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Mythical Creatures

Duncan the Story Dragon

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Submitted by Ms. Sam!

Duncan the Story Dragon by Amanda Driscoll is all about a friendly little dragon who loves to read! Except he has one huge problem: he can’t finish a story. His imagination soars while he reads, and it also springs to life with flames, as do the stories. Duncan just wants to finish a story. He asks all kinds of friends like Raccoon, Possum, and even a bull but can’t find anyone to help him. He only wants to hear the sweet sound of the last two words of the story, “The End,” like the last sip of his favorite chocolate milkshake. Duncan finds a pal who loves stories just as much as he does and together their imaginations soar (without any burnt books) and together they read until “The End.” See this book listed in our catalog

Julia’s House for Lost Creatures

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Submitted by Ms. Jill!

Julia’s House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke. Julia’s magical travelling house has just settled into a new location by the sea. It’s a beautiful spot, but a little too quiet. Julia feels lonesome, so she goes into her workshop to makes a sign: “Julia’s House for Lost Creatures.” She posts the sign by her front door and waits. Before long, lost creatures of all descriptions begin to arrive: a patchwork kitty, a sad troll, a family of goblins, a dragon, a ghost, and some gnomes. All the house guests are good company, but soon Julia’s feeling overwhelmed with the amount of cooking, cleaning, and chores needed to care for everyone! Fortunately Julia is a good leader, and with a new sign, bit of work, and some proper organization, everyone begins to work together to make the House for Lost Creatures into a happy home. Even so, something is still missing… Julia will need to make just one more sign before her new family is complete. See this book listed in our catalog

Uni the Unicorn

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager. Uni was just like all other unicorns for the most part. She had the power to heal and mend. She could make wishes come true, and she had a magnificent mane and sparkly hooves (of course, her’s were extra beautiful too). But there was one thing that made her different from all other unicorns that she knew. Uni believed that little girls were REAL. All her friends just laughed at her and said there are no such things. Her parents just smiled at her and nodded their heads. But Uni just knew that no matter what everyone says, little girls were real. She would imagine all the things that she could do with a real girl, like run through meadows, spin and twirl in the sunlight, and especially sliding down rainbows together. What Uni didn’t know is that somewhere far away, but not that far, there was a little girl, who thought unicorns were real too. Not just make-believe, just waiting for her to be their friend… See this book listed in our catalog

Me and My Dragon

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Submitted by Ms. Janis!

In Me and My Dragon by Daniel Biedrzycki a boy lists all the reasons he wants a pet dragon, and describes how he would take care of it. The boy includes tips for selection (like why you shouldn’t choose a three-headed dragon), discipline (like what to do if your dragon misbehaves), and diet (like why you should never give a dragon broccoli). It is a wonderful story for children and parents to enjoy. Why have a cat, dog, or guinea pig, when you can have a dragon instead? A dragon that is funny, can fly, and, best of all, helps you make perfect s’mores. Biedrzycki’s illustrations are so vivid and alive, you feel as if you are part of the story itself. Oh, and if you look really closely, Biedrzycki has another little friend who makes an appearance on almost every page. Hint: It is not a dragon! See this book listed in our catalog

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great

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Submitted by Ms. Jill!

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea. From the author of the Dinosaur Vs books and I’m a Shark comes this story of a magical, sparkly, talented Unicorn, and one very jealous Goat. Goat just can’t STAND Unicorn! Unicorn seems to be better at everything: when Goat feels cool riding his bike to school… Unicorn flies to school. When Goat makes crispy treats… Unicorn makes it rain cupcakes! Unicorn’s better at magic tricks and dancing, too. Poor Goat! But wait… can Goat do some special things of his own? And is Unicorn really as stuck-up as Goat thinks? Maybe, just maybe, Unicorn actually wishes he could be more like Goat. Maybe, just maybe, Goat and Unicorn could turn out to be pretty great friends. See this book listed in our catalog

Trust Me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks!

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Submitted by Ms. Sara!

Eric Braun’s Trust Me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks! is a retelling of the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, told from the giant’s point of view. There are lots of interesting things to learn about giants from this book. For example, did you know that “Fee, fi, fo, fum” can mean “Go on home now. I promise I won’t eat you?” Or that giants have trouble finding shoes that fit? And humans–don’t even get a giant started on humans–they’re “a real pain,” laughing behind your back and calling you names. One human in particular, Jack, has become a big problem for the giant. Jack is hiding in the giant’s house and stealing his gold, his goose, and his harp. The nerve! What will the giant do? Try reading this story in conjunction with a classic version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” and compare and contrast the two. How does the point of view change the story? See this book listed in our catalog