Humphrey Author Betty Birney to Visit SLCL

What a treat! "The World According to Humphrey" author Betty G. Birney will be visiting St. Louis County Library Headquarters on Saturday, October 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Birney grew up in St. Louis. She writes children's books and this Emmy winner has also worked on many children's television shows.

Birney's Humphrey books are beloved by kids everywhere. Humphrey, the pet hamster at Longfellow School, learns to read, write and help his fellow students in Room 26 with their problems.

What's Humphrey all about? Check out the first book in the series and you will be hooked.

"The World According to Humphrey" You can learn a lot about life by observing another species. That's what Humphrey was told when he was first brought to Room 26. And boy is it true There are always adventures in the classroom and each weekend he gets to sleep over with different students.

"Friendship According to Humphrey"When Humphrey the hamster returns to Mrs. Brisbane's class after the winter break, a new class pet and some other surprises give him an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of friendship.
 


Looking for something different?

"The Princess and the Peabodys" 

When a medieval princess appears out of a rusty box bought at a yard sale, fourteen-year-old tomboy Casey Peabody and her family are stuck with her royal snobbiness until the young wizard who had trapped her there figures out the spell to send her home. "Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring of his own. All that changes when his pa, challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs that can stand up to the real Seven Wonders of the World.

Join us for a great author event!

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Crazy Pets

Pets can be a wonderful thing. They play with you, they cuddle, they let you know you're important (unless you have a cat). At some point in all our lives, everyone has wanted a pet of their very own. This phenomenon is widely celebrated in children's literature, but some literary pets are just a bit stranger than others. Click on the titles below to reserve some of my favorite stories about strange and silly pets.

--Andrea W., Headquarters

Picture Books

"A Pet for Petunia" by Paul Schmid--Sweet and sassy little Petunia really really really wants a pet. But how can her parents say yest when the pet she wants is a skunk?

"Peanut" by Linas Alsenas--In a case of hilariously mistaken identity, a little old lady meets something in the park that she thinks is a dog and takes him home. 

"Sophie's Squash" by Pat Zietlow Miller-- Who says your best pet has to be an animal? In this sweetly odd little book, Sophie finds companionship with a special squash named Bernice.

"Children Make Terrible Pets" by Peter Brown--For a real twist on weird pets, see what it would be like to be a pet for someone else! When Lucy the bear finds a little boy in the woods, she begs her mom to keep him, then finds out that maybe it's not the best idea.

"Sparky" by Jenny Ofill--A little girl really really wants a pet, but her mom says she can only have one "as long as it doesn't need to be walked or bathed or fed." So after a little research at the library, she decides to get a sloth. But having a sloth for a pet turns out to be a little bit different than she thought.






"The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish" by Neil Gaiman--For the older grade-school student there's this hilariously weird book about a boy who trades his dad for two goldfish. Can parents be pets?

"Capyboppy" by Bill Peet--Have you ever heard of a capybara? They're the largest rodent in the world and native to South America. Author and illustrator Bill Peet and his family had a capybara for a pet, and he wrote and illustrated this delightful book about it.









Chapter Books

Judy Moody series by Megan MacDonald--The ever delightful Judy Moody has not only a toad for a pet, but a venus fly trap.

"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White--This book is such a classic that it may not seem weird to have a pet pig like Fern, but how many people do you know who have their own Wilbur?

"The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings--In another wonderful classic tale, a boy befriends a fawn. That's hard to imagine around here, isn't it?

"Icefall" by Matthw Kirby--In this chilling tale of suspense in a frozen fjord, Solveig has to pick out the traitor in the midst of friends with the help of her pet raven, Munnin.

"Flora & Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo--For a pet that's not just strange but also quirky in personality, pick the 2014 Newbery Award winner starring Ulysses, a squirrel who writes poetry.

"Rascal" by Stirling North--This is a lovely and true story of a boy who raises a baby raccoon.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling--I couldn't leave out Harry and his friends with their special messenger pets--Hedwig the owl, Scabbers the rat (who turns out to be a bit of a surprise), and lets not get started on Hagrid's beloved menagerie of magical creatures.

