The Sixty-Eight Rooms

On a school trip to the Chicago Museum of Art, Ruthie and Jack fall in love with an exhibit of miniature and highly detailed rooms.  Ruthie is content to gaze for hours into the tiny rooms, but Jack is little more active.  When he finds a door to a back room open, he quickly darts inside and finds a beautiful key. 

He and Ruthie soon discover that the key has special powers that will allow them to get a closer look at the rooms than they ever imagined.  They will discover the magic of the rooms and their secret history.  The key might also give them the ability to help some people in the process.

If you like stories with a touch of history and magic, this is the book for you.  The best thing about this book is that the sixty eight rooms are real, and you can visit them if you go to Chicago.  Watch the video below for more about the Thorne Rooms and images of all the rooms!

Lincoln Through the Lens

This is an intersting photo biography of Abraham Lincoln who didn't have his first photograph taken until the age of 37.  It's a perspective on Lincoln's life that includes photographs of the president and the people who impacted him.  The narrative also features Matthew Brady, the Civil War photographer who took the portrait Lincoln credited with winning him the presidency. 

Each layout includes a photo or photographic spread on one page and text in large readable font on the other.  Each layout is also a separate piece of the story that you can read in a few minutes.  This is a great introduction to one of our greatest presidents.  You might want to pair it with Russell Freedman's Newberry Award winning Lincoln:  A Photobiography.

Get the Chills This Month in the Library!

Check out these spooky reads!