10 Awesome Halloween Reads for Kids

Picture Books

Little Boo

By Stephen Wunderli

The leaves fall, the wind blows, and one little pumpkin seed tries and tries to be scary. But he doesn’t scare anyone . . . not the snowflakes in winter, not the bees in spring, not even the watering can!

The wind tells him to be patient—he’ll be scary soon enough. But waiting is hard. Will the little seed ever be really, truly scary?

Available: Caistorville

Boo to You Winnie the Pooh

Adapted by Bruce Tolkington

Winnie the Pooh and his fellow friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood try to think up a way to prevent Piglet from being spooked on a shivering, creaking, and howling Halloween eve, instead of having to cancel the holiday altogether.

Available: Smithville

Otter Loves Halloween!

by Sam Garton

Halloween is Otter’s favorite holiday. It’s also a very busy time for her and Teddy. With so much to do, it’s a good thing she’s a Halloween expert!

Available: Wellandport

Click, Clack, Boo

by Doreen Cronin

Farmer Brown does not like Halloween. So he draws the shades, puts on his footy pajamas, and climbs into bed.

But do you think the barnyard animals have any respect for a man in footy pajamas? No, they do not. For them, the Halloween party has just begun. And we all know these critters far prefer tricks over treats.

There are big surprises in store for Farmer Brown!

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

Enzo’s Very Scary Halloween

by Garth Stein

When Halloween comes around, Enzo doesn’t know what to expect. Jack-o’-lanterns light up the streets, giant spiders weave webs on porches, and ordinary lawns become creepy graveyards while every child and dog transforms into a creature of some kind—including Enzo!

Enzo the dragon is determined to protect fairy princess Zoë from the monsters and goblins in their neighborhood, but when things get a little too scary, his family is there to reassure him that everything is make-believe and only meant to be fun—just like the wonderful trick-or-treat parade that ends this spook-tastic night!

Available: Wellandport

Junior Readers

The Witches

by Roald Dahl

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES. Real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks. They don’t even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you’re face to face with one? Well, if you don’t know yet you’d better find out quickly-because there’s nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she’ll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

Available: Smithville and Wellandport

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Retold by Alvin Schwartz

All those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz’s first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic.Is it possible to die — and not know it? What if a person is buried too soon? What happens to a thief foolish enough to rob a corpse, or to a murderer whose victim returns from the grave? Read about these terrifying predicaments as well as what happens when practical jokes produce gruesome consequences and initiations go awry.Stephen Gammell’s splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories — and even a scary song — all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark. If You Dare!

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

Coraline discovered the door a little after they moved into the house.

When Coraline steps through a door in her family’s new house, she finds another house strangely similar to her own (only better). But there’s another mother there and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Available: Wellandport

It’s Halloween You ‘Fraidy Mouse

by Geronimo Stilton

It’s Halloween on Mouse Island, and it seemed like everyone was out to get me, Geronimo Stilton! My cousin Trap kept pulling scary pranks on me. And then my sister Thea told me I had to write a book about Halloween in less than one day! Before you could say boo, my nephew Benjamin had dragged me to a graveyard to do research. There I met a very spooky mouse who — yikes! — tried to lock me up in her coffin! Oh, how would a ‘fraidy mouse like me ever survive the year’s scariest holiday?

Available: Smithville

Headless Halloween

by R.L. Stine

Brandon loves to scare other kids. This Halloween he buttons his shirt up over his head and parades around as a headless freak! But even Brandon gets queasy at the creepiest Halloween party of all time, where guests bob for rats and eat doughnuts filled with worms!

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

Summer 2017 – Finding the Perfect Beach Read

Picking the perfect beach read isn’t easy. After all, everyone has different things they hope for in their summer reading. Sometimes we want a beach read that is at the beach itself, perhaps a peaceful sojourn, a shocking mystery, or a tale of sunburned lovers.

Others want to feel like they have gone farther than the local beach, and seek a good book that transports them to foreign climes.

Some seek something light and easy to pick up and put down, or alternatively, something that exercises their mind as they relax their bodies.

We have tried to give a wide variety of books for readers, both newer and things they may have missed.

Be sure to share any suggestions you might have for beach reading in the comments!

