October Tween Read Scene: Ghoulish Graphic Novels

It’s that time of year again, the leaves are falling, the nights are chilly, and everyone is looking for a spooky read to cuddle up with! While there are many great scary novels available, gruesome graphic novels really turn up the fear-factor with their visual displays of frightening fun.

You’ll be sleeping with the lights on after indulging in one of these ghoulish graphic novels!

Sheets by Brenna ThummlerJ GN THUAges 9 & Up
AR: 3
Lexile: 400L
Fake Blood by Whitney GardnerJ GN GARAges 10 & Up
AR: 2.5
Lexile: 150L
The Sleepover by Michael ReginaJ GN REGAges 8-12
Apocalypse Taco by Nathan HaleJ GN HALAges 8-12
AR: 2.5
Lexile: 150L
This Was Our Pact by Ryan AndrewsJ GN ANDAges 10-14
AR: 3
Lexile: 350L
The Witches of Brooklyn by 
Sophie Escabasse
J GN ESCAges 8-12
AR: 2.9
Be Wary of the Silent Woods by Svetlana ChmakovaJ GN CHMAges 8-12
AR: 2.7
Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse by Stephanie CookeJ GN COOAges 8-12
Garlic and the Vampire by Bree PaulsenJ GN PAUAges 8-12
Nightlights by Lorena AlvarezJ GN ALVAges 8-12

UPCOMING TWEEN EVENTS

October 1-31
TinkerCAD Challenge: Create a Stencil Board
Best for 4th Grade & Up
Registration begins October 1

October 3-31
Ghost Hunting Scavenger Hunt | All day
All Ages
Registration not required

October 5
Art Attack: Mini Cauldrons | 6-6:45 pm
4th-8th Grade
Registration begins September 21

October 15
Goofy Ghouls | 10-11:30 am
Spooky games, crafts & treats
All Ages
Registration not required

October 21
Wild Explorers: Leaves! | 4:30-5:15 pm
4th-8th Grade
Registration begins October 7

October 25
Geek Out! Graphic Novel Club | 6-6:45pm
The Okay Witch by Emma steinkellner
4th-8th Grade
Registration begins September 27

May your Halloween be safe, spooky, and spectacular! Come back next month for more great reads!

September Tween Read Scene: Super Sports Stories!

With the start of a new school year, sports seasons are upon us. Whether you are a player, spectator, or avid fan, sports stories can be enjoyed by all. Offering lessons in perseverance, teamwork, and respect, sports stories give us GOALS to aspire to in our every day lives. KICK OFF the new sports season with one of these HOME RUN titles!

Takedown by Laura ShovanJ SHOAges 9-12
AR: 4.1
Lexile: 610L
Wrestling
Checked by Cynthia KadohataJ KADAges 10-14
AR: 4.9
Lexile: 760L
Hockey
Ten Thousand Tries by Amy MakechnieJ MAKAges 8-12
AR: 3.9
Lexile: 590L
Soccer
The Underdogs by Mike LupicaJ LUPAges 10 & Up
AR: 5.2
Lexile: 840L
Football
Ghost by Jason ReynoldsJ REY

AUDIO CD J F REY
Ages 10 & Up
AR: 4.6
Lexile: 730L
Track and Field
Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit RosewaterJ ROSAges 8-12
AR: 3.8
Roller Derby
Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barbara HigueraJ HIGAges 8-12
AR: 4.7
Baseball
Up for Air by Laurie MorrisonPLAYAWAY J F MORAges 10-14
AR: 5.7
Lexile: 900L
Swimming
A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil BildnerJ BILAges 10-13
AR: 4.1
Lexile: 690L
Baseball
The Fifth Quarter by Mike DawsonJ GN DAWAges 8-12
AR: 2.2
Basketball

UPCOMING TWEEN EVENTS

September 1-31
TinkerCAD Challenge: Use Codeblocks to Create a Gyro Keychain

Best for 4th Grade & Up
Registration begins September 1

September 6
Geek Out! Graphic Novel Club | 6-6:45pm

Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd
4th-8th Grade
Registration begins August 9

September 12, 19, & 26
Let’s Go Fishin’ | 5-6 pm

Ages 6-12
Registration begins August 29

September 14
Art Attack!: Ceramic Apples | 6-6:45 pm

4th-8th Grade
Registration begins August 31

September 16
Wild Explorers: Soil! Get Your Hands Dirty | 4:30-5:15 pm

4th-8th Grade
Registration begins September 2

September 19
Soapy Roads: Make Your Own Soap | 5:15-7:15 pm

Ages 8-13
Registration begins September 5

August Tween Read Scene: It’s Time to Go Back to School!

Backpack

#2 Pencils

Notebooks

Great Back-to-School Read

As much as we would like these warm summer days to last forever, a new school year is right around the corner.  Out with the swimsuits and sunscreen; in with the bonfires and football games. Show your school spirit with one of these fantastic back-to-school reads!

