Nancy Middaugh
At the Library

School and connections to students are a shared theme in this assortment of books recently added to your reading options at Hamburg Public Library.

For a light-hearted picture book to begin the school year, the library staff suggests “How to Get Your Octopus to School.” While most parents are thinking of all the supplies and clothes their children need to start the school year, author Becky Scharnhorst and illustrator Jaclyn Sinquett share the trials a little girl has getting her octopus ready for its first day of school. First of all, octopus are really good at hiding.

School just got scarier and it has nothing to do with Halloween. Join author Jack Chabert as he welcomes 1st -3rd graders (and any others who want an adventure) to Eerie Elementary. These four illustrated early chapter books prove that this elementary is alive! Look for “The School is Alive!,” “The Locker Ate Lucy!,” “Recess is a Jungle!,” and “The Science Fair is Freaky!”

Be one of the first to read the initial book in Lisa Yee’s new junior fiction series “The Misfits.” Olive Cobin-Zang may have a few issues that result in her being dropped off at a boarding school. In what was a former castle, Olive finds herself lumped with a team of misfits at an academy that isn’t what it seems to be. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of underdogs who fight crime and “A Royal Conundrum” is their first story.

The world of the Hunger Games began with “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire,” and “Mockingjay.” Author Suzanne Collins created the young adult dystopian trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen. In summary, two children from each of 12 impoverished districts are chosen by lottery to participate in a televised battle of survival. The author has released two prequel novels. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is about the early days of the Hunger Games. The newest release, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” takes place after the other prequel but before the trilogy. It follows a young Haymitch Abernathy through his victory of the 2nd Quarter Quell.

If you enjoy jigsaw puzzles, the library has a variety of sizes and subjects to loan to patrons. The newest gives the feel of art on a chalkboard. Its theme is gardening.

The library can direct you toward other books that have a school theme as well.