What they're (really) reading: January 2016

photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This Month's Selections:

Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain
by Jarrett Krosoczka
Graphic Novel

The race is on for a new student council president, and the Breakfast Bunch is rallying for Hector! The competition is already heavy, but the race heats up when school security is at stake: student and staff high-tech gadgets are disappearing left and right. Whoever the culprit is, this is one stealthy thief--and the school is so busy with the election that he gets away with it every time.


I Scream, Ice Cream! A Book of Wordles
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Picture Book

The ever-surprising Amy Krouse Rosenthal unleashes her prolific wit in this silly and smart book of wordplay. Perfectly complemented by equally clever illustrations from the talented and internationally renowned Serge Bloch, this mind-bending book will have young readers thinking about words in an entirely new way!


Screaming With Laughter
by Michael Dahl
Nonfiction/Joke Book

Seriously...it's a joke book about ghosts and monsters. Need I say more?






Double Team
Amar'e Stoudemire
Chapter Book

Eleven-year-old Amar'e Stoudemire is doing well in the basketball tournaments he is entering with his two best friends, Deuce and Mike, but when some of the older and more skilled players want him on their teams, Amar'e realizes that elevating his own game will mean disappointing his friends. 



If You Plant a Seed 
by Kadir Nelson
Picture Book

With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.





Amazing Football Records
by Paul Hoblin
Nonfiction

Presents records of amazing players, teams, and games in the sport of football, including a short history of the game. Large, attractive, captioned, color and black-and-white photographs and reproductions are surrounded by sidebars of trivia on each spread.