My Favorite Authors of 2019

I did a lot of reading this year with a total of 23 books read. The goal was to read 30, but with my new writing class, crafting a YA draft, and a busy schedule... time slipped away. I did come across and revisit two authors who not only do I enjoy their books, but I love reading their blogs and tips about writing as well.

Rachel Hollis: 
Teens and young adults will really get a kick out of this stellar lady. She writes fiction, but more importantly her website thechicsite.com is bomb!!! A great place for older teens to get some inspiration.

Melissa De La Cruz, is just as awesome. Her wild success with The Descendants series is only the tip of he iceberg. She writes about being, becoming, and thriving as an author and she tells a great story to boot...

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!!!
Here's to a new, fabulous decade!!!! 2020 ***********************************

Carols and Crushes Book Review

Carols and Crushes by Blitt

If you have a young teen or are a young teen  reader.. why not try The Wish Series books published by Scholastic?

 I just finished Carols and Crushes by Natalie Blitt and adored it!
Charlie Dickens loves Christmas, holidays, and singing in her school's choir. This winter she has to save the holiday concert from being cancelled; juggle family and friends; and learn to navigate her feelings on her crush as he seems to be interested in her bestie.
Can she make it through the holiday and align her heart in harmony?

If you love cute holiday scenes, sledding, caroling and the like... you will enjoy this fun read!


More Wish Titles to read:
Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone
Sealed with a Secret by Lisa Schroeder
Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes

Holiday Books and Ideas

This week I started a great teen read Kiss Me in New York by Catherine Rider. It chronicles a young adult who gets her heart broken by a new beau during her time as a foreign exchange student in New York. She gets caught up at the airport and flights are cancelled. She decides to befriend a young man, Anthony who is in the same boat. They explore New York City together for a day and see where the city takes them. The story is promising and humorous... More to come.

We also created these super cute stockings at the library with children of all ages. The tweens loved them as well. Comment below if you would like the template and instructions.

Holiday Crafts and Chapter Books for Tweens and Upper Elementary

Hi all!
Try some of these great reads for the holidays. The grade level of the books are listed below. Also, here's a fun and easy popsicle stick craft to create that I have tried in years past.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Robinson. 

The Herdman children, who love to terrorize the other children, decide to take part in the Sunday School Christmas Pageant and learn some lessons along the way. The book is humorous and fun. 

Interest Level - Upper Elementary and Middle School

A.R Level 5.1
 What Light by Jay Asher 

Sierra and Caleb meet on her family's tree farm, as she splits her time between California and Oregon. Caleb is seeking forgiveness from those in town while Sierra is learning all about him and teaching him how to trust along the way. A delightful read for the winter season filled with young romance, friendship and paving your own path. 

A.R Level 4.5

Interest Level: Middle School +

The Ungrateful Dead by Cooper- Scary Stories for Tweens.

Hello all,
The Wacky Librarian is here to service all your spooky story needs for October. Check out this fun story about a tween named Annabel Cravel who just wants to be normal. This deems impossible because.... dead people text her! Keeping this secret from her stepsister proves to be a difficult task especially when a ghost girl named Harper begs Annabel to help her live again.
Do dead people text you?

Check out this wonderful story by Rose Cooper for humor and horror !

More fun reads:
Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask by R.L Stine
Ghost Dog Secrets by Kehret
The Beast of Baskerville by Annette and Gina Cascone
Ollie Osley and the Ghost Series by Schmid

Halloween crafts for kids

Create a fun and easy craft for Halloween. Use die cuts or a free template online to create this fun piece to decorate your home. Remember those cute paper chains we used to make for Christmas in the 80s? This is what inspired the center of the piece. All you need is:
1. Ghost and bat template. Find one on word
2. Foam or construction paper
3. Strips of purple, orange and black construction paper
4. Curling ribbon to hang your piece

What to do:
1. Hole punch the top and bottom of your desired piece.
2. Link and create the chains at the bottom of the first piece, then attach it to the second.
3. Decorate with ribbon, googly eyes, and fun festive pieces to create your desired look.

Read book like:
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Goosebumps Series  R.L Stine
Sleepy Hollow (various authors)
Fear Street by R.L Stine for teens to inspire you!

It Ain't So Awful Falafel and Other Funny Books

Looking for something humorous to read? Try these awesome humorous books for tweens/teens. Two of them are by my favorite author, Firoozeh Dumas whose books I received while working at East Whittier Middle School many moons ago!
Here's the list:
I, Funny by James Patterson
It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas
Body Swap by Katrina Kahler
Camp by Kayla Miller
Last Kids on Earth Series by Bralier



Enjoy!!

