Keep Running, Gingerbread Man by Steve Smallman

Keep Running, Gingerbread man, is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written by Steve Smallman. It’s one of several picture books in his Fairytales Gone Wrong Collection.

Inside this humorous version of the classic story, you’ll run as fast as the Gingerbread man can, as he scurries from the old man, old woman, the cow, horse and the fox. Find out what makes the Gingerbread man so quick and if the characters in the story eventually catch on to his secret! 

With a bit of a twist on the old tale, the author encourages children, that staying healthy, eating right and exercising can be fun. The reviewer thought using this classic story to teach kids in a fun and upbeat way was a marvelous idea!

Mouse Vacation by Philip Roy

Who has ever had a mouse as a friend?

Well this story is of just that! There is a man whose name is John and he has a friend named Happy which happens to be a mouse!

Happy the mouse wants to go on vacation, but he wants to go to places like Taj Mahal in India or New Zealand, but that’s not possible. John wants to go to the woods or places that would not be very expensive. So, Happy and John have to come up with a compromise!

Stop in at your local branch to grab a copy of this book today!

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Peggy is desperate - desperate enough to trust a man she’s only met once just because he says he knew her deceased mother, and desperate enough to impersonate a lady-in-waiting at the Court of King George.

Since her uncle threw her out of the house for objecting to the marriage he arranged for her, Peggy has no other option but to go along with the plans of strangers. She takes the place of Lady Francesca, reporting back on court life to her strange trio of handlers. Between spying, passing as an imposter for Lady Francesca, and trying to find out what really caused the Lady’s death, Peggy will be doing well to make it to the end of the season.

Palace of Spies is an engaging young adult read. There are a couple of plot lines to follow, and quite a few intriguing characters with complicated motivation. Zettel keeps the suspense high and throws in some extra personal jeopardy to keep readers hooked.

 
You can find a copy of this book on the eLibraries website!

We Are Growing by Laurie Keller

This book from the Elephant and Piggie series is about eight friends that are growing up fast!  Some of them have been named Silliest, Tallest, Crunchiest and so on.  But there is one friend that has a hard time thinking of a name for himself, until near the end when he comes up with one!

Head on over to your local branch to check this book out!

Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Sam needs a plan, he wants to make twenty bucks a pop, like Annabelle, his 12-year-old sister who mows lawns for twenty dollars. When Mrs. Kerner, a neighbor, asks Annabelle to watch her 6 chickens for a few days, she declines, but seven-year-old Sam jumps at the chance to make some money and offers to care for them.

Sam takes his first job very seriously, and not only makes twenty bucks, but discovers that chickens are very interesting, and he soon becomes an expert. Sam decides to buy his own chicken and add it to Mrs. Kerner's flock, but how will he know his chicken’s eggs from all the others?

Sam and his dad do some research and find a type of chicken that lays blue eggs. Sam's enthusiasm spreads through the neighborhood and soon everyone, from his bus driver, school friends and lonely elderly neighbor are all waiting to see Helga's first blue egg. Helga gives Sam a passion that enriches his life in more ways than one.

The reviewer suggests this as a great junior fiction read aloud that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike!!