Day Seventy-two Trivia

On this day in history, May 26, 1967, the Beatles released their most famous album. What was the name of this album that a few months later became Mr. Butts' favorite record of all time?

A Book a Day: A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong

12-year-old Rowan is destined to be the Queen and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be the Royal Monster Hunter. When they go off to help their aunt, the current Monster Hunter, fight a deadly Gryphon, tragedy grants Rowan her wish: to switch places with her brother and become the Royal Monster Hunter herself. Her aunt is killed and her brother badly maimed. Rowan herself manages to fight off the Gryphon with the blade of an arrow that has wounded her. Now her brother is being groomed to follow their mother as the ruler, and Rowan sets off on a dangerous adventure to kill the Gryphon and prove herself worthy to become the new Monster Slayer.

Day Sixty-Four Trivia

Today, May 18th, is the fortieth anniversary of the eruption of what volcano in Washington State?

A Book a Day: My Papi Has a Motorcycle

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero; Illustrated by Zeke Pena

When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her. But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind them, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

Click here for my read aloud.

A Book a Day: Serafina and the Seven Stars

Serafina and the Seven Stars by Robert Beatty

Today's sequel is the fourth book about Serafina, the daughter of the maintenance man who lives in the basement of the grand Biltmore estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She has learned the secret of her mother and the non-human part of her that gives her the power to protect the estate and its family from dark forces in the woods around the house. She has befriended the young heir and is invited to move "upstairs." Has peace finally come to the Biltmore Estate or is another danger waiting to pounce? The author once worked at this real mansion and he's combined a gothic romance that is as good as (or better than) Twilight  with historical facts about the house and its visitors.

All four books are available on Hoopla.

A Book a Day: Lost Tide Warriors

Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle

I guess it is now officially sequels' week. In the first book Fionn became the Storm Keeper, and now he must learn how to harness the magic of the candles and his own growing powers to keep the remote Irish island, Arranmore, safe from the evil sorceress Morrigan and her soul stalker minions.  Fionn attempts to create his own magical army by summoning the merrows (remember Harry Potter, book 4?).

A Book a Day: Vanished

 Vanished! by James Ponti

I caught up on the next two books of the Framed! trilogy over the weekend.

In Vanished! Florian and Margaret are asked by the FBI to go undercover and use their TOAST system to solve the mystery of a series of pranks at an elite Washington, DC prep school that may or may not involve the President's daughter before the scandal breaks out in the press.

Trapped! by James Ponti.

In Trapped! Florian and Margaret jump into an international spy case involving stolen books from the Library of Congress that the FBI is pinning on their supervisor Marcus.

DAY FIFTY-TWO TRIVIA

On this day in history a German airship exploded in flames in New Jersey in 1937? What was the name of the ship?

(The story was made into an I Survived book, available on Hoopla, too)

A Book a Day: I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis

I finally have a chance to try out these great books! This one is about 11-year-old Nathaniel who left his home, stowed away on a merchant ship, hopping to find his father in New York City. But now he's pinned down in the middle of a battle between General George Washington's Colonial Army and the mighty British Redcoats.

You will find audiobook recordings of nineteen of the I Survived series books on Hoopla.

DAY FIFTY-ONE TRIVIA

The Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, celebrates a victory against soldiers from what European country?

A Book a Day: The Menagerie

The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland

Have you finished the Wings of Fire books? Here's a new series by Tui Sutherland about dragons and magical creatures. In a small town in Wyoming there is a secret facility for magical creatures like dragons, phoenixes, griffins, and unicorns. Then six griffin cubs escape and the secret is out. Logan Wilde discovers one of the griffins hiding under his bed. Now it's up to Logan and his classmate Zoe to round them all up to prevent the whole menagerie from being shut down.

An audiobook of the first book in the series is available on Hoopla. The second and third books are available as ebooks.

DAY FIFTY TRIVIA

May the Fourth be with you! Filmmaker George Lucas is famous for Star Wars and Indiana Jones; what was his first blockbuster movie in 1973?

A Book a Day: Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus

Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus by Tom Anglemeyer

We finally watched the final Star Wars movie this weekend, The Rise of Skywalker. Just so you know how ancient I am, I turned 16 the year the first (I mean IV-th) Star Wars movie came out. I like the new characters a lot--in a lot of ways Rey, Po and Finn are more interesting than Luke, Leia, and Han-- so it was fun to watch. Then I remembered that I still had to finish the Origami Yoda series.
Hoopla! to the rescue! And it's May the Fourth, too.

Dwight and the kids from Origami Yoda are on a field trip to Washington, DC. The principal decrees the field trip will be an "origami-free zone." When the drama begins, Dwight uses a fruit roll up to make Fruitigami Yoda. Will Fruitigami Yoda be a match for Harvey's sour "pickle of darkness"?

All six Origami Yoda books can be borrowed from Hoopla!

A Book a Day: Tie Dye!

Tie-Dye! by Virginia Gleser

Did you know today is Tie Dye Day! The sun is shining, it's a great day to get crafty. This book will tell you everything you need to know to create amazing fabric art.

If you miss all the great craft books and cookbooks at the public library, go visit the Internet Archive's K-12 Student Library to check out this book and lots more. And if you really want to get into the mood, you can listen to my other favorite music by the Grateful Dead. The Internet Archive has practically every concert they ever played.