New YA Books - January 2013

Here is a sample of some of the new books we have in our YA Department!

 
All Good Children - Catherine Austen (YA AUSTEN)
It's the middle of the twenty-first century and the elite children of New Middletown are lined up to receive a treatment that turns them into obedient, well-mannered citizens. Maxwell Connors, a seventeen-year-old prankster, misfit and graffiti artist, observes the changes with growing concern, especially when his younger sister, Ally, is targeted. Max and his best friend, Dallas, escape the treatment, but must pretend to be "zombies" while they watch their freedoms and hopes decay. When Max's family decides to take Dallas with them into the unknown world beyond New Middletown's borders, Max's creativity becomes an unexpected bonus rather than a liability.
FOR FANS OF: Among the Brave by Margret Peterson Haddix (YA HADDIX)

Fake Me a Match - Lauren Barnholdt (YA BARNHOLDT)
Avery LaDuke is in the market for a new best friend. Her former BFF, Sophie Burns, dumped her to hang out with the popular crowd at school. But the good news Avery's getting a new sister who's bound to be her new BFF too! Blake is her age and she's from New York. How cool is that? But things don't go quite as smoothly as Avery hoped. And what's with Blake becoming BFFs with Sophie? Huh? That wasn’t supposed to happen!  
FOR FANS OF: THE AMBER BROWN SERIES by Paula Danziger (YA DANZIGER)


On the Day I Died - Candace Flemming (YA FLEMMING)
The phenomenally versatile, award-winning author, Candace Fleming, gives teen and older tween readers ten ghost stories sure to send chills up their spines. Set in White Cemetery, an actual graveyard outside Chicago, each story takes place during a different time period from the 1860's to the present, and ends with the narrator's death. Some teens die heroically, others ironically, but all due to supernatural causes. Readers will meet walking corpses and witness demonic possession, all against the backdrop of Chicago's rich history—the Great Depression, the World's Fair, Al Capone and his fellow gangsters.
FOR FANS OF: M is For Magic by Neil Gaiman (J GAIMAN)

All You Never Wanted - Adele Griffin (YA GRIFFIN) 
 Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.
Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin's mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed.
FOR FANS OF:Cut by Patricia McCormick (YA MCCORMICK) 


Speechless - Hannah Harrington (YA HARRINGTON) 
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast#151;and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence#151;to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way#151;people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.
FOR FANS OF: The It Girl Series by Cecily Von Ziegesar (YA VON ZIEGESAR)

Rootless - By Chris Howard (YAHOWARD) 

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using salvaged scrap metal, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree--they were destroyed more than a century ago--his missing father used to tell him stories about the Old World.
Everything changes when Banyan meets a mysterious woman with a strange tattoo--a map to the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. As they race towards a promised land that might only be a myth, Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees.

FOR FANS OF : Feed by M.T. Anderson (YA ANDERSON)

Cross Country Reading

Our winter reading club, Cross Country Reading, will begin January 2nd and go until March 2nd. Beginning, Emergent, and Proficient readers can earn incentives for reaching different reading milestones throughout the program! Come in to sign up ASAP so you can take part in this celebration of reading!

January-February 2013 Youth Programs

2012 is quickly coming to an end and now is the perfect time to make a resolution to take advantage of all the awesome resources offered at the Oak Brook Public Library for 2013!

We have some wonderful and exciting new programs being offered, along with storytimes for children ages 2 - 8 years old. Stop by the Youth Services desk (or call in!) to register.
 

Here is our current brochure for Youth Services Programming in January and February 2013. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events! Click on any of the photographs to enlarge them for easier reading.

 

New Picture Books December 20, 2012

"It snowed. And snowed. And snowed. After it snowed, everyone bundled up and went outside to play.
You come too!" Carin Berger's exquisite collages illuminate, from dawn to dusk, the perfect winter day.

 

Big Mean Mike is the biggest, toughest dog in the whole neighborhood. He's even got a big mean car that he drives around the big, mean streets. Everyone knows how big and tough he is - which is just the way Mike likes it. Then one day a tiny, fuzzy bunny shows up in his car. Mike puts it on the sidewalk and drives away before anyone can see. But the bunny keeps coming back - with friends! - no matter how many times Mike tells them to scram. Big, mean dogs do not hang around with tiny, fuzzy bunnies! But gosh, those bunnies sure are cute...
From best-seling author Michelle Knudsen and illustrator Scott Magoon, here is a laugh-out-loud funny story about not worrying what other people think - even if you are big and tough and your friends are tiny and adorable.

