Ferndale Library Staff Recommends: Joseph's Picks

Youth Librarian Joseph Miller calls the Livonia area home, dutifully boarding the helpful transit of the bus for each of his trips here to Ferndale. But I'd say we can call him a local by now, after having worked in the library for almost six months now.

Miller said he enjoys when young readers come back after finishing one of his recommended titles and hearing about how much they enjoyed it.

Good thing we've got five such Miller-approved suggestions here in this article.

Miller has also "been having a blast" hosting pre-school story times, which he notes are steadily growing in attendance.

"Summer Reading has been going well," Miller said, concerning our Dream Big -themed schedule of programming encouraging kids to continue their reading habits throughout the summer months. "There are about 130 kids K through 12 that are signed up and quite a few of them have finished their game boards. I like asking our young readers what their favorite book was and why, and their answers are as varied as they are interesting."

Joseph's Summer Picks

"Since the last time I was asked to make picks for the Patch, I’ve read a number of good books. So instead of a theme, I’ll choose my five based off the most memorable reads of the last four months..."

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower.
  This is a marvelously illustrated graphic novel that paints a spellbinding picture of the world of Oz. The plot remains true to the original story from Dorothy’s silver slippers (not ruby!) to the extended, humorous (and non-Disney) ending. Each character is vividly brought to life in this beautiful book, from the clumsy Scarecrow to the cowardly Lion. Don’t wait for a tornado to take you away to Oz, come to the library and get it the easy way.

• A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.
  In this middle-grade novel, we discover that fairytales used to be awesome... at least before people tried to take all the blood and violence out of them.
  Thankfully, this "true" story of Hansel and Gretel adds all the gruesome details back into the story. Readers beware! This is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is a book for those who like their tales dark, grim, and a little bit scary.

• Dragonbreath series by Ursula Vernon.
  Lately, I’ve been devouring this humorous series about a fearless dragon named Danny and his nerdy iguana friend, Wendell. In the first book, Danny has to rewrite a research paper on the ocean and talks Wendell into joining him on a journey to the mysterious Sargasso Sea. Needless to say this is journey leads to misadventure and mayhem. Will Danny survive his run in with the giant squid on the front cover? Probably. Will he be able to salvage his grade in science class? Now that’s the real problem.

• Larklight, or, The Revenge of the White Spiders!, or, To Saturn's Rings and Back! : A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space by Philip Reeve.
  With a title like that, who could resist picking this book up? I know I couldn’t and I’m glad I did. This is a fast-paced, space-adventure with a twist… the secrets of alchemy are known (thanks to Sir Isaac Newton!) and wooden ships through the Aether of space like the seven seas. If this wasn’t enough to peak a reader’s interest, we also discover that… (Are you afraid of spiders? If so, skip to the next pick… this is not the book for you.)… an ancient race of spiders is trying to rip our solar system apart. And who stands in their way? An adventurous boy, his prim and proper sister, an infamous pirate, and a ship full of extraterrestrial pirates.

• Horton Halfpott, or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor, or, The Loosening of M'LadyLuggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger.
  What’s with these long titles? And why am I drawn to them? I don’t know and as long as they are this funny, I don’t mind. Honestly, who knew the loosening of a corset could lead to mysterious thefts, budding romances, devious schemes, grand balls, kidnappings, shipless piracy, and complete, utter chaos? If not, then now you know… but knowing isn’t half as good as reading. So come to the library and find out what befalls our reluctant hero as he is caught up in the fiendishly clever mystery of Smugwick Manor. No corsets required.

Ferndale Patch thanks Joseph Miller and the Ferndale Public Library for these recommendations! Check back soon for more ideas from library staff. Are you looking for recommendations on something specific? Email jessica.schrader@patch.com, and we'll pass on your questions to the library.