A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck Historical Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Richard Peck is an author of several award-winning historical fiction books for kids. In A Season for Gifts, he has written another exceptional story. Set in the 1950’s, this is the story of 12-year-old Bob, his family and his experiences as the new kid in town. This novel is filled with remarkable characters, including the older teenage sister who begins … Read more
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) When Liam is out exploring (he seems to be the only one in his city that enjoys being outside) he discovers some plants struggling to grow between the rails of an abandoned elevated railway. He starts tending these plants, even though he doesn’t have much experience with gardening, and he gradually learns how to care for them. The plants flourish and … Read more
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Juvenile Nonfiction (Grades 4-7) Intricate and colorful torn paper collages illustrate the fascinating symbiotic (mutualistic) relationships between various animals and organisms. Their stories are told in comic book/graphic novel-like panels, describing the nature of the relationship and how it benefits each animal. Even if you know something about symbiosis, this book really brings it to life – from … Read more
How to Scratch a Wombat by Jackie French Juvenile Nonfiction (Grades 4-6) * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Jackie French has been living among wombats in the near-wilds of Australia for over 30 years. She’s made friends with her neighborhood wombats and has cared for orphaned and injured wombats. Wombats are curious creatures, marsupials, which like to dig. They experience the world primarily through their large nostrils and have a highly evolved sense of … Read more
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Thomas and Dorothy Hoobler Historical Fiction Juvenile Fiction Mystery * * * * Stars (Great!) Seikei is the son of a merchant in ancient Japan, but he longs to escape his current station and become a noble samurai – one of the knights of Japan. He gets his chance when he notices a mysterious figure in the dark while he and his father are staying at an inn. … Read more
Anna G. is our Featured Artist this month!
April was National Poetry month! We asked teens in grades 6 – 12 to get in touch with their inner poet and write a book review in the form of a haiku (5 syllables – 7 syllables – 5 syllables) for a chance to win a prize! They were able to review fiction, non-fiction, comics, graphic novels, manga, and audiobooks. Our prize winner was Sumbul S.! You can see the winning entry and other entries … Read more
Savvy by Ingrid Law Fantasy * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In the Beaumont family, when your 13th birthday rolls around you discover what your “savvy” is. Having a savvy is a lot like having a special skill or talent, except that there’s no way to tell what your savvy is going to be until it shows itself. Like Mibs’ brother Fish, who found that his savvy can make storms and hurricanes blow up … Read more
Becky O. is our Featured Artist this month!
The Huntley Area Public Library offers teens a variety of ways to share their writing with others. We periodically sponsor writing contests, and we accept ongoing submissions for our quarterly ‘zine – Teen Zine.