Titles with Trailers Tuesday: The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

Today's (late!) post features a former Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee, The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn.

Here's what Booklist has to say about the story: "Twelve-year-old book lover Florence is thrilled to be leaving Miss Medleycoate's Home for Orphan Girls to live at Crutchfield Hall with her newly discovered great-aunt, great-uncle, and cousin James. Six months before, James's sister Sophia died in an accident, and Florence quickly discovers that Sophia's ghost is haunting Crutchfield to punish James for his part in her death. Sophia is full of malice and pride, and as she grows in strength, Florence fears for James's safety, yet she feels powerless to resist Sophia's control..."

This book, like many others by Mary Downing Hahn, features supernatural characters and is full of suspense. On her official website, you can read about this book and others you may have read, including The Old Willis Place and Wait Till Helen Comes.

If you're looking for suspenseful mysteries, you'll want to try a Mary Downing Hahn book; you won't be disappointed!

Titles with Trailers Tuesday: Book of the Dead in the Tombquest Series by Michael Northrup

Like many of our Tuesday posts, today's featured book is also the first in a series--Book of the Dead, Book #1 in the Tombquest series by Michael Northrup.

Like the Infinity Ring and Spirit Animal series--among others from Scholastic--this series has its own interactive, online material. You can visit the official website HERE, where you can create an account (with parent permission) to play the online game related to the book, read the blog and forums related to the story, and see videos.

In the book, main character Alex is searching for something--anything--to save his mother's life. She is certain the Egyptian Book of the Dead can help, but using it also unleashes Death Walkers. When his mom and the Lost Spells disappear, can Alex find her?

Titles with Trailers Tuesday: Mercy Watson to the Rescue in the Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo

Author Kate DiCamillo's novels, like The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Flora & Ulysses, are popular choices among our students.

Today we feature a series of her books, the Mercy Watson books. The first in the series is Mercy Watson to the Rescue.

On Kate DiCamillo's official website, you can see a brief summary of the book:

And, you can read an excerpt of the first chapter online:

Take a look at the trailer--does Mercy seem like a pig you'd like to know better? If so, be sure to look for her at the library when school starts next month!

Titles with Trailers Tuesday: El Deafo by Cece Bell

Today's post is the first in this series to feature a graphic novel. New to the library this year was Cece Bell's autobiographical graphic novel El Deafo.

Cece Bell's work is already familiar to us in the library; one of her books, Bee-Wigged, was an Iowa Goldfinch Award nominee a few years ago, and we also have Rabbit & Robot in the library.

Unlike some of her previous books, El Deafo is loosely based on her own childhood and her experiences as someone who struggled to make friends, especially as a child who was hard of hearing and wearing a hearing aid, the Phonic Ear. Even though she can now hear, the Phonic Ear also allows her to hear things that she maybe shouldn't, which leads to some interesting moments. 

If you want to learn more about any of her books, read her biography, or find out more about upcoming releases, you can visit her official website.