A Librarian Reads…

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

When Sierra is asked to paint a mural on the side of a building in her neighborhood, she’s happy for the chance to both show her skills and take her mind off things. Her abuela died recently, and her abuelo has had a stroke, leaving him unable to talk. Her neighborhood is full of art, but it’s been fading recently, like something is sucking the life out of it. Sierra thinks it’s just her imagination, until her abuelo suddenly talks, giving her a riddle to solve. When she asks handsome Robbie to help her with the mural, it’s only because she’s been asked to finish as soon as possible. But it turns out he knows something about her abuelo, and the riddle, and the mysterious Shadowshapers no one wants to talk about. At first Sierra is just curious about the family history she’s been left out of. But when she’s attacked by a dead man and shadowy creatures, discovering the truth becomes a matter of life and death.

Sierra is a strong and confident woman, proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and unwilling to accept that she can’t do anything she wants. Recommended for high school and up.

Would you like to see your book review featured here? Fill out the Review Form for your chance to have your review published and to win a prize.

Featured Series

Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

This fast-paced series retells three gothic tales, each book reinventing a separate classic linked to Juliet — the daughter of a mad scientist and possessor of a horrific legacy. Unsettling ethical questions are explored as Juliet stays one step ahead of murderers and part human, part animal monstrosities. Perfect for fans of intrigue, creepy settings, shocking twists and love triangles.

1) The Madman’s Daughter

2) Her Dark Curiosity

3) A Cold Legacy

Around Town

Check out these events around town…

July 27 – Gaming Night @ Rock Island Public Library (Main)

July 27 – Tabletop RPG @ Bettendorf Public Library

July 27 – MASH Screening @ East Moline Public Library

July 27 – Teen Disney Movie Night @ Davenport Public Library (Fairmount)

July 28 – Rick Riordan Teen Book Club @ Davenport Public Library (Eastern)

July 28 – Showtime at Silvis: Beauty and the Beast @ Silvis Public Library

July 29 – Build a Better Cookie: Construction Challenge @ Bettendorf Public Library

 
July 31 – A Harry Potter Evening @ East Moline Public Library

 

Would you like your teen-friendly events listed here? Let me know in the comments.

What’s New?

Check out these new titles in the Teen Corner at the Moline Public Library. Click on the title to go to the catalog to find the book or place a hold.

My Fairy Godmother Is a Drag Queen by David Clawson
Chris has never been comfortable with his new family, who cling to their dwindling wealth and social status. Sometimes he feels more like a maid than part of the family. Things get even tougher when his stepsister starts dating golden boy J.J., and he and Chris fall in love with each other. With the help of a new friend, Coco Chanel Jones, Chris learns to be comfortable in his own skin and let himself fall in love and be loved.

The Making of Mollie by Anna Carey
It’s 1912, and Mollie’s life in the middle class north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra seems very boring. Then she notices that her older sister Phyllis and the family’s maid Maggie are plotting something. They discover a stash of leaflets demanding votes for women. Phyllis has joined the suffragette cause! Will Mollie get involved too? And how far should a girl go for her beliefs?

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios
All Grace wants is to get away—from her overbearing mother and abusive stepfather, from her small California city, and from her boring life. When she meets Gavin, she feels free for the first time in her life. But she soon comes to realize that her relationship with Gavin is its own prison.

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo Book 1: The Road to Epoli by James Parks and Ben Costa (Graphic Novel)
Rickety Stitch is the one skeleton in the dungeon who seems to have retained his soul, and he has no idea why. Only snippets of a song he hears in his dreams given him any clue who he used to be. So he and his sidekick and sole friend, the gelatinous Goo, set out to discover the truth about Rickety’s past.

The Leaf Reader by Emily Arsenault
 Marnie has always been considered odd, so when she finds old book about reading tea leaves and starts telling fortunes no one bats an eye. The ceremony is soothing, even if it’s not real. But when Matt asks for a reading about his missing best friend, Andrea, Marnie’s reading become frighteningly accurate. And if she’s right, she may be in very deep danger.

Next Week

The Moline Public Library’s Summer Reading Program runs through July 29. Stop by the library to register and pick up your reading logs. Students in grades 6-12 will get prizes at three levels of 500 pages or minutes each, and can keep going for entries into the grand prize drawing.

Monday, July 24 @ 6:00
Students ages 11-18 can use shells, driftwood, and rocks to create cool Seaside Crafts. Create Sharpie Shells, Rock Mandalas, and more. Registration requested but not required.

Wednesday, July 26 @ 2:00-4:00
Students ages 11-18 are invited to Afternoon Gaming every Wednesday. Enjoy a variety of video games, board games, and other activities.

 

A Librarian Reads…

Soupy Leaves Home by Cecil Castellucci

It’s 1932, and Pearl Plankette can’t live at home anymore. She swears her father has beaten her for the very last time. But she has nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Life is hard for everyone during the great depression, but for a girl on her own it’s practically impossible. When she steals some clothes off a line, Pearls is only trying to get warm. But it ends up being her ticket to freedom. She meets up with a hobo named Ramshackle, who mistakes her for a boy. Pearl doesn’t correct him, and pretty soon the two are hitting the road and hopping trains. Eventually Pearls takes on the name Soupy and starts to think she may have found her place. But Ramshackle has his own demons to wrestle with, and he’ll need Soupy just as much as she needs him.

This graphic novel about the hard life of hobos during the Great Depression is sprinkled with hope, the power of friendship, and the importance of being true to yourself. Recommended for middle school and up.

Would you like to see your book review featured here? Fill out the Review Form for your chance to have your review published and to win a prize.

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award: 2018 Master List

The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults.

The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Bertman

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar

I Will Always Write Back by Martin Ganda

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton

House Arrest by K.A. Holt

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Beneath by Roland Smith

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre