Searching for that Perfect Book
by
John Jessen
Our numbers are shrinking, but many of us still remember the days
when searching for a book at the public library — without the aid of
the trusted librarian — meant a trip to the wooden box with lots of
drawers called the card catalog.
At the New Haven Free Public
Library, our new catalog is an even better cyber-wonder than its
on-line predecessors. We’ve added pictures of the books, word-prompt
memory aids called ‘meta tags,’ and even a spell checker for those
who think ‘psychology’ begins with an ‘s’! To jog my memory of some
current personal favorites, I used the catalog today to sort books
by relevance of ‘most recently acquired,’ ‘only in the Children’s
Department,’ and ‘only at the Main Library’ (as opposed to our four
other branches). I could have just as easily typed in a keyword like
‘trucks’ or ‘princesses’ and gotten exactly what I was looking for.
Searching for that perfect book has never been more fun at the
public library!
 Recommended Books for Younger Children
Archie and the Pirates by Marc Rosenthal includes a trio of
unlikely friends such as an adorable shipwrecked monkey named
Archie; a musical ibis named Clarice; and Beatrice the ferocious
tiger. When Beatrice is captured by some dirty, smelly pirates, it’s
up to Archie and his new jungle friends to save the day. Sharp
illustrations are full of ingenious, Swiss Family Robinsonesque
inventions.
 Tough Chicks by Cece Meng and illustrated by Melissa Suber is a
great-paced and fun-packed story that your little daredevil toddlers
will love. The boundary-pushing antics of Penny, Polly and Molly
stretch the patience of the other animals and Farmer Fred. But their
rough-and-tumble behavior is eventually appreciated when a runaway
tractor threatens the henhouse.
Trouble Gum by Matthew Cordell is a hilarious story about two
brother pigs who find all kinds of sticky trouble when grandma gives
them each a piece of gum to wile away a boring rainy afternoon.
Fantastic black and pink nuanced illustrations are the perfect
compliment for the spot-on writing.
 In Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Andy
Rash, Leonard has natural talents in the superhero department so his
parents send him to Superhero School to fine-tune his abilities. Or
so Leonard thinks. What follows is a boring math class — that is
until the school is taken over by Ice Zombies and Leonard and his
classmates must use what they’ve learned to save the school.
For the kids dealing with being on the opposite ends of the size
spectrum comes A Very Big Bunny by Marisabina Russo. Here, Amelia, a
very big bunny, and Susannah, a very small bunny, meet in class and
eventually become friends and learn how being the “stars of the
show” is not so bad after all. Another perfectly designed story that
will capture the imagination of both the tall and the small.
 Books for Older Kids
You’ve heard of T. Rex, now meet Z “for Zenith” Rex in Z. Rex:
The Hunting, Book 1 by Steve Cole. This fast-paced story about a
modern-day uber-Frankensteinian dinosaur (it can talk and has wings
like a dragon) is sure to become a hit with the young gaming crowd
who like scary, suspenseful tomes. In Book 1, we have young Adam
searching for his brilliant scientist of a father who has suddenly
disappeared and Z. Rex searching to find those responsible for
creating him. The book is a bit violent at times when Z kills the
bad guys, so parents might wish to screen it first.
Adam Canfield: Watch Your Back by Michael Winerip is the second
Canfield book, but young readers won’t be lost without the first in
the series. This is a superb story about a boy who is the co-editor
of his elementary/middle school paper “The Slash.” This time around
we find Adam and his reporters investigating stories and dealing
with their busy color-coded schedules of band practice, baseball
practice, the science fair, the debate team and more. Pulitzer Prize
winner, New York Times reporter Winerip understands the tween mind
just as well as he illustrates the thrill of digging down to get to
the heart of the story.
Events at the New Haven Free Public Library
Here is a partial list of the wonderful free programs offered by
the New Haven Free Public Library system for children in May:
- Stay and Play Storytimes for children ages 0-3. Call
203-946-8129 for times and locations.
- Chess Club: Every Monday from 4-5 p.m. at the Main Library
(133 Elm Street) for kids ages 6-16. Instruction, practice, and
play. All materials provided.
- Booktivities: Stories and crafts for kids ages 5-12. Call
203-946-8129 for times and locations.
- Homework Help: After school and evenings. Call 203-946-8129
for times and locations.
- Tournament Tuesdays: Video and “Analog” games for ages 13
and up. Tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. Reservations required. Call
203-946-8130, ext. 234 for more details.
Please see the Calendar of Events page at
http://calendar.cityofnewhaven.com for a full list of events and
programs in the New Haven Free Public Library system or call
203-946-8125 for more information.
John Jessen is the Children’s Librarian at the New Haven Free
Public Library.
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