What's On Display: Mrs. Crumbley's favorite books
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Living on a farm in the midst of the Great Depression means that times are hard, especially for Charlie Anne and her family, who recently lost their beloved mother. Charlie Anne hears the voice of her mother everywhere she goes, especially the nearby river, where she seeks out refuge from her sadness and troubles. Still, she knows that they will always get by as long as they stay together as a family, a conviction that is shattered when her father leaves them to earn money building roads up north. Left in the care of their awful cousin Mirabel, she and her siblings have to make by as best they can, wearing hand-me-down clothes, going without shoes and education, and working hard to maintain their home. It’s not the happiest existence, but Charlie Anne tries her best to keep the family united. Everything changes on the day that two strangers move in next door and shake the town upside down. Rosalyn is a free-thinking schoolteacher who runs around in red pepper red trousers, and Phoebe is her African-American daughter, the first person of color that Charlie Anne has ever seen in her life. The two girls become fast friends, and fast funny Phoebe turns out to be the perfect solace for the still-grieving Charlie Anne. Unfortunately, cousin Mirabel and the rest of the town are not as thrilled with their new neighbors, and they have to keep their playtimes a secret. As racial tensions mount and Rosalyn and Phoebe try to open up an integrated schoolhouse, Charlie Anne learns what people are really made of. Her hard times have just begun as she learns to stand up to injustice for the sake of her friend, finally donning some trousers of her own and realizing that this world still has plenty of surprises and pleasures in it. This is a lovely tale of friendship in the face of adversity, of family and love, of the power of education, and of life after loss. Our partner Calvert Library has a bunch of free events for middle school students this month! Check them out and let me know what you learn while you're there.
S.T.E.A.M. Punks - Mural Madness 1/12/2017 / 6:30 PM-7:30 PM / Calvert Library Southern Branch / K-7th grades Mural Madness. Question, Discover and Explore the world of art as we create life size masterpieces! Grades K to 7. Brick Builder's Challenge 1/12/2017 / 6:30 PM-7:30 PM / Calvert Library Twin Beaches Branch / All Ages Lego® enthusiasts can visit the library to take part in a monthly, themed challenge. Legos® supplied by library. Registration not required. Minecraft Free Play 1/13/2017 / 5:30 PM-7:00 PM / Calvert Library Twin Beaches Branch / All Ages Play Minecraft on our computers while the library is closed to other customers. Construction Zone 1/14, 1/21, 1/28/2017 / 2:00 PM-4:00 PM / Calvert Library Prince Frederick / All Ages Bring your family to explore the Library's building sets. It's come and go constructive time in the storytime room as we bring out the library's collection of Legos, Keva Planks, Lincoln Logs, Blocks, Magformers and more. No registration. Family Night - Primo 1/19/2017 / 7:00 PM-8:00 PM / Calvert Library Fairview Branch / All Ages Learn the basics of coding and make a robot move around the room through obstacles. S.T.E.A.M. Punks - Robot Riot 1/19/2017 / 6:30 PM-7:30 PM / Calvert Library Southern Branch / K-7th grade Robot Riot. Question, Discover and Explore the world of coding as we make our finches come to life! K-7. Construction Zone 1/21/2017 / 2:00 PM-4:00 PM / Calvert Library Prince Frederick / All Ages Bring your family to explore the Library's building sets. It's come and go constructive time in the storytime room as we bring out the library's collection of Legos, Keva Planks, Lincoln Logs, Blocks, Magformers and more. No registration. Construction Zone 1/28/2017 / 2:00 PM-4:00 PM / Calvert Library Prince Frederick / All Ages Bring your family to explore the Library's building sets. It's come and go constructive time in the storytime room as we bring out the library's collection of Legos, Keva Planks, Lincoln Logs, Blocks, Magformers and more. No registration. Munchkin Game Night! 1/31/2017 / 6:30 PM-8:30 PM / Calvert Library Prince Frederick / 8th-12th grade Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run. Come play the card game Munchkin! There will be an instruction portion at the beginning. Newbies, pros, everyone come play! Hello from your media specialist! I haven't officially started up yet, but I'm moving in and trying to get settled. The library is such a cool space, and I can't wait to meet all of you there! Come say hi the next time you see me.
This tale is a "Beauty and the Beast" like no other, weaving the familiar fairytale tropes around the story of Sarah, a lonely girl with a lonely life. Sarahbear, as her mother calls her, knows that her family is hiding a secret. They are always on the move, running from cold weather and going house to house before Sarah ever has a chance to settle or make friends. Just when she starts to make the acquaintance of Alan, a compelling older boy, Sarah is shuttled away yet again. This time, though, her parents aren’t staying with her. Instead, she is the reluctant resident of a crumbling old castle in the middle of nowhere, and only her stern and frightening grandmother is there for company. That’s what she is led to believe, anyway. Natural curiosity and a bit of magic lead Sarah to discover talking ravens, family secrets, witches, and Beasts. As Sarah puts the pieces of her cursed family history together, older readers will be drawn into the richly detailed mystery and will probably be as surprised by the true identity of the Beast (or Beasts?) as Sarah herself is. In this dark and thoughtful story, the Beast isn’t who you might think it is. Read alikes: Bound, by Donna Jo Napoli; The Beast Within, by Serena Valentino |
Posts by Mrs. Remington, School Librarian
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