Celebrating books with The Great American Read

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Have you heard about the new PBS show The Great American Read?  This is an eight-part television series about Americans’ favorite books.  The premiere was broadcast recently, and the final episode will air in October, when they will announce which book won first place in the voting. 

Host Meredith Vieira will introduce the 100 featured books, plus she will interview authors, celebrities, and regular people about how particular books have influenced them and our culture.  PBS is hosting a virtual book club on Facebook to discuss a couple of the books per week, and there will be some live public events, including some in select libraries across the country.  The public library in the little town of Cook, up in northern Minnesota, was the only library to receive the grant in our state. 

The list of America’s favorite 100 books was compiled by PBS and a polling service through a public survey asking people to name their most-loved novel.  Each author is represented only once, and book series are listed as one entry to increase variety in the list.  So, for example, the Harry Potter series is listed, rather than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  Books could be from anywhere in the world as long as they were published in English; only fiction was included.  The books span a wide range of time from the 1600s to 2016, as well as a wide range of genres and styles. 

Voting for favorite books has already opened online through the PBS website, and voting by phone will be available in the fall.  You can vote once per day.  It sounds a bit like American Idol for novels.

Our library’s adult book club has read some of the books on the list.  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is an elegantly-written young adult novel narrated by Death.  An orphan named Liesel in Germany during World War II is taken in by the gentle Hans and his prickly wife Rosa, as is a young Jewish man named Max who needs a place to hide. Liesel becomes fast friends with Max as well as with Rudy, a scrappy, poor neighbor boy.  The friendships and the words in this book are beautiful, and it is a favorite of mine.

We have also read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, a quiet epistolary novel about generations of ministers in a small town in Iowa.  Members found it thought-provoking.  The Giver by Lois Lowry was another young adult novel we’ve read that most of the readers enjoyed; it’s an intriguing look at a supposedly utopian society.  We have also read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Martian by Andy Weir, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  I would say they are all worth reading.

The idea behind the series is to get people reading and talking about books.  This is a goal the library shares.  Look on the display on top of the DVD shelf to easily pick up some of the 100 books from the Great American Read. 

Raechel's Review

 By Jan Pease

Raechel Kelly is a friend of mine.  I’ve known her for several years, and have watched her writing talents grow. Raechel has handed book reviews to me for four or five years.  She now reviews books for publishing houses such as Multnomah, Bethany House, and Revell, although at this time, her payment is free books, which Raechel loves.  Perhaps someday this will be a career?  Raechel brought in this review as part of the adult winter reading program, and I just had to share her review.  Remember, our requirement to participate in the reading program is that you give us a very short review of the book.  One or two sentences will suffice, but Raechel went above and beyond.  Here are her thoughts about “Dauntless,” byDina L. Sleiman. 

"Dauntless" by Dina L. Sleiman is #1 in the Valiant Hearts Series (releases February 24th 2015), published by Bethany House.  Raechel’s rating: Dauntless receives 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

 Amazon.com said of this book, “Born a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father's failed assassination attempt upon the king. Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village-a group that becomes known as "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest." Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way. Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he's forced to reexamine everything he's known.”   

Raechel’s thoughts:  I was so pleasantly surprised by this book - it was so very good. Not that I didn't think it wouldn't be, but the depth that it had was so lovely to discover!

I read it on my Kindle, so it seems long at times (I had to listen to for the end half because my eyes grew tired, but I didn't want to stop!), but it was all really well written and carried through. Each character was marvelously strong, and yet vulnerable at the same time. I loved Merry - she was an inspiring character; strong, yet weak, and her realization at the end was perfect. I won't give away anything though. :)

I must say, though, I think my favorite character was Allen. Talk about a strong, spiritual leader kind of guy! He was so encouraging, and so faithful- and strong in his faith in the Lord. There was this one part towards the end that really touched me, amazed me, and brought me to tears through the demonstration of his faith, and the results! Wow! This author knows how to write. I was very impressed. :)

Between Timothy and Allen for Merry, I actually rooted for Timothy, because those two I thought were more suited for each other. I sure hope though, that as this series progresses, Allen gets his own story! The only thing I wished could've happened, was that Merry's belief in God could've returned stronger and that have been the main focal point of the end. The end was still handled well, it was just a bit on the 'mushy' side. ;) Nothing bad at all- it was sweet. I just was hoping for a more conclusive ending for her relationship with God.  But yes, this was a fantastic story, one I greatly enjoyed and would recommend! Very medieval-y and Robin-Hood- esque, which I loved! It was an adventure. :)

Jan adds, thanks, Raechel.  “Dauntless” is on the March book order. 

