My Picks for October

Fiction Book- Never Trust a Dead Man by Vivian Vande Velde

Selwyn and Farold may not have gotten along. They may have competed for the love of the same girl. But that does not mean that Selwyn wanted to kill Farold- much less than he actually murdered him. The angry villagers accuse Selwyn of murder and bury him alive with Farold. What they do not know is that the witch Elswyth can clear his name in exchange for servitude- and also revive Farold as a bat in order to find out who the true murderer was! Hilarious supernatural mystery- great for Halloween.

Nonfiction Book- The Ultimate Kids' Money Book by Neale Godfrey

How does credit and debit cards work? What kinds of accounts can you have at a bank? Where did coins and paper money originate? Why is demand and supply so important?
Who is the Federal Reserve? When are the best times to invest money? Don't be deceived by the title- this book has a lot of great info for teens like you who want to learn more about earning, spending, and saving your hard earned money.

Manga- Record of Lodoss War by Ryo Mizuno

To the south of the continent of Alecrast lies the accursed island of Lodoss! The War of Heroes was only the beginning! Various cycles of stories take place in the Lodoss universe- The Grey Witch, Scepter of Domination, Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, Deedlit's Tale, The Lady of Pharis, and Welcome to Lodoss Island. If you like Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy stories, you will enjoy Lodoss.

Anime- Vision of Escaflowne

Hitomi Kanzaki was running track one day...and now she has been summoned to planet Gaea! Van Fanel, King of Fanelia has to pilot his Escaflowne in order to defend his country from the Zaibach enemies. Dilandau is hiding something- he has to be hiding something! What was Emperor Dornkirk searching for so zealously that took him all the way to Gaea? And why has Folken turned against his brother? Mecha, fantasy, romance, action, shounen, and shoujo- all in Escaflowne.

Website- Cosplay Lab

Want to see what people look like when they dress up as their favorite anime, manga, and video game characters? This site has a large gallery of cosplayers that you can search, as well as a list of anime conventions and what is everyone wearing to them. The Lab also features contests and links to costume and prop stores. Have fun gazing at costumes- you may even find inspiration to make one of your own!