Book Review: Knucklehead : Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka

Jon Scieszka (pronounced shess-kuh) lets readers get several glimpses into his childhood in Flint, MI, growing up as the second oldest of 6 brothers in the 1960's through this autobiography.  As one would imagine the background of the man who penned The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and the Caldecott honored The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Scieszka's formative years were full of mishaps, disgusting feats, pranks and broken collarbones.   Standout chapters include "Mom & Dad" in which the author describes how his prenatal nurse mother once took his Cub Scout Troop on a field trip to the hospital, and "Halloween" in which the author describes how due to their large family size, homemade costumes were out of the question, so each year they got by with a rotation of four basic costumes for 6 kids.  With its short chapter length, hilarious subject matter and snapshots of the author's childhood, this book is perfect for reluctant readers. 

New Picture Books

We are always getting new books and materials in, and currently we have a great batch of new picture books!  Stop in the library to check out some of the following titles. All are available at the library or through interlibrary loan.

Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea

Dinosaur has previously battled bedtime and the potty, and now he is back to take on the library! Dinosaur is challenged to use his inside roar during story time...will he be victorious?

 I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

A bear has lost his hat! He questions several animals in his search, and worries he will never see his hat again. Wait....he has seen his hat...

Don't Worry, Douglas! by David Melling

Hats are apparently the "it" accessory among bears! Douglas' dad has just given him a new woolly hat. Everyone, including Douglas, loves his new hat, but then something terrible happens. Douglas' friends try to help, but will they be able to return his nice hat to its original state? What will he tell his dad?

Introducing Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson

Larry is a peacock with a bit of an ego. He knows this book is fantastic by the mere fact that it features him! What he doesn't know yet is the book also features several of his friends. Will Larry be able to share the limelight?

Only Cows Allowed by Lynn Plourde

The cows want to keep all the other farm animals out of the barn. They tried their best (they even made legible signs!) but the sheep, horses, hens and pigs all move into the barn. Will the cows ever get some peace?

What's New at the Zoo? by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

The zoo is overcrowded. The (hatless) bear  is stepping on the kangaroo's pouch, the moose is stepping on the pelican's beak, and the pig is stepping on the porcupine's quills. As you can imagine, nobody is very comfy, and all the animals are chanting to be let out! A fun book, with lots of repetition and hilarious pictures.

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

It all began when Floyd got his kite stuck in a tree. Then the trouble really began when he tried to knock his kite loose by throwing his shoe at it. His shoe gets stuck! Floyd diligently attempts to find the perfect solution that will get everything out of the tree and solve this problem once and for all. Will it be the orangutan who "surely has somewhere else to be," the whale who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" or the array of other items Floyd tries?

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