All the Pretty Little Horses

By Jan Pease

What is it about girls and horses?  A horse-loving patron mentioned that little boys often like horses, but it’s the girls who love them.  Horse books are perennial favorites, and we've recently added several titles that will be well known to horse lovers.

Jane Smiley is famous for her novel,  A Thousand Acres, which received the  Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1992.  She has a string of letters after her name, including MA, MFA, and PhD.  But did you know that this wonderful writer has written a series of books for young adults?  Titles recently purchased include The Georges and the Jewels (2009), A Good Horse (2010), True Blue (2011), Pie in the Sky (2012), and Gee Whiz (2013). Jane says on her website, “When a girl and a horse find each other, the bond is unbreakable.” 

The Winter Pony, by Iain Lawrence, is a book that I almost didn’t purchase for the library.  I don’t like books where the dog, or pony, dies.  Spoiler alert!  In this book, all of the characters die.  Winter Pony is the story of the ill-fated expedition to the South Pole led by Robert Falcon Scott.  This story of courage and kindness needs to be told, but be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy as you near the end of the book.

 

Kathryn Lasky has started a new series, “Horses of the Dawn.”  The first book, The Escape, introduces us to the horses and their culture, as they escape from Spanish Conquistadores and journey to the land of the sweet grass.  Ms. Lasky created an owl culture in her Guardians of “Ga’Hoole” series, and wolves in “Wolves of the Beyond,” so it makes sense that she would do the same with horses. 

Saige, by Jessie Haas, is an American Girl Today novel.  One of the customer reviews at amazon.com stated:    “This is a great book with a heartwarming tale.  I did wish it lasted longer though.”   This is high praise indeed for a sweet little book about a plucky girl and her grandmother’s beautiful horse.

 Last year, Mary Pope Osborne brought out her 49^th “Magic Tree House” book, Stallion by Starlight and its companion book, Horse Heroes.  Ms. Osborne’s research is meticulous, and I’m glad that she and her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, began sharing that information with readers.  

Black Beauty,  the Black Stallion Books, and other favorites are still available, and still are checked out by horse lovers.  But perhaps the ultimate title is this one: For Horse-crazy Girls Only: Everything You Want to Know About Horses, by Christina Wilsdon.  The title explains itself. Yes, the boys are left out.  But they usually aren’t “horse-crazy.”   See you at the library! 

STEM at the Library

 By Jan Pease

Fun times at the library!  Darcy Cole, local 4-H coordinator, sent some pictures taken at Fun with 4-H Tuesday, January 14.   Students built “Rube Goldberg” designs that looked like the game “Mouse Trap.”  I would have loved doing that when I was the age of these students.  It’s an ingenious way to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, now often referred to as STEM.

LEGO Building Blocks are another fun way to incorporate STEM experiences into the lives of our children.  We hope that young people ages 8-14 will come to the first building club tonight, January 23^rd, at 6:30 p.m.  Brandt Johnson is a big LEGO fan. I think of him as a “master builder,” but he tells me he’s just a regular dad, not an official LEGO master.  We’re calling our group, “Brickheads.” If you love to build with LEGOS, come and join in.  Story Hour will still take place at 7, so younger children will have something to do. Parents are always welcome to join in the fun.

School Library Journal sponsors its own version of “March Madness,” called the Battle of the Books.    The contenders and judges for the sixth annual “Battle of the Books,” have been chosen, and now it begins, as of January 15^th.  I think it would be a good winter activity to have our own Battle of the Books.  Read as many of the books on the list as you can, make your choices, and we’ll post the winners week by week and compare them to the national results as they are posted at School Library Journal.  Basically, the judges choose between two books at a time, the “battle.”   The winner advances through the brackets, just like basketball.  I’ll post a chart at the children’s desk and it will begin to make sense.

