Looking for a great book about Michigan to read this summer? Check out some of the books listed on this Take a Reading Trip to Michigan reading list on The Michigan Department of Education website.

Try the highly recommended (by teen and tween Amazon reviewers) Grim Hill series. It is a fast, fun, clean urban fantasy series that is now up to Book #4. The first book, The Secret of Grim Hill, introduces you to Cat Peters who hates her new life after her parents' divorce. She gets detention at school for silly things such as wearing blue jeans. Things seem to be take a wondrous turn for the better when she wins a soccer scholarship to an exclusive school over the hill, Grimoire, and gains celebrity status as the whole town becomes crazed about soccer games. Her little sister, Sookie, and Jasper, their nerdy neighbor, however, sense that things are "all wrong." In fact, terrible things soon start happening.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, a new series by Maryrose Wood. At the end of Book I, The Mysterious Howling, the reader is left with a myriad of questions and hanging on the proverbial cliff. So what's the story?? Basically this: Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as governess to three young children (Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia) who appear to have been raised by wolves in the forests of Ashton Place. But Penelope is sage, intrepid and a bit of a miracle worker. Within a few months she has these 'wild children' civilized enough to eat cooked meat, albeit rare and with gobs of ketchup, listen to music, and compose poetry, although they still are wont to give chase to squirrels.

Register now for the next book discussion on May 18th at 5:00PM. My Father's Dragon is a Newbery Honor book about a boy, Elmer Elevator, determined to rescue a baby dragon being held captive on Wild Island. He puts important supplies in his knapsack, like bubble gum, lollipops, and rubber bands, and sneaks aboard a ship headed for the island. Elmer meets many weird animals along the way who try to sidetrack him, but he is prepared for their tricks, or thinks he is. Will Elmer be able to rescue the poor baby dragon? Read and find out!

Graphic Novels aren't what they used to be! Some really awesome, innovative works have arrived at the library this year and more are on the way. Meanwhile by Jason Shiga is one example. As one review says, "In this graphic-novel mind boggler, Shiga blows the choose-your-own-adventure concept out of the water." Readers like you play the role of Jimmy. On page one you must decide whether to order a vanilla or chocolate ice-cream cone. This may seem like a simple decision, but your choice can lead to a simply idiotic ending, or a really horrific one. You stumble into a bizarre science lab with 3 machines: a time-travel machine, a mind-melding machine, and a contraption that can control entropy. Tubes connect panels in all directions and veer off into tabs on other pages.

In honor of Earth Day, read a book about recycling. Here are a few easy-to-read choices:

• Recycled! — a beginning reader story about recycling in the classroom
• Choose To Reuse — a board book to teach even the very youngest about recycling
• Reusing and Recycling — an easy-to-read nonfiction title about recycling household materials

Happy Earth Day! Be sure to recycle something today!

The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath
Whether it's waking up to find toads in their shoes, becoming trapped on their roof, or searching for cheese when their cow starts producing lemonade instead of milk, the Pepins always seem to get into bizarre scrapes. Get together with other third graders to share your ideas on how to help the Pepins solve their problems.

Register now for this Third Grade Book Discussion held Monday, April 12th at 7:00PM

Alvin Ho : allergic to camping, hiking, and other natural disasters by Lenore Look ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Every cloud has a silver lining by Anne Mazer

Amelia's notebook by Marissa Moss

Attack of the mutant underwear by Tom Birdseye

Carver was born about 1864 and lived until 1943. His work as a scientist won him international fame for his agricultural research. He was especially noted for his work with peanuts. He made more than 300 products from peanuts, including a milk subsitute, face powder, ink, and soap. Carver also created more than 75 products from pecans and over 100 products from sweet potatoes. In addition, he developed a synthetic marble from wood shaving along with many other products. His achivements enabled poor Southern farmers to grow crops that would sustain them instead of just cotton. In 1910, he became head of Tuskegee's Department of Research and gave his life savings to this institute.

Although Mozart's life was tragically short, his music will live on forever, so he is really immortal. In fact, aliens may be hearing his beautiful musical creations right now since his music was included in that time capsule shot off into space years ago. It is just a shame that he didn't get the royalties on all the products based on his genius in recent years because he was almost always short of money. Learn more about this amazing composer by picking up some of the biographies on him in the Children's Department.