A long time ago and far away - although it could be here, and it could be now - a boy threw a stone and injured a girl. For as long as anyone can remember, their families had been enemies, and their towns as well, so it was no surprise that something bad had happened. Hate had happened. Revenge had happened. And that inspired more hate and more calls for revenge. But this time a young girl decided to try something different...
Inspired by the original Garden of Forgiveness in Beirut, Lebanon, and the movement that has grown up around it, Lauren Thompson has created a timeless parable for all ages that shows readers a better way to resolve conflicts and emphasizes the importance of moving forward together.

Meet Spike! He's pointy. He's scary. He has a spikey crown. He has mean teeth. He is a monster... no bigger than a lily pad. What will it take for Spike to make a friend?

Meteor is a hardworking and friendly mouse, and has all the qualities that a space mouse should have. But Meteor is very small. Teeny-weeny. Itsy-bitsy. And so whenever mice are needed to go up into space, the bigger mice are chosen and Meteor is left behind.
When the day finally does come and Meteor is chosen and is sent and is sent off to outer space, it's up to Meteor and the power of small to save the mission and earn his wings and his new title - MOUSETRONAUT!
Astronaut Mark Kelly, a four-time veteran of the space shuttle, tells a story based on his experience and imagination. Come along on Moustronaut's first mission. You'll be glad you did.





Coming Soon to the Youth Services Department - December 2012

Looking for something fun to do over your winter break? Here are some of the exciting programs we have coming up in Youth Services Department!



 
Blockbuster Book Club
Out of the Dust - By Karen Hesse
December 18, 6:30PM
Do you like reading a good book and then sharing it with others? We will meet once a month to discuss and learn fun facts about the book and author. See the Circulation Desk for a copy of the book. Snacks will be provided.   




Winter Break Bingo 
December 28 and January 4
2:00PM-3:00pm
Bring your family and friends for fun and prizes! All ages welcome! This program will take place in the Friends of the Library Meeting Room, no registration is necessary. 






Create a Craft
December 26 and 27
January 2 and 3 
11:00AM-2:00PM
Feeling creative? Come to the Youth Services Department and make crafts to take home! All ages welcomed.



We hope to see you in the library this winter break!


Any individual who is in need of a reasonable accommodation due to a disability should contact the library at least 24 hours in advance of the program. Photographs and/or video may be taken at our programs for possible use in library promotions, including the Library Beacon newsletter and the Oak Brook Public Library website. Please notify staff if you do not wish to be photographed.

New Holiday Picture Books 2012

Here is a sample of some of the new holiday picture books we have in the Youth Services Department of the Oak Brook Library!

Santa from Cincinnati - By Judi Barrett and Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (JE BARRETT - Holiday) 
A little baby whose first words are 'ho, ho, ho' is born in Cincinnati. This story is about the life and times of the little boy who grew up to be Santa Claus, the jolly fellow who makes children look forward to December 25th every single year. A fun twist on the Santa Claus story that adult and children can enjoy together. 



Pete the Cat Saves Christmas - By Eric Litwin and Illustrated by James Dean (JE LITWIN - Holiday) 
In this rockin' new spin on the traditional tale The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do. A must read for fans of Pete the Cat!

 


The Christmas Tugboat: How the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Came to New York City - By George Matteson and Adele Ursone and Paintings by James E. Ransome (JE MATTESON) 
A New York Harbor tugboat captain and his family take the tug up the Hudson River to pickup and tow the barge carrying the enormous Christmas Tree that will be displayed at Rockefeller Center. With lyrical language and beautiful paintings, this picture book tells the heartwarming story of a real tug trip and the girl who was at the wheel as police and fire boats, helicopters and tourists welcomed this world-famous tree into New York Harbor.

Dinosaur VS. Santa - By Bob Shea (JE BOB SHEA - Holiday) 
It's almost Christmas and Dinosaur is decorating, making presents and trying to be extra good. Nothing is too much for our fiesty friend - until he bumps into the man in the red suit. If you liked Shea's other books in the Dinosaur Vs... Series you will want to add this to your holiday reading list! Ho! Ho! Ho! Roar! Roar! Roar!

 

Together At Christman- By Eileen Spinelli and Illustrated by Bin Lee (JE SPINELLI - Holiday)
It's Christmas Eve, and a family of ten mice shiver in the snow. One by one, each mouse finds a place to stay warm, only to discover that they'd rather huddle together on this holiday night. With gently rhyming text and charming illustrations, this picture book is a wonderful read-aloud!

