Pamela Martinez

Back to school week has arrived! Some students are beginning a new era of their school experiences. Perhaps a new school, a new teacher, and new friends are on the horizon. To help navigate these new experiences, here are just a few of the school-themed books we have on hand to help your student adjust to new surroundings. The Youth Services Crew is always happy to offer more titles for you as well!

Here are a few picture books for the younger readers you may like to check out. Llama Llama Back to School written by Reed Duncan will have youngsters eager to head back to school tomorrow!  Kids have had a nice summer break, so how do parents gear up the excitement for the kids to get prepared for school? Llama Llama’s mama is reminding him that school is starting up soon…what’s a llama to do? Check this one out to find out if Llama Llama is school ready.

Libby Loves Science States of Matter by Kimberly Derting will have students excited about science class! Libby and her friends are learning about matter and experiments when a new student enters the class. Will Libby and her friends be able to survive the melting ice cream incident? Check this out quickly and enjoy a cool scoop of ice cream as a treat!

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Back to Scare School is written by Zack Zombie. Seventh grade was a breeze for Zombie. But how will eighth grade be for a successful seventh grade graduate? Filled with humor and perhaps a couple of scary zombie moments, check this book out and have a good old-fashioned scare!

Isabel and her Colores Go to School written by Alexandra Alessandri will have kids excited to get to school as quickly as possible! Isabel is nervous about starting a new school. But as many new kids find out, friendships are easy to make. And with Isabel’s keen sense of drawing pictures, the language barrier can’t stop instant friendships. Check out Isabel’s story today.

Poor David has got his work cut out for him with the dastardly twins, who happen to be his neighbors. David is excited to start school to get a break from the Romero twins, but lo and behold, new triplets who are quite menacing are now students in his school. What is David going to do? Check out Twins vs. Triplets Back-to-School Blitz by Jennifer Torres right away and find out if David is able to fend off all of these obnoxious siblings.

Summertime is fast approaching…which means: more time to read! The Youth Services Crew would love to have all of the books checked out this summer…let’s clear those shelves and retain our reading levels throughout the summer; maybe even increase those reading levels!

You will find some fantastic non-fiction books on our New Books shelf. The first title is: Owly, Tiny Tales written by Andy Runton. This is the fifth book in the graphic novel series Owly. This book features nine mini-stories in graphic novel form with all of the characters from the previous four books. These mini-stories are based on friendships that Owly has built, and also the friendliness that Owly’s friends show to him. The call number for this title is: J741.5 R875o5.

The second recommendation is also a graphic novel series: The Last Kids Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains! This volume two in this series written by Max Brallier and friends. Adding to the fun of the original series, this series of two books will also have you turning the pages quickly to find out what is going to happen next. Find this book under the call number: J741.5 B731L2.

The third recommendation for a non-fiction title is God’s Little Astronomer written by Tina Cho. You will find this book under the call number: J261.5 C451g. With the summer sky as clear as can be, your little astronomer will learn what to look for in the universe by reading this book, or you could read the book to your little astronomer! Young astronomers in the book will help to guide the reader through the galaxies with the illustrations and text. There are also scriptures from the Old and New Testaments included on each double-page spread.

My fourth recommendation for a non-fiction title this week is Make Your Mark: Make a Difference, A Kid’s Guide to Standing Up for People, Animals, and the Planet. This book is written by Joan Marie Galat and you can find it under the call number J303.4 G131m. Is your youngster wanting to make a difference in their world, become active for a cause? This book can help lay out a plan of action to start using their voice for a cause. Filled with fairly short chapters, these very helpful tips will have our youth standing up for good causes all around their schools and communities.

The fifth and final recommendation for your non-fiction reading this week is My First Sewing Machine 30 Fun Projects Kids Will Love to Make written by Carlie Bijasson. You can find this title under the call number J646.2 B489m. This book is separated into chapters of interest, such as For My Bedroom; My Clothes and Accessories; For The Kitchen, and a few others. Your young crafter can help spruce up their bedroom, clothes, and even your kitchen with fun, creative, and easy to follow projects. There are patterns included in the book as well. I’ll be excited to see the finished projects and hear about all of the sewing happening all around the city!

Our Summer Reading Program for kids ages 0 – 19 will kick-off on Thursday, June 20, at 10 a.m. in Smiley Park just outside the Library’s Young Readers’ Room. Please join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings at 10 a.m. and in the afternoons at 2 p.m. for an enrichment program or entertainment show. You can find a flyer on our website: https://www.akspl.org/yrr/

Redlands Unified School District will be here to serve a free lunch to all kids, ages 0 – 18, each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Park.

Be sure to sign up for the reading game this summer at our kick-off event or later. We have a wonderful program lined up and are excited to get it started! Each Thursday, after the morning entertainment, every child will receive a free book, while supplies last (books were purchased with California State Library Grant funds).

Spring break is in full swing! Check out some of these books in a series and read through as many as you can while school is out!  These series books can be found in our fiction book area, shelved under the authors’ last names.

Rick Riordan has done it again…this volume: The Chalice of The Gods is volume six in part of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Folks may think their senior year is meant for making the most memories and making lifelong friendships.  Well, for Percy, things aren’t like that. Percy needs to ask for three recommendation letters, but to do so, he’ll need to complete three quests. Oh my, poor Percy. He is a tough kid, and he’s made it through the other five books, but what will happen in book six? (Insert biting fingernails in nervous gesture here). Guest appearances from Grover and Annabeth may be just what Percy needs to accomplish his goals.

