New Middle Grade Fiction

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket

While this series is certainly not new, it is new to our collection. We've had many requests for it and are happy to be able to now provide all 13 titles in the series!
"If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched and will most likely fill you with deep despair." (lemonysnicket.com)
 The Bad Beginning
The Reptile Room
The Wide Window
The Miserable Mill
The Austere Academy
The Ersatz Elevator
The Vile Village
The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope
The Grim Grotto
The Penultimate Peril
The End


Artemis Fowl series - Eoin Colfer
 The following titles have been added to the series:
The Arctic Incident
The Time Paradox
The Atlantis Complex
The Last Guardian

Friends of Liberty - Beatrice Gormley
Sally Gifford, a Patriot shoemaker's daughter, tries to maintain her close friendship with Kitty Lawton, the daughter of a Loyalist official, as pre-Revolutionary War tensions in 1773 Boston increase and push them apart.

Paperboy - Vince Vawter
When an eleven-year-old boy takes over a friend's newspaper route in July, 1959, in Memphis, his debilitating stutter makes for a memorable month.

P.S. Be Eleven - Rita Williams-Garcia
The Gaither sisters are back in Brooklyn, where changes large and small come to their household as they grow up during the turbulent 1960s.

Elementary & Middle Grade Fiction

Grades 3-6

 A Tangle of Knots - Lisa Graff
"Destiny leads 11-year-old Cady to a peanut butter factory, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever"--Provided by publisher. (Includes cake recipes)

LuLu and the Dog from the Sea - Hilary McKay
Seven-year-old Lulu and her cousin think their vacation house is the most perfect place ever until they find a trouble-prone, stray dog living on the beach.

Blufton - Matt Phelan
The year is 1908, and a troupe of vaudeville performers has arrived in sleepy Muskegon, Michigan to spend the summer. Young Henry Harrison is fascinated with the animals and performers, but mostly with a slapstick performer his own age named Buster Keaton, who is also a master prankster and loves to play baseball.

Grades 5-8

The Reluctant Assassin - Eoin Colfer
In Victorian London, Albert Garrick, an assassin-for-hire, and his reluctant young apprentice, Riley, are transported via wormhole to modern London, where Riley teams up with a young FBI agent to stop Garrick from returning to his own time and using his newly acquired scientific knowledge and power to change the world forever. W.A.R.P. Book 1

Doll Bones - Holly Black
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.

The Sea of Monsters (graphic novel) - Rick Riordan
After discovering a secret that makes him question the honor of being the son of Poseidon, demi-god Percy Jackson journeys into the Sea of Monsters in an attempt to save Camp Half-Blood.

New Picture Books

If You Want to See a Whale - Julie FoglianoAdvises the reader about what to do, and not do, in order to successfully spot a whale, such as wrapping up in a not-too-cozy blanket, ignoring the roses, and especially, being patient.

A Good Trade - Alma Fullteron
When Kato heads to the village well to pump a day's supply of water into two jerry cans, he discovers the aid-worker's truck has arrived with a special gift for his village.

Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie - Mary Ellen Jordan and Andrew Weldon
During the day on an unusual farm, Daisy the lazy cow would rather eat jelly than grass, Frankie the cranky dog watches television instead of sheep, and the other animals behave equally oddly but at night, all are good at sleeping.

Ready and Waiting for You - Judi Moreillon
"Warm and friendly characters welcome a new student to the first day of school"-- Provided by publisher

The Kindhearted Crocodile - Lucia Panzieri
A crocodile that longs to be a pet sneaks into a house, hides in the pages of a picture book during the day, and comes out at night to do kind and useful things for the family while they sleep.

The Watermelon Seed - Greg Pizzoli
After swallowing a watermelon seed, a crocodile imagines a scary outcome.

Spike & Ike Take a Hike - S.D. Schindler
Spike the hedgehog and Ike the coatimundi go on a lively walk through the ever-changing landscape, meeting other animals along the way. Lots of rhyming words and alliteration - great for beginning readers!

A Big Guy Took My Ball! - Mo Willems
Piggie is upset because a whale took the ball she found, but Gerald finds a solution that pleases all of them.

New Nonfiction Picture Books for Science

Look Up! Bird-watching in Your Own Backyard - Annette LeBlanc CateA conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching featuring quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types.