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Beach Strip by John Lawrence Reynolds
Lets’ start our hunt for beach reads locally with a murder mystery set at the beach strip in Hamilton and written by a Niagara native. Escape with a local author and “a tight well-written mystery.” – THE GLOBE & MAIL

“I’d rather laugh in bad taste than cry in good taste.”That’s how Josie Marshall deals with the death of her detective husband, Gabe, found naked outside their home on the beach with a bullet in his brain. Everyone calls it suicide. Josie knows it isn’t . . . but fears it could be. After all, she had provided Gabe with a motive. The clues are so strong that even Josie begins to believe Gabe shot himself. But when a horrific slaying occurs literally at her feet, she knows Gabe was murdered, and her determination to prove it carries her toward dark corners of the beach strip and exposes the darker sides of its residents. Fending off her fears with humour and outrage, she encounters a drug-crazed drifter, an organized-crime boss with romance on his mind, a woman with a murderous past and a pervert who’s been frequenting her garden shed. When a chance remark leads Josie to the astonishing truth of Gabe’s death, her story takes a shocking turn that no one could have seen coming.

 

This title is available in print and as an e-book.

Some beach titles worth reading: Miramar bay by T. Davis Bunn, Homefront by Kristen Hannah, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

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The Rome Affair by Karen Swan
A newer release, this chick lit title will transport you to Rome and into the lives of rich and glamorous with the tale of Elena Damiani.

1974 and Elena Damiani lives a gilded life. Born to wealth and a noted beauty, no door is closed to her, no man can resist her. At twenty-six, she is already onto her third husband when she meets her love match. But he is the one man she can never have, and all the beauty and money in the world can’t change it.2017 and Francesca Hackett is living la dolce vita in Rome, leading tourist groups around the Eternal City and forgetting the ghosts she left behind in London. When she finds a stolen designer handbag in her dustbin and returns it, she is brought into the orbit of her grand neighbour who lives across the piazza – famed socialite Viscontessa Elena dei Damiani Pignatelli della Mirandola. Though the purse is stolen, Elena greets the return of the bag with exultation for it contains an unopened letter written by her husband on his deathbed, twelve years earlier.Mutually intrigued by each other, the two women agree to collaborate on a project, with Cesca interviewing Elena for her memoirs. As summer unfurls, Elena tells her sensational stories, leaving Cesca in her thrall. But when a priceless diamond ring found in an ancient tunnel below the city streets is ascribed to Elena, Cesca begins to suspect a shocking secret at the heart of Elena’s life.

 

This title is available in print.

Other new books worth reading: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand, The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron.

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The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
This book got a lot of buzz this year. If you are looking for a tale of travel that is more chills than chick lit, and haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet this summer might be a good time to take a cruise in Ware’s imagination with The Woman in Cabin 10.

This was meant to be the perfect trip. The northern lights. A press launch on a luxury cruise ship. A chance for travel journalist Lo Blackwood to recover from a traumatic break-in that has left her on the verge of collapse and to work out what she wants from her relationship.Except things don’t go as planned. Woken in the night by screams, Lo rushes to her window to see a body thrown overboard from the next-door cabin. But the records show that no one ever checked in to that cabin, and no passengers are missing from the boat.Exhausted, emotional and increasingly desperate, Lo has to face the fact that her sleep problems might be driving her mad, or she is trapped on a boat with a murderer – and she is the sole witness….

 

This title is available in print and as an e-book.

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The Chocolate Touch by Laura Florand
Pure escapism romance set in the heart of Paris and the world of gourmet chocolate. Walk along the Champs-Élysées and fall in love with this wonderful guilty pleasure. Any of Florand’s books will do the same but this one of the best rated. It is an e-book selection for people who like their library reads to be easy to pack and hard to lose.

Dominique Richard’s reputation says it all—wild past, wilder flavors, black leather and smoldering heat. Jaime Corey is hardly the first woman to be drawn to all that dark, delicious danger. Sitting in Dom’s opulent chocolaterie in Paris day after day, she lets his decadent creations restore her weary body and spirit, understanding that the man himself is entirely beyond her grasp.Until he touches her. . .Chocolate, Dominique understands—from the biting tang of lime-caramel to the most complex infusions of jasmine, lemon-thyme, and cayenne. But this shy, freckled American who sits alone in his salon, quietly sampling his exquisite confections as if she can’t get enough of them—enough of him—is something else. She has secrets too, he can tell. Of course if she really knew him, she would run.Yet once you have spotted your heart’s true craving, simply looking is no longer enough. . .If you are looking for other guilty pleasure reads try anything by Janet Evanovich.

