I just read that the author of The Prydain Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander,  died this month. I hope that many of you have read or will read these fantasy books. It begins with The Book of Three and then follows the adventures of Taran through four more books. As with many fantasy series, you will meet a variety of characters including royalty, a dwarf, and an assistant pig keeper. One of the books has won the Newbery Medal and one won a Newbery honor. Visit the land of Prydain!

My husband informed me yesterday that it was exactly 2 months until the new HP book would arrive. This started me thinking about my own predictions for the book. We all know good readers ask questions. I still don’t think Dumbledore is really dead but I guess we’ll find out. I’m wondering if Neville will play a larger role in this last book and, of course, who might die in this one. What are your questions, predictions for the last adventure of Harry Potter? Let’s talk Hogwarts!

Here’s my secret. When I was in elementary school, I only read biographies. I started with the Wild West folks and worked my way through the rest until I was left with only scientists. (Not a big chemistry fan) Now I read everything but I do still like to read biographies. Sometimes it is a good way to get the history of a time. I liked reading how a person went from being a regular person/kid to having someone else write about their life. I just finished Escape! the story of the great Houdini by Sid Fleischman, a biography of the magician and escape artist, Harry Houdini. It didn’t give away any secrets but it did show that he did not succeed right away. He had to persevere and be determined. He also had to keep learning. If you like biographies, tell us why. If you don’t, (and you’ve tried), tell us why. If you haven’t read one, give it a try!

I finished two books this weekend. I finished The Blue Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer and The Ghost’s Grave by Peg Kehret. Both of these books are on the Bluebonnet list and they both feature kids who have a ghost communicate with them. Students are always asking for scary books which, of course, are not in a separate section of the library. What is scary to one person is not scary to another. I know the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books are popular but what are your favorite scary books?

The book fair is packed and gone. It was so exciting to watch you come in and get excited over books. (Yes, I know the sports cards were popular too.) Everyone found different titles to be excited about. Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, the Sammy Keyes books by Wendelin Van Draanen, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,  Judy Moody books by Megan McDonald, and more! What was your best purchase?

So, the new Rick Riordan book, Titan’s Curse, came out yesterday. I haven’t picked up a copy yet but it is on my to-do list. I know many of you are following Percy’s mythological adventures so I will read fast and catalog faster. The next book featuring Gregor the Overlander will come out on May 15th and of course, we all know what comes out (and ends) in July.  I know the Junie B. and Magic Tree House fans eagerly await the next ones as soon as they finish the newest one. What other series are you following? Do you ignore series of books because there are too many of them or they start to sound the same?