2013 was a phenomenal year for books, and there are a lot of “best of 2013” lists. If you don’t know what to read this summer, why don’t you check out one of last year’s best? Andrew Carnegie Medal Shortlist & Similar Works Best of the Best Books List: 2013 […]
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This week’s staff pick is “Furniture Makeovers” by Barb Blair. It’s the perfect time of year to re-varnish, finish, paint, or otherwise alter your furniture since you can probably do it outdoors where it won’t smell up your house. “Furniture Makeovers shows how to transform tired furniture into stunning showpieces. You’ll […]
We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle (best known for The Last Unicorn which was also made an animated film) is a collection of short stories about a myriad of topics. Beagle is a master of short stories, and if you haven’t read him, you should (according to the […]
You’ve never seen a story about growing up quite like this. Man Made Boy is about Boy, the son of Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride. It has monsters, the epitamy of misunderstood, questions about good and evil, mistakes, crazy families, love, and growing up. Our staff member said it’s well worth staying up late […]
This week’s staff pick is the award winning “The Universe Versus Alex Woods” by Gavin Extence. It’s a literally laugh out loud and cry book, and appropriate for teenagers to 100+. It’s got a little bit of science (perfect for this summer’s reading program themes), Vonnegut, and a whole […]
Two of our staffers read this book, and they loved it. It has secret societies, an unsolvable puzzle (supposedly), and characters you’ll absolutely adore. Once you get involved in Clay’s story, you won’t want to put it down. We definitely recommend this winner of the Alex Award, finalist for the […]
In The Sparrow, it’s 2019, and “humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes […]
In My Father’s Dragon, “Elmer Elevator (narrator’s father as a boy) runs away with an old alley cat to rescue a flying baby dragon being exploited on a faraway island. With the help of two dozen pink lollipops, rubber bands, chewing gum, and a fine-toothed comb, Elmer disarms the fiercest of […]
It’s the end of National Poetry Month. What did you read? Did you keep up with the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-A-Day website? Or did you check out Poetry 180 run by Billy Collins while he was the Poet Laureate? Or maybe you found a new poet or read some of your favorites. Did you […]
For whatever reason, boys (generally speaking) don’t read as much as their female counterparts. Happily, there are a growing number of resources dedicated to finding books for young(er) male readers, like Guys Read, Books 4 Boys, Best Books For Boys, Booksforboys.com, and Read Kiddo Read. Some of them break up […]