 Hi, I'm Pam from the Billie Jean King Main Library. I'm one of the children's librarians here. And I'm Jeanine from the Mark Twain Library. Welcome to chapter chat, our monthly conversation, highlighting new books from our elementary and middle school collections, airing the second Wednesday of every month. We will each talk about four new books that have arrived on our shelves within the last six months. Let's begin and we will start with you Pam, take it away. All right, I have a historical fiction book here, which is set in California. It's called Gold Rush Girl by Avi. Avi's written seems to me a zillion books. So people should be familiar with him. And this is a story of 13 year old Tory, Victoria actually but she goes by Tory, and this is set in 1848. And she lives with her parents in I believe it's St. Louis, but back east and her brother, and her dad gets the gold bug, and he decides he needs to go to California. Now Tory's life being a girl in 1848 is not the best because her society and kind of controls what she must do and she's got to be just right. She's got to do a lot of social things she's got to act a certain way dress a certain way. That's just not her nature. So when her dad and brother leave. She stoves away. And they don't find her until it's too late. So there she is in California with them. Her dad goes off to the gold fields leaving her in charge of her younger brother. And Tory finds out that they need, they actually need money to live on. So she starts doing whatever she can to earn money. And she makes friends with a man a lit process street who runs a cafe, senior Rodriguez, no Rosalis. And she also meets a couple of teen boys that and Sam. And Sam is a musician, and he is also African American and he gets in trouble for talking to a white girl. So things are okay. They're not quite sure when her dad will come back. But they keep going. But then her younger brother he just can't stand just having to be there all day long he goes out adventuring. And he gets what they call crimped. So he actually gets Shanghai by some sailors. And they keep him prisoner on a ship, which is part of what they call rotten row it's all these old boats, ships that have come aground in San Francisco, in San Francisco. And she knows he's on one of them, but she doesn't know which one so she gets that and Sam to help her go find him. So this leads to some very exciting adventures. And the best of all Tory just never stops being independent and spirited, and she knows what she wants. She worries that she might have to go back to her old life, but she's determined to do what she can all she can for as long as she can and she's just a great character. So this is set in California. I really hope that this wins an award for being California book. So this is Gold Rush girl by Abby. Very cool. I like how it's set in California. Yeah, that's pretty cool, especially like, you know, we're known for the gold rush and everything so. The gold rush is kind of, you don't really know you think, Oh, the gold rush. Oh, so such a nice period. Yeah. And this really brings home kind of the realities of life when you don't find gold. Right, right, right. Like there are things other things that happen here other than the gold brush so. Yeah. That's interesting. Very cool. I saw that I think on a review list or something like that. And I was thinking, Oh, I'll be always makes a good book. So, yeah, good idea. Okay, so my first book is a Canyon's Edge. Oh, I saw that one. Yeah, it's by dusty bowling, bowling bowling, I think. And you can find this in our children's fiction section. And so the story is, as you can see, there's a canyon, and then a little girl right there. So just letting you know it's kind of like a survival story. So one year ago, on this exact day, Nora had lost her mother in a deadly shooting, and her father suffered an injury that has left him in chronic pain. Even though the bullets didn't hit Nora, the incident has scarred her for life, especially her father who won't let Nora go back to school. For fear of another possible shooting that Nora will experience. Luckily, Nora was able to have multiple therapy sessions with a therapist Mary and discover and and discovered that she was that if she was ever in fear. To actually ask herself, what do you fear. And her answer is always dying. And then Mary always responds with are you likely to die in this situation, which usually leads to Nora saying no. Because you know usually it's just a panic. Are you, what do you really fear, you're dying. Is this really going to kill you know, yeah, in most situations. Nora's spirits up on this painful anniversary. Nor's father surprises her with a trip to go Canyon climbing, basically climbing down into a Canyon Ridge. Yeah, in Arizona. So this trip starts out great. They arrived at the canyon went on a hike and made a successful climb down the canyon. They let her able to somewhat forget about the tragedy that happened last year, until something terrible happens, a flash flood at the bottom of the canyon rushes through. It's so strong, so strong that the flood carries her father away and her backpack of survival gear and leaves Nora by herself. And by herself with nothing to eat, drink or keep warm. She then goes through the same sequence of questions. What do you fear dying. Are you likely to die in this situation. Yes. So, definitely the answers change in this particular situation. Will she be able to be reunited with her father, will she be able to survive without any wilderness equipment to help her. Another thing that I thought was interesting was that when Nora's therapist, Mary discovered that Nora actually enjoys writing. Mary had suggested that Nora write how she feels in poetry in poems to help cope with her mother's death. And so this book is actually written in verse. So it's definitely great for those reluctant readers out there. At the