 

This title is available as an e-book.

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Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
And now, off to Tuscany, in a non-fiction narrative that captures the “beauty and simplicity of life in Italy”.

Frances Mayes entered a wondrous new world when she began restoring an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. There were unexpected treasures at every turn: faded frescos beneath the whitewash in her dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles in the garden, and, in the nearby hill towns, vibrant markets and delightful people. In Under the Tuscan Sun, she brings the lyrical voice of a poet, the eye of a seasoned traveler, and the discerning palate of a cook and food writer to invite readers to explore the pleasures of Italian life and to feast at her table.

 

This title is available in print and as an e-book.

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The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
If you are looking to escape somewhere less traditional you can take a trip around the world with Arthur Pepper.

In this poignant and sparkling debut, a lovable widower embarks on a life-changing adventure.Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden.But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam’s death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam’s possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met–a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places.

 

This title is available as an e-book.

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Beartown by Fredrik Backman
You could also decide to escape the heat in a small town obsessed with hockey and divided by conflict in the new novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected. Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.

 

This title is available in print and as an e-book.

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Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
So far our travels have been confined to this world, let’s switch it up, shall we? Rebel of the Sands is an action packed young adult novel that transports you to sun-baked deserts filled with magic, djinni, and rebellion. The second in the series has just come out making now a great time to join the adventure.

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him… or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.Another option for the summer is something short and sweet that you can read in bits and bites between dips in the ocean. We have two to choose from on our list, and tons more at the library. Check out these collections of stories.

 

This title is available in print.

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Does this beach make me look fat? By Lisa Scottoline
A non-fiction collection of stories and anecdotes by a mother and daughter pair that will make you laugh and relax at the beach. Read a confession or two, take a dip in the ocean, and come back for more!

The unstoppable, irreverent mother-daughter team presents a new collection of funny stories and true confessions that every woman can relate to. From identity theft to the hazards of bicycling to college reunions and eating on the beach, Lisa and Francesca tackle the quirks, absurdities, and wonders of everyday life with wit and warmth. As Lisa says, “More and more, especially in the summertime when I’m sitting on the beach, I’m learning not to sweat it. To go back to the child that I used to be. To see myself through the loving eyes of my parents. To eat on the beach. And not to worry about whether every little thing makes me look fat. In fact, not to worry at all.”So put aside your worries and join Lisa and Francesca as they navigate their way through the crazy world we live in, laughing along the way.

 

This title is available in print.

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Norse mythology by Neil Gaiman
I always found mythology to be more fun that educational but it is also part of the narrative of ancient religion and culture. Grab this book to learn a bit about the myths that shaped the Norse world, presented with the deft and modern touch of master story-teller Neil Gaiman.

Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

 

This title is available in print, e-book and e-audio.

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Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Another non-fiction title that combines fun and fact. Her delightful books educate you while her irreverent style can’t help but make you laugh. This title deals with the science of life in space, which tied into the summer travel theme, but any of her books would serve just as well!

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreal  and entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

 

This title is available as an e-book.

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Let’s finish with something that would likely be a reread for many people. Sometimes the lack of pressure and urgency that comes with rereading a book makes it the best choice for summer reading.

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Our choice for the perfect summer reread is:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
It made the top of NPR’s list of the best Summer reads and has made many of our staff lists. If you have another favorite in the series feel free to grab that instead.

Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

 

This title is available in print, e-book and e-audio.

Adult Fiction

Happy Pride Month from the West Lincoln Public Library.

In honour of Pride Month we are highlighting some of the LGBTQIA+ materials in our collection. Check them out below and let us know what we missed!

 

Table of Contents

1. Adult Fiction
2. Young Adult Fiction
3. Graphic Novels
4. Junior Fiction and Picture Books
5. Non-Fiction
6. Movies

 

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Available in Smithville

Annabel by Kathleen Winter
Available in Smithville and Wellandport

Orlando by Virginia Woolf
Available in Wellandport

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Available in Smithville and Wellandport

Landing by Emma Donoghue
Available in Smithville

Alma Mater by Rita Mae Brown
Available in Smithville

All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockman
Available in Smithville and Wellandport

• The main characters start their story arc as minor characters in Hot Target and Force of Nature.

