Books for the winter blahs

Looking for something new to take your mind off the winter blahs? Here's a group of books ranging from fact to fiction that will keep readers turning the pages! Look for them using the WorldCat and Amazon search boxes here on BookBag.

The Year of the Dog: A Novel, by Grace Lin (Little, Brown) Fiction. Pacy's mom is Taiwanese and her dad is Chinese. So what does that make her--Taiwanese-Chinese-American? Not completely sure who she is or what she wants to be, Pacy is determined that the Year of the Dog, meant to be a year of finding one's self and making friends, will be lucky for her. If you enjoy The Year of the Dog, be sure to check out the next book about Pacy and her family, The Year of the Rat.

100-Year-Old Secret, by Tracy Barrett (Henry Holt) Mystery. Soon after Xena Holmes and her brother Xander arrive in London, where they'll be living with their parents for the next year, a strange man on the street slips a note into Xena's hand. It's a message inviting Xena and Xander to a meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives...where the siblings find out that they are direct descendants of none other than the great Sherlock Holmes, and they've inherited the files from all of his unsolved cases. So of course they're going to try to crack one of them! This first volume in the fast-paced Sherlock Files series (followed by The Beast of Blackslope) is a great pick for kids who liked Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries.

Keep Your Eye on the Kid: The Early Years of Buster Keaton, by Catherine Brighton (Roaring Brook Press) Picture-Book Biography. Joe "Buster" Keaton -- nicknamed for tumbling down a flight of stairs by none other than Harry Houdini -- was famous for being able to take a fall. A "backstage baby" whose parents had a vaudeville act, Keaton eventually went on to make silent movies in Hollywood and became famous for his deadpan physical comedy. This story, written as if Keaton himself were telling it, stretches the truth a bit in places (as he might have) but is the mostly true tale of his younger years and his start in show biz.

The Porcupine Year, by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins) Historical Fiction. In 1852, forced by the United States government to leave their beloved island home, 12-year-old Omakayas and her Ojibwe family (whom readers met in The Birchbark House and The Game of Silence) travel in search of a place to live. Heading north in hopes of joining Omakayas' aunt in a new settlement, the family faces violent raids, freezing weather, and near-starvation--but they never lose hope. This sad, beautiful, and at times even funny story explains pieces of American history that you may not know about and is a must-read for Little House on the Prairie fans.

The Year the Swallows Came Early, by Kathryn Fitzmaurice (Bowen Press) Realistic Fiction. On a day when Eleanor ("Groovy") Robinson's horoscope tells her to "expect the unexpected," she gets it: her father is arrested as Groovy is walking with him to his job. It turns out that he's stolen money that was supposed to put Groovy, who wants to be a chef, through culinary school--and Groovy's mom is the one who called the police! Groovy isn't sure she'll ever forgive either of her parents, and now that her dream seems impossible, she doesn't know what the future holds. With great, true-to-life characters and lots of interesting details about cooking, The Year the Swallows Came Early is a good choice for fans of family dramas.

Fooled You! Fakes and Hoaxes through the Years, by Elaine Pascoe; illustrated by Laurie Keller (Henry Holt) Nonfiction. People like to believe that extraordinary things can happen, so it's easier than you might think to convince them that outright falsehoods are gospel truth. This fascinating book explores various hoaxes that people have bought hook, line, and sinker during the 19th and 20th centuries--including "alien" crop circles, fairies on film, and circus master P.T. Barnum's infamous "mermaid." How were people duped? Fooled You! goes beyond mere lists of lies to explain how hucksters, charlatans, and quacks through the years have managed to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Just for fun: some new books for young readers

It can be great reading just for fun! Here are some new books that are fast, funny, and full of exciting adventures for young readers. Find copies here at BookBag by typing in the titles on the WorldCatalog and Amazon search boxes.