Barnum's Bones - Tracey Fern
Documents the work of an early twentieth-century paleontologist, named after the famous circus icon by his ambitious parents, who grew up to work for the American Museum of Natural History and discovered the first documented skeletons of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and other noteworthy species.

Frog Song - Brenda Z. Guiberson
Discusses frog vocalizations and behavior in locations all over the world.




Animal Groups are CATegorical series - Brian P. Cleary
This series uses rhyming text and humorous illustrations to introduce young readers to the major animal groups. Each title playfully highlights the key characteristics of the featured animal group and offers many examples of animals in that group.

Butterfly, Flea, Beetle, and Bee: What is an Insect?

Catfish, Cod, Salmon, and Scrod: What is a Fish?

Dolphin, Fox, Hippo, and Ox: What is a Mammal?

Salamander, Frog, and Polliwog: What is an Amphibian?

Sparrow, Eagle, Penguin, and Seagull: What is a Bird?

New Nonfiction Picture Books

That's a Possibility! A Book About What Might Happen - Bruce Goldstone"With colorful photographs and interactive examples, Bruce Goldstone introduces children to the ideas of something being possible, probable, or impossible. Each spread features an easy-to-understand, fun scenario such as dice rolling and bowling, with questions about probable outcomes and simple explanations. In the vein of GREAT ESTIMATIONS, this is a perfect book for getting across important math concepts in a fun way"-- Provided by publisher

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building - Christy Hale"A collection of concrete poetry, illustrations, and photographs that shows how young children's constructions, created as they play, are reflected in notable works of architecture from around the world. Includes biographies of the architects, quotations, and sources"--Provided by publisher

Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio - Robert Skead
In 1936, the New York Yankees wanted to test a hot prospect named Joe DiMaggio to see if he was ready for the big leagues. They knew just the ballplayer to call, Satchel Paige, the best pitcher anywhere, black or white. For the game, Paige joined a group of amateur African-American players, and they faced off against a team of white major leaguers plus young DiMaggio.

Biographies:

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein - Jennifer Berne
A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe.

Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker's Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty
- Russell Freedman
An introduction to the life of young Benjamin Franklin describes how, as a rebellious teen in 1732, he ran away from his family and a Boston apprenticeship to Philadelphia, and how throughout subsequent decades he rose to become a distinguished statesman, renowned author and world-famous scientist.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell - Tanya Lee Stone
An introduction to the life and achievements of the first American female doctor describes the limited career prospects available to women in the early nineteenth-century, the opposition Blackwell faced while pursuing a medical education, and her pioneering medical career that opened doors for future generations of women.

YA Audiobooks

Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and the Black General Gabriel
- Gigi Amateau
Imagines the childhood and youth of "Prosser's Gabriel," a courageous and intelligent blacksmith in post-Revolutionary Richmond, Virginia, who roused thousands of African-Americans slaves like himself to rebel.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. Winner of the 2013 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.

Son - Lois Lowry
Unlike the other Birthmothers in her utopian community, teenaged Claire forms an attachment to her baby, feeling a great loss when he is taken to the Nurturing Center to be adopted by a family unit.

Billy Budd, Sailor: A Classic Tale of Innocence Betrayed on the High Seas - adapted from the novel by Herman Melville
Good-natured Billy Budd is forced into service on a British man of war on its way to fight the French. One of Billy's shipmates is appalled at Billy's innocence and the stage is set for a conspiracy, murder and a question of justice.

Divergent - Veronica Roth
Beatrice Pryor lives in a dystopian Chicago, which is divided into five factions devoted to different virtues. On a set day every year, sixteen-year-olds must select which faction they will devote the rest of their lives to. Beatrice must choose between staying with her family and being who she really is. Beatrice also has a secret, one she has been warned can mean death if exposed. Now, Beatrice will be forced to make tough choices that can determine the course of her future.

Insurgent - Veronica Roth
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick - Joe Schreiber
Perry's parents insist that he take Gobi, their quiet, Lithuanian exchange student, to senior prom but after an incident at the dance he learns that Gobi is actually a trained assassin who needs him as a henchman, behind the wheel of his father's precious Jaguar, on a mission in Manhattan.

Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage, and great courage as she relates what she must to survive while keeping secret all that she can.

