Advisory Lists · fiction

Spooky Tales Part 2: Middle Grade Fiction

The spooky Lists continues. Please check out these titles and others at your local library.

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The Last Gargoyle by Paul Durham

Penhallow Fitch, a gargoyle assigned to protect a Boston apartment building, must fight against evil spirits called Netherkin and the Boneless King to keep the residents of the building and the city safe.

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Evangeline of The Bayou by Jan Elderdge

When Evangeline and her grandmother are called to New Orleans to resolve an unusual case, she uncovers a secret that will shake her to the soles of her silver-tipped alligator-skin boots.

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The House In Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee

The Vickery twins, Lee and Felix, live in a house in Poplar Wood, where, because of the “Agreement,” their mother serves Memory, and their father assists Death, and only Lee is allowed to leave the house, except for Halloween; but when a local girl is murdered, Gretchen Whipple, daughter of the mayor, offers the boys a deal–help her solve the crime and she will help them break the Agreement, and regain their freedom.

Where The Woods End by Charlotte Salter

Twelve-year-old Kestrel must defeat the Grabber, a creature that builds its body to reflect her greatest fear.

The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner

Made from bone dust and imagination, Irreélle accidentally destroys another of Miss Vesper’s creations and flees to the underside of the graveyard, seeking the magic that brings bones to life.



The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel

Emmy searches for answers of her father’s disappearance which may be linked to a secret society at her prestigious English boarding school.

Shadow Weaver By MarcyKate Connoly

Emmeline has the power to control shadows. When her powers are threatened by a noble family, she desperately turns to Dar, her shadow friend, who offers to save her if Emmeline in exchange for making Dar flesh again, but this bargain only puts Emmeline’s life in further jeopardy.

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are trapped at a haunted ski resort and must rely on each other and their sharp minds if they want to escape.

Trace by Pat Cummings

When Trace takes a wrong turn in the New York Public Library, he finds a ghost. Trace finds out that the boy he saw is connected to him that he himself may be the key to setting the dead to rest.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

Lucy and Oliver must join forces with a host of magical clock animals to defeat the Garr–a vicious monster that not only wants Blackford House for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything the Tinkers hold dear.

Advisory Lists · fiction · YA Fiction

Spooky Tales: Middle Grade Fiction /Young Adult Fiction

Spooky season has arrived.  Turn off your lights, turn on your flashlights  and  be prepared to be spoked by these bone chilling reads. Descriptions are from the NYPL catalogue. Check these titles out at your local library.

Middle Grade Fiction

Bone Jack

Bone Jack by Sara Crowe
Ash Tyler hopes to make his psychologically scarred father proud by training for his town’s Stag Chase, but when he meets the mysterious Bone Jack, dark energies take root and the world as he knows it is upended.

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City of Ghost by Victoria Schwab  
Cass and her personal ghost companion, Jacob, are about to find out that a city of old ghosts can be a very dangerous place indeed.

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Doll Bones  by Holly Black  
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.

ghost squad

Ghost Squad  by Claribel  Oregta 
“For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late.”–Jacket flap.

The Girl and The Ghost

 The Girl and The Ghost by Hanna Alkaf

A Malaysian folk tale comes to life in this emotionally layered, chilling middle grade debut, perfect for fans of The Book of Boy and The Jumbies.

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.

The House of Die Drear

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton 

A black family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.

the jumbies

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste 

 Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow  by Irving Washington

A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer’s daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman.

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The Nest   by Kenneth Oppel read by Gibson Frazier 

“When wasps come to Steve in a dream offering to fix his sick baby brother, he thinks all he has to do is say yes. But yes may not mean what Steve thinks it means”– Provided by publisher.

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The Night gardener  by Jonathan Auxier read by Beverley  A. Crick 
Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house.

Sauerkaut

Sauerkaut by Kelly Jones 

 To earn money for the parts, HD has promised to clean out his uncle’s basement. Simple enough–until a voice starts talking to him about cabbage. Funny thing–it seems that the ghost of his great-great-grandmother is haunting a dusty old pickling crock.

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The Screaming Staircase  by Jonathan Stroud read by 

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood and Co. step in . . .

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Scream and scream again! : spooky stories from mystery writers of America by  R.L. Stine read by  Megan Abbott 

“Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America, this set includes works from New York Times bestselling authors telling tales of wicked ice-cream trucks, time-travelling heroes, witches and warlocks, and of course, haunted houses” — Amazon.com.