Young Adult Fiction

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Available in Caistorville

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
Available in Caistorville

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Available in Caistorville

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Available in Wellandport

Hero by Perry Moore
Available in Smithville

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green by David Leviathan
Available in Wellandport

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Available in Caistorville

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Available in Caistorville

Graphic Novels

Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Available in Caistorville and Wellandport

Archie’s Pal Kevin Keller
Available in Caistorville

Lumberjanes series by Noelle Stevenson
Available in Smithville

Goldie Vance by Hope Larson
Available in Smithville

Junior Fiction and Picture Books

A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary
Available in Caistorville

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
Available in Wellandport

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan – (LGBTQIA+ characters also featured in The Hidden Oracle, The Dark Prophecy, and other Rick Riordan books)
Available in Caistorville and Smithville

Non Fiction

This Book is Gay by James Dawson
Available in Caistorville

Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum
Available in Caistorville

Homosexuality by David M. Haugen
Available in Wellandport

Secrets of My Life by Caitlyn Jenner
Available in Caistorville

Movies

Moonlight
Available in Caistorville and Smithville

Carol
Available in Caistorville

The Kids are All Right
Available in Caistorville and Smithville

Pride
Available in Caistorville

2017 Forest of Reading Winners at the Library

The Festival of Trees has happened and the 2017 winners of the Forest of Reading have been announced. For those of you who don’t know, “The Forest of Reading® is Canada’s largest recreational reading program!” The nominees are all notable books by Canadian authors and illustrators.

Now, lets check out this year’s winners!

The Blue Spruce Award

Pictures books for JK to Grade 2

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

With breathtaking illustrations and spare, sweet text, this masterpiece about enjoying the beauty of nature is sure to become an instant classic.

Available in Caistorville and Smithville.

The Silver Birch Express Award

Fiction and Non-Fiction aimed at Grades 3 to 4.

The Biggest Poutine in the World by Andrée Poulin

Thomas would do anything to make his mother come back.

On his fifth birthday, Thomas’s mother left, and he hasn’t seen her since. The last thing he remembers is her making a delicious dish of poutine for his birthday. Into the concoction of French fries, gravy and melted cheese curds, she stuck five green candles for him to blow out.

On the day of this twelfth birthday, Thomas comes up with the idea of setting a Guinness world record for the biggest poutine in the world. Maybe then, his mother will come back and his emotionally distant father will pay attention to him.

As he puts together all the pieces of his “Phenomenal Poutine Project,” Thomas not only learns why his mother disappeared, but he also comes to realize that Elie, the one person whose help he rejected, turns out to be his most devoted friend.

Available in Wellandport.

Silver Birch Award

Fiction aimed at Grades 3 to 6

OCDaniel by Wesley King

From the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder—until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.

Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy. He spends football practice perfectly arranging water cups—and hoping no one notices. Actually, he spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits—he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he’s crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school. His life gets weirder when another girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time. She doesn’t just notice him: she seems to peer through him.

Then Daniel gets a note: “I need your help,” it says, signed, Fellow Star child—whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him

Available in Caistorville and Wellandport.

Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award

Non-Fiction aimed at Grades 5 to 6

Haunted Canada 6 by Joel A. Sutherland

The sixth book in the bestselling series of hauntingly true Canadian stories —back, and scarier than ever!

Her skin was peeling off her skull. Holes covered her nose and cheeks, revealing bone and teeth. Her flesh was rotten and grey. But worst of all were the thing’s eyes. Staring down at him with venom were two deep pools of darkness.

“You heard me when I cried, pleaded and screamed for help,” she hissed, “but you and your kind ignored my pleas. Because of you and your superstitious ways, I died a horrible death in that swamp. Now I have come back to avenge my own death!”

These terrifying true stories from across Canada will keep you up at night. A supernatural sea hag haunts an eerie marsh, a used book conjures up a ghostly figure, phantom hands terrorize children in a school playground . . . Prepare to be haunted!

Not Currently Available at West Lincoln Public Library

Red Maple Fiction Award

Fiction aimed at Grades 7 to 8

Shooter by Caroline Pignat

A lockdown catches five grade 12 students by surprise and throws them together in the only unlocked room on that empty third floor wing: the boys’ washroom. They sit in silence, judging each other by what they see, by the stories they’ve heard over the years. Stuck here with them–could anything be worse?

