Halifax Public Library Staff Favourites of 2015 - Books for the Young & Young at Heart

Children and Young Adult books were very popular with our staff in 2015.
(Fun fact: Kate Beaton's "The Princess and the Pony" was the most highly recommended book by our staff this year, with four recommendations. Everybody loves a farting pony!)

Here are our picks for books for children and young adults.


Smick by Doreen Cronin (Preschool)
Recommended by Alison C: "A few words, a few black lines, some colours, but it’s an amazingly complete and funny story about making new friends."

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Preschool)
Recommended by Alys: "For kids about 4 and up -  it is a story time winner!"

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (Preschool)
Recommended by Elinor & Amy & Keriann & Alison C.: "A very cute, smart, and funny story for kids and adults alike. Beaton's illustrations are funny and endearing, and the plot is on point - offering a refreshing twist on the popular Princess genre."

Weasels by Elys Dolan (School Age Picture Book)
Recommended by Alison C.: "What do you think weasels do all day?  Well, you’d be wrong, because really they’re planning world domination.  So much going on in these pictures, keep your eye out!"

Explosion Newsie by Jacqueline Halsey, illustrated by Loretta Migani (School Age Picture Book)
Suggested by Alison C. & Laurie: "Explosion Newsie by Jacqueline Halsey, a former library staff member, is a great school age picture book about the Halifax Explosion. The story centers around a newsboy at the time of the explosion. It is sure to resonate with children and adults alike. The storytelling and illustrations combined bring this historic tragedy to life with appropriate depth, humour and accuracy."

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (Children's Fiction)
Recommended by Lindsay M: "Rick Riordan does great things with mythology. I love the modern day interpretations of these ancient characters. Can't wait to see what -he does with this Norse series!"

Dumplin'  by  Julie Murphy (Young Adult)
Recommended by Keriann: "Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs."

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs (Young Adult)
Recommended by Ashley: "Its a YA fantasy about children with peculiar abilities and time traveling birds. I love it because it is imaginative and a completely original idea that even adults can enjoy."

I crawl through it by A.S. King (Young Adult)
Recommended by Elizabeth: "This is an surrealist commentary on the public school system and on life as a teenager. It's weird and amazing."

Beastly Bones: A Jackaby Novel by William Ritter (Young Adult)
Recommended by Kim: "It is a supernatural "Sherlock Holmes" (think Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock) series."

Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) by Pittacus Lore (Young Adult)
Recommended by Lindsay M.:"Action Packed, Fast Paced penultimate book of the Lorien series."