Bookmarked: Book Recommendations & News from Forsyth County Public Library

Showing posts with label FCPL Reading Challenge 2021. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FCPL Reading Challenge 2021. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

December 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Teen Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read a book from your "To Be Read" pile or give a book you didn't like a second chance. Finish off the year by reading a book from our Teen Collection that you have been meaning to read! Here are some selections from the staff at the Sharon Forks branch to get you started!

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

by R. J. Palacio

Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three menacing horsemen who take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool...who happens to be a ghost. When a pony shows up at his door, Silas makes the courageous decision to leave his home and embark on a perilous journey to find his father. Along the way, he will face his fears to unlock the secrets of his past and explore the unfathomable mysteries of the world around him.
Don't Tell the Nazis
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

It is June 1941 and after the brutal rule of the Soviets the people of Krystia's small Ukrainian village are inclined to look on the German invaders as liberators; but soon the Nazis start rounding up Jewish Ukrainians, and Krystia is faced with a terrible choice--risk everything by helping her Jewish friends and neighbors to hide, or save herself and her family by doing nothing.



Teen High (Grades 9-12)

by Cassandra Clare

Suddenly able to see demons and the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

by Jenna Black

Sixteen-year-old Nadia lives a privileged life in the Corporate States, formerly the United States of America, but when her betrothed is killed and then wakes up in the replication tanks, the pair sets out to find a killer while keeping the secrets of human replication technology from the dangerous people who run their world.




If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges, you can Contact a Librarian or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Check back soon for information on the 2022 reading program for all ages!

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Saturday, December 18, 2021

December 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Juvenile Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read a book from your "To Be Read" pile or give a book you didn't like a second chance. Finish off the year by reading a book from our Juvenile Collection that you have been meaning to read! Here are some selections from the staff at the Sharon Forks branch to get you started!

Thursday, December 16, 2021

December 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Easy Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read a book from your "To Be Read" pile or give a book you didn't like a second chance. Finish off the year by reading a book to your little ones that you have been meaning to read! Here are some selections from the staff at the Sharon Forks branch to get you started!

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

FCPL Reading Challenge - December 2021

December Reading Challenge


This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read a book from your "To Be Read" pile or give a book you didn't like a second chance.


We'd love to hear about the books you chose! Still catching up on previous challenges? We want to hear about those books too! 

Leave a comment on this blog post, join our conversation on Facebook, or @ us on Twitter!

#WeKnowBooks

If you need help selecting a book for any Reading Challenge in 2021, please Email a Librarian, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

November Reading Recap

We challenged our staff and our patrons to read award winners or nominees.

Here are a few of the books we read:

We're so glad to have you reading along with us and crushing your reading goals for 2021. Don't forget to check back soon for the 2022 Reading Challenge themes!

Monday, November 22, 2021

November 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Teen Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read award winners or nominees. Try out one of these great titles or check out our Award Winners book lists at the bottom of our Book Lists for Teens page. 

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

by Daniel Nayeri

At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy.and further back to the fields near the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of sunset burst over everything, and further back still to the Jasmine-scented city of Isfahan.

(Michael L. Printz Award - 2021)

by K.A. Holt

Told in verse in two voices, with a chorus of fellow students, this is a story of two girls, opposites in many ways, who are drawn to each other; Kate appears to be a stereotypical cheerleader with a sleek ponytail and a perfectly polished persona, Tam is tall, athletic and frequently mistaken for a boy, but their deepening friendship inevitably changes and reveals them in ways they did not anticipate.

(Odyssey Award Honor - 2020)

by Rebecca Stead

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

(Newbery Medal Winner - 2010)



Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Kyrie McCauley

In Auburn, Pennsylvania, a farming community overrun with crows, high school senior Leighton struggles to keep herself and her sisters safe from their abusive father even as she starts a relationship.

(William C. Morris Debut Award - 2021)

by Elizabeth Acevedo

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people... In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance -- and Papi's secrets -- the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

(YALSA Top 10 Best Fiction - 2021)

Deeplight
by Frances Hardinge

The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. When 15-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, military scientists, and a secret fanatical cult so that he can use it to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But with the heart, Jelt gradually and eerily transforms. How long should Hark stay loyal to his friend when he's becoming a monster and what is Hark willing to sacrifice to save him?

(USBBY Outstanding International Books - 2021)

If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges, you can Contact a Librarian or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Saturday, November 20, 2021

November 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Juvenile Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read award winners or nominees. Try out one of these great titles or check out our Award Winners book lists at the bottom of our Book Lists for Kids page. 

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

by Kate DiCamillo

Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.

(Theodor Seuss Geisel Award - 2011)

Juana & Lucas
by Juana Medina

A spunky young girl from Colombia loves playing with her canine best friend and resists boring school activities, especially learning English, until her family tells her that a special trip is planned to an English-speaking place.

