Graphic Novels for Middle School

Graphic Novels are novels that are made up of drawings, most often in comic strip format. Many readers are naturally drawn to this format, and in the past few years there has been a boom of these kids of books being published for younger readers. Here are a few great ones from the past few years:

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

This semi-autobiographical story is the newest book by the beloved author Raina Telgemeier. Telgemeier has a talent for understanding middle school life and in Sisters she perfectly nails the changing relationships between sisters as they grow up. Kids have also loved Telgemeier's other graphic novels including Drama, Smile, and her graphic renditions of Ann M. Martin's classic series The Baby Sitter's Club. 

Amulet by Kibuishi Kazu

This adventure series follows Emily and Navin who discover a magical amulet that provides them with special powers. They enter the fictional world of Alledia where they build a crew of resistance fighters and battle evil. 

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

This book was a Newbery Honor Book for 2015. It tells the story of Astrid who falls in love with roller derby while navigating the ups and downs of middle school.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm

Young Sunny is sent by her parents to spend her summer vacation away from her friends in Florida with her grandfather at his retirement home. Sunny discovers the reason her parents sent her to Florida is because they are trying to protect her from and deal with her brother's addiction issues. Sunny learns to cope with this knowledge and the tedium of her summer at the retirement home.

Ms. Marvel by Wilson G. Willow

Kamala Khan is a stunning new superhero in the Marvel universe. She starts out as an ordinary girl from Jersey City, but an unusual experience leaves her with mysterious powers.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians graphic novel adaptations by Robert Venditti

Rick Riordan's popular series is brought to life with excellent art and a great narrative.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans by Don Brown

This stunning book takes on the tough topic of Hurricane Katrina. It is extremely well researched and provides a multifaceted look at this natural disaster. It was named a Sibert Medal Honor Book of 2015 which recognizes outstanding nonfiction for youth.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

This autobiography shares the author's experience of growing up with hearing loss. She must wear a large hearing aid known as the Phonic Ear, which gives her the ability to hear. She imagines it gives her other super powers as well to help her deal with the struggles of growing up.

You'll find these books in the graphic novel areas of our Children's and YA collections. Stop by and browse for more!

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Author Spotlight: Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes is a Wisconsin native who currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. He has had a remarkable career as an author and illustrator of children's picture books and novels. His book Chrysanthemum is one of my all time favorites that I have enjoyed since a was a child.

Most recently, his book Waiting was named a Caldecott Honor Book for its outstanding illustrations and a Geisel Honor Book which recognizes the most distinguished books for beginner readers. Waiting is the sweet story of a group of toys patiently waiting for something to happen. They find joy and peace in their quiet state.

Kevin Henkes has won several other awards in his career including the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon in 2004. This book tells the adorable story of a young kitten who mistakes the full moon in the sky for a full bowl of milk.

Two of his novels have also been recognized as Newbery Medal Honor Books. Olive's Ocean was named an honor book in 2004, and The Year of Billy Miller was named in 2014.

If you just can't get enough of Kevin Henkes, check out some of these other books written by him:

Board Books
Julius's Candy Corn
Owen's Marshmallow Chick
Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick
Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star


Picture Books
Birds illustrated by Laura Dronzek
Chester's Way
A Good Day
Jessica 
Julius, the Baby of the World
Lilly's Big Day 
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
My Garden


Easy Readers
Penny and her Doll
Penny and her Marble
Penny and her Song


Chapter Books
Bird Lake Moon
Protecting Marie
Sun & Spoon
Words of Stone


Books in Spanish / Libros en Español
El gran dia de Lily traducido por Maria Candelaria Posada
Julius: el rey de la casa traducido por Teresa Mlawer



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Picture Books for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! It's the perfect time to cuddle up with your little one and read a story together. Here are some of my favorite stories about love for parents and young children.

My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
This book is just so neat! Each of the illustrations feature a different animal created using heart shapes. You could even try your hand at making your own animal art out of cut out paper hearts.