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Serafina and the Black the black cloak by Robert Beatty read by Cassandra  Campbell

In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

skeleton Man

Skeleton  Man by Joseph Bruchac 
After her parents disappear and she is turned over to the care of a strange “great-uncle,” Molly must rely on her dreams about an old Mohawk story for her safety and maybe even for her life.

the skull of truth

The Skull of Truth by Bruce Colville

Charlie, a sixth-grader with a compulsion to tell lies, acquires a mysterious skull that forces its owner to tell only the truth, causing some awkward moments before he understands its power.

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Small Spaces   by  Katherine Arden  read by  Renee Dorian 

“After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away– Provided by publisher

The Spirit Hunters

The Spirit Hunters : The Island of Monsters by Ellen Oh

Harper Raine faces new challenges ahead when her parents take the whole family to a remote tropical island for vacation. As Harper starts to have visions of the resort’s history of disappearances and discovers more about the island’s dark and fabled past, she must use her newly acquired spirit hunting talents to save everyone on the island from murderous spirits on the attack.

Young Adult Fiction 

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Witch Born  by  Nicholas Bowling

Two queens, two religions, two visions for the future of the nation.Fleeing to London with a witch hunter on her trail, Alyce discovers her own dark magic and lands herself embroiled in the struggle. 

Revenge of The Witch

 Revenge of The Witch by  Jospeh Delaney 

Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from “ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties.”

tales of the peculair

 Tales of the Peculiar  by Ransom Riggs 

This collection of stories, written for peculiar eyes only, presents unusual folklore that are a formative part of the upbringing of peculiar children everywhere. Encoded within their pages are the locations of hidden loops, the secret identities of certain important peculiars, and other information that could aid a peculiar’s survival in this hostile world. The stories are annotated with historical and contextual insights that Nullings himself found useful.

Sawkill girls

Sawkill Girls by  Claire  Legrand 

“From the New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn comes a breathtaking and spine-tingling novel about three teenage girls who face off against an insidious monster that preys upon young women …”–From publisher website.

The Outliers

The Outliers  by Kimberly McCreight 

Cassies in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself. This time its different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. 

The Hazel Wood

The Hazel Wood  by Melissa Albert 

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get.

The raven's tale

The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winters 

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe’s plans to escape his foster family, begin classes at the prestigious new university, and marry his beloved Elmira Royster go awry when a macabre Muse appears with a request.

fiction

New Fiction Must Reads

Hello Everyone!

May is almist over and June is upon us. This means the year is half way through!

I have read a great deal of Middle Grade fiction and here is a list of the ones I have enjoyed.

Please check out these titles and others at your local library.

Happy Reading 🙂

A child eating monster’s adventure and transformation.

A coming of age story in which a girl learns through lost about the people around.

A night guardian, last of his kind, protects his home from an age old foe.

A young girl must clear her grandmother’s name by solving an important mystery.

A well written ghost story meant to chill your bones and elevate your mind.

In this sequel Roz must fight to return to the wild.

A historical fiction told from a unique perspective.

A cast of seven unusual children must rush to save their new home from those who wish to take it from them.

Advisory Lists · Non-Fiction · Poetry

Poetry Selection of The Week

Hello Everyone!

This is the last selection for National Poetry Month. Hope you all enjoyed the selections featured. Please check out this title and others at your local library,.

Happy Reading!!!

 

 

I Found An Endless Land

 Its promise flowering in lush fields

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Purple mountains etching their majesty in pure air

 

Flat plains that absorbed the warm summer rains

Canyons that swallowed the imagination

And freedom

Freedom like water on the tongues of thirsting men

Freedom as sweet as young love

From We Are America: A Tribute From The Heart by Walter Dean Myers and Illustrated by Christopher Myers

Advisory Lists · Non-Fiction · Poetry

Poetry Selection of The Week

Hello Everyone!

This week I will be featuring two poems from two different collections that focus on science. One title is about the Earth and the  other  about the different creatures in a specific habitat, a meadow. Please check out these titles and others at  your local library.

Happy Reading!!!

