Education

December 2017 Books

Toddler

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
For your little bulldozer fan, this book is the perfect nighttime read. As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they’ll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play!

Youth

River Rose and the Magical Lullaby by Kelly Clarkson 
River Rose is going to the zoo, but she’s too excited to fall asleep the night before. A magical lullaby from Mom sends River Rose off on a dream adventure. Soon, River Rose is hopscotching with the hippos, slip-sliding with the penguins, and dancing with the big brown bears. Come along on this bedtime journey with an original lullaby that parents and kids are sure to love.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt 
If your little buddy loves to play Rock, Paper, Scissors, he will love the epic tale behind the classic game. This origin story of Rock, Paper, and Scissors will have your entire family laughing out loud from the over-the-top silliness. Follow these three as they adventure and compete to see who wins the challenge. You will never play Rock, Paper, Scissors the same way again.

Tween

The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea 
No one likes or wants to take the statewide assessment tests. The unforgettable students in Mrs. Woods’ sixth-grade class already have enough to worry about. The whole school is in a frenzy with test time approaching—kids, teachers, and the administration. When one of the kids has a big idea for acing the tests, they’re all in. But things get ugly before they get better, and in the end, the real meaning of the perfect score surprises them all.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow was born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born. She’s blamed for all local misfortunes and cursed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. As Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. Morrigan needs to find a way to stay in the sanctuary city, or she will meet her certain doom.

Teen

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green 
Sixteen-year-old Aza is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. She never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a massive reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. When she connects with Pickett’s son, she learns she is not alone in the world. This one is for older teens.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza
Here is a sci-fi fantasy that will transport you into a world of interplanetary deception, war, friendship, and love. Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She will avenge her family and claim her throne. Aly, on the other hand, has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation–and his life.

All Grown Up

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Get lost in the magical tale of the Owens family, a line of witches who must live with a curse on love that began in 1620. Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, the Owens children are dangerously unique. Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair; shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who looks for trouble and pleasure, must figure out who they are and how to live with their gifts.

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
When a traffic accident becomes the catalyst for an unexpected love story between two people, you know you’ve found a good story. Richard Bowmaster, a 60-year-old human rights scholar, hits the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Evelyn turns up later at the professor’s house seeking help. The professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz, a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile, for her advice. The drama moves from Brooklyn to Guatemala to Chile and Brazil, sparking a romance between Richard and Lucia.

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