The Dragon's Tooth by N.D. Wilson

Please declare aloud: I hereby undertake to tread the world, to garden the wild, and to saddle the seals, as did my brother Brendan.  I will not turn away from shades in fear, nor avert my eyes from light.  I shall do as my Keeper requires, and keep no secret from a Sage. May the stars guide me and my strength preserve me.  And I will not smoke in the library. Translation approved, 1946.

Book 1 of the Ashtown Burials series by N.D. Wilson. Perhaps you've read 100 Cupboards?
Also, I cannot emphasize this enough; no smoking in the library.

The Toymaker

Sashay over to the delightful workshop of artist Marilyn Scott-Waters. I love her Toymaker website filled with enchanting toys for you to create yourself. Her projects are so lovely for a family or library craft hour.

Lucky us, Marilyn will be in the Bay Area at multiple locations this fall, be sure and check out her blog and sign up for her newsletter for her complete calendar. The Toymaker's mission is to amuse and delight and indeed she does.

NoveList K-8

Few of our library families and local educators are aware that with your Marin County Free Library card, you have access to a great database called NoveList K-8. This database helps kids, parents, and teachers in kindergarten through grade 8, to identify books appropriate for kids' reading abilities and interests. It also includes teacher resources.

If your school district uses the Lexile reading system, this is where you can find a list of titles within your child's Lexile range. But don't stop there, there are lots of recommended reading lists by age, grade, genre, read-alikes and more.  Who can access remotely? Cardholders with any public library in Marin.

Barnes and Noble's kid's page also offers Lexile recommendations. Click on the the "Books by Reading Level" box.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Playing with the form he created in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey. A boy named Ben longs for the father he has never known. A girl named Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room, and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing. Ben's story, set in 1977, is told entirely with words, while Rose's story, set fifty years earlier, is told entirely with pictures. The two stories weave back and forth before ultimately coming together. Summary from wonderstruckthebook.com

Wonderstruck comes out September 13th, so hurry and reserve your copy today!  While you're waiting, here's a little sneaky peeky at some of the illustrations

“This book was a joy, a challenge, and a puzzle to put together. I hope you enjoy meeting Ben and Rose, and joining them on their thrilling, dangerous and unexpected adventures in New York City.”

-Brian Selznick

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn

I know what many of you will be doing for the holidays this year...catching the new Tintin adventure movie! Directed by Steven Spielberg, the script is based on three of Hergé's stories; The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure. Read the stories first or you might find the movie very confusing. There are many versions of the Tintin series in the Marin County Free Library,  make sure you check the entire catalog. Snowy says, "RUFF! RUFF! Here's a sneak peak..."

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions. Just like a penguin, you'll enjoy sitting in a nice air-conditioned movie theater to watch the movie, but be sure you read the book first!

Mr. Popper's Penquins is a great read-aloud choice and perfect for the young reader who has advanced beyond easy chapter books but isn't quite ready for full length chapter books.
Summary from the MARINet catalog.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart

ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD Looking for special opportunities? When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their new found friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all? Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.

Caring children's librarian that I am, I can't help but think that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire would have welcomed the opportunity to attend this institution, and would have fit right in. Alas, so would Count Olaf.

Summary from the MARINet catalog.