Reading - Once

Once by Morris Gleitzman

A Junior Fiction

Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland.

To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.

Reading - Daisy and the Trouble with Burglars

Daisy and the Trouble with Burglars by Kes Gray

A Junior Fiction

No matter the occasion, Daisy just can't help getting into trouble! When a series of burglaries baffle Daisy's neighborhood, Daisy wants to help. Along with Gabby and Dylan, she turns detective and sets out to catch the culprit. Trouble is, detective work is hard when you're not allowed to go further than the end of the road.

Reading - The Good Little Devil and Other Tales

The Good Little Devil and Other Tales by Pierre Gripari

A Junior Fiction

There once was a good little devil - did you read that right? Yes you did: not a wicked little devil but a good one, and boy, was he in a fix!

Instead of doing bad things like forgetting his homework and playing tricks on his teachers, this little devil kept trying to be good. He did all his homework - and sometimes enjoyed it! He was never rude and he even encouraged sinners to say sorry. His parents were at their wits' end. So the little devil struck out on his own.

On his quest to learn to be good, our little devil meets all kinds of people, from priests to police and from the Pope in Rome to Little Jesus himself. But will the angels let a little red devil with black horns into Heaven?

In these thirteen tales, clever young people find nifty ways to overcome greedy kings, wicked witches, unlucky spells and even silly names. And there's a big dash of magic to help them on the way!

Reading - The Vicar of Nibbleswicke

The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl

A Junior Fiction

 

 

Reading - Theodore Boone: The Activist

Theodore Boone: The Activist by John Grisham

A Junior Fiction

 

Theodore Boone is back in action! As all of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself right in the thick of it. The county commission is fighting hard to change the landscape of the town, and Theo is strongly opposed to the plans. But when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one—not even Theo—is prepared for the risks—and potential harm—at stake. Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right.

Reading - The Time Keeper

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

 

The man who became Father Time.In Mitch Albom's newest work of fiction, the inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years.

Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

He returns to our world--now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began--and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.

Reading - Fox Evil

Fox Evil by Minette Walters

 

 

When elderly Ailsa Lockyer-Fox is found dead in her garden, dressed only in night clothes and with blood stains on the ground near her body, the finger of suspicion points at her wealthy, landowning husband, Colonel James Lockyer-Fox. A coroner's inquest gives a verdict of 'natural causes' but the gossip surrounding him refuses to go away. Why? Because he's guilty? Or because resentful women in the isolated Dorset village where he lives rule the roost? Shenstead is a place of too few people and too many secrets. Why have James and Ailsa cut their children out of their wills? What happened in the past to create such animosity within the family? And why is James so desperate to find his illegitimate grandchild? Friendless and alone, his reclusive behaviour begins to alarm his London-based solicitor, Mark Ankerton, whose concern deepens when he discovers that James has become the victim of a relentless campaign which accuses him of far worse than the death of his wife. Allegations which he refuses to challenge . . . Why? Because they're a motive for murder? . . .

Reading - Freaky Families

Freaky Families by Diana Wynne Jones

A Junior Fiction

Two quirky and hilarious stories :

THE FOUR GRANNIES. Two children are left alone for a couple of days, while their parents go away on a business trip. They have four very different grandmas – a mean one, a snobby one, an anxious one, and a delicate one. Erg (the boy) tries to make all the grannies leave him alone, but manages to turn them into one ‘Super-Granny’…

AUNTIE BEA’S DAY OUT. Annoying Auntie Bea always does things HER way. And when she decides to take the three children (Nancy, Debbie and Simon) to the seaside, despite what the signs say, she is determined that they will sit on the small, fenced off and isolated island. It turns out to be a magical island though, and whisks her & the children (and dog) around to different places trying to get rid of them…

Reading - Persuading Annie

Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan

 

 

After years as a sweet, good-natured pushover, Annie Markham has had to face up to three hard truths:
1. You've got to be tough to succeed in business and romance.
2. Sometimes your meddling loved ones areright about your worthless, no-good boyfriend being worthless and no good.
3. The only reliable thing about men is thatthey're totally unreliable.
Okay, she's been persuaded. So now, seven years after wisely and abruptly dumping the "love of her life," Jake Mead, things should be going better for Annie Markham, right? Unfortunately, her life's going nowhere, her family's going mental, and the family business is heading straight down the tubes. Could it get worse? Of course! Jake's back, Annie's getting ready for bankruptcy, and no one's ready for Christmas ... let alone a happy New Year. And no amount of persuasion will ever convince Annie that magic does happenand dreams do come true, not even at the stroke of midnight on December 31 at New York's Plaza Hotel ... will it?

Reading - When She Came Home

When She Came Home by Drusilla Campbell

Frankie Byrne Tennyson stunned everyone when she decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now-after bravely serving her country in Iraq-she's finally come home. Home to a husband whose lingering feelings of abandonment make her wonder if their lives can ever be the same. Home to a daughter whose painful encounters with bullies can only be healed by a mother's love. And home to a father who still can't accept his daughter's decision to serve in spite of his own stellar career as a brigadier general. But the most difficult part about coming home lies within Frankie herself. To save everything she holds dear, she must face the toughest battle of her life . . . A moving portrait of a modern American family, WHEN SHE CAME HOME reminds us that some things-honor, acceptance, and, above all, love-are truly worth fighting for.

Reading - Theodore Boone: The Accused

Theodore Boone: The Accused by John Grisham

Big trouble is brewing for Theodore Boone. While all of Streenburg anxiously awaits the new trial of infamous murder suspect Pete Duffy, problems arise for their own kid lawyer. There's been a robbery and Theo is the accused. His reputation is on the line, and with the evidence building against him--and dangerous threats looming--Theo will do whatever it takes to prove his innocence--even if it means breaking a few rules.