Norse Mythology Reads for Middle Schoolers

June 7, 2016 | ms.amelia

You may be a fan of the Avengers series and watching Thor fight to protect Earth. Or maybe you are a fan of Rick Riordan's newest series featuring Magnus Chase (also available as an audiobook). (PSST! The sequel, titled The Hammer of Thor, will release this October but you can add your name to the hold list today!) Regardless, there are other books featuring your favorite figures from Norse mythology. Pick one up or place a request to see other sides of Anglo-Saxon lore.

Frostborn by Lou Anders

Destined to take over his family farm in Norrørd, Karn would rather play the board game, Thrones and Bones, until half-human, half frost giantess Thianna appears and they set out on an adventure, chased by a dragon, undead warriors, an evil uncle, and more.

Loki's wolves by Kelley Armstrong

"Matt Thorsen is a direct descendent of the order-keeping god Thor, and his classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke are descendents of the trickster god Loki. When Ragnarok--the apocalypse--threatens, the human descendents of the gods must fight monsters to stop the end of the world."--.

Scott O'Dell Book Award

June 1, 2016 | ms.amelia

For almost 35 years, The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction has been given annually to an U.S. author for a meritorious book of historical fiction set in the Americas  and published in the previous year for children or young adults. Here are some of the previous winners. Named after the award's founder, acclaimed author of Island of the Blue Dolphins and other books, the award was intended to encourage writers to focus on historical fiction and increase the interest of young readers in how the country was shaped. For a complete listing, you can visit the award's website: 

 

The hired girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

Fourteen-year-old Joan Skraggs chronicles her life in a journal when she leaves her family's farm in Pennsylvania to work as a hired girl in Baltimore in the summer of 1911.

Dash by Kirby Larson

When her family is forced into an internment camp, Mitsi Kashino is separated from her home, her classmates, and her beloved dog Dash; and as her family begins to come apart around her, Mitsi clings to her one connection to the outer world--the letters from the kindly neighbor who is caring for Dash.

Revisionist History for Teens

June 1, 2016 | ms.amelia

What if WWI was fought with genetically altered animals? What if rock and roll started in Victorian England, or the X-Men were around in the 16th century? What if, what if, what if? These books ask the hard questions, and then try to figure out how history would have progressed, had just one thing changed.

Ink and bone : the Great Library by Rachel Caine

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.... Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly--but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family's spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library's service. When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life--and soon both heretics and books will burn....

Marvel 1602 / by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman's vision of the Marvel Universe in the year 1602 The year is 1602, and strange things are stirring in England. In the service of Queen Elizabeth, court magician Dr. Stephen Strange senses that the bizarre weather plaguing the skies above is not of natural origin. Her majesty's premier spy, Sir Nicholas Fury, fends off an assassination attempt on the Queen by winged warriors rumored to be in service to a mad despot named Doom. News is spreading of witchbreed sightings - young men bearing fantastic superhuman powers and abilities. And in the center of the rising chaos is Virginia Dare, a young girl newly arrived from the New World, guarded by a towering Indian warrior. Can Fury and his allies find a connection to these unusual happenings before the whole world ends? In Marvel 1602, award-winning writer Neil Gaiman presents a unique vision of the Marvel Universe set four hundred years in the past. Daredevil appear in this intriguing world of 17th- century science and sorcery, instantly familiar to readers, yet subtly different in this new time. Marvel 1602 combines classic Marvel action and adventure with the historically accurate setting of Queen Elizabeth's reign to create a unique series unlike any other published by Marvel Comics

Celebrate Shakespeare!

April 23, 2016 | ms.amelia

William Shakespeare was born sometime in April (no one is really sure of the exact date) and died on April 23, 1616. During his prolific production of plays and poetry, he's responsible for creating many words and phrases still used in the English language today. In his honor, check out some of these works inspired by the bard, some of which may be better suited for younger readers.

Picture of Shakespeare is Public Domain

Non-Fiction Featuring Shakespeare

Saturday STEM: Mining Rescue

ms.amelia

Children in ages 7-10 interested in science, technology, engineering and math will learn something new each month in a STEM topic. Six years ago, a mining accident in Chile trapped 33 miners for over two months more than 2,000 feet underground. In 2002, nine miners were rescued from an Pennsylvania mine collapse. We'll be duplicating these real-world engineering scenarios and seeing who can rescue the trapped miners using their team's creation. Registration required and begins July 26th.

Image of Gold Mine by Andrew Kuznetsov is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Saturday STEM: Projectiles

ms.amelia

Children in ages 7-10 interested in science, technology, engineering and math will learn something new each month in a STEM topic. This month, test your engineering skills assembling catapults. Let's see which one can make a projectile fly the farthest, the highest, and the longest. Registration is required and begins June 24th.

Image of Popsicle Stick Catapult is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Saturday STEM: Maps

ms.amelia

Children in ages 7-10 interested in science, technology, engineering and math will learn something new each month in a STEM topic. In honor of National Trails Day, our focus will be geography. Learn about longitude and latitude, how to read a map, and navigate. Registration begins May 24.

Image of Child with Globe is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Happy Birthday Beverly Cleary!

April 9, 2016 | ms.amelia

Beloved author Beverly Cleary turns 100 years old on April 12th.  She started publishing books in 1950, with Henry Huggins as the first in not only a series of books featuring Henry, his friend Beezus, and her sister Ramona, but also the first in a career spanning over 40 years. She's won several awards, including the Newbery Medal in 1984 for Dear Mr. Henshaw, Newbery Honors for Ramona and Her Father in 1978 and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 in 1982, and the National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother in 1981. Her birthday has been recognized for years as National Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day to promote sustained silent reading. If you haven't checked out her writings already, take this opportunity to read one of her books in her honor. A number of these titles are also available for free to read on the computer or to listen to as audiobooks.​

Image credit from State Library Photograph Collection, 1851-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital

Autobiographies About Her Life

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