beginning I believe there's about 10 chapters they're really short chapters but it's it leads up to the separation between her father and the canyon. And then after that, it's all verse after that. So, but, you know, it's good to read some regular pages of text to help build up the information, you know, about the background. Yeah. So for those who are fans of the hatchet, or any survival story. We will thoroughly enjoy this book. Also if you're reluctant reader too. Yeah, that's another one to put on my list. And I always think oh I look at those books like that and I go oh that's such a long book but then when you say it's written in verse that makes it go a lot, lot faster. For sure, for sure. It's just so easy I'm just like oh okay cool, but it explains so much even though there's very little in it. So, yeah, yeah cool. Alrighty. All right, well this is totally different we need a little lighter book. So this is bow. And the dragon pup. This is the second book in the unicorn diaries. And this is by Rebecca Elliott she wrote the owl diaries. And so we know what to expect some fun adventures. This is a story of bow and his friends. And at school they get to earn a different patch every week for some accomplishment. Excuse me. This week they're going to earn their detective badges, because they have to find out who stole things out of their classroom. And they follow the clues, and it leads them to a dragon, which they are terrified up, even though it's a young dragon. And is the dragon really the culprit. We don't know you'll have to read it and find out. But this is very sweet. Very colorful. Very easy to read just perfect for beginning chapter book readers. If you like the owl diaries and if you like unicorns especially, you're going to like this book. Very sweet. Very fun. Very nice. Very cute. Yeah, I like those books. A lot of a lot of kids like to read those two series, or the owl diaries too. Pretty cute. I like the illustrations. Good friendship story. Yeah. Yeah, for sure, for sure. Okay, so this one. I guess this is also on the lighter note as well. Oh good. Kind of to a certain extent. So you'll, you'll see. This one's called the prettiest by Bridget Young. The book is found in our middle school section. It kind of reminds me of the middle school version of mean girls and any like makeover show or movie any make those makeover movies. So this book is told in three different perspectives Eve, a shy and quiet girl, eighth grader who tries to go through middle school, unnoticed, and hides her growing and curvy body with her brother's baggy sports jerseys. Then the second perspective is Nessa Eve's plus size best friend who enjoys the enjoys the school theater and watching dancing competitions. And then there's Sophie, the most popular girl in school, so popular that they call her and her group and her group of friends, the Sophie's. But all is about to change when a list of the top 50 prettiest girls is posted online for everyone in the eighth grade to see. And who do you think is number one. It's actually Eve. Just before Sophie Eve is number one Sophie's number two middle school in general is already makes things. It's really hard in middle school. Post a list that objectifies girls making them just a number makes it even harder. So this cruel prank leaves all the girls at the school emotional and distraught tears are shed. Many texts of sexual harassment and prejudice are sent from unknown numbers to get to the bottom of this these three girls band together and form an unlikely trio to find out who created the list. They suspect it to be the most popular boy in school, Brady, but will their plan lead to Brady's confession, or could it be someone else who created the list. You'll have to read it to find out these characters speak exactly like middle schoolers, which let readers easily relate to the characters. And so the audio book, and it really sounded a lot like the dialogue and mean girls. Okay, this is real. So yeah, and you know to also and on top of that to me this book almost seems like a mystery novel because they're, you know, trying to figure out who the culprit is. Yeah, who did that. Yes, basically. And so, well, the clues do point to Brady but is he really the culprit to see. Yeah, another mystery. Yeah, for sure for sure. Okay, well this one was one of my favorites this is the one and only Bob. Hi, Catherine Applegate. And this is a sequel to the one and only Ivan, which I'm sure everybody loved. I hope so anyway. I didn't see the movie but I read the book. And so this is the story of Bob the dog, and he's very little. I think he's a Chihuahua, but he acts much bigger than what he actually is. Bob is best friends with Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the young elephant Ruby's mother was the one who lived with Ivan in the mall. So they're very close. But now they live in a zoological sanctuary. That's not too far from where Bob is and luckily Bob's owner will take him down there often so he can sit on the wall between Ivan and Ruby and visit with the two of them. He's the best friends with him. And so it's a really good life for Bob even though he's no longer a wild dog he's now a pet. But one day a tornado or hurricane strikes and Bob becomes a hero. People. There's missing things are missing animals are missing. It's a big drama because there's an animal shelter nearby, and they can't decide whether to let the dogs and cats loose to transfer them to another place what should they do. And Bob actually becomes the hero of the day by, well you'll have to read it and find out. But this of course is told by Bob himself, who thinks quite highly of himself. And if this would make a great read a lot of it would be a wonderful for a family to read together. Because each animal has a very distinct personality Ivan is still drawing Ruby is just very sweet. And things happen that seem unbelievable