DISPLAY: Tropical Vacation

Aloha, Dolores
By Barbara Samuels

Certain that they will win a trip to Hawaii, Dolores enters her cat Duncan in the Meow Munchies contest and goes all out preparing for their trip.

Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves
By James Rumford

Manu, one of five brothers who are the first humans to set foot on Hawaii, is unhappy until he saves the life of a strange creature he calls Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves, and they become fast friends. Includes facts about Hawaii and the unique plants and animals found there.

The Mermaid
By Jan Brett

Set in the ocean off Japan, this retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears stars Kiniro, a mermaid, who finds a baby octopus's breakfast, chair, and bed just right.

Hula Lullaby
By Erin Eitter Kono

Against the backdrop of a beautiful Hawaiian landscape, a young girl cuddles and sleeps in her mother's lap.

Pearl
By Molly Idle

When young Pearl, a mermaid, becomes caretaker of a single grain of sand, she discovers that performing even the smallest task well can transform the world.

A is for Aloha: A Hawaii Alphabet
by U'ilani Goldsberry
Illustrated by Tammy Yee

The letters of the alphabet are represented by words, set in short rhymes, relating to the state of Hawaii. The landscape of Hawaii is as exotic as its history and people. Written and illustrated by native Hawaiians, U'ilani Goldsberry and Tammy Yee, A for Aloha is a lovingly created introduction to one of the most-visited places on Earth. From the meaning of the word aloha to the plight of the state bird, author U'ilani Goldsberry answers questions that most Mlihinis have about this lush, multi-island paradise.

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: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

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