Here are two more new titles for bedtime: My Dad is Big and Strong, But . . . : a Bed Time Story by Coralie Saudo and Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere.  Both are charming with a funny twist at the end.  You have to check them out.  Because they are both brand new to San Jose Public Libraries, you will find them on our new picture book display pyramids.

Jack Witcher is a twelve year old genius son in the dysfunctional Witcher family. His father is chronically unemployed, his mother is in denial about her life and his older brother, Stan, is the town bully.

All the townspeople, including the local cop, hate the Witchers. Their house is an eyesore, their car is a wreck, and they don’t have family ties to El Dorado Hills.

Myra Joyner is the upper class girl who Jack loves. She finally notices him after he gets advice from the local jeweler, Mr. Gladstein, about how to treat girls. Jack buys a ring for Myra from Mr. Gladstein; it costs fifty cents, but looks like a much more expensive ring. Myra accepts it which for Jack means they are going steady. And now, Jack believes, it’s time for them to share a first kiss.

Written in the first person we spend one fateful summer with Jack. It’s the summer when he is twelve, about to turn thirteen, and though he does share a first kiss with Myra, other events greatly overshadow what should have been a wonderful boyhood memory. After Myra’s brother, Gaylord, goes missing, the past bad blood between him and Stan bring even more unwanted negative attention on Jack’s family.

Stephen Wetta uses the turmoil of the late 1960’s, including the changing American culture and tensions surrounding the ongoing Vietnam War, as the backdrop for this novel about a boy who must grow up too quickly. Though my personal memories of the late 60’s are uneventful compared to those in If Jack’s in Love, I felt that the author successfully conveyed many of the feelings and events I do remember in this realistic story.

Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto by Eric Luper. Summer sucks for Seth Baumgartner. In one horrible afternoon he is dumped by his girlfriend who gives the lame explanation that she is “too comfortable” with him; he sees his father having a way too friendly lunch with a sexy woman who is NOT his mother and he gets fired from his job at the French fry stand in the mall. Understandably, Seth is feeling pretty confused and angry about love and relationships. To try to sort some of this stuff out and to blow off some steam, Seth starts recording an anonymous podcast called the Love Manifesto. In it he wonders about the absurdities and mysteries of love such as why normally sane people are "stupid enough to go back for more." He plays appropriately emo music. And he gives a blow by blow account of his “secret” mission to find out who his father’s mystery woman is. As you might have guessed, as the Love Manifesto gains in popularity, its creator’s identity is no longer a secret. That’s when stuff REALLY hits the fan for Seth. This book is a lot of fun; complete with loyal, wise-cracking friends, golf, lots of laughs and maybe even another shot for Seth at figuring out this thing called love.

Available in EPUB format, check out Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto from our OverDrive downloads page, download it, and start laughing.