December is National Read a New Book Month

Here Are Some New Books

for December to Try Out!

Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie
by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Keith Bendis

Calvin is a starling with three brothers, four sisters, and sixty-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-two cousins, so he has a very big family. While his brothers, sisters, and cousins all discover things like worms, grass, dirt, and water, Calvin is different, and he finds books. He teaches himself how to read, and he goes to the library instead of learning how to fly with his brothers, sisters, and cousins. He learns about all kinds of interesting things through books. His brothers, sisters, and cousins made fun of Calvin, because he was different. So he went to the library, the only place where he could be happy. When fall came, though, it was time to leave and fly south. Calvin knows he cannot fly, so he thinks that the other birds will leave without him. Will the other starlings take Calvin with them when they fly south? Will Calvin be able to help his family with something that he learned while reading all of those books?

Children’s Book of Music: An Introduction to the World’s Most Amazing Music and Its Creators
DK Publishing

This nonfiction book is filled with facts about all kinds of music. There is also a CD that has extracts of music that correspond to different pages in the book. The music covered in the book is early music, classical music, and modern music. In these chapters there is information about different instruments, people, and the kind of music that they played. In the early music section some instruments include the lyre, didgeridoo, and the sitar. In the classical music section some instruments include the organ, violin, and the French horn. This section also discusses famous composers and operas. In the modern music section some instruments include the drum kit and the electric guitar. This section discusses recorded sound and artists that have had their songs recorded. At the end of the book there is a glossary and an index of musicians.

Curtain Up!: A Book for Young Performers
by Dirk McLean and illustrated by France Brassard

Amaya loves to sing, dance, and act, and now she is auditioning for a role in a musical. When it is her turn to audtion, Amaya stands alone in front of director and stage manager, and she does so well, they ask her to come back for a second and third audition. Soon Amaya learns that she is going to have the lead child in the musical. On her first day of rehearsal, Amaya and the other members of the cast play a game to learn each others’ names, and then the read through the lines of the play together. The actors get to see a miniature of the set and get measured for their costumes. The director shows them where to stand on their positions on the stage, and the choreographer shows them all the dance moves. Amaya and the other children work really hard learning their lines and their moves to get ready for their performance in a couple of months. During the preview performance, Amaya becomes nervous and forgets her line, but the stage manager whispers it to her, and Amaya makes it through the rest of the performance. Will Amaya be ready for opening night? Will the musical be a success?

Aldwyns Academy
by Nathan Meyer

Dorian is more interested in following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a warrior. His mother, a powerful seer, decides to send him to Aldwyns Academy for wizards, instead. Dorian does not wish to attend the academy, but his mother insists. On their way to the academy, Dorian and his mother are attacked by dire wolves. His mother attacks the wolves with her wand while Dorian throws hot coals on the wolves with his dagger, but the wolves still keep coming. Then they receive help from Archmage Lowder and Professor Blackburn of the academy. Another student, Helene Miridori, is to be Dorian’s tutor in the academy, but she does not want to be. She also has a secret that someone has figured out, and she is worried. She also knows that ghosts have come to the academy, and even the more powerful wizards cannot drive them away. Dorian meets Maverick, a shopkeeper, who tells him of the dangers that have come to the academy lately, and Maverick also gives Dorian a little present and tells him not to tell anyone about it. Dorian decides to prove to the professors and to Helene that he can be a great wizard. He manages to get into trouble his first day, though, and he is not confident that he will be successful at the academy. Helene finds that her familiar was stolen, and she has to find him and get him back. Dorian and his roommate Caleb notice her sneaking off to meet the kidnapper. Both boys noticed that she was not afraid of the ghosts she had seen, and since they are suspicious, they decide to follow her. Dorian runs into a ghost who tells him that someone is after Helene, who is really an elf princess. The ghost tells him that he must save Helene or the person after her will destroy everyone in the academy. Will Dorian and his friend Caleb be able to help Helene? Will they find out what is causing all of the problems at Aldwyns Academy? Will Dorian be able to prove that he belongs at the academy?

