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.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Review: Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...

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