Looking for a thrilling, exciting read this spring?  Well, look no further!  The ACTION/ADVENTURE genre has exactly what you need to keep you on the edge of your seat!  

Books in the ACTION/ADVENTURE genre follow the main character(s) as they embark upon an epic adventure or journey filled with daring feats and non-stop action.  Commonly, books within this genre overlap with other genres such as Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Historical Fiction.

Go on a journey of a lifetime without ever leaving the couch with these great reads!

Holes by Louis Sachar (Book)

Holes by Louis Sachar (Audio CD)

Masterminds by Gordon Korman (Book)

Masterminds by Gordon Korman (Playaway)

Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes (Book)

Storm Runners by Roland Smith (Book)

Storm Runners by Roland Smith (Audio CD)

96 Miles by J.L. Esplin (Playaway)

Compass South by Hope Larson (Book)

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry (Book)

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry (Playaway)

Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Book)

Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Playaway)

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Book)

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Audio CD)

Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (Book)

Upcoming Tween Events

April 25
Super Scientists
3^rd-6^th Grade
Registration starts April 11

Do you love solving puzzles?  Are you able to guess the ending to every movie?  Well, the MYSTERY genre might be just right for you!  Stories in the MYSTERY genre feature a crime or mystery and allow you, as the reader, to become the detective.  They can be spooky, funny, or suspenseful, but it is your job to figure out what has happened throughout the story.  

Become a super sleuth with these great MYSTERY stories!

All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker (Book)

All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker (Audio CD)

Linked by Gordon Korman (Book)

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (Book)

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (Audio CD)

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel (Book)

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel (Playaway)

The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Book)

Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Playaway)

The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks (Book)

Greenglass House by Kate Milford (Book)

If You Find This by Matthew Baker (Book)

The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley (Book)

Upcoming Tween Events

March 28
Super Scientists
3^rd-6^th Grade
Registration starts March 14

April 1
Art Attack!
4^th-8^th Grade 
Registration starts March 18

April 1–30
TinkerCAD Challenge: Self-Watering Planter
4^th Grade & Up
Registration starts April 1

Check out the blog next month for a new genre and happy reading!

Compared to the fantasy genre, realistic fiction may seem boring. But let me assure you,
these books are anything but ordinary. Realistic fiction allows readers to understand the
world around them through the eyes of others. The events in these books could happen in real
life, and the characters feel familiar–like old friends. Many times the realistic fiction
genre tackles serious issues and gives readers the opportunity to “walk a mile in someone else’s
shoes.”
Check out these extraordinary realistic fiction titles!

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Book)

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Audio CD)

Wink: Surviving Middle School With One Eye Open by Rob Harrell (Book)

Starfish by Lisa Fipps (Book)

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros (Book)

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (Book)

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (Audio CD)

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Book)

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Playaway)

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake (Playaway)

Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh (Book)

Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun (Book)

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins (Book)

UPCOMING TWEEN EVENTS

February 28
Super Scientists
3^rd-6^th Grade
Registration starts February 14 

Come back next month for a new genre, and happy reading!

Christmas may be behind us, but we can still enjoy wondrous worlds and extraordinary creatures
within the FANTASY genre. Books written as FANTASY are set in fictional times or worlds
and contain supernatural or otherworldly elements that cannot exist in real life. Unicorns,
dragons, and wizards make frequent appearances in FANTASY books, and most contain an
element of magic.

Make one of these fantastic fantasies your next great read!

Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron (Book)

City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda (Book)

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (Book)

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Book)

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Audio CD)

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly (Book)

The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Córdova (Book)

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta (Book)

Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster (Book)

A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (Book)

A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (Audio CD)

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (Book)

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (Playaway)

Upcoming Tween Events

January 24: Super Scientists
3^rd-6^th Grade
Registration starts January 10

February 4: Art Attack!
4^th-8^th Grade
Registration starts January 21

Check out the blog next month for a new genre, and stay warm with a good book!

As the days get shorter, you might be looking for something to brighten your mood. The HUMOR genre is a great cure for the winter blues. The characters within this genre are often involved in silly adventures and are always making hilarious mistakes along the way. These books often focus on real issues, but allow us to see that sometimes it’s okay to laugh at our mistakes.

These books are sure to have you ROFL!