Some New Books for November

Ideas that Changed the World
by Julie Ferris, Dr. Mike Goldsmith, Ian Graham, Sally MacGill, Andrea Mills, Isabel Thomas, and Matt Turner

This nonfiction book is full of ideas that changed the world. Those ideas are broken down in the topics of genius, great gizmos, handy gadgets, on the move, explore, and culture. Some of the ideas in the genius section include the lightbulb, antibiotics, vaccinations, x-rays, DNA, and the tin can. Some of the ideas in the great gizmos section include the elevator, electric motor, robots, printing press, battery, microprocessor, and the flushing toilet. Some of the ideas in the hand gadgets section include the microwave, glasses, credit card, zipper, radio, cash register, and cell phone. Some of the ideas in the on the move section include the Ford Model T, steal locomotive, electric car, metro, bicycle, and the submarine. Some ideas in the explore section include the Saturn V rocket, Hubble telescope, scuba, and the MRI. Finally, in the culture sections, the ideas include the ballpoint pen, walkman, newspapers, electric guitar, and sunglasses. Each idea has pictures of the “idea,” and there is information about the person or persons that helped to create or figure out the idea.

The Lost Hero
by Rick Riordan

Instead of focusing on one camper at Camp Half-Blood, this book focuses on three different campers, Jason, Piper, and Leo, and these three campers seem to be connected to one another. The book is separated by the point of views of the three different characters, and there are also characters from the Percy Jackson series. The story begins with Jason. He suddenly realizes that he cannot remember who he is or why he is riding on a school bus and holding Piper’s hand. He also cannot remember anything else about himself. He finds out from his “friend” Leo that he goes to Wilderness School, and that the class is on a field trip. He knows that there is danger around him, but cannot remember what or why there would be danger. Then the coach in charge of him tells him that a team from Camp Half-Blood is coming, and he must be the “special package” they were talking about. Then there is trouble, and after the trouble is over, Jason, Leo, and Piper meet Annabeth and Butch from Camp Half-Blood. They make it to Camp Half-Blood, and they find out that strange things are happening. The gods have been unreachable, and the entrance to Mount Olympus has been closed off. Piper had a dream that her father was in danger and has heard a voice asking for help, but she has no idea what to do. Leo is just having a hard time keeping up with all of this new information, and then he finds out that his ability to create fire as Haphaestus’s son is a very dangerous thing. Then Jason is told by a misty woman in black robes that she released him so he could free her, and that he has until the solstice in four days to do it. It also turns out that he speaks Latin and refers to the gods by their Roman names instead of Greek. It seems that the time of the next Great Prophecy has arrived, and it may be up to these three new friends to help fulfill the prophecy. Where does Jason come from and why is he important to the prophecy? Will Piper be able to save her father and help the other campers with the prophecy? What does it mean that Leo can use fire when the other children of Haphaestus cannot and how is that helpful to fulfilling the prophecy? What will this mean for the future of the gods and the campers?

Presenting…Tallulah
by Tori Spelling and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Tallulah is always told that she is the kind of girl who does not get dirty, talk loudly, or make a mess. She is also not supposed to dress like other children, because she is different than the other children. She is never allowed to just take a sandwich for lunch or walk to school (she rides in a limo). Tallulah just wants to be like everyone else, though. The other children tell her that she cannot do what she wants because she will get dirty or ruin her dress. They see her as different, too. Then one day Tallulah meets Max, a boy who dresses up and is not supposed to get dirty either. Then Tallulah and Max save a puppy from drowning, and Tallulah decides that she will keep the puppy and try to do the things she wants to do. Will Tallulah be successful in being who she wants to be instead of being told who she is? Will she get to keep the puppy she names Mimi?

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion
by Mo Willems

One day Trixie takes a trip with her parents, and they go to visit her Oma and Opa in Holland. Knuffle Bunny is there on the plane with her, but Trixie does not notice that Knuffle Bunny did not make it off of the plane with her. When she realizes that she forgot Knuffle Bunny, her father calls the airport, but the plane has left for China. Her parents and Oma and Opa tell her that it may be time for her not to need Knuffle Bunny anymore. Trixie understands, but it is not very fun to do things without her Knuffle Bunny. Then Trixie starts thinking of all the places that her Knuffle Bunny might travel to and all of the children who would be happy to play with her Knuffle Bunny. This cheers Trixie up, and she is able to have some fun on her own without Knuffle Bunny. When Trixie and her parents get on the plane to go home, what surprise will Trixie find? What will she do with that surprise?

