Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Paris-Chien Adventures Of An Ex-Pat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso is a fun and engaging story perfect for children who have or are moving to a new place. Hudson, a Norwich Terrier, moves to Paris with his owner but he soon discovers everyone in Paris is busy and he has a hard time making new friends. To make things worse he can’t understand anyone, even the dogs, since everyone speaks French. Join Hudson on his adventure as he begins to take French lessons from a French Poodle and starts to make friends in a new place.

Have you ever been sent to time out? Then meet Sophie, a typical two-year-old. Time-Out For Sophie by Rosemary Wells tells the story of Sophie who is having trouble listening. Mama, Daddy and Granny are all having trouble with Sophie. Check out this cute story and see if Sophie learns how to listen.

Otis, the tractor, loves to play with all the animals on the farm. That is, all the animals except the mean bull. Their favorite game is follow-the-leader. Anytime the animals and Otis get close to the bull’s pen he snorts and snarls at them. Once he even charges at Otis. One day the sky turns dark and stormy. When Otis sees a tornado in the sky headed straight toward the barn, Otis knows he needs to let the animals out of the barn and lead them to safety. But what about the mean bull…should Otis try to save him too? Otis And The Tornado by Loren Long is a charming story about doing what is right and the power of friendship.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Everyone’s favorite monkey is back in this new book, Curious George Dance Party.  Allie invites George and his friend, Bill, to a dance party.  George is very excited and can’t stop dancing.  On the other hand, Bill doesn’t want to go.  He thinks he will be the only kid at the party who doesn’t know how to dance.  Can Curious George help Bill learn how to dance before the party? This Level 1 Green Light Reader includes fun and educational activities that will help young readers learn about recognizing simple patterns, left and right, and rhythm.

Lily is having a birthday!  Milo can’t wait to plan a birthday party and surprise Lily.  Kids will enjoy reading along and helping Milo pick out the decorations, party hats, food and more.  Having A Party With Lily And Milo by Pauline Oud is the perfect story for kids who love to be involved in planning birthday parties.  

Everyone enjoys the perfect hug!  For some it’s a big hug and others it’s a small hug.  Still others like tickly hugs and some even prickly hugs.  Read The Perfect Hug by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot and see if panda bear can find the perfect hug for him.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

A little girl named Annabelle finds a box of yarn.  It appears to be an ordinary box of yarn so she decides to knit a sweater for herself.  Then she knits one for her dog.  Soon she is making sweaters and hats for her family, friends, other animals, houses, buildings, anything in town she can think of.  News spreads about Annabelle and her box of yarn that never seems to run out.  People come from all over the world to see her work.  Read Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and find out what happens when someone steals Annabelle’s not so ordinary box of yarn.

I Want My Mom! A Little Princess Story by Tony Ross is the perfect book for any little kid who loves their mom.  In this book the Little Princess is having one of those bad weeks where nothing is going her way.  There is no one who can make her feel better except her mom.  The princess eventually gets invited to a party and ends up having a good time.  Read this entertaining story and find out what happens to the Queen when the Little Princess has fun without her.

Stu loves to listen to the sounds of the animals at the zoo and visits them so often they know him by name.  He calls their sounds a symphony.  Not everyone is as crazy about the animals as Stu, especially Mr. Cooper.  He wants to tear the zoo down and build a mall.  Can Stu help the animals save their home?  Maestro Stu Saves The Zoo by Denise Brennan-Nelson is a playful story filled with idioms and imaginative illustrations.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Sick Day by David McPhail is the perfect book for young beginning readers with its simple text and beautiful colorful illustrations. A young boy is sick and his friends, dog and bird, both try to help him feel better. This is a sweet story that shows readers no matter who is feeling under the weather friends can come together to make each other feel better.

Everybody enjoys snow days! Even Mouse…he is warm inside the house having fun finding and nibbling on crumbs while the family is busy baking cookies. When Mouse accidentally gets swept outside in the snow the real adventure begins. Read Snow Day For Mouse by Judy Cox and follow Mouse on his adventure through the snow, meet his new friends and see if Cat ever catches up with him.

Its springtime and almost all the animals at the Springfield Zoo are having babies except the tree kangaroo and the pandas. Life isn’t fair! Then one day the zoo’s veterinarian arrives with an endangered egg needing someone to give it a home. Wild About You by Judy Sierra is a heartfelt story about adoption, reminding readers it takes a whole community to raise a baby.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Peppa Pig And The Lost Christmas List created by Neville Astley, Mark Baker and Phil Davies is the perfect book to help get kids in the Christmas spirit.  Join Peppa Pig and her friends as they prepare for Christmas.  After all the friends’ preparations, it turns out to be a surprising Christmas when Santa loses his Christmas list.  Will Peppa be able to help Santa save Christmas? 

Henry and his first-grade friends love playing soccer together at recess until Sam, a second-grade bully, starts causing them problems.  After several days of bullying, Henry doesn’t know what to do.  Will Henry be able to show Sam he is not afraid of a bully?  Nancy Carlson’s, Henry And The Bully, is a great example of how kids can use their own intelligence to solve problems.     

