Rebel Angels is the second book in Libba Bray’s series that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty. In this book, Gemma Doyle returns to the Realms with her two friends Ann and Felicity, but things there are changing now that the magic has been unleashed. It is now Gemma’s task to try to find the Temple and bind the magic for the Order. But Gemma has personal demons of her own that she must struggle with, from her father’s addiction to laudanum to her own continuing self-doubt. Will she be able to find her way?
Both of the books in the series are must-haves for public libraries. They are not only well-written with vivid characters, terrible villiains and tangled storylines, but they are ripping good reads. You will find yourself caught up in this Victorian setting where magic rules though no one else realizes it. Recommend this series to girls who enjoy fantasy or romance and also those who like dark gothic books. Heck, any girl who reads books is going to enjoy this series!
Now I just have to wait for book three…

Nobody Laughs at a Lion by Paul Bright, illustrated by Matt Buckingham is one of those picture books that I picked up browsing in a neighboring library. It is the story of Lion trying to find what he is best at. He tries being the fastest runner but Cheetah beats him, the best tree climber is Monkey, the best one at sneaking through the grass is Snake, and the best at knocking down trees is Elephant. What could Lion possibly be best at? It is not until he is so frustrated that he ROARS that it is suddenly clear what makes Lion unique and the best.
The illustrations are bright colored and fun. The simple text makes this a perfect read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids will anticipate the ending, but will enjoy the story along the way. There is even opportunity for gestures to be combined with the text and for restless kids to get up and move.

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel is a great read aloud. In fact, the book demands to be read aloud. It is the story of what happens when Violet the dog drops a tennis ball down into a prarie dog hole. The prairie dogs are cautious at first, but when the littlest dog reaches out and gets some of the fuzz on her claw, the entire community of prarie dogs goes fuzz crazy. Big Bark, the meanest prairie dog in town, tries to take control, but no one will listen to him. After the frenzy leaves all the dogs worn out and asleep, Big Bark takes all of the fuzz, but doesn’t realize what a dangerous position it puts him in. With rollicking language and great illustrations, this book is a lot of fun. The fold out pages that lead readers deeper into the prairie dog hole add so much to the story. I held three classes spellbound with this one and had repeat requests. This one has definitely made it onto my list of books I will read aloud again and again.

A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom is one of those picture books that has to be read aloud to be truly enjoyed. It is the story of an annoying duck and a studious bear. The bear is trying to read and is interrupted by the duck’s chatter. The bear tries to write instead and is again interrupted, and finally gets quite grumpy when he is trying to think and the duck again interrupts. Finally, the duck heads off merrily to get snacks and returns with a note that charms the bear out of his grumps and returns them to being splendid friends again.
The key to reading aloud this book is to give the duck a startlingly horrid voice and cuts through everything. This was the final book I read to a Kindergarten class and they loved it. They got the humor of being interrrupted. The humor of the ducks annoying voice. And then were charmed by the ending in the same way the bear was. It was a triumphant end to a story time. Great fun for both the reader and the listener.