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Katiem's blog

Confession!  I haven't yet been pulled into one of James Riley's fairytale adventures.  But it is at the top of my to-do list.  How could it not be?  The kids in my This Just In! book club love him.  The kids I talk to after my speed booktalking sessions in the schools love him.  And the kids looking for his books right here at Hoover Public Library -- guess what?  They love him!  Which reminds me, I better wrap this blog up so I can grab his first book before someone beats me to it.
1. Half Upon a Time
2. Twice Upon a Time

Move over, Gail Carson Levine!  The new reigning fairytale monarch is Jessica Day George.  She's the master of both the re-worked traditional tale and the wholly original story.  And her newest offering, Wednesdays in the Tower, comes out today, May 7, 2013.  All hail!

TEENS
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
1. Princess of the Midnight Ball
2. Princess of Glass
3. Princess of the Silver Woods

KIDS
1. Dragon Slippers
2. Dragon Flight
3. Dragon Spear
1. Tuesdays at the Castle
2. Wednesdays in the Tower
 

Mayday, mayday!  Desperately in need of book recommendations!  Can anybody help us?  Mayday, mayday!
HPL staff to the rescue!  Here's what we've been reading lately.
MAY 2013
Kids
Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Dead City by James Ponti
The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron
Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

I AM PUMPED!  Ironman 3 hits the big screen this weekend!  No, I will not be facing the crowded madness at the movie theater immediately after I post this blog.  Actually, I'm going to wait a few days.  I prefer a less chaotic cinematic experience.  Yes, I know you don't care.  Yes, I know you want me to get to the point.  Here it is -- trilogies are awesome.  Especially book trilogies.  I love a story with a good beginning, middle, and end.  And trilogies have an entire book dedicated to each.  That's why I call them a triple threat.  Discover your favorite today!
KIDS
13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (#1)
Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami (#1)
The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski (#1)
City of Fire by Laurence Yep (#1)
Gabriel's Horses by Alison Hart (#1)
Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner (#1)

Just look at that face. You can tell exactly what he's thinking. "Yeah, they're cute now, but watch out. Double trouble is on the way."  I've had twins on the brain lately.  One of my friends just had a set of twin boys.  Another friend is expecing twins, a boy and a girl.  And twins keep popping up in the books I'm reading.  I took the hint and am honoring them in today's blog.  Notice my attention to detail -- I'm posting this on the second of the month.  What can I say.  I'm a librarian.  It just comes naturally.
The Adventures of Vin Fiz by Clive Cussler (#1)
Almost Identical by Lin Oliver (#1)
Athlete Vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
Dueling with the Three Musketeers by L. L. Samson
The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman (#1)

Summer Reading is right around the corner, and it isn't just for readers.  It's also for listeners.  Reading aloud is an important part of the summer reading program.  How else could babies, toddlers, and preschoolers participate?  Reading aloud also sets a good foundation that will help your child when they begin reading themselves.  It establishes the six early literacy skills that children must develop for reading success.
1. Print motivation -- This is the child's interest in, and enjoyment of, books.  If they enjoy them, they will want to learn to read them.

This blog's title is a mash up of what two fractured fairytale book series?  Did you answer The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy and Whatever After by Sarah Mlynowski?  You're exactly right!  Do you know why I mashed those two series together?  Did you say they both have a new book coming out this week?  Right again!  You are on a roll!  The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle (#2) hits shelves on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.  Whatever After: Sink or Swim (#3) quickly follows on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.  Are you a fan and shouting woo-hoo?  I know I am!  Are you totally clueless about these two series?  Let me fill you in.

Can you believe it?  This sweet-looking lady is Cressida Cowell, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series -- an epic adventure packed with Vikings and dragons.  You know what else is unbelievable?  The tenth book is almost here!  How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel hits U.S. bookshelves on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.  In this latest  installment, Hiccup is in exile and hunted by humans and dragons alike.  Can he find the Dragon's Jewel, mankind's last and only hope?  And if he does, what will he do with it?  New to the series or can't remember Hiccup's previous adventures?  The Hoover Public Library can jog your memory.
1. How to Train Your Dragon
2. How to Be a Pirate
3. How to Speak Dragonese
4. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
5. How to Twist a Dragon's Tale
6. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
7. How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
8. How to Break a Dragon's Heart
9. How to Steal a Dragon's Sword
10. How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel

So, you think you can dance?  Congratulations!  I hope you realize how lucky you are.  You could have been blessed with two left feet (like me) and been forced to merely watch dance movies with envy (also like me).  Actually, my inability to dance doesn't keep me from doing it.  That's the great thing about dance.  It's not so much how it looks, but how it makes you feel.  If you want to shake it, you shake it.  Especially this week, April 26-May 4, 2013.  It's National Dance Week.  So pull out your best dance moves, even if it's the Running Man or the Sprinkler.  And grab one of these dance-related teen fiction books.
Another Way to Dance by Martha Southgate
Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun
Audition by S. Ward
Bunheads by Sophie Flack

When my sister was four years old, she took ballet.  Every week, right after class, she would do a quick demo for our dad, showing off her newly acquired dance skills.  Every week, the demo looked exactly the same.  Obviously, my sister was not blessed with great dancing ability.  Hardly a surprise -- no one else in my family can dance either.  Does that stop us?  NO!  And you can bet we'll be busting a move this week, April 26-May 4, 2013.  Why?  It's National Dance Week!  Get in the groove with these dance books.
PICTURE BOOKS
The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M. P. Hueston
Ballet Kitty by Bernette Ford
Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen
Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango
Cock-a-doodle Dance! by Christine Tricarico

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