Anne of Green Gables

Happy New Year to all of you readers out there! The Biggest Reader challenge continues here at the Lima Public Library. My latest selections have been from the classics. The Anne of Green Gables series is one that every girl should read! I have seen the movies but had not read the books and so when I saw that a new cover was released in this series it made me want to pick them up and read them. So I began with the first one, Anne of Green Gables, then moved on to Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and the latest one I finished was Anne of Windy Poplars. I am excited to start the next book in the series which is Anne's House of Dreams. Reading this series makes me want to go and visit Prince Edward Island. There are so many more stories within the books that are not featured in the movie. So if you are someone that has only seen the movies, I highly encourage you to read the books as well.

Biggest Reader Update: Stephanie

Check out what Stephanie's been reading for the challenge...

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
This is the second book in the series, Darkest Powers. It leaves off where Chloe has been caught again by Dr. Davidoff and is to planning to escape. Chloe is called a necromancer, she can summon the dead and Dr. Davidoff and his staff are trying to imprison her and two others who have supernatural powers and deprogram them. Two of Chloe’s friends have escaped and the doctor is in the process of finding them as well, eventually Chloe escapes with Tori and they meet up with Derek and Simon the other two that had escaped previously, and hide from Dr. Davidoff. Chloe comes to find out more about her past and the four of them are on the run
trying to find a trusted family friend who can help them. They find him and continue on their journey to find themselves and their past. This book is great, there are so many close calls to them getting caught. You get caught up in the adventure of them being one step ahead of the bad guys. It ends with you wanting to know what happens next so you know there will be another one. I like how they are getting to know how to use their supernatural powers and I have a feeling they will need to use them in the future. This book had
adventure, suspense, fantasy, and mystery. It’s a very good series and I am looking forward to the next one.

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone is on another adventure, but this time it involves a blue boa, an invisible boy, a sorcerer, and so much more. Charlie has to figure out how to stop the blue boa from squeezing anyone else and making them invisible, as well as trying to get the sorcerer back into his painting before he causes any more havoc, and figure out how to make the invisible boy, visible again. With the help of his friends, they do all of these things and use their endowments for good. There is always something going on at Bloor’s Academy and Charlie is on the case. These books just keep getting better and better. I like how you get involved with getting to know the characters and I just can’t put this series down, I have to know what happens next. If you enjoyed Harry Potter, you would definitely enjoy the Charlie Bone: Children of the Red King series.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone has started another semester at Bloor’s Academy and this time there is a phantom horse who turns out to the Red King’s wife, Bernice who watches out for Charlie and his friends. There is also the adoption of Billy Raven who is adopted by the De Grey’s who turn out to be some bad people who make Billy take an oath and if he doesn’t keep it he gets punished. Charlie and his friends end up saving him with the help of the Flames, three cats who have very special powers and save him from the oaths. Olivia comes to find out that she too is endowed with the gift of making illusions and everyone is keeping her endowment a secret so the Bloors can’t get wind of it. Charlie and Billy end up finding the Castle of Mirrors because Charlie thinks his father is being held there and comes to find out it is not his father, but someone else, and save him. Charlie is highly disappointed that is not his father, but is not giving up hope on finding his father who he believes is still alive. This was another great Charlie Bone book and with each one you learn more about each character. I like how Charlie and his friends use their endowments for good rather than evil. It is amazing to me how he, his mom, his good grandma, and his uncle can stand to live with his mean Grandma Bone who is endowed also, but uses her powers for evil along with her sisters. I like how Charlie keeps the hope in believing that his father is still alive and is determined to find him. It’s also neat to see how each of the families of those that are endowed for good support and believe in their endowments. Each book is just as good as the last one before it and I hope you enjoy them as much as I am.

Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer’s Life by Elizabeth MacLeod
This is a biography about Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series. She preferred to go by Maud instead of Lucy. Her mother died when she was two and grew up with her grandparents for most of her life. She loved to write and was
determined to become a writer which was hard in those days during the 1800’s. She lived on Prince Edward Island. Maud ended up going to college and became a teacher, she also worked at a newspaper office called the Daily Echo and edited the stories that went into the newspaper, and also wrote short stories to earn money. In May of 1905 she began to write Anne of Green Gables and in October of 1905 she was ready for it to be published, but all five publishers rejected it so she put it in a hatbox and forgot about it. Then months later she found it again and tried again by sending it to an American publisher by the name of L. C. Page & Company and they accepted it. On June 20, 1908 her book was finally here. Then after that she had more published. Maud didn’t marry until after her grandmother died and she married a minister and had two children. Maud died on April 24, 1942, but we know her through her books, that she was a gifted writer, and fulfilled her life long dream of becoming a writer. This book was very informational and had a lot of great pictures. I definitely learned a lot more about Lucy Maud Montgomery than I knew before.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The Biggest Reader Challenge continues on and I think its safe to say that for a couple of us, there has been a lull- or a decline in excitement. For me when I started the challenge I was very excited and was reading a lot of different books and then November hit and my mind started wondering to other things at the Library. Plans went underway for our Youth Service Christmas Open House, which is tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to noon for the whole family. We will have story time at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. as well as crafts and activities for all ages. Then we also started working on our "Giving Tree"- you can give the gift of reading this year at the Library. We have ornaments you can pick from our trees and donate a book to the Library, and we will also put a special book plate in the book with your families name on it. Or you can donate a book in memory of someone this holiday season. You can read more about it on our website www.limalibrary.com or you can become a fan of the Lima Public Library on Facebook and learn about it there too.

So things have slowed down for me with the reading challenge, but they will slowly be picking back up later next week as I read some Christmas stories from our Holiday section. Every year I read, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It's a classic and a wonderful story that everyone should read. (So if you haven't read it- make sure you do!) Every time I read it I laugh and cry through it. And no- the movie is not that good- so don't bother watching it.

Happy Reading!

Biggest Reader: Chanda

Make Lemonade By: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Once I got into this story, I remembered reading it in library school. Very real, very truthful. Written in prose, so it's a quick read.

Meet Julie, Meet Josephina, Meet Kaya (American Girls Collection)
By Various Authors
I have enjoyed each of these titles with my daughter, who is in first grade. Our favorite so far is Meet Josephina. Filled with lots of history and vocabulary, and great to read together. And now of course we're gearing up for Christmas and the possibility of having our own American Girl doll.

Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows By: J.K. Rowling
Ok, I'm officially off the "worst librarian" list because I've

finally finished the HP series. Loved it! Can't wait for the movies now! It took me awhile to get back in the groove, but once I did, it was hard to put down.

A Midsummer Nights Dream By: Daniel Conner

I remember reading this in high school (I think) and not getting it then. I was hoping the graphic novel format of this book might help, and it did, but the language

is s

till very difficult to keep straight.

Biggest Reader: Steve

Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Slimed! By Frances O’Roark Dowell
In this sequel to Phineas L. MacGuire Erupts we rejoin Mac as he begins his quest to create a mold museum in the school’s basement. But can he make penicillin for Aretha’s scout badge? Will Ben be elected class president? And what will Mac do when the alien babysitter from the planet Pink gets rid of his dried worm collection?

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
After fifteen year-old Liz is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a world much like Earth where time moves backwards. Follow Liz as she learns to “live” in the land of Elsewhere and as she adjusts to the changes between Earth and Elsewhere. And if time moves backward in Elsewhere, what happens when you get back to the time of your birth?

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
As a letter written to his younger sister, Emmy, seventeen year-old Matthew writes of his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his two sisters from the clutches of their physically and emotionally abusive mother.

Dark Water Rising byMarian Hale
Seth’s family moved to Galveston, TX for the opportunities it offered. Jobs, college, and family. But when a powerful hurricane strikes, who will live? How can they all survive? And what will life be like in this used-to-be wealthy, elite and prosperous city?

Chaos Code by Justin Richards
When Matt arrives at his dad’s house for vacation, he finds it a mess, and his dad missing. His father had been searching for an ancient code rumored to have brought down the Mayans, and maybe even the city of Atlantis. What will happen if this code falls into the wrong hands?

