Need a Laugh? Check out these NEW books!

The new school year is approaching and we know that you may need some comic relief. We have just gotten in some new Juvenile Fiction that is sure to keep you laughing!

Horton Halfpott: Or the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor, Or the Loosening of M'Lady Luggertucks' Corset

By Tom Angleberger

Find it in New Books, J FICTION ANG

Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell a lie? Or one of the many colorful cast members in this silly romp of a mystery.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading

By Tom Greenwald

Find it in New Books, J FICTION GRE

Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born . And so far, he's managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he's in middle school, avoiding reading isn't as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he is tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact. This is the hilarious story of an avid-non reader and the extreme lengths to which he'll go to get out of reading a book.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Today is one of the hottest days on record. As the temperature creeps toward 100 degrees you may start craving a shade tree and a glass of lemonade. You can also stop by the library to beat the heat. While you’re here check out Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from A Single Word.

Lemonade is a great pick for any reluctant poetry reader. Author Bob Raczka creates each poem from words that can be found in a single word. For example, from “vacation” Raczka creates the following poem:

Vacation
Action
in
a
van

The illustrations, by Nancy Doniger, are as clever as the poems. Doniger shows each base word being "shaken up" on one page with Raczka’s poem displayed on the following page. Check out Lemonade or another great poetry book during your next visit to the River Forest Public Library!

A Life of Animal Encounters

As you can see from last week’s blog post, Animal Encounters was a blast! While animals don’t visit our library every day, you can always stop by and check out a great book about animals. We’d like to recommend The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter.

The Watcher is a fantastic picture book biography that covers Jane Goodall’s life from childhood through the present. We see young Jane as she observes the creatures around her home and as she discovers her calling to work with animals in Africa. Jeanette Winter displays adult Jane’s determination as she works and saves money to journey to Africa.

Once Jane arrives in Africa, she quickly finds work observing chimpanzees. The rest, as they say, is history. Read more on Jane Goodall and her life of animal encounters in The Watcher.

Fun With Animals!

RFPL had a great time with exotic animals yesterday. Despite the hot temperature, a huge crowd gathered on the lawn and the animals did not disappoint. Our animal guests included a five foot long alligator, a Burmese python, and a sixty pound turtle. Here are some photos from the event.