Friday, October 28, 2011

New YA Books

Clementine and the Family Meeting - Sara Pennypacker
Third-grader Clementine tries to adjust to the news that her perfect family of four is adding a new brother or sister.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman - Meg Wolitzer
Twelve-year-olds Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano meet at the Youth Scrabble Tournament where, although each has a different reason for attending and for needing to win, they realize that something more important is at stake than the grand prize.

Pie - Sarah Weeks
After the death of Polly Portman, whose award-winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map in the 1950s, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend Charlie investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe. Includes fourteen pie recipes.

Pregnant Pause - Han Nolan
Married, pregnant, and living at a "fat camp" in Maine, sixteen-year-old Eleanor has many questions about her future, especially whether the marriage will last and if she should keep the baby.

The Flint Heart - Katherine Paterson
A magical amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it.


A Girl Named Faithful Plum - Richard Bernstein
Tells the true story of Zhongmei Lei, an eleven-year-old girl in 1977 who won one of twelve spots at the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy, and whose determination to remain in the school impressed teachers and students alike; and discusses how Zhongmei, whose name means Faithful Plum, went on to form her own dance company which debuted in New York when she was in her late twenties.

Goliath - Scott Westerfeld
Alek and Deryn encounter obstacles on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek's throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love.

True Blue - Jane Smiley
In 1960s California, eighth-grader Abby Lovitt has trouble with True Blue, the newest horse on her family's ranch, a beautiful dappled gray who is so often spooked, Abby wonders if he is haunted by the ghost of his deceased former owner.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson
A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.

The Ogre of Oglefort - Eva Ibbotson
When the Hag of Dribble, an orphan boy, and a troll called Ulf are sent to rescue a princess from an ogre, it turns out to be far from the routine magical mission they expect.

You Against Me - Jenny Downham
When eighteen-year-old Mikey's younger sister claims to have been raped and he seeks to avenge the crime, he meets Ellie, the sister of the accused, and befriends her, complicating the situation considerably for all of them.

It Happened on a Train - Mac Barnett
Seventh-grader Steve Brixton finds himself pulled back into sleuthing when, during a train trip down the California coast, he uncovers a mystery involving a fleet of priceless automobiles, an assassin, and a private rail car.

Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness
As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions, questioning all they have ever known as they try to step back from the darkness and find the best way to achieve peace. Carnegie Medal

Hound Dog True - Linda Urban
Mattie, a shy fifth-grader, wants to hide out at her new school by acting as apprentice to her Uncle Potluck, the custodian, but her plan falls apart when she summons the courage to speak about what matters most and finds a true friend.

Eight Keys - Suzanne LaFleur
When twelve-year-old Elise, orphaned since age three, becomes disheartened by middle school, with its bullies, changing relationships, and higher expectations, keys to long-locked rooms and messages from her late father help her cope.

The Inquisitor's Apprentice - Chris Moriarty
In early twentieth-century New York, Sacha Kessler's ability to see witches earns him an apprenticeship to the police department's star Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf, to help stop magical crime and, with fellow apprentice Lily Astral, Sacha investigates who is trying to kill Thomas Edison, whose mechanical witch detector that could unleash the worst witch-hunt in American history.

The Shattering - Karen Healey
When a rash of suicides disturbs Summerton, an oddly perfect tourist town on the west coast of New Zealand, the younger siblings of the dead boys become suspicious and begin an investigation that reveals dark secrets and puts them in grave danger.

A Web of Air - Philip Reeve
In Mayda, a post-apocalyptic city off the coast of Portugal, a brilliant young engineer and a mysterious recluse race to build a flying machine, unaware that powerful enemies will kill to possess--or destroy--their new technology.

The Unforgotten Coat - Frank Cottrell Boyce
When two Mongolian brothers inexplicably appear one morning in her sixth grade class, Julie, who lives in a town near Liverpool named Bootle, becomes their new friend and "Good Guide," navigating them through soccer, school uniforms, and British slang.

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness
Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Children's and Young Adult Literature Database Reaches 7,000 Titles


The Children's and Young Adult Literature Database was launched in May 2006 with a little over 2500 titles. A milestone was reached on October 28, 2011, when the 7,000th title (Strega Nona's Gift by Tomie de Paolo) was added to the database. All new trade books added to the CMC collection are also added to the database. Users are able to search for books by genre, reading level, and/or year of publication. Click here to visit the database.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

New Nonfiction Books

America Is Under Attack - Don Brown
Narrates the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, from the plane hijackings to the collapse of the World Trade Center.


Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg - Judy L. Hasday
Describes the history of Facebook; discusses the life of its creator, Mark Zuckerberg; and examines how it has influenced the world.