Prince of Underwhere by Bruce Hale
Something strange is going on in Zeke’s neighborhood. When he, his sister, his friend Hector, and Hector’s cat Fitz are running for their lives, they find a way into the land of Underwhere. While there, Zeke is hailed as the prince of Underwhere and is urged to free the Undies from the evil UnderLord’s rule by finding and destroying his throne!

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
Stink Moody is short. His sister Judy measures him every day, and today, he’s even shorter than yesterday. Is he really shrinking? And what does President’s Day mean to Stink? Two words: James Madison (America’s shortest president)!

Melvin Beederman Superhero: The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich by Greg Trine
Melvin Beederman graduated from the superhero academy and moved to LA. He knows the code of a superhero. He even knows his weakness to bologna. And now he has a sidekick. But how will he ever be able to overcome his weakness to bologna and stop the McNasty Brothers?

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
When Miranda hears that an asteroid is going to hit the moon, it just seems like an excuse for more homework. But the asteroid moves the moon closer to the Earth and the world experiences tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The power goes out, the phones don’t work, food is scarce, and winter is bound to be rough. How will Miranda and her family survive?

Biggest Reader: Stephanie

Just Jane by William Lavender
Jane Prentice comes to America from England to live in Charlestown, South Carolina just as the American Revolution gets really heated. The war is not just between England and the American colonies, but between members of her family. Jane struggles with this war, but in the end discovers who she really is and gains strength and courage to be just Jane. This was a great book especially if you enjoy historical fiction. It portrayed how a war could not only tear up a country, but families as well. Jane was caught in the middle of it and through it she learned how to be herself, make decisions for herself, developed courage, and became a strong young lady
emotionally and mentally. Just as America gained its independence so did Jane.

Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone has started another year at Bloor’s Academy. He discovers one of his long lost relatives, Henry Yewbeam has come through time from 1916 at Bloor’s Academy and has to keep him hidden from those who want nothing good for him. With the help of his friends, he saves him and discovers that now he can speak to people in paintings. This series has been really good so far, each book definitely spurs you onto the next one so you know what happens with Charlie Bone. Each one is packed with mystery, adventure, and excitement. If you enjoyed Harry Potter then you would enjoy this series.

Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
Kara Foster has just moved to Japan with her Dad from America. Her dad is a teacher at the school she now attends. The both speak very good Japanese, but Kara has trouble fitting in because she is from America, but then two girls befriend her. One of them, Sakura has just lost her sister who was mysteriously murdered. Kara and a lot of students at the school start having horrible nightmares that include Sakura’s sister, then some of the students start dying. Something supernatural is going on and it is not pretty. Kara and her friends discover what it is and do something about it, which ends the killing spree. This book definitely deals with the supernatural of the Japanese culture which is interesting to someone who doesn’t know a lot about it. I like how it shows that and some other aspects of their culture. I sympathize with Kara being the outsider, but she doesn’t let it bother her, which is great. It has mystery and horror all mixed into one, but everything is comes together well. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

Spirited by Nancy Holder
Isabella Stevens is on her way to Fort William Henry with her father, Dr. Stevens during the French and Indian War with some soldiers for protection. They get attacked by Indians and Isabella and her father are captured. Wusamequin is the shaman and warrior for his tribe, he protects Isabella from being killed by his tribe members and from a life threatening wound. They fall in love, but he lets her go back to her father, but in the end she comes back to him and they end up happily ever after. This book is part of the Once Upon a Time series. This one is based upon Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorites. I like how the author wrote it using the Indians and the French and Indian war. You learned about the culture of the Indians and what happened when you were captured. Of course my favorite is when they end up together and it is happily ever after. It was a very good book, well written.

First Test by Tamora Pierce
Keladry of Mindelan (Kel for short) is a girl who wants to become a knight. The king now allows girls to be trained if they want to. Kel goes to be trained, but it is not easy, she is not treated like a girl, but as one the boys. Some of the other boys do not like that she is there and thinks that she needs to go home, so they mess up her room, add weights to her lance, and more just to make it miserable for her so that she will go home. Kel does not back down, she works even harder because she is determined to become a knight. In the process she makes friends with some of the other boys & animals, gets into fights, and becomes stronger physically, emotionally, and mentally. I like how she is determined to become a knight and works extra hard at it. I also like how there is some fantasy combined in it with the different creatures who live alongside the humans, some good and some bad. This is the first one in the series, Protector of the Small Quartet. I am now in the process of reading the second one, they are really good, makes you want to find out what happens with Kel and if she becomes a knight.

