by Lillian Hoban. "Brrr ... ing! There's the school bell! It's the first day back at school for Arthur and Violet and all of their friends. Time for riding the school bus, going to class, and best of all, eating snacks and playing games at recess. But this year the first day is full of surprises. The bus ride to school is an unexpected adventure, and Arthur's friend, Norman, almost loses his lunch box. Just when things settle down, Arthur finds his snack has disappeared from his lunch box. What will happen next on this exciting first day of school?" (from Amazon.com)

Back-To-School Safety is by Lisa M. Herrington. "Do you know how to stay safe on the Internet? Or what to do if your house catches on fire? Kid-friendly text and engaging photographs help you develop essential safety awareness―and build confidence in how to handle dangerous situations!

This title helps readers enjoy the fun of starting a new school year by teaching them to avoid the dangers lurking around the schoolyard." (from Amazon.com)

Ready to welcome 2018?

The end of 2017 is coming fast.   To help you get in the mood for 2018, we have New Year's themed books for all ages.

Early Reader

The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine

On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor couple send their son to market to trade their last eggs for rice so they can make a meal for their neighbors. Instead, Ming swaps the eggs for a smiling, singing wok that boasts, "I am more than what you see!"

Happy New Year, Herbie Bear! by Joanne D. Meier

It's December 31st, and Herbie Bear and his dad are staying up late to ring in the new year. Can Herbie make it to midnight?






Juvenile

Happy New Year, Mallory by Laurie B. Friedman

It's New Year's Eve and Mallory can't wait to celebrate! Her camp friends are coming to Fern Falls and she and Mary Ann have planned out every last detail for a perfect winter reunion and New Year's Eve party. But what Mallory hadn't planned on is getting sick.

Slappy New Year! by R. L. Stine

Poor Shawn Klaven. Just because he's little and shy and gullible, the kids at school are always scaring him. Even a visit to HorrorLand can't give Shawn more courage. Sometimes Shawn thinks that Slappy, the old ventriloquist dummy his dad bought him, is his only friend. But this year, Shawn makes a resolution to get revenge. He has the perfect opportunity too-a spooky New Year's Eve party. What he doesn't realize is that Slappy has some holiday plans of his own


Adult

New Year's Eve Murder by Leslie Meier

 Lucy discovers a host of misdeeds involving real estate deals, animal rights and long-held secrets.  Now, It's up to her to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square...

Death of a Blue Blood by Donald Bain

Invited to attend a New Year's Eve Ball at Castorbrook Castle, Jessica Fletcher  discovers the body of a lady's maid in the garden. While their host, Lord Norrance, his snobbish third wife, other members of the household, and party guests squabble over the tragic death in tight-lipped, perfectly mannered, thoroughly British style, family relations are strained as old wounds are reopened.

Help Childhood Literacy - Read a Book to a Child

Anna Dewdney, the author of the best-selling children's picture book series, 'Llama Llama', passed away on September 3, 2016 at the age of 50.  Through her publisher, Penguin Group, she requested that in lieu of a funeral service that people read to a child instead.

The following are her books that are in our collection.

New Picture Books for the Easy Reader Section

We have added quite a few new books to our Children's Department including some new picture books for the reading and viewing pleasure of our youngest patrons.

Abracadabra, It's Spring! celebrates the magic of the season.  Written by Anne Sibley O'Brien and illustrated by Susan Gal, the book contains eleven foldout pages with illustrations in full color.

In Buddy and Earl Go Exploring, Buddy the dog and his buddy, Earl the hedgehog, go exploring without even leaving home thanks to Earl's over-active imagination.  Written by Maureen Fergus with pictures by Carey Sookocheff.

Finally, in Strictly No Elephants, a boy is barred from the meeting of the neighborhood Pet Club for having an unusual pet.  They don’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. The boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it really means to be a true friend.  Written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.





Enjoy these and many other selections from our Easy Reader section in the Children's Department.

New Series to Read in the Children's Department!

We have added several new series to our Children's Easy Reader collection.  Here are a few :

First, we have a set of six books on Farm Animals.  Three are by Kathryn Clay : Farm Dogs, Goats, and Chickens.  The other three are by Sheri Doyle : Cows, Horses, and Pigs.

The next series is on Backyard Birds.  The four book set contains Cardinals, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, and Robins.  All are written by Lisa Amstutz.

A four book series on owls by Melissa Hill is also new.  The titles are Barn Owls, Burrowing Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Snowy Owls.

Finally, for train lovers, we have a set called All Aboard written by Nikki Bruno Clapper.  The set contains these four titles : City Trains, Freight Trains, High-Speed Trains, and Passenger Trains.




These and many more are waiting for you - come check out our selection today!