Book Review: How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen

13-year-old Lamar Washington likes to pull pranks, has asthma, and is always overshadowed by his basketball superstar older brother. Lamar does have one thing going for him-bowling. He is known as "The King of Strikers" down at his small town's bowling alley. Suddenly, things seem to start looking up for Lamar-pretty Mekeda likes him even though she used to be the victim of his pranks, professional bowler Bubba Sanders is coming to visit his town, and Lamar thinks he has come up with the perfect plan to make tons of money to purchase an expensive professional bowling ball! It doesn't take long for everything that was going so well in Lamar's life to start going wrong...

This is a funny, touching story that reminds me a lot of one of my favorite books of all time- The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Some other read-alikes include:

The Schwa Was Here by Neil Schusterman

Donovan's Word Jar by Monalisa DeGross

The Big Bike Race by Lucy Jane Bledsoe

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis

Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff by Walter Dean Myers

Edgar Allen by John Neufeld

Read for Me, Mama by Vashanti Rahaman

Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter

-Reviewed by Jen

Haunting Halloween Reads

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays in Youth Services! What is more fun than dressing up, carving pumpkins, and of course, trick-or-treating? Get into the spirit with some of the following books. All are available either at the library or by interlibrary loan.

Picture Books:
Halloween Hunt: A Spot-It Challenge EASY SCHUETTE
Can you spot all the Halloween items on each page? Perfect for those who love I Spy books!

AlphaOops! H is for Halloween EASY KONTIS
While putting on a Halloween pageant, the alphabet mixes things up with some funny and spooky results!

13 Ghosts of Halloween EASY MULLER
Ten children, two dogs, and a cat enter a haunted fun house. On their journey throughout the house, they encounter witches, goblins, bats and lots of fun!

The Three Bears' Halloween EASY DUVAL
Is it a real witch or a trick-or-treater by the spooky house when the bears go trick-or-treating?

Cinderhazel: The Cinderella of Halloween EASY LATTIMORE
An untidy witch discovers Prince Alarming likes dirt just as much as she does!

The Picky Little Witch EASY BROKAMP
Mama Witch tries to get her daughter to eat some Halloween soup before going out trick-or-treating, but Picky Little Witch finds many reasons to refuse. Includes a recipe for soup!

Peek-a-Boooo EASY CIMARUSTI
A fun Halloween lift-the-flap book.

The Hungry Ghosts EASY LESTER

A helpful boy tries for find something to eat for three ghosts.

Chapter Books:

The Ghost's Grave J FIC KEHRET
Josh soon finds an adventure when he meets the ghost of a coal miner while spending the summer with his Aunt in Washington State.

Lily's Ghosts J FIC RUBY

Strange happenings at her great-uncle's summer home draw Lily and a new friend into a mystery involving lost treasure, a fake medium, and ghosts of all sizes, shapes, and dispositions.

Ghosts Beneath Our Feet J FIC WRIGHT

During a summer in an abandoned mining town, Katie's relationship with a rebellious stepbrother improves as they probe the past to find out why there seem to be ghosts, literally, beneath their feet.

Weirdo Halloween J SERIES GOOSEBUMPS

Mrs. Jeepers' Scariest Halloween Ever J PB DADEY
A Good Night for Ghosts J SERIES MAGIC

Want to learn more about Halloween? Or maybe you need help with your costume? Check out some interesting and spooky nonfiction titles!

Ghosts and Other Spectors J 133.1 WES

A World Full of Ghosts J 133.1 COT
Do You Believe in Ghosts J 133.1 SUT

Ghosts and Goosebumps: Poems to Chill Your Bones J 811 GHO
Witches, Pumpkins and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of Halloween Symbols

J 394.2683 BAR

Paper Crafts for Halloween J 745.594 MCG

Halloween Propmaker's Book YA 394.2646 PIT

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits YA 133.1 GUI

Maybe not about Halloween per se, but still pretty eerie and fun!

Young Adult Titles:

Ghostgirl YA FIC HURLEY

After dying, Charlotte ends up at a sort of alternative high school for dead teens. If you like this one, there are two more books in the series!

Tempted: An It Girl Novel

Beginning with Waverly Academy's Halloween Ball, Jenny watches her own popularity soar, while Tinsely's plummets.

All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories YA FIC VANDE VELDE

Thirteen Halloween horror stories, including ghosts, vampires and pranks gone awry.

Anya's Ghost

Anya, embarrassed by her immigrant family has given up on trying to fit in at school, falls down a well and meets a ghost who wants to be her BFF.

Ghost and the Goth YA FIC KADE

After being hit by a bus and killed, a homecoming queen gets stuck in the land of the living with only a loser classmate to help her.

Acorn has many more titles than the short list above! Please call or stop in the library and ask a librarian to find more titles.