Oh NO! frog falls into a deep, deep hole.  Soon mouse does too and then loris.  Who will rescue the animals?  Will a hungry tiger help them or hurt them?  Read Oh NO!, a rollicking romp in the forest, by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann.  

There is nothing sweeter than the sound of a baby laughing.  One day a little baby laughed for the first time.  His family was so excited for him they decided to have a “laugh-out-loud party.”  Family and friends came from miles away to hear the little baby laugh.  Read Laugh-Out-Loud Baby by Tony Johnston and Stephen Gammell and see what happens when everyone arrives to hear the little baby laugh.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Horseplay! written by Karma Wilson is a playful romp about a farmer and his horses.  The farmer notices his horses are always too tired to work.  He eventually figures out his horses are playing all night when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Read this fun story and see what happens to the farmer when he decides to stay up all night and make sure his horses get some sleep.  

Daniel Pinkwater’s, Bear In Love, is a sweet story about a bear who starts everyday looking for something yummy to eat.  One morning he sees that someone has left him something sweet and crunchy to eat.  Over the next few days someone leaves him something to eat and bear wonders who would do something that nice for him.  This is a lovable story about the importance of sharing and friendship.

When a young boy is sent to a corner for time out he decides the corner needs some fixing up.  He thinks the walls are too white and definitely need some color.  Read Time Out For Monsters! by Jean Reidy and discover how this young boy’s imagination comes to life.

Bear wants to invite his friends for a nice big dinner but he has no food in his cupboards.  His friends start showing up with all sorts of delicious food to eat.  Bear is sad he has nothing to share but his friends help him discover he has something better to share than just food.  Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson helps kids remember all the wonderful things they have to be thankful for.

A Treasure At Sea For Dragon And Me Water Safety For Kids And Dragons is the perfect combination of adventure and water safety by Jean E. Pendziwol.   In this book spend a summer day with a girl and her friend dragon as they build sand castles, swim and play in the water, and race pirates to treasure.    Along the way, kids will learn important swimming rules they can practice in real life to help them be water smart.  The Dragon’s Water Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book are perfect tools parents can use when having water safety discussions with their kids. 

Library Buzz: There Really Are Fifty Shades of Grey

People often ask, “What is Banned Books Week? Are you banning books?” Quite the opposite. Librarians don’t ban books. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ll decide I don’t like a book. Sometimes, I won’t even read it first (I’m that unenlightened). But here’s the thing: Librarians don’t have to ban the books we don’t agree with. We know you’ll read the book and decide for yourself.

It’s not black and white: there’s no line with “Good books” on one side and “Bad books” on the other. If you like romance novels, your definition of “good” is going to differ from my action-adventure tastes. Some books have poor plots but fabulous prose. Others are badly written but tell great stories. Maybe they’re awful. Maybe they’re everything you ever wanted and more. You won’t know until you read them.

For this one week each year, we encourage you to read things that other people don’t want you to read. Check out these frequently challenged or banned books:

Middle school students might enjoy “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, set in a dystopian future that will appeal to fans of “The Hunger Games.” In a world where government chooses your job, your spouse, even when you die, one young man must make a painful choice of his own.

High school students should try “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles, frequently banned from high schools for offensive language, but so thought-provoking that I still think about it more than ten years after reading it. It’s beautifully written with flawed, yet relatable, characters.

For the adults, I recommend “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, frequently challenged for being violent and sexually explicit. It is certainly those things, but it’s also epic. This historical fiction follows the rivalries of peasants, priests, and royals in medieval England. Plan to miss dinner because you won’t be able to put it down.

Banned Books Week kicks off our Big Read celebration, which lasts all October. This year, citizens of Andover are reading “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, a cautionary tale of book burning in an age of unlimited government control. Join us at the library all month for Big Read activities, such as an altered books workshop October 13 and a visit from the fire department October 27. If you’d rather rescue books than burn them, shop our used book sale October 20. Check our website for more events.

Until next month, don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t read!

(Originally published in the Andover American 10/4/12)

Library Buzz: Caution: Adventure Ahead

When I say, "Let's have an adventure!" chances are good that what I actually mean is "Let's think about having an adventure!" Face it: adventures are expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. For me – maybe for you, too – just pondering an adventure is enough, and the best place for that sort of thing is the library.

So, how about it? Do you feel like having an adventure today?

For the would-be traveler, check out a travel guide from our nonfiction collection. I recommend DK's Eyewitness Travel Guides, known for their full-color photographs and detailed descriptions of must-see locations. For the less ambitious, stay close to home with "A Food Lover's Guide to Kansas City," by Sylvie Murphy.

