Lately we have had a number of smaller earthquakes in the Bay Area.Last week, when my whole house shook, my husband thought it was the wind.But news reports confirmed a 3.8 quake on the Hayward Fault.

If you do feel a quake, go to Did You Feel It to register your experience.This crowdsourcing tool sponsored by the United States Geological Survey records the data and maps it.You can look back over the past 24 hours or even further back to see where earthquakes are occurring all over the world and also see how many people reported feeling it and how far away they were from the epicenter of the quake.

This photograph was taken after the earthquake in San Jose in 1906 and is a part of the Scan Jose tour, Tragedies and Calamities.

I’m told you can ask just about anybody who’s over the age of 30 where they were when the Loma Prieta Quake happened in October of 1989. I wasn’t in California then, but I was in 2007 on October 30th when the King Library was shaken so hard that hundreds of thousands of books fell off the shelves.

Are you ready for the next big quake? Have you reviewed your emergency plan with your family? Do you have an out of town relative that everyone can call to relay information if local phone connections don’t work? If you haven't, don't put it off. There is nothing more comforting that being ready just in case something goes wrong. There are many sites with good tips on preparedness and the very best are sponsored by government agencies. Ready.gov and FEMA both have concise and useful information on what to do to stay safe in case you feel the earth move under your feet!

 It's been about 2.5 years since The Last Olympian (AR 13, Level 4.3) came out. Since then, a mediocre movie and two books in the Kane Chronicles (Red Pyramid AR 18, Level 4.5; Throne of Fire (AR 17, Level 4.8) have come and gone. Carter and Sadie Kane are good characters, but I sure did miss the spunky adventures of Percy, Annabeth, and his friends!

As revealed in The Lost Hero (AR 19, Level 4.5,) there is a Roman camp. The Roman camp is the counterpart of the Greek camp, Camp Half-Blood. Camp Jupiter is where Percy soon finds himself after being chased by several undying monsters in The Son of Neptune (AR 17.0, Level 4.7).  Like Jason, Percy has been mind-wiped by Juno. Joined by Hazel and Frank, Percy must save Death. The heroes venture to our northern-most state to find Gaea's minions, who are confident that the great Percy Jackson will finally be conquered! Once again, Riordan has created a "can't put it down" novel that Percy Jackson fans will enjoy.

The Lost Hero was the first Riordan children's novel told from the third person point-of-view. I was used to the first person point-of-view in the original Percy Jackson series, so I had to quickly adjust my perspective! Riordan is also using another storytelling technique he used in the Kane Chronicles:  multiple points-of-view. If you enjoy fan fiction (fanfiction.net,) this is a technique commonly used to tell stories from the point-of-view of secondary characters. This technique is especially useful in this series because there are seven heroes who are central to the guiding prophecy. Through this storytelling device, I have become familiar with the perspectives of Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank.  In the upcoming third book, we will finally see the story from Annabeth's perspective.

Bring your family to a day of fun and fright at the 5th annual Almaden Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique. The Festival is at the Almaden Library and Community Center on Saturday, October 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission and parking are FREE. For more information call 408-268-1133.

Children will enjoy picking from the pumpkin patch, being spooked in the haunted houses, making crafts, playing games, and being entertained with a holiday story time and puppet show starring "Mr. K" and friends. The story time and puppet show are in the Library at 11:30 a.m. and repeated at 2:30 p.m. At 1 p.m. in the Library, Magic Dan will be performing a magic show for the entire family. For extra fun, Conroy Cougar, San José Public Library’s official mascot, will be on hand to greet everyone.

The festival features two haunted houses: one for kids and one for teens. For adults, the festival will feature arts and crafts from local artists, raffle prizes, and delicious food.

The Almaden Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique is funded, in part, by the Friends of the Almaden Library.

What does a sycamore tree have to do with a friendship you ask?  Read Flipped (AR 8.0, Level 4.8) to find out!

Bryce and Julianna meet when Bryce moves into the neighborhood when they are both in the second grade. Julianna immediately develops a crush upon Bryce, who finds her annoying. The book follows the pair as they move on to middle school. 

Through callousness and misinformation, Bryce hurts Julianna many times, until he finally goes too far.  Then, we find out why the title is called Flipped! Very amusing and touching, anyone who has ever had a long-term crush will understand the situation that evolves.

Wendelin Van Draanen is known for the Sammy Keyes series (starting with Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief) for younger kids.  This is an excellent title for middle schoolers.  Told from each character's point of view in alternating chapters, the reader will understand both sides of the story!