Crusher - Daniel Weyman
Finn Maguire becomes the prime suspect after he finds his own father bludgeoned to death and, as he scrambles to prove his innocence, Finn uncovers dark families secrets hidden in London's brutal underworld.

Audiobooks for Middle Grades

On the Day I Died: Stories From the Grave - Candace Fleming
In a lonely Illinois cemetery one cold October night, teen ghosts recount the stories of their deaths in different time periods, from 1870 to the present, to sixteen-year-old Mike, who unknowingly picked up a phantom hitchhiker.

Chomp - Carl Hiaasen
When the difficult star of the reality television show "Expedition Survival" disappears while filming an episode in the Florida Everglades using animals from the wildlife refuge run by Wahoo Crane's family, Wahoo and classmate Tuna Gordon set out to find him while avoiding Tuna's gun-happy father.

One Year in Coal Harbor - Polly Horvath
In a small fishing village in British Columbia, twelve-year-old Primrose tries to be a matchmaker for her Uncle Jack, befriends Ked, a new foster child, tries to decide if she is willing to go to jail for her convictions, and together with Ked, publishes a cook book to raise money for the Fisherman's Aid. Includes recipes.

Cabin Fever - Jeff Kinney
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley is the prime suspect when it is discovered that school property has been damaged, but when a surprise blizzard hits and school is closed, Greg is stuck indoors with his family, unable to prove his innocence.

The False Prince - Jennifer A. Nielsen
Sage was just a young orphan in the kingdom, until a nobleman by the name of Conner chose him to be part of a devious plan. With the kingdom on the brink of civil war, Conner needed something to unite the people, and he found that something in Sage. By making the boy pose as the long-lost son of the king, Conner hopes to use him as a way to avert war. But Sage begins to suspect that Conner's plans may involve more than he is letting on.

Words in the Dust - Trent Reedy
Zulaikha, a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan, faces a series of frightening but exhilarating changes in her life as she defies her father and secretly meets with an old woman who teaches her to read, her older sister gets married, and American troops offer her surgery to fix her disfiguring cleft lip.

The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan
"The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land--Greece itself--to find the Doors of Death"-- Provided by publisher

The Serpent's Shadow - Rick Riordan
Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sade Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Their only hope: find an ancient spell that might turn the serpent's own shadow into a weapon.

The Fire Chronicle - John Stephens
"In the second book in the Books of Beginning Trilogy, Michael and Emma must track down the Chronicle of Life, while Kate must find a way back to present day from the year 1899"-- Provided by publisher.

Three Times Lucky - Sheila Turnage
Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a café and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

Audiobooks for Elementary Grades

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
Dorothy is transported by a prairie cyclone to the world of Oz, where she meets friends Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion, sees the wondrous Emerald City and its ruling wizard, and defeats the wicked Witch of the West in her efforts to return to Kansas.

About Average - Andrew Clements
As the end of sixth grade nears, Jordan Johnson, unhappy that she is only average in appearance, intelligence, and athletic ability, reveals her special skills when disaster strikes her Central Illinois elementary school.

The Action Bible: New Testament - David C. Cook
"The heroes and stories of the Bible come to life in this New Testament edition of The Action Bible. Through dramatic reading and realistic sound effects, the events of Scripture explode in a powerful, exciting new way. Familiar characters turn into champions of faith, and often-heard tales become exciting stories of God's power. And the New Testament's big picture unfolds as each story is told in the order it happened, from the birth of Jesus to his resurrection and return"--Container

The Mighty Miss Malone - Christopher Paul Curtis
With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale - Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright
A community of mice and a cheese-loving cat form an unlikely alliance at London's Cheshire Cheese, an inn where Charles Dickens finds inspiration and Queen Victoria makes an unexpected appearance.

Ghost Knight - Cornelia Funke
Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft and new friend Ella summon the ghost of Sir William Longspee, who may be able to protect Jon from a group of ghosts that threatens him harm from the day he arrives at Salisbury Cathedral's boarding school. Includes historical notes. A 2013 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production Honor recipient.

Titanic: Voices From the Disaster - Deborah Hopkinson
Tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic using the narratives of the witnesses and survivors to the disaster.

