May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson JFIC Fantasy/Adventure

May Bird doesn't have too many friends in Briery Swamp, a town shrouded in mystery after the unexplained disappearance of the community. She doesn't mind too much though as long as she has her trusty cat, Somber Kitty. With her mom threatening to take her to a prep school in New York, May Bird runs away to answer a letter she found addressed to her at the abandoned post office. Her answers take her to the Ever After, a land full of ghosts, ghouls and the dreaded Bogeyman. The Ever After is not the happy place it use to be and very dangerous for a "Live One" like May and an animal like Somber Kitty. May Bird is a like able character who courage surprises even herself. My favorite character is the resilient Somber Kitty. Will May Bird ever find her way out of Ever After? Will Somber Kitty find May even though cats have been banned in Ever After? Who is Pumpkin? Find out all these answers and more in this great fantasy. It is perfect for Halloween. Good for grades 4 and up.


Food for Thought: If you had May's choice to get the Book or go to the Northern farm to help the lady, which would you have chosen?

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale JFIC Mystery

Meet 4th grader Chet Gecko, amateur private eye of his elementary school. When he's not eating bugs, he's solving crime. Told in the style of a old detective movie, Chet whips out many funny one liners and word plays (I heard they are even funnier on the book on tape which you can check out in our CD collection). With his partner, a mocking bird with a knack for mimicry, Chet must discover why Shirley's tough first grade brother disappeared before the big football game. A very cheesy mystery (the rat sisters might like that) for fourth grade and up.

Food for thought: If you could pick any animal to be a good detective based on their talents, what would it be?