Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf:

A Year Told Through Stuff

by Jennifer Holm

Most appreciated by 5th through 8th grade girls

Ginny Davis' life seems like a roller coaster. One minute life is good - she wants that cool yellow sweater at the mall, she's sure she'll get the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the ballet, and her best friend is in her homeroom class. The next minute, her life is falling apart - her old best friend has her pink sweater and won't give it back, her mom is gettin remarried, and guess who's old best friend gets the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy? In the meantime, Ginny's big brother begins to commit acts of vandalism that seem to be leading him down a dark path.

What makes this book a great read is the way Ginny's story is told. We see Ginny's life through her 'stuff' - her to-do lists, school schedule, instant messages from friends, notes to and from her mom. Pictures of Ginny's lip gloss, the hair color she tries, the sweater she wants, are included to fill out Ginny and make her seem real. The result is not a typical chapter book with pages of black-and-white text. The book is colorful and crazy, just like Ginny. You'll wish Ginny was your friend once you read this book!

Thank You, Sarah:The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Most appreciated by all ages

Did you know that we almost lost Thanksgiving? Long ago, the holiday which began with the Pilgrims, soon fell out of favor. Most people simply ignored it. That bothered Sarah Hale, who loved Thanksgiving and thought everyone in the country should celebrate it on the same day. So Sarah took up her pen and became a 'superhero', writing letters and magazine articles to convince the public to support the holiday. She even went all the way to the top, to the President of the United States. It took Sarah 38 years and five presidents before finally reaching her goal of making Thanksgiving a national holiday. True superheroes are those who will stand up for what they believe is right and make their voice heard no matter what difficulties they face. Sarah Hale is the kind of superhero we can all look up to. Share this book with your family before you eat your Thanksgiving turkey. It will taste a whole lot richer!

Cowboy and Octopus

By Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Most appreciated by anyone needing a laugh!

Cowboy and Octopus are two characters unlikely to become friends. And yet, they hit it off right from the start. Cowboy and Octopus shake hand and shake hands and shake hands and....you get the idea. Cowboy loves to cook and beans are his specialty. He makes Beans and Bacon, Bacon and Beans and just plain beans, all for his new friend, Octopus. But Octopus doesn't like beans. What's a friend to do when he doesn't want to hurt his partner's feelings? Eat one bean, declare it the best and keep that friend! Jon and Lane have created another book full of their wacky humor. Try to read 'Cowboy and Octopus' and NOT laugh out loud!

Scott Gustafson's Book Signing Cancelled!

We are so sad to report that Scott Gustafson won't be coming to Zion on Wednesday, November 14th. All copies of his new book 'Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose' have been sold already. His publisher will not have any more copies until the spring. While it's sad for us, this is great for Scott. Can you imagine being an illustrator and having ALL of your books sold? Great job, Scott! We'll try to have Scott come to Zion in the spring when more copies of 'Mother Goose' are available.

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore

by Jenny Offil and Nancy Carpenter

Most appreciated by Pre-K through 3rd graders

Are you looking for a few good ways to annoy your brother or sister? How about your teacher? Then check this book out! WAIT! No, don't' check it out. I mean yes, check it out but just enjoy the laughs you'll get when you read it! The narrator of the story is a little girl who tries just about anything (like walking backwards to school) and finds out that not everything is a good idea (like flinging cauliflower at her brother during dinner). There are 17 things she's not allowed to do anymore but as you turn the last page, you wonder what she'll find to try for number 18!

Children's Book Week Coming Up!

The week of November 12th - 16 is National Children's Book Week. It's a week set aside by schools and libraries around the country to celebrate children's books. This year's theme is "Rise Up Reading". We'll be doing just that at Zion with a little celebrating of our own. New books have been ordered and will start appearing in the library that week. Author and illustrator Scott Gustafson will be visiting us to talk about his work. There will also be drawings all week for some awesome prizes, including autographed books! So make sure to 'rise up' and visit the library to see what's new!

Inheritance Trilogy Expands! Book 3 Release Date Announced!

Yes, fans of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series rejoice! Paolini's publisher has announced that Book 3 in the series will be released on September 23, 2008. So far, Book 3 does not have a title. Wonder what it will be?

Paolini also revealed that the series will expand to include a fourth book. Apparently, Eragon's story could not be tied up in just one more book so Paolini will write a fourth. No release date or title for Book 4 was announced.

So, while you count the days until September 23 of next year, why not reread 'Eragon' and 'Eldest' to keep the details fresh?