Kidzspacethe digital space for kids @ the library

Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen, illustrations by Brian Biggs
Call number: J VAN (on the Bluestem shelf)

Nolan is fed up with the school bully “Bubba.” Thanks to Bubba, every other kid has an awful nickname: Nolan is “Nerd,” not just to Bubba, but to his classmates, too. When the class gets an assignment to create a newspaper front page, Nolan jumps at the chance to expose Bubba for the cruel troublemaker he is. Thanks to his mad computer skills, Nolan can complete the task through a website under a pseudonym: Shredderman! 

 I thought this book was great. Nolan is totally believable through his frustration with the jerks of the world and his dedication to do something to fight back. Besides Nolan, I also loved Mr. Green, his teacher. Bubba calls him “Happy Hippie” because of his ponytail, guitar playing, and positive attitude, but Nolan (and the reader) thinks he’s cool. It’s from Mr. Green that Nolan gets the name “Shredderman”: on a perfectly scored math test of Nolan’s, Mr. Green writes, “You totally shred!” Well, this book “shreds” too!

Bluestem books left to read: 6
Days left: 28
Think I’ll finish on time? We’ll see!
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Scat, by Carl Hiaasen
Call number: J HIA (on the Caudill shelf)

Nick and Marta don’t exactly miss their teacher when she goes missing in Black Vine Swamp, but they can’t help but be intrigued by her disappearance during a bizarre forest fire on their class field trip. There are clues she’s survived all right, but why hasn’t she come back to class? Where is she, and what are her connections to dead-beat student-slash-arsonist “Smoke” and an endangered panther? The two friends get swept up into a thrilling adventure that leads them back into the swamp, fleeing a couple of crooked oil drillers and looking for – ew! – panther poop.

This is a good, sometimes suspenseful page-turner with Hiaasen’s signature message about the environment – if you’ve ever read Hoot or Flush you won’t be surprised that this book is about saving Florida’s endangered wildlife. The author clearly cares a lot about animals threatened by human and city development. Even if he doesn’t convince you to save endangered panthers, the book still is fun and exciting to read.

Caudill books left to read: 8
Days left: 30
Yikes, I’m running out of time! Better hurry before the February 28 deadline!
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Stand Tale, Abe Lincoln, by Judith St. George, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Call number: J 921 LIN (on the Bluestem shelf)

Every American learns about what kind of president Abraham Lincoln was. But what was he like as a young boy? This book shows you what Abe’s life was like as he grew up in Kentucky and then in the woods of Indiana. Abe loved to read with his mother more than anything. But shortly after their move to Indiana, Abe’s angel of a mother tragically died. Abe, his sister, and his father struggled to move on without her. Abe’s father remarried, though Abe couldn’t warm up to his new mother, Sally, very quickly. Sally wins Abe over slowly by making sure he has time from chores to read, go to school, and pursue his dreams. Sally could never replace Abe’s real mother, but she was exactly what the Lincoln family needed and they all grew to love her.

I didn’t know about Abe Lincoln’s childhood story, so this was an interesting biography to read. The author shows you little glimpses of how his early life experiences would influence his later presidency: for instance, Abe was troubled growing up when he saw Black slaves in chains being marched down a turnpike road. Anyone interested in learning more about Abe should check out this book.

Bluestem books left to read: 7
Days left: 31
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome
Call number: J HOP (on the Bluestem shelf)

Imagine: the tallest building in the world is rising right before your eyes. In the early 1930s, the Empire State Building was built metal beam by beam by hundreds of strong, brave fathers and sons who were happy to find work, even fifty feet about Manhatten in the open sky! This book’s illustrations will show you how these men did some of the tasks necessary to create such a beautiful and impressive building. The book also gives you a sense of how exciting and hope-filling this project was to the people of New York City, many of whom were suffering  from losing their jobs during the Great Depression. The author includes some interesting facts about this landmark building in the back of the book, too. Make sure to check out this book!

Bluestem books lefts to read: 8
Days left: 33
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Your Pal Mo Willems Presents Leonardo the Terrible Monster, by Mo Willems
Call number: E WIL (on the Monarch shelf)

Leonardo would like to be a great monster. But great monsters are great at scaring people, and Leonardo can’t seem to frighten anybody! Leonardo has a plan, though: he’s going to find the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world. Surely that kid would get scared by Leonardo, right?