Staff Review: "Matilda's Cat" by Emily Gravett

Adorable book alert! Emily Gravett of the "Blue Chameleon" and "Wolves" has created, for your enjoyment, a tale of woe, danger, and animals so wild that you will be shivering in your shoes. Okay, not really. Actually, "Matilda's Cat" tells the funny and adorable story of Matilda (who dresses like her cat) and her favorite pet. Matilda wants to share everything she loves with her cat. Unfortunately, her cat doesn't really like any of the same things. Gravett tells us what Matilda likes, but shows us what her cat doesn't like through her adorable illustrations. So what does Matilda's cat actually like? You'll have to read it to find out! Perfect for preschool to grade one.

--Andrea W., Headquarters

Staff Review: "Zorro" by Carter Goodrich

Carter Goodrich presents "Zorro Gets an Outfit" the second book in his series about Zorro and Mister Bud. Poor, poor Zorro even the neighborhood cat laughs at his new outfit as he and Mister Bud take a walk. When they reach the park Mister Bud tries to cheer up Zorro by playing with him but it does not work. Then an amazing, self- assured dog named Dart shows up and he is fast, does tricks and most importantly Dart is wearing a sailor suit outfit. Zorro forgets all about his gloom and he is happy to play with Dart and Mister Bud. 

Goodrich’s illustrations are rendered in watercolor. With lots of white space around each illustration the expressions on Zorro’s face and the rest of the cast of characters are easy to identify. Some of Goodrich’s doggy expressions are hilarious. Be sure to check out the first book in the series "Say Hello to Zorro!"

--Robbin O., Headquarters

Staff Review: "One Cool Friend" by Toni Buzzeo

Is there any kid in the whole wide world that hasn't gone to the zoo or aquarium and wanted to take home one of the animals as a pet? For all of those who long for an exotic pet, the delightfully surprising "One Cool Friend" by Toni Buzzeo just might itch your scratch.

Elliot is a formal boy with a scientific father who one day invites Elliot to a day at the aquarium. Elliot doesn't relish the idea of being around swarms of children, but decides that he likes the aquarium when he discovers the penguins. "In their tidy black feather tuxedos with their proper posture, they reminded Elliot of himself." In what can only be described as a fortunate misunderstanding, Elliot takes a small penguin home in his backpack and names it Magellan. The rest of the book chronicles Elliot's learning of penguin behavior, and his efforts to keep his new pet happy while keeping him away from his father. What happens when Magellan and Elliot's father finally meet will have you laughing out loud.

Elliot is a rare picture book boy--he's formal, reserved, bookish, and completely endearing in his tuxedo and red backpack. He doesn't talk much and is always polite, but his imagination and creativity are bubbling constantly underneath. His relationship with his father seems equally reserved, but it is fitting to both of their characters. The illustrations by David Small are simple with few colors, and appropriate for the story. This seemingly unassuming book is my favorite of the year so far, and you will want to read it over and over again. It's a good story for anyone, but kindergarteners on up will understand the humor better.

--Andrea W., H.Q.

P.S.  If you love penguins, check out "Lost and Found" by Oliver Jeffers  










or "365 Penguins" by Jean-Luc Fromental.

Staff Review: "Waiting for the Magic"

Patricia MacLachlan's book "Waiting for the Magic" reveals the universal heartbreak and wonder of betrayal and forgiveness through the story of one small family and its pets. Her sparseness of language may seem simple at first, but MacLachlan proves yet again that that she is a master at plumbing the depths of a child's emotions with delicacy and understatement.

One day, William's Mama and Papa have a big fight and his dad walks out, leaving this note behind:"Dear William, I've gone off to do some writing. I will call you. And I'll be back to see you soon. I'm sorry for this. I love you, Papa." Fourth-grader William and his four-year-old sister, Elinor are worried and don't know what to think. They especially don't know what to think when their mom takes them to an animal shelter and they come home with not one, not two, but four dogs and one kitten. As the family grows accustomed to life without Papa, they all grow to love their new pets, who understand much more than everyone but Elinor realizes. When unexpected news brings Papa home again, life is once again thrown into chaos, and the decision on whether or not to forgive him weighs on everyone, including the dogs.

Proven by her Newbery Meal for "Sarah, Plain and Tall", Patricia MacLachlan is the Ernest Hemingway of children's literature with her pithy and emotionally evocative writing style. "Waiting for the Magic" does not disappoint with its gentle tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. Sprinkled with humor and wonder, this is a book that will leave you smiling and hopeful that love really does win out in the end. Appropriate for grade 3-6.

--Andrea W., Headquarters