Selfie Sunday! - Divergent

The perfect choice for our first Selfie Sunday! "Divergent" by Veronica Roth is a dystopian tale that is all the talk recently since it has just come out in the movies! If you loved "Hunger Games", then you'll love this book too. Based in a world that is divided into characteristics or "factions", at 16 every young person must choose to stay in the faction of their birth or follow another path. The choice is theirs, but it can make every difference in their lives. "Divergent" is the first book in the trilogy followed by "Insurgent" and "Allegiant". We have your copy waiting for you. What faction will you choose?

                                

The Wizarding World Is At Hand!

Probably not, but if you have read the Harry Potter series, then all of these talks about the increase in owls may have gotten you wondering. The number of Snowy Owls has not only increased this year, but it seems like they have come just a little further down than normal. Maybe they brought the cold and snow that we've had this year!

Snowy Owls are built for this cold weather. They are native to the Arctic tundra and thrive in cold places with harsh winds. These raptors (birds that eat other animals are called "raptors") are among the biggest owls in North America. They can stand 20 to 27 inches high and weigh 4-6 pounds. Females are a little larger than the males and have black or brown spots and bars. Males are nearly all white and get whiter as they age. Unlike other owls who hang out in trees, Snowy Owls prefer wide-open spaces like airports which is why they are in the news a lot lately. These birds and other large birds can cause serious problems for aircraft and folks are doing all they can to save the birds while they are here as well as make air travel safe for everyone. Why are they here anyway?! The younger birds fly south to escape the extreme winter and to find a food source. It is hypothesized that there are more youths this year so they had to go a little further south to find the food. Whatever the reason, they are beautiful birds! 

So what about Harry Potter?! Harry Potter had a Snowy Owl named Hedwig. Wizards use owls kinda like a wizarding mailman. The day that Voldemort disappeared, there were owls carrying the news all over the skies. Have no idea what I'm talking about? Then you have to get the books and read!!! 

The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling...truly a treat for the young, the old and the middle!

Throw Back Thursday (TBT)!!!! - How To Eat Fried Worms

Who doesn't remember this book!!

How To Eat Fried Worms was written by Thomas Rockwell in 1973!! This had to be one of my favorites in elementary school. Billy has 15 days to eat 15 worms and get $50 for a brand-new mini bike. Ha! Mini Bike! Another blast from the past! In order to make the worms a little tastier, special recipes are concocted like worms drenched in ketchup and mustard or fried in butter and cornmeal. How To Eat Fried Worms is an elementary school classic and a great book for boys!  

I didn't know this, but the all-time classic is now a movie! How To Eat Fried Worms came out in 2006 starring Luke Benward, Hallie Kate Eisenberg and Adam Hicks. Check out the movie trailer below.

Looking For Me By Betsy R. Rosenthal

Looking For Me

By Betsy R. Rosenthal

Looking For Me is a 4-6 Grade MD Black-Eyed Susan and the second of the 2 poetry books on the this year's list. I wasn't familiar with this format until last year when I read Inside Out and Back Again which was another MD Black-Eyed Susan. I really liked the format and thought it was interesting to tell a story in prose. Anyway, Looking For Me is a story told by Edith Paul who is the 4th in a family of 12 children. Throughout the story she is looking for herself. She is looking for something that sets her apart from the crowd that is her family. In a family so large, it's easy to get caught up in the work, chaos and joy and lose yourself. The Paul family is a Jewish family who live in Baltimore, MD during the depression. This is a great book for those Sweet 16 and Strive For 25 lists!!

Ages 9-12

Hampire By Sudipta Bardham-Quallen

Hampire

By Sudipta Bardham-Quallen

What a creepy tale of a vampire piggy that is sorely misunderstood. Hampire marvelously sets up the reader and builds the suspense right up to the moment Hampire has everyone cornered. What happens next is the true mystery you'll uncover when you read Hampire by Sudipta Bardham-Quallen.

Picture Book

No Biting, Louise By Margie Palatini

No Biting, Louise

By Margie Palatini

With a brand new tooth, Louise can't resist the temptation to use it. She bites everything and everyone. She really doesn't mean to hurt anyone. Then Grandmama Sadie comes for a visit and proclaims Louise's nibbling is just a phase she'll grow out of. Is Grandmama Sadie right? What will replace the biting phase? Find out in No Biting, Louise By Margie Palatini.

Picture Book

Just Because By Rebecca Elliott

Just Because

By Rebecca Elliott

Sometimes there are just no reasons. Just Because is all about Clemmie who is the best big sister. She's the best big sister, who makes sweet noises and helps with drawings and isn't mean or screams or pulls hair. Clemmie has a special chair to fly to the planets and offers cuddles to fall asleep in. Find out what else makes Clemmie special in Just Because by Rebecca Elliott.

Picture Book

All By Myself By Emile Jadoul

All By Myself

By Emile Jadoul

A quiet house in the middle of the night can be intimidating, but when you gotta go...ya gotta go. MOM! DAD! Leon finds out that going potty in the middle of the night isn't as frightening as he thought and makes Mom and Dad proud in All By Myself by Emile Jadoul.

Picture Book

Bunnicula By James Howe

Bunnicula

By James Howe

What do you name a bunny you find at a Dracula movie? Why Bunnicula of course! The Monroe family bring this lonely creature into their home, but soon afterwards strange things begin to happen. The family cat, Chester, is determined to prove the rabbit is a vampire. Told in the family dog's perspective, Bunnicula is a fun book the whole family will enjoy reading aloud. Great Halloween story!

Ages 8-12

Stone Soup By Marcia Brown

Stone Soup

By Marcia Brown

Stone Soup is a folk tale written by Marcia Brown in 1947. There are many adaptions worldwide of the tale of strangers visiting a fearsome town. The townspeople hide all their food, but when the strangers set up pots of water and plunk in a few stones, the villagers have no problem coming up with a few items just to add a little taste to the soup. This is a great book to help kids understand how great things can happen when everyone pitches in and shares. This story makes an excellent flannel board story.

Picture Book

The Giving Tree By Shel Silverstein

The Giving Tree

By Shel Silverstein

The Giving Tree is an all-time classic about a tree and a boy. It's about loving someone so much that even when you think you have nothing left to give, there is always more. This book should be a part of every family's book collection and makes a great gift!

Picture Book

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Today is your birthday!

Today is your day!

And we will all celebrate

In our own special way.

We'll shout it from roof tops!

We"ll clang pots and pans!

Hooray Dr. Seuss!

He's the greatest of man!

Stop by Edgewater Books and celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday at 3:00pm Sunday, 2 March! If we don't have school on Monday, 3 March, then hop by and continue the celebration by wearing a Dr. Seuss costume and read your favorite book at 3:00pm. If you don't want to read, then feel free to sit and listen.