'Tis the Season for Mystery!

Have you seen the new Enola Holmes movie on Netflix? Interested in Sherlock Holmes?

Try the following takes on the famous detective:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

This book kicks off a series in which a retired Holmes joins scholar Mary Russell and begins a meaningful and unexpected partnership with her as they work together to stop criminals in their tracks.  

 

The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard S. Goldberg

This series explores the detective work of a previously unknown daughter of Holmes who shows much of the same brilliance of her famous father. She is married to Dr. Watson, Jr. and works together with the two Drs. Watson to solve baffling mysteries. 

 

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

This book is the first to be officially sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate as an authorized Sherlock Holmes mystery. It features Holmes, Watson, and Mrs. Hudson together again in an entirely new and surprising adventure while still including many nods to the original stories.  

Amy Whitten

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - Juvenile Collection Staff Favorites from Sharon Forks

The Youth Services staff at Sharon Forks branch wants to share their favorite books with you! Here are our favorite chapter books. Stop by and let us know how you enjoyed them!

Beginning Chapter Books

Dory Fantasmagory

by Abby Hanlon

Dory, the youngest in her family, is a girl with a very active imagination, and she spends the summer playing with her imaginary friend, pretending to be a dog, battling monsters, and generally driving her family nuts.

~ Ms. Cleo

Princess in Black

by Shannon Hale

Who says princesses don't wear black? When trouble raises its blue monster head, Princess Magnolia ditches her flouncy dresses and becomes the Princess in Black!

~Ms. Amy

Chicken Squad

by Doreen Cronin

When the squirrel Tail comes barreling into the chicken coop ranting about a round, shiny, green, big, scary thing in the yard, Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, and Sugar investigate this strange object.

~Ms. Steph

Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows

by Asia Citro

A girl, Zoey, and her cat, Sassafras, use science experiments to help a dragon with a problem.

~Ms. Stephani

The Haunted Library

by Dori Hillestad Butler

When ghost boy Kaz's haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire has a special ability to see ghosts when other humans cannot and she and Kaz quickly form a friendship.

~Ms. Stephani

Chapter Books

A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

The Pickles are new to Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, a town which legend says was once magic--but Felicity is convinced the magic is still there, and with the help of her new friend Jonah the Beedle she hopes to bring the magic back.

~ Ms. Amy

Three Times Lucky

by Shelia Turnage

Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a café and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

~Ms. Cleo

Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World

by Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

Jack and his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, are not your typical kids—they’re geniuses. Well, Ava and Matt are. Ava speaks multiple languages and builds robots for fun, and Matt is an expert astronomer and math whiz. As for Jack, it’s hard to stand out when surrounded by geniuses all the time.

~Ms. Steph

Field Trip to Niagara Falls

by Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton recounts his trip to Niagara Falls when he accompanies some young mice there as part of a school field trip.

~ Ms. Anu

All the Impossible Things

by Lindsay Lackey

Red's inexplicable power over the wind comes from her mother. Whenever Ruby "Red" Byrd is scared or angry, the wind picks up. And being placed in foster care, moving from family to family, tends to keep her skies stormy. Red knows she has to learn to control it, but can't figure out how. This time, the wind blows Red into the home of the Grooves, a quirky couple who run a petting zoo, complete with a dancing donkey and a giant tortoise. With their own curious gifts, Celine and Jackson Groove seem to fit like a puzzle piece into Red's heart. But just when Red starts to settle into her new life, a fresh storm rolls in, one she knows all too well: her mother. For so long, Red has longed to have her mom back in her life, and she's quickly swept up in the vortex of her mother's chaos. Now Red must discover the possible in the impossible if she wants to overcome her own tornadoes and find the family she needs.                          ~Ms. Stephani

The Night Diary 

by Veera Hiranandani

Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary.

~Ms. LeAnne

The War that Saved my Life 

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.

~Ms. LeAnne

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Grandparent Book Club: Connecting with Children Through Books

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting visits with families, grandparents are missing quality time with their grandchildren whether they be near or far. A way to stay in touch, have special time together, and support literacy development can all be accomplished through a virtual Grandparent Book Club! Grandparents can set up Zoom, Skype, or Facetime meetings to talk about favorite books with their grandkids. Reading a good night story to young children, talking about a chapter book with an elementary-age child, or having a deep discussion with a teen over a classic novel builds a bond and encourages lifelong learning and the love of reading. Ask any library staff member for reading suggestions or ask your grandchild for the names of their required reading titles for school so you can read them together!

Here are some book suggestions to share and discuss for grandchildren of all ages!