Happy Thanksgiving November 25th

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
by Louisa May Alcott and illustrated by Holly Johnson

A large family has had a good year and they have plenty of food from all of the hard work they had put in over the summer. The Bassett family is now preparing things for Thanksgiving. The four girls are helping their mother cook, while the two older boys are out helping their father in the yard. Their grandmother is sick, so they are going to have Thanksgiving at home this year, and the children are going to miss spending time with all of their cousins and other family members. Then a stranger comes to tell Mr. and Mrs. Bassett that Mrs. Bassett’s mother is not doing well at all, and that she should come to her immediately. The children help their mother get ready, and then their mother, father, and the baby leave. The oldest brother and sister are left in charge of the house and the chores. The children all work on their chores, have dinner, and then get ready for bed with a story about their ancestors from England. The next morning the children decide to prepare Thanksgiving dinner themselves. The girls try their best, but they are not completely sure of all of the ingredients or the exact way their mother prepares the turkey and plum pudding. Will the dinner turn out the way the children hope? Will they surprise their father when he gets home that evening to check on things?

Who Stole Grandma’s Million-Dollar Pumpkin Pie?
by Martha Freeman

Alex Parakeet and Yasmeen Popp are playing football when Alex tells her that Zooey Bonjour, a famous television chef, is coming to his mother’s birthday party. Yasmeen wants to know more, and Alex tells her that his grandmother and Zooey have been friends for years. Alex tells Yasmeen that Zooey is interested in his grandmother’s “million-dollar pumpkin pie” recipe, and his dad will be making the pie on her show. At the birthday party, everyone who shows up brings something for Zooey Bonjour to try so they might have a chance to be on her show, but she handles the situation and tells everyone to leave their information with their dish. The next day Alex’s dad discovers that the recipe for the pumpkin pie is missing. Everyone was looking at the recipes the night before, so it would be difficult to know if someone took it. Alex’s dad does not remember the recipe, either, so it is important that they find the recipe. He was also going to make the pie for Thanksgiving. So Alex decides to get the team (the Chickadee Court Detective Agency) back together and solve the mystery of the missing recipe. Alex and Yasmeen discuss who they think could have stolen the recipe and why. Yasmeen believes the person wanted to stop Alex’s dad from going on the show so that they could go on it instead, but they are not sure that this is right. Alex and Yasmeen then find out that Zooey Bonjour had lied about her past and had gotten into trouble about it in the past. It was the reason she had lost her cooking show for a while, but her fans loved her, forgave her, and gave her another chance. However, there are other people at the party that Alex and Yasmeen feel might have stolen the recipe, too. Will they be able to figure out who it is and get the recipe back in time?

Thanksgiving is Here!
by Diane Goode

Maggie’s Grandma and Grandpa get up early on Thanksgiving morning to start cooking the turkey. Then the family starts arriving. Maggie’s family is there first with her parents, Maggie, Peter, and baby Jack. Maggie and her family have come to help Grandma and Grandpa get Thanksgiving dinner ready. As more family keeps coming in, the furniture needs to be moved, and the table has to be set up, so that everyone will have a place to sit and eat. The family chats and helps get the food ready, and then it is time to eat. After everyone has eaten, the table is cleared, the dishes are washed, and some of the family goes out to take a walk. Some of the family stays in to rest. After the walking, the family sits around to talk some more, until it is time for dessert. After dessert is eaten, it is time to go home. Then grandma and grandpa have some time to rest.

Duck for Turkey Day
by Jacqueline Jules and illustrated by Kathryn Mitter

In Tuyet’s class, the children make pine cone turkey, sing turkey songs, and talk about the first Thanksgiving. As everyone goes home, the teacher tells them to have a great “Turkey Day.” Tuyet decides that she needs to talk to her mother about Thanksgiving and what her family eats. She tells her mother that they need to have a turkey for Thanksgiving, but her mother tells her that they are having duck, instead. This worries Tuyet, because she feels that all of the other children in her class will be having turkey. Tuyet’s Ba Noi arrives that afternoon from New York and tells Tuyet that her family prefers duck over turkey. Tuyet decides that she will buy a turkey herself, but there is no turkey at the Saigon Supermarket that her family goes to. Tuyet puts her pine cone turkey on the table, and she feels better to have a turkey on the dinner table. Tuyet continues to feel bad about not having a turkey on Turkey Day, though. Dinner is great, and Tuyet has a great Thanksgiving Day. She worries, though, what her teacher will think when she tells her that they had duck instead of turkey. On Monday morning, the teacher had a discussion with the children about what they had done over the holidays. Tuyet sadly told her that her family had duck instead of turkey. To her surprise, though, other children told her that they had eaten noodles and chicken, lamb, roast beef, enchiladas, and tofu turkey, instead of turkey, too. Tuyet’s teacher then tells the class that all that is important about Thanksgiving is having a good time with your family and friends. Tuyet feels better about this, and that afternoon, she tells her mother that they should call Thanksgiving “Duck Day.”

