Are you looking for an outdoor summer adventure? In this episode, Helene introduces listeners to two titles by Peggy Kochanoff: Be A Wilderness Detective, and Be A Pond Detective - Solving the Mysteries of Lakes, Swamps, and Pools.

Be A Pond or Wilderness Detective (SRC 2021)

If you’re looking for some light and laughter, David Sedaris is the man for you! In this segment, Dylan shares a selection of Sedaris titles with readers: Me Talk Pretty One Day, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and Calypso.

David Sedaris

In this episode, Dylan tells listeners about one of his favourite young adult graphic novel series: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.

Heartstopper

Looking for an enjoyable full cast audiobook to listen to this summer? Chris recommends the engaging titles in the Miss Marple series.

Miss Marple Audiobooks

In today's podcast, Margarita shares a graphic novel for kids ages 8 to 12: When the Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. This is the true story of Omar and his younger brother Hassan, who live in a refugee camp. When Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1814339

When Stars Are Scattered

In this episode Jennifer discusses Xiran Jay Zhao's young adult science fiction title Iron Widow.

Offering herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the man responsible for her sister’s death, 18-year-old Zetian discovers her true destiny as an Iron Widow and must use her strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. 

Find this title in the FVRL catalogue: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1850224

FVRL Podcasts

Iron Widow

In this episode of Kids' ReadRadio, Jessica makes the BIG announcement you’ve all been waiting for: the 2023–2024 Reading Link Challenge book list! She introduces listeners to the main characters of each book, and the stories you’re about to fall in love with. Ready, set, read! 

The books are:

1.	Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr
2.	Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord
3.	J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard
4.	Linked by Gordon Korman
5.	Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn
6.	Upside Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle & Emily 
        Jenkins

Reading Link Challenge 2023-2024 Book List

Are you a fan Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and are searching for a new series to read? Mac suggests checking out the Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch. In this episode listeners learn about the first book in the series: The Name of This Book Is Secret. 

Two eleven-year-old misfits try to solve the mystery of a dead magician and stop the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais, who are searching for the secret of immortality.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1496836

The Name of This Book is Secret

Tis the season for holiday reads! Liana introduces listeners to a recently published, feel-good Christmas story: Otto the Ornament by Troy Cummings. 

Initially, super-snazzy Christmas tree ornament Otto thinks he should be placed at the top of the tree to be admired, but then he realizes where he really wants to be.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1901587

Otto the Ornament

Charlotte introduces listeners to a graphic novel to add to your winter reading list: Pepper Page Saves the Universe! by Landry Q. Walker. 

The year is 2421. Awkward and shy, Pepper buries herself in the universe of the classic fictional superhero Supernova to avoid dealing with the perils of the ninth grade. But then fate intervenes when Pepper encounters a strange cat named Mister McKittens and stumbles into a volatile science experiment run by a sinister substitute teacher named Doctor Killian.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1838813

Pepper Page

Today, Jennifer shares a thrilling story jam-packed with humour and heart: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley. This wildly surprising and entertaining novel features a college dropout and an 84-year-old woman on the run from the law.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1881500

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

In this episode, Brenna tells listeners about the first book of a chapter book series: Megabat by Anna Humphrey.

In the first book of the series, Daniel Misumi has just moved to a new house. It's big and old and far away from his friends and his life before. And it's haunted — or is it? Megabat was just napping on a papaya one day when he was stuffed in a box and shipped halfway across the world. Now he's living in an old house far from home, feeling sorry for himself and accidentally scaring the people who live there. Daniel realizes it's not a ghost in his new house. It's a bat. And he can talk. And he's actually kind of cute. Megabat realizes that not every human wants to whack him with a broom. This one shares his smooshfruit. Add some buttermelon, juice boxes, a light saber and a common enemy and you've got a new friendship in the making!

Look for this book series in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/search?query=Megabat%20(Series)&searchType=series

If you want to learn more about bats, try out an FVRL Bat Pack! It's available for loan from your library: https://www.fvrl.bc.ca/batpacks.php

Megabat

In today's podcast, Ariel talks about her favourite science fiction writer, Andy Weir, author of The Martian, Artemis, and Project Hail Mary.

Look for this author in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/search?query=Weir%2C%20Andy&searchType=author

The Books of Andy Weir

In this episode, Charlotte introduces listeners to an adventurous graphic novel: Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight by Rey Terciero. It tells the story of a young girl in Texas who is obsessed with becoming a modern-day knight and thwarting supernatural evil.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1904480

Doña Quixote

The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from February 16 to 19, 2024. Borrow a Birdwatching Backpack from FVRL, and identify bird species in this annual count!

Learn more about the FVRL Birdwatching Backpack: https://www.fvrl.bc.ca/birdwatching.php

About the Great Backyard Bird Count:
"Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations." Learn more at: www.birdcount.org

Want to learn more? There are lots of great resources available at the library that can be enjoyed by anyone from an amateur birder to an avid ornithologist. Check out our All About Birds reading list: https://fvrl.me/allaboutbirds

The Great Bird Count

In this episode, Mieke tells listeners about two science fiction and fantasy novels for kids that explore time travel and mystery:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. 
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1049627

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a 12-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1515676

A Wrinkle in Time

Looking for a romantic read? In this episode, Kaori tells listeners about Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation, a "sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations."

