Book Recommendations

[AriGriffin]

I was recently hired as the assistant librarian for the library that is in the town I live in. There is the head librarian, J, who works Tuesday and Wednesday, her friend -G- that works Thursday and Friday, and myself working all the days. I also try to keep the two dinosaur computers running. I am also in charge of extra programs for children and adults. I’m doing a Disney trivia contest, children’s Bingo, summer reading program, and Teddy Bear Party for toddlers. The summer reading program is ocean/pirate themed.

J handed me a stack of catalogues and said I can order whatever I want for the library- but to focus on the children and teen sections since they haven't gotten anything new in a while. The last thing J ordered for the teens was the last book in the Twilight series. Anyone have any suggestions? Especially for kids books with an ocean/pirate theme… as we will be having story time for kids three-years-old and up starting in June. In order of story time- fish, sailing, beaches, mermaids, pirates, whales, dolphins, crabs/lobsters, sea monsters, sea shells, shipwrecks, and other marine life.

[42_42_42]

There is a LOT of books out there about pirates right now, due to the popularity of the Pirates of the Carribbean movies. There's even an Adventures of Jack Sparrow book series that's aimed at the preteen crowd.

One of my favorite children's pirate themed books is How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and David Shannon.

I suggest doing a search on Amazon and looking at the reviews. HTH!

[JoitheArtist]

Not about pirates, but about sailing ships from that time: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi. I LOVED that book when I was about 11. High-born girl is sent across the sea for something, discovers a planned mutiny, reports it to the captain who turns out to be a murdering bastard. Girl joins the crew as an act of penance, and participates in the second mutiny. Really fun book.

[Sliceanddice]

it Is only like half ocean based But His Majesty's Dragon im pretty sure is a teen book and deal alot with the ocean/british navy. And is really good!

[spark]

These have only minimal pirate content (there's a bit in the first book, at least) but Ursula Vernon's Dragonbreath books are GREAT. They're easy enough for a fairly young age (and even those who can't read them would probably like to hear them read) but they're also entertaining enough for older folks right up to adults.

I say this because I own the whole set, and we don't have kids or anything.

[Riesie]

My 5yo loves the Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs series, by Giles Andreae and Russel Ayto.

[Seshat]

It's a fairly old set, but Ursula le Guin's Earthsea books are set on a string of islands and involve sea travel between the islands.

They may be out of print, however.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

The Cay is a classic YA book (not overly fond of it myself) in the spirit of Castaway; Larklight series is YA (J'adore! I haves), Spiderwick chronicles are short and about fairies but not in a girly sort of way... Mrs. Pigglewiggle is a classic series as is Cooper's the Dark is Rising series (meh) and most stuff by Marguerite Henry (tends towards horses, haven't read a bad book from her!); I second the Naomi Novik His Majesty's Dragon series; Diana Wynne Jones is good as is Kenneth Oppel and The Game of Sunken Places, don't recommend the Alex Rider series (yes, I know, very popular, but junky writing), R.A. Salvatore's The Woods Out Back series (yes, I know, he writes a lot of Forgotten Realms stuff, this isn't it but it is fantasy) P.N. Elrod writes books that are good (vampire books from what I can tell, especially the Jack Fleming series I like, maybe not YA but still good) Madeline L'Engle's books (if you library doesn't already have them)... (edit: I wandered over to my shelf and looked, thus, what we have here.) Garth Nix and Terry Prachett are AMAZING, get if you don't have! Those tend to bridge/be non-designated for age groups. (edit: Earthsea? Still in print, methinks.) (yet another edit: 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith--yes it was a book before a movie )
as you've noticed, a dearth of sea-faring books.
It sounds like fun what you're doing this summer!/jellies

[Dilorenzo]

Ok, so this will sound like a joke, and sure, it's not a new book, but if you don't have it there get the Sesame Street Book "There's a Monster at the end of this book" (least I think that's what it's called).

I only read the thing last year, and at 30 years old, I loved the hell out of it.

Unfortunately, I don't have many other kids suggestions - other than Roald Dahl, I never really got into kids books so many moons ago.

Oh, wait - Terry Pratchetts Tiffany Aching books, those were pretty good.

[AdminAssistant]

Dilorenzo, a follow up to that book has been written called, "There's Another Monster and the End of This Book" with both Grover and Elmo. Super cute. When I was a kid, I was big into frontier books - Little House in the Big Woods and stuff like that. My nephew is just starting to read, and he loves Spongebob Squarepants books. I know, I know. But, it gets him to want to read.

[NateTheChops]

If you want to lock in the Twilight crowd, Vampirates is supposed to be pretty good. It's like they took vampires and made them pirates. Hence the...okay, you get the idea.

[Dilorenzo]

Dilorenzo, a follow up to that book has been written called, "There's Another Monster and the End of This Book" with both Grover and Elmo.

I must have it now. Or next time I'm in a book store, whichever.

[AriGriffin]

Thank you for the recommendations. I've ordered a lot of the books that were mentioned- the ones we didn't have anyway.
I also ordered the How to Train Your Dragon series, a few books by Vivian Vande Velde, Naked Heat & Heat Wave by Richard Castle, and the Shadow Grail series by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill.

Next week's order will have the Princess novels by Jim C. Hines as well as The Hero and the Crown & The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley.

Tomorrow is the first day I'll be the only librarian working. Keep your fingers crossed that the teens won't get too ticked about me blocking Facebook and try to start something.

[Seshat]

I can strongly recommend anything by Garth Nix, though I don't know of anything sea-based.

Paul Jennings' "Round the Twist" series is about a family of children who live in a lighthouse. It's also been made into a TV series.
The books and DVDs are available from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) bookshop.

The ABC may well also have teachers' packs for it.

Actually, a good browse of the ABC bookshop is likely to get you some great stuff. (I hate going there unless I have a wallet full of 'personal' funds. :P )

[TawnyMyst]

Anything by tamora pierce is awesome and the dealing with dragons series from Patricia something was quite good as well. Tamora pierce has strong female heroines which is a nice bonus.