There’s Alice: an introverted writer, trapped in the role of big sister to her older autistic brother, Noah.

Isabelle: the popular, high-achieving, student council president, whose greatest performance is her everyday life.

Hogan: an ex-football player with a troubled past and a hopeless future.

Xander: that socially awkward guy hiding behind the camera, whose candid pictures of school life, especially those of Isabelle, have brought him more trouble than answers.

Told in five unique voices through prose, poetry, text messages, journals, and homework assignments, each student reveals pieces of their true story as they wait for the drill to end. But this modern-day Breakfast Club takes a twist when Isabelle gets a text that changes everything: NOT A DRILL!! Shooter in the school!

Suddenly, the bathroom doesn’t seem so safe anymore. Especially when they learn that one of them knows more about the shooter than they realized…

Available in Caistorville.

Red Maple Non-Fiction Award

Non-fiction aimed at Grades 7 to 8

Child Soldier by Jessica Dee Humphrey

Michel is like many other five-year-olds: he has a loving family and spends his days going to school and playing soccer. But in 1993, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Michel and his family live, is a country in tumult. One afternoon Michel and his friends are kidnapped by rebel militants and forced to become child soldiers.

Available in Wellandport.

White Pine Award

Fiction aimed at Grades 9 to 12

Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw

Noor has lived all of her fourteen years in the fifteen lanes of Mumbai’s red light district. Born into a brothel, she is destined for the same fate as her mother: a desperate life trapped in the city’s sex trade. She must act soon to have any chance of escaping this grim future.

Across the sprawling city, fifteen-year-old Grace enjoys a life of privilege. Her father, the CEO of one of India’s largest international banks, has brought his family to Mumbai where they live in unparalleled luxury. But Grace’s seemingly perfect life is shattered when she becomes a victim of a cruel online attack.

When their paths intersect, Noor and Grace will be changed forever. Can two girls living in vastly different worlds find a common path?

Available in Caistorville.

More info about the OLA Forest of Reading Program can be found on the Forest of Reading Website.

Spring is Here! Time for Gardening.

Well, the weather seems to be having a hard time making up its mind, but the calendar says Spring and that means its time for minds to turn to gardening. We even have a seed library at our Wellandport branch to help get you started. Pair your seeds with some of these great books for Spring!

101 Organic Gardening Hacks by Shawna Coronado

In 101 Organic Garden Hacks you’ll find the top tips, tricks, and solutions Shawna has dreamed up in her career as one of America’s most creative gardeners. Some are practical timesavers; others offer clever ways to “upcycle” everyday items in your garden. One characteristic every hack shares is that they are completely organic and unfailingly environmentally friendly. Divided into a dozen different categories for easy reference, each hack is accompanied by a clear photo that shows you exactly how to complete it. If you are looking for resourceful ways to improve your garden and promote green living values right at home, you’ll love paging through this fascinating, eye-catching book.

Available: Smithville

How to Make a Garden: The Seven Essential Steps for the Canadian Gardener by Marjorie Harris

From Canada’s leading garden expert comes a unique and practical step-by-step guide to creating the garden of your dreams.

With her inimitable charm and boundless knowledge, noted gardener and author Marjorie Harris establishes the template for creating the garden that is right for your tiny urban plot, barren suburban tract, overgrown meadow, condo roof or balcony. Packed with practical advice, helpful sidebars and attractive photographs, How to Make a Garden takes you through Marjorie’s seven essential steps to garden-making – the culmination of twenty-five years of her experience.

Available: Wellandport

Keeping Bees with Ashley English by Ashley English

Heard the buzz? Beekeeping is back! Neighborhoods across the country have embraced it as a source of sustainable food and environmental goodness. For those who want to join the “hive” of keepers, Ashley English has the lowdown on the key issues, from space and time considerations to local ordinances to the basics of acquiring, housing, maintaining, and caring for bees year round. Plus, get 10 tested honey-centric recipes!

Available: Smithville

You Grow Girl : the Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening by Gayla Trail

This is not your grandmother’s gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality.

Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes — whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience.

