Family Book Club: "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" and "Giraffe Problems"

Pick up copies of this month's books at the Youth Services desk at the Middendorf-Kredell branch. A book club for the whole family! Each month, we will provide one copy of a chapter book suitable for grades 4-6 and one copy of a picture book suitable for grades K-3. Read either or both books at home (we encourage reading them aloud!), then join other families at the Library to discuss the books, do a related activity and craft, and pick up copies of the next month's books! This is a family/group program; children attending must be accompanied by an adult. This month, we are discussing: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling: Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again. Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms. Giraffe Problems by Lane Smith: Edward the giraffe can't understand why his neck is as long and bendy and, well, ridiculous as it is. No other animal has a neck this absurd. He's tried disguising it, dressing it up, strategically hiding it behind bushes--honestly, anything you can think of, he's tried. Just when Edward has exhausted his neck-hiding options and is about to throw in the towel, a turtle swoops in (well, ambles in, very slowly) and helps him understand that his neck has a purpose, and looks excellent in a bow tie.