Kids' Book Spotlight - Spooky Stories Picture Books and Early Readers

What is a ghost’s favorite dessert?
– Boo-berry pie with ice scream!

Picture Books

Scary, Scary Halloween 
by Eve Bunting

A band of trick-or-treaters and a mother cat and her kittens spend a very scary Halloween.

Three Little Ghosties
by Pippa Goodhart

Three mischievous ghosts love scaring little children, until the children decide to take matters into their own hands.

10 Trick-or-Treaters: A Halloween Counting Book
by Janet Schulman 

Ten trick-or-treaters start out on Halloween night, but they disappear one-by-one as they encounter a spider, a vampire, a ghost, and other scary creatures.

Scaredy Squirrel Prepare for Halloween
by Melanie Watt

I, Scaredy Squirrel, have put together a collection of helpful safety tips and step-by-step instructions to guide you through common Halloween obstacles such as carnivorous plants, haunted houses and encountering the infamous Frankenstein.

I Spy Spooky Night: A Book of Picture Riddles
by Walter Wick

Get ready to I Spy in a haunted house with lots of creepy riddles to solve!








Early Readers

Beneath the Bed and Other Scary Stories
by Max Brallier

The kids at school dare John to visit the old house on the hill at night, and when he and his sister go in they find dusty dishes set on the table, a book open like it is waiting for a reader, and something hiding under the bed in the attic--and that is only one of the five scary stories with unexpected twists that are included in this collection.

Inside a House that is Haunted
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

A cumulative rhyme in which the spider, ghost, cat, and other inhabitants of a haunted house wake up and startle each other.

Spooky Friends
by Jane Feder

Scarlet the vampire and Igor the mummy are friends, even though they can never agree on what they want to do or anything else--except that they are best friends.

Katie's Spooky Sleepover
by Fran Manushkin

Katie's friends have come for a sleepover, and telling a scary story seems like a good idea--until she has a dream about a monster under her bed, and she wakes up to find her lucky kimono missing.

Never Kick a Ghost and Other Silly Chillers
by Judy Sierra

A collection of spooky stories and games based on folklore.








Amy Billings
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Halloween Trivia Night for Adults - Online!

 

Are you a trivia buff? Is your brain full of miscellaneous facts that are just dying to be appreciated?

Then join us for FCPL’s new Adult Online Trivia Night and test your trivia mettle! Play solo, or with a team (virtually speaking!). You do not need to have a working webcam to play. All you need for fantastic trivia fun are audio and the ability to view slides on a screen!

This program will be offered via FCPL's GoToMeeting platform, and registration is required.  Register here to receive an email with the login and additional information prior to the program.​

Our first program will be Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at 7:00-8:00 p.m.  Join us for some Halloween trivia fun!

If you like your trivia a little on the eclectic side, check out these trivia and fact books: 

The Encyclopedia of Misinformation : a Compendium of Imitations, Spoofs, Delusions, Simulations, Counterfeits, Impostors, Illusions, Confabulations, Skullduggery, Frauds, Pseudoscience, Propaganda, Hoaxes, Flimflam, Pranks, Hornswoggle, Conspiracies & Miscellaneous Fakery

by Sorgatz, Rex

The Green Witch : Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More

by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The Killer Book of Cold Cases: Incredible Stories, Facts, and Trivia from the Most Baffling True Crime Cases of All Time 

by Tom Philbin

UFO FAQ : All That's Left to Know About Roswell, Aliens, Whirling Discs, and Flying Saucers

by David J. Hogan

A Witch's Halloween : a Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore

by Gerina Dunwich

Who Is the Doctor 2 : the Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who, the Modern Series

by Graeme Burk

Stay tuned . . . More adult trivia fun will be coming in November and December!

Jeanne McMahan
Information Specialist, MLIS
#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay - Adult Fiction

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay

After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. She is broke, under FBI investigation, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she comes home to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup then move on as quickly as possible. Yet, as friends and family welcome her back, Alyssa begins to see a place for herself in this small Midwestern community.

This is an awesome book!  Of Literature and Lattes is the first book I've read by Katherine Reay and it will not be the last. This book took me back home. Although not from Winsome, Illinois, I felt a connection to the town's sincere nature. Everyone recognizes and shows genuine concern for one another.  The emotions that hit the surface while I read made me feel like I was back home. I really enjoyed the authenticity of Reay's characters. They were so brilliantly imperfect and I enjoyed their determination to find effective solutions. As in any good story, there's a lot happening; just enough to keep the reader intrigued, yet not overwhelmed. I was amazed at all of the facets of the book and was sorry to see the story end. Hopefully, Katherine Reay will return to Winsome, Illinois, in a sequel.