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1836234

People We Meet on Vacation

Charlotte shares The Ash House, a wonderfully creepy story by Angharad Walker, perfect for kids ages 11 and up – or anyone who likes spooky books with lots of twists and turns.

When 11-year-old Sol arrives at the Ash House, desperate for a cure for his complex pain syndrome, he finds a community of strange children long abandoned by their mysterious Headmaster. The children at the Ash House want the new boy to love their home as much as they do. They give him a name like theirs. They show him the dorms and tell him about the wonderful oasis that the Headmaster has created for them. But the new boy already has a name. Doesn't he? At least he did before he walked through those gates....

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1838145

The Ash House

In this episode we are introduced to a picture book series called "How Do Dinosaurs" by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague.

Each story begins with an example of silly, not-so-perfect dinosaur behaviour, followed by the polite ways dinosaurs (and kids) *should* act — whether it's at school, bedtime or dinner. This series will help your child become a confident reader, all while teaching them little life lessons.

Find the How Do Dinosaurs series in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/search?query=%22how%20do%20dinosaurs%22%20&searchType=smart&page=1

How Do Dinosaurs

If you like the classic novel Anne of Green Gables, you might like Anne: An Adaption of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros — a kids’ graphic novel that takes place in the present day. 

Anne Shirley has been in foster care her whole life. So when the Cuthberts take her in, she hopes it's for good. They seem to be hitting it off, but how will they react to the trouble that Anne can sometimes find herself in ... like accidentally dyeing her hair green or taking a dangerous dare that leaves her in a cast? Then Anne meets Diana Barry, a girl who lives in her apartment building, the Avon-Lea. The two become fast friends, as Anne finds she can share anything with Diana. As time goes on, though, Anne starts to develop more-than-friends feelings for Diana. A new foster home, a new school, and a first-time crush--it's a lot all at once. But if anyone can handle life's twists and turns, it's the irrepressible Anne Shirley.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1875506

Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort of)

In this episode Jennifer introduces listeners to one of her all-time favourite books, Circe by Madeline Miller, a narrative that transforms a minor Greek goddess into a complex heroine. 

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child — neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1758448

Circe

In this episode, Diane tells listeners about one of her favourite young adult series, Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This series will thrill readers as it explores a world of wonder, whimsy, adventure, mystery and romance. 

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett's father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor who she has just met, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval's mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1722674

Caraval

In today’s podcast, Joys shares two children’s books about home. In these books, families seek home and redefine their home as they deal with tough realities and challenges together.

Find these titles in the FVRL collection: 

Home by Tonya K. Lippert
This lyrical story is timely and thoughtful, depicting the life of two children thrust into homelessness and uncertain housing situations as they move out of their house, to a motel, to a shelter, and finally to another, more permanent home.
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1861425

A Place to Stay: A Shelter Story by Erin Gunti
This simple, touching picture book shows readers a women's shelter through the eyes of a young girl, who with her mother's help, uses her imagination to overcome her anxiety and adjust.
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1861426

Books About Home

In this episode, Charlotte shares an exciting middle-grade fantasy novel: Abeni's Song by P. Djèlí Clark. 

Abeni, a reluctant magical apprentice, and a team of spirit kids set out to save their village from the evil Witch Priest who captured and marched off everyone toward ghost ships bound for distant lands.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1900070

Abeni's Song

In this episode, Kaori tells listeners about a science fiction adventure: This Is How You Lose the Time War.

From award-winning authors Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone comes an enthralling, romantic novel spanning time and space about two time-travelling rivals who fall in love and must change the past to ensure their future.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1788115

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Did you know that otters add air bubbles to their fur to help keep themselves warm? In this episode, Brenna tells listeners about Katherine Applegate's free verse novel, Odder. Learn all about otters in this environmental tale!

Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practising her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she's known. She's a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself — and about the humans who hope to save her.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1870146

Odder

Mieke tells listeners about The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, a deeply moving collection of personal essays from John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down. 

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale — from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Find this title in the FVRL collection: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1834514

Anthropocene Reviewed

Welcome to ReadRadio (ReadRadio, Ep. 1)

Jessica reviews Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks.

Jessica Reviews Year of Wonder (ReadRadio, Ep. 2)

Year of Wonder (ReadRadio, Ep. 2)

Katie shares They Both Die at the End – her favourite book by her favourite YA author, Adam Silvera. The novel focuses on two teenage boys, Mateo and Rufus, who discover that they only have one day left to live.

They Both Die at the End

Are you looking for something good to read? Or watch? Or listen to? Tune in to Fraser Valley Regional Library’s ReadRadio podcast for some great recommendations. In each episode we will highlight some of the library’s books, movies and TV shows that you might not know about. All reviewed materials are available for loan in the FVRL catalogue. 

Fraser Valley Regional Library is the largest public library system in British Columbia, with 25 community libraries serving nearly 680,000 people in its service area.

Fraser Valley Regional Library

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