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Adam Rex (Simon & Schuster) Humorous Mystery. Steve Brixton's second through fifty-ninth favorite books are the entire Bailey Brothers series of detective novels (which bear a striking resemblance to the real-life Hardy Boys Mysteries). His first favorite book is The Bailey Brothers' Detective Handbook, as he wants to be a detective someday. Little does he know that, very soon, he'll have to solve a mystery in order to save his own hide! Featuring secret-agent librarians, a missing encoded quilt, smart-alecky humor, and action and adventure galore, this 1st volume of the new Brixton Brothers series pays tribute to mystery classics like Encyclopedia Brown and the Hardy Boys while also poking (hilarious) fun at them.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, by Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery (Little, Brown) Nonfiction. Major Brian Dennis didn't intend to adopt a dog while serving in Iraq--actually, it would be more precise to say that a dog adopted him. Brian's team was met by a pack of wild dogs when they reached their desert post, and Brian and the pack's leader "clicked right away." Naming the dog "Nubs" because of his clipped ears, Brian gave his new pal belly rubs and shared his dinners and his guard duty with him. But Marines aren't allowed to have pets. This amazing true story (with lots of photos) tells how Nubs got around that rule, following Brian on foot, while injured, to his next post more than 70 miles away. Warning: animal lovers should have tissues nearby when reading this book!

Operation Yes, by Sara Lewis Holmes (Arthur A. Levine Books) Fiction. The kids in Miss Loupe's class (on a North Carolina military base) can tell right away that she is unusual. Honestly, have you ever had a teacher bring a big, ugly couch into a classroom...and start talking to it?!? But once they get to know her and learn a little bit about improvisational theater in the process, they can't imagine having any other sixth-grade teacher. When Miss Loupe's brother, a soldier serving in Afghanistan, goes missing, she breaks down--and the class bands together to do something big to show their support. If you like realistic stories with lots of great characters, say yes to Operation Yes.

Flight of the Phoenix, by R. L. LaFevers; illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Houghton Mifflin) Fantasy. Ten-year-old Nathaniel Fludd's parents, who are beastologists, have been off studying supposedly mythical creatures for several years when they are declared lost at sea in 1928. Sent to live with a relative, Nate--who really doesn't care much for adventure--soon finds himself tagging along to attend the birth of a phoenix, an exceedingly rare event. When his "Aunt" Phil is abducted, it's up to Nate to protect the phoenix and rescue his guardian. Packed with exciting adventure, talking gremlins, family secrets, and even a bit of history, this 1st book in the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series is a fast, fun read.

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, by Barbara O'Connor (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Fiction. Henry--a.k.a. Popeye, ever since his Uncle Dooley accidentally shot him in the eye with a BB gun--is pretty sure that every day in his home of Fayette, South Carolina, is always going to be the same as the last boring day. But when a motor home containing young Elvis Jewell and his family gets stranded in the mud near Popeye's house, there's finally something to do (besides listening to his grandmother, Velma, recite all of the kings and queens of England in order to avoid "cracking up"). No adventure is too small for Popeye, and his brief but memorable friendship with Elvis opens up a whole new world. Fans of unusual characters and country settings will be in hog heaven reading this book.

Kit Feeny: On the Move, by Michael Townsend (Alfred A. Knopf) Graphic Novel. Kit Feeny's family is moving -- but how will Kit find another best friend like his buddy Arnold? When Kit's plan to find a replacement friend fails miserably (nobody in his new town likes comics, ninja fishing, and making things out of cheeseballs like Arnold did), he decides that he'll have to become a lonesome hobo. This fast-paced story packed with goofy humor, "stupid-awesome" shenanigans, and crazy schemes will make you want to read the next book in the series, Kit Feeny: The Ugly Necklace.

Some series books for teen readers

Fans of series books like getting to know the people, places, and situations that authors create over the course of many books. Check out one or more of the series-starters listed below, and you'll have plenty of reading to keep you busy for a while. Look for these books and other series here on BookBag using the WorldCatalog and Amazon search boxes.

The Robe of Skulls, by Vivian French (Candlewick Press) Fantasy. When she realizes that she has no treasure left with which to purchase a stunning new gown decorated with skulls, evil sorceress Lady Lamorna lets loose with a blood-curdling scream heard by everyone in the village of Fracture...everyone, that is, but young Gracie Gillypot. Locked in her stepfather's cellar "for being cheerful," Gracie barely hears a peep--but it won't be long before she's called on to help rescue the kingdom's princes, whom Lady Lamorna has turned into frogs. At once silly and exciting, this suspenseful, slap-dash adventure is the 1st in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series; The Bag of Bones is next.

The Diamond of Drury Lane: A Cat Royal Adventure, by Julia Golding (Roaring Brook Press) Historical Adventure. Abandoned at the Drury Lane Theatre as a baby and taken in by its owner, Mr. Sheridan, young Catherine (aka Cat) has literally grown up backstage. When she learns that Mr. Sheridan has a diamond hidden somewhere in the theater, Cat determines to do everything she can--which may not be enough--to protect it. Vividly set in late-18th-century London, this thrilling and colorful tale is the 1st of four stories that feature Cat, followed by Cat Among the Pigeons and Den of Thieves.

