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14,700 | 5 | "Warm humor, magical mishaps, and themain characters budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series aspecial shine that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels."Bookliststarred reviewLaurence Yep is a two-time Newbery Honor winner, a recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. He is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Isabelle American Girl of the Year titles. Joanne Ryder has published over seventy books and received numerous awards for her nature writing and poetry. This is her first book starring a dragon and her first collaboration with Laurence Yep, who has many dragon books to his credit.; Title: A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans | [
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14,701 | 2 | Harriet Ziefert is a prolific childrens book author and the founder and publisher of Blue Apple Books, an award-winning childrens publishing house. A pioneer in the leveled-reader genre, Ziefert has written numerous Step into Reading books, including the bestselling Sleepy Dog.Norman Gorbaty was a leader in graphic design in a career spanning over fifty years, most notably as the art director for the legendary advertising agency Benton & Bowles, where he designed iconic ads for Crest, Post cereals, and the IBM Selectric typewriter and groundbreaking covers for Time magazine. After he trained at Yale, Gorbatys early career as a fine artist saw his work in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Gorbaty continues to be an internationally recognized painter and sculptor and is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including Sleepy Dog.; Title: Sleepy Dog, Wake Up! (Step into Reading) | [
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14,702 | 4 | Generations of children around the world have grown up spending hours poring over books by the late RICHARD SCARRY filled with all the colorful details of their daily lives. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. He began his career at Golden Books in the 1940s, and he remains one of the world's best-loved children's authors EVER! He was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2012.; Title: Richard Scarry's Boats (Richard Scarry's Busy World) | [
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14,703 | 1 | Established in July 2013 in a merger between Penguin and Random House, Penguin Random House, with nearly 250 independent imprints and brands on five continents, more than 15,000 new titles published each year, and close to 800 million print, audio, and eBooks sold annually, is the worlds leading trade book publisher. Like its predecessor companies, Penguin Random House is committed to publishing adult and childrens fiction and nonfiction print editions and is a pioneer in digital publishing. Its publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the worlds most widely read authors.David Aikins is an illustrator. His works include Boots and Dora Forever!, Count with Me!, and Dora and the Unicorn King. ; Title: THE GOOD, THE BAD, A | [
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14,704 | 0 | "An easy, well-structured treatment of an eternally hot topic, this is a likely choice for beginning readers."--Kirkus.Joyce Miltonhas written several books for Penguin Young Readers, includingBatsandPocahontas: An American Princess. Milton currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.Franco Tempesta is an Italian artist and illustrator who specializes in paleontology. His client list includes National Geographic Childrens Books, Smithsonian Institute, and Museo di Paleontologia in Naples, Italy.; Title: Dinosaur Days (Step into Reading) | [
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14,705 | 7 | Praise for The ENCHANTED FILES: Trolled"A biography-writing assignment takes a sixth-grader from the eerie depths of New Yorks Grand Central Terminal all the way to Troll Mountain."Kirkus ReviewsPraise for The ENCHANTED FILES: Cursed * Smart, amusing, and a lot of fun Booklist, Starred With magic, mischief, and mayhem to spare, this sweet story of an unlikely friendship ought to delight readers of any age. Publishers Weekly A knee-slapper. Kirkus Reviews Praise for The ENCHANTED FILES: Hatched Hilarious. Middle-grade readers will be carried along by the buoyancy of the writing, the skillful design, and the humor on almost every page. Egg-ceptionally funny! Kirkus Reviews Coville brings his signature wit and humor to this fantasy story. School Library JournalBRUCE COVILLE is the author of over 100 books for children, including the bestseller My Teacher Is an Alien and the wildly popular Unicorn Chronicles series. Visit him at BruceCoville.com.; Title: The Enchanted Files: Trolled | [
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14,706 | 0 | Established in July 2013 in a merger between Penguin and Random House, Penguin Random House, with nearly 250 independent imprints and brands on five continents, more than 15,000 new titles published each year, and close to 800 million print, audio, and eBooks sold annually, is the world’s leading trade book publisher. Like its predecessor companies, Penguin Random House is committed to publishing adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print editions and is a pioneer in digital publishing. Its publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.Fabrizio Petrossi has contributed to several children's books including Paw Patrol: Chase Is on the Case! and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Saved Christmas.; Title: Chase is on the Case! (Paw Patrol) (Step into Reading) | [
