- Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes RC 10 Lexile 600Allie Velasco wants to be a winner. No better feeling exists in the world than stepping to the top of a winner’s podium and hoisting a trophy high in the air. At least, that’s what Allie thinks . . . she’s never actually won anything before. Everyone in her family is special in some way -- her younger sister is a rising TV star; her brother is a soccer prodigy; her great-grandfather is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. With a family like this, Allie knows she has to make her mark or risk being left behind. She’s determined to add a shiny medal, blue ribbon, or beautiful trophy to her family’s award shelf. When a prestigious school contest is announced, Allie has the perfect opportunity to take first -- at last. There’s just one small snag . . . her biggest competition is also her ex-best friend, Sara. Can Allie take top prize and win back a friend -- or is she destined to lose it all?
- Castle Hangnail by
- A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by
"Fans of How to Train Your Dragon will love this whimsical tale, the first in a series, by a Newbery Honor winner, featuring charming illustrations and pet ""training tips"" in each chapter. Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet a ridiculous notion! Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie's sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake's combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it's too late. - Framed! by
ISBN: 9781481436304Get to know the only kid on the FBI Director’s speed dial and several international criminals’ most wanted lists all because of his Theory of All Small Things in this hilarious start to a brand-new middle grade mystery series. So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country? If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both. Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls. But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL. Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case? - The Hero Two Doors Down by
ISBN: 0545804515Based on the true story of a Brooklyn boy's friendship with his hero, Jackie Robinson. The year is 1948, and the place is Brooklyn, NY. Stephen Satlow, a local Jewish boy, is an avid Brooklyn Dodgers' fan but a mediocre athlete, at best. When Jackie Robinson moves into his predominantly Jewish neighborhood and befriends Steve, his status changes instantly. Their bond deepens when Jackie commits a wellintentioned blunder. He mistakenly gives Steve's family a Christmas tree. As the tension clears, acceptance of Jackie's gift of the tree becomes symbolic of two families from different religious and cultural backgrounds finding common ground. The friendship between the two families grows over the next few decades, when enormous social changes sweep the nation. - Maxi's Secrets by
ISBN: 9780399545672When a BIG, lovable, does-it-her-way dog wiggles her way into the heart of a loudmouth pipsqueak of a boy, wonderful things happen that help him become a bigger, better person. Timminy knows that moving to a new town just in time to start middle school when you are perfect bully bait is less than ideal. But he gets a great consolation prize in Maxi--a gentle giant of a dog who the family quickly discovers is deaf. Timminy is determined to do all he can to help Maxi--after all, his parents didn't return him because he was a runt. But when the going gets rough for Timminy, who spends a little too much time getting shoved into lockers at school, Maxi ends up being the one to help him--along with their neighbor, Abby, who doesn't let her blindness define her and bristles at Timminy's "poor-me" attitude. It turns out there's more to everyone than what's on the surface, whether it comes to Abby, Maxi, or even Timminy himself. - My Brother Is a Superhero by
ISBN: 9780451474773Behind every great superhero is a very angry younger brother. Luke Parker was just your average comic book fan until his boring, teacher’s pet, helps-old-ladies-across-the-street brother Zack got turned into a superhero. Luke can’t believe the unfairness of it all—he’s the one with the encyclopedic knowledge of everything from Ant-Man to Wolverine! At least he can help Zack—aka Star Guy—with all the important parts of becoming a superhero, like using his newfound powers and deciding whether or not to wear a cape. But when Star Guy gets into super-size trouble, it’s up to Luke—and his intrepid neighbor, Lara—to rescue his big brother and, with a little luck, help him save the world. - Night of the Living Worms by
ISBN: 9780805088861What's a bird to do when his sibling is a big-time celebrity? It's a question Speed Bump has to deal with every single morning, because his brother happens to be the one and only Early Bird. You know, THE Early Bird, who ALWAYS gets the worm! Unfortunately, Speed Bump is a sleepy little bird with a big head and tiny wings who's worried he'll never live up to his brother. But he has a great buddy, the ever-hungry Slingshot, who knows how to lift his spirits. Together, they end up on an adventure deep in the nighttime forest, where they're forced to confront something more terrifying--and slimier--than they've ever imagined. It could all go horribly wrong . . . or it could just change Speed Bump's luck for good. - Pugs of the Frozen North by