Are you looking for a great biography on a decomposing composer? (I've heard there is a biography assignment now and then that requires the composer to be deader than a doornail!) Well, if that happens to be YOUR assignment the Children's Department now offers you a fine selection of the world's most awesome defunct musical masters of composition. Check out the new series, Masters of Music, in the biography collection.

YOU must decide how to end these thrilling, sensational tales. Five different options are possible with each story, ranging from 'normal' to very scary, to freakish, to shocking, to time traveling, to computer instant messaging, etc. These exciting page-turners are full of laughs that keep guys and gals coming back for more. Get started on this great new series by Michigan author Karen Bell-Brege and illustator Darrin Brege. Visit their website and find even more fun stuff. Go Michigan literary creators!

Ludwig van Beethoven, probably born on December 16, 1770, is one of the most well-known classical composers of all times. He is often referred to as a "giant straddling two styles," the Classical and Romatic, and is famous for his tempestuous personality as well as powerful music. His life was full of many challenges, but he managed to soar above them all and bequeathe us with some of the most beautiful, moving, and immortal music ever. How many people have the courage and determination to overcome a harsh childhood? How many would be able to perform, conduct, and write music even though they were stricken with deafness? How many would have the courage to insult a military leader as powerful as Napolean once they realized he was a two-faced dictator instead of a freedom fighter? Despite the harsh realities of Life, Beethoven ended his last major work, the 9th Symphony, with an Ode to Joy.

Meet Steve Brixton, a fan of the Hardy Boys series and The Bailey Brothers' Detective Handbook. He is an aspiring detective who stumbles into a mystery involving the Maguffin quilt, a priceless artifact hidden by its last guardian before his death and is still missing. Steve must elude librarians, police, and the mysterious Mr. E as he tries to track down this elusive quilt containing secret coded information. Action, adventure, and laugh-out-load situations are all contained with the pages of this promising start for the Brixton Brothers series. Jeff Kinney, author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, claims it is "a book kids will devour." Partake of The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett.

If you enjoyed Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods you should give the Norse Gods and Jack a try. The Nancy Farmer triology which began with the Sea of Trolls is now complete with The Islands of the Blessed which was just published. (Books #2 is The Land of the Silver Apples, in case you are wondering!) It is high fantasy at it best, with bards and apprentice bards, trolls and elves, captures and narrow escapes, trials and learning, humor and wisdome, lads and lasses.

and will soon be ready for check-out for all the Warriors series fans.

Jayfeather and Lionblaze are prophesied to be two of three cats who hold the power of the stars in their paws. Now they must wait for a sign from StarClan to tell them which of their Clanmates will complete the prophecy. Soon, a StarClan warrior will visit a new ThunderClan apprentice - and the lives of the three chosen cats will be forever linked.

While waiting for The Fourth Apprentice, visit the Warriors website or find out if Erin Hunter really writes this multi-volume series all on her own by visiting the Wikipedia entry for her.

With Thanksgiving upon us, it is time to reflect on and honor the Native Americans and their rich culture, traditions, and wisdom. Check out some of the fictional works on them, or read some of the delightful and sage folklore tales from America's first peoples. Let's truly be thankful for all they have given us.

If you are on the hold list for Zoobreak, you might want to try some other amazing animal rescues while you wait. Carl Hiaasen wrote some real winners - if you haven't already read them:

• Hoot
• Scat
• Flush

The movie Hotel for Dogs also comes in several formats. The library has well over a hundred animal rescues involving courageous, animal-loving kids. Check some out!

If you have read Book #6 in The 39 Clues series you will know what I am talking about. Maybe it started with Harry Potter, but A Series of Unfortunate Events definitely fried the poor orphans parents. Teen books have long been notorious for killing off the parents, but now it is becoming increasingly standard fare for fantasy/sci-fi books for younger readers. As if the poor orphans don't have enough challenges with their quests and learning to discern real friends and guides from evil posers out to thwart their success, they are now burdened with guilt since their parents were torched trying to save them.

Steampunk appears to be gaining steam....but what exactly is it? Well, here is a definition from Wikipedia: "Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.