Nursery Rhyme Classics: Best Loved Rhymes for Little Ones - Mark MacLeod
Explore our collection of favorite rhymes that help kids learn to count, multiply, learn their colours, tell the time, and so much more. And you can even indulge in some favourite nursery rhymes along the way! The perfect audio collection for the very young.

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case - Alexander McCall Smith
Before becoming the first female private investigator in Botswana, eight-year-old Precious Ramotswe tracks down a thief who has been stealing her classmates' snacks.

Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.

How to Steal a Dog - Barbara O'Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

The Legend of Squanto: An Unknown Hero Who Changed the Course of American History
Recounts how in 1614 Squanto was captured by the British, sold into slavery in Spain, and ultimately returned to the New World to become a guide and friend for the colonists. Presented on Focus on the Family radio theatre.

New Music CDs for Children

Action! Fun! Dance! For Kids (The Learning Station) - promotes healthy music for children to sing, dance and move for hours.

The Barber of the Beasts (Zak Morgan)

Carnival of the Animals (London Philharmonic Orchestra) - Enjoy the music, learn about the composer, sing a song!

European Playground (Putumayo Kids) - a collection of 15 songs that takes families on a fun-filled cross-genre musical tour around the continent.

The Mighty Sky (Beth Nielsen Chapman) - a collection of songs for children on the subject of astronomy.

A Mississipppi River Adventure Album (The OkeeDokee Brothers) - "On June 1st 2011, The Okee Dokee Brothers began a month-long canoe trip at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Lake Itasca, Minnesota. After thirty days of camping, canoeing, filming and writing the songs that make up this album, Joe and Justin eventually ended up downstream at the St. Louis Arch.

Ozokidz (Ozomatli) - The Latino hip-hop reggae-rockers from Los Angeles release their debut children's album. Features fourteen tracks on topics such as the importance of taking care of trees and avoiding germs, skateboards, spelling, and a moose run amok.

Rock & Roll Playground (Putumayo Kids) - Rock around the clock with these fun songs for children of all ages!

DVDs

Motion Pictures

Because of Winn-Dixie - The heartwarming 'tail' of a young girl whose life is changed by a scruffy, fun-loving pooch she names Winn-Dixie. The special bond between them works magic on her reserved dad and the eccentric townspeople they meet during one unforgettable summer. Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo.

Brave - Princess Merida, an archer and self-reliant young woman, makes a decision which defies custom and brings chaos to her kingdom. To restore her kingdom, she must rely on her bravery and archery skills.

Cinderella - Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown, and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving only a single glass slipper, the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending! Bonus features included.

How to Train Your Dragon - Hiccup is a Viking teenager who aspires to hunt dragons, but doesn't exactly fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. His world gets turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view. Based on the novel by Cressida Cowell.

DVD Versions of Popular Picture Books

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.

Bink & Gollie - These two girls are roller-skaters and marvelous companions who often do not agree --on socks, or goldfish, or venturing to the Andes. This humorous story relates how compromise helps these two very different individuals remain the best of friends

Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct - Everyone in town loves Edwina the dinosaur except one little boy who is determined to prove to everyone, including Edwina, that dinosaurs are extinct.

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site - "Down in the big construction site, tough trucks work with all their might. But now it's time to say goodnight! Little truck drivers will drift off to sleep to this soothing good-bye to the day."-- (from container)

Hi! Fly Guy - When Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong.

Knuffle Bunny Free - While traveling with her family to Holland to visit her grandparents, Trixie once again loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee - Amos McGee was a zookeeper who always made time for his animal friends. One day when his sniffles and sneezes prevented him from going to the zoo, he received some unexpected guests --his friends from the zoo! This is a gently humorous tale of friendship and dedication.

Sky Color - "When Marisol sets out to create a sky for the class mural she discovers the blue missing from her paints. This story celebrates the creative process and what it means to be an artist."-- (from container)

New Titles in YA Fiction

Homeland - Cory Doctorow
When Marcus, once called M1k3y, receives a thumbdrive containing evidence of corporate and governmental treachery, his job, fame, family, and well-being, as well as his reform-minded employer's election campaign, are all endangered.

Peanut - Ayun Halliday and Paul Hoppe
Nervous about starting her sophomore year at a new high school, Sadie decides to make herself more interesting by claiming to be allergic to peanuts, but her lie quickly spirals out of control.

