First Chapter Friday

Sal & Gabi Break the Universe

by Carlos Hernandez

The first chapter of Sal & Gabi Break the Universe brings up some interesting questions, my favorite being: "What kind of weirdo keeps dead chickens in his locker?" To find out more, log into Alexandria Researcher to place a hold on Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, published by Disney Hyperion. Or stop by the library to check it out!

The Ickabog

by J.K. Rowling

What is the Ickabog, you ask? A mythical beast who haunts the marshlands north of the kingdom of Cornucopia and sets off an epic adventure in this latest novel from J.K. Rowling, published by Scholastic. If you want to know what happens next, log into Alexandria Researcher and place a hold!

War Stories

by Gordon Korman

Twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone is fascinated by World War II, and adores his great-grandfather, "GG," a veteran of WWII and decorated war hero. When GG is invited to visit the town in France that he helped to liberate during the war, Trevor is thrilled to be invited along. But he has a lot to learn about what the war was really like and the difference between history and his great-grandfather's stories. This book is written by Gordon Korman and shared with permission from Scholastic. If you want to know what happens next, log into Alexandria Researcher and place a hold!

Where the Watermelons Grow

by Cindy Baldwin

One night, 12-year-old Della finds her mother in the kitchen, frantically picking seeds out of a watermelon and muttering about keeping her children safe from them. Della has a terrible feeling that this might be an indication that her mother's mental illness has resurfaced. Where the Watermelons Grow is written by Cindy Baldwin and shared with permission from the publisher, Harper Collins. To find out what happens next, log into Alexandria Researcher and place a hold.

Lemons

by Melissa Savage

Lemons is a historical fiction novel that takes place in the 1970s in a small town that claims to be the Bigfoot Capital of the World. It is written by Melissa Savage and shared with permission from the publisher, Penguin Random House. If you want to know what Lemonade Liberty Witt and her new friend are up to in this book, just log into Alexandria Researcher and place a hold.

Greystone Secrets: The Strangers

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This sci-fi adventure starts out with a major mystery. Why do three kidnapped siblings halfway across the country have the same names and birthdates as the Greystone kids, Chess, Emma and Finn? And why does their mom suddenly have to go away on business right after hearing news of the kidnapping?

Have a listen to the first three chapters of this book (one from each Greystone kid), and log into Alexandria Researcher to place a hold if you want to find out what happens next!

This reading is shared with permission from the publisher, HarperCollins.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

by Karina Yan Glaser

Here's a sneak peek of a Christmas book. It's like unwrapping just a corner of a present early... You know what they say - a book is a present you can open again and again. If you want to open this one yourself, you can log in to Alexandria Researcher and request the book by placing a hold! The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is written by Karina Yan Glaser and shared with permission from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.

Takedown

by Laura Shovan

We're kicking off this program with Takedown by Laura Shovan, shared with permission from the publisher, Penguin Random House. Play the video for a sample of this book, and log into Alexandria Researcher to place a hold on Takedown if you'd like to read more!