 

 

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third one from the sun,

Earth’s blue and white majesty

dwarfs her lunar child

From Earth Verse: Haiku From The Ground Up by Sally M. Walker and Illustrated by William Grill

 

 

 


 

He

trots

through

meadow-gold grass

in dawn sunJacket (1)

furred

mysterious

a word

hunting

its own

meaning

Who is he?

From Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets Of The Meadow by Joyce Sidman and Illustrated by Beth Krommes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advisory Lists · Picture Books

Rhyming Picture Books

Hello Everyone!!!

Here are some more picture books that rhyme and are great for sharing with your little ones. Please check out these titles and others at your local library. Happy Reading!!!

 

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Through rhyme  children see the science behind different animals physique.

Baby’s activities  and speech through the day.

The different activities that occur on a farm.

The different sounds that trains make on the go.

A mother’s love makes everything okay for a little koala.

The reader through rhyme is  ask  move to the words and dance.

One discovers different types of beetles and their movements.

A tale of an evil  wizard told through rhyme.

A counting book which ten pigs build a sandwich and are scared away by a wolf.

The celebration of different types of planes and  what they can do.

Advisory Lists · Picture Books

Picture Books That Rhyme

Hello Everyone!!!

Here are some picture books  that rhyme and are great tools to teach  or introduce your little one to Rhyme. Check out these titles and others at your local library. Happy Reading!!!

 

 

A funny rhyming tale of Sally journey backwards into town upside down.

A little girl express pride in herself where ever she goes.

A cast of kids express their love of the Bus rather than other modes of transportation.

The journey of a freight train from morning tonight.

Different birds built different types of nest in  this  rhyming non-fiction picture book.

Different types of construction vehicles work together on a building.

A demonstration of all the things that  children can do with their hands.

A dinosaur learns the different ways of expressing love through different actions.

Two pen pals a boy and dragon write to one another unaware  of their identities.

A bedtime story time in which children are ask to make different animals sounds.

 

Advisory Lists · Picture Books

Stranger Danger Story Time

I recently  conducted  a Stranger Danger Story Time for Preschoolers.  Below are the books and songs that I choose.

 

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Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Three owl siblings wake up  to find that their  owl mother is gone.

  • Stranger Danger Tip:   It is important to have a buddy system. The siblings realized that they were alone and they stayed together. It is important  for children to stay with their parent,guardian or caregiver. Always make sure that the individual taking care of you is near you and visible. Strangers come when you are alone. Staying with a buddy keeps you safe.

 

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The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

A meal loving wolf plan’s his next meal by fatten up his prey.

  • Stranger Danger Tip:  Strangers are not safe. If they offer you treats like the wolf in the story do not accept them. Strangers have a reason for doing nice things and that is to get you to come with them. Never accept things from strangers.

 

 

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The Three Little Pigs by Emily Bolam

The three little pigs set out to build their homes  and the big bad wolf comes along.

  • Stranger Danger Tip: Do not let strangers into your home. When you see a stranger run away and find help. The three little pigs did not let the wolf in their homes and when they were in danger they ran away and got help from each other.

 

Songs:

 

Ten Little Strangers 

Ten Little Strangers  ( similar to the Ten Little Apples counting song)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little strangers

4 little, 5 little, 6 little strangers

7 little, 8 little, 9 little strangers

10 little strangers

NO! ( every shouts No!)

No go backwards

10 little, 9 little, 8 little strangers

7 little, 6 little, 5 little strangers

4 little, 3 little, 2 little strangers

1 little stranger

NO!

 

If You See A Stranger ( Just like If You Are Happy And You Know It)

If you see  a stranger run away

If you see a stranger run away

If you see a stranger,  if you see a stranger,

if you see a stranger runaway.

 

If you see a stranger yell for help

If you see a stranger  yell for help

If you see a stranger, if see a stranger yell for help

You can incorporate other tips such as say NO! etc.

 

Hope these books and songs are helpful. Happy Reading!!!

 

Advisory Lists · Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction—Summer

Here are some non-fiction titles about summer. Please check out these titles and others at your local library. Happy Summer Reading!!!

Children are introduced to different facts about summer.

Children are taken on a tour of  summer and are shown the different activities that one can see and do during the summer.

Children get answers about various things about summer.

Children are given answers on what makes the season of summer.

Children are given explanation about sunburns and skin conditions.

A demonstration on different paper crafts and other crafts that one can make for the summer.