The Cuddle Book by Guido van Genechten
This adorable book shows how different animals cuddle. Turtles have to cuddle very slowly and those poor porcupines have to cuddle very carefully!

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen
This series is funny and sweet with greatly detailed illustrations. Kids will get a kick out of the bad behavior the dinosaurs exhibit.

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
This classic story tells the tale of a mother's love with beautiful illustrations and expertly written text. This makes a great bedtime story.

Here Comes the Valentine Cat by Deborah Underwood
Cat is NOT a fan of Valentine's Day, but can his silly neighbor Dog change his mind?

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Another classic picture book that tells the great tale of a father's love as his son plays a bed time game to guess how much he loves him. Is it has high as he can hop? As high as the moon?

You Nest Here with Me by Jane Yolen
This sweet story follows a parent and child as they discover many different types of birds in the world. Each of the birds has a home, just like the child has a home with her mother.

I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy
This is the perfect valentine for a family with a new baby. Everyone wants to kiss and hug the new baby! With the high contrast illustrations, the new baby will enjoy the book too!

Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
A young boy is determined to spread love around his neighborhood with hugs for everyone!

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty
This adorably illustrated book tells the story of Henry's first crush. Henry is smitten with his new classmate Chloe and he tries desperately to get her attention.


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The Newbery Medal

Every year the Newbery Medal is awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This past January, the 2016 Medal was awarded to Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña.

This picture books tells the story of young CJ riding the bus through his city with his grandmother. Every page introduces you to a new sight, sound, or person in CJ’s community. He asks his grandmother a lot of tough questions as they ride: Why don’t they have a car like his friends? Why do they always get off the bus in the dirty part of town? His grandmother’s kindness and love shine through her responses as she teaches CJ to see the beauty in his life and his neighborhood. It’s a great book that encourages conversation about kindness, positivity, compassion, and community.

The Newbery Medal committee also selects three Honor Books each year. This year these books are:

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

This touching novel tells the story of a young English girl whose difficult life is uprooted by World War One.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

This graphic novel shares the story of Astrid, a young girl who falls in love with Roller Derby. Astrid must deal with her changing friendships, her sense of self, and boys all while to prove herself in the rink.

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Three incredible stories are woven together through music and a little bit of fairytale magic. A seemingly unimportant harmonica takes the reader from a young and bullied young boy in Nazi Germany, to a pair of brothers trying to stay alive and together in Pennsylvania during the Great Depression, all the way to California where a young family is fighting for a place in their new country.

If you haven’t read the winners from this year make sure to check them out!

The Newbery Medal has been awarded to some fantastic books over the years. Here are a few more that you can find at the Eager Free Public Library:

The Crossover by Kwame Amexander (2015 Winner)

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (2014 Winner)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2013 Winner)

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (2012 Winner)

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (2011  Winner)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2010 Winner)

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (2003 Winner)

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1995 Winner)

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (1987 Winner)

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (1977 Winner)

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (1961 Winner)

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VANESSA AND HER SISTER

In February, our book club will be reading Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar.  This novel looks into the lives of Vanessa Bell, her sister Virginia Woolf, and the circle of intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group.  Vanessa and Her Sister was very well reviewed upon its release, receiving starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

There are many books available that use a famous figure as the focal point of their stories.  Here are some of the books you can find at the Library that use authors as the main and/or secondary characters.







Adeline by Norah Vincent (Virginia Woolf)
Vanessa and Virginia by Susan Sellers (Vanessa Bell & Virginia Woolf)
Dark Aemilia by Sally O'Reilly (Aemilia Bassano & William Shakespeare)
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (Ernest Hemingway)
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Fowler (Zelda & F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Virginia Woolf)
Jane Austen's First Love by Syrie James (Jane Austen)
Daphne by Justine Picardie (Daphne Du Maurier)
Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan (Robert Louis Stevenson)

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: DAPHNE DU MAURIER

I am currently reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.  This book has been on my to read list for a long time, and I am excited to finally get to it!  Rebecca was originally published in the late 1930s and has been reprinted multiple times over the years.  This novel follows the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter as she begins her life as the young bride to a man she barely knows.  She soon finds herself ill at ease in her new home, and she begins to dig into the past to find out what really happened to her husband's first wife, Rebecca.


