January Guys Read/Girls Read

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo Library?  They are for children 9-12 and a parent and they meet the fourth Tuesday (girls) and Thursday (guys) of each month during the school year. Families can preregister under the Kids Corner/Program Registration tab on the library website. This month we have two great books that we will be discussing.

Guys
The Westing Game
By Ellen Raskin
Dutton, 1978. Newbery. 185 p.
Millionaire Sam Westing has named 16 potential heirs in his will.  When he dies of foul play the heirs are put into teams, and whichever team can figure out how he died will win the inheritance money.  Young and old, male and female, the heirs work together and against each other to figure out "who dun it."  This is one of the all time favorite Newbery winners.  It is a fast paced and complex story with a whole host of interesting characters.  So grab your magnifying glass and get ready for a wild ride.

Girls
Gustav Gloom and the People Taker
by Adam Troy Castro
Grosset and Dunlap, 2012. Fiction. 226 p.
Fernie's father is a safety inspector and is careful about everything.  Fernie and her sister are just the opposite.  They crave action, adventure and danger.  When they move into their new home in a quiet suburban neighborhood they are thrilled to find out that just across the street is what appears to be a bonafide haunted house.  Its one (living) inhabitant is a boy who looks so sad Fernie can not help but want to meet him.  She gets her chance one night when her cat runs away and she enters the "haunted" house in search for it.  More awaits her there than she could have expected and soon she begins to regret her adventurous nature. This book is two-parts scary and one-part giggles.  Readers will like Fernie's open heart and plucky personality.