Think Library

"Predictable books are those which, by virtue of the book's pattern, children can successfully anticipate the next word or next sentence. Their predictability encourages participation and engages children's minds. Often, these books make heavy use of rhyme or repetition." - Ready for Reading (Juvenile Parent/Teacher Resource Room - J 372.58 Bi)

Dystopia: An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.

Have you already read all three Hunger Games books and seen all the movies? We've got the cure for your dystopian blues.

Enter a thrilling world of suspense with some of our favorite mystery stories for school-age children.

My husband, who seldom brings books home from the library, surprised me recently with this one.  I laughed and said, "I'm not that desperate" but after dinner I found myself browsing through the pictures. But soon I was drawn into the writing.  If you're a Downton Abbey fan, you'll love this book and if not, you'll probably at least sample the series after reading it.

The World of Downton Abbey is a social history of the times--Edwardian England to shortly after World War 1.  In eight essays, Fellowes describes life then.  She also gives an idea of how many people worked in service in those years--more than in farming or mining.  Families would rejoice when a child got hired by a wealthy landowner, especially one as highly regarded as an earl. Not only would the person have a secure job, but the family would no longer have to provide housing, clothing or food as they would have needed to if the person worked as a clerk.

This book is full of interesting facts about working in service at the beginning of the last century. There was a network of downstairs folk who spread news of job openings from place to place and also kept a black-list of rich people who mistreated their help.

Also, covered are corsets--just know you are very lucky to be spared the agony of wearing one. Even Daisy the kitchen maid had to don this straitjacket under her uniform. A woman in those days could not take hers off by

Death is a difficult topic for everyone, but especially for children. With this booklist, you can feel prepared to talk about the emotions surrounding the end of life and answer questions to help ease the grief of children.

Winston Churchill wrote: "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Find stories that travel back in time to see what life and trials were like before you were born with some of our favorite historical fiction for school-age children.

Travel the world or venture into new realms you've only dreamed about. Explore the world with some of our favorite adventure stories for school-age children.