Look for these titles, which are great reading, and follow the Battle of the Books at the School Library Journal website, http://blogs.slj.com/battleofthebooks, and at the children’s desk at Litchfield Public Library.

Here is the list of contenders:

ALL THE TRUTH THAT’S IN ME by Julie Berry

THE ANIMAL BOOK by Steve Jenkins

BOXERS AND SAINTS by Gene Yang

A CORNER OF WHITE by Jaclyn Moriarty

DOLL BONES by Holly Black

ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell

FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal

FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo

HOKEY POKEY by Jerry Spinelli

MARCH BOOK ONE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

MIDWINTERBLOOD by Marcus Sedgwick

P.S. BE ELEVEN by Rita Williams-Garcia

ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein

THE THING ABOUT LUCK by Cynthia Kadohata

TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP by Kathi Appelt

WHAT THE HEART KNOWS by Joyce Sidman

The winner of the 2013 BOB was: No Crystal Stair, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.  May the best book win!

Take It From Our Teens

by Tiana Schweim

Litchfield library’s teen section of shelves is labeled YA, for Young Adult.  I got to thinking about that label recently.  You know, young adults are capable of juggling life and multi-tasking with the best of us!    Adolescents are a wonderful wealth of comedy and tragedy all wrapped up in eclectic packaging.  Their labels could all be stamped the same: YA Seeks Adventurous Relationship with Life!  I’ve learned not to judge a book by its cover.  Cracking open the cover of a teenager can encompass any genre you can imagine: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Adventure, Futuristic, Realistic, Historical, and Fantasy.  The challenge for me is to design teen programming that will offer a little bit of the abnormal anchored to good old-fashioned, non-fiction life in Litchfield.

Our teen program launched just a few months ago.  The handful of kids that were showing up to monthly book club discussions has grown into almost three dozen teens who are interested in getting involved in the decision-making process and advocating for event programming for their peers.  These young adults are academic, athletic, and have real-life families and part-time jobs that they are committed to.  They have relationships and friendships and they make time for reading as well.  These kids are as different as the content found between the covers of our YA books, but they all have one thing in common: They like to hang out at our library!

In October, we promoted Teen Read Week by hosting a short story contest.  We had twelve wonderful writers contribute their original manuscripts.  Our teens are authors!  We also hosted a teen advisory group event where we held our inaugural election of officers.  Our teens are voters and leaders!  The group decided to plan an event for December 1 to do a service project at the library.  This past Sunday, we had nine young adults who cleaned and decorated the library for Christmas.  Our teens are volunteers!  Our teens are decorators!  Our creative teens are inspired to see the work of their own hands and hearts come to fruition; they’re interested in investing in the community!

Tonight is the first big snowfall, and yet the library remains open to serve this community.  I sit here in our cozy public library with the reflection of twinkling lights all around me.  I wonder as my eyes wander around this giant room filled with shelves of every genre.  How many books were checked out today? How many hands have made use of our free computer stations, or our free Wi-Fi?  Will we ever know what we offer to the public as we hand them a book, a video, or a smile?  How lucky we are here in Litchfield to be blessed by the dreams and sacrifices of those who made our beautiful library a reality.

As Litchfield’s city sidewalks become busy sidewalks all dressed up in holiday style think of this.  Each day brings unique opportunity.  Maybe it’s time to get involved.  Maybe volunteering will be your resolution for 2014.  Don’t let the label on your shelf define who you are.  Take it from our teens, life is full of exciting new adventures, all you have to do is open the cover!

Note: The next Group Of Advising Teens (G.O.A.T.) event is scheduled for Monday, December 23, 5:00-8:00.  Bring a white elephant gift to exchange and $5 for pizza.  We will be watching the movie “Elf”.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL GOATS, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

Five from the Standing Order List

By Jan Pease

As I’ve mentioned in the past, as we work on ordering books for our Meeker County libraries, Beth and I use a tool called standing orders. These are lists of authors and series that we can choose to receive automatically in the next year. I have many authors that are predictable and that I would purchase. Think of a writer/illustrator like Eric Carle. His books have that “Eric Carle” look, are bright, cheerful, and sure to be a hit with younger children. He never fails to bring out wonderful books, but he never surprises me with a full length novel.