Daphne Du Maurier is the author of numerous works including the novels listed below.


The Loving Spirit
I'll Never Be Young Again
Julius
Jamaica Inn
Rebecca
Frenchman's Creek
Hungry Hill
The King's General
The Parasites
My Cousin Rachel
The Scapegoat
Castle Dor
The Flight of the Falcon
The House on the Strand
Rule Britannia

If you have already finished Rebecca, you may enjoy some of these works as well.

The Little House by Philippa Gregory - This is the story of Ruth Cleary.  Ruth and her husband, Patrick, live in Bristol where she works for a radio station, and he is a TV reporter.  Every weekend they visit Patrick's parents at their old farmhouse.  When the house at the end of her in-laws' lane comes up for sale, Ruth and Patrick make the move from the city to the country.
 Haunted Ground by Erin Hart - In Ireland, two farmers discover the severed head of a young woman and immediately contact the local police.  However, the police department is already busy investigating the disappearance of the wife and son of the local land baron, Hugh Osborne, and since peat bogs prevent decay it is hard to tell how long ago the woman died.  So, they call in archaeologist Cormac Maguire and Nora Gavin.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton - During a summer party at the family farm, Laurel Nicolson escapes to her childhood tree house when she sees a stranger coming up the road to the farm, and before the day is over, Laural will witness a shocking crime.  Fifty years later, Laurel is a successful actress living in London and her family is gathering for her mother's 90th birthday.  Laural realizes that this may be her last chance for answers, and she dives into her mother's past to find them.


Dragonwyck by Anya Seton - Dragonwyck was published a few years after Rebecca and is a classic gothic romance.  The reader follows Miranda Wells as she falls under the spell of a mysterious old mansion and its master.


Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -This classic of British literature follows Jane Eyre, an orphan, who is engaged as the governess at Thornfield Hall by Mr. Rochester.  Her character is tested as her love for Mr. Rochester grows and the secrets of his past come to light.


Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman - This novel continues the story created by Daphne Du Maurier.  It is twenty years after since the death of Rebecca and the inquest which passed a verdict of suicide.  Colonel Julyan receives an anonymous parcel in the mail containing a notebook and two pictures pertaining to Rebecca.  Meanwhile, Terence Gray has also come to town looking for clues about Rebecca's life and death.  Was Rebecca the manipulative woman her husband claimed?  Was her death really a suicide? 




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COOKING

What can you do when you are stuck inside all winter long?  You can cook!  Whether you are an experienced cook looking for new ideas or a new cook looking for help, cookbooks are a great place to start.  You can try new foods, create your own dishes based off of inspiration, or have your own cooking competition with friends and family.

Here a some of our newer cookbooks that are sure to keep you cooking all winter!

The 52 New Foods Challenge by Jennifer Tyler Lee
Back Home With the Neelys by Patrick Neely
The Can't Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld
Carla's Comfort Foods by Carla Hall
Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli
Cook's Country Eats Local by the Editors of America's Test Kitchen
Easy Gourmet by Stephanie Lee
Egg by Michael Ruhlman
The Food of Taiwan by Cathy Erway
Food Truck Road Trip by Kim Pham
Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore
Gluten-Free Classic Snacks by Nicole Hunn
The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book by Carolyn Wyman
Healthy Pasta by Joseph Bastianich
How to Cook Everything Fast by Mark Bittman
International Night by Mark Kurlansky
My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl
One Bowl Baking by Yvonne Ruperti

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