Pizza

Pizza for Breakfast
by Maryann Kovalski

Frank and Zelda own a pizza shop next to Mel’s Summer Hat and Glove Factory, and their business was always busy. Frank makes the pizza, and Zelda waits on the tables. They both worked hard, but Frank thought that the kitchen was too hot and Zelda’s feet hurt. Frank and Zelda knew that they should have a plan in case the factory closed, but they never got around to it. Then the factory does close, and there are no longer any customers. Then a man appears one day, and they make him a great pizza. After he eats the pizza, they find that he does not have any money. He does ask them to make a wish, though. Frank and Zelda wish for a thousand customers every day. The next few days, they get their wish, and they are happy. Then there are so many customers, that Frank and Zelda cannot keep up. So they wish for more help. The next day a bunch of waiters appear, but the restaurant is not big enough for everyone. Then Frank wishes for a bigger restaurant. The next morning they have a bigger restaurant. Will Frank and Zelda continue to make pizza? Will they change their minds about all the business?

Dragon Pizzeria

by Mary Morgan

BeBop and Spike decide to open a pizzeria together. BeBop loves to cook, and he wants to make pizzas. Spike loves to go fast, and he will deliver the pizzas. They get their first call the next night. The giant from Jack and the Beanstalk wants a giant pizza with magic beans on top. Spike delivers the pizza in his hot-air balloon. The next call is from a witch who wants her pizza with frogs, snails, and green lizard tails on it. Spike delivers her pizza with his rocket ship. Each time BeBop creates a pizza he says a little poem to himself, and Spike delivers each pizza in a different way. Each character that orders a pizza has something to say, and the toppings that they want on their pizza are clues as to which character is ordering the pizza. Have fun trying to guess who the next fairy tale character ordering will be.

The Pizza Mystery
by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Box Car Children: Benny, Henry, Jessie, and Violet Alden are back to solve another mystery. The children and their grandfather are coming home from a trip, and they decide to have lunch at their friends’ Mr. and Mrs. Piccolo’s Pizza. They find out from Tom at the gas station that the Piccolo’s are having a hard time with their business, and that there are times when the restaurant is not even open. Then they the not-very-nice Mr. Irons who is running the Mighty Mufflers Factory while the owner is traveling. They have a hard time finding the restaurant with the new Mighty Muffler factory. Then they find that the pizzeria is empty. Mr. Piccolo tells them about all of the trouble he has been having. The factory workers had come to the restaurant, but then the gate went up, and then the workers went other places. Then the lunch hours got cut. Now the diggers next door at the factory have “accidentally” cut the gas line, and the couple cannot even make pizzas in the oven. The children’s grandfather leaves them there with the Piccolo’s for a couple of weeks, and the children want to help the Piccolo’s turn things around. Henry goes to the gas company to check and make sure the gas line was getting worked on, and he finds that no one ever called to get the line repaired. The children come up with an idea of little personal pizzas that can be made in the little electric oven in the apartment the children are staying in. Business soon starts picking up. The children notice a lady in a red hat who takes notes of the customer’s favorite pizzas, and after she leaves, the children notice that a menu is missing. The day the gas company is supposed to show up to repair the gas line, the company tells them that a lady had canceled. Then the lady in the red hat starts working for the Piccolo’s, and the children find her looking at Mrs. Piccolo’s recopies one day. Then things start to go wrong. Orders are made with no one to pay for them, and then one night the electricity goes out. Will the Alden children be able to figure out what is going on at the pizzeria? Will they be able to help their friends before they have to close their restaurant for good?

