Middle School News & Reviews
A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan
By: Goodreads.com
Sixth-graders Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara is at a new school that is huge and completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression. The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, which Elizabeth takes
Read More
Trespassers by Breena Bard
By: Goodreads.com
Gabby Woods is looking forward to another summer vacation at her family’s lake house, even though she would rather bury herself in a mystery novel than make new friends. But soon Gabby meets Paige, a snarky kid from Chicago, and they get caught up in a local mystery: the sudden disappearance of a glamorous couple
Read More
Tom’s Picks
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
A QR (quick response) code is a type of matrix barcode. You can use a smartphone camera or a QR code reader app to scan the code, which will navigate to a URL. QR Codes have been around much longer than I thought – since 1994. Years ago, they were quite the craze, and then they
Read More
The Deep by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer
By: Goodreads.com
Get to know the Nekton family, underwater explorers who are always up for adventure in The Deep. Where the hit Netflix series began! Journey into The Deep with the daring aquanaut family, The Nektons, aboard their state-of-the-art (and oh, so shiny) submarine, The Aronnax. When an earthquake off the coast of Greenland leads to strange
Read More
Celebrate Together!
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
December brings such warm feelings despite the cold weather. Many holidays are celebrated this month and it’s wonderful to see a variety of traditions from all over the world. December 22 – 30 Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in Israel. This
Read More
The Testing Trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
We have all three books and extras of the first one! I recently reread the first book and enjoyed it all over again. If you like The Hunger Games, this is for you. Who knew a getting a higher education would have a deadly price. Yikes! From Goodreads: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Read More
The Middle Squad and Other Videos
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
For months now, the Glen Ellyn Public Library has been busy making videos for you to watch safely wherever you may be. Not to fear, if you feel you’ve missed one, you haven’t! They’re available on GEPL’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Look to see what you’ll discover! In Middle Squad videos, I give book recommendations, offer challenges
Read More
Thankfulness
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
Holidays during a pandemic are challenging. We want to see friends and family but in the safest way possible. Despite everything going on, I have plenty be thankful for. Here are some examples. The Library Over the summer it was a bummer not to see the community. Ever since we opened in July, the staff
Read More
Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates by Kevin O’Malley
Captain Raptor and the crew of the Megatooth are called back into action to save the planet Jurassica from rogue space pirates. Check out Captain Raptor and the Space Pilots by Kevin O’Malley.
Read More
Crime Travelers by Paul Aertker
By: Tom Malinowski, Middle School Librarian
We have books 1 – 3! Book One: Brainwashed While sleeping on the roof of his father’s hotel, thirteen-year-old Lucas Benes finds a baby alone and learns that the Good Company has restarted its profitable kidnapping business. Book Two: Diamonds Are For Never After sabotaging a mass kidnapping in Paris, Lucas faces a new and
Read More