Skip to main content

January Girls Read/ Guys Read

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo City Library? They are for children ages 9-12 and a caregiver. This month, they will meet January 28 (girls) and January 23 (guys). Preregister under the Kids Corner/Program Registration tab on the library website. We have two great books to discuss this month:

Girls

By Kelly Barnhill
Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. Fiction.

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They don't seem to know that the witch in the forest, named Xan, is a kind and generous witch who is confused why the people don't want their babies. Each year, she saves the babies - feeding them starlight and finding them happy homes across the forest. One year, she accidentally feeds the rescued baby moonlight instead of starlight and gives the baby magical abilities. This baby, Luna, lives with Xan, Fyrian (a Perfectly Tiny Dragon), and a swamp monster named Glerk. To protect her from herself, Xan buries Luna's magic deep inside until her 13th birthday when it begins to pour out. This is a fantastical and epic coming of age story set in a lush, marvelously described world. The winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal and a book on the 2019-2020 Battle of the Books List, this magical story is an instant classic.


Guys

By Laura Ruby
New York, NY: Walden Pond Press, 2017. Fiction.

Three brilliant children (Tess, Theo, and Jamie) are distraught to learn that the historic Morningstarr building in which they live is set for demolition. Tess, Theo, and Jamie live in an alternate New York City built by the Morningstarrs - genius architects and engineers famous for their innovative buildings, technological advancements, and *maybe* a mysterious puzzle known as "The Cipher." Rumor has it that the Morningstarrs left clues to solve the Cipher all around New York and whoever solves the puzzle will discover an amazing treasure. The three kids are determined to solve the puzzle and use the money to save their beloved apartment building. A mystery that feels both historical and totally new, this series opener creates an inviting steampunk-inspired world for its protagonists to inhabit.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Fowl Play

  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...

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...

Review: A Game of Noctis

A Game of Noctis By Deva Fagan New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages. On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll h...