Monday, October 12, 2020

Spooky Middle Grade Books

Middle grade books are targeted at readers ages 8-12 - kids who have been reading independently for a while and are ready for something more challenging, but aren't quite ready for the young adult section.

With Halloween coming up, here are some spooky stories for your middle grade readers!

Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late.



Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

After eleven-year-old Ollie's school bus mysteriously breaks down on a field trip, she has to take a trip through scary woods, and must use all of her wits to survive.





Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?



Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand by Kat Shepherd

When babysitter Rebecca discovers that a sinister ruler of darkness has replaced the baby with a changeling, she and her friends must save him by surviving a chilling journey through the Nightmare Realm. For fans of the Baby-Sitters Club.




Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

When Molly shows up on Castle Hangnail's doorstep to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the castle's minions are understandably dubious. After all, she is twelve years old, barely five feet tall, and quite polite. (The minions are used to tall, demanding evil sorceresses with razor-sharp cheekbones.) But the castle desperately needs a master or else the Board of Magic will decommission it, leaving all the minions without the home they love. So when Molly assures them she is quite wicked indeed (So wicked! REALLY wicked!) and begins completing the tasks required by the Board of Magic for approval, everyone feels hopeful. Unfortunately, it turns out that Molly has quite a few secrets, including the biggest one of all: that she isn't who she says she is.

Monday, October 5, 2020

Anti-Racist Books on Hoopla

There are some long waitlists for digital copies of many popular books about race and anti-racist ideas on Libby (OverDrive). If you've been waiting for ages for some of these titles, it might be time to try out Hoopla!



Hoopla is another digital platform where you can download eBooks and and eAudiobooks for free with your library card with no wait! That's right - there is no wait for all of these titles on Hoopla! The main difference between Hoopla and Libby is that with Hoopla you can only check out 6 titles a month and there are no holds. Libby has a larger collection, but there is still lots to find on Hoopla (including TV shows and movies, but that's another blog post...)!

So, if you want to start one of these today, download the Hoopla app or visit their website and get reading or listening!


Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas
 in America by Ibram X. Kendi
available as an eBook and eAudiobook

available as an eBook and eAudiobook

available as an eAudiobook

available as an eBook and eAudiobook

available as an eBook and eAudiobook

available as an eAudiobook

available as an eBook

When They Call You a Terrorist: a Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrice Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
available as an eAudiobook

available as en eBook and eAudiobook

available as an eBook



Monday, September 28, 2020

Banned Books Week










Once again, it's Banned Books Week! The American Library Association states, "This year's Banned Books Week theme is Censorship is a Dead End. Find Your Freedom to Read. Censorship limits exploration and creates barriers to access information. The path toward the freedom to read starts at the library." 

As a public library we are all about celebrating our (and your) right to read. This is why we make a point to provide our patrons with access to materials and programs covering a wide variety of topics. As Jo Godwin said, "A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone."  Be a rebel reader and check out some of the books below to see what all of the hype was about. 

The Top 10 Most Challenged Books From 2019 
(And the top reason they were challenged)


 George by Alex Gino

- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content


- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content



- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content

Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg

- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content


Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack

- Challenged for featuring a gay marriage


I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content


The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

- Challenged for containing profanity


Drama by Raina Telgemeier

- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content



The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

- Challenged for referring to magic and witchcraft


And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

- Challenged for containing LGBTQIA+ content

Monday, September 21, 2020

Ahoy, Me Hearties!


Blimey! September 19th was National Talk Like a Pirate Day, but it's not too late to celebrate! One of arrr displays upstairs is featuring all kinds of pirate-y goodness for yer reading and watching pleasure. Don't be a scallywag! Scope out the treasures below.

Ye can place a hold on any of these by clicking on the links below and logging into yer SHARE account or by calling EFPL at 608-882-2260. Savvy?
 




Fer the Wee Lads & Lassies:
No Pirates Allowed! said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle
Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman



Fer the Young Adult Crew:
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Never Never by Brianna Shrum
These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller





Fer Adult Mateys:
Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson
Lost Boy by Christina Henry
A Pirate's Life for She by Laura Sook Duncombe

Monday, September 14, 2020

Tune it Out & Turn this Up!

Despite everything going on in the world, artists are still striving to create. No matter how you listen to it; by streaming, on CD or vinyl, or over the radio; music is always a great way to escape but feel connected to others at the same time. 
Here are some albums that have come out recently. Give them a listen. It might be just what you need.

You can place a hold on any of these CDs by clicking the links below and logging into your SHARE account or by calling EFPL. Most of them can also be download on HOOPLA. 

Smile by Katy Perry
Goldmine by Gabby Barrett
Honk by The Rolling Stones
Folklore by Taylor Swift
Gaslighter by The Chicks
Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan
First Rose of Spring by Willie Nelson
Brightest Blue by Ellie Goulding









Monday, September 7, 2020

"But I returned that the other day..."

One of the many safety precautions we have taken to help keep our staff and patrons safe is quarantining returned items. This is a necessary step because there just isn't really a way to completely disinfect a book or other library materials without damaging them. This new process has of course caused a little confusion here and there, which is totally understandable. One of the phone calls we frequently receive goes along the lines of, "I returned that the other day, but it's still showing up on my account." So here's an insider's look with details on your returned item's journey after you leave it in the outside bookdrop.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: RACHEL HARTMAN


Rachel Hartman is the author of three young adult novels: 
Seraphina, Shadow Scale, and Tess of the Road.  She was born in Kentucky and started out drawing comic books.  Hartman's debut novel, Seraphina, was the winner of the William C. Morris Award.  This award goes to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens. More information about her novels is listed below.

Seraphina takes place in a world where dragons and humans live together, and dragons can assume human form.  The title character, grows up without her mother as she died in childbirth.  As the story unfolds, Seraphina must come to terms with her own identity amid magical secrets, royal scandals, and growing unrest.

Shadow Scale is the sequel to Seraphina.  This novel picks up where the first book left off, with war breaking out between the dragons and humans.  Seraphina must travel to find others to aid Goredd in the war.

Tess of the Road returns to the world created in Hartman's previous books.  This time, the central character is a girl choosing her own path.  Tess frequently gets into trouble and eventually she goes too far.  Her family decides that she should enter a nunnery.  However, on the day she is supposed to join the nuns, Tess makes a decision to journey toward something else.


If you enjoyed Seraphina, you may also like these novels:

Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley


Picture from https://ent.sharelibraries.info/client/en_US/evansint/search/results?qu=Seraphina&te=&lm=SRCH_LMT-EVANSVILLE