Hero, by Mike Lupica

Want to know what it's like to suddenly find out you have superpowers? Fourteen-year-old Zach knows. Cool, right? Well, it doesn't turn out to be all roses. In addition to dealing with the grief of his dad being killed in a plane crash, Zach discovers things he never wanted to know. His dad used to tell him bedtime stories about "The Bads." But it turns out that The Bads aren't just characters in bedtime stories; they're real. And his dad was the one hero who could fight them.

Will Zach be able to move past the tragedy of losing his father? What will happen now that the world's only hero is dead? Will Zach be able to hone his superpowers to keep the world safe?

Read Hero, by Mike Lupica. 4th grade and up

Celebrate the New Year -- with Anime!

It's become an annual tradition here at the library -- the All Ages Animanga Fest, happening this year on Thursday, Dec. 30 from 4-6 p.m. in the Community Room. Watch a Miyazaki classic The Cat Returns, sample Japanese treats, make some crafts and play traditional Japanese New Year's games.

Janet's Top 10 Children's Graphic Novel Picks for 2010

2010 is almost to a close and the publishing world has released a number of great graphic novels for children this past year. It is always a pleasure to help you and your children choose the right graphic novel to take home. And if your child isn't a big reader, graphic novels make for great reading entertainment for reluctant readers. Here's a list of my top 10 favorites (in alphabetical order) and I hope that your young readers will enjoy them too!

1. Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean by Sarah Stewart & Ben Towle--I really enjoy historical fiction and this book is no different. Follow Grace, an aspiring young journalist who is excited when Amelia Earhart arrives in her town of Trepasey, Newfoundland in June 1948. The illustrations match the time period quite well and the book is nicely researched. For grades 4-6.

2. Johnny Boo and the Mean Little Boy by James Kochalka--This is the latest installment in the Johnny Boo series. Johnny Boo 's little buddy Squiggle wants to play, but Johnny's in no mood, so he makes friends with a butterfly-hunting little boy. For grades 1-4.

3. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett Krosoczka--In this fourth installment of the Lunch Lady Series, the school lunch lady spends the summer as the camp cook at Camp Shakedown where she investigates the mystery of the legendary swamp monster. And of course, the Lunch Lady does all her crime fighting using her kitchen gadgets. For grades 2-5.



4. Meanwhile by Jason Shiga --This is the first ever "choose your own adventure" type of graphic novel I've ever seen. After making a choice between chocolate or vanilla ice cream, follow the tubes that lead to different panels throughout the book. According to cover, you can have over 3,ooo different story possibilities. For grades 3-6.

5. Michael Townsend's Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders By Michael Townsend--This is one of the funniest books I've read all year. I really enjoy Townsend's fun illustrations and the characters are so cute. Full of humor, this book will entertain readers with bickering sheep, unruly rulers, and lots of jokes. This book also makes for a great introduction to Greek myths for young readers! For grades 3-6.

6. Olympians Series: Book One: Zeus: King of the Gods & Book 2: Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess both by George O'Connor--For more advanced readers, writer and illustrator O'Connor does a phenomenal job portraying the power of both of these Greek gods. Their strength and emotions jump off the pages and contain more depth for advanced readers. For grades 4 and up.

7. Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Present Zebrafish by Sharon Emerson--Vita forms a band with her new peers to raise awareness and generate donations to help a classmate with a terminal illness. Through their example, children will gain a sense that they too can make a difference, no matter how big or small. Plus, I love the blue hues used in this book and Vita's purple hair! For grades 4-6.

8. Smile by Raina Telgemeier--From 6th through 10th grade, Raina copes with a variety of dental problems all because she tripped and fell, knocking her front teeth out. Telgemier is also the illustrator for the Babysitter's Club graphic novel series. For grades 4 and up.

9. True Things: (Adults Don't Want Kids to Know) by Jimmy Gownley--The latest installment of the Amelia Rules! series, where Amelia celebrates her 11th birthday. But before the birthday party, she must endure some hardships among the people she loves. For grades 4-6.

10. Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework by Nadja Spiegelman--This is the latest publication in the Toon Books line, graphic novels perfect for beginning readers. New characters, Zig and Wikki, travel to earth to find a pet for a class assignment. For grades K-3.

Languages other than English

For those of you who don't know, we have a small Juvenile World Languages Collection. In addition to our rather large Spanish Language collection, we also have holdings in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. And I am pleased to announce that we will also soon be adding Hindi! Some of the titles are bilingual. Ask a librarian to show you.

Kid Films on Friday

This Friday, December 24, we'll show the last of the Feel-Good Films series. Catch Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas at 2 p.m. and the 1966 classic Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 3 p.m. in the Community Room. We'll also have supplies on hand to make last minute cards, gift tags and bags, bows and other crafty stuff. Sounds like a good way to keep the kids entertained as they wait for bedtime!

Share a Tale

Looking for a good story to share? Did you know that in addition to our great picture book collection, we also have a large section of folktales and fairy tales from around the world? Yep. They can be found in the Juvenile Non-Fiction collection under the J 398s. Whether you'd like to read the different Cinderella stories from around the world or you'd like to brush up on your fables, you'll find plenty of stories to explore. Here are some of my favorites.