ISBN: 0385387970Get ready for a ruff, ruff ride! For early chapter book readers who are ready for something longer, the Not-So-Impossible Tales are packed with humor, action, and illustrations on almost every page. Far away, in a winter wonderland, an amazing sled race is about to begin. The winner can make one wish, and it will magically come true! Two friends, Sika and Shen, want to win more than anything. But all they have is a pack of yappy, yippy, pug puppies. Ten pugs can't move their sled. Even with thirty, it doesn't budge. But what about . . . SIXTY-SIX? With a little bit of luck, anything is paws-ible. - Save Me a Seat by
ISBN: 9780545846608Publication Date: 2016-05-10Two boys - one white, one Indian American - gain strength from each other from afar as they struggle to navigate middle school, family, and friendships. Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL. Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week. - Teddy Mars by
ISBN: 9780062278104Fans of Jeff Kinney's humor and Sharon Creech's heartfelt stories will love this hilarious new series about a ten-year-old boy from a big family who dreams of making it into The Guinness Book of World Records. With the help of his best friends, Teddy tries to build the biggest snow mound, stuff the most grapes in his mouth, and lift a chair with his teeth. He'll do anything to succeed—even if it means sleeping in a tent and cleaning up pigeon poop for Grumpy Pigeon Man. Too bad his pesky little brother, also known as The Destructor, always wrecks Teddy's record-breaking plans! Told in short, accessible sections, with memorable lists and winning illustrations. - The Vanishing Coin by
Publication Date: 2014-04-22Want to see something cool? I can make that quarter vanish. All it takes is a little magic… Fourth grade was supposed to be a fresh start, but Mike's already back in the principal's office. He's not a bad kid. He just can't sit still. And now, his parents won't let him play soccer anymore; instead he has to hang out with his new neighbor Nora, who is good at everything! Then, Mike and Nora discover the White Rabbit. It's an odd shop—with a special secret inside. Its owner, Mr. Zerlin, is a magician, and, amazingly, he believes Mike could be a magician, too. Has Mike finally found something he's good at? - A Whole New Ballgame by
Rip and Red are best friends whose fifth-grade year is nothing like what they expected. They have a crazy new tattooed teacher named Mr. Acevedo, who doesn't believe in tests or homework and who likes off-the-wall projects, the more "off" the better. They also find themselves with a new basketball coach: Mr. Acevedo! Easy-going Rip is knocked completely out of his comfort zone. And for Red, who has autism and really needs things to be exactly a certain way, the changes are even more of a struggle. But together these two make a great duo who know how to help each other—and find ways to make a difference—in the classroom and on the court. With its energetic and authentic story and artwork, this is a fresh, fun book about school, sports, and friendship. - The Wild Robot by
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her. - Willy Maykit in Space by
Earth-dwelling fourth-grader Willy Maykit couldn’t be more excited about his school field trip to Planet Ed. Willy’s class will blast off for the afternoon, learn about outer space, and be home in time for dinner. But when he wanders off on his own, Willy ends up being left behind on Ed! Can Willy, along with his classmate Cindy and an alien boy named Norp, outsmart the big hungry monsters on Ed until someone rescues them? With a little help from an android who likes knock-knock jokes and a seagull with terrific aim, they just might!
Gulf Beaches Library School Age Kids
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Sunshine State Battle of the Books 2017 - 2018 Grades 3 - 5
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Mad Science, TOMORROW!!!, Thursday, July 20 at 3:30 -- followed by a Cotton Candy Demo!!!
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Mermaid Mirrors and other seaside crafts
Seashell crafts, Thursday, June 29 at 4:00
Library patrons donated all the seashells. What luck we're a beach library! The mirrors and boxes were a good deal from Consumer Crafts.
Is this gorgeous or what? Who doesn't want a mermaid mirror? Well, maybe not my grandson Max, but you can come in and make a treasure chest box and paint sand dollars.
No charge, but I do have only 24 mirrors, so first come...
Monday, June 19, 2017
Rock Art BLAST
St. Pete Rocks on Facebook gave us great inspiration -- and publicity when we posted our event.
