Librarians at the Great New York State Fair

If you happen to make it to the New York State Fair this year* I hope you look out for the Very Hungry Caterpillar above the NY Libraries booth in the Science & Industry Building.

Librarians from all over New York State are inviting fairgoers of all ages to spin the wheel and answer trivia questions about fairy tales. Prizes are various, but I can report that there's a reliable amount of candy available.

Passers-by are also encouraged to scan a QR code with their phones to answer a 2-question survey about what they love about their libraries, and they can even take a selfie in front of a board painted with the aforementioned Caterpillar and upload it to Twitter with the hashtag #NYLibs.

The New York State Fair runs through Monday, September 7, 2015. High-five a librarian while you're there! 

*And why would you not make it to the NYS Fair? Quarter Milk**, fried dough, free concerts, sand sculpture, flower arrangements, maple products, model trains, 4-H projects on display, huge pumpkins competing against each other for...mad...huge...pumpkin...prizes! 

**It's very easy to define Quarter Milk as milk that you get for a quarter, since that's essentially what it is, but it's also seriously the best milk you will ever have in your life. This is why I capitalize it. I don't even like drinking milk - a serious confession to make in dairy country - and I line up every year for my plastic I Heart NY cup of Quarter Milk.  Every. Year.

New children's and YA e-books added to NCLS!

Another Day, by David Levithan.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon's side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don't be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day--a perfect day Justin doesn't remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn't Justin at all.

Appleblossom the Possum, by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it's time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascnating the big world can be. But they're about to find out!

With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making. 

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, by Katie Alender.

Delia's new house isn't just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females — an insane asylum nicknamed "Hysteria Hall." However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself. But the house still wants to keep "troubled" girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia becomes trapped. And that's when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the hallways in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia learns that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, too, harbors shocking truths within its walls — truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free. And she'll need to act quickly — before the house's power overtakes everything she loves. Katie Alender brings heart-pounding suspense, gorgeous writing, and a feminist twist to this tale of memories and madness.

Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods: 20 Chilling Tales from the Wilderness, by Hal Johnson. Illustrated by Tom Mead.

Just for kids, twenty bone-chilling tales about the most dangerous fantastical beasts in American folklore. Meet the Snoligoster, who feeds on the shadows of its victims. The Hodag, like a spiny-backed bull-horned rhinoceros. The Hoop Snake, which can chase prey at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and then, with one sting of its tail, cause it to turn purple, swell up, and die.

Illustrated throughout, including eight drawings printed with glow-in-the-dark ink, Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods is for every young reader who loves a good scare. The book was originally published in 1910 by William Thomas Cox and is now inspiringly retold by Hal Johnson, author of Immortal Lycanthropes. The creatures are all scales and claws, razor-sharp teeth and stealth, camouflage and single-minded nastiness. Straight out of the era of Paul Bunyan, they speak to an earlier time in American history, when the woods were indeed dark and deep and filled with mystery. The tone is smart and quirky. The illustrations have a sinewy, retro field-guide look. Read them around a campfire, if you dare.

Lair of Dreams (Diviners #2) by Libba Bray. (Also available in audio, narrated by January LaVoy.)

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Leo: A Ghost Story, by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.

You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can't even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo's efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin.

This charming tale of friendship—from two of the best young minds in picture books: the author of the Caldecott Honor–winning Extra Yarn and the illustrator of the Bologna Ragazzi Award–winning Josephine—is destined to become a modern classic that will delight readers for years to come. Plus, this is the fixed format version, which will look almost identical to the print version. Additionally for devices that support audio, this ebook includes a read-along setting.

Vacation, librarian-style.

Step 1: Plan a literary heritage site as your destination. Pore over the copy of Fodor's Guide to Atlantic Canada you checked out of the library. Make a mental note of the cities en route with independent bookstores.

Step 2: Marvel over how Canadian currency has spots you can see right through.

Step 3: Visit local libraries and steal ideas from their children's departments. Support a library book sale by buying a title with a maple leaf sticker on the spine.

Step 4: Find a copy of Hark! A Vagrant in the lobby of your inn and alternate between reading that and the library book you brought from home.

Step 5: Visit a gift shop and browse the spinning book racks filled with different works by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Get seduced by new covers of books you already own. Buy postcards of vintage book covers. Answer questions from tourists about the Anne of Green Gables series. (Why, 1908, sir!)

Step 7: Try to convert both the exchange rate and gallons to liters when pre-paying for gas and decide it is Too! Much! Math! Grasp for your high school French when your credit card doesn't work in Quebec. Vow to brush up when you get home.

Step 8: Try not to laugh when the border guard asks you if you have any eggs coming back into the United States. It's not actually a funny question, you're just tired.

New children's and YA e-books added to NCLS!

Bright Lights, Dark Nights, by Stephen Emond.

A story about first love, first fights, and finding yourself in a messed up world, from the acclaimed author of Happyface.

Walter Wilcox has never been in love. That is, until he meets Naomi, and sparks, and clever jokes, fly. But when his cop dad is caught in a racial profiling scandal, Walter and Naomi, who is African American, are called out at school, home, and online. Can their bond (and mutual love of the Foo Fighters) keep them together?

With black-and-white illustrations throughout and a heartfelt, humorous voice, Bright Lights, Dark Nights authentically captures just how tough first love can be...and why it's worth fighting for.

Don't Vote for Me, by Krista Van Dolzer.

It's class president election time, and no one is surprised when Veronica Pritchard-Pratt is the only name on the list. She's the most popular girl in school, a social giant who rules the campaign every single year. David, for one, is sick of the tyranny—which he says. Out loud. When Veronica hears about this, she issues a public challenge to David. With his pride on the line, David accepts his fate and enters the race.

But as the campaign wages on, and David and Veronica are also paired up for a spring musical recital, David learns this Goliath is more than just a social giant—and maybe deserves to win more than he does...

Enchanted Air, by Margarita Engle. 

In this poetic memoir, Margarita Engle, the first Latina woman to receive a Newbery Honor, tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War.

Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother’s tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.

Then a revolution breaks out in Cuba. Margarita fears for her far-away family. When the hostility between Cuba and the United States erupts at the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita’s worlds collide in the worst way possible. How can the two countries she loves hate each other so much? And will she ever get to visit her beautiful island again?

Outrage (Singular Menace #2) by John Sandford and Michele Cook.

Shay Remby and her gang of renegades have struck a blow to the Singular Corporation. When they rescued Shay's brother, Odin, from a secret Singular lab, they also liberated a girl. Singular has been experimenting on her, trying to implant a U.S. senator's memories into her brain--with partial success. Fenfang is now a girl who literally knows too much.

Can the knowledge brought by ex-captives Odin and Fenfang help Shay and her friends expose the crimes of this corrupt corporation? Singular has already killed one of Shay's band to protect their secrets. How many more will die before the truth is exposed?

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

What happens when a person's reputation has been forever damaged? With archival photographs and text among other primary sources, this riveting biography of Mary Mallon by the Sibert medalist and Newbery Honor winner Susan Bartoletti looks beyond the tabloid scandal of Mary's controversial life. How she was treated by medical and legal officials reveals a lesser-known story of human and constitutional rights, entangled with the science of pathology and enduring questions about who Mary Mallon really was.

How did her name become synonymous with deadly disease? And who is really responsible for the lasting legacy of Typhoid Mary? This thorough exploration includes an author's note, timeline, annotated source notes, and bibliography.

Tickle Monster, by Edouard Manceau.

This engaging picture book prompts young children to face their monster fear and take charge of the situation! The reader is prompted to tickle various parts of the monster, deconstructing the creature and repurposing his parts into a far less threatening scene. His horns become the moon, his legs and arms become trees, his nose becomes a car...slowly but surely, the monster's shapes build a peaceful nighttime landscape. Manceau's bold, geometric illustrations create a deceptively simple visual narrative that encourages readers to see the parts as well as the whole.

Reminiscent of Ed Emberley's Go Away, Big Green Monster!, this text empowers the child to be brave and clever in the face of adversity.

(All descriptions from OverDrive.) 

New children's and YA e-books added to NCLS!

Con Academy, by Joe Schreiber.

It's his senior year and Will Shea has conned his way into one of the country's most elite prep schools. But he soon runs into Andrea, a fellow con-artist. With the school not big enough for the both of them, they make a bet that whoever can con Brandt Rush, the richest, most privileged student in the school out of $50K, gets to stay at the school.

Will starts setting up his con (an online poker scam) with his uncle who's one of the best grifters in the business, but also with the unwanted help of his father.. The plot thickens as Will starts falling for fellow student Gatsby, and some of Will's lies start to catch up with him.

In this twisty tale of scams, secrets, lies and deception, it hard to figure out who's conning who!

 
Goodbye Stranger, by Rebecca Stead. (Also available in audio, narrated by Kimberly Farr.)

Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games--or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?

This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl--as a friend?

On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?

Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel.

Never Always Sometimes, by Adi Alsaid.

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids--the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never die your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

The Tea Party in the Woods, by Akiko Miyakoshi.

Kikko sets out after her father with a forgotten pie for Grandma. When she arrives at a strange house in the wintry woods, a peek in the window reveals that the footprints Kikko had been following did not belong to her father at all, but to a bear in a long coat and hat! Alice in Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood in this charmed tale.

Thirteen Chairs, by Dave Shelton.

A spine-tingling collection of ghost stories! When a boy finds himself drawn into an empty house one cold night, he enters a room in which twelve unusual-looking people sit around a table. And the thirteenth chair is pulled out for him. One by one, each of those assembled tells their own ghost story: tales of doom and death; of ghostly creatures and malevolent spirits; of revenge and reward. It is only at the end of the night that the boy starts to understand what story he must tell...

Trouble is a Friend of Mine, by Stephanie Tromly. (Also available in audio, narrated by Kathleen McInerney.)

Sherlock meets Veronica Mars meets Ferris Bueller's Day Off in this story of a wisecracking girl who meets a weird but brilliant boy and their roller-coaster of a semester that's one part awkward, three parts thrilling, and five parts awesome.

When Philip Digby first shows up on her doorstep, Zoe Webster is not impressed. He's rude and he treats her like a book he's already read and knows the ending to. But before she knows it, Digby—annoying, brilliant and somehow attractive?—has dragged her into a series of hilarious and dangerous situations all related to an investigation into the kidnapping of a local teenage girl. A kidnapping that may be connected to the tragic disappearance of his own sister eight years ago.

When it comes to Digby, Zoe just can't say no. Digby gets her, even though she barely gets herself. But is Digby a hero, or is his manic quest an indication of a desperate attempt to repair his broken family and exercise his own obsessive compulsive tendencies?

A romance where the leading man is decidedly unromantic, a crime novel where catching the crook isn't the only hook, a friendship story where they aren't even sure they like each other—this is a contemporary debut with razor-sharp dialogue, ridiculously funny action, and the most charismatic dynamic duo you've ever met.

(All descriptions from OverDrive.)