Where Do Pizzas Grow?
by Elizabeth W. Yarbrough and illustrated by Cathy Ragsdale>

This nonfiction book was written by a teacher who was asked by this question by one of her students. She told him that pizzas did not grow, but after thinking about it that night, she told her students the next day how all of the ingredients for pizza were grown. The story is told from the student, Jake’s, view. He talks about how he really enjoys lunch, and how it is pizza day in the cafeteria. Jake asks Miss Dubose this question as he is eating his pizza. Miss Dubose tells him that pizza come already made to school, and that they are just warmed up. Then she decides to turn his question into a lesson for all of the students. Miss Dubose starts by asking them to list what comes on a pizza. Then the students learn where the ingredients come from. When Jake gets home, he can tell his mother what he learned about pizzas that day. At the end of the book there is a list of ingredients for pizza and a picture of the animals and plants they come from. You can try to match the ingredients with what they come from.

Drums

Jungle Drums
by Graeme Base

Ngiri Mdogo is the smallest warthog in Africa. The other warthogs make fun of him because of his size. The warthogs are jealous of all of the other animals who live across the river. The other animals have a Grand Parade every year to give prizes to the most beautiful animal, and the warthogs do not enter. Ngiri goes to play with the other animals, but they make fun of him, too. On his way home, Ngiri meets Old Nyumbu, the oldest and wisest animal in the jungle and tells him that her hates being small. Old Nyumbu gives him a little set of bongo drums and tells him that they will give Ngiri whatever he wishes for. Ngiri plays the little drums all through the night. In the morning, he has not changed, but all of the other animals have lost the things that made them beautiful and the warthogs now have them. The warthogs decide to enter the parade to teach the other animals a lesson, and the other animals are afraid that the warthogs will win all of the prizes. The other animals demand that the warthogs give back all their markings, but the warthogs refuse. The animals say they will come and take them back. Ngiri is worried and plays the drums all night again. The other animals have their markings back the next morning, but the markings are on the wrong animals. They blame the warthogs and go across the river to confront them. The warthogs have also become more like the other animals, and they blame the other animals. As all of the animals are blaming one another, Ngiri admits it was his faults and tells them about the drums. The animals all tell Ngiri that they want to be back the way they were, and he plays the drums all night one more time. Will the animals all go back to normal? Will the animals still be mean to and tease Ngiri?

Drum City
by Thea Guidone and illustrations by Vanessa Newton

A little starts drumming to invite other kids to come and drum with him on anything they can find. The children drum on bowls, buckets, cartons, barrels, pots, and pans. Then the children start marching and drumming, and there are hundreds and hundreds of little drums going. The people in the city hear the drums coming and wonder what the sound is. Everyone all over the city stops to listen to the sound. All of the adults join in with the drumming by drumming on cars or bicycles or just clapping their hands and stomping their feet. The group marches all over the city drumming, and everyone that sees them joins in. Can you join in with their drumming parade?

Abigail’s Drum
by John A. Minahan and illustrations by Robert Quackenbush

Rebecca Bates stood playing her little fife after she finished with her chores. Everyone in her family enjoyed music. Her mother sand, her father played the fiddle, and her sister, Abigail, played a little drum. Her family runs the lighthouse, and Rebecca has lots of work to do since her mother is helping a sick cousin in Boston. Rebecca knows that the War of 1812 has started with England, but it seems very far away from her. Her father sees a boat that is in trouble, and he goes out to save the person in the boat. He is successful in saving the man, but the Rebecca sees a ship coming in with no lights. Her father goes to check on the ship and does not see it. The man he rescued tells him about the ship. Rebecca’s father saw a fire in town and decides to go check on things. The fisherman is concerned that it might be the British. When they get to town, they find a militia group called the Home Guard. They are worried that the British have burned down the boatyard that morning, and the Guard believes that they will keep the town safe. While keeping watch, Rebecca and Abigail practice playing Yankee Doodle like they heard the Home Guard playing. They hear the Home Guard marching away, and Rebecca’s father tells them that everyone should be alright then. While helping her father with the lighthouse, Rebecca notices that a rowboat has come ashore from a huge ship. A British soldier comes up to her and asks for an adult. The British soldier explains that they have come to take supplies from the town, and that the soldiers know that the town is no longer defended. They also inform Rebecca and her father that they are being held to keep the people in the town cooperative. Rebecca gets away from the soldiers and runs off. How will Rebecca and Abigail be able to help their father and the other members of the town? Can they think of a way to scare the British soldiers away?

