Mysteries of the Magnificent Variety
March 1, 2011 | goulds
Are you looking for a great mystery with some meat to it? Lewis Buzbee has written such awesome books. In Steinbeck's Ghost, 13-year-old Travis, unhappy about his family's recent move, finds he can still connect with his old life at the Salinas Library re-reading his favorite books. He enjoys Steinbeck — after all, Salinas is Steinbeck's hometown. But suddenly he begins seeing the characters spring to life. As he struggles to solve this mystery, budget cuts threaten his library. In looking for ways to save his haven, Travis uncovers many truths and stumbles into a story Steinbeck might be telling him to write.
If you love the 
Hey! Why aren't you checking us out?? Is it because we are behind the Children's Information Desk? We are put there to greet you when you come into the great Children's Department. Please! Take us home with you and read us. We are awesome! We are new! We are hot-off-the-press! We are the latest and greatest wonder-reads for kids of all ages! Marverlous mysteries, super sports stories, gripping ghost tales, animal adventures, historical happenings, fabulous fantasy, crazy comedies… we are all here. But we want to be there — at your house — with you enjoying us. So stop by and pick us up ASAP!
Steampunk appears to be gaining steam… but what exactly is it? Well, here is a definition from Wikipedia: "Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality." While many of the books are for teens or adults, Steampunk is now coming out for tween-age readers. It is one of those 'happenings' that crosses sexes, ages, and formats. No official subject heading exists yet for this genre, but here are a few titles to whet your appetite, pique your curiousity...whatever:
It's pumpkin time! And there are some great stories about them beyond the picture book collection. Pick one of these pumpkin plots:
Everyone loves a good princess tale, whether young or old, and the Children's Department has an awesome selection of titles for you to pick from. For the early readers we have such series as: 
Do you love animals? Do you love magic? Do you love the 
Have you ever considered how strange, scary, and weird school can be?! Well, your school is probably pretty normal compared to the schools in these hilarious stories, but then again, maybe not. Read for yourself and find out. You may need to start preparing for the next school year well in advance if you have to deal with any of these situations.