The Author Behind the Blog

Good morning readers! With the increase of traffic on my blog, I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you a bit more about my experience and how this blog came to be. I am a children's librarian in the Los Angeles area who works with tweens, toddlers, and school aged children. I have worked in public libraries for over 12 years,  been a children's librarian for seven years, and prior to that worked as a middle school librarian for ten years. The road has been fun.
This blog is all about inspiring you to help your tween or teen find the next fun read and also to give librarians ideas for programs. It started off as a hobby, and one day I hope it will highlight  my own fiction book that I am working on. Feel free to subscribe or comment.

Enjoy!

Teen Books I'm Dying to Read

What books are you dying to read? I got my hands on Guts by Raina Telgemeier and it was great! I have never read Drama or Sisters, so that will be on my next "to do" list.

Here's a couple of titles that have grabbed my interest...
Elizabeth Eulberg's " Just Another Girl," tells a tale of how we often hear the story of the "it" girl and want to pull our hair out. How do we mirror ourselves to be like her and/or avoid her at the same time? What is her life really like? This realistic fiction title seems like the perfect high school read:

Interference by Honeycomb

This book has all the fall feels as it discusses the popularity of football in a Texan town and a daughter of a politician who is trying to fit in even though her best asset is to not fit in... I started the audio book and it sounds promising. Enjoy!

#fallfeels
#realisticrfictionforteens

Scary Stories for Tweens

How scary is too scary? I suppose it depends on the reader. Here are a couple of my favorites for tweens and teens, grade level will vary.
I also love the following authors for added suspense and spooks:
Mary Downing Hahn
Phyllis Naylor
Vivian Vande Velde
R.L Stine

Comment below if you have any questions!

Shake It Off by Suzanne Nelson

I absolutely love the "Wish" books from Scholastic. They feature fun stories about young teens who are in love with cute boys, food, or are striving for better friendships. They cover so many topics and have started to add diverse characters to the mix. I just completed "Shake it Off" by Suzanne Nelson.
Review:
Bria is not excited when her parents send her off to work at her aunt's dairy farm in Iowa. When she arrives, she tries to win everyone over with her fashion sense and her knowledge of creative milkshakes but no one is impressed. She learns to cope with farm life, reunites with her cousin, and learns a lesson or two about being selfish. This was a fun easy read that young teens will enjoy and includes delicious milkshake recipes to boot! If your a "foodie" this is a must read!

What Every Middle School Student Needs

It's back to school time. One of the busiest time of the year for parents and kids alike. As some of you know, I worked as a middle school library clerk for many many years. Some things have changed since the early 2000s but some things still stay the same. Here are a list of supplies and just common sense tips on how to get your child through the first couple of days:

What every child should have in grades 6-8

1. A quality calculator

2. A USB drive and the knowledge of how to attach a document with a safe email address that you have access to.

3. Extra pens, paper and pencils of course!

4. Bookcovers ( yes, they are still needed)

5. A library card

6. A pocket dictionary and thesaurus



Tips!
1. Keep asking "How was your day?" and "What was the best thing that happened today?"
- I can't remember a time when any of my middle school students, whether in the school library or public library wanted to chat and share their day. You never know how things went for them, and even though they might not tell you... be sure to keep asking and watch for their tone.

2. Encourage them to stand up for themselves. Many children at this age struggle with self identity. Help them realize it is okay to stand up for themselves and that it is okay to make mistakes; whether it be socially or academically. Everything is dramatized at this age, let them know its okay and share stories from your childhood if you feel comfortable.

3. Limit social media and internet access.

Here's a few fun titles for girls this age as well. Enjoy!

What am I reading now?

It's the dog days of summer. August is here with its heat, air conditioning ( Thank God!) and many, many books to read before school begins.
Currently, I'm working on Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? which is Ah-mazing! Its a contemplation of teen authors giving their best writing advice with Ally Carter leading the discussion.

Girl Online, by Zoe Sugg
Full of British characters and humor; this book tackles anxiety and teen friendships.

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella (Audiobook, for my hour long commute from OC to East Los Angeles) and its a good one!

Tell me what you or your teen is reading in the comments below:

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg 

Teens Who Like to Write

There are many teens and tweens who are self-proclaimed authors. We should encourage these creative individuals to hone in on their craft and continue writing stories.
Here's a fun book that is full of ideas for novice teen writers or for those adults who are interested in writing for young adult, written by the infamous Ally Carter, author of the The Gallagher Girl Series and many more. Enjoy!