Sharesa Lacey
Information Specialist
Cumming Library
#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed - Juvenile Graphic Novel

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

When Stars are Scattered is a graphic novel for middle grade kids that tells a story based on the lives of two brothers, Omar and Hassan. At age four, Omar and his younger brother became orphaned refugees from their home in Somalia to a camp in Kenya. With the help of a loving foster mother, Omar cares for his special needs brother, Hassan. He struggles through his childhood, growing up in the "open prison" of Dadaab, yet always filled with the hope of relocating to America. The artwork and writing of this book beautifully develop the characters, who will win a place in your heart.

Julie Boyd

Youth Services Supervisor

Cumming Library

#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

If I had to guess which juvenile chapter book I recommend more than any other to elementary students it would be The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Inspired by a true story, it’s an anthropomorphic middle-grade novel about a silverback western lowland gorilla named Ivan who spent twenty-seven years in a 14'x14' enclosure as a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall attraction. This story is told from the unique perspective of Ivan himself as he tackles the universal themes of friendship, artistic expression, and hope. Not surprisingly, Disney recently released a star-studded film adaptation, which has made this book all the more popular at FCPL lately.  

I’ve never met a child or adult who didn’t love this book, but it seems to be especially appealing to 3rd-5th graders who are reluctant readers. In addition to the delightful characters, humor, and emotional plot, this book is written in a very sparse style with short chapters and plenty of white space on each page which seems to make it much easier to read by kids who are hesitant to pick up a book for fun. 

I have witnessed elementary students who say they “hate reading” change their tune after reading this book, so I am thrilled to share that Katherine Applegate’s highly anticipated sequel, The One and Only Bob, was published earlier this year and is now in our collection in print, CD book, eBook, and eAudiobook. It’s told from the point of view of Ivan’s best friend, Bob, a spunky little stray dog who embarks on a hero’s journey to find his long-lost sister with the aid of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had, and he learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

You may find a moderate waitlist for any version of either of these titles, but I guarantee they are well worth the wait. 

Leslie 
Youth Specialist 
#WeKnowBooks 

Kids' Book Spotlight - Fabulous Fantasy Teen Books

"I'm half living my life between reality and fantasy at all times." ~ Lady Gaga

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

The Seeking Serum
by Frank L. Cole

As the fight intensifies between B.R.E.W and the Scourges, it falls to Gordy and his friends to unite the potion-making community and stop Mezzarix from plunging the world back into the Dark Ages.

Riverland
by Fran Wilde

When their parents fight, sisters Eleanor and Mike hide, whispering stories and hoping house magic will protect them, until the night a river carries them to a place of dreams and nightmares.

  Charlie Hernandez and the Castle of Bones

  by Ryan Calejo

   When Queen Joanna is kidnapped Charlie and Violet set out across South America to find her and discover a conspiracy to raise the dead.

 

Anya and the Dragon
by Sofiya Pasternack

In an alternate ninth century, twelve-year-old Anya and a new friend face a Viking and a tsar to protect the water dragon that saved her life, putting her family's home at risk.

Epoca
by Ivy Pochoda

Set in an alternative classical world dominated by sports and a magical power called grana, this is the story of two children: the orphaned outcast Rovi and the crown princess Pretia, who uncover and battle terrible evil and discover their inner strength along the way. It takes place at the most elite sports academy in the land, where the best child-athletes are sent to hone their skills. When Rovi and Pretia arrive, each harboring a secret about themselves, they begin to suspect that something malicious is at play at the school. In the course of their first year, they must learn to master their grana in order to save the world.

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

  Seven Endless Forests

  by April Genevieve Tucholke

Torvi and Morgunn must learn to survive on their own after a plague sweeps through their steading. They hear rumors of Uther, a Fremish wolf-priest, and a band of girls who move through Vorseland searching for recruits. When Uther captures Morgunn, Torvi teams up with a band roving Elsh artists called the Butcher Bard to rescue her sister-- or die trying.

    

  A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
  by Roseanne Brown

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal-kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia's freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic ... requiring the beating heart of a king.

   

   So This is Love
   by Elizabeth Lim

What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king's visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king--and the prince--out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it's too late.

   

   Layoverland
   by Gabby Noone

When seventeen-year-old Beatrice arrives in Purgatory and is chosen to help others reach Heaven, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Caleb, with whom she shares a tragic history.