Two Sticks
by Orel Protopopescu and pictures by Anne Wilsdorf

Maybelle has two sticks, and she drums all over with them. Her parents do not like that she drums on everything. Maybelle would love to have any kind of drum to play on, but she has to drum on anything she can find, instead. She drums outside and across a log, but the sticks make holes in the log. Soon there are so many holes that she falls through the log into the swamp water below it. Alligators surround her, and all she has are the two sticks. She uses the alligators’ teeth to drum on, and the alligators all enjoy the music she makes. The alligators come home with her, and she shows her parents her new instruments. Will her parents buy her that drum that she wants, or will she have to keep her new friends to make music?

Buttons

Button Girl: More than 20 Cute-as-a Button Projects
by Mikyla Bruder with photographs by Scott M. Nobles

At the beginning of the book is a little history about buttons and button tips and techniques. Every project in this book is created using different kinds of buttons. You can use the buttons to jazz up a boring button up shirt, belt, scarf, or even slippers. Buttons can also be used to make pins, rings, decorate sunglasses, make barrettes and earrings, or create gifts for others, such as button magnets, coasters, or picture frames. There are lots of interesting and creative ideas in this book for creating things with buttons.

Little Rooster’s Diamond Button
Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald and illustrated by Will Terry

A little old woman lives with her pet rooster somewhere across the seven seas. One day the rooster finds a diamond button and decides to take the button to his owner. At this time, the king was walking by, and when he saw the diamond button, he wanted for his treasure chamber. The rooster tells the king he wants the button back, but the king tells his servants to get rid of the rooster. The servants throw the rooster into the well, but the rooster’s magic stomach drinks up all the water in the well. Then the rooster demands the button back from the king again. The king tells his servants to throw the rooster into the fire, but the rooster uses all of the water he drank out of the well to put out the fire. When he goes to the king again, the king tells his servants to throw the rooster at the beehive, but the rooster eats all of the bees, instead. Will the bees be able to hurt the rooster? Will the rooster be able to get his diamond button back from the king?

The Button Box
by Margarette S. Reid and illustrated by Sarah Chamberlain

A little boy likes to play with the buttons that are inside his grandma’s special box. She has lots of different types of buttons inside, and the little boy likes to pull out the buttons he likes and sort them. He sorts them into groups of the buttons that are alike, and thinks about what clothes the buttons are from and would go on. Sometimes the boy and his grandma play a game with the buttons. They close their eyes and try to figure out if the buttons are alike. The boy also likes hearing his grandma tell him where the buttons are from. When it is time to put the buttons back in the box, the little boy likes to let the buttons fall through his fingers into the box. Then they put the box away until the next time he comes to grandma’s house.

Buttons for General Washington
by Peter and Connie Roop and illustrated by Peter E. Hanson

John’s parents send messages to his brother Charles in code and hidden within John’s buttons for General George Washington. His parents tell him to be careful, give him his pass to leave Philadelphia, and send him to Washington’s camp. He knows that it is dangerous to be a spy, and so he is careful to avoid British soldiers while he is traveling through town. On the way out of town, John runs into a boy that is on the British side, and the two boys have a scuffle. John makes it to the guard station and leaves Philadelphia. Soon, he notices that he is missing one of his buttons, realizes that he must have lost it during the scuffle with the other boy, and goes back to Philadelphia to get it. The guard at the station had found it and gives it to John. John is in a hurry to get to the camp, and then he is found by a bearded man and taken into the American army camp. Will John be able to get the messages in the buttons to his brother? Will he be able to meet George Washington?

Bats

Bats Around the Clock
by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

There is a twelve hour program called American Batstand where the bats are going to dance a whole bunch of different kinds of dances, and the host of the program is Click Dark. The dancing starts with the shrug at one, the jitterbug at two, the spin at three, and several other dances every hour. The bats also dance in the street, doing the locomotion. Then at seven it was time for the twist. The bats even dance the hokey pokey at nine. Finally, the bats have danced for twelve hours, and now it is time for the special guest, who has “blue suede shoes.” Who is the special guest? Will the bats continue to dance?