(American Library Association Notable Children's Book - 2017)



Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

by Irene Latham

Organized as a dictionary, entries in this book for middle-grade readers present words related to creating a better, more inclusive world. Each word is explored via a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, and a short personal anecdote from one of the co-authors, a prompt for how to translate the word into action, and an illustration.

(Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels - 2021)


by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace

Reverend F.D. Reese was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. As a teacher and principal, he recognized that his colleagues were viewed with great respect in the city. Could he convince them to risk their jobs--and perhaps their lives--by organizing a teachers-only march to the county courthouse to demand their right to vote? On January 22, 1965, the Black teachers left their classrooms and did just that, with Reverend Reese leading the way. Noted nonfiction authors Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace conducted the last interviews with Reverend Reese before his death in 2018 and interviewed several teachers and their family members in order to tell this story, which is especially important today.

(Orbis Pictus Honor Book - 2021)

by Deva Fagan

Antonia may not be the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, but she's worked hard to win her place as apprentice to renowned sorcerer Master Betrys. Unfortunately, even her best dancing turnip charm might not be enough when Moppe the scullery maid turns out to be a magical prodigy. Now that Betrys has taken Moppe on as a second apprentice, Antonia's path to wizarding just got a bit more complicated. But when Betrys is accused of treason, Antonia and Moppe are forced to go on the run. To prove their master's innocence--and their own--the rivals must become allies. As their island province teeters on the brink of rebellion, they'll face ancient spells, vengeful mermaids, enchanted vegetables, voice-stealing forests, and one insatiable sea monster.

(Cybils Awards- Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Winner - 2020)

If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges, you can Contact a Librarian or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Thursday, November 18, 2021

November 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Easy Collection

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read award winners or nominees. Try out one of these great titles or check out our Award Winners book lists at the bottom of our Book Lists for Kids page. 

Picture Books

by Jordan Scott

When a child has a "bad speech day" at school, his father gives him a new perspective on his stuttering.

(Schneider Family Book Award - 2021)

by Julie Leung

An inspiring picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing--which he loved to do--but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime--and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi.

(Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - 2021)

by Eliza Wheeler

During the Great Depression six-year-old Marvel, her seven siblings, and their mother find a tar-paper shack in the woods and, over the course of a year, turn it into a home. Based on the author's grandmother's childhood; includes historical notes.

(Georgia Children's Books Awards Finalist - 2022)


Early Readers

by David LaRochelle

What happens when the book gets it wrong? Max is not a cat-- Max is a dog! But much to his dismay, this book keeps instructing readers to "see the cat." How can Max get through to the book that he is a dog? In a trio of stories for beginning readers, author David LaRochelle introduces the excitable Max, who lets the book know in irresistibly emphatic dialogue that the text is not to his liking. Illustrator Mike Wohnoutka hilariously depicts the pup's reactions to the narrator and to the wacky cast of characters who upend Max's-- and readers' --expectations as the three stories build to an immensely satisfying conclusion.

(Theodor Seuss Geisel Award - 2021)

by David Adler

Mo Jackson loves football. But nobody will throw him the ball! How can he help his team win?

(Theodor Seuss Geisel Award - 2016)

by Laurel Snyder

Charlie and Mouse, two young brothers, enjoy a day out together, attending an imaginary party and collecting rocks.

(American Library Association Notable Children's Book - 2018)





If you need help selecting a book for any of our Reading Challenges, you can Contact a Librarian or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Monday, November 1, 2021

FCPL Reading Challenge - November 2021

November Reading Challenge

This month we challenge our patrons and staff to read award winners or nominees.


You can find more award winning and nominated titles on the Award Winners lists on the Adult Recommended Reads page on our website.

We'd love to hear about the books you chose! Still catching up on previous challenges? We want to hear about those books too! 

Leave a comment on this blog post, join our conversation on Facebook, or @ us on Twitter!

#WeKnowBooks

If you need help selecting a book for any Reading Challenge in 2021, please Email a Librarian, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

October Reading Recap

We challenged our staff and our patrons to read books featured in an FCPL Book Club or NextReads Newsletter.

Here are a few of the books we read:

We're so glad to have you reading along with us and crushing your reading goals for 2021. There are a few months left to take on the challenge. You're doing great!

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Staff Picks Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman describes an unlikely encounter between a bank robber, police, and prospective buyers at an apartment open house in a small town in Sweden.  As in Backman’s international bestseller, A Man Called Ove, the lives of quirky characters intertwine in unexpected ways. Backman uses a light touch and humor to tackle tough topics like economics, real estate, separations, grief, and guilt.  

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

 

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

October 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Teen Collection

This month we're challenging our staff and our patrons to read books featured in an FCPL Book Club or NextReads Newsletter. The whole family can get in on the fun and join this month's challenge! Take a look at some of these books from our Teen Collections.

