Paint-In with Mike Bowman

Paint-In with Mike Bowman

for ages 10-100

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.

6pm to 8pm

No registration Required!

New Non-Fiction Books!

The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems- Presents poems by thirty contemporary poets that were created from words found in school notes, advertisements, street signs, Twitter feeds, and other unlikely sources.

Miles and Miles of Reptiles- The Cat in the Hat travels the world in his crocodile car to investigate the habitats and characteristics of lizards, snakes, turtles, and unique species of reptiles, such as komodo dragons, chameleons, and frilled lizards.

A Black Hole Is Not A Hole- Introduces black holes, describing their physical features, how they were discovered, what causes them, and where they exist in space. 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind- When 14-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought in 2001, everyone's crops began to fail. His family didn't have enough money for food, let alone school, so William spent his days in the library. He came across a book on windmills and figured out how to build a windmill that could bring electricity to his village. Everyone thought he was crazy but William persevered and managed to create a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps. Several years later he figured out how to use the windmill for irrigation purposes.

Touch the Sky- A biography of the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, from her childhood in segregated Albany, Georgia, in the 1930s, through her recognition at the 1996 Olympics as one of the hundred best athletes in Olympic history. Includes bibliographical references.

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda- Traces the story of a 1930s female adventurer who brought America its first panda bear, describing how she inherited a seemingly impossible expedition from her explorer husband and defied period conventions to travel up the Yangtze River and into the wilderness to bring back an adorable panda cub she named Su Lin, which means "a little bit of something cute."

New Fiction Books!

Chronal Engine- Eighth-grader Max, his older brother Kyle, and new friend Petra travel in time to the Cretaceous period to rescue Kyle's twin, Emma, who was kidnapped from their grandfather's Texas ranch. Includes author's notes about the facts behind the story, 

Earwig and The Witch- Although an orphan, Earwig has always enjoyed living at St. Morwald's, where she manages to make everyone do her bidding, but when she is taken in by foster parents who are actually a witch and a demon, she has a hard time trying to turn the situation to her advantage.

 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again- Down on their luck, the Tooting family buys an old camper van and begins repairing it, but after installing an engine that once belonged to an extraordinary car, they are off to find other original parts, pursued by a sinister man who wants Chitty for himself.

Chomp- When the difficult star of the reality television show "Expedition Survival" disappears while filming an episode in the Florida Everglades using animals from the wildlife refuge run by Wahoo Crane's family, Wahoo and classmate Tuna Gordon set out to find him while avoiding Tuna's gun-happy father.

Giants Beware- Claudette wants nothing more than to slay a giant but her little village is too safe and quiet.

New Beginner and Picture Books!

Whiplash!- Iron Man battles Whiplash.

Race Around the World- Lightning McQueen, the race car from Cars 2 movie, will race against cars in Japan and Italy.

I Want to Be Somebody New!- Tired of doing tricks in a circus, a large spotted animal decides he wants to be something different such as a mouse, an elephant, or a giraffe.

The Big Red Book of Beginner Books- Six stories for beginning readers.

Brain Freeze!- Batman, Superman, Cyborg, the Flash, and the Green Lantern must battle Mr. Freeze when he encases Metropolis's central computer in ice and shuts down the city.

And Then It's Spring- Simple text reveals the anticipation of a boy who, having planted seeds while everything around is brown, fears that something has gone wrong until, at last, the world turns green.

Another Brother- Davy the sheep wishes he had time alone with his parents, as he did before his twelve brothers came along and started imitating his every move, but when his wish comes true Davy misses playing with the youngsters.

Pip's Trip- Pip tries to convince her fellow hens, Midge and Dot, to join her for a ride in the farmer's truck, but she is the only one brave enough to climb inside.  

Zero The Hero- Zero believes that he is a hero, but the counting numbers think he is worthless until they get into trouble with some Roman numerals, and only Zero can help.

New Non-Fiction!!

Maurice Sendak- Introduce students to Maurice Sendak, the author of children#146;s favorites like Where the Wild Things Are. This biography uses simple text structures and clear images to help readers learn about this amazing writer.

Going to A Zoo- Introduces different types of zoos, which include aquariums, wildlife reserves, and bird parks, as well as what can be found at each one.

Going to A Museum- Explores the different types of museums, including natural history, art, science, and space museums, and what can be found at each one.

Punctuation: Commas, Periods, and Question Marks- Learn about punctuation, what it is and how it is used.

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller- The Center for Cartoon Studies presents a wholly original take on the story of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller in the fifth book of the award-winning series of graphic novel biographies.

