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Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow had no clue that moving from Manhattan to the small town of Ashpot, Connecticut would lead to an unsolved mystery. Her parents’ dream of renovating a crumbling Victorian called the Begonia House into a bed and breakfast had seemed like treachery at the time, but Fairday found out that her new house kept secrets, and once inside its twisted front gates, anything was possible.

When mysterious notes start showing up warning that a librarian is in trouble and a bookworm is eating words, Fairday thinks the Begonia House has more skeletons in its closets. She notices a passage in her favorite book has been changed, and she’s certain something is dreadfully wrong. What happens to stories when their words get eaten?

The DMS is ready to investigate! Fairday, Lizzy, and Marcus take off on a sticky trail and tumble into Nowhere. Like Alice in Wonderland, Fairday finds herself in a world where nothing makes sense, and the lines of reality are blurred. 

The three sleuths discover amazing things about themselves as they unravel more secrets within the walls of the Begonia House. Follow along with Fairday and friends as they open the next case in the DMS files to solve the mystery of the Talking Library.

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FAIRDAY MORROW AND THE TALKING LIBRARY  

Monday's Riddle: Sticky Vibrations...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? The Begonia House has plenty of these hiding in dark corners. ; ) ~ F

Creeping legs on sticky strings vibrate to buzzing things. Lurking over a crack in the wall, when they drop you won't hear them fall. More eyes than two watch what's spun; if you're not afraid, they're loads of fun. It's true they can be scary, but arachnids are cute, even hairy! 

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer!

I gave you a clue!

Can a Video Game Win the War?

12-year-old twins, Claudia and Reese, are at war, with each other. For the record- Claudia is making an oral history (audiobook memory) of it. She wants all the facts laid out, so in the future people will see that she wasn’t wrong for the things she did during “the war”. Of course, there's a dispute over who started the war. But Claudia knows it was Reese when he embarrassed her in front of the whole sixth grade during lunch. Reese didn’t think what  he did was a big deal; it was funny! Either way- the war was on, and these two siblings would go to great heights to get back at each other. As the pranks escalated, Claudia and Reese had to figure out new ways to try to embarrass the other person. After Reese and his friend humiliate Claudia beyond her wildest dreams, she knows she has to destroy them. Is there any way she can use her brother’s love of online video games to ruin his life? Claudia is determined to find out. Who was to blame for the start of the war? Is it right to try to get back at your sibling, and how far is too far? Is there anything their parents can do to stop this war You'll have to read this funny book to find out!

The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other) by Geoff Rodkey was a book I didn’t know much about when I saw it at the library. The format was unique, and I loved hearing from all the people who played a role in the war, like Claudia and Reese's parents, their babysitter, their friends, and of course the twins themselves. The story is told through texts, video game chat logs, screenshots, and narration. Reese and Claudia are an interesting pair of twins because they're different from each other. I like that Reese is more relaxed, and Claudia is certainly driven. As the pranks got out of control I worried a bit about how everything would turn out. The characters have great voice and their antics will make you laugh. As for who started the war (or who won it)-  I think it will be up for each reader to determine. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade and up who is looking for a fast and funny read. I hear there are more books in the series, so I wonder what else Claudia and  Reese will be up to!

Has anyone else read The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other)? Or have you read another book by Geoff Rodkey? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Game's On!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! If you're a fan of games, tune in Friday for Lizzy's book review and find out how the answer ties in. See you all around the book block.  ; ) ~ F

Hands and eyes meet on screen. A computer click sets the scene. Position ready, get set, go- collecting things high and low. You're the one in control, playing in another role. Fingers fly to stick and jump; left, right- duck, then bump. In a fantasy you can see; a well-known relic is Atari. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Video Games 

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 
Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday's Riddle: Screen Play...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? Lizzy is the master at fitting falling pieces together- no one can beat her high score! ; ) ~ F

Hands and eyes meet on screen. A computer click sets the scene. Position ready, get set, go- collecting things high and low. You're the one in control, playing in another role. Fingers fly to stick and jump; left, right- duck, then bump. In a fantasy you can see; a well-known relic is Atari. 

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

Is the Gold-Bug Part of Book Scavenger?

“Negativity has never been a friend to anyone.” 

― Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Book Scavenger

Twelve-year-old Emily’s family moves more frequently than the average family. After all, her parents are on a quest to live in all 50 states for their blog. When they move to San Francisco, the home of Emily’s book idol, Garrison Griswold, she is beyond excited to be in the city where her favorite game Book Scavenger was created. She can’t believe it when she finds out her idol has been attacked and is in the hospital. Who would do such a thing? Her new neighbor, James, becomes fast friends with her after they realize that they both love puzzles. James has never played Book Scavenger (a game where people hide books in cities all over the country and leave clues online leading the cleverest people to find them) and when he goes with Emily and her older brother, Matthew, to look for a book they find a special one, The Gold-Bug. The book looks different from any Emily has ever seen, and the weirdest part is even though it's written by Edgar Allen Poe, it's full of mistakes. Are all the copies wrong? Are the mistakes clues? Finding The Gold-Bug makes Emily and James believe they may have stumbled on Garrison Griswold’s latest game, one he never got to announce because he was attacked. Unfortunately, the people who injured Mr. Griswold want the book that Emily has, and they will stop at nothing to get it back. Will Emily and James be able to figure out what the clues they find in The Gold-Bug mean? Can the bad guys actually find Emily and James? Did Garrison Griswold create a game he was never able to announce? Now that Emily has made her first real friend, will she have to say goodbye before she gets to really know him?  You'll have to read this fabulous literary adventure in order to find out!

I didn’t know anything about Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman when I started reading. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the fun book scavenger game that the story centers around, and I think it will appeal to a lot of kids and adults. I also think Emily would be an interesting friend because she loves books like I do and she has lived in a lot of places that I would like to talk to her about. I think Emily’s friend, James, is funny and I appreciate that he is comfortable being who he is and that he doesn’t try to impress others. Reading about Emily and James’s friendship could help kids see that being a friend means listening and doing things your friend likes to do too. The story also included many details about books, the publishing industry, and Edgar Allen Poe’s works. I know this will be a book that kids in fourth grade and up will get into (and people of any age who love books). I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Has anyone else read Book Scavenger? Or have you read another book by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L