Yummy by Lucy Cousins. Yes, the creator of the Maisy books has a fantastic collection of your favorite stories, complete with her illustrations. A great introduction for younger ones to some of these tales.

Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema. This tale from Mexico follows a clever little sheep as she tries to elude the coyote intent to have her for dinner.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young. When Mom goes to visit Grandma, a hungry wolf pretends to be the Grandma to trick the three little girls left behind. 

There Will Be Toys

There will be a story time break, with regular programs returning Monday January 3. In the meantime, families are invited to hang out, socialize, play and, generally, have fun in the Puett Room. We'll leave the door open and the toys out to enjoy. So keep your story time schedule and visit the library with your little one.

Movies Make the Heart Warmer

It might be a little chilly outside, but it's nice and toasty in the library. Warm up your spirit (and keep the kiddos and relatives entertained!) with a few Feel-Good Films. From Monday, December 20 through Friday, December 24, we'll be showing films every afternoon from 2-4 p.m.  Click here for a full list of movies and descriptions.

Not only will we be showing movies on the big screen, we'll also have craft stuff available to decorate a gift bag, personalize a card, create gift tags, make a bow or craft an ornament. Yep, the elves can relax and still be busy making stuff!

Blog About a Blog

Anna recently blogged about a young Newbery Book Award fan's blog, and now I'm going to tell you about a blog from some literature lovers on the other end of the spectrum: authors of non-fiction books for kids.

I.N.K. Interesting Non-Fiction for Kids

You will find some great suggestions for non-fiction to read to and with your kids. You will get the inside scoop on writing from the writers themselves. You will find links to other information and articles about non-fiction for kids.

Take a look!

He's Back!

The Reptile Man returns to the Tigard Library, Tuesday, December 14 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room. Mr. Richard Ritchey will entertain the whole family with the mysterious world of reptiles. Don't forget to stop by the Children's Room to check out a few books on your favorite slithery and scaly friends.

Story Times and Reading

Recently I came across this great article in the Huffington Post about the importance of story times for toddlers and how not important it is for them to learn to read. One of the best ways you can encourage your child to become a great reader is by enjoying books with them...no flashcards or videos required. Story times provide a good time for this; you and your child are singing, laughing, clapping and sharing.

One of my favorite quotes from the article: "...language skills and the actual activity of reading with an adult are the most important outcomes of toddler story time - not learning the words out of context."

So enjoy story time with your little one, whether they sit in your lap and listen, or play with a board book, or watch the other kids in the room! Know that they're soaking up all of it (the stories, social interactions and everything else happening!).

A Long Walk to Water

The year is 1985. The country is Sudan. Eleven-year-old Salva is forced to leave his village due to the war going on. He does not know whether he will ever see his family again, but has come to accept that they are probably dead. He walks and walks with other refugees across the war-torn country, rows home-made boats across the Nile, and walks and walks some more across a desert until he reaches a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He experiences and witnesses terrible horrors, but never loses hope.

The year is 2008. The country is still Sudan. Eleven-year-old Nya walks and walks every day to get water for her family. Three trips a day to the pond which is miles away from her village and eventually dries up so that every year her family then has to camp by a lake that is days away from their village. The only reason they don't permanently stay by the lake is because it is too dangerous because of the war.

The lives of Salva and Nya eventually intersect. Little did Salva know when he was Nya's age that he would do so much for his war-torn yet beloved country years after he left Sudan for the United States.

Linda Sue Park, author of Newbery Award winner A Single Shard, wrote A Long Walk to Water, based on the life of Salva Dut. It is a heartrending story about hope, at times difficult to read because of the horrific events the reader experiences with Salva. Recommended for 4th grade and above. Parents, this is a good book to share with your child and will open up a discussion about the horrors of war.

Mittens for All

The Mitten Tree is looking festive in the Puett Room (otherwise known as the story time room!). Feel free to stop by any time to add your donations of new mittens, scarves and other warm stuff to decorate our tree. All of your gifts will go to the Good Neighbor Center to help homeless families in Washington County.

Generously sponsored by Friends of the Library. 

But is it "in"?

You may have noticed by now, but the library catalog has a new feature. Next time you're searching for books about a subject and you just want to know what's "in" that you can check out, you're in luck! If you're in the Tigard Library, for example, under "Limit by" select "Items that are IN." Instead of seeing all the items throughout the county, you can see the ones on hand in Tigard that are ready to bring home right then. It's exciting news...at least for librarians!

Reading - Good for Your Future Education

It seems more and more people, including kids, are talking about money, whether it's the economy, personal finance or allowances! The Oregon State Treasurer and The Oregon College Savings Plan have teamed up to encourage this awareness through Reading is an Investment, a literacy and financial education program.

Elementary students (K-5th) can sign up for the program, track their reading and be entered into a drawing for $500 towards an Oregon College Savings Plan account. Twenty scholarships will be awarded in each of Oregon's five Congressional Districts.

How does it work? Check here for more information or stop by the library to pick up your reading log, instructions and booklist and get started!