New Books @ Your Library

Kid's Chapter Books
Star Jumper, by Frank Asch
Dinosaur Trouble, by Dick King-Smith
The Red Ghost, Marion Dane Bauer
Attack of the Growling Eyeballs, Lin Oliver
Nim at Sea, Wendy Orr

Picture Books

Spot 7 Animals (Seek & Find)

, by KIDSLABEL
The Three Sillies, by Steven Kellogg
In November, by Cynthia Rylant

True Stories for Kids

The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea, by Anne Sibley O'Brien

Usborne First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, Sam Taplin Just Like Me: Stories and Self-Portraits by Fourteen Artists, Edited by Harriet Rohmer

To find these books at our library, visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/

Posted by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
By Sarah Miller

(Grades 4-6)

Beautifully told, this fictional account of Anne Sullivan’s life with Helen Keller brings this heroine to light. From Anne’s struggles in early childhood, through her struggle to make the Keller family understand the potential of young Helen, this dramatic story told through Sullivan’s eyes reminds the reader that this famous story has two heroines, not just one.

To find this book in our library, visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/

Reviewed by Korie B., Children's Staff

Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look

Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls, School, and other Scary Things by Lenore Look

(Grades 1-5)

Alvin Ho is a young, second-grade boy with a love for superheroes, a fabulous family and a multitude of fears. These fears, or "allergies" as Alvin calls them, range from school and girls to heights and scary movies. He doesn't talk in school, only at home and on the bus where things feel a bit safer. Alvin struggles to make friends and avoids his best friend because "nobody wants a girl desk buddy, except for maybe a girl." He handles his setbacks well (often with hilarious results) and is always prepared with his PDK (personal disaster kit). Older brother Calvin gives some no-nonsense advice on how to make friends by first saying hello, then trading baseball cards. 

Author Lenore Look has somehow tapped into the excitement and insecurity known to many a young boy.  She does it with humor and sensitivity. Young readers making the jump to chapter books will laugh out loud and hope for more. I loved this book and am anxious to share it with my own son. 

Also check out Lenore Look's Ruby Lu series, Ruby Lu, Brave and True and Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything.

To find this book in our library, visit www.newberglibrary.org.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff 

What Are Your Basic Rights? by Jacqueline Laks Gorman

What Are Your Basic Rights?
by Jacqueline Laks Gorman
(Grades 3-5)

Does your child have questions about what is means to be an American? This easy non-fiction read gives a brief overview of America's Constitution, the Bill of Rights, voting and what it means to be an American citizen. Historical photos and basic language makes this book a quick, interesting read.

To find this book at our library, visit our website at newberglibrary.org.

Reviewed by Cynthia S., Children's Staff

The Golly Sisters Go West, by Betsy Byars

The Golly Sisters Go West, by Betsy Byars
(Grades 1-3)


Rose and May-May are early pioneer entertainers in this hilarious book for beginning readers. Their sister act combines humor and a little sibling rivalry to capture the young reader's attention and draw them into the enticing world of chapter books. Your child will begin the book with a little taste of the Old West and end it on a note of forgiveness between two sisters who truly love and care for each other.

To find this book in our library, go to our website at http://www.newberglibrary.org/

Reviewed by Cynthia S., Children's Staff

The Seven Silly Eaters, Mary Ann Hoberman

The Seven Silly Eaters, Mary Ann Hoberman

(Preschool - Grade 1)

This lyrical picture book had my son and me chuckling from the very first page. He requests it often, and I am happy to oblige. The story begins with a sweet husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Peters, who patiently cater to their son Peter's (that's right, Peter Peters) preference for warm milk and penchant for throwing it on the floor. Soon, daughter Lucy is born and she demands homemade pink lemonade over all other beverages. So, Mrs. Peters presses on... squeezing lemons, mopping up milk, and all the while shaking her head at her "silly pair of eaters." The years pass and Jack, Mac, Mary Lou, Flo and Fran join the Peters clan. As predicted, they each have specific food requests. Soon, Mrs. Peters moves from "silly" to "foolish" and "fussy" when describing her brood. The overworked mama will soon have a birthday, and her children hatch a secret plan to celebrate that may just solve their picky-eater problems. The illustrations are fetching and call for attentive reading to catch the funny details. Parents will nod in recognition of the frantic household and may find comic relief for their fussy mealtime woes. 

To find this book in our library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins
(Grades 4-6)

Eleven-year-old Gregor is just a kid living in New York when suddenly his life is turned upside down in an instant! Gregor finds himself in an underground world of strange-looking humans and talking creatures. Worse yet, they believe he is the fulfillment of an old prophecy, and he must go on a quest to save their underground civilization. This action- packed fantasy will captivate young readers who love adventure and suspense. Gregor the Overlander is first in the five-book Underland Chronicles Series full of captivating battles and creepy creatures.

To find this book in our library, go to our web site at newberglibrary.org.

Reviewed by Cynthia S., Children's Staff