Available: Wellandport

Unearthed by Alexandra Risen

Alex’s father dies just as she and her husband buy a nondescript house set atop an acre of wilderness that extends into a natural gorge in the middle of the city. Choked with weeds and crumbling antique structures, the abandoned garden turned wild jungle stirs cherished memories of Alex’s childhood: when her home life became unbearable, she would escape to the forest. In her new home, Alex can feel the power of the majestic trees that nurtured her in her youth.  She begins to beat back the bushes to unveil the garden’s mysteries. At the same time, her mother has a stroke and develops dementia and Alex discovers an envelope of yellowed documents while sorting through her father’s junk pile. The papers hold clues to her Ukrainian-born parents’ mysterious past. She reluctantly musters the courage to uncover their secrets, while discovering the plants hidden in the garden — from primroses and maple syrup–producing sugar maples to her mother’s favorite, lily of the valley. As every passionate gardener knows, to spend time with the soil is the opposite of escapism — it is to embrace our own circle of life and hold it close.

Available: Smithville

Magazines

Country Gardens – Country Gardens celebrates the spirit and romance of gardening as a lifestyle. Whether you have 40 acres or live 40 stories high, we know that country style is more than just a trend, it’s part of our united gardening experience. With straightforward garden and decorating advice, the latest tools and gadgets, garden-fresh recipes, and personal stories that inspire readers to take action. Available in Smithville

Birds and Blooms – Birds & Blooms is the #1 bird and garden magazine in North America with more than 1 million subscribers. They pride themselves in celebrating the “beauty in your own backyard” with a mix of expert advice and personal stories from their readers. This magazine covers a wide range of topics such as attracting hummingbirds, building birdhouses, gardening for butterflies, feeding birds for less, growing veggies, tales of readers’ birding experiences, plus a whole lot more. Available in Caistorville

For the Kids

My First Gardening Book: 35 easy and fun projects for budding gardeners.

35 fun projects that teach children aged 7 and up how to garden. If you’re a budding gardener, you can discover how to sow and grow successfully with My First Gardening Book.

Available in Smithville

 

Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

“Plant a seed to watch it grow. Press on the cloud to make it rain. Jiggle the book to scatter the seeds. Interactive text teaches very young children how flowers sprout and mature. Contains watercolor depictions of a flower in various stages of growth.”

Available in Smithville

Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano

Tokyo lives in a small house between giant buildings with his family and his cat, Kevin. For years, highways and skyscrapers have been built up around the family s house where once there were hills and trees. Will they ever experience the natural world again?

Available in Smithville, Caistorville, and Wellandport

Happy Spring Everyone!!!

 

What West Lincoln Read 2016

The numbers have been crunched and we have the most popular books and movies at West Lincoln Public Library for 2016.

Adult Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Junior Fiction and Picture Books, Non-Fiction Books, Movies

Adult Fiction

1st: Off the Grid by C.J. Box

Nate Romanowski is off the grid, recuperating from wounds and trying to deal with past crimes, when he is suddenly surrounded by a small team of elite professional special operators. They’re not there to threaten him, but to make a deal. They need help destroying a domestic terror cell in Wyoming’s Red Desert, and in return they’ll make Nate’s criminal record disappear.

But they are not what they seem, as Nate’s friend Joe Pickett discovers. They have a much different plan in mind, and it just may be something that takes them all down—including Nate and Joe. Available in Smithville, Caistorville and Wellandport.

2nd: Far from True by Linwood Barclay and NYPD Red 4 by James Patterson

3rd: 15th Affair by James Patterson and A Girl’s Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber

4th: Find Her by Lisa Gardner

5th: Obsession by Nora Roberts

Young Adult Fiction

All of our most popular young adult books were dystopian this year, but one in particular, not even a new one, beat out the rest…

1st: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.
The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature. Available in Smithville, Caistorville and Wellandport.

2nd: The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

3rd: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

4th: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

5th: The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Junior Fiction and Picture Books

1st: Cloud Castle by Thea Stilton

The Thea Sisters have received an urgent message from their friend Will Mystery. The magical Land of Clouds is in danger. The mouselets must find out why the clouds are disappearing!

Once they enter the kingdom through Mount Everest, the mice meet fairies, elves, and unicorns on their way to the majestic Cloud Castle. But who can the Thea Sisters count on to help solve the mystery? It’s an incredible journey to restore harmony to this enchanted land! Available in Smithville and Wellandport.