Peyton Manning: Football Superstar-  Presents the athletic biography of Peyton Manning, including his career as a high school, college, and professional football player.

Car Racing Greats- Lists and describes top race car drivers from both the past and today.

Jaguar- Offering fascinating insight into life in the rain forest, this book follows a jaguar through its day as it sleeps, eats, and moves.

Cheetahs- Explores the habitat, life cycle, physical characteristics, and behavior of cheetahs. 

Lions- Explores the habitat, life cycle, physical characteristics, and behavior of lions.

Camping- Describes the equipment, skills, and knowledge needed for camping.

Counting Money- Simple rhyming text and color photographs describe counting money.

Polar Bear- Introduces polar bears, including information about their habitat, food, and life cycle.

Pro Wrestling Greats- Lists and describes the top pro wrestlers of the past and today.

Deer Hunting- Describes how to hunt deer, including the skills and patience required for the hunt, the proper guns and ammunition needed, and the safety skills every hunter should follow.

Coyote- Learn about a day and a night in the life of a coyote.

Dr. Seuss- Introduce students to Dr. Seuss, the author of children#146;s favorites like Green Eggs and Ham. This biography uses simple text structures and clear images to help readers learn about this amazing writer.

Hyena- Learn about a typical day and night in the life of a hyena. 

Rescue At Sea- Books in the Heroic Jobs series reveal the people, skills, and equipment behind the world's most dramatic rescues and missions. Read Rescue at Sea to learn more about the amazing work done by rescue boat crews, helicopter pilots, and lifeguards to save people in danger at sea.

Tigers- Explores the habitat, life cycle, physical characteristics, and behavior of tigers.

Crystals- Learn about crystals, what they are, how they are formed, and what they can be used for. 

Reindeer- Follow a reindeer through its day as it eats, sleeps, and cares for its young.

New Fiction!

Super-Sized Slugger- Thirteen-year-old Cody Parker moves to Baltimore, Maryland, where as a fat eighth-grader, he has to deal with brutal teasing from a baseball teammate, and his school is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts that threaten to sideline Cody and ruin a golden season for his team. 

Looking For Me- In 1936 Baltimore, an eleven-year-old Jewish girl, one of twelve siblings, tries to find her place in her overcrowded family.

The Ride That Was Really Haunted- The Haunted House ride at Fun City is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of someone who died there, and when Samantha "Sam" Archer and her friends get trapped inside they need to find the truth.

The Cave That Shouldn't Collapse- On a science class trip to a local cave, Edward "Egg" Garrison and his friends are confronted by the mystery of a faked cave-in.

Kylie Jean: Dancing Queen- Kylie Jean Carter gets a part in the local ballet recital of Swan Lake, but when the boy dancing the part of the prince breaks his ankle the show will have to be cancelled--unless she can persuade her brother to try out. 

Kylie Jean: Drama Queen- It's the start of a new school year, and Kylie Jean wants to play the Queen of Hearts in her second grade class's production of Alice in Wonderland. She works on her lines with her family's bull dog, Ugly Brother (whose real name is Bruno), until she memorizes every last one for the tryouts. Unfortunately, the new girl at school, Paula, sets her sights on the same role.

BMX Challenge- Jason never turns down a dare, but when his classmates challenge him to a BMX competition Jason must learn to ride a BMX bike or this dare will be his last.

Gymnastics Jitters- Dana and the rest of the Raiders gymnastics team believe that hard work and practice are the way to win--so how will they fare against the Superiors, a team with a reputation for dirty play and cheating?

Horseback Hurdles- Tabitha has been volunteering with her best friend Rachael at the Rocky Ridge Riding Center for three months, but she keeps getting in trouble because of her lack of focus--can working with the troubled horse, Diamond, help her to save both of them for the Riding Center?  

Soccer Surprise- Alex has just moved and joined a new soccer team, where she is expected to play a different position; when her error leads to the team's first loss she has to learn to put aside her pride and put the team first.

Volleyball Dreams- Ramona is very serious about beach volleyball, and she is frustrated with her summer league team--but when she learns that a plastics company is going to build a factory in their park, she realizes that it will take the whole team to try and save their court.

Whitewater Courage- Christopher and his sister, Sarah, travel to Australia to raft down the Franklin River with their Uncle Nathan. Christopher is afraid to admit he's nervous. Rainy weather has left the river higher than normal. At first, their trip seems fine, but before long, the whitewater starts churning. When the water gets rough, will Christopher be able to hang on, or will he find himself in too deep?