Summertime!

Are you enjoying Summer Vacation so far? What did you do with your first week off? Have you been to the public library yet?

Take a look at this year's Summer Reading video.

Catch the Reading Bug at your local library!
Do you recognize the illustrator?

[Hint: he's drawn pictures for three Diaries of Bugs...]

To participate in Summer Reading 2008,

sign up online or at your closest branch.

To sign up online, go to SummerReading.org

A fun thing about participating in Summer Reading online is that you can type up book reviews and share them with other readers in New York. You can also record all the books you read this summer, and watch your book log grow. Pretty exciting! I know I'll be doing this throughout the summer. And a few teachers will be as well! I already added two books and one book review.

If you're looking for a book to read next, journey over to the Summer Reading site, and peruse the reviews and recommendations written by other readers from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

Be sure to talk it over with an adult at home, before entering your personal information on the Summer Reading site. Remember: you can use a code name or just your initials! You don't have to enter your school name or your email address. If you do give your email address, BPL will keep it private and send you email updates about events happening at the library this summer.

Title: Who was Marco Polo?
Author: Joan Holub
Genre: Biography

Review:
This book is about the life and times of Marco Polo. Marco Polo lived from the year 1254 to 1332. When Marco Polo was fifteen he traveled from Italy (where he was born) to China! In China he met a man named Kublai Khan and became very good friends with him and then Kublai ordered Marco to stay in China 30 years. Marco was with his father and his uncle for that time period. Marco died at the age of 69 in Venice, Italy.

I liked this book because it had very good illustrations. I think the publishers of the “Who Was” series do a very marvelous job because they always give you so much information that you will remember it. Another great thing about this book is that it has a lot of expressive drawings. I, personally myself, didn’t know that Marco Polo was a real person. I thought he was just a name of a game that was played in a swimming pool.

I give this book òòòòò out of 5 stars.

Review by Graham W.

Linda Sue Park at BookCourt Tonight!

Some of you are already familiar with Linda Sue Park. Upper Elementary read Single Shard the year before last. And Fourth grade students will soon be reading Seesaw Girl!
For those of you not yet familiar, you have a pile of great books waiting for you.


Tonight at 7pm, Linda Sue Park is reading at BookCourt, right around the corner!
Keeping Score is her newest book. It takes place right here in Brooklyn, in the 1950s, when the Dodgers were on top of the world.


If you want to read some of Park's work, the library has Project Mulberry, A Single Shard, and When My Name Was Keoko. We don't have Keeping Score yet; but I hope that we will tomorrow! Maybe Linda Sue Park can sign a copy for our library!

See you tonight at BookCourt!

Hot Off the Presses!

The Willoughbys
by Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry's newest book has arrived! Meet the Willoughbys: Jane, who wishes for a longer name, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, the twins who have to share everything, including their one sweater, Tim, the oldest brother, very bossy, and Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby, the rottenest parents ever.


Do you love Lemony Snicket and the Baudelaire orphans? Do you like old-fashioned stories with a twisted-twist? The Willoughbys might be for you!

More Babymouse, Please!

From Lower Elementary to Upper Elementary, students are clamoring for Babymouse!
And guess who else has been reading Babymouse? Dane Peters, himself! Dane borrowed Camp Babymouse the other day, to see what the fuss was about. I think he's a new fan.


I'm pleased to announce that several more Babymouse books have joined the 741.5 shelf, including #8, Puppy Love. Come to the library, and check out our new Babymouse books!

Return of the Podcasters!

This week Julia and Clare discussed the Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini. Paolini recently announced that the third book, Brisingr, will be released later in 2008. The news rekindled reader-interest in the first two books, Eragon and Eldest. In their conversation, J. & C. tell you about the first two books, what the name "Brisingr" means, and more.

According to the experts, if you love "fantasy, war, elves, dwarves, dragons, magic, and things like that," the Inheritance Cycle might be for you!

BHMS Library Podcast -- The Inheritance Cycle (mp3)

[Right-click the picture or link, to download the mp3 to your computer,
or just double click to begin streaming it.]

Have you read Eragon or Eldest? Did you see the Eragon movie? Are you looking forward to Brisingr? Share your thoughts in a comment!

The BHMS library podcast is back!

Julia M. and Nathan returned to the library, before break, and discussed Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series. Fascinating stuff!

BHMS Library Podcast -- Keys to the Kingdom (mp3)

[Right-click the picture or link, to download the

mp3 to your computer, or just double-click to begin streaming it.]

Share your thoughts in a comment.