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14,707 | 2 | Lou Anders drew on his adventures traveling to Greece in his twenties to write Skyborn, combining these experiences with his love of adventure fiction and games (both tabletop and role playing). While he has yet to ride a hippalektryon, creating his own board games for Frostborn, Nightborn, and now Skyborn is one of his favorite indulgences. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction, and was named a Thurber House Writer-in-Residence. He has published over 500 articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. He resides with his family in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, on Tumblr, and on Twitter at @Louanders and @ThronesandBones.Chapter OneThe One TruthThe javelin flew with lethal speed. A long, thin messenger of death in an otherwise blue sky. It was fast, but Sirena struck even faster. The young girls blade sliced the wooden shaft in half. The two pieces clattered on the polished marble squares of the courtyard. Then everything was still except for the noise of waves crashing on rocks far below, the beating of hearts, and the rushing of blood.Well done, her opponent said.Sirena narrowed her brown eyes.Of course it was, she replied. Compliments are a waste of breath. You tell me nothing I dont already know.Her opponent nodded grimly and drew her sword. She was close to Sirena in size and age. Both wore bronze breastplates molded to the contours of their torsos above tunics hung with strips of black leather. Both carried shields, while their heads were protected by bronze helmets with proud black plumes.Is your mind as sharp as your weapon? Sirenas opponent charged as she spoke, sandals pounding on the smooth stone of the courtyard. What is the One Truth? the soldier asked.Sirena shifted her own stance to meet the assault.War is the mother of all, she replied, catching the blade on her own. With a twist of the wrist, Sirena opened the soldiers guard, driving her shield hard into the armored breastplate.Stunned by the blow, the soldier fell to the ground. Sirena pointed the tip of her sword at the girls throat.I yield, her opponent said.Sirena hesitated before withdrawing her blade.You yield, she said. The word was like dung in her mouth. She would never speak it herself.Sirena didnt spare the fallen girl another glance. She adjusted her grip on her pelta, the distinctive crescent-shaped half shield of Calderan soldiers. The hot sun beat down on her as she squared her small but muscled shoulders. She gazed for a moment at the bright stone columns of the Twin Palaces where they gleamed in the noonday sun, but she didnt look to the stands where her audience of one watched. Then Sirena advanced to the next challenge.What is Damnameneuss theorem? A harder question from a tougher warrior. This opponent was taller than Sirena and older than her own twelve years. She would not be so easily bested.The square of the hypotenuse, replied Sirena as she swung her blade at the patch of bare neck between the womans helmet and armored torso, matches the total of the squares of the other two sides.Correct, the woman said, stepping out of Sirenas reach and bringing her own sword around in a sweeping arc.Sirena dropped to the ground and rolled under the womans attack. Then she came to one knee and drove her sword between the black leather straps of the soldiers tunic and into her thigh.I know its correct, Sirena said. I dont need you to tell me that. I only require that you fall.Admirably the woman did not cry out as her leg collapsed. Better yet she did not waste words spinning flattery or admitting defeat. She lay still, appraising Sirena with hard eyes.Good, Sirena thought. She is a proper soldier. I shall remember this one when I am a queen. She should be promoted. But not too high.Describe Metarchuss thoughts on justice? the third opponent asked.Sirena turned just in time to avoid a searing bolt of flame. She leapt aside, landing in a crouch.Nothing is straighter than that which is straight. Nothing is juster than that which is just.Sirena stayed low, racing under the long fire lance and tackling the soldier around the legs. They went down together, but only Sirena stood up. She could not deny that she was proud of her performance. Philosophy, mathematics, combatshe had mastered them all. But the day was not yet won. Almost.The cliffside courtyard was laid out in a grid of eight-by-eight squares, with opponents waiting on alternating rows. It was a giant game board for deadly play. Sirena had advanced past the midpoint now and had only one challenge remaining.Who said, There is nothing eternal except for change? the last soldier asked.Lanera the Playwright, in her first tragedy, Sirena replied. She disarmed the woman in two moves, stabbed her through the shoulder with a third.But she was a fool. Sirena looked to the stands now, to her single observer. She called across the intervening space, Caldera is eternal. Thica is eternal. We make it so.The sound of clapping rang out over the hilltop.Bravo! Queen Melantha shouted. Bravo!Sirena sheathed her sword, then removed her helmet and shook out her long black hair. She moved to join her aunt, the Land Queen of Caldera.Your mind and your body are in top form, Melantha said. You will make a fine champion this day. And a finer queen when the time comes. Your mother would have been proud.Sirena nodded, her cheeks reddening from something other than the hot sun. She might refuse compliments from an inferior, but the praise of her aunt she would accept.We will crown you champion properly tonight, then, she said. But lets take refreshment together now.Sirena smiled. So much that she had always wanted was hers now. But her pleasure was to prove short-lived.Perhaps I will join you in that celebration, said a newcomer. Though well raise our cups to something other than what you have in mind.Queen Xalthea, the Sky Queen, stepped out from between marble columns. Together, Xalthea the Sky Queen and Melantha the Land Queen ruled the island-continent of Thica. One commanded the forces of the ground and the other the forces of the air.Good fortune to you, Xalthea, said Melantha. If you had come just five minutes