When I think of Donna Jo Napoli, I think of her retelling of fairy tales, like Beast or her version of Cinderella, set in China, Bound. Ms. Napoli does an extensive amount of research for her novels, so it isn’t surprising that she would write Treasury of Egyptian Mythology. This beautiful book follows her impressive Treasury of Greek Mythology. Egyptian mythology is loaded with colorful images and information about little-known major and minor deities.

Another standing-order author, Alexander McCall Smith, has begun to write Precious Ramotswe Mysteries for young readers. I haven’t read the whole “No. 1 Ladies Detective” series, but I  am a big fan of Precious Ramotswe. The first book in the children's series,The Great Cake Mystery, introduces Precious. The second book, The Mystery of Meerkat Hill, tells the story of how Precious used her detective skills and found her family’s cow.

Jenny Nimmo, another well-known, standing-order author, has continued her “Chronicles of the Red King” series with  Leopard’s Gold . Leopard’s Gold features the nine children of King Timoken and is a fantastic family drama, full of fantasy, magical siblings and friends, and a spectacular story line.

Jan Brett is a favorite of mine. The cover of her new book, Cinders: a Chicken Cinderella, features an ornately dressed chicken in a sleigh pulled by large ducks, driven by mice footmen. Ms. Brett visited St. Petersburg, Russia and was inspired by the architecture and the snowy landscape for this retelling of a favorite fairy tale. The fold out page of the hens and roosters dancing at the ball would make a beautiful poster, if you really like chickens. The real chickens who inspired the characters are Edwina and Elof, who are both beautiful Phoenix chickens.

Finally, fans of the “Ranger’s Apprentice” series have been waiting for book 12, The Royal Ranger. John Flanagan is another author on the standing order list. This is the final book in the series. It’s time for Will Treaty, who has become the finest Ranger in the land, to take on an apprentice. His companion series, The Brotherband Chronicles will continue with the fourth book coming out next year. Could Will’s apprentice begin a new series of adventures? Time will tell. See you at the library!

Early Christmas?

By Jan Pease
My desk is piled high with new books, making it feel like early Christmas here.  Several well-known authors have published new books just in time for readers to curl up with a good book.

 

James Patterson is famous for writing thrillers for adults, but he has written several series for young people.  Witch and Wizard, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, the Middle School Series, Treasure Hunters, and now he has written the second book in the Confessions series, Confessions: The Private School Murders. According to Mr. Patterson’s website, “Wealthy young women are being murdered, and the police aren't looking for answers in the right places. Enter Tandy Angel. Her first case was the mystery of her parents' deaths. Now she's working to exonerate her brother of his girlfriend's homicide. And danger just got closer.”  Tandy’s first case was explored in Confessions of a Murder Suspect.  Suspend a bit of disbelief at a teenage detective (move over, Nancy Drew) and enjoy another thriller by a master writer.

Tamora Pierce continues her Circle saga with Battle Magic.  This book fits in between Street Magic and Melting Stones.  Will of the Empress comes in there somewhere.  True fans of Ms. Pierce spend time thinking about timelines and contradictions, but I would just recommend reading her books.  They are a treat.

James Dashner has finished his Maze Runner series and is starting a new one, The Mortality Doctrine. This series begins with the Eye of Minds, and the series is set “in a world of hyper-advanced technology, cyber-terrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares,”    quoting from amazon.com.  Mr. Dashner said in an interview for amazon.com:  “It’s in the future, but I really don’t want people to think of this as dystopian. It’s not. The world is basically in fine shape. But virtual reality technology has gone through the roof and most people are obsessed with it. Like I said earlier, the line between what’s real and what’s not gets blurred, which sets the stage for some fun twists and mind-bendy stuff. I think my fans will have a good time with it.” 

School Library Journal has stated that horror for teens is not a trend, but a staple. (Horror in YA Lit is a Staple, Not a Trend By Kelly Jensen on September 13, 2013)   With that in mind, Revealed, by P.C. Cast, will remind us of why Ms. Cast’s books are so popular.  This is the eleventh book in the House of Night Series.  Reviewers keep mentioning that this is the penultimate book in the series.  What does that mean?  I had to look it up, and it means that there will be one book after this one.