Books by Ally Carter 

Get Smart on Art for Tweens

Hello all,
Here's a new idea for a fun art program for tweens. It can be scaled up for high school students or scaled down for the young ones as well.
Host a Get Smart on Art Program featuring the abstract art of Wassily Kandinsky and have student create their own impression of Squares with Concentric Circles 1913.

Art for Children and Tweens

Supplies needed:
1. A simple biography book on the artist
2. Large colored construction paper
3. Construction paper circles cut out in advance.
4. Crayons, paint, and/ or colored pencils.

Describe the artist and talk about the elements of art, which include:
1. Line
2. Form
3. Shape
4. Texture
5. Color
6. Value
7. Space

Draw out a sample of how these elements are used in art and print out pictures of work by Kandinsky to demonstrate how he may have used these elements in his work. Then, allow tweens to create their own masterpiece! Voila!

Summer Teen Volunteers

Good morning everyone! Happy 3rd of July ( hence all libraries are closed on the 4th) I want to share with you some fun tips to deal with summer volunteers, the benefits of having your teen volunteer, and what volunteering entails:
1. Volunteering at a library enhances the teens social skills for the workplace. They learn how to gain confidence, public speaking skills, and also how to deal with random questions from the public.

2. Why not volunteer someone cool with central air during the summer heat?

3. They learn to give back to their community.

4. They learn to be role models for children and teens their age.

5. Scheduling your teen volunteers and having a consequence for " no shows" is a must.

6. Teach your teens about the library and how things are organized to help them improve skills needed for school and college.

Here is a 4th of July craft our teens helped us prepare at the library:

Summer State of Mind by Jen Calonita

My new favorite teen author wrote a lovely book about rich girls, summer camp, and staying true to who you are. As our main "it girl,"  Harper gets in trouble for double maxing out her American Express, she is sent off to Sleepaway Camp at Whispering Pines. It is here that she needs to get used to being the odd girl out where her "girly" traditions of scented candles and makeup just won't cut it with all the other campers, or "lifers," as she calls them.
She soon finds a way for the entire camp to win a special prize that they all long for, but then makes a bad decision that puts the campers against her and ruins their chances in a once in a lifetime contest.
Can she still gain back their friendship and remain who she is? Will the campers and her love interest forgive her?

Jen Calonita 

A lovely book about friendships, summer camp and a little romance too! Teens of all ages will enjoy this fun book!

It's Showtime at Your Library

 Summer is in full swing. Our wonderful and talented part time staff at East Los Angeles created this fun decor to match the theme. I hope all of you have registered for your local summer reading program at your library. Teens, kids, and adults get free books for reading and completing activities. Some libraries even offer raffles! Get to it!

Summer reading 

Rules of Summer by Joana Philbin

There are definitely two sides to every summer with this perfect summer book set on the prestigious East Coast. It  features two wonderful teen characters Rory and Isabel. When the two of them meet it is not friendship at first sight, as Rory is working as an assistant for Isabel's family during the summer. Also, Isabel is a girl who plays by her own rules and sneaks into the house through Rory's bedroom.

The turn of events featuring both of the girls' love lives are a something you don't want to miss and the author does a perfect job of showing us the perspective of both worlds. I can wait to read the next one in this series.

Perfect Beach Reads

Ahhh summer? Will our June gloom every give up so we can see some sunshine? Well, the great thing about books is that we can dive into any kind of weather simply by opening a summer read. I've been listening to a fun audiobook titled The Rules of Summer. Our main gal, Rory goes to work for a posh family in the Hamptons; The Rules. She soon gets thrown into their world of money, fancy restaurants, and eventually finds a love interest of her own; Connor Rule. Will she be able to enjoy herself working and playing in the same household?
This is the perfect beach read! Enjoy!

Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin

Great books for Moms

Hello all! Happy Memorial Weekend. The weather will be wonky this lovely three day weekend, so what a great time to catch up on reading for us women- whether we are moms, aunties, single or the like... married without children. You can read by the pool or indoors when the rain comes down on Sunday
( according to Dallas Rains aka So. Cal's Weather Dude).

 Here are a few of the picks on my list for adults... Some older teens may enjoy these books also! 🙋

Teen Summer Reading

Can you believe it's almost Memorial Weekend? In California, that means it is time for sun, surf, sand and summer reading!
I've been listening to a fantastic teen audio book titled Rules of Summer, by Joanna Philbin. The perfect summer read about a teen named Rory who escapes to work for The Rule Family, an elite family who lives near the Hamptons. What I love about this story, is that it gives the perspective of two different teens; one working as an assistant who doesn't come from much and the other a spoiled rich girl, who is part of the Rule family and has been in plenty of trouble and is about to stir up more. Both delve into steamy summer romances but can the two teens live under the same roof in peace?
This author has written multiple summer themed books that you should check out.
Make sure you take advantage of your summer reading program at multiple libraries throughout the nation. You can win prizes, free books, and enjoy free movies as well. Most programs start in June.