Homework Hassles
by Abby Klein

Freddy’s teacher wants the class to do reports on nocturnal animals. Everyone else seems to be able to think of a cool nocturnal animal, but Freddy cannot think of one. Mrs. Wushy, his teacher, tells him to think about it. Freddy invites his friend Robbie over to observe different animals at night. The plan is to go outside after Freddy’s parents are asleep, but Freddy is very worried about this plan. The boys see some possum tracks, but Freddy is getting very cold. So he decides to climb a tree, but he ends up falling down and breaking his arm. He has to go to the hospital and get a cast. Breaking his arm means that he will have to make a lot of changes over the next few weeks, and it does not change the fact that he still does not have a nocturnal animal to write about. Robbie’s mom finally gives Freddy a great idea for his report? What animal will Freddy choose to write about? What kinds of interesting things will he learn about that animal?

Baby Bat’s Lullaby
by Jacquelyn Mitchard and illustrated by Julia Noonan

A mother bat sings a lullaby to her little baby bat as they snuggle together in the rising sunlight. She sings to him all of the things that her little bat is, such as a forest streaker, a darling night creeper, a mosquito frightener, an upside-down clinger, and many other things.

Batty About Texas
by J. Jaye Smith and illustrated by Kathy Coates

This nonfiction book is about the bats of Texas. A Mexican free-tailed bat named Bo, tells many different facts about the bats in Texas, such as when Mexican free-tailed bats come to Texas, how many kinds of bats can be found in Texas (32), what kind of animal a bat is (a mammal), how high bats can fly (up to two miles), and many other really cool facts. Each page also has a bat fact. Bats also like to eat mosquitoes and many other kinds of bugs, including moths and beetles. They are also important to people in other ways.

Some New Books for October

Librarian on the Roof!: A True Story
by M.G. King and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Librarian RoseAleta Laurell of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, TX decided to campout for a week on the top of the library in order to raise money for the children’s department of the library. This is the story of her dedication. RoseAleta makes many changes to the library, and more people start coming to the library. She notices, though, that not many children are coming to the library. So RoseAleta decides that the children need a place of their own in the library filled with books and comfy chairs where they could read the books. In order to make those changes, the library would need $20,000 in donations. So RoseAleta decides to raise the money by staying on the roof until the money that the library needs is raised, and she is lifted up to the roof by the electric company’s truck on Monday. During the week, money was being raised, but they still had not reached $20,000 by Thursday. Thursday and Friday it began to storm, and RoseAleta stays on the roof instead of coming down. Will RoseAleta be safe on the roof during the storm? Will she be able to raise the $20,000 that she needs for the children’s department?

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation
by Matt Myklusch

Jack has spent the last twelve years at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, and every year has been more boring and miserable for him than the last. Jack has no idea where he came from, who his parents were, or even what his last name is. So he calls himself Jack Blank. The other kids at school are always making fun of him, and this hurts Jack’s feelings. On this day, the other students are going to visit a prison, but Jack is not allowed to go because odd things happen to the bus when he is on it. Usually, the teachers make him stay and do chores all day, but on this day, Jack decides to hide instead and read his comic books. Soon he is found, though, and he is forced to burn his comic books in the incinerator. The bully, Rex, tells the teacher that Jack is always doing weird things, but neither the teacher, nor Jack, believe him. How could Jack being doing things like making the lights brighter or burning up a calculator without touching it? Then a Robo-Zombie like the one that Jack had read about in one of the comics comes after him. After Jack destroys the Robo-Zombie, Jazen Knight shows up to take Jack away from the home. Jazen Knight explains that Jack is really from a place called Imagine Nation, and that he is taking Jack back. Once they get to Imagine Nation, they look to see what secrets Jack’s DNA holds, but they soon find that he is infected with the Rüstov infection. Usually, people who have the infection are killed, but Jack does not appear to be sick. Jazen will not let them kill Jack. In fact, the people of Imagine Nation may need Jack and his abilities to save their world that is in danger from the Rüstov. Will Jack ever find out where he came for or who he is? Will he be the hero that Imagine Nation needs?