The Kingdom Keepers Inheritance series written by Ridley Pearson is ready for you to check out volume two, Villains’ Realm.  Can Eli and his friends stop this next villain, Ursula, from ruining all of the Disney parks? Epcot Center is where this story begins, but Ursula has high hopes of creating Villains’ Realms worldwide. Eli and his friends MUST stop her; will they be able to surpass the evil with good? Check this book out to find out if Eli or Ursula was the victor.

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have done it again. With volume 29 in the Goddess Girls series, Elpis the Hopeful will continue to satisfy the fans of this series. Elpis, who starts the story as a bubble, yes, a bubble, is transformed into a girl with Principal Zeus’ help. The principal has high expectations for Elpis to maintain a healthy relationship with the human girls. Will Elpis be able to please the principal by becoming a girl, or will she be summoned back to exist as a bubble? Hmmm? This is a hard decision for Elpis to make…check out this next book of the series to find out what Elpis decided to do.

Kwame Mbalia has continued the story of Tristan in volume three of the Tristan Strong series, Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. Tristan is in seventh grade now and he’s gone off to Alabama for a nice, relaxing vacation with his grandparents. Or so he thinks it will be a relaxing vacation. Tristan unknowingly has launched a time war. Brer Rabbit and John Henry wind up in this volume with Tristan and engage in a battle to get Tristan back home. Will these folk heroes be able to assist Tristan enough to find his way home, or will Tristan wind up as the newest member of the folk hero story? Check this series out to read all about Tristan’s adventures.

Tracey West wrote volume 25 of the Dragon Masters series for us all to enjoy. Legend of the Star Dragon will whet your whistle with all things astronomy. With our upcoming eclipse in April, this volume of Dragon Masters will have you routing for Drake and all of the other Dragon Masters to stop the shadow dragon before it’s too late. Will the Shadow Dragon win this battle, or will Drake, the Star Dragon, and all of their cohorts save the world from pending darkness? Check out this volume to help route for Drake as well!

Happy New Year from the Youth Services Crew! We have a great selection of books here in the Young Readers’ Room for readers of all ages–kids’ books aren’t just for kids! Are you ready to find your new favorite book this year? Please come peruse our “New Books” shelf at your earliest convenience.

Picture books are such a joy to read over and over, and to linger over the pictures. Here is a list of five new picture books I thought you would enjoy to start out the New Year:

More than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean written by Roz MacLean flows from page to page filled with children who have a multitude of learning and communication abilities. The illustrations are colorful and mostly shared on a double spread. The end pages are laid out with communication access ideas for your children and how to share the love of communication for each individual child.

The Story of a Book is written by Joy McCullough and illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. This story transports the reader through the life of a book. Starting out on the shelf in the library, a brand-new addition to the shelf, this book is chosen by a potential reader. The book then travels to its next destination. Beautifully written and illustrated, this story will have you remembering some of the wonderful books you’ve read throughout your lifetime!

A Very CRANKY Book, is written and illustrated by a national bestseller duo: Angela & Tony DiTerlizzi. Everyone experiences the ol’ cranky mood every now and then, but what about a book? Can a book be ‘cranky?’ Check out this title and find out! What happens to a book when its shelf mates are checked out all the time, but this book, well, just stays put, no check-outs or browsing joy to be found? Let the crankiness go and read to your hearts delight with this laugh-out-loud story!

The BOO-BOOS of Bluebell Elementary, written by Chelsea Lin Wallace and illustrated by Alison Farrell, will have readers turning the pages over and over as they connect with the kids in the story. The book opens up to a double-page spread of multiple colored band-aids. You may think, ‘Oh-oh!, what could possibly happen at an elementary school nurse’s office?’ Well, Mrs. Peatree is a school nurse at a local elementary school, and this story will enlighten you, through humor, of just how busy school nurses can be…thank you to all of our school nurses out there who keep our kids healthy and well!

My final picture book offering for you today is written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling: I Am Happy! When you first turn the cover there is a red, floating, happy balloon that greets you and leads to the title page of an adorable, skipping puppy holding onto said balloon. What do puppies do when they are happy? Well, they wag their cute little tails, and maybe they swing and play with bubbles…who doesn’t like bubbles?! A joyful book that may just make you a little bit more happy once you’ve read it!

These five titles are just a sampling of our new books. Please come in and tell us which book is your favorite so far this year!

November brings celebrations for many cultures. Día de los Muertos is a Mexican and Latino celebration that is celebrated on Nov. 1 or Nov. 2 to honor the dead and welcome their spirits home for just one night. The day is meant to bring joy rather than sorrow as we remember our loved ones with fondness.

Smiley Library is pleased to welcome our community to help celebrate this tradition, which is over 3,000 years old. Join us Wednesday, November 1, for our third Annual Día de los Muertos community event. This year will consist of traditional crafts, dance, music, and food for families to enjoy together. From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Smiley Park, on the south side of the Library, will be adorned with families celebrating their departed loved ones by creating marigold flowers, sugar skulls for their ofrendas (offerings or, colloquially, altars), and a mini-ofrenda to take home.

We will also offer an evening program from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Contemporary Club, 173 S. Eureka St., Redlands, consisting of remarks by prominent members of our community, short speeches, a musical performance by a professional musician, and of course, Saint Mary’s Ballet Folklorico of Redlands.

Please visit our website or social media pages for more information:

www.akspl.org; Instagram: @AKSmileyPublicLibrary; and FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/AKSmileyPublicLibraryRedlands