The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China - Ed Young
In Ed Young's childhood home in Shanghai, all was not as it seemed: a rocking chair became a horse; a roof became a roller rink; an empty swimming pool became a place for riding scooters and bikes. The house his father built transformed as needed into a place to play hide-and-seek, to eat bamboo shoots, and to be safe. For outside the home's walls, China was at war. Soon the house held not only Ed and his four siblings but also friends, relatives, and even strangers who became family. The war grew closer, and Ed watched as planes flew overhead and frends joined the Chinese air force. But through it all, Ed's childhood remained full of joy and imagination.

Look Inside Volcano - Fleur Star
Packed with photos, bold graphics, and acetate pages, "Look Inside Volcano" takes an exciting new look at eruptions and explosions and explains what volcanoes are, how they form, what leads them to erupt, and what happens during an eruption.

New Children's Books

Stars - Mary Lyn Ray
Explores the wonder of stars, whether they are in the night sky, on a plant as a promise of fruit to come, or in one's pocket for those days when one does not feel shiny.

Every Thing On It - Shel Silverstein
The second original book to be published since Silverstein's passing in 1999, this poetry collection includes more than one hundred and thirty never-before-seen poems and drawings completed by the cherished American artist and selected by his family from his archives.

Mouse & Lion - Rand Burkert
Presents an adaptation of Aesop's classic tale about an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a lion in which an act of mercy proves to be a lifesaving gesture.

The Princess and the Pig - Jonathan Emmett
When a new baby princess accidentally changes places with a piglet, both of their lives are forever changed.


The Twelve Days of Christmas - Jane Ray
On each of the twelve days of Christmas, more and more gifts arrive from the recipient's true love.


I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen
A bear almost gives up his search for his missing hat until he remembers something important.


King Jack and the Dragon - Peter Bently
Jack, Zack, and Caspar build a castle fort, then spend a day fighting dragons and beasts, but at day's end giants carry away first Sir Zack, then Caspar, and King Jack is left to face night creatures alone.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - Jerry Pinkney
As a curious little chipmunk leaves his nest to greet the twilight, he gazes at the glittering sky above him. He can't help but also notice the sparkling dewdrops on a spider's web, the lights of the fireflies, and the shimmers of moonlight on the water. 'How I wonder what you are!' marvels the tiny creature, launching a dreamlike quest to reach for the stars.

I Will Come Back for You - Marisabina Russo
A grandmother tells her granddaughter the story of the charm bracelet that represent her own childhood experiences while she and her family tried to evade the Nazis in Italy during World War II.

One Starry Night - Lauren Thompson
One starry night, as all sorts of animals watch over their young, Mary and Joseph watch over their baby boy, Jesus, in Bethlehem.

The Golem's Latkes - Eric A. Kimmel
Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel visits the Emperor, leaving a new housemaid to prepare for his Hanukkah party, but returns to find that she has misused the clay man he created. Includes historical and cultural notes.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New Puppets

These new puppets from Folkmanis are located on the puppet racks in the Teaching Aids area of the CMC.

Cat Stage Puppet
Cat stage puppet, approximately 14" tall



Rabbit Stage Puppet

Rabbit stage puppet, approximately 19" tall, including ears




Fawn Hand Puppet
Fawn ha
nd puppet, approximately 13" long



Crocodile Stage Puppet
Crocodile stage puppet, approximately 15" tall



Scarlet Macaw Hand Puppet
Scarlet macaw hand puppet, approximately 15" long, excluding tail



Chicken Hand Puppet
Chicken hand puppet, approximately 22" tall



Duck Hand Puppet
White duck hand puppet, approximately 11" tall




Piggy Hand Puppet
Pig hand puppet, approximately 9" tall



Dragon Stage Puppet
Dragon stage puppet, approximately 12" tall




Peacock Hand Puppet
Peacock hand puppet, approximately 12" x 12"

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

New "Christian Heroes: Then and Now" Biographies

The following are all written by Janet and Geoff Benge:

Count Zinzendorf: Firstfruit
A biography of the German nobleman who protected the Moravians from persecution in eighteenth-century Germany.

Brother Andrew: God's Secret Agent
A biography of the Dutch missionary Brother Andrew who became noted for smuggling Bibles into communist-controlled Eastern Europe.



John Wesley: The World, His Parish
A biography of the Anglican clergyman John Wesley who, along with his brother Charles and George Whitefield, founded the Methodist movement.

C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller
A biography of the author of The Chronicles of Narnia who converted from atheism to Christianity.



Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels' Den
Relates events in the life of the Dutch woman who survived imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps to become a Christian missionary.

Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold
A biography of the Scottish missionary and runner who won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics and went on to do missionary work in China.



George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans
A biography of English evangelist and philanthropist, George Muller, who established orphanages in Bristol that ultimately cared for thousand of children.