Miss Tutu’s Star
by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis

Selena loves to dance, and she goes she twirls and prances. So her mother takes her to Miss Tutu’s Dance Academy. Selena has a hard time dancing like the teacher and the other children, but Miss Tutu tells her that she can dance with some hard work. Miss Tutu shows the children the different moves in ballet from arabesque to demi-plié. Selena and the other children make some mistakes, but they keep trying really hard. Selena also practices her dancing at home. After a couple of years of hard work, it is time for Selena to dance in front of an audience. She is really nervous, but Miss Tutu tells her to smile, relax, and just dance. Will Selena be able to dance in front of the audience? Will she make any mistakes?

Little Fox Goes to the End of the World
by Ann Tompert and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

As she is chasing a butterfly one day, Little Fox is told by her mother not to wander too far from their den, or Little Fox might get lost. Little Fox tells her mother that she will travel to the end of the world one day. Her mother asks her about how she will get to the end of the world. Little Fox tells her mother that she will have to go through a deep forest, and that she will see bears and tigers. Her mother asks her if she will be scared, but Little Fox has some ideas on how to be safe around the bears and the tigers. Then Little Fox tells her mother that she will have to cross the mountains, the hot desert, and a river filled with crocodiles. Her mother asks her if she will be scared by doing these things, but Little Fox also has a plan to keep on traveling. What else does Little Fox think she will have to do to go to the end of the world? What does Little Fox plan to do when she gets to the end of the world?

Playing and Games

The Golly-Whopper Games
by Jody Feldman

Gil is determined to play in the Gollywhopper Games that the Golly Toy and Game Company have put on for their fiftieth anniversary. His parents have promised him that they will move somewhere else, because if he won the games, they would be able to afford to move. Gil’s father used to work for the company, but he was accused of stealing money from the company. He was found innocent of the crime, but that did not stop the people of the town and the other children in Gil’s school from treating them badly. Gil is tired of all of the bad treatment, but he has to make it into the games to get out of there. He spends a lot of time studying facts about the company and the toys, so he can win the games. He makes it into the games, and he makes it through the first part of the games with some help from his new friend, Bianca. Then he makes it into the final round of the games with nine other opponents, including Bianca. Will Gil be able to win the games and move out of the town? Will they ever know the truth of who really stole the money from the company?

Play With Us: 100 Games from Around the World
by Oriol Ripoll

This nonfiction book contains one hundred games that children play all over the world. There are some things needed to play these games, such as baleros, flat pebbles, chalk, dice, and a ball. There are also instructions for how to make things like cartetas. The games include the shoemaker (from Mexico), Nawa Kuji (from Japan), Teruchu (from India), and many more. Each game has the number of people needed to play it, what materials will be needed, and some simple instructions for how to play. There are also illustrations to help explain how to play. Many of the games may be hard to say, but they all look like a lot of fun.

Kids Like Us
by Carole Lexa Schaefer and illustrated by Pierr Morgan

It is raining outside and the children cannot go out to play. So they open a trunk and use toys, clothes, and their imaginations to play. When they see the school bus, they gather up chairs and take a bus ride. When they see a fire truck, they pretend to be fire fighters. Then the children pretend they are in a jungle with lots of different dinosaurs. The children come up with lots of different games to play and shows to put on. Even as the day ends and they get ready to walk home, they are still using their imaginations to play.

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy
by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Ladybug Girl ( or Lulu) cannot wait to get to her favorite playground, and her mother walks with her to the playground. On the way, Ladybug Girl helps Mrs. Robbins carry the groceries. The playground is full of children when Ladybug Girl and her mother get there, and Ladybug girl looks around for a friend to play with. She sees Sam from music class and asks him if he wants to play with her. Sam wants to play, but Ladybug Girl does not want to play “diggers” with him. Sam does not want to play “monkeys” with her. Sam also does not want to play castle or seesaw. Soon Sam and Lulu are mad at each other, because the other does not want to do what the other wants to. Lulu is thinking about playing by herself, but then she asks Sam if he wants to play Ladybug Girl with her. Ladybug Girl has super powers, and Sam wants to play, too. Sam calls himself Bumblebee Boy, and soon they are saving Lulu’s dog from a monster, flying up high on the swings, and attacking the “Mean Robot” tire swing. Then there are two other girls who want to play, too. So there is Ladybug Girl, Bumblebee Boy, Dragonfly Girl, and Butterfly Girl, and the “Bug Squad” goes to save the playground from the giant snake (the twisty slide).