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim (Playaway)

Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce (Graphic Novel)

Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce (Audiobook)

Pie in the Sky by Remi Lai (Book)

Lions and Liars by Kate Beasley (Audiobook)

Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. (Book)

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman (Book)

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman (Audiobook)

The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein (Book)

Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat (Book)

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson (Book)

A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup (Book)

A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup (Playaway)

Upcoming Events for Tweens

December 1-31: TinkerCAD Challenge

            4^th-12^th Grade

            Registration required

December 27: Super Scientists

            3^rd-6^th Grade

            Registration starts December 13

January 7: Art Attack!

            4^th-8^th Grade

            Registration starts December 24

Check out the blog next month for a new genre, and have a happy holiday!   

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live in ancient Egypt, survive the sinking of the Titanic, or cross the country on the Oregon Trail? Although time travel to the past is not currently available, we can still experience the past through the historical fiction genre.

Books in the historical fiction genre are easy to recognize because they all take place in the past. The characters and events in this genre may or may not be real, but the author uses them to create a story in which the reader can experience what it may have been like to live during that time.

Take a journey back in time with these great reads!

We Dream of Space (Book)

We Dream of Space (Audio CD)

Orange for the Sunsets (Book)

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story (Book)

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story (Playaway)

Show Me A Sign (Book)

Hero on a Bicycle (Book)

Like a River: A Civil War Novel (Book)

Echo (Book)

Echo (Playaway)

Al Capone Does My Shirts (Book)

Al Capone Does My Shirts (Audio CD)

The Lincoln Project (Book)

Catherine’s War (Book)

Upcoming Tween Events

November 16
Girls Rock Book Club
4th-8th Grade
Registration Open Now

November 29
Super Scientists
3rd-6th Grade
Registration starts November 15

December 3
Art Attack: Button Wreath Ornament
4th-8th Grade
Registration Starts November 19

December 7
Geek Out! Graphic Novel Club
4th-8th Grade
Registration Starts November 16

Check out the blog next month for our next genre, and have a happy & healthy Thanksgiving!

Calling all tween readers! Welcome to Tween Read Scene with the New Lenox Public Library! Tween Read Scene will be a monthly feature in the Youth Services Blog that will highlight books for ages 9-12. The posts will be jam-packed with information on new tween titles, upcoming library events, and helpful tips on how to find your next great read!

For the first couple of months, I will review fiction genres (one genre per month) and give examples and recommendations of each. This will help you, as a reader, identify what types of stories you enjoy reading already, and get you curious about genres you may not have read in the past.

What are genres?

Think about your favorite book. Now, think about what you like about that book in particular. Maybe you like how the main character fights dragons, or how there is a puzzle to solve within the story, or how you laugh out loud while reading it. Whatever the reason, it most likely has to do with the GENRE of the book. Genre is a fancy word that librarians and teachers use to describe how we sort books by subject matter, style of writing, and format.

Let’s get spooky!

Because it is October and we have Halloween around the corner, this month we will focus on the HORROR genre. The horror genre’s main purpose is to shock, frighten, and thrill its readers through the use of supernatural elements. If it’s got monsters, ghosts, or an evil next-door neighbor, you can pretty much guarantee you’ve got a horror book. You won’t want to turn your lights off after reading one of these!

Book Cover	Title and Author	Catalog Link	Reading Level
	Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor Series) Carly Anne West	J WES	Ages 10-14 AR: 6 Lexile: 940L
	Part of Your Nightmare (Disney Chills Series) Vera Strange	J DIS	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 660L
	Gloom Town Ronald L. Smith	J SMI	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.7 Lexile: 650L
	Slappy Birthday to You (SlappyWorld Series) R.L. Stine	J STI PLAYAWAY J F STI	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.6 Lexile: 490L
	The Night Gardener Jonathan Auxier	J AUX AUDIO CD J F AUX	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 690L
	Nightmares! (Nightmares! Series) Jason Segel & Kirsten Miler	J SEG AUDIO CD J F SEG	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.8 Lexile: 670L
	Scary Stories for Young Foxes Christian McKay Heidicker	J HEI	Ages 9-12 AR: 4.4 Lexile: 640L
	Small Spaces Katherine Arden	J ARD AUDIO CD J F ARD	Ages 10-14 AR: 4.1 Lexile: 570L

Upcoming Tween Events

Check out the blog in November for our next genre, and have a fun and safe Halloween!