This is just a sample of the fun article about the monsters in the USA.

The Most Famous Mythical Creature in Each State

BY ELLEN GUTOSKEY
NOVEMBER 7, 2019
Mental Floss Magazine


The widespread popularity of fantasy franchises like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones suggests that, on some level, we all wish that dragons, giants, and other magical creatures actually existed.

While Nifflers, Thestrals, and Blast-Ended Skrewts may only be found within the pages of a Harry Potter novel, plenty of other mythical beasts have allegedly been spotted a lot closer to home than you might think. CashNetUSA's SavingSpot blog created a map highlighting the most famous magical monster in each state—an American edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, if you will.

Some slither, others skulk, and pretty much all of them have the potential to take your nightmares to the next level. You’ll probably recognize some of the better-known ones: New Jersey is home to the Jersey Devil, Texas claims the fanged Chupacabra, and Washington boasts Bigfoot, who seems downright charming compared to others on the list.

The Loch Ness Monster lives all the way out in Scotland, of course, but she’s definitely inspired a few Nessie-wannabes right here in the States. Nevada has Tahoe Tessie, an 80-foot-long possible plesiosaur, and Maryland’s Chessie calls the Chesapeake Bay home.



https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/604892/most-famous-mythical-creature-each-state

Bears! Bears! And more Bears!

Backyard Bears by Amy Cherrix

We see them in the backyard, digging through trash. But what doing we really know about bears? (Here's a hint...Goldilocks was all wrong.) Bears are so much interesting than our stories about them. Backyard Bears takes us into the lives of city bears. What a great pick for reluctant readers!

A Coyote in City Park?

A Pup Called Trouble by Bobbie Pyron

Ever been to a city park? Possums, crows, dogs. You’d expect to see them. But a coyote pup? How did he get there? Trouble finds himself there after his curiosity and impulsivity take him away from the wilds and into a world he knows nothing about. Think of Watership Down,and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, and you’ll have the flavor and feelings of A Pup Called Trouble.  This is a good choice for reluctant readers. Who doesn’t want to read about a coyote trapped in the city?

Books for Animal Lovers...and Who isn't?

 A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron 

Adventure. Danger. Sadness. Everyone will face these someday. That’s why I connected with A Dog’s Way Home.Abby and her dog Tam are in terrible car accident. Tam, crate and all, is thrown into a rushing river that carries him far away. But It’s more than a dog separated from owner story. It’s about the courage Tam the dog and his owner Abby show as they look for one another. And thankfully, there’s a happy ending! I love books that show the human and animal spirit.

Bogeymen aren’t so scary after all!

Kids from Burnsville,NC helped me celebrate Toe River Art’s 2019 opening. I read aloud from my book Bogeyman 101:A Guide to Bogeyman Around the World. My excellent listeners draw pictures of the bogeymen.
XHere they are!

Do You Need a Friend?

Something I’ve noticed about my favorite writers is that I think they’re writing about me. Maybe not today’s me, or even yesterday’s me, but me someday. That’s what Barbara O’Connor does in Wonderland: The Novel. I found myself in all her main characters (yes, even the dog’s.) Poor little rich girl Rose is in need of a friend. Gypsy girl Mavis, whose mom just can’t find the right job, or man, or life, is never in a place long enough for her to make a friend. There’s Mr Duffy, who is not only mourning his wife but also his dog, and the runway greyhound Henry who only wants a true home. That’s all you need to know. If you’re like me, you won’t put the book down until you find out what happens to these star crossed friends.

I’m really suspecting there is no CM Surrissi. It’s Quinnie Boyd who is writing these mysteries. After all ,how else could the 13 year-old voice be so true? Quinnie Boyd in A Side of Sabotage has grown up, now dealing with friends who both want to be her special friend, the upcoming departure of her first boyfriend and now a sabotage at her Dad’s restaurant. That’s a lot for her to deal with, but she does, in the same funny, insightful way I expect from her. By the way, I guessed wrong when I figured out who was sabotaging Gusty’s. I was tickled to see, when I looked back, that the answer was there all along. That’s what good mysteries do, don’t they?

When I worked as a children’s bookseller, I steered kids away from fantasy for a simple reason: I thought I didn’t like the genre. Then came His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass, the first in the series, blew me into fantasy land. Children are disappearing in 12 year old Lyra’s world. Scrappy Lyra, decides to solve the mystery and rescue them. That’s enough of the plot to start.But what I can tell you is thatWhat drew me into to this parallel universe were the daemons. In this world, souls take the form of animal companions. Besides being help mates, they reflect one’s character. The diabolical Mrs. Coulter, Lyra’s mother, has a vicious golden monkey. Lyra’s on again off again father has a snow leopard for his daemon.If you want to go somewhere else, this is the series for you. I’d recommend it for good upper elementary readers and above and of course, us. 

Mr. Puffball: Escape from Castaway Island is full of magic. It’s not just the slyly adorable artwork or the tongue in cheek narrative. The magic is in the details. Kids will read every word, not wanting to miss details like adding a bucket of butter for cake batter or the chattering of dolphins, written as “cute dolphin noises.” As a reformed cat-hater, (yes, Mr. Puffball brought me to the other side), I was sad to see the story end. Maybe cutie pie Pickles will carry on the adventure. I hope so!

For Upper Elementary and up!

The Rabbit Listened

Take a child’s ordinary catastrophe…

add a murder of crows…

an inquisitive chicken…

and a bunch of other animals…

(You’ll recognize them grownups in disguise.)

You’ll have a story about disappointment

and what it really takes to mend a heart.

#how to heal a broken heart

For the quiet and shy

The Blue Songbird

Vern Kousky

The quiet child looks around and sees but says little. 

