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February is a busy month at the Fuquay-Varina Community Library. This month, there are holidays for celebrating, programs for participating and stories for enjoying. Join us as we read our way through this merry month.

“SUNNY’S PICKS” - EASY AND EASY READER

In February we celebrate President’s Day. We’ve picked out many good stories about presidents past and present. Sunny must approve of our choices, he hopped right over and gave each book his stomp of approval.

Easy Books (E)

• “George Washington’s Teeth” by Deborah Chandra

A rollicking rhyme portrays George Washington’s lifelong struggle with bad teeth. A timeline taken from diary entries and other nonfiction sources follows.

• “Presidents’ Day” by Anne Rockwell

A preschool class learns about President’s Day and puts on a play about the men who inspired the holiday, particularly those featured on Mount Rushmore.

• “George Washington’s Cows” by David Small

Humorous rhymes about George Washington’s farm where the cows wear dresses, the pigs wear wigs and the sheep are scholars.

• “Abe Lincoln’s Dream” by Lane Smith

When a schoolgirl gets separated from her tour of the White House and finds herself in the Lincoln bedroom, she also discovers the ghost of the great man himself.

Easy Reader Books (ER)

• “John Adams Speaks for Freedom” by Deborah Hopkinson (ER Childhood)

This book profiles the career and accomplishments of John Adams, second president of the United States.

• “Teddy Roosevelt: the People’s President” by Sharon Shavers Gayle (ER Childhood)

Read all about the life of Theodore Roosevelt, starting with his sickly childhood, which he overcame to become a robust outdoorsman, leader of the Rough Riders and later, the 26th president of the United States.

• “Barack Obama: Out of Many, One” by Shana Corey (ER973.93 COREY)

In this book, the author highlights the life and political career of the 44th president of the United States.

JUVENILE AND YOUNG ADULT “STAFF PICKS”

Juvenile Books (J)

Looking for that special combination of history and fiction? These amazing stories chronicle the journeys of brave boys and girls long ago as they seek lost family and new friends.

• “The Quilt Walk” by Sandra Dallas

Ten-year-old Emmy Blue learns the true meaning of friendship - and how to quilt - while making a harrowing wagon journey from Illinois to Colorado with her family in the 1860s. This story is based on a real-life incident in Colorado history.

• “Gingersnap” by Patricia Reilly Giff

When her brother, Rob, a Navy cook, goes missing in action during World War II, Jayna, desperate for family, leaves upstate New York and their cranky landlady, accompanied by a turtle and a ghost, to seek their grandmother, who Rob believes may live in Brooklyn. This book includes soup recipes.

• “An Elephant in the Garden” by Michael Morpurgo

Devastated to learn that an orphan elephant in the Dresden, Germany, zoo where their mother works is to be euthanized in anticipation of an upcoming bombing during World War II, Lizzie and Karl persuade the zoo director to let them keep the elephant in their garden.

Young Adult Books (YA)

If it’s February, it must mean Valentine’s Day and “Romance.” Here are a few stories from modern times, and days of old, about love and all that drama.

• “Both Sides of Time” by Caroline B. Cooney

The summer after senior year, Annie, wishing she could have lived 100 years ago in a more romantic time, finds herself in the 1890s and it is indeed romantic - and very painful.

• “Flirt Club” by Cathleen Daly

Through notes and journal entries, best friends and self-proclaimed “drama geeks” Cisco (Izzy) and the Bean (Annie) write of the trials of middle school, as well as their efforts to attract boys by forming a Flirt Club.

• “Fallen in Love” by Lauren Kate

What makes your heart race a little faster? It’s four wholly original and romantic new stories collected in a novel set in the Middle Ages featuring Shelby, Miles and other characters from the Fallen series.

DID YOU KNOW? …

You can vote for your favorite book in the 2013 N.C. Children’s Book Award (NCCBA) program. This program is sponsored by the N.C. School Library Media Association (NCSLMA) and the Children’s Services and School Librarian sections of the N.C. Library Association. The program is designed to introduce kids to current children’s literature and to instill a love of reading. Stop by the Fuquay-Varina Community Library for a list of the nominated books.

Voting takes place in March and kids must read at least five nominated titles in either the Picture Book or Junior Novel category to participate. The Fuquay-Varina Community Library will have a “ballot box” for your votes. Winners will be announced in mid-May.