Some New Books for June

Mac Slater Hunts the Cool
by Tristan Bancks

Mac Slater is an inventor who has never really thought of himself as “cool.” Then one day the creators of Coolhunters offer him the job of finding cool after his attempt of using the “flying bike” that Mac and his friend Paul created failed. The creators think that he would be great as a coolhunter, but Mac is not so sure he even knows what cool is. He also has to compete with the popular girl, Cat, to see who will ultimately become the coolhunter of his area for Coolhunters. They are both given a camera for a “vlog” for each day of a week, and the person with the most votes wins. Can Mac balance friendships, his inventions, find enough “cool” things, and still beat Cat to become the next coolhunter?

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum
by Meghan McCarthy

Gum has been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks. They chewed the sap of the mastic tree. This book discusses other chewing that has gone on throughout history. Gum was created just for chewing or to cure things like stomachaches. The factory owned by the Fleer family, however, wanted to create a new kind of gum. With this gum, people could blow bubbles. Walter Diemer, an account for the family, decided to help create this gum. Many disappointments lead the boss to give up, but Walter keeps going. Finally, he manages to create a mixture that can make bubbles. However, the mixture became too hard to chew the next day, so he was back at creating again. Finally, Walter creates bubble gum, and he dies it pink, because pink was the only color available. Once they started selling it in the store, it was an instant hit, especially with children. At the end of the book are some interesting facts about Walter and gum, such as chewing nonstop for a year straight will help you lose eleven pounds.

Cats' Night Out
by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by J. Klassen

It is Saturday night, and the cats are out to dance. How many cats are dancing and what kind of dancing do they do? Two of the cats samba, while four boogie in their poodle skirts and saddle shoes. Each cat also wears a different outfit as they dance. By the time you get to the end of the book, twenty cats are dancing the conga in florals, plaids, and stripes. Will the cats continue their dance, even if the neighbors might not be enjoying the noise?

Zoomer
by Ned Young

While Mom is out of town, it is Dad’s job to get the three pups ready for school. Hooper and Cooper get to work making their beds, but Zoomer is getting ready for his busy day (as Power Puppy). He also tells Hooper and Cooper that he is not going to school today, but they do not believe him. As his brothers and father continue getting ready for school, Zoomer works to blow the world’s biggest bubble, build a castle out of dog food, and make a brontosaurus out of sand. Will Zoomer’s father be able to stop Zoomer from doing incredible things, like drawing a picture of the universe, long enough to get ready for school? Why has Zoomer decided he is not going to school that day?

Beach Books to Celebrate the Beginning of Summer

The First Day of Summer is June 21st!
Have a Fun Day at the Beach!

Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore
by Jim Arnosky

This book tells you everything you need to know to become a beachcomber, including what tools you will need (sunblock, sunglasses, hat, and bucket), what kinds of shells to look out for, the different creatures you might see while you are walking on the beach (crabs, jellyfish, or coral), and some other things you might see (coconuts, birds). Each subject has a little definition and some cool facts. See if you can find some of these things the next time you are out on the beach.

Lottie’s New Beach Towel
by Petra Mathers

As Lottie is getting the picnic ready, she receives a package from her Aunt Mattie. It is a new beach towel, and Lottie cannot wait to use it on her picnic. When she gets to the beach, the sand is too hot to walk on, but her new towel comes in handy. She jumps onto the cooler, then puts down the towel, and then keeps this up until she gets to the water. After a swim, she uses the towel to dry off. Soon, her friend Herbie arrives, and they go off in his little boat. Suddenly, the motor dies, and they are stuck. Lottie, though, thinks of using her towel as a sail, and they soon make it to land. As they are eating lunch, they see a strip of white flying by them into the ocean. It is the veil of a little mouse bride, and she is very upset. Lottie suggests that the bride wear her towel, instead. She found so many ways to use the towel that she decides to tell her story to Aunt Mattie, and she writes her a letter.

Splashing by the Shore: Beach Activities for Kids
by Lisa Mullarkey and illustrations by Debra Spina Dixon

This nonfiction book is full of activities that can be done on the beach. The first step is to make sure that you have everything you will need on the beach to have fun and be safe. So do not forget sunscreen, sunglasses, and plenty of water. Then there are a few things you should know about the beach, in order to keep everyone happy, such keeping your music down and not bringing glass containers. It is always important to be safe when out in the sun and in the ocean, so never swim alone and use the SPF that fits you best. There are some fun games to play at the beach and some ideas for crafts that can be made from things you find at the beach. Finally, there are some cool ideas for having your own beach party.