Materials: day-glo spray fabric paints (leftover from when we made dog bandanas); Jane donated a lovely set of 18 acrylic paints she got on sale at Michael's for $8; a ton of Sharpies; and two big bags of river rocks from Home Depot. I did make up an idea sheet using ideas from Pinterest.
We also provided sealant. And although Amanda, our teen volunteer, had been soooo helpful beforehand, this is when her weight-in-gold started racking up. Because ten minutes before we had to close the library, kids were still painting, and we had to get them out the door. I told them it was time to apply the sealant, but everyone was still wet. So she patiently started blow drying rocks (of course I keep a blow dryer at the library), and we got everybody out the door (fifteen minutes late). That was when each kid got feedback on how cute their rocks were too. Note to self: blow the whistle a little earlier for clean-up! And assign the kids clean-up chores! They know how to screw lids back on!
Our attendance was lower than I expected considering the interest the event seemed to stir up, but a bit above average for my regular summer reading programs. Materials were cheap and of course I paid no presenter. Because we have a very small meeting room and the kids had to move around a lot to access the different paint set ups (not to mention moms wandering), chaos ruled, but that could just have been my style, aka Creative Chaos. My meeting room is carpeted, and I had to work a bit to clean up a couple spots, but no permanent damage was done.
I have a lot of leftover rocks and paints. I will replace the Perler beads at my Make-It Station with them so that kids stopping in can decorate rocks with Sharpies for the rest of the summer. I MAY even let them get out the paints.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Today's the day for ROCK ART!!! Thursday, June 15 @ 4:00
Come join us at 4:00 this afternoon for a session with paints, Sharpies, pencils, tape and a WHOLE LOT OF BARE NAKED ROCKS!!!
(And remember, if you want to hide some, ROC Park is right around the corner!)
Plus, have you picked up your summer reading folders? Finished a bingo yet and ready to collect a prize?
Or just looking for your next book?
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Summer Reading 2017!!!
School's out for summer!!!
This summer we have not one but TWO reading challenges, and the good thing about them is that the same books count for both!
The Tampa Bay Rays will be giving away baseball tickets and prizes again.
Ms. Travis is issuing a BOOK BINGO challenge.
Gulf Beaches Summer
Reading Program
Book Bingo
Level 1
Read a picture BOOK with a blue label
|
Look up a map of where your
book takes place.
|
Read a BOOK with a non-human character
|
Go on an alpha
bet walk in yr house. Find
something that starts w/ every letter.
|
Do a puppet show.
|
Find 5 things outside on a
nature walk.
|
Read a funny BOOK.
|
Act out 5 verbs from a book you
read (run, sleep, eat)
|
Read an Elephant & Piggie
book.
(early reader Willems)
|
Read any BOOK you like.
|
Read a nonfiction BOOK
|
Read a Froggy book by J. London
|
Make a bookmark
|
Read a picture BOOK
|
Tell Ms. Travis about a book
you read
|
Tell Ms. Travis about a book
you read and why she should read it.
|
Read a picture BOOK to someone.
|
Find every letter of the
alphabet in signs on the road.
|
Read a picture BOOK with a CD.
|
Plan a meal for one of the
characters in your book.
|
Visit the library.
|
Send selfie of you reading a
book in a weird way to gulfbeacheslib
@gmail.com
|
Read any BOOK you like.
|
Try out a picture BOOK and listen to the CD
|
Sing a song or say a poem. Try
our poetry section!
|
Rules:
1. “Read”
or “Have read to you” are the same.
2.
You can win
baseball tickets too by filling in the Reading to the Rays scorecard.
Prizes: Each row, treasure box.