The Losers Club by Andrew ClementsJ CLE
PLAYAWAY J F CLE
Ages 8-12
AR: 5.5
Lexile: 860L
Posted by John David AndersonAUDIO CD J F ANDAges 8-12
AR: 5.1
Lexile: 750L
Real Friends  by Shannon HaleJ GN HALAges 8-12
AR: 2.6
Lexile: 290L
Those Kids From Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada KellyJ KELAges 8-12
AR: 4.4
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita VaradarajanJ WEE
PLAYAWAY J F WEE
Ages 8-12
AR: 4.8
Lexile: 780L
New Kid by Jerry CraftJ GN CRA
AUDIO CD J F CRA
Ages 8-12
AR: 2.9
The Unteachables by Gordon KormanJ KOR
PLAYAWAY J F KOR
Ages 8-12
AR: 5.1
Lexile: 740L
Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara DeeJ DEE
PLAYAWAY J F DEE
Ages 9-13
AR: 4.2
Lexile: 630L
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris TebbettsJ PAT
AUDIO CD J F PAT
Ages 8-12
AR: 4.5
Lexile: 700L
Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin YunJ YUNAges 9-12
AR: 5

UPCOMING TWEEN EVENTS

August 1-31
TinkerCAD Challenge: Create Emoji Tokens
4th Grade & Up
Registration begins August 1

September 6
Geek Out! Graphic Novel Club | 6-6:45pm
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd
4th-8th Grade
Registration begins August 9

What’s Your Next Great Read?

Are you a tween looking for great adventure in far off lands or looking for your first great chapter book?  Maybe you’re somewhere in-between. No matter your age or interest, the library has something new waiting for you!

Notorious by Gordon Korman  Age Interest: 8-12 Grades 3-7 Rating: 5/5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Tweens looking for a great adventure on an island that’s half in the United States and half in Canada ( a place so well described I had to look up whether it was real or not!)  Meet Keenan who has arrived to live with his father on the U.S. side of the island and Zarabeth(ZeeBee) who lives on the Canadian side of the island in a house once occupied by gangsters. She also once had a dog who was the terror of the island and the new Barny II is the exact opposite of her old dog. 

I really liked how the character and the setting were developed through the making of new friends and the consistent theme of the old Barney being compared to the new Barney and the mystery of the gangsters gold. Join the adventure while Keenan and ZeeBee unravel the clues and a conspiracy that dates back to Centerlight’s gangster past in the 1920’s. The bad news is that someone is after them. . .

Northwind by Gary Paulsen Age Interest: 9-12 Grades 3-7 Rating: 4/5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Survival story in the Arctic! Leif is an 11 year old orphan in the wilds of the Arctic who is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe when a deadly plague reaches the small fishing camp where he lives. He flees northward and learns to survive the plague, bears attacks, Orcas and hunger along a wild shore laced with high fjords, all on his own. Leif learns to connect with the ocean and live on his own.  Another great survival book by Gary Paulsen. If you like this one, read Hatchet too!

Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro Age Interest: 5-8 Grades 1-3 Rating: 4/5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Do dragons like marshmallows or will they make them sick? From the Zoey and Sassafras series, Meet Zoey who can see magical animals and what’s even better they come to her barn to be taken care of. Fun read for the emerging reader who is ready for chapter books.  What’s not to like about fixing magical animals?!

The Ember Stone by Katrina Charman Age Interest: 6-8 Grades 1-3 Rating: 4/5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

From The Last Firehawk series, Magical animals abound in Perodia, but a dark magic used by a powerful vulture named Thorn is trying to destroy it. Can a young owl named Tag and Skyla, a perky squirrel, help save the island when they find the last Firehawk? 

Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor Age Interest:8-11 Grades 3-6 Rating:5/5❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This is the story of two 6th graders Aurora and Frenchie.  Aurora is loud and boisterous and Frenchie does not talk.  But… they understand each other. They both love nature and they are both a little bit different! They live in a small town in Maine where many of the people march to their own tune.  When Frenchie goes missing all of these odd ball characters come together to search for him.  This story “Honors the sweet mysteries of how to communicate with each other and the world.” (Kirkus Review Feb 2022)  

Alien in My Pocket – Blast Off  by Nate Ball  Age Interest: 6-9 Grades 1-4 Rating: 5/5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Catch this one on Libby! The first in a series, this is a perfect chapter book for a young readers.  There’s a boy – Zach, a girl – Olivia, and a 4 inch tall blue alien – Amp. Will Zach have to protect the world from an alien invasion while trying to navigate 4th Grade? Or will he have to protect Amp from the world?  Highly recommend this book with a DYI science experiment ! Have fun!