News from Youth Services Category: Picks by Laura B.

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Annable Graham

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Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable book coverPeter and Ernesto are sloths that love looking at the sky from the top of their tree. Peter thinks there is nothing better than their tree and sky, but Ernesto wants to see more sky from all over the world. He decides to leave the tree and see the sky from the ocean, desert, forest, and more. When Ernesto leaves though, Peter is worried about his friend. He could get eaten by a bear! Should he try to find him? However, that means he would need to leave the tree and travel across scary bridges and dangerous ponds. With whales, monkeys, and parrots around to help, hopefully these 2 friends will find each other again in this fun graphic novel.

Book reviewed by Laura B., Youth Technology Librarian

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

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Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke book coverJack knows his summer vacation is going to be rough. His mom has to work a second job, which means he has to take care of his sister, Maddy. Maddy is autistic and doesn’t speak. Well, Jack thought that Maddy didn’t speak until she asks Jack for a box of seeds a strange man is selling at the flea market. Jack doesn’t have any money, but then the man says he will do a trade. Jack is okay with that, but he didn’t realize the trade was a box of odd seeds for his mom’s car. The next day, they start working on their garden and the plants that start growing are not normal tomatoes or onions. Instead, there are little onion babies walking around and dangerous mud throwing green hand-like plants. One night, a dragon even appears, but he has a dangerous warning for Jack. This warning could mean upsetting Maddy and making his summer worse. This graphic novel is filled with fantastical plants and animals.

Book reviewed by Laura B., Youth Technology Librarian

The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley

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Cover image for The Harlem charadeHow do a painting, a goat, a feather, and the neighborhood Harlem in New York City all go together? That is exactly what Jin, Alex, and Elvin are trying to figure out. It all started when this young boy finds a famous piece of artwork from an obscure Harlem Renaissance artist in a garden. Then, Elvin’s grandfather is attacked in that same garden and is in the hospital. Soon, they are working together to figure out what happened to Elvin’s grandfather while also trying to learn more about the found painting and the artist. Somehow they all seem to be linked and maybe that means there is more artwork to find. However, they aren’t the only ones that have thought of this. There are some adults also looking for it. If the wrong people get their hands on it, it could mean the end of Harlem as a neighborhood.

Book reviewed by Laura B., Youth Technology Librarian

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

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Cover image for Wolf Hollow : a novelAnnabelle has lived on her family’s farm in rural Pennsylvania her whole life. She lives in a nice house that has been in the family for a long time and she helps around their farm when needed. She is also friendly with her neighbors including Toby, a World War I veteran who lives in a shack and is always around to help when needed. He doesn’t speak much, but the whole small town knows that he is a nice guy. Then Betty Glengarry comes to live with her grandparents due to the current war, which we know as World War II. Betty is not nice. In fact, she is a bully and her main target is Annabelle. Betty’s grandparents and the town people all think Betty is a nice girl, so Annabelle thinks she has no one to talk to. One day, Annabelle attempts to be strong and stand up for herself and Betty does stop bullying her. However, Betty changes her target to Toby and soon the town is wondering if Toby is as nice as they thought.

Book reviewed by Laura B., Youth Technology Librarian

Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

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Cover image for Under the eggTheodora “Theo” Tenpenny knows a lot about artwork. Her grandfather was an artist and worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then, he passed away and left her a note telling her to “look under the egg.” What egg? Did he mean the painting that hangs in his art studio? It has a large egg on it. When she accidentally spills water on this painting, she finds that there is another painting; one that looks like it should be in a museum. How did her grandfather get this painting?  Did he do something illegal? Theo doesn’t know what to do. With the help of a new friend, Theo decides she must figure out what her grandfather did to get this painting and also clear his name if she needs to. This mystery has many twists and turns as well as some great information about art, World War II, and a special group called the Monuments Men.

Book reviewed by Laura B., Youth Technology Librarian