Gulf Beaches Summer
Reading Program
Book Bingo
Level 2
Read a picture BOOK with a blue label
|
Find a map of where your book
takes place.
|
Read a BOOK with a non-human character
|
Decide what music your
characters might like.
|
Read a BOOK in a series.
|
Check out a science or cook BOOK and make something.
|
Read a funny BOOK.
|
Write a letter to one of the
characters in your book.
|
Do a rock book report (Title,
author, or quote.)
|
Read any BOOK you like.
|
Nonfiction BOOK
|
“Cultural Traditions” BOOK
|
Make a bookmark
|
Visit the library.
|
Tell Ms. Travis about a book
you read
|
Tell Ms. Travis about a book
you read and why she should read it.
|
Read a picture BOOK to someone.
|
Read a spinner BOOK
|
Read a picture BOOK with a CD.
|
Plan a meal for one of the
characters in your book.
|
Read a biography BOOK by Mike Venezia or Brad Meltzer
|
Send selfie of you reading a
book in a weird way to gulfbeacheslib
@gmail.com
|
Read any BOOK you like.
|
Try a picture BOOK with a CD
|
Check out a poetry BOOK and read one poem out loud.
|
Rules:
3.
You can count a book you’ve read once for a square with BOOK in it and again for any other
square that does not have a bold BOOK. For example, you can READ ANY BOOK you want, mark off a square, and
then you could plan a meal for one of the characters in the book and mark off
another.
4. You can count the same books on Book Bingo on the Reading to the Rays
scorecard.
Prizes: 1st row finished, Family Ticket to Mad
Science Event, 2nd row finished, notebook, 3 rd row, Treasure Box.
Gulf Beaches Summer
Reading Program
Book Bingo
Level 3
Read a BOOK with a non-human character
|
Read a funny BOOK
|
Plan a meal for one of the
characters in your book.
|
Picture BOOK
|
Decide what music your
characters might like.
|
Read a BOOK that was made into a movie.
|
Find a map of where your book
takes place.
|
Read a graphic novel BOOK.
|
Write a letter to one of the
characters in your book.
|
Do a rock book report (Title,
author, a few words)
|
Write a 30 word book review
about a book you’ve read.
|
Read a chapter or picture BOOK to someone.
|
Visit the library.
|
Nonfiction BOOK
|
Read any BOOK you want.
|
Write
1 diary entry, at least 30 words, about an exciting day in your book
character’s life.
|
Make a bookmark
|
Read a “You Really Wouldn’t
Want to” BOOK
|
Check out a science or cook BOOK and make something.
|
Write a 30 word book review
about a book you’ve read.
|
Read a
biography BOOK by Mike Venezia or a “Who Was” bio.
|
Watch
a movie based on a book and write a 30 word review—Better than the book? Why?
|
Send selfie of you reading a
book in a weird way to gulfbeacheslib
@gmail.com
|
Read any BOOK you want.
|
Read a BOOK set in another country.
|
Rules:
1.
You can count a book you’ve read once for a square with BOOK in it and again for any other
square that does not have a bold BOOK. For example, you can READ ANY BOOK you want, mark off a square, and
then you could plan a meal for one of the characters in the book and mark off
another.
2. You can count the same books on Book Bingo on the Reading to the Rays
scorecard.
3.
Prizes:
1st row finished, Family Ticket to Mad Science Event, 2nd
row finished, notebook, 3 rd row, Treasure Box.
And we have crafts starting June 15.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Ready to read? You've come to the right place!
Yes! The ABCs are a done deal, and your child is ready to read!
Now you just need
The Right Book
Next to the board books, we have two shelving units with Early Readers. On their labels you will see K, 1, 2, or 3 which is a ROUGH guess at grade levels. There is a wide selection. May we suggest for the very beginning reader our beloved
Elephant and Piggy series by Mo Willems. Mo Willems is like a millenial's Dr. Seuss; funny books with a controlled vocabulary, but way more hip. We like them so much that we encourage kids to read all 25. (Actually, they WANT to read all 25 and find the hidden Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus pigeon in every book. We have a hard time keeping these on the shelf so you may want to request them.
The Fly Guy series by crazy Tedd Arnold is the next rung up the ladder. Big hits.
These Blast Off readers are also in the Early Readers. They are books about animals and CARS and MONSTER TRUCKS illustrated with lots of great photos, and appeal to some kids who want the facts, ma'am just the facts.
So much for the Early Readers. Much as I love Elephant and Piggie, don't lose track of Pete the Cat, Pinkalicious, Mo Willems' pigeon books, and all our other great books. They are shelved with colored labels over the author's name. The colors are a ROUGH GUESS at how long the books are: green is just a few words per page (hey, anyone a beginning reader?), pink is a sentence, blue is a paragraph, and yellow is a longer book, a few paragraphs per page.