Finally, fans of Veronica Roth know that Allegiant, the last book in the Divergent trilogy, was released on October 22.  Customer reviews at amazon.com range from “What a perfect climax to a perfect series” to “This book was absolutely terrible.”   Your experience of this popular series will probably be somewhere in  between the extremes.    It is #2 on Amazon’s best seller list, and I’ve already got a second copy on order.  The series begins with Divergent, continues with Insurgent, and comes to a controversial ending in Allegiant.  This series is definitely on my “to read soon” list.  See you at the library!

Don't Let Summer Slide Away

by Tiana Schweim, Litchfield Library

Watercade marks the mid-point of summer for many of us in Litchfield.  With the final flash of fireworks, the distant cadence of the Mean-Green-Marching-Machine, and the Medallion tucked away for another long year, teens might just spiral into a self-proclaimed state of boredom until Labor Day!  My advice is to take a deep breath and exhale as you ponder opportunities at your local public library.

Our summer reading programs are in full-swing!  We have 46 students in grades 6-12 who have officially signed up for Groundbreaking Reads for Teens and are participating by keeping track of their titles and submitting book reviews for weekly drawings.

 New additions to our collection are Hunger and Fear which complete our collection of Michael Grant’s Gone series.  Our monthly teen book club has chosen to read the first book Gone for next month.  I encourage tweens & teens to checkout or download the book and join us for our next book club meeting on Monday, August 19^th at 3:00 here at the library—all students entering grades 6-12 are invited to show up!  We’d love you to join our discussion by telling us what you’ve been reading this summer.

Also new to our collection:

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer.  Younger fans of television cooking shows will delight in this quick-paced story laced with current trends including domestic abuse, inter-racial relationships, and a main character with a learning disability.  Bauer says the book is infused with humor.  About the process she says, “My best times as a writer are when I’m working on a book and laughing while I’m writing.”

Speaking of becoming famous, our teen book club participants have also recently had the pleasure of critiquing an original manuscript by Chantal Boon.  Boon is a local author from Dassel, MN, and is in the process of securing a publisher for her story The Sky is Watching.  It was interesting for the kids to meet and talk with Chantal about her background and the ideas for her book.  We certainly have some very talented writers in our book club groups and it’s a cool thought to ponder some of them becoming future authors as well.  We plan to keep in touch with Chantal and cheer her on through the process.

One big change to the programming calendar is the switch from an All-Night Lock-In to a 4-hour event.  All students who are entering grades 6-12 are invited to stop by the library and sign up for our July 31^st event which will begin at 8:00 PM when the library normally closes its doors and conclude at midnight.  We will provide a pizza party for everyone who has registered.  The night will also offer the chance to play various group games such as Ghost in the Graveyard, and participate in the Great Library Scavenger Hunt.  Best of all, prizes will be awarded!  What a great opportunity to hang out with your friends!  We need to thank SAMMIE (Southwest Area Multicounty Multitype Interlibrary Exchange) who has awarded us a grant to partially fund this event.

Don’t forget Gaming Night, every Monday from 6-8 PM, and Teen Tea with Tiana at Cricket Meadow on Tuesday, August 13^th at 10:00 AM.

So, you see, even though the Annual Watercade Book Sale has come and gone for another year, there’s no need to hang your head in sorrow.  Visit the Public Library today!

Is it Fiction? Is it Nonfiction? I Don't Care, I Just Enjoy!

By Jan Pease

Sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and the calendar says it’s time to schedule school field trips to the library.  The last spring story hour is May 10^th.  This has been a long, long winter, but story hours have been a bright spot every week at the library.    Story Hours will begin again June 12^th.

Several interesting books have appeared on my desk here at the library.  Even if you don’t find nonfiction books interesting, you might enjoy The Mystery of Darwin’s Frog, by Marty Crump.  Illustrated with many colorful photographs and drawings, this book explores a little known frog named for Charles Darwin, who discovered it during his famous voyage on the HMS Beagle.   The male Darwin’s frog carries its tadpoles in its vocal sac.  They are burped out when they change from tadpoles into tiny frogs.  These very odd frogs are being studied to this day. 