Smudge and the Book of Mistakes: a Christmas Story- Written by Gloria Whelan and Illustrated by Stephen Costanza (JE WHELAN- Holiday) 
In Ireland in the Middle-Ages, young Brother Cuthbert, known for making mistakes and giving up easily, is chosen through a miscommunication to serve as scribe for an illuminated manuscript of the Nativity Story, through which the Abbot hopes to make the monastery famous.




How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? - By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (JE YOLEN)
Even during the holiday, little dinosaurs sometimes misbehave. It's tempting to peek at brightly wrapped presents, snatch a dreidle, or grab all the gelt! Children and their parents will laugh out loud at this playful glimpse at the sometimes mischievous antics as the family gathers, and fresh latkes are served. How do dinosaurs celebrate Chanukah? With and abundance of love, joy, memory, and gratitude!


The Staff of the Youth Services Department hopes you enjoy these books this holiday season!

New Picture Books - November 2012

Here is a spotlight on some of the new picture books we have at the library for November 2012.

Pomelo Explores Color- By Ramona Badescu and Benjamin Chaud (JE BADESCU)
Pomelo looks about and discovers twelve colors in all their nuance. He encounters the infinite white of falling snow, the hypnotizing red of love, and the shadowy blue of the unknown. The colors describe our concrete world, but also reflect emotional states, as well as the curious, oddball sensibility of our dear Pomelo.


Kate and Nate Are Running Late - By Kate Egan and Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (JE EGAN)
Being on time is an art—an art most of families have yet to master. From spilling coffee to misplacing keys, we’ve all dealt with the many things that can derail our morning routines. This humorous depiction of chaotic mornings is oh, so true.Kate and her two children, Nate, and his older sister, Maddie, have all overslept. How will they EVER make it to school and work on time dressed, fed, and organized?

The Ant and the Grasshopper - By Rebecca and Ed Emberley (JE EMBERLEY)

While hard at work on her chores, an ant hears the wonderful clickety click chirrup of music coming from the distance. Although she knows she should focus on the task at hand, she can't help but explore the joyful noise! Award-winning team Rebecca and Ed Emberley bring an entertaining new twist to the classic children's. The bright, bold graphics seem to dance and leap, as a bunch of boogying bugs start a celebration of their own.

Mice - Written By Rose Fyleman and Illustrated By Lois Ehlert (JE FYLEMAN) 
When mice run around at night, you will be surprised to find out who thinks they are nice!
Do you think mice are nice? Decide for yourself with this book filled with wonderful mixed-media illustrations from Lois Ehlert.

 

 

 

 

Archie - By Domenica More Gordon (JE GORDON)

Meet Archie: Designer. Fashionista. Dog. Archie leads a quiet life with his faithful pet. That is, until he gets a sewing machine and his creativity starts to run wild. It's not long before Archie's nimbleness with a needle catches the attention of his friends and fellow dog walkers. Soon, the entire city is straining at the leash for one of his couture concoctions... including a queen and her two very royal corgis. This enchanting, nearly wordless picture book about following your dreams wherever they may lead will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

This Is Not My Hat - By Jon Klassen (JE KLASSEN)
When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . .Great illustrations and cute story!

Find a Cow Now! - By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel (JE STEVENS)

Dog is rounding up whatever he can find in his urban apartment, even chairs. He is also driving his bird companion crazy with the commotion. Bird sends him to the countryside to find something more appropriate to herd, such as a cow. But since dog has never seen a cow, he finds all the wrong animals. After being pecked by a chicken, spattered with mud by a pig, and walloped by a donkey, Dog needs a friend. By chance a mysterious and kindly animal helps lead him back to the city, only to cause chaos there, before revealing her identity--as a cow!

Waking Dragons - By Jane Yolen and Paintings by Derek Anderson (JE YOLEN)
Dragons wake up, dragons rise. Dragons open dragon eyes. Wake up with a pair of sleepy dragons and the knight who must get them ready for school! Bright and colorful illustartions will keep children interested. A must read for any fan of Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Series.

These are only a small portion of the new pictures books we have currently. Make sure to check out the full selection in the library, located next to the concept books. 

Read all of them and let us know which one is your favorite! 

Language Stars Storytimes

Children enjoyed stories in French, Spanish, and Mandarin presented by Language Stars. Thank you to Language Stars and our participants!