Kent District Library (MI)'s Blog, page 114

Loving the Second in the Series

I love reading the first book in the series.  Everything is new and fresh and I get to meet all these wonderful new characters.  But sometimes the second book in the series doesn’t quite live up to my own expectations (and I’m not naming names!)  So to put your mind at easy about a few series…

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas, second book in the Throne of Glass series.  Celaena is forced to do the King’s bidding as his champion but she still tries to do things her own way.  When a friend from her past is marked as her next target, Celaena does everything she can to find out if there really is a treason plot before completing her task.  Overall a great followup book!  The storyline (and romance) is moving forward and there is a brief glimpse into Celaena’s mysterious past!

to keep Kazam going and an out of control spell and unfriendly competition doesn’t help.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, companion book to .  First let me say if you haven’t read Code Name Verity, go do that immediately!  Since Rose Under Fire doesn’t come out until September, I will keep it short.  While the second book doesn’t have the mysterious first half, the book is a very compelling.  And it does stand on it’s own, if the first book wasn’t read first.

Early Lit Bits: Music Minute

Joe Raposo and Tom Lichtenheld celebrate one of the world’s most recorded children’s songs with the release of Sing! Many parents will remember this fun song from their own childhood days watching Sesame Street. Raposo’s uplifting song about self-worth and perseverance has been translated into 35 languages, and now Lichtenheld has created a visual tribute in this wordless picture book to accompany the song.

Singing is such a fun and important early literacy practice, but sometimes it can be a little intimidating for parents to adopt. Remember, your voice is beautiful to your little one, and they will treasure memories made singing and laughing with you. With the help of this fun new title, everyone can remember how important it is to Sing . . . sing out loud, sing out strong!

 

 

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

 

KDL Top Ten – 6/28/2013

Have you listened to a great audiobook lately?  Or, do you have a favorite narrator?  Please share your picks below!  And while you’re here, take a peek at the top ten list.  This week’s list features 10 of the most popular Adult Nonfiction Audiobooks on CD at KDL this month!

Local Indie Spotlight: Tanya Eby

I chose to read Grand Rapids author Tanya Eby’s short novel Pepper Wellington: And the Case of the Missing Sausage because the title definitely grabbed my attention! This fun read feels sort of like a mix between Janet Evanovich and Agatha Christie.

Pepper Wellington is a fun-loving woman who named her daughter Sausage (yep—you read that right!). Poor Sausage hates her name and just wants to be ordinary. She changes her name to Amy, finds a nice, boring man to marry and tries to forget all about her interesting mother and her passionate first love, Graham. But the night before her wedding, people start dying one by one and the wedding party, along with the reader, tries to figure out whodunit, while at the same time Amy—or Sausage—tries to figure out who she really wants to be. This novel is a quick read packed with mystery, romance, quirkiness and humor. I even found myself laughing out loud on a couple occasions, which is rare for me!

This book is part of the new Local Indie @ KDL collection at the Cascade and Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branches that features authors and musicians from Grand Rapids and the surrounding area.  Stop in and check Eby’s book out or place it on hold from our catalog.

Click here to browse our Local Indie @ KDL collection.

Be a Ruff Reader

[image error]We are once again offering Ruff Readers at the library! This summer, West Michigan Therapy Dogs will be visiting several KDL branches. While kids dig into summer reading at KDL, these dogs dig listening to kids read aloud!

Ruff Readers is a unique read-aloud program that pairs kids with a trained therapy dog and their handler. Kids can read a favorite book while the pooches just curl up and listen. Reading to dogs gives kids a chance to build confidence and fluency without worrying about making a mistake or being judged by their furry friend.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. Check out our Events page for a listing of branches that are offering Ruff Readers, or call 784-2007 for assistance in reserving a time.

Local Indie Spotlight: Andy Kaiser

Tyler Ford is pretty much your average 13-year-old boy. He’s neither popular nor unpopular, he likes video games and his family vacations tend to be predictable. This summer at the Lone Wolf Lodge in Michigan is no exception, until he meets the mysterious Eena. She changes everything, and after strange, supernatural things start to happen, Tyler realizes she hasn’t been as truthful as he had thought.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to  teens age 10-14. It’s a great book for guys, as well as a page-turner. It has everything: romance, adventure and mystery. Waking the Dreamer is the first book of Andy Kaiser’s “Transhuman” series, and I would be interested in reading the other books to find out what happens!

Kaiser’s book is part of the Local Indie @ KDL collection, housed at the Cascade Township and Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branches. It was created to give independent authors, filmmakers and musicians the opportunity to be added to our shelves and to be featured by staff in order to increase viewers, readers and listeners.

Click here to browse our Local Indie @ KDL collection.

Reviewed by Veronica at the Cascade Township Branch

 

Teen Summer Reading 2013: Beneath the Surface

Not only do we have awesome prizes for teen Summer Reading @ KDL, but we have some great booklists too!

Dig into some great reads with these recommended titles:

 Best New Teen Books

 

Buried Truths

 

Great Books for Tweens

 

Underground Resistance

 

Early Lit Bits: App Review — Endless Alphabet

One fun and interactive app that can help children work on letter recognition, letter sounds and vocabulary is Endless Alphabet. This app aids in learning many skills and is a ton of fun too. The app lets you begin with any letter of the alphabet and uses amusing animated monsters and silly voices. As you drag letters in the correct order to spell a word, the letters make their sounds and dance. When the word is completed, you are rewarded with a short animation and definition of the word. This engaging app is available free for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

 

 

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

 

KDL Top Ten – 6/21/2013

Listen to an Audiobook on your next road trip!  It’ll keep you entertained, and make  your travel time fly.  

To see ten of the most popular Adult Fiction Audiobooks on CD at KDL this month, click on the link to the Top Ten list!

Author Vince Flynn Dies At Age 47

Best selling author Vince Flynn died Wednesday morning at the age of 47.  Vince Flynn was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago.  He has continued to write his New York Times Best Selling.  The status of his final book due out in October is not know at this time.

Flynn worked to overcome his dyslexia by reading, especially loving espionage novels.  He decided to try his hand at writing his own book, Term Limits, which he self published.  After the success of that book, he had no problem finding an agent and went on to publish 14 books.