Yo Gabba Gabba events!

The library is having two Yo Gabba Gabba events in February. The first is on Saturday the 18th at 1 pm. Bring in a plain t-shirt (preferably in red, blue, yellow, pink or green), and we'll supply the felt and fabric glue to make your own Yo Gabba Gabba inspired character t-shirt!

The second is on Saturday the 25th at 1 pm. Join Annette Clark for a Yo Gabba Gabba dance party with all of your favorite songs. Get your photo taken with life-sized cardboard cutouts of the characters and watch Yo Gabba Gabba videos in the storytime room. All ages are welcome and silliness is encouraged.

Hope to see you there!

If you liked the Hunger Games...you might like these books

With The Hunger Games movie coming on March 23rd, some of you might be craving books that are similar to this trilogy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (YA Roth)
Insurgent (#2) (coming 5/1/12)
The third book of the trilogy is not yet named and doesn't have a publication date.






Legend by Marie Lu (YA Lu)
Books #2 and #3 in the trilogy are not yet named and don't have a publication date.






The Maze Runner by James Dashner (YA Dashner)
The Scorch Trials (#2) (coming soon!)
The Death Cure (#3) (coming soon!)





Ashes by Ilsa Bick (YA Bick)
Shadows (#2) (coming 9/11/12)
Monsters (#3) (no publication date yet)






Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (YA Ryan)
The Deadtossed Waves (#2) (coming soon!)
The Dark and Hollow Places (#3) (coming soon!)






The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (YA Carson)
The Crown of Embers (#2) (coming 9/18/12)
The third book of the trilogy is not yet named and doesn't have a publication date.






Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (coming soon!)
Prized (#2) (coming soon!)
Promised (#3) (due fall 2012)





Across the Universe by Beth Revis (YA Revis)
A Million Suns (#2) (coming soon!)







Gone by Michael Grant (YA Grant)
Hunger (#2) (YA Grant)
Lies (#3) (YA Grant)
Plague (#4) (YA Grant)
Fear (#5) (coming 4/3/12)



Graceling by Kristin Cashore (YA Cashore)
Fire (#2) (YA Cashore)
Bitterblue (#3) (coming 5/1/12)






City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments #1) (YA Clare)
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2) (YA Clare)
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments #3) (YA Clare)





I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Lorien Legacies #1) (YA Lore)
The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) (YA Lore)
The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3) (coming 8/1/12)

Enclave by Ann Aguirre (Razorland #1) (YA Aguirre)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (YA Stiefvater)

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch (YA Hirsch)

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (YA Rossi)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1) (coming soon!)

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (coming soon)

Eve by Anna Carey (coming soon!)

Variant by Robison Wells (YA Wells)

Ashfall by Mike Mullin (YA Mullin)

More information on the movie can be found here:
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html

The Official Movie Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S9a5V9ODuY

Visit our website: www.wcplibrary.org

Book review: Legend by Marie Lu (Young Adult)

It is 2130 A.D.. Once known as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies. New strains of the plague break out every year, and guards occupy each of the sectors to keep fighting to a minimum. Born into an elite family, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy and is being groomed for the Republic's highest circles. Born into the slums of the Republic's Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal but his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. Their paths cross after the murder of June's brother, Metias, and Day is the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Legend was a wonderful dystopian thriller. Full of intrigue, romance and action, I didn't want to put it down. June and Day were compelling rivals. Lu did a good job of pacing, especially as June started to learn that things were not as she believed them to be. It's book one of a trilogy, and the rights have already been purchased to adapt Legend into a movie.

Book review: The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone (Juvenile)

If you've ever visited the Art Institute of Chicago, you've probably seen the Thorne Rooms. Conceived of and owned by Narcissa Niblack Thorne, these rooms display the interiors of American and European houses ranging from the late 13th century to the 1930s. Each aspect is constructed at a scale of one inch to one foot, so the models are incredibly detailed. Many of the rooms are exact replicas of existing architecture and interior design of their periods and countries.

Thorne married one of the heirs to the Montgomery Ward fortune and lived in Chicago. She loved dollhouse miniatures, and she created almost 100 roomboxes. Thorne commissioned master craftsmen and visual artists to build the rooms between 1932 and 1940, and she also searched for period objects and miniatures in antique shops and flea markets. She never profited from the collection. She hoped that miniature models could substitute for costly full-scale period rooms that museums were acquiring at the time.

