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Mission No-Longer-Impossible: New Picture Books for Kids!

by krayla

There's a situation here! A MAJOR situation! You're going to an unspecified location at some random time and there will be KIDS, both BIG and SMALL! What is there to say? What is there to do? Never fear, brave humans. You are about to enjoy the company of the world's most interesting and ENERGETIC beings. That means you need some of AADL's NEWEST, most EXEMPLARY EXAMPLES of picture books!

Lemony Snicket, author of the bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events, brings you Goldfish Ghost with illustrations by Lisa Brown! This adorably sinister book introduces a spectacular spectre who happens to be a fish. He travels the town in his ghostly way looking for a friend. DOES HE MEET ONE? Read this book to find out!

SPLISH! SMASH! SQUISH! SPLAT! by Jon Burgerman keeps the MISCHIEF MANAGED and the MESS CONTAINED! Turn each page to add another goofy element to the creature's face. The large bright illustrations are great for entertaining one playful person or an entirely peppy party!

Elephant and Piggie author Mo Willems brings you ANOTHER (yes, another) funny book, titled Welcome: A Guide for New Arrivals! This hilarious handbook gives kids a preview of what's to come in life, from SUPER COOL CATS to SAD SOGGY TOAST, and has a lot of adult appeal!

See? You can do this. You too can entertain YOUNGSTERS at HEART. The biggest hurdle is getting some great books, and then you're good to go!*

*Kind of. There are other things like games, jokes, being the funniest person in the room, and basically knowing all facts about the universe, but that all comes later. Good luck!

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"T" is for Trickster

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel brought African trickster stories to Storytime.
WHO'S IN RABBIT'S HOUSE?... We see the footprints outside the door. Who's inside?
Rachel led a copycat rhythm from Ghana "Kye Kye Kule" ... a versions can be found on the CD WORLD TRAVELS: World Music For Kids and you can see and hear clips on youtube.
Then we found Anansi up to his usual tricks in ANANSI And the MOSS-COVERED ROCK.

For more troicky stories try the following favorites:
ANANSI And The TALKING MELON ... another Anansi story by the author/illustrator team of Eric Kimmel and Janet Stevens.
COYOTE And The LAUGHING BUTTERFLIES ... a Native American trickster tale with Coyote.
The GRUFFALO ... a small mouse develops this trick.
MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA! ... rascally rabbits are in the garden! Can the farmer trick them?
PIRATE GIRL ... knows some tricks.
The RUNAWAY TORTILLA ...
GOHA The WISE FOOL ... iconic "wise fool" from middle eastern folklore.
SIX SHEEP SIP THICK SHAKES: And Other Tricky Tongue Twisters ... can you train your tricky tongue?
DON'T WAKE UP The TIGER! ... but how?
The REAL STORY OF STONE SOUP

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Summer Game Spectacular Spectacular Countdown- T Minus 1 Day!

by evelyn

HOLY JUMPIN’ JIMINY, BATMAN! It’s almost time for the Summer Game Spectacular! We are so excited over here that we can barely stand it! Except we have to stand it, because we have to get ready to host all of you at the most AMAZING EVENT OF THE SUMMER! In fact, we might just call this the most amazing event of any summer! What about the Olympics, you ask? Ha! Do the Olympics have Mini Ping Pong? No! They just have regular ping pong AKA table tennis AKA no fun at all! Burning Man? Does Burning Man have GIANT CONNECT 4? I don’t know! Maybe! They have a lot of weird stuff. BUT you’d have to fight off 65,000 dusty hippies to play it and that would be NO FUN! Lollapalooza? More like Yawnapalooza!

So now that we’ve convinced you that no other event is even worth thinking about going to, why should you come to the Summer Game Spectacular? Well, do you like the CIRCUS? Even better, a CIRCUS with no trained animals, so you don’t have to feel guilty about loving it!? OF COURSE YOU DO!

What about games? Do you like games? Of course you do! You’re not a monster! Unless you are one of our friendly picnicking monsters, in which case, welcome! In either case, where else are you going to see AN ENTIRE BASEBALL FIELD jam-packed with our amazing outdoor game collection?!

Also, what does your face look like RIGHT NOW? Is it as plain as plain oatmeal? As plain as a low-salt saltine? Come get it painted by a WORLD CLASS FACE PAINTER and worry no more!

Did all that talk of oatmeal and low-salt saltines (can you believe that’s even a thing?!!) make you hungry? Why don’t you hop outside and order some delicious food from a foodtruck? Oh there’s no food truck right outside your door? NEVER FEAR! Come to the Summer Game Spectacular and eat your heart out!