What better way to pretend you're planning a trip than by studying a foreign language? With a state library card, any Kansas resident can access the Mango Languages database for free lessons on up to 40 languages, including French, Spanish, or Italian for novice adventurers and things like Farsi, Urdu, and Tagalog for the seasoned globe-trotter. Mango is also available as an app on iPhone and Android devices, so you can take your language lessons with you everywhere. To apply for your Kansas library card (not to be confused with an Andover library card), bring a valid Kansas driver's license to the library's front desk.

Don't forget to stop by the library at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, for a brief Mango Languages' demonstration during our International Talk Like a Pirate Day party. We'll have snacks, a treasure hunt, and a family-friendly pirate movie.

If pretend adventures aren't your thing, nonfiction adventure stories are a great way to live vicariously through other people. For an armchair adventure of your own, try "Near Death on the High Seas: True Stories of Disaster and Survival," by Cecil Kuhne for amazing true stories of shipwrecks, dangerous voyages, and storms at sea that will keep you on the edge of your very comfy seat. Alternatively, try Robert Kurson's "Shadow Divers: the True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II" and follow along as real divers try to identify the wreck of a German U-boat that, according to government records, shouldn't exist.

If you think you'd like to take your adventure past the planning stages, Andover Library is also a passport application processing facility. Agents are available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding any day the library is closed). Visit www.travel.state.gov or call the library and ask to speak to a passport agent to learn what you need to bring with you to apply. It can take up to six weeks for your passport to arrive in the mail, so give yourself plenty of lead time before your trip.

At the library, we're here for all of your adventure planning needs, whether your adventures are real or imaginary, because planning really is the best part. Follow-through is exceedingly overrated.

(Originally published in the Andover American 9/5/12)

Library Buzz: Silence in the Library?

(Andover Public Library now has a monthly column in the Andover American. "Library Buzz" is written by YA librarian Tori Hamilton and will appear in the first issue of each month.)

The library isn’t what it used to be. There was a time when the library was quiet. Maybe you remember what I'm talking about: Stooped-backed old ladies with thick glasses and gray hair in tight buns skulked around shushing everybody, like that ghost at the beginning of Ghostbusters. Their stern gazes followed you around the room, thin-lipped grimaces daring you to touch their precious books, let alone put one back on the wrong shelf.

Seriously, what fun is that?

At the Andover Public Library, we have a lot going on. Sure, we still have books, including new releases, best-sellers, and favorite classics, but we offer so much more than that. Between our interactive storytimes, friends catching up on the latest news, tutors working with students, and local businessmen using our wi-fi to connect with the world, it can get a bit noisy sometimes. We're okay with that. At APL, we believe a library is an integral part of any close-knit community and anytime you bring people together in the spirit of fun, "quiet" goes right out the window. Drop in and visit us during any of our special events to see for yourself: in the past six months alone we've had jugglers, live animal demonstrations, used book sales, guest speakers, art programs, concerts, book clubs, Lego clubs, family movie nights, tea parties, gaming tournaments, and the occasional puppet show. You're bound to find something at the library you'll enjoy, and I promise you we don’t have much time to wander the stacks shushing people. 

Some of our hottest new books aren’t particularly quiet either: just gripping action and nail-biting suspense. The latest James Patterson novel, I, Michael Bennet pits the New York detective and father of ten against ruthless South American drug lords. Bennett will do anything to protect his family, a quality that many readers relate to and which sets this series apart from others Hard-Boiled Detective novels. If you’d rather start with the first Michael Bennett novel, check out Step on a Crack by James Patterson.

Daniel Silva’s new Fallen Angel has art restorer and former spy Gabriel Allon solving a murder in Saint Peter’s Basilica. The investigation leads Gabriel to St. Moritz, the Vatican, the back alleys of Istanbul, and a dramatic climax in Jerusalem; it’s like watching the Travel Channel, only with art smuggling and spy action.

Other popular titles include Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Litigators by John Grisham, and (in nonfiction) Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. If you’d like to check out any of these titles, come by the library, give us a call, or access our catalog online to put the item on hold. We’ll contact you as soon as it’s available.

Until next month, go out there and make some noise.
(Originally published in the Andover American, 8/2/12)

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

It’s a perfect day for a picnic so Hen, Goose and Duck pick lots of apples, pears, and berries and set out to find a place to have their picnic.  When the picnic basket starts to feel lighter and lighter, they realize they are not the only ones who love apples, pears, and berries.  Read We’re Going On A Picnic! by Pat Hutchins and find out who is eating their favorite fruits. 

Pop is a tiny tugboat working really hard helping all the big boats in and out of the harbor.  One day a new boat named Toot is brought into the harbor. Toot is enormous and doesn’t think he needs help from anyone, especially a boat as small at Pop.  Sebastien Braun’s Toot and Pop! teaches young kids what real friends are for. 

Little Lost Tiger by Jonathan London is a wonderful story about a mother Siberian tiger and her cub, Amba.   As she goes in search of food in the snow-covered forest, they separate for just a few minutes.   Suddenly, there’s an extremely loud roar.  Fire! Will Amba and his mother find each other again?  Find out in this book that shows the power of love between a parent and child.