Happy Holidays!

Just a reminder of the library's holiday schedule:

Monday, Dec 24: 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday, Dec 25: Closed in observance of the Christmas Holiday

Monday, Dec 31: 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday, Jan 1: Closed in observance of New Years Day

Remember that the library catalog and research databases are always available online!

Have a happy and safe December!

OCPL children's librarians recommend...

What do a bird who feels too grouchy to fly, a vampire with spinach between his teeth, and an orphan who lives in a train station have in common? They are among the subjects of the five books selected by the children's librarians of the Orange County Public Library as recipients of the third annual OCPL Pick-A-Winner Award. From a field of 28 nominations, all published in 2006 or 2007, the librarians selected these winners:

Picture Book (a tie!)
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Bird wakes up feeling grumpy--too grumpy to eat or play, too grumpy even to fly. With a little exercise and companionship, Bird is able to shake his bad mood in this winsome and refreshingly original full-color picture book.

Just Like Heaven by Patrick McDonnell
This hypnotic picture book features the stars of the "Mutts" comic strips. When Mooch the cat awakes and find himself surrounded by deep fog, he concludes he's in heaven. But when he meets up with a scary dog, he's confused. He comes to realize that the joys of nature, home, and friends are blessings to appreciate here and now. A captivating ode to everyday beauty and wonder.

Intermediate Fiction
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Orphan, clock keeper, thief-- Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. Combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Caldecott Honor artist Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience in this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.


Upper Fiction
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Sixteen-year-old Miranda's journal entries describe her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Non-Fiction

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and Other Stories You're Sure to Like, Because They're All About Monsters, and Some of Them Are Also About Food by Adam Rex

Stories in verse about the monster-sized problems of Dracula, Wolfman, Bigfoot and other monsters.

All five books can be checked out from the Aliso Viejo Library. For more information, search our online catalog. Happy reading!