And how about points? We KNOW you love points! And badges! Well look no further! The Summer Game Spectacular will boast not one, not two, but FIVE badges! Just think of all the AMAZING ITEMS you’ll be able to buy from the Summer Game Shop with all those points!

So have you gotten all of this?! We’re inviting you to a HUGE PARTY where you can PLAY GAMES, WATCH A CIRCUS, HAVE YOUR FACE PAINTED, and then earn points to spend on COOL PRIZES?! No library would be crazy enough to do all of that! It would be just TOO MUCH FUN! Or maybe… it would be JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUN!

From 1:00 - 4:00 PM come one, come all, to party with us at the Summer Game Spectacular, this Saturday, July 15th, at Veterans Park! We'll be at the baseball field and the softball field closest to the dirt parking lot off of Maple, next to the Skate Park. WE CAN’T WAIT!!!!

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An ode to Raina!

by manz

Okay, you love Raina Telgemeir’s books as much as we do. You met her at A2CAF, and she was great, and now you want to read more of her books. You can’t get enough and need more ASAP, but you’ve already read Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts. And you just can't read any more Baby-Sitters Club. What to do?

Here are some graphic novels NOT by Raina that are readalikes you might also enjoy, nicely compiled on a list for your browsing and placing-holds pleasure!

Here are a few to get you started:
In Roller Girl we have friends who may or may not be growing apart when they find different interests. (The book won a Newbery Honor award in 2016.)
In Awkward we learn how one girl copes with surviving middle school.

Give ‘em a shot! And check out the full list to keep your SUMMER READING going on all summer long. (Some books are better suited for 6th graders vs. 2nd graders and vice versa. You decide!)

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Feeling Blue for the Blue Covered Book

by LibraryLiz

So, again - this one time at the library...there was that book you saw on a shelf, with a blue cover, that caught your eye. But, once again, you had to pass it by. Well, if you find yourself in need of that long lost spark of interest, I maybe, perhaps, might have the book for you! I've found it important to the readers and long-lost book interests to create a second list of books that have, or have had, blue covers - whether or not their most recent editions have blue covers now, they did at some point! Plus, this list is welcome to all kinds of blue covers...

Whether it be a deep blue of the world-wide sensation Outlander, a sky-blue, with clouds included, of the book A Long Way Down, or perhaps a blue-grey of the best-seller turned film All the Light We Cannot See, all blues are welcome on this compilation list. But this list isn't just for the adults on the interwebs! There's also a wide age range available for the younger reader feeling blue...

Be it from the Teen section like Stargirl, King's Cage, or maybe Stormbreaker this list has many blue bindings that you might have left on the shelf for a later date. Even the youth may have left an enchanting book resting on it's display, such as The Warden's Daughter or Ready, Set, Build!. This list also provides you with options from every genre in the library...

Maybe you were passing by the express shelf and snuck a peek at A Great Reckoning or Here's To Us? Maybe browsing through the fantasy section to find A Discovery of Witches? Could have been possibly perusing Mystery and seen The Big Overnight on the shelf? What about the non-fiction readers, who may have strolled through the stacks seeing covers that advertised self improvement or a conservation crisis!

This list has ALL THE THINGS (or would like to have) and is growing each day!!! Please feel free to take a look, and make comments of other blue-covered books you think others may be searching for, so the list can continue to grow! Just think: someone out there could be looking for a blue book jacket that you've read before - maybe you have the answer they've been looking for as the search the numerous volumes of AADL. Or perhaps you yourself have been searching, and the book is in this list already!!! Only one way to find out!

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Kids’ Summer Reading Lists!

by manz

Summertime is here! The last day of school is upon us. The SUMMER GAME starts tomorrow! It’s time to grab some books to fill all your summer adventures.

Here are some 2017 summer reading lists that were compiled by Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) that cover a variety of ages and genres. Below are AADL public lists of them to make for easy browsing within our collection. Be sure to check out some of these great titles, everything from board books, picture books, fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels!!

Birth–Preschool Summer Reading List

Grades K–2 Summer Reading List

Grades 3–5 Summer Reading List

Grades 6–8 Summer Reading List

What's on the top of your reading list this summer?

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Seeing Red...Or Saw it Once...

by LibraryLiz

This one time at the library...there was that book you saw on a shelf, with a red cover, that piqued your interest - but, for whatever reason, you had to pass it by. Well now! If you find yourself hankering for that long lost spark of interest, I may have the book for you! I've recently been compelled to create a list of books that have, or have had, red covers - whether or not their most recent editions have red covers now, they did at some point! Plus, this list is welcome to all kinds of red covers...

Whether it be a fire-engine red of the debut novel Push, a pinkish-red hue of the biography Georgia, or perhaps an orange-red of the best-seller turned film The Circle, all reds are welcome on this compilation list. But this list isn't just for the adults on the internets! There's also a wide age range available for the younger reader seeing red...