Mister Monday, by Garth Nix (Scholastic). Fantasy. After nearly dying from an asthma attack on his first day at his new school, Arthur Penhaligon comes to with a strange key that looks like the minute-hand of a clock in his hand. It isn't long before minions of the mysterious Mister Monday come after him to retrieve the key, and people in the town are struck by a bizarre sleeping sickness. When Arthur notices a strange new house in his neighborhood that no one else seems able to see, he realizes that he must venture inside to stop the weird--and dangerous--things that are happening. Mister Monday is the 1st of six novels (so far) in the magical, complex, and exciting Keys to the Kingdom series; watch for the conclusion, Lord Sunday, this spring.

Adam Canfield of the Slash, by Michael Winerip (Candlewick Press) Fiction. Adam Canfield is already sorry that he agreed to be co-editor of his school's newspaper, The Slash. He's made for courting danger while digging up the truth--not for supervising over-eager third-grade cub reporters. But there is something strange going on at Harris Elementary/Middle School, and it's up to Adam, his co-editor Jennifer, and the rest of the newspaper's staff to bring the story to light. Packed with suspense and tongue-in-cheek humor, this 1st of three books about Adam and company will please fans of detective stories and thrillers (as well as those interested in the pursuit of truth and justice!).

Teen books by Australian writers

Australia is a beautiful land with a long history and its own share of wonderful writers. Here is a brief look at some books for teens written by authors from Down Under, from fantasy to non-fiction, that may open a whole new world of excitement and excitement for young readers. Use the WorldCatalog and Amazon.com search boxes here on BookBag to find a copy.

Mahtab's Story, by Libby Gleeson (Allen and Unwin) Non-fiction. Mahtab and her family are forced to leave their home in Herat and journey secretly through the rocky mountains to Pakistan and from there to faraway Australia. Months go by, months of waiting, months of dread, with only memories and hopes to sustain them. Will they ever be reunited with their father or find a home? This compelling novel is based on the true story of one girl's voyage from Afghanistan to Australia with her family.

The Naming, by Alison Croggon (Candlewick Press) Epic Fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Maerad, an orphan and slave in the mountain village of Gilman's Cot, does not realize that she is gifted in the magic and power of the Bards. But when the Bard Cadavan passes through and meets Maerad, he believes that she is the One who is prophesied to save all magic from the Nameless dark power rising in the world. Fans of the elaborate fantasy worlds of Ursula K. LeGuin and J.R.R. Tolkien will blaze through The Naming and be eager for the next volume in the Pellinor series, The Riddle.

Thunderwith, by Elizabeth Hathorn (Little, Brown) When her mother dies, Lara Ritchie must live with a father she barely remembers and his new family in the Australian outback. Lara is greeted with open hostility from her stepmother and young siblings. Only her father loves her, and

when he is called away on business, the girl must find comfort for her constant grief. As if in answer to her prayer, a handsome dog appears out of a storm, and immediately Lara senses a bond between them. Hathorn deftly injects a sense of wonderment into this intense, very real story by weaving together colorful Koori legends and the strange beauty of the Australian wilderness into Lara's struggle.

The Word Snoop, by Ursula Dubosarsky; illustrated by Tohby Riddle (Dial Books) Nonfiction. The English language has a long and strange history--and the Word Snoop (aka Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky) has unearthed its secrets and shares them in this playful and fascinating book. Packed with puzzles, anagrams, palindromes, codes, and more, this feast for word-lovers also takes a look at clichés, euphemisms (words and phrases that people use to avoid saying unpleasant things directly), nicknames, and even relatively new developments in language, such as text messaging.

Wildwood Dancing, by Juliet Marillier (Knopf) Fantasy. Jena and her four sisters, who live with their merchant father in Transylvania, use a hidden portal in their home to cross over

into the Other Kingdom every time the moon is full. For the past nine years, they've joined dwarves, trolls, and other fairy folk in the Dancing Glade for all-night revels. Jena found her best friend--a talking pet frog--there, and eldest sister Tati has fallen in love with one of the Night People. But now the sisters' cousin Cezar, who loathes and fears the Other Kingdom, threatens to raze the Wildwood where the kingdom lies. This fast-paced, suspenseful, and romantic tale will keep readers enchanted through the very last page.