Twilight by Meg Cabot
Suze is a mediator, she can talk to ghosts and helps them cross over. She also has a boyfriend, but he is a ghost. Paul is another mediator who does things a little differently sometimes not the right way. Suze’s principal at her school is another mediator, but all of them keep it quiet because they don’t want anyone else to know. Suze and Paul go back in time to help Suze’s boyfriend, Jesse from being killed, but that means he would never meet Suze. She goes back to not let Paul save him so that she can still be with Jesse, but in the end she realizes that because she loves him, she will save him. Now a confession that I have to make is that this is the last book in the The Mediator series and didn’t realize that so I accidentally started with the last one instead of the first one, but I am still going to read the first one and the rest of them in order. I really enjoy Meg Cabot’s books and I like stories about ghosts so it was a good combination. I like how Suze realizes that she needs to the right thing and in the end it is happily ever after. A very good book.

Amelia Earhart and Poetry

The Biggest Reader Challenge continues! It has been a week or so since I have read much for the challenge. I took a small break to read a couple of adult books. So last week I started back on the challenge and found myself reading poetry anthologies. I love poetry! It's one of my favorite things to read and occasionally I write poetry too- well I use to. I wrote one for my husband and used it for our wedding 9 years ago. That is probably the last time I really worked on personal poetry. Now I just enjoy reading it and looking through a full aisle of children's poetry books. Every April I try to focus on a specific poet and I make sure I do a National Poetry Month display in Youth Services. The first book I choose from the shelf was, Opps! By: Alan Katz, which are was pretty funny. I have read his other poetry books like, Take Me Out of the Bathtub, and loved them but I had never picked up one of his larger books. It was wonderful of course! If the Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella by Laura Whipple was another selection. This books is poetry written from different characters perspectives in the Cinderella story. There is a poem from the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother, the mice, and even the glass slipper! It is a neat collection of poetry that most girls would love! Heroes and She-Roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes by J. Patrick Lewis was the next poetry book I selected. A couple of years ago we had J. Pat come to our Library and he was wonderful. I had not actually read this book yet, so I thought now was a great time. It was wonderfully written - of course! And my favorite poem from this particular book was called "The Riveter" which was all about Rosie the Riveter. The Young Oxford Book of Christmas Poems was the next book that caught my eye. I love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday and anytime I can read Christmas poetry I do. It is a collection of old and new poetry. Some things were classics and then there were some funny ones thrown in there too. One that I really enjoyed was called "Carol" and was all about that famous Christmas nativity play that a lot of churches still do! It was very funny and if you work with your church for the nativity play or if you ever have you should read this poem. Brings back memories of reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Last but not least was Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art, edited by Jan Greenburg. This poetry selection was a nice surprising find! When I come across a neat book like this, that has been sitting on a book shelf for a couple of years unnoticed to many, it makes me appreciate the Biggest Reader Challenge even more. I love art and so to read another person's perspective about a painting and what they saw when they looked at it was very cool.

I decided to read a biography about Amelia Earhart. I love to go to the movies at the big theatre. So when I saw a preview for an upcoming movie titled Amelia with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere I was immediately intrigued. Before reading the bio about her I really didn't know much about her. I choose the DK Illustrated Biography series for my source of information. I came to realize that there was a lot more to Amelia Earhart then just flying. She was a social worker for a long time and loved doing that job. The book held great photographs and did well to aide in explaining her life and the people that were most important to her. The biography did well to explain her last trip in an airplane. In 1937 when she was on the last leg of her long trip around the world, she was suddenly missing somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. It was a little bit mysterious, which made the book that much more intriguing. And the fact that historians have still not determined for sure what happened to her and the other pilot she was with is fascinating to me. I cannot wait to go and see the movie when it comes to the big screen.