Be it from the Teen section like Ruby Red, The Burning Bridge, or maybe Eldest this list has many red hot reads that you might have left on the shelf for a later date. Even the youth may have left an enchanting book resting on it's display, such as The Battle of the Labyrinth. This list also provides you with options from every genre in the library...

Maybe you were browsing through Science Fiction and found Red Rising or Ready Player One? Could have been possibly perusing Mystery and seen False Picture on the shelf? What about the non-fiction readers, who may have browsed through the stacks seeing covers that advertised career development or scientific marvels!

This list has ALL THE THINGS (or would like to have) and is growing each day!!! Please feel free to take a look, and make comments of other red-covered books you think others may be searching for, so the list can continue to grow! Just think: someone out there could be looking for a red-covered jacket that you've read before - maybe you have the answer they've been looking for as the search the numerous volumes we have here at AADL. Or perhaps you yourself have been searching, and the book is in this list already!!! Only one way to find out!

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Wonder Woman!!!

by PizzaPuppy

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The new Wonder Woman movie hits theaters today! This demigoddess, superhero and warrior princess has been delighting audiences since 1941 and has had a huge cultural impact across the globe. We have TONS of Wonder Woman materials for all age groups here at AADL to help you celebrate Princess Diana of Themyscira's first feature length movie.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman Unbound both give us an in-depth look at the history of Wonder Woman and her impact on popular culture throughout the years.

Although this is her first foray into the world of feature films, Wonder Woman has previously graced the screen in many different TV shows and movies. There are several animated movies, including the 2017 Wonder Woman film and the 2008 Wonder Woman film. The Wonder Woman TV series ran for three years (Seasons 2 and 3 are available here at AADL as well). Wonder Woman has also been featured in many Justice League and Super Friends films and television shows, as well as her cameo in the recent Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie (played by Gal Gadot in the cameo as well as in the newly released movie).

We have tons of Wonder Woman materials for kids! There is a lengthy Wonder Woman chapter book series, with titles like The Fruit of All Evil, Creature of Chaos, and Trial of the Amazons, and a graphic novel called DC Super Hero Girls: Hits and Myths. We have stand-alone chapter books like Amazon Warrior and Wonder Woman vs. Circe. Younger readers may enjoy the Readers Wonder Woman to the Rescue and Warrior for Justice, while babies may enjoy the DC Super Friends Lift-the-Flap book. The DC Super Hero Girls movie: Hero of the Year features Wonder Woman as well.

Teens will want to take a look at the Superman/Wonder Woman series (with Vol 2, Vol 3 and Vol 4). Our most recent additions include The Legend of Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League America Vol. 1, Wonder Woman by Mike Deodato, and Wonder Woman Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka. Other teen titles include The Hiketeia, The True Amazon, Down to Earth, The Circle, and Bitter Rivals.

Adults have plenty to choose from as well, with many of the titles released recently, such as Wonder Woman: Vol 1 The Lies and Wonder Woman, Earth One Vol 1. We have the full series by Brian Azzarello, comprised of Vol 1: Blood, Vol 2: Guts, Vol 3: Iron, Vol 4: War, Vol 5: Flesh, and Vol 6: Bones. Older series on hand at AADL include Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol 1 and Love and Murder.

For more awesome Wonder Woman materials, take a look at this public list.

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Books for the Birds!

by manz

This week at storytime Ms Amanda told stories all about birds, birds, birds! B is for bird!

We heard the story Home Tweet Home, where two little birds decide to leave the nest for greener pastures, and find that there’s no place like home. We met A Funny Little Bird who discovered what was special about himself, and we read the books Birds and A Mother for Choco.

There are so many great books featuring birds! Here are a few sweet ones to suit your fancy: Nest, Hooray for Today, Beautiful Birds, and Some Birds.

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Ramadan Mubarak, Curious George!

by evelyn

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts next week. If you have a little one who is curious about this holiday, check out our great selection of Ramadan materials for children!

Babies can start learning about Ramadan with the board book It’s Ramadan, Curious George, in which the little monkey celebrates with his friend Kareem.

Older readers will love the picture book Lailah’s Lunchbox. Ten year old recent immigrant Lailah is proud to be old enough to fast for Ramadan for the first time, but she is nervous about explaining it to her classmates. Lailah’s school librarian comes to the rescue with sage advice in this beautifully illustrated book.

Children who like Sesame Street can watch the Ramadan episode of Adam’s World, a television show in which puppets explain the Muslim world to kids.

For even more kids’ books on Ramadan (both fiction and nonfiction), take a look at this list!