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Reviewed by Harriet Engle   Binoculars, beards and wigs, burglars, a punch in the nose, and a new seventh-grader with a lot a time on her hands and loads of curiosity – that is Sammy Keyes. Add to that, Sammy lives where she should not be living (in an apartment just for seniors – with…

DEATH AT LA FENICE Donna Leon, Guido Brunetti #1 We travel to Italy for this next murder mystery, Death at La Fenice, and look into the world of opera and talented well-known musicians and the death of an internationally well-known conductor. Donna Leon describes Venice, the canals and waterways, and the life of the police…

Did you know that April 5-12 is International Dark-Sky Week? Keystone Canyon Press presents Building Next-Generation Environmental Activists with renowned author and dark-sky advocate Paul Bogard. Parents, educators, and anyone interested in engaging young children in environmental sciences are encouraged to join the FREE Zoom presentation* on April 8 at 5 P.M. PDT. Paul Bogard’s…

The creators of Bookish in the ‘Burgh, Pittsburgh’s Teen Book Festival, are seeking teen applicants to build and lead the vision of PA Reads YA, a new project designed to support the development of virtual and in-person young adult literature programs created by teens and for teens across Pennsylvania. Applicants should be teen residing in…

A IS FOR ALIBI Sue Grafton, Kinsey Millhone #1 Sue Grafton wrote a series of murder mysteries based in Southern California – Santa Teresa and areas surrounding Los Angeles (at least in this first novel). The titles of her novels begin with a letter of the alphabet – A Is for Alibi, B Is for…

THE CATER STREET HANGMAN Anne Perry, Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #1 Anne Perry wrote another murder mystery series featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. In the first book of the series, The Cater Street Hangman, the two were not an item. Charlotte Ellison lived with her wealthy family in an elite part of London. She was…

It’s finally starting to feel like spring! As we continue to focus on the emotional and mental well-being of families this month, we hope you’ll stop by the library to pick up one of our FREE Kids Mindfulness Journals! These journals feature a variety of activities from Head and Heart Mindfulness, including coloring pages, a…

Reviewed by Harriet Engle This is a story about Pearl, a nine-year-old girl with three older brothers. With three older brothers, she had to be nervy. Pearl and her family live on a ranch in southern California where they raise cattle, sheep, and ostriches. Pearl takes care of the ostriches as her daily chore –…

EVERYWHERE THAT MARY WENT Lisa Scottoline, Rosato and Associates #1 The Rosato and Associates series by Lisa Scottoline takes us to Philadelphia and is a bit different in that the main character, Mary DiNunzio, is a lawyer. It focuses mostly on justice rather than the detective work we have been reading about in the other…

Tweens have it rough! When it comes to searching for  books, eleven or twelve-year-olds find themselves at the tail end of  the 8-12 Juvenile Fiction category, but their reading comprehension and understanding of the world has grown exponentially since their 8th birthday. Plus, they often feel like the whole world is shining a spotlight on…