From Story Time: Summer Reading Week 3

Read at Stories in the Park

Written by Gillian Shields

Illustrated by Dan Taylor

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008. Picture Book.

When his mother asks him why he wants to have a dog when he already has a goldfish, a little boy responds with clever answers and a creative solution in the form of an imaginative creature called a dogfish. --Publisher

Read at Stories in the Park

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

By Kevin Sherry

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007. Picture Book.

When a giant squid takes inventory of all of the creatures in the ocean, he realizes that he's way bigger than most of them! Of course, there are bigger things lurking around . . . but maybe this giant squid with a giant touch of hubris doesn't really care?

First-time author-illustrator Kevin Sherry is sure to garner fans of all sizes for his perfect-for-preschool read-aloud with simple text, bold and delightful collage art, and a lovable squid whose spirit just cannot be crushed.

--Publisher

Read at Cuentos

Mi amigo extraterrestre

Escrito y ilustrado por Rocio Bonilla

Beascoa, 2017. Spanish Picture Book.

Esta es la historia de un niño normal. No es un niño maleducado ni gamberro, aunque a veces hace cosas que no están bien ... Pero ¿por qué su nuevo amigo se empeña en preguntarle todo? Aquí en la Tierra, las cosas se hacen así ¡y se acabó! Una divertida historia de amistad que nos invita a reflexionar sobre la responsabilidad de nuestros actos y a no permitir que los demás piensen por nosotros. ¡Solo hacen falta empezar por la primera! --Publisher

Read at Book Babies

The Amicus Book of Animals

By Isobel Lundie

Amicus Ink, 2020. Small Picture Book.

A graphic paper-collage of familiar animals associates their behaviors with simple descriptive language to foster recognition and reading. --Publisher

Comments

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...

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, ...

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