Mystery book suggestions

Mystery suggestions: 

Encyclopedia Brown: These classic mysteries have stood the test of time! Encyclopedia is a boy detective who helps his father the police chief solve crimes. Each short mystery is presented in a chapter and then readers turn to the back of the book to find out how the mystery was solved. Fun for those who like to have a chance to solve the mystery themselves! 

The Mystery of Eatum Hall by John Kelly

This picture book mystery gives readers plenty of clues in the illustrations. A clueless pig and goose are invited to a mysterious stranger's mansion for a weekend of delicious meals. The only problem is: their host is missing and he may be a WOLF!  Clues in the words and illustrations will lead readers to come up with their own conclusions about the mystery of Eatum Hall. 

The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb

Twelve-year-old Maisie is a noticing sort of person. Thats why she is convinced she would make an excellent detective if she ever got the chance! But instead of detecting, she spends her days polishing the banisters at her grandmother's boarding house or fetching fish for the lodgers' dinner. In The Case of the Stolen Sixpence, Maisie's big chance to prove herself finally arrives when crime strikes her Victorian London neighborhood. While the grown-ups turn a blind eye to the whodunit and justice goes un-served, Maisie and her canine sidekick, Eddie, search the streets for clues to crack the case.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman

“BEWARE THE SEVEN blessings . . . ” When she first utters these words, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart doesn’t know their meaning. But when an employee of her late father hears them, he dies of fear. Thus begins Sally’s terrifying journey into the seamy underworld of Victorian London, in search of clues to her father’s mysterious death. This book is the first in a young adult mystery series. 

Adorable animal cams and new books

Need some cheering up? Brighten your day with live cams from all around the United States! https://explore.org/livecams Pandas, manatees and kittens are among the animals you can view. 

Tween and teen book bundles are back now through Saturday! 

Visit the Brookline Public library branches during their pickup hours to pick up a group of 5 books for vacation! No need to reserve the books, just go to any one of the Brookline branches and request a bundle. Kids' bundles are for grades 3-4, tween bundles are for grades 5 -7 and teen bundles are for grades 8 - 12. 

Book suggestions

This is a new chapter book from Jacqueline Davies! Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wild World

The readers' guide includes fun activities to accompany the book. This is the beginning of a new series. 

Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. 

American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar

As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian.

When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.

Cozy book suggestions

Got to Get to Bear's by Brian Lies

Bear has sent her friend Izzy, the chipmunk, an urgent request: come quickly! So despite a bad snowstorm, Izzy starts off for Bear's. Along the way she gets some help from her other animal friends and they arrive at Bear's just in time for a surprise! A cozy winter tale with a surprise ending and a message of friendship. 

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Elizabeth, eleven, spends Christmas break at Winterhouse hotel under strange circumstances, where she discovers that she has magic, and her love of puzzles helps her solve a mystery. 

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

It's hard to imagine what happens to animals in the winter. How do they stay warm despite the snow and cold temperatures? This nonfiction book explains it all! Beautiful pictures of what's happening above ground and under the ground will help you imagine what you can't always see in winter! 

Lunar New Year Collection

Lunar New Year begins on Friday, February 12. Here's link to a new collection of the books for all ages at Lawrence Library that are all about Lunar New Year. You can login and put them on hold or request them from the library by emailing Ms. Moriarty: kathleen_moriarty@psbma.org 

Newbery Winners!

2021 Newbery Medal: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Newbery Honor books: 

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

Vacation plans and book suggestions

 

Vacation week art classes online via the MFA!

The Museum of Fine Arts is offering online art classes for kids during the February vacation week. Check here to see if any interesting classes are open for registration! 

Book suggestions:

Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty

Felix Rannells and Benji Porter were never supposed to be field-trip partners. Felix is a rule follower. Benji is a rule bender. They're not friends. And they don't have anything to talk about. Until . . .

They find a wallet. A wallet that belongs to tech billionaire Laura Friendly. They're totally going to return it-but not before Benji "borrows" twenty dollars to buy hot dogs. Because twenty dollars is like a penny to a billionaire, right?

But a penny has value. A penny doubled every day for thirty days is $5,368,709.12! So that's exactly how much money Laura Friendly challenges Felix and Benji to spend. They have thirty days. They can't tell anyone. And there are LOTS of other rules. But if they succeed, they each get ten million dollars to spend however they want.

The Last Human by Lee Bacon

In the future, robots have eliminated humans, and 12-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, no pollution, no crime. Every member of society has a purpose. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

 Until the day XR discovers something impossible: a human girl named Emma. Now, Emma must embark on a dangerous voyage with XR and two other robots in search of a mysterious point on a map. But how will they survive in a place where rules are never broken and humans aren’t supposed to exist?

Caldecott Winners 2021

Be sure to check out the district-wide library website! Caldecott winners will be announced on Monday, February 1st along with Brookline's Mock Caldecott results. Library website

Kids' Magazines -- Now in Overdrive

A new feature in Overdrive (through the public library) is their magazine section! Scroll through 70+ international magazines for kids. You can read them on an iPad or other device-- no wait list for any of the issues! The section includes everything from Minecraft magazines to The Week Junior, a weekly news magazine for kids. Check it out! You'll need your public library card number to view the magazines of your choice.