and unbelievable coincidence. But somehow they all seem believable when you're reading. So this is the one and only Bob and I highly highly recommend it. Oh, how cute. Is it written kind of like the same, like a lot of space in between the lines and all that. Yes. Yes, here is an example. Yeah, so it's one of those books that again looks long. And that's because of large print and lots of spaces, a very fast read and then you get caught up in the story to because she's very good at cliffhangers and short chapters. Yeah, and it's, it's not your usual dog story. Oh yeah. I know how those can end. Yeah. Okay, very cool, very cool. Okay, so back to a little more of a downer. So downer but good, I swear. So this one. This got to our shelves over the summer in July so it kind of just made the cut off for the six months to do this for chapter time. And this book is called Seven Clues to Home by Guy Polisner and Nora Rayleigh basket. This book is about joy and Lucas, their best friends in second grade, and are slowly become aware of each other's feelings for one another. Now they're, they're in a sixth grade, I believe. Yes, sixth grade, sixth or seventh. They're here on their birthdays, which were only two days apart. And they would each create a scavenger hunt to for each other for the other. Unfortunately, on Joy's 12th birthday, Lucas met his untimely death. She was never able to tell him how she felt about him and also never opened the envelope revealing the first clue for her birthday scavenger hunt. Now it's a year later, and she finally gathers the courage to open the first letter of Lucas' scavenger hunt on her 13th birthday. It's exactly a year later. This book is told in both Joy's perspective in present day and Lucas' perspective, the time leading up to his death, while also unveiling an unpleasant, very unpleasant home life. Because the reader doesn't know what happens to Lucas, this book reads like a romantic mystery novel in a way, because you know they're trying to reveal their feelings for each other and all that stuff, even though he's passed. I definitely get a bridge to terabithia in combination with the movie My Girl, kind of get that kind of combination vibe from it. So the only thing that's different obviously is the friend's death is revealed at the beginning of the story instead of the end. Sometimes that actually might help the reader, knowing, okay, this is going to happen. So, prepare, you know, that's one of those things. But I think it's kind of cool that they do a flashback every other chapter in Lucas' perspective, then it's Joy's perspective and then back and forth. So it's kind of like you see everything transforming, not only today and present day, but also in the past during Lucas' time. So, yeah. So, I definitely recommend it though. Yeah, very sad. So, yeah, that's good that they kind of tell you at the beginning because sometimes you read in the long and you're thinking, oh, this is sweet, this is what, and then you're like, what? I know. I know. And I get that feeling every time I like when I read Bridge to Terabithia or watch the movie My Girl. Yeah. Yeah, that happened when, well, a long, long time ago when we saw the movie Love Story. And it had that ending and people were like, what? He what? Are you serious? That can't be. So my last book was my favorite. I was trying to read some of the books that were not part of the Newberry nominees. And this is one of them. And this is Lauren Castillo, our friend Hedgehog, the story of us. It reminded me a lot of Winnie the Pooh with all the different animals who end up being friends. This is the beginning chapter book. Well, I made it at the beginning chapter book because inside, there's lots of pictures and I think a little more text than there would be for a beginning reader. So at the main library, it's in the chapter books. But this is the story of Hedgehog and Muddy. And Muddy is a stuffed dog. It looks like a real dog, but he's the stuffed dog. And they are best friends. And then one day a terrible storm blows Muddy away and so Hedgehog has to go find him. And along the way, Hedgehog, she meets Wiggly Mole. And of course the owl is wise just like owl in Winnie the Pooh. Excuse me, she meets grumpy beaver, playful chicks, their watchful mother, and they all help Hedgehog retrace Muddy's path. And it leads them to Annika May. That's her right there. She's new in the neighborhood, so she hasn't had time to make friends. But she has a Polaroid camera. She loves to take photos. And somehow, miraculously, they can all understand each other. And the day ends happily for these new friends. And as I showed you there are bright, wonderful illustrations on every page. And Mole just might be Latina because she serves Hedgehog some horchata. And she uses some Spanish phrases in when she speaks. So that was kind of an interesting twist to me. This is just right for beginning chapter book readers, although they might need an explanation about Annika's camera because I don't think many kids know what a Polaroid camera is. But that's what she has. So, and I'm really hoping that this could somehow become a series because I really, really enjoyed it. And I would love to see it win some kind of award just because it's just a wonderfully terrific tale of friendship. And so that's Hedgehog, our friend Hedgehog, the story of us. Is she the same author that did Nana in the city? Let me see if it says that. Yeah, she did Nana in the city. She did one called The Troublemaker. And she did one called Melvin and the Boy. So this is her with Hedgehog on her shoulder. Oh, how cute. Yeah. Yeah, the illustrations kind of reminded me of Nana in the city. I love that book. And I just thought, if somehow this became a really, really well known book, that these would make really cute stuffed animals. And it could be like a coals thing at the book. Oh yeah. I just thought it was just