   

   Chain of Gold
   by Cassandra Clare

Cordelia Carstairs, a Shadowhunter trained to battle demons, travels with her brother to London where they reconnect with childhood friends but soon must face devastating demon attacks in the quarantined city.

    






  Stephani Lindsey
  Youth Specialist
  #WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - Fantastic Fantasy Chapter Books

“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

The Truth About Bigfoot
by Tracy Sue Walker

The Kids for Truth About Magical Creatures are tired of magical animals stealing the show. When their science field trip turns into a mission to find Bigfoot, they realize he’s been upstaging the forest animals of Peaceful Pine State Park since he arrived—and brought the paparazzi with him. Will the KTMC be able to prove Bigfoot is no big deal? Or will they discover that his magic goes far beyond his massive footprint?

Mermaid School
by Lucy Courtenay

New to Lady Sealia Foam's Mermaid School, Marnie Blue worries about fitting in and doing the right thing when a classmate is in danger.

Monster and Boy
by Hannah Barnaby

When Monster (who lives under the bed) meets Boy (who sleeps in the bed), the boy starts to scream--and Monster promptly swallows him. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Stoop Sale Treasure
by Corey Ann Haydu

Del loves lots of things! The Curious Cousins Secondhand Shoppe. Ginormous family dinners. And of course, her best-friend-cousin, Alma. Alma loves her abuelita’s tasty empanadas. Her old home by the lake. And soon, she’ll love living in the same place as her best-friend-cousin, Del. Yet despite having Del by her side, Alma isn’t quite sure she fits in with their family at 86 ½ Twenty-Third Avenue. When Del finds a special item at a neighbor’s stoop sale, she gets so excited by the magic luck it brings—but doesn’t see that it’s driving the two best friends apart. Will family, friendship, and maybe a little everyday magic be enough to make things right again?

How to Test A Friendship
by Theanne Griffith

With the help of a fun, odd scientist, third graders Violet, Pablo, and Deepak embark on an adventure in the Maker Maze, a magical laboratory full of robots, an antigravity chamber, 3D printers, and more.





Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

The Dragon Egg Princess
by Ellen Oh

A magicless boy, a fierce bandit leader, and a lost princess must join forces to save their worlds from foreign forces and a long-forgotten evil that lurks in an ancient magical forest.

Confessions of a Dork Lord
by Mike Johnston

Twelve-year-old Wick, a warlock-in-training with allergies, sets out to prove that he is ready for his great and terrible destiny--to fill the shoes of his late father, the Dark Lord.

A Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat

All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free.

Escape from Hat
by Adam Kline

   We all have good luck and bad, courtesy of our very own lucky rabbits and black cats. Most people never even notice them. Cecil Bean had certainly never noticed his villainous cat, Millikin, or his devoted rabbit, Leek. At least not until Millikin hatched a deliciously evil plan to have Leek vanish within a magician's hat, leaving Cecil with no good luck at all. Thrown into a shadowy, perilous world, Leek will stop at nothing to return to his boy--even though no rabbit has ever escaped the land of Hat before. 

   The Shadow Arts

   by Damien Love

  

   A few months ago, Alex's world changed...forever. Now, just when it seems life is almost getting back to normal, Alex's grandfather crashes back into the picture with grave news: their friend Harry has fallen into the clutches of a familiar foe, and the old man needs Alex's help to rescue him. This time, the duo's desperate dash across Europe leads from Paris deep into Germany's foreboding Black Forest, as they chase down the mystery Harry had been investigating when he disappeared. A series of art thefts has made headlines across the continent, but the thieves are after more than priceless paintings. In the wrong hands, these stolen artifacts could unlock an ancient secret bigger than anything Alex ever dreamed of. If they can't solve the riddle in time, innocent lives - and even history itself - could be at stake.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist 

#WeKnowBooks

Friends Bookstores Reopen October 1, 2020

FCPL Friends and Advocates, a local non-profit organization, announced today that its Friends Bookstores located inside the Cumming, Post Road, and Sharon Forks Libraries will reopen on Thursday, October 1 with masks required and the number of shoppers limited.

Maximum Capacity for Friends Bookstores Shoppers

The Friends Bookstores are located in enclosed spaces within the library, so shoppers will be limited in order to practice social distancing.

The Friends Bookstore inside the Cumming Library can accommodate up to four (4) people or one (1) family group.

The Friends Bookstore inside the Post Road Library can accommodate two (2) people or one (1) family group.