Summerhouse Time
by Eileen Spinelli

This fiction book is written in verse, and the verses talk about a family’s “Summerhouse Time,” where the whole family rents a cottage for a month by the beach and has a lot of fun together. The months of June and July are spent getting ready for the trip, and the family buys books and other things (like puzzles and games) that can be used for the trip. While all of the preparation is going on, Sophie notices that her father is acting strangely, but he will not tell her why. Sophie is so excited to see the rest of her family, especially her cousin, Colleen, but Colleen does not seem to want to spend time with Sophie anymore (or anyone else). Her Aunt Liz and Uncle Dave are mad at each other and not talking. Her cousin Tammy is driving her crazy with questions. Will Sophie be able to make it through the summer and have as good of a time as she usually has at the Summertime House? Can she get her cousin to smile again? Will the rest of her family have fun, too?

June 14th is Flag Day

June 14th is Flag Day!

You’re a Grand Old Flag
by George M. Cohan and illustrations by Warren Kimble

This is the song that was written by George M. Cohan with beautiful illustrations that show the symbols of the United States with the flag in every illustration. There are lighthouses, snowmen, and even scarecrows wearing the flag proudly. At the end of the book, there is a little bit about the writer of the song, the flag itself (first established on June 14, 1777), and the sheet music and words to the song.




















The Life and Times of Betsy Ross
by Susan Sales Harkins and William H. Harkins

Many people know the legend of Betsy Ross, where she was asked by George Washington to sew a flag that would represent America free from England. This biography is about the life of the woman who is said to have sewn the first flag of America, and how the events in her life led up to that moment. The book is also full of facts about the events leading up to the revolution and the revolution itself. One of the chapters also discusses why we think Betsy Ross is the first person to have sewn the flag. Her grandson, William J. Canby, told the story he had heard from his grandmother about sewing the flag. He tried to prove the story, but he could find no written proof. George Preble included Canby’s story in his A History of the Flag, and that is how we all know the story of Betsy Ross. Unfortunately, there is still no written proof that George Washington asked her to sew the flag, or that Betsy Ross was really the first person to sew the new American flag.
















The Flag We Love
by Pan Muňoz Ryan and illustrated by Ralph Masiello

This book has a rhyming dedication to the flag of the United States, and at the bottom of the rhyme on each page is a little bit of information about the rhyme on the page. For example, the “Pledge of Allegiance” was written by Francis Bellamy and first placed in a children’s magazine in 1892, and Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” after observing the flag still waving after the bombing of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. There are also many other interesting facts about the flag throughout the book, and the illustrations show these facts and the parts of the poem in beautiful detail.

















Star and Stripes: The Story of the American Flag
by Sarah L. Thomson and illustrated by Bob Dacey and Debra Bandelin

This nonfiction book discusses the flag of the United States and where it can be found (such as on the moon, in parades, and at schools), why the flag was created, and how the flag came to look the way that it looks today. It was in 1818 that Congress decided on the thirteen white and red stripes, but they also decided that there would be a star for every state, but it was not until almost a hundred years later that it was decided that those stars would be in rows, as it is today. Today we see the flag in many different places, and even at times of sadness, like war, people fly the flag. At the end of the book, there is a little section about Betsy Ross.

June is National Rose Month

June is National Rose Month

The Blue Rose
by Maurice Baring and pictures by Anne Dalton

There was once an Emperor in China who had a beautiful and wise daughter, and though he was old, he wanted to see her married to someone who was worthy of her before he died. So he decided that only the suitor who brought back the Blue Rose would marry his daughter. Many of the suitors said this was impossible and left, but many of the others went looking for this Blue Rose. One suitor went to a nearby kingdom and stole a large sapphire in the shape of a rose, but this was not the Blue Rose. One suitor went to a shopkeeper for a blue rose, and the shopkeeper died a white rose blue. This was not the rose that the princess was looking for, though. The Lord Chief Justice had a china cup with blue roses painted on it made, and though the princess kept the beautiful cup, it was not the blue rose she was looking for. Will any suitor be able to find the Blue Rose? Will the princess be happy with the suitor who finds it?

Time to Smell the Roses
by Michael Hoeye

Hermux Tantamoq is busy preparing for his wedding when he reads an article about a squirrel’s body that had washed up on the shores of Thorny End. The mayor says it was an accident, but Hermux is not convinced. There is a battle going on between Reezor Bleesom and his rival, Tucka Mertslin over their cosmetics and perfume in Thorny End (which could be part of the mystery). The clocktower needs repairing, too, and Hermux hopes he (as a watchmaker) can get the job. He also tries to buy a bouquet of roses for his fiancée and finds a very strange bee there with a monogram on its stomach. Is this bee tied to the mystery of what’s going on in Thorny End? When he is called by the mayor of Thorny End, he thinks that he going to fix the clocktower. While he is at Thorny End, he finds that he is being hired to look for the mayor’s son, instead. During his investigation, Hermux finds something that ties the missing son and those roses he bought for his fiancée to Tucka Mertslin and her Institute of Positive Thinking, and then he finds out that the bees (like the one that stung him) have a tie to the Institute, too. Will Hermux be able to find the missing son? Will he be able to figure out what is going on at Thorny End?

