Winter greetings from the EMS Library/Media Center! We hope you had a wonderful holiday break, and got lots of books to read from “under the tree.” During this cold and dark winter season, keep the library and books in mind. When frosty weather forces you to stay inside, reading a good book from the library is a great avocation.

In case the newest and best books didn’t find their way into your stocking, here are some great book selections for your wintertime reading.

• “The Hunger Games and Catching Fire,” by Suzanne Collins: In a dystopian society, the Capital controls all aspects of the occupants’ lives. Several hundred years ago, an uprising took place between the districts and the Capital, resulting in the complete annihilation of District Thirteen. As punishment for the rebellion, every year since, each of the twelve remaining districts is forced to sacrifice one boy and one girl to participate in the Hunger Games. The last one to survive is the victor. Sixteen-year-old Katniss makes the ultimate sacrifice when she volunteers to take the place of her twelve-year-old sister, Prim.
• “Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover,” by Ally Carter: This third book in the Gallagher Girls series finds Cammie Morgan visiting her roommate Macey, and the two escape a kidnappers’ plot using their espionage skills. When Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other Gallagher girls use their spy training as part of the security team.
• “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X,” by James Patterson: Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents’ footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake. 
• “North of Beautiful,” by Justina Chen Headley: Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob.
• “Changeup: Mystery at the World Series,” by John Feinstein: While covering the World Series, teen reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol uncover some inconsistencies in the life story of a popular new pitcher and begin to investigate.

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming February 15-25, 2010. The Book Fair helps keep your own book collection up-to-date with the most recently published books for youth, and a portion of all sales goes to the support of the library. 

See you at the library!