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

by Melissa de la Cruz

Nothing ever happens in Cara Jefferson-Cho's sleepy little suburban town of North Pasadena. The sun shines every day, the grass is always a perfect green, and while her progressive school swears there's no such thing as bullying, she still feels bummed out. But one day, when Cara is walking home on her own, something strange happens. Cara is being followed by Jack Stalker, one of the heroes in the Thirteenth Fairy, a series of books she loves about a brave girl and her ragtag group of friends who save their world from an evil enchantress. She must be dreaming, or still reading a book. But Jack is insistent--he's real, the stories are real, and Cara must come with him at once! Soon, Cara is thrust into the world of evil fairies and beautiful princesses, sorcerers and slayers, where an evil queen drives her ruthless armies to destroy what is left of the Fairy tribes. To save herself and the kingdom of Westphalia, Cara must find the truth behind the fairytales and set the world back to rights before the cycle of sleep and destruction begins once more.

This title was featured in the February 2021 Teen Middle Reads newsletter!

by Dan Gemeinhart

Twelve-year-old Jonathan Grisby has been sent to the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys, a former lunatic asylum which is currently run by a sadist who enjoys punishing the boys and setting them against each other; but when a lightning strike kills all the adults the boys find themselves suddenly free--and trapped on Scar Island which seems to be sinking into the ocean.

This title was featured in the April 2021 Teen Middle Reads newsletter!

by Tanya Guerrero

Banished from her abusive home for a summer with her estranged grandmother in Barcelona, twelve-year-old Alba feels hope and love while exploring a newly discovered passion for bread baking.

This title was featured in the June 2021 Teen Middle Reads newsletter!



Teen High (Grades 9-12)

by Justin Reynolds

Jack and Kate met, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks. Jack falls--hard. But then Kate dies. Somehow Kate's death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate's there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack thinks he's losing his mind, but takes the chance to prevent Kate's death. He learns actions are not without consequences when it turns deadly for someone else close to him. Now Jack has to figure out what he's willing to do to save the people he loves.

This title was featured in the September 2021 Teen High Reads newsletter!

by Chelsea Sedoti

When one of his science experiments went wrong, Gideon Hofstadt and his older brother Ishmael blamed the resulting explosion on extraterrestrial activity. Their lie was embraced by the town. As the brothers go to increasingly greater lengths to keep up the ruse and avoid getting caught, the hoax flourishes. There are UFO sightings, close encounters--even abductions! Soon Lansburg, Pennsylvania was invaded--not by aliens, but by believers, Truth Seekers, and, above all, people who looked to the sky and hoped for more. Can Gideon find a way to banish the aliens before Lansburg, and his life, are changed forever?

This title was featured in the July 2021 Teen High Reads newsletter!

by Len Vlahos

Fifteen-year-old Jackie is determined to reclaim her family's privacy and dignity by ending a reality television program about her father's terminal brain tumor.

This title was featured in the March 2021 Teen High Reads newsletter!



You can find book clubs and other programs on our Events Calendar and sign up for our newsletters for more recommendations. 

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Friday, October 15, 2021

October 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Juvenile Collection

This month we're challenging our staff and our patrons to read books featured in an FCPL Book Club or NextReads Newsletter. The whole family can get in on the fun and join this month's challenge! Take a look at some of these books for independent readers.

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

by Wanda Coven

Future spy Henry discovers that he has magic, like his big sister, Heidi, when he accidentally creates a tiny dragon, which definitely does not belong at Brewster Elementary School.

This title was featured in the January 2020 Kids' Book Newsletter!

by Kiki Thorpe

Mysterious mist horses have come to Pixie Hollow. Kate befriends one, but Silvermist finds an old legend that says they might be dangerous.

This title was featured in the April 2020 Kids' Book Newsletter!

by Andrea Beaty

Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle--one that feels much bigger than herself. Rosie's beloved Aunt Rose and her friends, the Raucous Riveters--a group of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II--need help inventing something new. And Rosie is just the engineer for the job! After one flop . . . then another . . . and another . . . Rosie starts to lose hope. But thanks to some help from her fellow Questioneers Iggy Peck and Ada Twist, Rosie gets the job done. And, along with the Riveters, she rediscovers the meaning of home.

This title was featured in the December 2020 Kids' Book Newsletter!

Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

by James Patterson

The illuminating journey of a very special mouse, and the unexpected friendships he makes along the way.

This title was featured at the Steam Rollers Book Club in February 2021!

by Amanda Foody

Eleven-year-old Barclay Thorne yearns for the quiet life of a mushroom farmer, but after unwittingly bonding with a beast in the forbidden Woods, he must seek Lore Keepers to break the bond and return home.

