Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy Funny Realistic Fiction Romance Suspense Teen * * * * Stars (Great!) Yuri Strelnikov is a 17-year old boy genius physicist, on loan from Russia, whose research and theories on antimatter are suddenly in demand when an asteroid is sighted hurtling toward Earth. He and a team of scientists are responsible for finding a way to blast it out of existence or, failing that, knock it off … Read more
Wynd Book 1: Flight of the Prince by James Tynion IV + Michael Dialynas Fantasy Graphic Novel LGBTQ+ Teen/Adult * * * * Stars (Great!) When the King turns his attention to the “weirdbloods,” Wynd’s adoptive family attempts to sneak him out of town and get him somewhere safe. But the King’s henchman, the Bandaged Man, can sniff out anyone with magical blood and Wynd’s scent is particularly distictive. Their violent pursuit leaves a swathe … Read more
Sunny Makes a Splash Sunny #4 by Jennifer and Matthew Holm Graphic Novel Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Tween (grades 4+) * * * * Stars (Great!) Summer is here! And most of Sunny’s friends are off doing other things while Sunny is home babysitting her little brother. Until she lucks into a job at the pool working at the concession stand. She makes lots of new friends there among the life guards and gets to … Read more
Thanks to everyone who submitted photos and celebrated Dinovember 2021 with us! Please enjoy the dinosaur antics below. What IS Dinovember? Check out this family’s blog for inspiration! Dinovember Gallery:
Take a hike this fall and share a photo of your adventure using the form below. Teens (grades 6-12) and adults can pick up a kit at the Information Desk this November (starting November 1, 2021, 1 kit per person, while supplies last) and plan their own hike. Where will you hike? If you need some ideas you can research locations in McHenry County and Kane County. If you weren’t able to snag a kit, … Read more
Horse Trouble by Kristin Varner Juvenile Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Tween * * * Stars (Pretty good) Kate is a middle schooler who loves horses and has been obsessed with them since she was 7 (she’s now 12). Although she can’t afford to have her own horse, she has been taking riding lessons over the past 4 years and is becoming an accomplished rider, though she does seem to fall off a lot. She pays … Read more
I started the month of August off by breaking my left pinky toe – you wouldn’t think something that small would hurt so much! The doctor put me in a boot and my activity was limited for a couple of weeks, so I actually read more print books than listened to audiobooks this month. Here are a couple, though, that I did enjoy: Laziness Does Not Exist, by Devon Price – This book by Dr. … Read more
This month has been really busy and there’s been so much less daylight, too (boo). It’s about time to start hibernating (with a good book). I was distracted a little from audiobooks this month by a teen/tween graphic novel series called Space Boy, by Stephen McCranie. I borrowed the first book from another library and liked it so much I ended up buying the whole series for our collection (because I think everyone should read … Read more
Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall Biography Nonfiction Adults/teens * * * * Stars (Great!) Christopher McDougall and his family rescue a donkey (Sherman) from a hoarding situation and work hard to bring him back to health. Sherman surprises them all with his determination to survive and overcome his previous circumstances and McDougall comes up with the wild idea of training and entering him in a team long-distance donkey race. Recruiting family, friends, and neighbors, … Read more
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach Nonfiction Adults/older teens * * * * Stars (Great!) What happens as human and animal habitats overlap more and more? What do we do about bears that break into dumpsters and houses and vehicles? Birds that swarm farms, crops, and airfields? And other creatures that make pests of themselves? Communities have tried all kinds of solutions ranging from extermination to relocation and all kinds of interesting options … Read more