The Summer Prince - Alaya Dawn Johnson
In a Brazil of the distant future, June Costa falls in love with Enki, a fellow artist and rebel against the strict limits of the legendary pyramid city of Palmares Três' matriarchal government, knowing that, like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Keeping the Castle - Patrice Kindl
In order to support her family and maintain their ancient castle in Lesser Hoo, seventeen-year-old Althea bears the burden of finding a wealthy suitor who can remedy their financial problems.

Discovering Wes Moore - Wes Moore
The author, a Rhodes scholar and combat veteran, analyzes factors that influenced him as well as another man of the same name and from the same neighborhood who was drawn into a life of drugs and crime and ended up serving life in prison, focusing on the influence of relatives, mentors, and social expectations that could have led either of them on different paths.

Fox Forever - Mary E. Pearson
Before he can start a life with Jenna, seventeen-year-old Locke, who was brought back to life in a newly bioengineered body after an accident destroyed his body 260 years ago, must do a favor for the resistance movement opposing the nightmarish medical technology.

Boy 21 - Matthew Quick
Finley, an unnaturally quiet boy who is the only white player on his high school's varsity basketball team, lives in a dismal Pennsylvania town that is ruled by the Irish mob, and when his coach asks him to mentor a troubled African American student who has transferred there from an elite private school in California, he finds that they have a lot in common in spite of their apparent differences.

The Lucy Variations - Sara Zarr
"Sixteen-year-old San Franciscan Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Her chance at a career has passed, and she decides to help her ten-year-old piano prodigy brother, Gus, map out his own future, even as she explores why she enjoyed piano in the first place."-- Provided by publisher

DVDs for Middle and High School

The Abolitionists
Radicals. Agitators. Troublemakers. Liberators. Called many names, the abolitionists tore the nation apart in order to create a more perfect union. Men and women, black and white, Northerners and Southerners, poor and wealthy, these passionate anti-slavery activists fought body and soul in the most important civil rights crusade in American history.

Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle
Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle tells the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic story of the battle over what would be America's largest clean energy project. Cape Wind was slated to be the U.S.'s first offshore windfarm... But strange alliances formed for and against: Kennedys, Kochs, and everyday folks do battle with the developer and green groups over the future of American power. With full access to both sides, a commitment to impartial storytelling and fueled by a satiric 'revolutionary' soundtrack, Cape Spin! is "a gripping and entertaining study of eco-capitalism and grassroots democracy".

Death and the Civil War: How the Unthinkable Became Unforgettable
Based on the best-selling book by Drew Gilpin Faust, this film will explore how the American Civil War created a 'republic of suffering' and will chart the far-reaching social, political, and social changes brought about by the pervasive presence and fear of death during the Civil War.

Deadliest Volcanoes
Millions of people around the world live in the shadow of active volcanoes. From Japan's Mount Fuji to the 'Sleeping Giant' submerged beneath Naples to the Yellowstone 'Supervolcano' in the United States, Nova travels with scientists who are attempting to discover how likely these volcanoes are to erupt, when it might happen, and exactly how deadly they could prove to be.

The Devils' Arithmetic
Based on the novel by Jane Yolen. An American Jewish teenager dreams that she has been transported through time to a Nazi concentration camp located in Poland.

Gum in My Hair
Presents a look at bullying, explaining what it is and how it makes people feel, discussing the responsibility of witnesses to bullying, and offering ways to cope and tips to thwart bullies.

Mariachi High
The program documents a year in the life of Mariachi Halcon, a top-ranked competitive high school mariachi band in the rural ranching town of Zapata, Texas. Using the band and its music as a lens, this spirited documentary focuses on Mexican-American teenagers pursuing excellence and finding strength in themselves, as well as a connection to their cultural heritage.

The Musical Brain: A Journey of Discovery into the Mystery of Music
Explains how various types of music affect the brain emotionally and physically and features a discussion with Dr. Levitin on his book, "This is Your Brain on Music," which discusses how technology can be used to see the affects of music on the human brain.

Paper Clips
Students at Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee attempt to collect 6 million paper clips as part of a school project on the Holocaust.

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Tells the compelling story of William Still, one of the most unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad, and details the accounts of black abolitionists who had everything at stake as they helped fugitives follow the North Star to Canada.

