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Scary Stories to Read in the Dark Read-Alikes (Grades 3-8) | Reading List
The Scary Stories to Read in the Dark movie comes out today, and I’m expecting it to be VERY popular. Why? Because the book has been constantly checked out since May! Some kids are REALLY into horror books, but it can be difficult to find properly spooky children’s and tween books. The Scary Stories series is probably the best, especially if you get the edition with the classic illustrations by Stephen Gammell. However, there’s some other great options for kids who really need more scary books to read. Older teens could possible try out adult horror books (Stephen King, Anne Rice, etc.) but younger kids might not be ready for…
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How busy families can read more
We just finished our Summer Reading Club (SRC) at my library and this year we simplified things by having adults, teens, and children sign up using the same gamesheet. Our goal is to get people reading over the summer (and come to our library programs!), so the gamesheet tracks how many books OR how many hours each participant reads over the 7 weeks of SRC. It was a VERY successful program, with 500+ more sign-ups this year compared to last year– but a major bummer was how so MANY adults kept saying they didn’t have time to read. Even worse? How many of their teens and tweens who said they…
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20+ Diary of a Wimpy Kid Read-Alikes | Reading List
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is one of the best-loved kids book series and one of the most highly-requested in all of the public and school libraries I’ve worked in. Kids LOVE this series, and they’ll read them over and over again. There are currently 13 books in the series plus four movies, and if your kid hasn’t yet started reading them– they probably will soon. Kids who like Wimpy Kid usually like it because it’s funny, easy to read (large font and illustrations sprinkled throughout), has quirky characters who get into oddball situations, and it’s fast-paced and exciting. *This post contains affiliate links. Read our full…
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2019 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book | Scifi & Fantasy Finalists
The 2019 Hugo Award nominees were announced earlier this week, as well as the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book! The Hugo Awards are a set of yearly literary awards for the best science fiction or fantasy books and related works (like movies!). The winners are announced each year at a huge convention called Worldcon— this year it’s in Dublin– and the same committee also announces the Lodestar. Confusingly, the Lodestar award itself is not a Hugo award. It’s just the same people who nominate, vote, and announce the winners as the Hugos. Anyway. It’s a new award, just starting last year! Reading books from an awards list is…
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Lodestar Award Finalists & Winners Reading List
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Should your kids have their own library card?
I work at a public library which means I see a lot of different kinds of patrons. Some patrons come every day and hang out doing homework or just reading for fun. Some come every three weeks only to check out new books, and that’s it. And then there’s some who come every few months, usually for a program, and totally forget about all the other benefits a library card brings them. But all three patron types have a similar question: should they get their kids their own library cards, or should they use one main “family” library card for everyone? It’s free to get a card at my library,…
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Awesome books for Girl Scouts | Reading List
These books don’t necessarily star characters who are Scouts themselves, but they do match up with the Girl Scout mission of building girls of “courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” Even if you’re not a Scout (or don’t have Scouts in your family), these books are sure to inspire young readers and get them interested in changing the world for the better. This reading list includes books about scientists, pioneers, sleuths, adventurers, and strong and intelligent women both real and imagined. There are non-fiction books as well as fiction, with even a few graphic novels thrown in the mix! Reading levels range from kindergarten to…