Rules of Summer- Book One 

Happy reading!

Mad Hatter Tea Party Library Program

As most of you know, we threw an amazing Mad Hatter Tea Party with the help of our creative part-time staff. Our library program was a success!

Here's the agenda
1. Children listened to the picture book version of Alice in Wonderland
2. I then printed out pictures on cardstock beforehand and shared information about the author, Lewis Carroll, how Walt Disney was inspired to create the movie Alice in Wonderland, and small tidbits about the ride at Disneyland.
3. Children were asked to make a house with playing cards at four different tables in groups. * This proved to be a little difficult as the table cloths were slippery. This activity would be better on the carpet with older kids.
4. We then created our Mad Hatter hats out of paper, felt, feathers, and random stickers.
5. Children played a Red Queen tossing game and could take their picture with our lovely Chesire Cat as a backdrop.
Everyone had a great time. Comment below if you have questions or would like to see more.


#madhatterteaparty
#childrensbooks
#aliceinwonderland

See You on a Starry Night by Lisa Schroeder - Tween Book Review

I've read many books by tween and teen author Schroeder and this one didn't disappoint. This is a great title for young teens that are dealing with divorce for the first time and navigating the waters of moving to a new school or town.
The main character Juliet has recently moved to San Diego, after her parents recent divorce. She still has time to adjust and relax before school starts up again. She meets a quirky friendly gal named Emma who suggest they send a message in a bottle across the ocean to see who will answer. They are surprised that this individual wants to start a club based on making wishes happen for people in need. Juliet soon discovers that she too has wishes to still strive for and things to overcome as she deals with her new beginning in a new town. Schroeder's writing is poetic, entertaining, and detailed. The series will continue in her upcoming book, "Wish on All The Stars," which will be released in July 2019! We can't wait!

Photo by: Lisa Schroeder

Free audio books

The other day, I was having a conversation with a young mother about audio books and was surprised to hear that her family pays for them through Amazon and other online forums. Did you know that your local library has FREE audio books and e-books for children, teens and tweens? Yes, of course you may have to hold popular titles ( and wait a bit for them to arrive) but the great thing about this is that you get an email when the book is available and you don't have to return them... they return themselves! Oh and did I mention... it's free!!!
A couple of things to remember:
1. You should have a library card from your local library in good standing. 
2. Usually you have to download a free app like Overdrive or something similar
3. Books can take up a lot of your phone's memory, so instead of downloading them use the read in browser feature. 
Have fun! Comment below if you have any questions!

How to throw an Easter Egg Hunt at a Library

Hello all... we just finished an amazing egg hunt with about 458 guests at our library. Decorations were made by our talented part time staff, Mari, Kayla, Lesley, Leslie, and our volunteers assisted with the painting.
We ran four different rounds with four different age groups... Did we have enough eggs? No. However to minimize, we did an egg exchange where kids could exchange two eggs for candy ( lets not do chocolate next time; it melts) and one egg for a pencil, eraser, sticker or ice cream.
The kids had a good time with a few that didn't get eggs, so we just handed them something small like a sticker as a fill in prize.
Next year... I think we need to do sign-ups. LOL
Happy Wednesday everyone.
Questions? Comment below

Friday Funday!

Hooray! It's Friday. My favorite day of the week. Well, at least when I have Saturday off it is. I just completed a class visit, and have begun gearing up for an upcoming Mad Hatter's Tea Party happening in late April. I just wanted to share my paper tea cups with you and this fun picture book based on Lewis Carroll's  "Alice in Wonderland." What sort of things are you planning in your classrooms or libraries? Comment below.

Books I Want to Read and Review

Hello! Happy Tuesday everyone! There are a few books that have been popping up in my feeds that I am eager to read. Many of them are for older teens and some are at the middle grade level... Tell me what you're reading and comment below.
Here are a few of the well done covers from my picks of the month. Oh, and did I say...COMMENT and let me know what you're reading? Well! Do it...