This book is awesome, because it’s just so funny and silly. Leonardo tries so hard to be scary, but he’s just too cute to be afraid of. The scaredy-cat kid he finds doesn’t help him become the monster he wants to be, but Leonardo finds out he can be something even better than scary: he can be a friend.

Monarch books left to read: 5
Days left: 34
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

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Dodger and Me, by Jordan Sonnenblick
Call number: J SON (on the Bluestem shelf)

Willie’s life could be better. He’s the worst hitter on his baseball team. There’s a British girl in his class who’s sort of obsessed with him. And his mom is super overprotective and won’t let him do anything fun or interesting. But things get even worse when he finds a mysterious fast food bag that – presto! – releases a rather unconventional genie. He’s big, he’s blue, and he’s a talking chimp. Dodger claims he can solve all of Willie’s problems, but Dodger seems to cause more trouble in Willie’s life.

Bluestem books left to read: 9
Days left: 37
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Oh, Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems, by Susan Katz, illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Call number: J 811.54 KAT (on the Monarch shelf)

He’s soft, plump, fuzzy, brown
–like a teddy bear.
So I name him
Theodore.

Meet Theodore and his new owner, a boy who really wanted a dog, but got a guinea pig instead. Theodore is cute and fuzzy, loes to make lettuce disappear, and scurries around his new house. At first, it’s hard to be Theodore’s master, because he seems so scared and won’t let anyone pet him. But slowly, after time, Theodore learns to trust him and the two become best friends.

Each page of this book is written as a poem, and together, all the poems tell the story of Theodore and his new home. The illustrations perfectly show you Theodore’s expressions and sometimes silly personality. I fell in love with this little guinea pig!

Monarch books left to read: 6
Days left: 38
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Yellow Star, by Jennifer Roy
Call number: J ROY (on the Caudill shelf)

The Boy Who Dared: A Book Based on the True Story of a Hitler Youth, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Call number: J BAR (on the Caudill shelf)

During World War II, millions of people were persecuted for standing up for what they believed in. Many of these innocent individuals were Jewish people, including the five-year-old character Syvia in Yellow Star, a fictionalized novel-in-verse based on the live of the author’s aunt growing up in Poland. Syvia and her family were forced by the Nazi soldiers to leave their home and move into the Lodz ghetto. Many of her friends and neighbors were taken from the ghetto and killed at concentration camps. Many others in the ghetto starved to death because they were given too little food. Syvia survived, one of only twelve children who lived long enough to walk out of Lodz after the Nazi army was defeated.

But Jewish people were not the only ones whose human rights were stripped from them. In The Boy Who Dared, Helmuth is a young boy growing up in Germany at the same time Hitler rises to power. He grows up like many children in many countries, feeling proud of his nation and people, wanting to serve his fatherland as a soldier. As he gets older, he learns more about Hitler’s hatred of the Jews, something he’s not sure makes sense to him. Then Hitler inacts laws that limit everyone’s freedom: no one is allowed to listen to non-German radio shows or read non-German books. People are encouraged to spy on neighbors and turn in anyone who acts unloyal to Hitler or Germany. Helmuth is pressured to join the Hitler Youth, a boys’ group that is trained to become Nazis, though he more and more doubts the cause. Helmuth decides to secretly write and distribute pamphlets speaking out against the Nazis, even though it may cost him his life.

Both these historical fiction books are based on real people who lived during this tragic war and regime. Both will inspire you to remember those who lost their lives for their beliefs.

Caudill books left to read: 9
Days left: 39
-Allison, Youth Services Associate

Hachiko Waits, by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Machiyo Kodaira
Call number: J NEW (on the Bluestem shelf)

The professor is so proud of his puppy, Hachi. Each day, Hachi walks to the train station and sees the professor leave for his job. Hachi returns to the train platform exactly at three o’clock when the professor returns. The station master as well as many other commuters are so impressed with Hachi, who is too gentle and quiet to be any trouble for anyone. But then, one afternoon, the professor does not return from the city. The station master learns that the professor tragically died. With no way to explain to Hachi what happened, the faithful pet returns to the station each day for ten years, patiently watching and waiting for a master who can never return.

This book is based on a true story. Hachi, or Hachiko as the Japanese people call him as a sign of respect and love, truly did come to the train station each day, waiting for the professor. His story was shared with many, and after the dog himself passed away, the people had a statue built of the dog as a remembrance of his loyalty and friendship. As a dog lover, I found myself getting choked up as I read this remarkable story. What an amazing dog!

Bluestem books left to read: 10
Days left: 41
-Allison, Youth Services Associate