 Another nonfiction title that reads like a novel is The Fairy Ring or Elsie and Frances Fool the World, by Mary Losure.  Frances was nine when her family moved from South Africa to England because of the war.  A lonely little girl, she became close to her cousin Elsie, who was fifteen at the time.  Frances was sure she had seen tiny people in her rambles alone the small stream near their home.   Tired of the teasing they both received from their extended family, Elsie and Frances took photographs with  a box camera borrowed from Elsie’s father that used glass plates for the negatives.  The girls never intended to fool the world about the fairies that they photographed, but the world believed that the fairies in the photos were real.

No one creates nonfiction books as well as Seymour Simon.  He has written more than 250 books for young readers, all bringing science topics to life.  His new book, Extreme  Oceans,  contains beautiful photographs and interesting text as Mr. Simon examines  the oceans of our world.  He dedicated this book to the late Rachel Carson, whose book The Sea Around Us inspired him to become a writer.

Book seven in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, Fyre ,  brings this popular series to its conclusion.  Ms. Sage brings back nearly all of the characters who appeared in the first six books, and neatly wraps up the story lines.  The last section of the books, “Endings,” tells the “rest of the story” of several characters, showing that a novel can read like a nonfiction book. 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Finally, if you just have to read a zombie book, Darren Shan has another in his Zom-B  series, City.  I skimmed it.  Here is a line from the book: “I don’t need to breathe, so I can chase you all day and never drop my pace.”  Really?   

This just proves that Litchfield Library has something for everyone. 

One Lump or Two?

 By Jan Pease

Where did proper young ladies go to be “finished” during the time of Queen Victoria?   Why, to finishing school, of course.  But in Gail Carriger’s   steam punk world of fashionable vampires and militaristic were- wolves, young ladies attend Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality .  The first book in the “Finishing School” series is “Etiquette and Espionage,” which follows Sophronia, a young woman who is a severe trial to her mother, as she goes to this most unusual school for young ladies.   Here, Sophronia learns useful skills that will come in handy in her adult life, whether she marries a fashionable gentleman or works as an “intelligencer” for the queen.   As one of the teachers says, “It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.”

Although I have enjoyed Gail Carriger’s  books immensely, I’m happy to see some new books that are historical   fiction, without the paranormal emphasis that has been so prevalent the last few years.  “Jepp, who Defied the Stars,” written by Katherine Marsh, is set in the 1500s.  Ms. Marsh based her character on a real person, Jepp, a dwarf who served Tycho Brahe, an astronomer and alchemist in Denmark.  Jepp wonders if fate is written in the stars from the moment we are born, or if it is a bendable thing that we can shape with our own hands.   

“Navigating Early,” by Clare Vanderpool, is set in the years just after World War II.   This is the story of Jack Baker, whose father moves him from Kansas to a boarding school in Maine.  He has an unusual friendship with Early Auden, who now would probably be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.  The boys go on a quest to search the Appalachian Trail for the great black bear rumored to be in nearby mountains.  They share adventures that include “pirates, a volcano, a great white whale, a hundred-year old woman, a lost hero, a hidden cave, a great Appalachian bear, and a timber rattlesnake – in Maine!” (“Navigating Early” page 294).

  “Who Done It,” by Jon Scieszka,  is a really, really unusual book.  The premise is that the nastiest editor in the world has been murdered, and the 80 suspects are authors of children’s and YA fiction, including Lemony Snicket, John Green, Mo Willems, Todd Strasser, and 76 other well-known names.  The reader is charged with examining each alibi to solve the crime.  Each of the writers spins a story, but Mr. Scieszka says the problem is that all of them are liars.  All of the proceeds of this book benefit 826NYC, a literacy and creative program for kids. 

 

Finally, Ally Carter has produced the third novel in the “Heist Society” series.    “Perfect Scoundrels” continues the story of Katarina Bishop, nicknamed Kat, who is part of a family of loveable criminal masterminds.  My only quibble with the series is that Kat seems much older; 20 something at least.  She’s sophisticated and smooth.  But just because I was still awkward at 16, doesn’t mean that a 16 year old couldn’t be an international jewel thief.   All of these great books, and more, are waiting for you at Litchfield Public Library.