Book Your Trip - Travel Reads from NPR

For this week’s blog post, I am borrowing from National Public Radio’s fun new summer book list, which is all about travel - not the destination, necessarily, but rather, they’re highlighting books that focus on and celebrate the journey to those destinations. I’ve picked out a few fun titles on that list that we have at Eager Free PL to highlight here. 

For the full lists from NPR, please visit NPR’s website. 

• The Ice Balloon: S. A. Andree and the heroic age of arctic exploration by Alec Wilkinson 

• Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks (juvenile fiction)

• The Borrowers Aloft by Mary Norton (juvenile fiction)

• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

• The Skies Belong To Us: love and terror in the golden age of hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner

• Lost Horizon by James Hilton

• Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith (young adult fiction)

• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (juvenile fiction)

• Into Thick Air: biking to the bellybutton of six continents by Jim Malusa

 Stop by and pick up one of these travel-themed books today! 

Graphic Novels for Adults

This summer the library is offering a summer reading program for grown-ups! We have Sunny Summer Bingo Cards available at the upstairs checkout desk to inspire you to read, read, read this summer. The Bingo Card squares are all different book genres, so that you can try out a new genre or return to an old favorite. One of the genre squares is Graphic Novels. You may assume that graphic novels are only for kids or young adults but it turns out the library has a lot of graphic novels for adults, too!

Check out these grown-up graphic novels:

• The Exile, an Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Galbadon, illustrations by Hoang Nguyen
• Johnny Cash: I See Darkness by Reinhardt Kleist
• King Lear: a Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds
• Artichoke Tales by Megan Kelso
• Koko Be Good by Jen Wang
• Mad Man's Drum: A Novel in Woodcuts by Lynd Ward
• God's Man: A Novel in Woodcuts by Lynd Ward

Of course, there are many additional graphic novel titles shelved in the young adult section, but if you're looking for more mature story lines, check out these graphic novels for adults! 

It's World Cup Time!

We know that soccer is a popular recreational sport here in Evansville. For those of you who follow professional soccer (or football, or futbol) on an international level, the World Cup kicked off this week in Brazil. Here are some books related to soccer for players and interested parties of all ages:

For younger readers:

Olivia Plays Soccer, adapted from TV by Tina Gallo (+ER Gallo 2)
Olivia is excited about playing soccer, and can’t wait to wear the red jersey. But it turns out that only the goalie can wear the red jersey – and Francine is already the team’s goalie.

For the Love of Soccer!, by Pele, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Picture Books, +P Pele gold)
A picture book autobiography written by soccer legend Pele.

Soccer!, by Dev Ross (+ER Ross 3)
Facts and information about soccer, including the history of the sport, famous players, and ways to improve your own game.

For middle readers:

• Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme, by Donald J. Sobol (Eager Free Childrens Mystery, +M Sobol)
  A collection of ten stories set in Idaville, where boy detective Encyclopedia Brown is called upon to help solve local mysteries.
• Soccer, by Blaine Wiseman (Eager Free Childrens Non-Fiction, J796.334 Wiseman)
  The soccer installment of the Record Breakers non-fiction books.
• Pele, King of Soccer = Pele, el rey del futbol by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, translated by Fernando Gayesky (Spanish Picture Books, +SP Brown)
  A pictorial biography of soccer legend Pele, with words in English and Spanish.
• Soccer Shootout, by Jake Maddox (First Chapter Books, +FC Maddox)
  When a new player joins the soccer team, he is put in at goalie, a position that Berk has always played.
• The Soccer Machine, by David Bedford (First Chapter Books, +FC Bedford)
  Harvey’s soccer team is on a losing streak until his neighbor, an inventor, introduces them to Mark 1, a robot programmed to play – and win – soccer.
• Soccer series by Barbara Bonney
  This non-fiction series about soccer by Barbara Bonney has lots of information about specific positions, equipment, and the rules of soccer.

Find these books and more books about soccer in the children’s room and get playing – and reading – today!

For more information about the World Cup and to follow all the games during the tournament, check out FIFA.com

Books for Dad this Father's Day

When you visit the library in the morning on Saturday, June 14 for Donuts with Dad, we of course want you to check out our picture selection in the children’s area, but you can also stop by the grown-up section of the library to pick up some great reads for you to enjoy on “your day!”

The following books are a roundup of titles that our fathers, grandfathers, and husbands enjoyed in the last year or so. Click on the book's title to view the record in RockCat - sign in with your library card barcode number or give the library a call at 882-2260 to put one of these on hold today. Enjoy!

Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin. A new biography of Bruce Springsteen, written in cooperation with the Boss himself. Built from years of research and unparalleled access to its subject and his inner circle, Bruce presents the most revealing account yet of a man laden with family tragedy, a tremendous dedication to his artistry, and an all-consuming passion for fame and influence.

Cronkite’s War by Walter Cronkite IV and Maurice Isserman. Personal letters and reflections from the famous newsman Walter Cronkite, document his time as a war correspondent during his early twenties.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Kearns Goodwin's comprehensive, intimate examination of President Lincoln's cabinet provided the basis for the complex relationships found in Steven Spielberg's award-winning 2012 film Lincoln. 

Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin. We've said it before, we'll say it again - this epic fantasy series brings compelling political and personal relationships to the magical, high-fantasy world of the Seven Kingdoms.

Dune / The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what it undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This rollicking science fiction classic is a terrific summer read, perfect for road trips and camping excursions. 

Don't forget Donuts with Dad on Saturday, June 14 at 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. in the library's lower level program room!

Super Summer Series

Summer is coming, summer is coming! We can’t wait to see familiar and new faces at the library this summer. We’re ready to share lots of awesome books with you this summer. 

Since series are always popular, I wanted to point out a few favorite series we have in the children’s room here at Eager Free. These books are perfect for summer reading since there’s so many and you can take out two or three at a time. 

Great for grades 1-3

Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo 

Action-packed, funny misadventures about a family and their pig companion, Mercy.

Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems

Funny easy readers about a friendship between an elephant and pig.

Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne 

Time travel through the magic treehouse in this popular series about history, science, art, and culture. 

American Girl series (various authors)

These carefully-researched books follow the lives of fictional American girls through different historical eras. 

My Weird School series by Dan Gutman

Humorous series about a school and its kooky teachers and staff. 

Captain Underpants series by Dave Pilkey

Funny stories featuring an elementary-age hero, Captain Underpants, with lots of gross humor and misadventures.

Great for grades 4-5

Nick and Tesla series by Bob Pflugfelder

Siblings Nick and Tesla must use engineering, technology, and invention to solve mysteries. Includes hands-on activities related to the stories to try at home.

Templeton Twins series by Ellis Weiner

Funny, fast-paced stories about twins who take on various neighborhood nemeses to keep their community safe and happy.

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter

Stories and sub-series involving animal characters who live in clans.

The 39 Clues series (various authors)

A quest pits old family rivals against each other. This series is accompanied by online clues and puzzles to help readers solve various mysteries and fill in plot holes.

Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles) by Suzanne Collins

Gregor follows his sister through a grate in their apartment building into the Underland beneath the city. At first, he wants no part of the escalating conflict among the creepy creatures there, but a strange prophecy draws him in.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

School, friendships, the trials and tribulations of being a kid are found in the pages of Greg Heffley’s journals, chock full of notes, doodles, cartoons, and more.

These and so many more series are available right here at the library, or we'd be happy to order one from another library for you! Can't wait to see you next week!