Currently, 68 Thorne Rooms are housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, with another 20 at the Phoenix Art Museum, nine at the Knoxville Museum of Art, one at the Indianapolis Children's Museum, one at the Kaye Miniature Museum in Los Angeles, and one at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

In The Sixty-Eight Rooms, Ruthie and Jack are on a field trip at the Art Institute. Jack finds a key that magically allows them to shrink down to less than six inches tall--the perfect size to explore the Thorne Rooms! They discover that they are not the first ones to find the key or search through the rooms. In fact, they find objects left behind by others. While in the rooms, the world outside the windows comes alive. Ruthie and Jack sneak into the museum, and together they see history unfold firsthand as they unlock the secrets of the Thorne Rooms.

I loved this book. When I was a kid, I always wished I could spend the night in a department store or a museum. I also wanted to experience magic. Ruthie and Jack have such contagious curiosity and excitement about not just the Thorne Rooms but about the historical periods depicted in the rooms (like the French Revolution, the Salem Witch Trials, Colonial America, Medieval Europe). While I read, I looked at the actual rooms and could easily picture myself there.

For more information on the Thorne Rooms, check out:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/category/15


If you like The Sixty-Eight Rooms, you might also like:
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
The Calder Game by Blue Balliett
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
The Mystery of the Mona Lisa by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Evolution of Calpernia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
The Minstrel's Melody by Eleanora Tate
Arthur and the Minimoys by Luc Besson


Check out our catalog at: http://www.wcplibrary.org/

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Book review: Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur (Juvenile)

Elise is having a really hard time adjusting to middle school. Her locker partner is a bully, she cant get her homework done and her best friend, Franklin, now seems embarrassing. On top of that, a new baby moves into the house, interrupting her life with Uncle Hugh and Aunt Bessie. Then Elise finds an old key with her name on it. It unlocks not just one of the eight doors in the barn, but a complex mystery left by her father before he died. By opening each of the doors, Elise ends up learning about friendship, family and the person she wants to be.

In Elise, Lafleur creates a very realistic portrait of the challenging transition period between grade school and middle school. Being judged by your peers has intense repercussions. It's scary to stick up for yourself when people are laughing at you. It's easy to become too overwhelmed and distracted to remember to do homework. Honestly, there were times I felt frustrated at Elise, especially when she was being unfair to Franklin. But Elise changes so much throughout the story, and she really becomes an exceptional young lady by the end of the book.

Storytime: Library Lovers Week

In celebration of Library Lovers Week, this week's storytime is all about the library. We have a number of great books in our collection, perfect for reading aloud to kids (especially aged 3-5).

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers (E Jeffers)

Henry loves books, but not quite like you and I. Henry eats them. However, when Henry devours too many books too fast, something goes wrong. Gorgeous illustrations and very cute.










I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng, illustrated by Joy Ang

A little boy doesn't want to read and you can't make him. He unleashes a list of increasingly outrageous lengths he will go to not to read. Silly and delightful, with equally funny illustrations.








Bats at the Library by Brian Lies (E Lies)

Someone leaves a window open at the library, allowing a colony of bats to explore, enjoy and educate themselves among the stacks. Wonderful illustrations and flowing verse make this a fun read.








Read It, Don't Eat It by Ian Schoenherr (E Schoenherr)

Simple rules of reading and borrowing library books by adorable animals. Great for Pre-K library tours.










Jeremiah Learns to Read by Jo Ellen Bogart, illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson

Jeremiah is a grandfather who can make a fence, build a table, grow delicious corn and many other things. However, he doesn't know how to read. Jeremiah heads toward the schoolhouse. With determination and encouragement from the children in his class, he slowly learns how to read and write. Beautiful oil painting illustrations accompany the text.





Otto the Book Bear by Kate Cleminson (E Cleminson)

Otto is a happy bear that lives in a book and he is happiest when children read his story. He has a secret, though: when no one is looking, he comes to life! When his family moves away and accidentally leaves him behind, Otto searches for a new home. He ends up at the local library, where he finds other book animals and well-loved, well-used books.





Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown

Molly McGrew, the Springfield librarian, takes a wrong turn and accidentally sets up her bookmobile at the zoo. Initially apprehensive, the animals soon discover the joys and adventures within books. Lyrical text with lots of little jokes spread throughout the illustrations.







Other titles:
The Best Book to Read by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom, illustrations by Michael Garland (E Bertram)
Wolf! by Becky Bloom, illustrated by Pascal Biet (E Bloom)
I Like Books by Anthony Browne (E Browne)
Our Library by Eve Bunting, illustrations by Maggie Smith (E Bunting)
Anna's Tight Squeeze by Marian DeSmet, illustrated by Marja Meijer (E DeSmet)
Book! by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Maggie Smith (E George)
Howard and the Pirates by David McPhail (E McPhail)
It's Library Day by Janet Morgan Stoeke (E Stoeke)

Check out our catalog at: http://www.wcplibrary.org/

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Book review: You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis (YA)

It's been a year since Luna's mother, a fashion model wife of a successful film director, was killed by a taxi in NYC. When cleaning out her mother's old studio, Luna finds her mom's cell phone--fully charged and with seven unheard messages. As Luna listens to each one, she learns much more about her mother's life and death than she imagined. With the help of her neighbor Oliver, Luna searches for the truth of what really happened that night.

I loved the premise of this book. What would you do if you found unheard messages on your dead mother's phone? Would you listen? What if you learned something you didn't want to know? Unfortunately, the novel itself is a bit bumpy. Luna is a precocious, wealthy teen living in Manhattan and this novel reads more like a fairy tale than a sleuthing drama. Everything seems to fall into Luna's lap so easily--a gallery show after she starts taking photographs, the boy she likes, hanging out with Drew Barrymore. Luna does show growth through the novel, and there are some really beautiful moments as she's dealing with the grief of losing her mom and figuring out who she is as a person. I wish both she and her brother, Tile, had more depth, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Book review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (YA)

Ever since Jacob was a boy, his grandfather told stories of how he escaped Poland during the War to a remote island in Wales, where he stayed at Miss Peregrine's Home. He described the other people there, like the boy with bees in his stomach, a girl who could levitate, and a woman who could change into a falcon. Even scarier, his grandfather talked about the monsters that chased him throughout his life. Jacob believed these stories were true, until he realized his grandfather was only telling entertaining tales.

When Jacob is sixteen, he finds his grandfather, brutally attacked in the woods. His grandfather's last words are a cryptic jumble, urging Jacob to find the bird and the loop and the letter about September 3, 1940 and to escape to the island before the monsters find him. As Jacob reels from the shock, he sees a terrifying man in the distance with tentacles dangling out of his mouth. Convinced he is conjuring up imaginary creatures because of his grandfather's stories, Jacob sees a counselor and tries to deal with his ongoing nightmares. However, after finding a letter that seems to echo his grandfather's dying wish, Jacob flies to Wales with his father to make peace with his loss. Once he starts exploring the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, though, he realizes that his grandfather's stories might actually have been true and somehow, these strange children may still be alive. He also learns that the monsters, like the tentacled man, are indeed after him.

This New York Times best seller is an odd, intriguing read. Riggs shaped the narrative around creepy, vintage photographs that he found at flea markets, using them as characters in the book. They are sprinkled throughout the story and add a unique depth to the fantasy. Riggs also does a good job of building the world at the island and creating suspense as Jacob tries to escape the monsters. The ending seems primed for a sequel, and there is a rumbling of rumors that Tim Burton is considering a film adaptation of this novel.

Check out our catalog at: http://www.wcplibrary.org/

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Book review: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On by Jenny Slate (E Slate)

Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate and writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp created a stop motion animated short film about Marcel, a small, one-eyed anthropomorphic shell. In the film, Marcel responds to off-camera questions about his habits, his family and his life. It premiered at the AFI Fest in 2010 and was awarded Best Animated Short. It was also an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at the New York International Children's Film Festival.

Slate with painter Amy Lind adapt Marcel into a children's picture book. The illustrations are gorgeous, although the text can be a bit hard to read at times. About half of the lines in the book are taken from the film. Marcel is charming and cute, and there aren't any other picture books that look like this one. A good pairing with the films, available online.

The YouTube video, part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9-sEbqDvU

The YouTube video, part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta9K22D0o5Q

Check out our catalog at: http://www.wcplibrary.org/
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