Monday, April 26, 2021

FANTASY SERIES FOR KIDS & TEENS

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that is often inspired by myths and folklore.  Oftentimes, fantasy is grouped together with science fiction and horror.  However, it is distinguished from them as it typically leaves out scientific and/or scary themes.  The majority of fantasy novels use magic or other supernatural elements in their plots and settings.  Fantasy is often written in a series format.  This means, that if you like the first book, you can read more!  Below are a few fantasy series for children and young adults. The link will take you to our catalog page for the first book in the series.  Check one out today! 


Children's Series
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
Zoey & Sassafras by Asia Citro
Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski
Unicorn Rescue Society by Adam Gidwitz
Pandava by Roshani Chokshi
Murry Family Time Quintet by Madeline L'Engle
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Young Adult Series
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhods
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Gold Seer by Rae Carson



Pictures from https://ent.sharelibraries.info/client/en_US/evansint/?dt=list

Monday, April 19, 2021

NEA BIG READ: THE LATEHOMECOMER


Join us on Zoom on Tuesday, April 20 at 10:30 AM to discuss this year's NEA Big Read selection.  This year's selection is The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang.  Yang is a Hmong-American author, and this memoir tells the story of her family's journey from Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand and of their immigration to the United States.  Yang's book teaches the reader about the Hmong culture while also showing the reader what prisoner and refugee camps are like.  She also shows how the immigration process works.  

Want to read more by Kao Kalia Yang?  Below you will find a list of her other works along with a brief description of each.

The Song Poet - This is Yang's memoir of her father.  Bee Yang lost his father when he was very young.  He grew up in a war-torn Laos where he met Kao's mother.  This is a story of love for a father, a people, and all that has been lost along the way.

A Map Into the World - In this picture book, the reader meets a young Hmong-American girl.  You will watch her spend time with her family in their new home while also searching for a way to share the beauty of the world around her with her neighbor.

What God is Honored Here? - This is a compilation of writings on miscarriage and infant loss by and for native women and women of color.  The majority of the essays are non-fiction with a couple of fiction pieces as well.

The Shared Room - In this picture book, the reader watches a family move forward after the loss of a child.

The Most Beautiful Thing - Drawing from her life experiences, this picture book of Yan's follows a young girl growing up in a family filled with love but lacking money.  


NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Monday, April 12, 2021

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Maggie Stiefvater is the author of numerous works of young adult fiction.  Her novels consist of stand alone novels and series.  A brief description of her work is below.

The Scorpio Races - This is a standalone novel that follows Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolly.  These two characters live on an island known for its dangerous water horses.  Every year the Scorpio Races are held in which riders try to keep hold of their mounts long enough to make it to the finish line.  Some riders live, and some die.  This year the race is different, Puck Connolly enters the race as the first girl to ever ride in the annual event.

All the Crooked Saints - This novel focuses on the Soria family, specifically, Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin.  Everyone wants a miracle, and these three cousins have the ability to perform unusual miracles.  They also want to change their future.  

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures - This book differs from Stiefvater's other work as it was co-authored by Jackson Pearce and is for a middle grade reader.  Pip possesses the ability to talk to magical creatures, and she uses her talent to update a magic reference book and investigate a fuzzles invasion.

Call Down the Hawk - This is the first book in the Dreamer Trilogy.  In this world, dreamers cannot stop dreaming, and the dreamed cannot have their own lives.  The dreamed will sleep forever if their dreamers die.  The first entry introduces us to Ronan Lynch (a dreamer), Jordan Hennessey (a thief seeking a dream object), and Carmen Farooq-Lane (a hunter).

The Raven Boys - This is the first book in the Raven Cycle.  In this story, we meet Blue.  Blue has always been told that if she kisses her true love, he will die.  She doesn't believe in true love and therefore doesn't see this being an issue.  Blue's mother is a clairvoyant, and every year they stand together as the "soon to be dead" walk past.  Blue never sees them, but this year is different.  This time one of them speaks to her. 

Shiver - This is the first book in the Shiver Trilogy.  This story centers on Grace and the wolves in the woods behind her house.  One wolf in particular seems to be a presence she is drawn to, and that same wolf is watching her back with increasing interest.  

Lament - This is the first entry in the Books of Faerie series.  This novel introduces the reader to Deirdre, a gifted musician who can also see faeries.  She is put in the middle of a faerie war in which Luke, a faerie assassin, and Aodhan, a faerie soldier, are both trying to kill her before her music captures the attention of the Fae.    

Already finished all of Stiefvater's work?  Here are some read-a-likes that you might enjoy!

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas




Monday, April 5, 2021

BOOK MADNESS 2021


If you are a sports fan, then you know that March Madness is upon us.  The basketball tournament is wrapping up tonight.  This year's tournament featured a lot of upsets and close games, and now it is down to the final two teams: Gonzaga and Baylor.  Who will win?!  More importantly, who will win this year's Book Madness tournament?

The Book Madness tournament takes the top 64 circulating titles of 2020 in the Arrowhead Library System and pits them against each other.  The books follow the same path as the basketball bracket, so we were left with two 1 seeds, one 2 seed, and one 11 seed for our final four books.  After tonight's basketball game, we will know which book can claim victory: Dog Man or The Night Fire.

This year's top seeded books are listed below along with a very brief description of the final four books.

One Seeds:
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
The Guardians by John Grisham
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly
Lost by James Patterson

Two Seeds:
Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich
The 20th Victim by James Patterson
Blue Moon by Lee Child

Three Seeds:
The River Murders by James Patterson
Blindside by James Patterson
A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci

Four Seeds:
Hideaway by Nora Roberts
Golden in Death by J.D. Robb
Hush by James Patterson
Walk the Wire by David Baldacci

Final Four:

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey - This children's graphic novel features Dog Man.  He is a crimefighting being with the head of a police dog and the body of a policeman.  

If It Bleeds by Stephen King - This is a collection of four novellas, all of which are capable of placing the reader into frightening places and situations.

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly - Part of the Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch series, this entry revolves around the murder of Bosch's mentor from when he first became a detective.  

Blue Moon by Lee Child - Part of the Jack Reacher series, this novel finds Reacher a wanted man in the middle of a turf war between rival gangs.