The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Ages: 10+

Aidan and Sarah Cooper have no idea what they’re getting into one afternoon when they discover a mysterious coded document in a secret compartment of an antique English desk their father recently bought at an auction. Something about the document seems familiar to Sarah, and that night she realizes what it is: the document seems to be referring to some books she has read—the Starcatchers series, about the origin of Peter Pan. But how could that be? The document seems far older than the books. And of course, the books are just stories.

Curious, Sarah and Aidan begin to decipher the mysterious document. At first it’s a game—unraveling the mystery piece by piece, each piece leading them to a new, deeper puzzle. But soon the game turns strange—and scary. Pursued by a being that can take any form and will stop at nothing to get what it wants from them, Aidan and Sarah embark on a desperate, thrilling quest for help—a quest that leads them to some unforgettable people in some unlikely places, including one that’s not supposed to exist at all.

Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All by Rachel Renee Russell
Ages:  9+

Nikki Maxwell develops a sudden interest in student journalism that may or may not (okay, definitely does) have to do with the fact that mean girl Mackenzie has started writing a gossip column. And there just might be some juicy info involving Nikki’s crush, Brandon, that Nikki doesn’t want Mackenzie reporting to the world. So Nikki joins the school newspaper staff—and ends up as an advice columnist! It’s fun at first, answering other kids’ letters. But when Miss Know-It-All’s inbox is suddenly overflowing with pleas for guidance, Nikki feels in need of some help herself. Fortunately she has BFFs Chloe and Zoey on her side—and at her keyboard!

Parenting Collection

We have consolidated our books on parenting and moved them to the children's room. Check it out and email us with suggestions.

Some of our new titles:

The Trouble with Boys

Peg Tyre interviewed hundreds of parents, teachers, kids and experts and looked at her own two sons in her quest to examine how the educational system is failing boys. Boys get expelled from preschool nearly five times more often than girls; in elementary school, they're diagnosed with learning disorders four times as often. By eighth grade huge numbers are reading below basic level. They're heavily outnumbered in AP classes and account for less than 43% of those enrolled in college. The Trouble with Boys suggests reasons for this disparity and offers an educational manifesto for change.

The Price of Privilege

Madeline Levine has been a practicing psychologist for twenty-five years. In her book she details her recent experience with affluent but unhappy teenagers. These teens were bright, socially skilled, and loved by their affluent parents but nonetheless suffered severe emotional problems. Numerous studies have shown that privileged adolescents experience high rates of depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. In her book, Levine offers practical advice, empathy and candor.

The Teen Whisperer

Mike Linderman is a teen therapist and a real-life cowboy. He works with some of the country's most troubled teens, approaching them with a unique blend of down-home honesty and straight-talk discipline.Most of the teens Mike treats are angry, abused, violent, and dangerous, yet he has achieved extraordinary success with them, helping to turn their lives around and earning him the nickname the "Teen Whisperer."

In this book, he shares the secrets behind his success with parents everywhere, demonstrating how his regimen of hard work, integrity, and effective communication has turned seriously at-risk kids into loving, well-balanced, and productive teens.

Have you read this article...

"The Best kids' books ever." by Nicholas D. Kristof from The New York Times, July 5, 2009

Kristof wrote, "...Pry your kids away from the keyboard and the television this summer, and get them reading. Let me help by offering my list of the Best Children's Books--Ever!"

"1) Charlotte's Web, The story of the spider who saves her friend, the pig, is the kindest representation of an arthropod in literary history."

"2) The Hardy Boys series. Yes, I hear the snickers. But I devoured them myself and have known so many kids for whom these were the books that got them excited about reading. The first in the series is weak, but House on a Cliff is a good opener. (As for Nancy Drew, I yawned over her, but she seems to turn girls into Supreme Court justices. Among her fans as kids were Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor."

We have the entire list in the library.

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