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Ready Player One

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Read the Book, Watch the Movie!

Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Movie: Ready Player One
Movie Release Date: March 29, 2018

Set in the year 2045, the people of a dystopian global society rely on the OASIS, an immersive virtual reality game, to escape the stress and bleakness of their poverty-stricken actuality.  When the game’s eccentric creator dies, he sends the entire world on an 80’s-themed treasure hunt—the prize being his enormous fortune and complete control over the OASIS. Wade Watts (aka Parzival), a teenager “gunter”, devotes his life to the contest, studying all things retro, while navigating this fantastical and dangerous universe in pursuit of the elusive “Easter egg”.  Ready Player One combines 80’s nostalgia with the transcendence of virtual reality technology in this action-packed adventure, exploring themes of teamwork, perseverance, and the value of real-life connections along the way. Find it in the catalog.

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

The American Library Association Youth Media Awards were announced this month. It is always an exciting event for librarians when our peers announce their choices for the best children’s books of the year. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, with illustrations by Gordon C. James, received 4 honors, and they were very much deserved in my opinion! Crown is about the transformative power of a really great haircut. It is a tribute to the beauty of African American hair, and “the shop,” a sacred place in African American communities, where barbers elevate their clients with empowering style. A great haircut can make you look like a CEO, make you look majestic, make you look fly. A great haircut can make you feel like royalty! Hello world! Experience the fantastic poetry and paintings of Crown for yourself. You’ll be glad you did. See this book listed in our catalog

Giant Squid

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

With poetic text from Candace Fleming and cinematic illustrations from Eric Rohmann, Giant Squid tells the story of a majestic and mysterious underwater beast. The giant squid lives in the deep sea and very little is known about them. Scientists must hypothesize on limited observations and apocryphal stories about how the giant squid lives day to day. We know of its long tentacles, its large eyes, and its beaky mouth. But less is known about how and why a giant squid can change the color and even pattern of its skin. Or how many eggs it lays and where. The back matter of the book contains information about the anatomy of the giant squid, information about the precarious study of the giant squid, and resources for further information about the giant squid. This would be a wonderful book to share with an elementary-school-aged child in your life! See this book listed in our catalog

You Are (Not) Small

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Submitted by Mr. Eric!

Everyone has felt small, or inconsequential, at some point in their life. Sometimes it can feel as if life, with all of its distractions and possible dangers, is just too big for any of us to really make a difference. You Are (Not) Small, written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant, shows us that being small, and feeling like you don’t make a difference in the world, is all about perspective. In the story a pair of fuzzy creatures meet each other in the woods, one bigger and one smaller. But when more fuzzy creatures begin to appear, all in varying sizes, what exactly constitutes as “small” and “big” really starts to become blurred. If I’m the same size as all of my friends am I “big” or just normal sized? Even though on the surface this is a book that cleverly describes the difference between small and big for children, looking deeper there are certainly important lessons for adults as well. See this book listed in our catalog

Miss Rumphius

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Submitted by Ms. Cassie!

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney begins long ago with the arrival of Alice Rumphius’s grandfather on the shores of America. Alice loves to hear her grandfather’s tales of distant lands. It inspires in her an ambition to see these faraway places, but also a desire to return to live by the sea. Her grandfather encourages her in these dreams, but admonishes Alice to also do something to make the world more beautiful. Eventually, after many adventures in faraway lands, grown-up Miss Rumphius returns to live in a place by the sea. It is there that she finds her act of beauty: she plants lupines all over the hillsides and towns. The beauty she creates in shades of blue, purple, and rose inspire the narrator, her young great-niece, to search for her own adventures in foreign lands and to be sure to do something to make the world more beautiful. Miss Rumphius is a touching and thought-provoking read, filled with gorgeous paintings in acrylic and pencil. Share it with school-aged kids who may also dream of beauty in faraway places! See this book listed in our catalog

The Adventures of Beekle

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Submitted by Ms. Sara!

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. Ever wonder where imaginary friends come from? Well, on a remote island, far away from the real world, they are created, and they wait on the island to be imagined by a child. One of these creatures has been waiting a very long time. Instead of waiting any longer, he decides to set out for the real world to find his friend. When he arrives, he searches and searches for his friend, watching other imaginary creatures play and have fun with their own friends. He climbs to the top of a tall tree, but still doesn’t see his friend. Just as he is feeling very sad, a girl calls up to him. Gradually, the creature and the girl overcome their awkward first encounter (neither has ever had a friend before) and the girl introduces herself as Alice. The creature doesn’t have a name, so Alice names him Beekle. Beekle is so happy to finally have a name and a friend. This Caldecott Medal winner is a heartwarming story of friendship with vibrant illustrations. It is a must-read for any child and their imaginary friend. See this book listed in our catalog