Kids are drawn -- happily -- to the spinners. There will be some stuff there leveled for early readers, so let them roam among the skinnier books, like the superhero books, Star Wars, and Scooby Doo.
Sunshine States 2016
Need a Sunshine State? Place your request now and we'll notify you when it comes in for you!
Click here for our catalog.
OK, this year Ms. Travis is going to try really hard to read ALL the books on Sunshine State even though it's not going to be easy because she's also reading ALL the books on Sunshine State Grades 6 - 8 plus of course the books for her own grown up book club and then, for dessert, all those yummy new picture books. Here's what she sees it:
Absolutely Almost: Realistic. Lisa Graff gets inside the head of a very ordinary, not very smart ten year old boy and makes him very lovable and interesting. The plot? Meh. If you don't HAVE to read all the Sunshine States, read her Lost in the Sun instead, about a boy with anger issues. That's really outside the box.
All Four Stars: Realistic. I loved the idea of a sixth grade master chef. But the arc of this plot was just messy. Starts out great when she sets her kitchen on fire but from there... parents unreasonable, three best friends (guy and girl), evil classroom bully, lots of missteps, and no real cooking at all.
Circus Mirandus: Fantasy on the weird side. I gave it one of the only negative reviews on Amazon. Maybe because I don't like circuses. I didn't quite get it.
***Dinosaur Boy: HiLARious science fiction. Even if you don't like sci fi, the matter of fact humor of this situation -- our hero is a semi-dinosaur. Because of a lab mix-up, he has some stegosaurus genes mashed up with his. He's had to convert to eating a lot of salads, and the other kids tease him by playing ring toss on his spikes. Note: I've bought the sequel because I loved the first so much.
Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile. Realistic. Sort of. Skip this one if you can. There's just nothing to like. The young hero has a photographic memory and the ability to draw anything he has seen. Sure. I still don't see why the NYPD need him to help them break a case. They keep telling him not to interfere, he's just a 'camera' for them. So why don't they use a camera? They've been invented.
**Fish in a Tree: This year's Wonder readalike. Ally has a very bad case of dyslexia instead of crippling ugliness. Very likable, nice, interesting friends, an insightful class teacher, and of course, the classroom bully, Mean Girl. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Freaky Fast Frankie Joe by Lutricia Clifton. Realistic. Despite the painfully corny title, this book is aces with me. The plot is simple and hardworking: Frankie's mom has just been jailed for a 'mix-up' and he has to go live with a father and four half brothers he's never met. There are no villains in this book, even the flaky mom, just a lot of very believable people getting on each other's nerves. Highly recommended. Looking forward to her next book.
Gabby Duran and the Unsittables: Light hearted sci fi. Author Elise Allen's dialog is spot on, has tons of action in this light quick read. The characters for me were a bit stereotyped and the action just too wild.
**Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord. Realistic. A welcome relief! Well written w. threads about dementia, LOONS (really?), and photography tying together beautifully.
*Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures. Fantasy on the realistic side -- Pip's world is just like ours except with magical creatures (sometimes endangered) as well. Very funny, lots of action, great characters --loved it.
Prairie Evers: Realistic. A little too realistic for my tastes. I like a little adventure in my realism. It's a nice book, like a door opening on a pleasant other world, but not a very exciting other world.
Serafina's Promise: Written in very readable blank verse, this short book takes place in Haiti. Starvation, earthquakes, and sickness are all faced down by a hardworking, cheerful Serafina and her loving family. This is an important book.
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett & Jory John. Humor. What a relief this book was! After so many lightweight OCD books of this type, spawned by Captain Underpants and continued by Wimpy Kid, what a relief to find one so well told. The threads here are simple: Miles and Niles are prankster who find each other, make a reluctant bargain, and go on to make prankster history.
Worm Whisperer by Betty Hicks. Realistic. Ellis Coffey is a nature lover with a few problems -- his dad needs back surgery and his mother lost her job, so he has to do A LOT of chores. He keeps at it though, and the ending is a pleasant, if slightly unexpected, pay off.
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