Rosamund
by Janice Johnson and illustrations by Deborah Haeffele

In England during the reign of Henry II, a new rose grew that was different than any other rose that had grown before. The rose was named Rose Mundi, and its name came from the wife, Rosamund, of the nobleman of the lands where it grew. Over the years, the daughters of the family were often named Rosamund. As time went on, and England changed, the land of this family grew smaller and smaller, and soon, one member of the family had to move his family to America. His daughter, Rosamund, brought some cuttings from a rosebush with her. Then as people moved west, the roses traveled with the family into the Oregon Territory. Rose always had the rosebush there at her home, and when she became an old lady, even though the house had changed, she still had these roses in the fence. Rose’s great-great granddaughter found the land where the house had once been, and she gathered some cuttings of the rose to put in her garden. Will the rose still continue to live in this family’s garden? Will the name Rosamund still continue to be a family name?

Aunt Mary's Rose
by Douglas Wood and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Douglas’s Aunt Mary had told him that if he took care of a rose, one day a little bit of him would be inside it. Douglas looked as close at the rose as he could, but he could not see any of himself in the rose. He tells Aunt Mary about it, and she tells him it is a feeling that you get, not something that can be seen. Then she tells him a story about when she was a little girl and her father told her about taking care of the roses and becoming a part of them. Then when her nephews (Douglas’s father and uncle) had no place else to go, she had helped take care of them when they came to live with their grandparents. Mary would make sure that ate their vegetables, wake them up in the mornings, and read them stories at bedtime. The boys also helped with the chores, and Douglas has also helped Aunt Mary with some of those same chores. After grandpa died, Mary took them out to the rosebush and told them what grandpa had told her. They also helped take care of the rosebush like their aunt and grandfather. When they had to move into town because they could not afford to live on the farm anymore, they took the rosebush with them and kept taking care of it. Soon both boys were grown up, and they went off to war. Douglas’s uncle did not make it back from the war. However, parts of both grandpa and Douglas’s uncle are part of the rosebush, and if Douglas takes care of it, he can become part of it, too.

Some New Books for May

Small Florence: Piggy Pop Star!
by Claire Alexander

Florence was shy and small but happy, and she has two older sisters. Her sisters take singing lessons, and Florence wishes she could be a ”piggy pop star.” So Florence sings in secret, and soon she is singing to her friends. Then one night, Florence and her sisters hear an announcement on television where the winner of a singing competition will get to perform on television. Florence wants to sing with her sisters, but she is too shy and nervous to sing for her sisters. So they tell her that she cannot sing with them. Florence does listen to them rehearse, though, and soon, she has their songs memorized. The night of the competition, many singers were there to join the competition. Florence waited and waited to see her sisters. However, when her sisters get onto the stage, they are suddenly shy and nervous. What will Florence do to help her sisters out? Will she become the “piggy pop star” that she dreams of becoming?

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don’t)
by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley

Miss Brooks the librarian loves books, and she loves to wear different costumes when she reads different stories to the children. One little girl does not understand why Miss Brooks gets so excited about books. In May, Miss Brooks tells them about Book Week, and that she wants them all to choose and book, wear a costume, and tell the rest of the class about it. The little girl tells her that she does not like books the same way, but Miss Brooks believes that she will find a book that she really likes. Miss Brooks gives her book after book, but she cannot find one that she likes. Then she finds one about an ogre with warts. Which book do you think the girl likes? Will she like sharing this book with the other children?

The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza
by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

Anna loves to read, and she always seems to have a book with her. She always likes going to the library to find new books to read. Her friends all have things they love, too, such as Emily loves dancing, Nicole loves soccer, and Bitsy loves painting. They all love to go to Petunia’s, though, and share their favorite candy, jellybeans. The girls decided to call themselves “The Jellybeans,” because they were all different but went well together. In school, they were all assigned a book report for a Book Bonanza. Anna was happy to take the other Jellybeans to the library with her. The librarian helps Anna find books about dancing, soccer, and painting for her friends to read. Anna also finds a book about fairytales that she would love to do a report on. The next day, Anna gets scared when it is her turn to share her report. Will she be able to give her report to the class? Will her friends help her through this scary time?

The Sandwich Swap
by Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Salma and Lily are best friends, and they have a lot of fun drawing and playing together. They also eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Salma eats hummus and pita sandwiches every day for lunch. Both of the girls believe that the other’s sandwich looks gross, and one day, Lily decides to say something about it to Salma. Salma gets very angry, and insults Lily’s sandwich, too. The girls are angry with each other and no longer draw or play together. At lunch the girls do not sit at the same table any more, and the other children also choose sides and say mean things back and forth to one another about food. Then one day, this leads to a food fight, and both Salma and Lily get into trouble for this. Will they be able to get past their differences and be friends again? Will they get the other children to be friends, too?