This title was featured in the May 2021 Kids' Books Newsletter. 

by Emily Butler

While his corvid buddies spend their days cracking jokes at the dump, raven Otto P. Nudd invents things with his human neighbor Old Man Bartleby, but when one of Bartleby's contraptions puts him in danger, Otto must join forces with kids and critters to save the Old Man.

This title will be featured at the Steam Rollers Book Club at the Cumming branch on Tuesday, October 26th!

You can find book clubs and other programs on our Events Calendar and sign up for our newsletters for more recommendations. 

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

October 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Easy Collection

This month we're challenging our staff and our patrons to read books featured in an FCPL Book Club or NextReads Newsletter. The whole family can get in on the fun and join this month's challenge! Take a look at some of these books for our youngest readers.

Picture Books

by Erin Guendelsberger

Out of this tank, I must be free. I must explore the open sea! Follow Inky the octopus as he escapes from the National Aquarium of New Zealand to the ocean! Based on a true story, Inky the Octopus chronicles the adventure that the real-life Inky might have taken on his escape to freedom in the open ocean!

This title was featured at our Chatterbooks Book Club in January 2021!

by David Bowles

A boy and his father cross the United States-Mexico border every other Saturday, visiting their favorite places, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care.

This title was featured in the September 2021 Picture Book newsletter!

by Oliver Jeffers

When tree branches begin disappearing and paper airplanes are left in their place, the forest creatures carry out an investigation to find the culprit who has been stealing their homes.

This book will be featured at the Chatterbooks Book Club at the Cumming branch on Tuesday, October 26th!



Early Readers

by Sergio Ruzzier

One day, bored little Fish journeys up to the surface of the ocean where it meets Sun, and a wonderful friendship blooms... Only, right in the middle of their fun, Sun starts to set!

This title from our Easy Graphic Novel collection was featured in the July 2021 Picture Book newsletter. 

by Jill Esbaum

Big, scary, and hungry Thunder the dinosaur wants to chase and chomp Cluck, a small but brave dinosaur, but Cluck has decided that they will be friends.

This title from our Easy Graphic Novel collection was featured in the August 2021 Picture Book newsletter. 



You can find book clubs and other programs on our Events Calendar and sign up for our newsletters for more recommendations. 

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks


Saturday, October 2, 2021

October 2021 Reading Challenge - Read a Book Discussed at an FCPL Book Club

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
 
2021 Reading Challenge - Read a Book Discussed at an FCPL Book Club

Or in my case, almost discussed . . . 

Back in early 2021, before Forsyth County Public Library shut down due to COVID-19, I was supposed to lead a book group discussion about the book The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden. We never got to have that book discussion. So now is my chance to share this wonderful book with you! 

The Bear and The Nightingale tells the story of Vasya, a young girl growing up in a remote village in Northern Russia, on the edge of the wilderness. Her nanny, Dunya, tells magical stories to the whole family around a blazing oven, stories of frost-demons and other spirits. However, for Vasya, these are more than just stories - for she is gifted with the Sight, which she inherited from her mother, who died giving birth to her. Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the annoyance of her family. However, when Vasya's father remarries and brings her new step-mother Anna home, life begins to change for Vasya; and the arrival of a new priest in the village brings further change, but worse still a rising threat of danger. A danger that it seems only Vasya can save them all from.

This is an enchanting story, and it pulled me in from the very first chapter. Set in medieval Russia, it is a wonderful blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and mythical folklore, with an adult fairy-tale-like feel. Vasya is a strong, brave, and captivating heroine . . . and she is unforgettable. The wintry setting is completely captivating, making it the perfect nighttime read.

If you like The Bear and the Nightingale, it is the first in a series. It is perfect for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s books.
I hope you will read and enjoy this book. At FCPL, We Know Books!

Jeanne McMahan
Information Specialist - MLIS 
#WeKnowBooks

Friday, October 1, 2021

FCPL Reading Challenge- October 2021

October Reading Challenge

This month we challenge our staff and our patrons to read books featured in an FCPL Book Club or NextReads Newsletter.


FCPL has newsletters for a variety of themes and interests! You can sign up for newsletters here as well as view past issues. Take a look at our Events Calendar for upcoming Book Club titles!

We'd love to hear about the books you chose! Still catching up on previous challenges? We want to hear about those books too! 

Leave a comment on this blog post, join our conversation on Facebook, or tag us in a photo of what you're reading on Instagram

#WeKnowBooks

If you need help selecting a book for any Reading Challenge in 2021, please Email a Librarian, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

September Reading Recap

We challenged our staff and our patrons to read a biography, autobiography, or memoir. Here are some of the titles we read:

We're so glad to have you reading along with us and crushing your reading goals for 2021. There are a few months left to take on the challenge. You're doing great!