The Friends Bookstore inside the Sharon Forks Library can accommodate up to three (3) people or one (1) family group.

Book Donation Drives Coming Soon

Many Friends Bookstores shoppers and library patrons have inquired about donating materials. FCPL Friends and Advocates will host three donation drives:

• Saturday, September 26, 2020
  10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30040
  
  
• Saturday, October 3, 2020
  10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30041
  
  
• Saturday, October 10, 2020
  10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  Post Road Library, 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040

During these donation drives, FCPL Friends and Advocates will accept donated books, books on CD, music CDs, DVDs, vinyl music albums, and magazines (published within the last six months). 

Additional information about donating materials is available at forsythfol.org/donate.

Plan Your Visit to the Friends Bookstores

The Friends Bookstores at the Cumming, Post Road, and Sharon Forks libraries will be open during the Forsyth County Public Library's current operating hours as posted on the library's website. 

Please follow all posted instructions regarding wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and limiting the number of visitors to each store.

Thank You, Friends

Forsyth County Public Library wishes to thank all FCPL Friends and Advocates volunteers for their patience and their support as our community works together to slow the spread of COVID-19. We appreciate your willingness to host popup book sales outdoors while the Friends Bookstores were closed and we look forward to welcoming you all back to the library.

 

Kids' Book Spotlight - Fun Fantasy Picture Books and Early Readers

"Children see magic because they look for it." ~Christopher Moore

Picture Books

Bo the Brave
by Bethan Woollvin

A feisty little girl learns who the real monsters are in this brilliantly funny medieval adventure. Once, there lived a little girl called Bo. Bo wanted to be just like her brothers and capture a fearsome monster. Bo is small, too small to catch a monster--or so her brothers say. But Bo isn't one to take no for an answer, so she sets off on a quest to catch a monster of her own. Can she defeat the furious griffin, conquer the hideous kraken, and triumph over the monstrous dragon? Or has Bo got the wrong idea who the real monsters are?

The Bold, Brave Bunny
by Beth Ferry

After his brothers and sisters ruin his favorite alphabet book, Teetu the bunny has had enough of his big bunny family! When he sneaks off into the night, what he discovers is more marvelous than he ever dreamed. He sees animals and trees and beauty and moonlight, and puts his adventures into a new book he creates all by himself. But soon Teetu tires of being alone, and just as it gets to be too much...a big fluffy surprise comes to save the day!

When My Brother Gets Home
by Tom Lichtenheld

In this warm, funny story from beloved creator Tom Lichtenheld, a younger sister impatiently awaits her older brother's return from school. As his bus draws closer, she imagines all the fantastical adventures that await them. From climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in the playground to building a cardboard castle, every adventure, large or small, is more fun . . . when my brother gets home.

Fairy Science
by Ashley Spires

All the fairies in Pixieville believe in magic--except Esther. She believes in science. When a forest tree stops growing, all the fairies are stumped--including Esther. But not for long! Esther knows that science can get to the root of the problem--and its solution!




Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales
by Jen Campbell

It's Franklin's birthday! Luna and all the villagers are planning a surprise party, and Franklin's family are visiting from the moon. While the party is being set up, Luna takes Franklin book shopping. They find a padlocked book of fairy tales, which the bookseller tells them is full of dangerous magic. Luna's tortoise, Neil, can't help picking the lock but when he peers inside, the book swallows him whole. Franklin and Luna dive into the book to rescue Neil. They tumble into cobwebbed forests and meet dusty fairy-tale characters who have been trapped inside these pages for hundreds of years. After several encounters and some narrow escapes, they finally find Neil who has won a gold medal after racing a hare and, all together, they break out of the book and into the real world.

Early Readers

Uni Goes to School
by Amy Rosenthal

Uni is eager to learn how to use her horn to fix things, but her teacher, Mr. Wise, says she must practice her magic and also use her heart.

Peter Pan
by Christy Webster

Wendy flies to Never Land with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell! Can they escape from Captain Hook?

The Big Birthday Surprise!
by Delphine Finnegan

Nella the Princess Knight tries to make Sir Garret's birthday wish come true.

Good Night, Good Knight 
by Shelley Thomas

A Good Knight helps three little dragons who are having trouble getting to sleep.

Rafi and Rosi Pirates!

   by Lulu Delacre

Rafi and Rosi, two curious tree frogs, explore Puerto Rico's El Morro Fort, where they pretend to be pirates in battle, find pirate treasure, and discover a haunted sentry box.





Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist 
#WeKnowBooks