Acorn's Teen Volunteer Bowling Champs

This past Friday, July 22, our teen volunteers took part in a bowling challenge against teen volunteer groups from Orland Public Library and Homer Public Library at Orland Bowl. We are happy to announce our teens brought home the traveling trophy! Acorn's teens have won the challenge 3 of the last 4 years. Our volunteers have been a huge help this summer by helping keep the Youth Services Department in order and helping out at programs, and we are so proud of them!

An Interview with Jennifer Burghard, Oak Forest High School's 2011 Salutatorian

Acorn Library shelver, Jennifer Burghard, is Oak Forest High School's 2011 Salutatorian! We are so proud of Jen, and thought it would be a great idea to interview her for our Youth Services blog to learn a bit more about her!

-How does it feel to the the 2011 Oak Forest High School Salutatorian?

Jen: It's an honor to be recognized for all the hard work I have put into my schoolwork for the past four years.

-What do you attribute your success to?

Jen: I think it has been really helpful for me to challenge myself and not hesitate to take more difficult classes. A lot of people advised me against taking so many difficult or AP classes, but I think taking these classes has really allowed me to get the most out of my high school education. It's also important to stay dedicated to school and schoolwork, especially when "senioritis" begins to kick in!

-Who inspires you?

Jen: It may seem cliché to say my parents, but they have truly set the best example for me in terms of staying dedicated and working toward a greater purpose. I have also has some amazing teachers who have gotten me interested in so many different subjects and have really influenced me in my desire to pursue a higher education.

-Besides excelling in school, and being a stellar library employee, what other activities are you involved in?

Jen: I have been on the tennis team for 4 years. I was editor of the yearbook for 3 years and editor-in-chief this year. I taught a 4th grade CCD class at St. Damian for 3 years. I have also been involved in NHS and Bengal tutors at school.

-Which college are you headed to and what do you plan on majoring in?

Jen: I am planning on attending Loyola University in the fall. I'm thinking about majoring in something in the field of education-I am not sure exactly what, but I enjoy working with kids.

-Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Jen: I honestly have no picture of anything specific, I just hope that wherever I am, I am happy, and that I can use the education I plan to achieve to the benefit of others.

-What are your plans for the summer?

Jen: I plan of RELAXING and enjoying not having any homework! I also have to get organized and go shopping for everything I am going to need before I leave for school in the fall.

-If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Jen: I would LOVE to have the opportunity to travel-I'm actually hoping to participate in a study abroad program while I'm in college. I would especially love to see Europe, there's so much art and history there that I would love to learn about.

Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde

Cloaked in Red is a short story collection of 8 twisted fairy tale versions of Little Red Riding Hood. All stories are set in the time period of most fairy tales- no concrete clues as to when or where the tales are taking place. Some of the stories are creepy-creepier than the original-which Vande Velde notes in her prologue is "a strange and disturbing story that should probably not be shared with children." Some are pretty funny such as Deems the Wood Gatherer, the tale of a near-sighted and clueless woodcutter (time period: before glasses were invented, of course) who crosses paths with not only Little Red Riding Hood, but a large cast of fairy tale characters. This quick read is highly recommended for anyone who loves clever re-tellings of classic stories and fairy tale fans. Gr. 7-10

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

Kerry is an invisible sophomore at an extremely prestigious public school on the East Coast. One day, miraculously, three of the most popular girls in school notice her, and ask her to sit with them at lunch. This begins a friendship that oftentimes leaves Kerry feeling somewhat awkward, but awed by her perfect and popular new friends. One day, the unthinkable happens and the three girls are killed in a car accident. Kerry is left feeling alone and misunderstood, until a few months later, she gets a text from her deceased friends telling her to meet them at her aunt's apartment in New York City. Kerry goes to meet them...
This is a great book for anyone who loves to read books about the supernatural, ghosts or even mysteries. It's a quick, scary read, by the extremely well-known and often-honored, Richard Peck. I am more familiar with Peck's historical and oftentimes hilarious novels intended for a younger audience, but this was a good departure.
Gr. 6-10

Book Review: Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

This is a fantastically noirish young adult novel that contains the perfect combination of historical fiction and suspense/thriller. The story begins with 17-year-old Kit Corrigan attempting to make her way in New York City as a Broadway actress. She left behind her brother, sister and father in Providence, RI after a fateful night involving her estranged boyfriend Billy. Billy's father is a lawyer associated with the mob, and makes Kit an offer-a new apartment and the chance to work in one of NYC's most famous nightclubs-as long as she keeps tabs on Billy. Soon Kit becomes caught up in a world she wants nothing to do with...

This book is somewhat similar to Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and winner of the 2008 National Book Award. Both of these books are among my favorites, so I looked up what other books she has written. Interestingly, she has been writing series fiction for nearly 20 years under the pen name Jude Watson, and most recently has written two books of the popular 39 Clues series.

-Jen