Lucky by Rachel Vail

This is a book that has been out for sometime, but is still noteworthy and fresh. Rachel Vail writes a fantastic middle school story about what it is like to have everything you could want and more, only to then suddenly have your world rattled. Our main character Phoebe is planning an elaborate graduation party with a group of her popular rich friends, when suddenly her mom loses her job and Phoebe struggles to put up with a happy face that everyone always expects from her. With the help of her sisters, her friends, and some inner strength... she learns the true meaning of what money can't buy. Will it cost her friendship? Will it cost her love? Or will it be one of the toughest lessons she will ever have to learn? Read up to find out. 
This is book one of the Avery Sisters... I just might read the rest. Comment below!

A great book for middle schoolers and young teens.

Spring Break Fever! Comment below

It's Spring Break! And you know what that means? Time to hit the beach, park, or somewhere fun with a great book and lemonade in hand. If you live in Cali. the weather is fine and the books are in line. There's my attempt at a rhyme, lol!
Comment below what your teen or tween is reading this spring or any moms out there who care to share... tell us too!

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

This was a well written read by Meg Medina that is perfect for 4-5th graders. Younger readers might enjoy it as a read aloud, however the serious topic of Alzheimer's Disease will need to be touched upon. I enjoyed the character Merci very much. Merci is finding herself with new school challenges and learning how to cope with mean Edna, as she learns of something very serious happening with her grandfather.Understanding her role in the family is something she struggles with and is very relateable.  She has spunk very similar to Ramona Quimby and loves her family dearly. Medina is a very skilled children's author who is descriptive in her word choice and entertaining at best.

Your Tween or Teen Doesn't Like to Read?

Hello parents and friends,
Lately I have been hearing from several patrons that their child just isn't interested in reading. This is hard for me to hear, especially since as a young girl, I often had my nose in a book. Sometimes it was a book, I was not supposed to be reading. My older sister Jacque often had a Harlequinn romance novel or the title, "Elvis and Me," on her nightstand and the ever curious child, I would take a look.
My mom never discouraged this completely, she would just say... "You're too young to read that book." Parents, you can make the judgement call on this, but be aware... wouldn't you rather have then see it in a book then actual live it or watch it on television?
Here are a few tips for those of you with teens/tweens who do not like to read:

1. Ask your child what movies they like and select a book similar to this movie. You can also select the movie adaptation of a book they are wanting to see.

2. Have the child choose their own books. Pick four or five books that you know are their reading level and let them have at it. Insisting that they must choose one.

3. Take your child to a local bookstore. Make a day of it! Barnes and Noble and other small chain bookstores often have a small cafe inside. Snack on a cookie or sip on a fresh lemonade while browsing for books.

4. Ask your friendly librarian!

5. Comment on this post for some suggestions.

Here are some of my favorites for reluctant readers of all ages: 

1. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick; Grades 4-7

2. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous; Grades 9-12 * Parental advisement on this one for content! 

3. I, Funny by Patterson; Grades 4-8th

4. If I Were You by Leslie Margolis; Grades 5-6th.

5. And of course the tried and true, Captain Underpants, Rainbow Magic Fairies, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
COMMENT BELOW FOR IDEAS AND THOUGHTS!

St. Patrick's Day School Age Craft and Storytime

Top of the mornin' to ya! We are gearing up for St. Patty's Day early and I have a fun easy craft for you to host with children ages 4 and up. Read stories such as:
The Story of the Leprechaun by Katherine Tegen
The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray

You can create a fun cut out leprechaun as well.
For this craft aka art activity, I found a leprechaun template online, pasted him to green cardstock and will be adding small strips to the bottom with crepe paper in various colors: red, blue, green, yellow to create a windsock effect with tape attached to the back of the leprechaun.
* You can find the template here:
https://www.turrtle.com/leprechaun-template-printable/

I also found a template on Pinterest, "What's Your Leprechaun Name?" 
You can ask kids to take a look at the first letter of their name and birth month, according to the chart to create their leprechaun name. My name happens to be Ruxbin O'Wee!



Enjoy and comment below if you have questions
#stpattysday #leprechauncrafts #LauraMurray #KatherineTeganbooks #StPatricksdaycrafts

What am I reading this March and why you should care?

March is here, can you believe it? The weather is still cold and rainy, so what a perfect time to head to your local bookstore with a coffee and shop for books. Or.... perhaps you would prefer sitting at home, curled up with books you borrowed for free at the library. Well here are a few fun titles to try this month whatever your  preference may be.:

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Award Winning Author Meg Medina for tweens
The audio book is great by the way! 

Past Perfect by editor queen Leila Sales for grades 8-12

29 Dates by Award Winning Teen Author Melissa de la Cruz for older teens

Why should you care? Comment on this post, subscribe to my blog, and you will be entered into a contest to receive a free book!