2nd: Mouse House Hunter by Geronimo Stilton

3rd: Arthur’s Promise by Marc Brown and We Share Everything by Robert Munsch

4th: D.W. Thinks Big by Marc Brown, Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois and Look at Me by Robert Munsch

5th: The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone by Stan Berenstain

Non-Fiction Books

1st: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Available in Smithville and Caistorville.

2nd: The LEGO Play Book by Daniel Lipkowitz

3rd: Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes

4th: Truck by Elizabeth Haldane, A Rock Can Be…by Laura Purdie Salas and The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Movies

1st: Minions

The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters-from T.Rex to Napoleon-the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he-alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob-ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award (R) winner Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation. Available in Smithville, Caistorville and Wellandport

2nd: Goosebumps

3rd: The Martian

4th: Hyena Road, and Everest

5th: Barbie in Rock n’ Royals

Best Books of 2016

In the new year we will be letting everyone know what the most borrowed titles at our library were, but in the mean time, we looked through best books lists from all over the internet and compiled this best of list for you!

(Sources: Globe and Mail, Chapters, New York Times, Time Magazine and NPR)

10th – The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs joint trust fund, “The Nest,” which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest’s value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.

This is a story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another and the ways we let one another down. In this tender, entertaining, and deftly written debut, Sweeney brings a remarkable cast of characters to life to illuminate what money does to relationships, what happens to our ambitions over the course of time, and the fraught yet unbreakable ties we share with those we love.

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

9th – The Widow by Fiona Barton

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

Available: Caistorville and Wellandport

8th – The Couple Next Door by Shari LaPena

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all – a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family – a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Available: Caistorville and Wellandport

7th – The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is – a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.

Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friends – an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she’s experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor’s secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably – but only because it’s over.

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

6th – The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

An English nurse brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle-a girl said to have survived without food for months-soon finds herself fighting to save the child’s life.

Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

5th – A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny

On the first day of his new job, Armand Gamache is given the gift of an intricate old map that was stuffed in the walls of the bistro of Three Pines – the Quebec village he now calls home. The map eventually leads him to shattering secrets, and an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide to places even he is afraid to go. But must.

There he finds four young cadets in the police academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.

Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia Choquet is more likely to be found on the other side of a police lineup. And yet there she is – protegee of the murdered professor. Now, for both Amelia and Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning.

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

4th – The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

George Woodbury, an affable teacher and beloved husband and father, is arrested for sexual impropriety at a prestigious prep school. His wife, Joan, vaults between denial and rage as the community she loved turns on her. Their daughter, Sadie, a popular over-achieving high school senior, becomes a social pariah. Their son, Andrew, assists in his father’s defense, while wrestling with his own unhappy memories of his teen years. A local author tries to exploit their story, while an unlikely men’s rights activist attempts to get Sadie onside their cause. With George locked up, how do the members of his family pick up the pieces and keep living their lives? How do they defend someone they love while wrestling with the possibility of his guilt?

With exquisite emotional precision, award-winning author Zoe Whittall explores issues of loyalty, truth, and the meaning of happiness through the lens of an all-American family on the brink of collapse.

Available: Caistorville, Smithville and Wellandport

3rd – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hellish for all the slaves but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood – where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned and, though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.

In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor – engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven – but the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. Even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.

Available: Caistorville

2nd – Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Effia and Esi are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery.

One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

Available: Smithville

1st – When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor making a living treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. Just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air, which features a Foreword by Dr. Abraham Verghese and an Epilogue by Kalanithi’s wife, Lucy, chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a young neurosurgeon at Stanford, guiding patients toward a deeper understanding of death and illness, and finally into a patient and a new father to a baby girl, confronting his own mortality.

What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.

Available: Caistorville, Smithville and Wellandport

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Do you agree with our list? What are your favorite books of 2016?

 

 

Our Favorite Holiday Stories

Christmas Books at the Library

It’s that time of year again, time for Christmas carols, Christmas movies and, of course, Christmas stories.  Many of the choices for favorite Christmas tales were children’s books. The ones that we grew up with and came to really represent the holidays.

Of course, there were exceptions to this, with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens making the list of almost the entire staff, and a sprinkling of tales of romance and suspense finishing off the list. So without further ado, our favorite book choices for the holidays.