New DVDs - Story Collections

The following titles have been added to our DVD collection. For more information, click on the title for a link to the library catalog.

Animated Tales of the World series 
     China: The Magic Paintbrush
     Japan: Crossing the Snow
     Namibia: Omuninyan

Reading Rainbow series
     How Much is a Million? 
     Lemonade for Sale 

Be Safe!
Stories include Officer Buckle and Gloria and Dot the Fire Dog

The Boy Who Cried Wolf...and More Children's Fables
Other stories include Charles Needs a Cloak, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Seven Blind Mice and Stone Soup

The Curious Garden...and More Stories About Nature
Other stories include The Lion and the Mouse, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Planting a Rainbow, plus author interviews

Duke Ellington...and More Stories to Celebrate Great Figures in African American History
Other stories include Ellington Was Not a Street, Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa and John Henry

The Ezra Jack Keats Collection
Stories include The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Peter's Chair, Pet Show!, A Letter to Amy, The Trip, and Apt. 3

Rapunzel...and More Classic Fairytales
Other stories include The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Talking Eggs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China and Princess Furball

The Tomie dePaola Library
Stories include Charlie Needs a Cloak, Strega Nona, and The Clown of God

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories
Also includes Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Mixed-up Chameleon and I See a Song

The Wheels on the Bus...and More Musical Stories
Other stories include Musical Max, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!, All the Colors of the Earth, Keeping House and Hush Little Baby

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears...and More Stories from Africa
Other stories include A Story, A Story and Who's in Rabbit's House

Nonfiction DVDs

The following titles have been added to our DVD collection. For more information, click on the title for a link to the library catalog.

Signing Time series
     Playtime Signs (birth to age 5)
     Everyday Signs (birth to age 5)
     Family, feelings and Fun (ages 1-8)
     ABC Signs (ages 1-8)
     Welcome to School (ages 1-8)

Math
Economics for Children series (grades K-4)
     What is Economics?
     Saving, Spending & Investing Money

Science
Bill Nye the Science Guy series (grades 4 and up)
     Heart
     Skin
     Digestion
     Respiration
     Spiders
The Science of Disney Imagineering series (grades 5-8)
     Design and Models
     Friction
Animal Life for Children series (grades K-4)
     All About Mammals
     All About Birds
     All About Reptiles
     All About Amphibians
     All About Animal Adaptations
     All About Animal Life Cycles
     All About Food Chains
Animals Rock with Lucas Miller! Volume 1: Monarchs, Metamorphosis and More! (PreK to grade 5)
What Makes a Fish a Fish? (PreK & up)
Who Lives in the Sea? (PreK & up)
Arctic & Antarctic (grades 4-8)

Social Studies
The Animated Hero Classics series (grades 1-4)
     Alexander Graham Bell
     Benjamin Franklin    
     Thomas Edison
Paul Revere: Midnight Ride (grades 2-6)
All Aboard America (PreK-4)
American Government for Children series (grades K-4)
     American Citizenship
     Federal, State and Local Government
     The History of American Government
     The Three Branches of Government
     What is Government

Music
Beethoven Lives Upstairs (grades 2-6)

New Picture Books

Biscuit in the Garden - Alyssa Satin CapucilliBiscuit the puppy is eager to see the plants and make friends with the animals in the garden.

Rabbit and the Not-So-Big-Bad Wolf - Michaël Escoffier
Rabbit is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, but the Not-So-Big-Bad Wolf brings a delightful
surprise.

Flora and the Flamingo - Molly Idle
In this wordless book with interactive flaps, a friendship develops between a girl named Flora and a graceful flamingo, as they learn to dance together.

The Deep, Deep Puddle - Mary Jessie Parker
During an overnight rainstorm, a large and deep puddle forms across a city street, and the next day increasing numbers of creatures or things disappear into it, from one shaggy dog to nine robbers.


Tiger in My Soup - Kashmira Sheth
Left in the care of his older sister, a boy begs her to read his favorite book but she is too absorbed in her own reading even to notice when a tiger comes to life in the steam from his soup.

A Long Way Away: A Two-Way Story - Frank Viva
A picture book that can be read front-to-back or back-to-front. Start from one end and journey from outer space down to the sea; start from the other end and journey from deep in the sea out to a distant planet.