Are you preparing for school to start in the next few weeks? Whether you're going off to school for the very first time or you're already an old pro at first days, we have some suggestions for great books all about going back to school! You can find them in the Readers section of the Children's Department.

Amanda Pig, school girl by Jean Van Leeuwen ; pictures by Ann Schweninger

Angel Cat Sugar. Sweet school day by Ellie O'Ryan ; illustrated by Sachiho Hino ; Angel Cat Sugar characters created by Yuko Shimizu

Are you looking for a good mystery book that's easy to read? You're in luck, the library has lots of them! Here's a list of some of the great mystery books we have available in the Readers section.

The case of the missing monkey by story by Cynthia Rylant; pictures by G. Brian Karas — this title is the first in a series about two sleuths in the big city.

Aunt Eater loves a mystery by Doug Cushman — Aunt Eater is an anteater who loves — you guessed it — mysteries!

Did you know that today is the 77th anniversary of pilot Amelia Earhart's historic crossing of the Atlantic Ocean? On May 20, 1932, she set off across the ocean, heading for Ireland. It was a 2,026 mile flight that took 15 hours and 18 minutes! That's a long flight! She was the first woman to ever fly solo across the Atlantic. Remember Amelia and her bravery by reading this easy book just for beginning readers.
Photo courtesy of eLibrary

Now that spring is in full swing, you might be seeing lots more bugs crawling, buzzing, and flying all over the place! Learning about them doesn't have to be icky and gross...you can read books and find out all kinds of cool stuff without ever having to touch a bug! Here's one very simple book all about bugs that you can read on your own. Ask one of the librarians to show you more bug books next time you come to the library!

Yikes! It sure has been a windy day today! You know, with winds like these, it's the perfect day to fly a kite. Have you ever flown a kite before? You need lots of wide open space so you don't get your kite stuck in a tree. Trust me, I know! Don't have a kite, but still want to read some stories about them? Try some of the books in our Readers section. How about The Berenstain Bears and the Big Red Kite? Or, find out what happens when Curious George Flies a Kite.

With so many ponds nearby, I've been noticing a lot of ducks waddling around outside the library. Ducks are such nice birds — sometimes I like to feed them bread! I like reading about ducks, too. What about you? The library has lots of great books in our Readers section all about ducks! Try:

Ducks in muck by Lori Haskins ; illustrated by Valeria Petrone

Lucky duck by written by Ellen Weiss ; illustrated by Brian Lies

Springtime is here! The time has come for rain, flowers, warm weather...and for many, it will also be time to color and decorate eggs. Some of our favorite characters like to do just that! In Eggs For Everyone, Dora the Explorer and her pal Boots spend time decorating eggs for their families and friends. This book just might inspire you to create your own eggs for somebody special!

Are you a puppy lover? Then you will love Biscuit!  Biscuit is a little yellow pup who just loves to have fun.  Meet him in the first of many books in the Biscuit series for beginning readers.  He's also the star of several picture books and board books! Want to learn more about the world of Biscuit? Visit the website of the author behind the series, Alyssa Satin Capucilli. 

Did you know that Margaret Hillert, the author of more than 80 books for beginning readers, is a Michigan native? It's true! Margaret Hillert was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1920, and today lives in southeast Michigan.

The posh heroine of the Fancy Nancy picture books now has two books in beginning-reader format. In Fancy Nancy at the Museum, Nancy is thrilled to find out her class is taking a trip to the museum — but the bumpy bus ride there leaves Nancy feeling less than fancy! In Fancy Nancy and the Boy From Paris, Nancy finds out the new boy in school isn't quite as fancy as she'd hoped. If you like all things frilly and lacy, you'll definitely adore (that's a fancy word for love!) Fancy Nancy!