PreK to Early Elementary:

Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter

The only rule in Larry's book is that the reader not push the button, but when no one is looking, it may be irresistible.

The Boy Who Loved Bananas by George Elliott

Matthew goes to the zoo and has fun watching the monkeys. The monkeys only eat bananas, so Matthew does, too.  Will he become a monkey?

Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann

A little girl who is obsessed with the color pink eats so many pink cupcakes that she herself turns pink.

The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak

In this book with no pictures, the reader has to say every silly word, no matter what.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

At sunset, when their work is done for the day, a crane truck, a cement mixer, and other pieces of construction equipment make their way to their resting places and go to sleep.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead

Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his friends who live at the zoo until the day he stays home because he is sick.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who the awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.

Elementary Grade Chapter Books:

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself.

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

A streetwise city mouse and his cat friend meet a country cricket who has a hidden talent.

I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis

Readers are taken back in time to various disasters that happened in history. 

The Boxcar Children Mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The four Alden children--Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny-- find a mystery wherever they go. The adventure begins when they discover an abandoned boxcar and make it their home.

Teen, Middle and High School Books:

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

The thirteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married off.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempts to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Holly Raus

Youth Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: From an Animal's Perspective

Have you ever wondered how another species thinks? Do they have feelings similar to humans? I am not trying to anthropomorphize other animals or tell you what your dog is thinking. However, it is interesting to consider how the world around us reacts to things compared to ourselves. The following books are all by authors who closely studied varied animals, some scientifically and others on a more personal level, and considered what they may feel or be going through from the animal's perspective. Humans may never fully understand the minds of other animals, but it is fun to think about.

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

Sy Montgomery is a prolific author and naturalist who has traveled the world learning about species as varied as the octopus, Golden Moon Bear, Pink Dolphins, and the ordinary pig. In this book, she retells her experiences following the lives of a number of octopuses housed at the New England Aquarium. She was so intrigued by her first exposure to an animal species so different from our own that she continued researching them. Likewise, the title of this book intrigued me and did not disappoint. It will provide you with a new understanding of the octopus beyond where its mouth is and how it eats, including how it senses people and the world around it. Sy Montgomery has also written many titles for younger readers who have an interest in researching animals.

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

The author, a falconer, decides to try to train a goshawk after losing her father. This is a detailed account of her trials and tribulations of working with the bird as she works through her grief. She often refers to T. H. White's book, The Goshawk, and the challenges he faced in doing the same. The goshawk, Mabel, turns out to be the perfect mix of challenge and responsibility the author needs to move on with her life. Regardless of how animals perceive us, they often provide us with what we need. The author just published her second book, Vesper Flights, which is a collection of essays on various aspects of bird life.

The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrick Svensson

As the publisher describes the book: "Part H is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world's most elusive fish - the eel - and a reflection on the human condition." The Book of Eels was recently published and received much acclaim. The author shares the history of the European eel from the days of Aristotle to today, as well as his own experiences fishing for them while growing up in Sweden. You will follow their elusive path from the Sargasso Sea to Europe and back again. Amazingly, little has been known of eels and their life cycle until the past century, despite being familiar to mankind throughout history.

The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs are Smarter Than You Think by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods

This book takes a look into the behavior and biology of dogs and how science is trying to better understand them. Dogs have been a part of our lives for so long, yet only recently have we realized their multi-faceted potential for helping us. Their potential lies far beyond seeing eye dogs and therapy dogs as they can detect not just drugs or bombs but identify medical conditions and alert owners to a pending event or the need for a diagnosis. I was fortunate enough to get to hear the author, Brian Hare, speak about his book in person at the Decatur Book Festival a few years back. Brian Hare works with the Duke Canine Cognitive Center based out of Duke University. He is truly passionate about his work... a true calling!

And speaking of dogs, on the fictional side I just finished a novel entitled Good Dogs Don't Make It to the South Pole, by Hans Olav Thyvold. The book is set in Norway and the author uses a dog, Tassen, as narrator. Tassen describes his new relationship with a widow, Mrs. THorkildsen, after his master, Major Thorkildsen, passes away. A dark yet hilarious and sentimental read for anyone who has ever owned a dog. As Mrs. Thorkildsen was a former librarian, they bond by reading books about Roald Amundsen and his expedition to the South Pole. Be forewarned of a less than pleasant fate for man and dog on the expedition. Nonetheless, the book is an enjoyable read and makes it difficult not to wonder what your dog is thinking or trying to tell you.

Joan
Information Services Supervisor
#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary.

So begins one of the most famous poems by an American writer – The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.  