wonderful. Yeah, I think the Polaroid one too. Yes, yes. If you were, if you were doing a program on this, you could bring in a Polaroid camera and show the kids how it works. Yeah, yeah. We should, we should like sign up to be coals like product line. Yeah, well they actually did on Ellen's game show. One of the challenges was to figure out how to use that Polaroid camera and take a selfie. Oh my God. And one person never did figure it out. But anyway, great, great story. Yeah, very cute. Very cute. If you need something uplifting. Yeah, happy, happy. Yes. I'm glad you mentioned that one because this one is, it's a little, little tricky, like it is sad, but it's in a way like both happy and sad. And she's a good writer. I see that. Oh yeah. So, this one is called Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins, and you can find this on our middle school shelves. This actually arrived this month. And so this actually is in another book that is written in verse, and also written in two different perspectives. So there's Hannah. And then Calvin or Cal for short. And starts out Cal's mother Hannah's, Hannah's mother's twin sister so Hannah's aunt recently passed away from cancer. And Cal's abusive father is serving time in jail. So now Cal is living with Hannah and her family wants nothing more than just to feel safe and have a roof over his head. But him living there makes things a little more complicated. She always enjoyed stability control and affection from her parents, but cows uncontrollable moments of rage, disruptive behavior and runaway moments make Hannah feel embarrassed to be associated with him. It's starting to create more arguments between her parents. And given that Hannah has a pretty great life in comparison. It is very hard for a sixth grader to deal with change in their lives. Because of Calvin's moments Hannah's parents are, like I said they were arguing more father is having to work longer hours, longer than normal, and harder than normal, in order to support another mouth to feed in the household. Cal always explains himself but he always embellishes on this, on his extravagant story that it's hard to believe him most of the time. He actually becomes a little worried that he, when he realizes that he may be taken away from the first real home he's actually had. All of his outbursts and everything he's running away. What do you expect you might call the authorities might need to get the police involved to find you and that might not look good to them. And like basically, you know, basically another home or foster in a way it's a foster care situation anyway, because, you know, they're not his parents. So these two cousins be able to hear each other out. Well, you'll have to read it and find out maybe they might be able to mend things and help help out in whichever way possible for each other. So this book is the first middle school novel by Ellen Hopkins, who is bestselling author of the crank series. So that kind of makes sense for this book to be written in verse. So, which is pretty cool so it'll be easy for those reluctant readers. So actually, it's a bit they switch between, I believe, each, I think, between, maybe it's I think it's a versus like a few verses with each. So a few with cow, and then a few with. So, just goes back and forth. It's very interesting because it goes in sequence. So you don't see the perspective of both of them, like you don't hear the perspectives of both of them in a certain situation. A situation happens, then it goes to cow or Hannah, and then her, his or her situation happens, then it goes to the next sequence next time. So it's not, you see both perspectives within the same situation. It's pretty cool. I kind of liked it. I was listening to it. And I thought, oh my gosh, I'm going to hear Cal's version of Hannah's, you know, perspective, and I'm like, oh good, it's going on to the next. So it kind of goes, it kind of speeds through pretty fast. The timeline. So, it's pretty cool. Yeah, that seems to be a trend. It's a lot of the books we've shared are written in verse so that I guess is a trend for middle school now. Yeah, I guess so. I mean, a lot of times it is hard to grab those reluctant readers at the beginning, and they could still be reluctant readers throughout elementary school and then into middle school also. So, I know, I know that's true for because I'm a living example. Such a reluctant reader when I was younger. I just did not want to pick up a book. If I had these books back then. Oh my God, I would probably writer right now. It's insane. And I used to work with very reluctant readers. And they, they would deliberately ask for big long books so that it looked like it was very impressive even though they really couldn't read them. So, in this case, if they had books written in verse they probably actually could have read them for sure for sure. And I know that yeah like we said before it's just like even though they seem like hefty long books like really thick books are thicker than usual, or or thicker than they're used to, then, but really because they're in verse it's so much easier. Yeah, so quick. And the book jackets have gotten more, I don't know, not sophisticated but more realistic. Definitely. I think it's very, very pretty artwork now. Yeah, sorry. I was worried about that. Well, I guess those are those are for this month. And if people want to find them and check them out we hope that you will read them. And for us on our website, just go to our book catalog and put in chapter chat 0121. And we have this very wonderful background created by one of our children's librarians here, Miss Denea did a great job on that. And I believe that our contact information is there too so you can always email us and ask us, what are we reading now. So we hope to see you next month and we'll end with you. Goodbye. Goodbye. It was good seeing you. Bye everyone.