Janet likes historical fiction, humor, realistic stories, adventures.

SEPTEMBER 25:
Janet's pick this week is to introduce a new graphic book series called Pea, Bee & Jay by Brian "Smitty" Smith. This is a young reader's series geared for children aged 6 to 10 about 3 friends with distinct personalities: a pea named Pea, a bumble bee named Bee and a blue jay named Jay. These books are full of humor and great friendship stories.

SEPTEMBER 18:
Janet's pick is Don't Stand So Close to Me by Eric Walters that deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.  13 year old Quinn relates her expereinces as the daughter of a doctor and her friends' experiences as they all cope with social distancing, not seeing loved ones, and missing their usual interactions.  How they have their 8th grade dance is unique and uplifting.  The book hleps explain terms such as "flattening the curve" and justifies the feelings kids are having at this time.

SEPTEMBER 11:
Janet's pick this week, "Newton and Curie the Science Squirrels" by Daniel Kirk, is a great STEM title. Learn about force and gravity and simple machines like levers and pulleys with Newton and his sister squirrel, Curie. Cheer for them when they use their new knowledge to get the fallen bird's nest safely back into the tree.

SEPTEMBER 4:

Janet's picks today will help you with teaching colors.  One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler is about a purple hippo trying to match her one red sock. The book is in rhyme and your child will begin to predict the next color she tries by rhyming, a great prereading skill.  Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James and illustrated by Matthew Rivera is another picture book that can help with color learning.  A very fussy eater, Loa, a flamingo, needs to eat shrimp to get her feathers a pinkish color, but instead easts various other South American foods that change her feathers colors matching those foods.  When she finally tries shrimp, she loves them. An indirect lesson -- try it and you might like it!

AUGUST 28:

Janet's pick for this week is the Schneider Family Book Award winner for middle grade readers.  This award is for a book that "embodies an artistic expresson of the disability experience:. "song for a Whale" by Lynne Kelly is about Iris, a 12 year old deaf girl who is determined to communicate with Blue 55 a whale that "sings a song" that no other whale can hear.  Chapters of the book are the whale's thoughts and he will win your heart. You will cheer with Iris, a radio repair whiz, as she works to achieve her goal.

AUGUST 21:

Janet's pick for this week is "Butterfly Yellow" by award-winning author, Thanhha Lai. This story shows the determination of Hang to reunite with her brother, Ling, who had been airlifted from Vietnam 6 years ealier when he was 5 years old. Arriving in America from Vietnam with little knowledge of English and Texas, 18-year old Hang, with the reluctant help of LeeRoy, a want-to-be cowboy, is determined to pursue her goal. 6 years is a long time and things don't always work as planned.  Available in hardcover now; coming in paper on Oct.13.

AUGUST 14:

"The Summer We Found the Baby" by Amy Hest. Imagine finding a baby on the steps of the library. In this book we find how 3 children perceive this incident and how their perceptions are influenced by the happenings of the past summer. This is a sweet book about friendships and the need for "mothering" (to get and to give) and teachers - a great book about "point of view".

AUGUST 7:

Rain! Puddles!  Read these picture books, Soaked! by Abi Cushman and Puddle Hunters by Kirsty Murray and Karen Blair to see how attitude makes all the difference in our perception of circumstances.  Is your cup half full or half emply?  These children and animals will make you smile.

JULY 31: 

Kitray by Gideo Marcus is a science fiction story set in the year 2846 of a nineteen year old girl who puts all of her savings into a salvaged Navy spaceship so that she can travel throughout the galaxy.  She and her crew of friends end up stranded in hyperspace and it takes all of her crew's epertise to attempt the way home.  The book has great characterization and the reader can feel the tension and acknowledge the "reasonably accurate science" needed to return to her planet, Vatan.

JULY 24: 

Do you remember Bob, the homeless dog who makes himself at home in Ivan’s cage in the Newbery award winning The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate?  Well now he has a home and a story of his own to tell in The One and Only Bob!  It’s a story of courage and rescues.

JULY 17:  

The Ascendance Series for 10-12 year olds by Jennifer A . Nielsen (The False Prince, The Shadow Throne, The Runaway King) is a fast-paced tale of deceit, adventure, heroism and the quest to save a nation.  We thought the trilogy would be enough, but more story needed to be told. The Captive Kingdom comes out in October. Cannot wait for you to see the new twists and ending (new beginning).