Here are a few facts about this well-known and creepy rhyme. 

Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 and died in 1849 at the age of forty. Though officially the cause of his death is unknown, historians have theorized that disease, alcoholism, substance abuse, or suicide are all likely causes. 

Edgar Allan Poe is famous for Gothic fiction like The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, and many other well-known works.  

It is true that ravens can mimic human speech and some can perform even better than parrots. Poe even considered using an owl or a parrot as the subject for his poem. 

Poe's poems like The Raven and Annabel Lee allude to lost love. In fact, Poe’s wife Virginia was suffering from tuberculous while he was writing The Raven. She passed away two years after its publication. (Speaking of Poe’s wife, young Virginia Clemm was only thirteen when she married her cousin, twenty-seven-year-old Edgar.)    

Though Poe was one of the first American writers to make a career of writing, copyright laws at the time kept him near poverty. On January 29, 1894 The Raven first appeared in print in The New York Evening Mirror.  Poe earned $9 for its publication but after that initial publication, periodicals across the United States reprinted the poem without compensating the author. Poe tried to capitalize on his success by teaching poetry writing techniques that he claimed to have used in creating The Raven, though the claim is widely disregarded.       

Check out FCPL’s rendition of The Raven shot by staff members at the Sharon Forks Library in our virtual Halloween program, The Haunted Library.  

Or read more of Poe’s works in these books. 

Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

All the classic spooky stories and poems! 

The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe by Stacy King 

A manga graphic novel version of Poe's classic tales, including the poem The Raven. 

His Hideous Heart: Thirteen of Edgar Allan Poe's Most Unsettling Tales Reimagined Edited by Dahlia Adler  

A version for today's teens. 

Mystery Writers of America Presents In the Shadow of the Master by Edgar Allan Poe

Sixteen works from the master, accompanied by essays from contemporary writers. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - Easy Collection Staff Favorites from Sharon Forks

The Youth Services staff at Sharon Forks branch wants to share their favorite books with you! Here are our favorite picture books and early readers. Stop by and let us know how you enjoyed them!

Picture Books

Bark, George

by Jules Feiffer

A mother dog tries to teach her pup how to bark, and is surprised at why he wasn't learning.

~Ms. Amy

Duck on a Bike

by David Shannon

A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on the farm to ride bikes too.

~Ms. Steph

Thanks from the Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

The very hungry caterpillar celebrates some of the things it's thankful for.

~Ms. Anu

Guess Again!

by Mac Barnett

For each round of guessing, readers are presented with a page of illustrations opposite a rhyming quatrain. The unexpected conclusion of the verse's final line is revealed on the next page.

~Ms. Cleo

Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble

by Diane Alber

This story is about a little boy who keeps hearing, "Never let a dinosaur scribble!" But in his heart believes that people just don't understand how beautiful scribbling can be. He wonders what would happen if he just gave him one crayon to scribble with, and realizes that the dinosaur had other ideas in mind! 

~Ms. Stephani

Chickens to the Rescue 

by John Himmelman

Six days a week the chickens help the Greenstalk family and their animals recover from mishaps that occur on the farm, but they need one day to rest.

~Ms. LeAnne

Early Readers

A Birthday for Cow 

by Jan Thomas

Despite the objections of Pig and Mouse, Duck insists on adding a special ingredient to the cake they are making to celebrate Cow's birthday.

~Ms. Amy and Ms. LeAnne

What is Inside THIS Box?

by Drew Daywalt

Monkey has a big box, which he tells Cake has a cat inside, but only when the box is closed; Cake suggest that maybe it is a dinosaur instead, and the two friends puzzle over how they can solve the problem of finding out what is in the box, if it is always empty when opened.

~Ms. Cleo

What is Chasing Duck?

by Jan Thomas

Duck's imagination gets the best of him when he asks his critter companions for help escaping a mysterious pursuer.

~Ms. Steph

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

by Mo Willems

Gerald the elephant has a big decision to make, but will he make it in time? 

~Ms. Anu

Emma Every Day: Party Problems

by C. L. Reid

Eight-year-old Emma is excited about her best friend Izzie's birthday party, but she is also a little worried because she is deaf and communicates through sign language, and her cochlear implant does not work well in noisy crowds.

~Ms. Stephani

The Good for Nothing Button! 

by Charise Harper

Yellow Bird has found a button and wants to share it with Red Bird and Blue Bird. This is just an ordinary button. It does not do anything when you press it. But when Red Bird and Blue Bird give it try, they are delighted to find that the button does not do nothing, and that is something!

~Ms. LeAnne

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks