Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Dragonbreath

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

Dragonbreath
by Ursula Vernon
New York: Puffin Books, 2009

Danny Dragonbreath is a dragon who can't breath any fire. Yet. But right now he has bigger problems. He got an F on his paper about the ocean (that he wrote on the bus that morning). And there's a Komodo dragon who keeps bullying him for his lunch. He can solve the first problem by visiting his cousin the sea serpent. Together with Danny's best friend Wendell (an iguana), they'll explore coral reefs, shipwrecks, and the deepest depths of the ocean. And hopefully make it home in time for dinner.

I have to admit, I've been a huge fan of this author since I discovered her artwork decades ago. I love the books for adults she writes as T. Kingfisher, and I was very excited to see the first (of 11) Dragonbreath book show up in Libby. It's a humorous combination of text and comic panels that is great for older kids who can appreciate mutant potato salad. 

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

I Survived the Great Molasses Flood
by Lauren Tarshis
New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2019

Carmen and her father moved from Italy to Boston four years ago. She's doing well in school, her neighbor Tony is her best friend, and she rides a horse named Rosie around the neighborhood. A popular spot with the local kids is a huge metal tank that hold millions of gallons of molasses. It's always leaking, and the kids are able to take samples of the tasty syrup. But the leaking seems to be getting worse. On the afternoon of January 15, 1919, a horrible noise shakes the city. The tank has burst! A wave of molasses 20 feet high is sweeping through the city! Will Carmen and Tony be able to make it to safety?

The I Survived series looks at historical events throughout the millennia, told through the eyes of children. What impressed me was the way the author shows history as a series of interconnected events. Rather than focus on one of the more unusual disasters in history, she places it in the events of the time. Carmen and her father left Italy after the Avezzano earthquake in 1915, and her father dies from the Spanish flu months before the Molasses Flood. The molasses was being used for munitions production for the Great War (World War I). At the end of the book, several other book in the series that take place around the same time are recommended. There is also a follow up section that delves further into the history of the incident, and its lasting effects. The tank burst to shoddy manufacturing and negligence, and the legal and regulatory changes that followed are still around today. I recommend this book for older kids who can deal with secondary character death (Papa) and the main characters being in peril. 

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Princess Academy

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
New York: Bloomsbury USA Children's, 2008 

Miri and her family have lived in the small village of Mount Eskel for generations. They mine shining linder stone for trade with the lowlanders and live relatively uncomplicated lives in their isolation. One day a royal delegate arrives with the expected traders. Per the usual traditions of Danland, the priests have fasted and prayed to determine the location of the prince's future bride. And this time she's to be found in Miri's territory. An academy will be set up for all the girls twelve to seventeen so they may learn how to be princesses. At the end of their studies, one will be chosen by the prince.

Scrolling through Libby, I recognized the title of this book (and the Newbery Honor medal on the cover) but didn't know anything about it. My first thoughts were that it would be a fluffy fish out of water story like The Princess Diaries, or a fluffy 'fairy/supernatural/fantasy' book with a school setting in which a group of (five or so) princesses must learn to work together. Please note, this is not meant to be disparaging towards fluffy. Especially in these trying times, fluff is a large part of my literary and caloric diet. But due to the title, I absolutely went into this book with preconceived notions which were quickly dispelled. 

Shannon Hale takes inspiration from Scandinavia, and it's evident in the book. This is a cold, beautiful, harsh mountain land populated by strong people. The book weaves threads of family and education through the excitement of dreaming about what might be. The characters are distinct and believable, and the writing flows smoothly. I'll admit, I never really 'heard' the rhythm of the quarry songs that start each chapter and are featured throughout, but music has never been my strong suit. I'd definitely recommend this for older kids, teens, and interested adults of all genders. 

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
New York: Dutton, 1978

A carefully selected group of people are invited to live in Sunset Towers, a luxury apartment building near Lake Michigan. Shortly after moving in, millionaire Sam Westing is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Sixteen of the Sunset Towers residents discover they have been named heirs to the Westing fortune and must play a game to win the Westing fortune (and perhaps solve a murder).

The Westing Game was published in 1978, and won the Newbery Medal. It's a mystery book for older kids and young adults that doesn't read like a kid's book. The large cast of characters can make it difficult to get a good read on any them. Despite this, the clues are plentiful, and I found the ending surprising. 

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.


Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
New York: Disney Hyperion, 2019 

'Power, boy! It's all about power. You control the story, you control the narrative, you control power.'

Seventh grader Tristan has just lost his best friend Eddie in a tragic accident. He's also just lost his first boxing match, disappointing his father and grandfather, both former champions. He leaves Chicago with his grandparents to spend some time on the family farm in Alabama, in hopes that he can work through his grief. He brings Eddie's journal with him. No one else seems to notice that it's glowing. That night he finds Gum Baby, from his Nana's stories, stealing his journal. Giving chase, he ends up in the woods and falls into a world inhabited by African American folk heroes and West African gods. When he tore a hole in the sky, Tristan brought a great evil with him. Can he save the world and make his way back home?

Rick Riordan is well-known for his series dealing with Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. In his 'Rick Riordan Presents' series, he uses his experience and platform with Disney to highlight and publish authors from underrepresented backgrounds and cultures who have amazing stories to tell. Tristan Strong is one of those stories. It's the debut novel from Kwame Mbalia and it is incredible.

The world building is fantastic. Here are folk heroes, like John Henry and Brer Rabbit, and gods, like Anansi the Weaver, in a land shadowed by the horrors of the slave trade. The characters are believable, the action is fast paced, and the dialog and narration flow smoothly. While listed as 'middle grade' (grades 3-7), I would absolutely recommend this for teens and adults as well. It kept my interest, which is a difficult thing for a book to do in these troubled times. A sequel is due out in October, and I'll definitely be picking it up. 

Physical Distancing STEM Break with Ms. Meghan: Classifiers of the Galaxy

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

I'll be pairing up Libby books for GPL patrons with STEM activities, live webcams, educational programs, and citizen science projects.

So, let's go

Guard Classify Some Galaxies!

It's a great big universe out there, and there's still so much to explore. If there are no clouds, you can check out the night sky and learn more about the stars and planets. During the day, and on cloudy nights, you can learn inside as well!

Read: 

There are a number of books about the night sky that you can borrow from Libby, including Stars and Galaxies from DK, Stars! Stars! Stars! by Bon Barner, and Space by Will and Mary Pope Osborne.

Be a citizen scientist: You could be the first person to see a brand new galaxy! When you join Galaxy Zoo, you'll explore galaxies by looking at their shape and helping scientists learn more about them. Galaxy Zoo is the citizen science project that has the most publications based on input from people just like you!

Physical Distancing STEM Break with Ms. Meghan: Festive Feeders

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

I'll be pairing up Libby books for GPL patrons with STEM activities, live webcams, educational programs, and citizen science projects.

So, let's go check out some

Festive Feeders!

Migration season has started! Many of our favorite backyard birds spend their winters in Central and South America. Now that it's getting warmer, they're flying back to Illinois to raise their families. This is a fantastic time to set up a bird feeder, if you don't already have one, and start getting to know your feathered neighbors.

Read: 

There are a number of books about birds that you can borrow from Libby, including Animals in Flight by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page and Secrets of Animal Life Cycles by Andrew Solway.

Feed: 
You can have an adult help you set up a feeder and birdseed outside your window or in your backyard. If you're not able to, you can watch the Cornell Feeder Cam in Sapsucker Woods, New York. For something a little more exotic, you can watch the Panama Fruit Feeder Cam

Observe: Start recording what birds you see at your feeder. You don't have to watch at any particular time of the day, or for any set length of time. You'll begin to know the birds that call your backyard home. You can get help figuring out which bird is which with the Merlin bird guide.
If you'd like to take your observations to the next level, you can participate in Project FeederWatch. By counting on certain days and submitting your data, you can help scientists track migration times and population trends.

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Magic Tree House #1 Dinosaurs Before Dark

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!  

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

 

Magic Tree House #1 Dinosaurs Before Dark
by Mary Pope Osborne 
New York: Random House, 1992

Jack and Annie discover a mysterious tree house in their Pennsylvania backyard. Climbing up the rope ladder, they find it's filled with books about dinosaurs, knights, and more. Suddenly they're transported back in time, and the dinosaurs are real! Will they be able to get home?

The first in the sprawling series, Dinosaurs After Dark introduces young readers to Jack and Annie and their myriad adventures. This short highly illustrated chapter book mixes science with adventure and sets up a continuing narrative thread that continues throughout the series. There are dozens of books with different adventures, so there's sure to be something for everyone. A companion non-fiction series gives further information on the adventures in each book.

 

Physical Distancing STEM Break with Ms. Meghan: Fun with Fish

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

I'll be pairing up Libby books for GPL patrons with STEM activities, live webcams, educational programs, and citizen science projects.

Right now? The human world, it's a mess. So, let's go have some


Fun with Fish!

Coral reefs are incredible marine habitats and some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet!

 
Read:
There are a number of books about marine life that you can borrow from Libby, including The Brilliant Deep by Kate Messner, Wild Sea Creatures by Chris and Martin Kratt, and On the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole.


Watch: A lot of aquariums have large coral reef habitats filled with fish, coral, and sometimes even sea turtles! The Monterey Bay Aquarium is in California, and they have a live webcam on their Coral Reef habitat. The Georgia Aquarium has a webcam on their Indo-Pacific Barrier Reef habitat.

Observe: After checking out the closeups on the Monterey camera, switch over to the Georgia one. We'll be doing a point count of the marine life we see. With your imagination, draw a line going left to right, through the middle of the tank (please do not draw on the screen). Each half of the screen is a plot. Have an adult set a timer for 20 seconds or count 20 Mississippi's. How many different types of fish do you see in each plot? How many different types of coral? Are there big differences between one plot and the other? Why do you think that might be? Are the numbers different at different times of the day?

Books to Read While Physical Distancing: Fish in a Tree by Linda Hunt

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

Fish in a Tree 

By Linda Mullaly Hunt
Nancy Paulsen Books (an imprint of Penguin books): New York, 2015

"Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”

Ally Nickerson, 6th grader, has been outsmarting a lot of adults to disguise the fact that she can't read or write well. All she wants is to be able to fit in, but that seems impossible to Ally. It isn't until a substitute teacher, Mr. Daniels, comes that things turn around for Ally. Mr. Daniels won't let Ally use her avoidance techniques for getting out of work. Overtime, Mr. Daniels helps Ally gain an understanding of her dyslexia and how she can cope with the challenges of having it. The more he works with Ally, the more we see Ally's confidence grow and the more she is able to be herself. Pretty soon she is making friends and realizing that she is more than just a label and all things are possible.

This is a heart-warming tale that begs to be read especially for readers who enjoyed R.J. Palacio's "Wonder." Learning challenges aside, this book offers all readers a chance to see that even problems that seem impossible to solve can become possible. I enjoyed reading this novel and getting to know the characters in it.

Physical Distancing STEM Break with Ms. Meghan: Party with the Penguins

Hey everyone! How are we doing?

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

I'll be pairing up Libby books for GPL patrons with STEM activities, live webcams, educational programs, and citizen science projects. Are we ready to

Party with the Penguins!

There are between 17 and 20 penguin species, and almost all of them live in the Southern Hemisphere. Only a few species live in the icy cold of Antarctica; the rest live in South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Read: There are a number of books starring penguins that you can borrow from Libby, including Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne, Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, and Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice by Steve Metzger.

Be a citizen scientist: What is citizen science? Citizen science is when people like you and me conduct scientific research. The data gathered by thousands of people helps professional
scientists in the advancement of their studies and increases the public's understanding of science.You can help Oxford researchers learn about how well penguin chicks are surviving by joining Penguin Watch! You'll get to count penguins and assist scientists with their studies on these important birds, and the role they play in the food web.

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Rebound by Kwame Alexander

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

Rebound (a companion to The Crossover)
by Kwame Alexander
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing: Boston, 2018

Rebound lets us into the life of Charlie "Chuck" Bell in a pivotal summer growing up during middle school.  He has just lost his Dad and is struggling (with moving forward, dealing with his emotions, and creating a 'new normal').
His mom can't seem to figure out how to help him so he is sent to live with his grandparents for the summer. When he is there, he gains an appreciation for jazz and basketball. With the help of his family, Chuck learns how to rebound on and off the court. 

I really enjoyed this novel. It is a prequel (comes before the Crossover) and is written in verse with some cool graphic novel panels occasionally throughout the book that highlight/ emphasize certain scenes.  I appreciate how the book handles and shows the importance of love and the power of a strong family connection .

Books to Read While Physically Distancing: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Did you know that your Galesburg Public Library card allows you to check out e-books and audio books through the Libby app? All you need is your library card and your PIN (your birth date in MMDDYYYY format) and you'll be on your way to reading on your phone or tablet!

Books to Read While Physically Distancing (BtRWPD) will focus on books available for checkout through Libby.

Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
New York: Viking Press, 2001

Artemis Fowl is a brilliant criminal mastermind. His family (and their fortune) have been on the wrong side of the law for generations. His latest plan is to ransom a fairy for its gold and find his missing father. Completely realistic plans for a twelve year old.

I'll admit to a bias going into this book. Urban fantasy, especially where other races like fairies, vampires, shapeshifters, etc., live alongside humans is my favorite genre. So it's not surprising that I really enjoyed this book. I'd heard of the series (and upcoming movie) but hadn't had a chance to check it out yet. I finished it within 24 hours, and it was very successful in keeping my interest (I've had trouble concentrating on books lately, for some reason). It was engaging and action packed, and it was a refreshing change to have an anti-hero as the main character. I enjoyed the melding of magic and science. At times, it was a bit over the top, but seeing as how the author referred to it as 'Die Hard with fairies', this is absolutely intentional and works within the book. I definitely recommend this for older kids up through adults.