Perhaps it’s because everyone else’s talents are louder, more easily noticed.

This book is for anyone who has felt shy..

A Poem that Heals a Fish

by Jean-Pierre Simeon

Il. by Oliver Tallec

Arthur’s goldfish looks like he’s going to die of boredom (according to Arthur, that is).

“Give him a poem,” says Mom.

Arthur goes off in search of one. A baker says it’s hot like fresh bread, his canary says it’s when words beat their wings. It’s odd, a poem means something different to everyone. 

My favorite comes from the goldfish. His poem is…silence.

On a Magical Do- Nothing Day

Beatrice Alemagna

Finally a story about the dreaded iPhone! 

But don’t worry, it gets what it deserves. 

The author knows an iPhone might hide what is really interesting.

After it meets its untimely end that our heroine discovers the magic of a rainy backyard.

The Blue Songbird

Vern Kousky

The quiet, shy child looks around and sees but says little. 

Perhaps it’s because everyone else’s talents are louder, more easily noticed.

This book is for them.

Book Review on PB dealing with Friendship and Loneliness

Big Wolf and Little Wolf

by Nadine Brun-Cosme
illustrated by Olivier Tale

You don’t need anyone and no one needs you. Sound like anyone you know? 
Life is just as you like it, until, one day, a small blue dot appears on the horizon. It’s a little wolf, come to change your world. 
A parable on loneliness and friendship that shows how being alone can turn to loneliness.
This picture book should be used in MG’s as well as elementary school.
PS That's the ALA's Notable Books award on the cover

I had lots of fun with the Chautauqua Campers today! After reading about the jinni in Bogeyman 101, the kids wrote 2 great bogeyman stories. Here they are!

Once upon a time in Chautauqua there was a bogeyman named Crystal and if a person stepped on her head she would jump up and scare them. Salaman was a bogeyman who lived near the creek. Salaman liked Crystal very much. 

They were not alone. There was also a lumberjack bogeyman named Axel. He haunted those mountain men who liked to tell stories about him. He also liked Crystal.  Axel had many bandages. Only his eyes, nose and mouth could be seen. He also didn’t like Salaman.

Salaman loved the night and he needed to be close to the water to keep his skin wet. Crystal lived at the top of Celo knob. Salaman could never make it all the way to the top to see Crystal without getting too dry. He only could get close enough to see how beautiful she glistened in the moonlight. 

Salaman had to go through the forest to see her but Axel was always there trying to get him. One night Axel was bothering Crystal when a thunderstorm struck the mountain. Axel ran for safety. Crystal was afraid. 

Salaman heard her cries. He ran as fast as he could. The rain kept his skin moist. When he reached Crystal a lightning bolt struck her. The colors that came from Crystal were more beautiful than 1000 rainbows. When she saw Salaman they fell in love. She used the power of the lightning to roll them to the creek where she lives to this day with Salaman. Axel was never seen again.

The End

By Whitney and Ric

The Chautauqua Legend

Once upon a time at Chautauqua there were many bogeymen. Also, in the haunted Chautauqua woods there was a cabin. 

One bogeyman was made of rocks so he could hide himself by standing next to the mountain. His name was Rocker.

Another bogeyman was named Crystal. When she hid in the caves, people only saw a pile of crystal on the ground. They didn’t know it was a bogeyman. When they stepped on Crystal she sometimes pulled them down underground or she would pop up and haunt them.

There was a lumberjack bogeyman named Axer. He had a torn-up hat and a big axe. He had bandages all over his face except for his eyes, nose and mouth. He also had a torn-up coat and torn up shoes. His skin was ghost like. He haunted those who went out late at night and whoever told legends about him. Sometimes he killed with his axe. He thought he could never die, but since his axe was actually his heart, people could get rid of him.

The last bogeyman was the most powerful. He was a combination of a tengu and a jinni.

He traveled in a cloud of smoke so you couldn't see his red eyes. He haunted the people who lived in the Chautauqua cabin. Because he was made of smoke, he could sneak inside thorough cracks under the door and through the cracks in the windows. People knew he was coming when smoke came inside with a whistling noise. The, it was too late for people to save themselves, because as soon as they saw he smoke and heard the whistle, they turned into bogeymen, too.

No one knows, but there are other ways to kill this bogeyman. The children of Chautauqua knew of a bogeyman who was good. Her name was Good Crystal. Whenever bad Crystal popped up out of the ground, good Crystal sparkled and got rid of any bad bogeymen with her light, that was very bright. 

The children of Chautauqua knew that Rocker the bogeyman was vulnerable. The children were very smart. They planted moss on Rocker so eventually, he would erode.

The End

What if you lived in a world of deception and trickery? Depending on what you eat or drink, you could hallucinate, lose your memories or your mind. You can’t show your feelings, for you were born with a blank face. In fact, learning expressions is a luxury that only the rich can afford.  However, since the underground Caverna rulers assassinate anyone who threatens their power, it’s better to be able to hide your feelings. Neverfell, though, was born with a face that hides nothing. With her face like glass, she’s a prize every ruling family wants. Will they kill her, imprison her, or manipulate her?

It may be rated YA, but I’d recommend for MG’s, too. It’s a detailed fantasy, a coming of age story, and after a slow beginning, a compelling read.

The Murder’s Ape: the odyssey of an ape named Sally Jones, whose owner is accused of killing a  small time crook. This isn’t a fast paced who dunnit, so be prepared to meet many fun, funny and fascinating characters as the story meanders from Portugal to England to London to Egypt  to India. Sally Jones tells the story from her very intelligent point of view, which makes the journey unique and exciting. It’s an award winner in Scandinavia, and I can understand why.

Though listed as YA, it’s appropriate for MG’s.