 

Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb

Starting with a darker choice, we have a holiday themed crime novel, with a Santa-costumed killer.

Called to a domestic dispute, Eve is shocked to discover a woman tied to the bed, covered in make-up, wearing a stick-on tattoo and a partridge in a pear tree figure in her hair, strangled to death. Video footage reveals she had let a man dressed as Santa into her flat just before she died, and the hunt for the killer takes on a sinister new edge as Eve realizes he is counting down the twelve days to Christmas.

Available: Smithville

 

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The power of believing brings magic in this lovely Christmas story.

This enchanting book tells the story of a little boy who believes in Santa Claus even though his friends say that he does not exist. Because of his faith, he is taken on a magical journey to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express, where he is given a very special gift: a beautiful bell that only rings for those who still believe.

Available: Smithville

 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Chosen as a wonderful holiday read by multiple staff members, its hard to resist this tale of the Grinch learning the true meaning of Christmas.

The Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, hates Who-ville’s holiday celebrations, and plans to steal all the presents to prevent Christmas from coming. To his amazement, Christmas comes anyway, and the Grinch learns a little something in the process.

Available: Caistorville and Smithville

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

Actually a poem, this lyrical account of hearing Santa on Christmas night has been adapted many times by different illustrators, many with pictures that rival the beauty of the words. In the end it is the poem that carries the day, with most readers knowing large portions well enough to recite from memory. Readings are sure to bring visions of sugar plums to your dreams.

Available: Caistorville, Smithville and Wellandport

 

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This is not wholly a Christmas book, but it takes place in the snowy Christmas season and features a visit from Santa Claus. It is also delightful to read this, or any, time of year.

Deep in the bewitched land of Narnia, the adventure begins.

They opened a door and entered a world–Narnia–the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Lucy is the first to stumble through the back of the enormous wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old country house, discovering the magic world beyond. At first, no one believes her. But soon Edmund, Peter and Susan, too, discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. And in the blink of an eye, they are changed forever.

Available: Caistorville, Smithville and Wellandport

 

All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann 

Part of the best-selling troubleshooter series comes a story of charming and uplifting story of wedding planning, Christmas mayhem and happily ever after at last.

It’s Christmastime in Boston, and this year the silver bells will be wedding bells as FBI agent Jules Cassidy ties the knot with the man of his dreams, Hollywood heartthrob Robin Chadwick.

The pair plan a quiet, intimate ceremony, to be witnessed by family and close friends from the FBI, SEAL Team Sixteen, and Troubleshooters, Incorporated, including Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke. But the holiday season brings more to the happy couple than they expect, and suddenly the wedding is poised to unravel in chaos.

But nothing will stop Jules and Robin from getting their happy ending, because along with a guest list featuring the most elite counter-terrorism force in the world, they have their own secret weapon–true love.

Available: Smithville and Wellandport

 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The most popular Christmas story among staff, A Christmas Carol was often cited as the book that is re-read each year for the holidays. It was first published in 1843 but its story still resonates with readers today. The audio book is also just lovely for listening as a family.

The imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge’s eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warmhearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England’s greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas. A Christmas Carol, has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favorite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill.

Available: Smithville, Audio download

Two Hanukkah Stories from Overdrive!

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Tanya Simon

A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City with only a photograph and an address for an aunt he has never met. It is both the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, from the Battery to his new home in the north of the city, he passes experiences the city’s many holiday sights, and encounters it various residents. Each offers Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping him on his way to a new life in the new world. Check it out!

 

The Miracle Jar by Audrey Penn

Sophie and her brother are excited by the arrival of Hanukkah, and they happily clean the cottage and shine the Menorah as their gift to the family. But when their mother shares her worry that they do not have enough cooking oil to last the eight days of Hanukkah, Father tells them the story behind the holiday celebration and the miracle of the oil. Inspired by the story, the family creates their own Miracle Jar and watches the oil disappear as they enjoy the special food that each day brings. The family’s hope and faith is confirmed when a last wipe with a cloth produces just enough oil to enjoy the eighth day’s treat.

In this heartwarming story told by bestselling author Audrey Penn, the flicker of the Menorah candles links past to present, and the miracle of the oil transcends the ages and reminds readers of the spirit of Hanukkah and the continuing possibility of miracles. Check it out!

Happy Holidays Everyone!