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 J F KIM	Ages 9-12 AR: 4.4 Lexile: 620L
Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce	J GN PEI AUDIO CD J F PEI	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.3 Lexile: 490L
Pie in the Sky by Remi Lai	J LAI	Ages 8-11 AR: 4.5 Lexile: 720L
Lions and Liars by Kate Beasley	AUDIO CD J F BEA	Ages 9-12 AR: 4.8 Lexile: 720L
Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever.	J FUN	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.5 Lexile: 660L
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman	J KOR PLAYAWAY J F KOR	Ages 8-12 AR: 5.1 Lexile: 740L
The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein	J GRA	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.7 Lexile: 640L
Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat	J VIV	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 830L
Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson	J LIB	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.8 Lexile: 570L
A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup	J SOU PLAYAWAY J F SOU	Ages 8-12 AR: 5.6 Lexile: 900L

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!

Title & Author	Type	Reading Level
We Dream of Space Erin Entrada Kelly	Book: J KEL Audio CD: AUDIO CD J F KEL	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.6
Orange for the Sunsets Tina Athaide	Book: J ATH	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.1 Lexile: 600L
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story Nora Raleigh Baskin	Book: J BAS Playaway: PLAYAWAY J F BAS	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.8 Lexile: 730L
Show Me A Sign Anne Clare LeZotte	Book: J LEZ	Ages 8-12 AR: 5.1 Lexile: 730L
Hero on a Bicycle Shirley Hughes	Book: J HUG	Ages 10-14 AR: 6 Lexile: 880L
Like a River: A Civil War Novel Kathy Cannon Wiechman	Book: J WIE	Ages 9-12 AR: 5.1 Lexile: 750L
Echo Pam Muñoz Ryan	Book: J RYA Playaway: PLAYAWAY J F RYA	Ages 10-14 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 680L
Al Capone Does My Shirts Gennifer Choldenko (Tale from Alcatraz Series)	Book: J CHO Audio CD: AUDIO CD J F CHO	Ages 10-14 AR: 3.5 Lexile: 600L
The Lincoln Project Dan Gutman (Flashback Four Series)	Book: J GUT	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.8 Lexile: 700L
Catherine’s War Julia Billet	Book: J GN BIL	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.7

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!