earlier, you wouldnt have missed my nieces performance.It hardly matters, said the Sky Queen dismissively. Something far more important has occurred.Sirena glared at the co-monarch. What could be more important than her lifes goal? Ever since her own mothers death, her aunt had groomed her for this day and all the days to follow.Ignoring the angry eyes of the young girl, Xalthea turned to the Land Queen.Theyve found it, she said.Melantha didnt understand what the Sky Queen meant at first. But Sirena did. She knew exactly what it was. The knowledge descended on her like a boulder dropped from a tower.The Horn of Osius, she whispered.Yes, said Xalthea. The Horn of Osius has been recovered. Our empire is secure. She turned to Sirena. Or it will be. If you do your part correctly.My part?You are the closest in blood, the Sky Queen said.I dont know anything about the horn, Sirena protested. Im a soldier. Im the Queens Champion. Im going to beNot anymore, interrupted Xalthea. My needsour needsare more important. You will leave your aunts side and take your place by mine.No! protested Sirena.No? said Xalthea softly. Sirena froze. When the Sky Queen spoke so calmly she was at her most dangerous.Perhaps there is another way, interjected Melantha. But her voice was tentative, hesitant. She lacked the determination of the Sky Queen. She lacked the fire.You know there isnt, said Xalthea. Or are you challenging me?Sirena looked at her aunt, daring to hope. The two queens of Caldera rarely disagreed, but there was a precedent for resolving disputes when they arose. A deadly precedent.Melantha dropped her eyes.No, she said. No, of course not.Sirena felt cold despite the midday sun. How could she stand by her aunt if her aunt would not stand by her?Butbut she stammered. But this is everything.Thica is everything, said Xalthea. Caldera is everything.Sirenas aunt laid a hand on her shoulder.Remember the words of Lanera the Playwright, said Melantha. Take some comfort in her advice: A ship should not be secured by a single anchor; a life should not be tethered to a single hope.I already told you Lanera was a fool, said Sirena. She met the Land Queens gaze. Go to the crows.Watching the hurt swell in her aunts eyes, Sirena almost took back her words. But what was said was said. She allowed Xalthea to take her arm above the elbow and lead her away from everything she had always wanted to whatever her new life would be.It was a treasonous thought, but she wished the horn had never been found. Wished it had stayed lost on the other side of the world. But how had this come about? She wanted to know who was responsible for undoing her happiness.Tell me, asked Sirena as she entered Xaltheas wing of the Twin Palaces, how was the horn recovered? Has Talaria finally been captured?That traitor died long ago, said the Sky Queen. But apparently she had a child. A girl of mixed race who blew the horn and alerted us to its presence. My soldiers have been after it for some months, and its finally come back to us.A girl. A child of Talaria.This girl, asked Sirena, whats she called?Sirena wanted to know her name, this half-breed who had inadvertently ruined her life.Her name isnt important, replied Queen Xalthea. Though you might find it amusingThican and barbarian names cobbled together. The queen chuckled. Im told she is called Thianna Frostborn.Sweet Ymirs feet, said Thianna Frostborn with a whistle as she slid from the wyverns back.I dont know how sweet his feet are, Karn Korlundsson said from where he still sat atop the reptile. But if yours are any indication of what frost giants feet smell like, I think Id choose a different word. Now move over and let me down.Thianna chuckled as she stepped aside, then reached a large hand up to help her best friend dismount. They stood together on the hillside and looked at the lights of the coastal city before them, though, as a half giant, Thianna stood a head and a half taller than Karn.Thica is a big land to find one horn, Thianna observed. I wish wed had time to learn a bit more about what were in for.Youre not tackling it alone this time, Karn replied.Dont think I could? Her eyes had that glint in them that they always got when she contemplated a challenge. Dont worry, she said, breaking into a chuckle. Ive learned my lesson.Thianna was referring to their recent adventures in which they had fought dark elves and other dangers in a race to find the lost Horn of Osius, a powerful weapon now in the hands of their enemies in Thica. She had set off alone on a quest to find the horn at the behest of the dragon Orm. Then Karn had been sent to rescue her. Now, together, they were going to get it back.No more adventuring without my trusty Norrnboy, she continued. Karn was from Norrngard, the source of the nickname. It was better than Short Stuff, her other name for him.Good, he answered. But its not just me coming with you. Dont forget; weve got Desstras help now too.Thiannas dark eyes clouded.I dont know how much help shes going to be, the giantess grumbled.You dont mean that, said Karn. Shes already proven herself.To you maybe.Karn winced. True, the dark elf had opposed them for most of their quest, even tricked and betrayed Karn to her superiors in the sinister organization known as the Underhand, but when she had switched sides at the end, she had sacrificed everything to save them.Karn thought to say more, but then the shadow of a giant bat swooped low overhead. Desstras mount, Flitter-mouse, glided to a nearby tree, where it grasped a branch and hung upside down. Karn watched as Des-stra somersaulted from her saddle to land nimbly on the ground. He wondered how much of their conversation the elfs keen ears had picked up.Despite Thiannas feelings, Desstra had proved very helpful getting here. Choosing a night when both the moon and her satellite were invisible, her giant bat had guided them in the dark to this coastal city. But now that they were in Thica, they couldnt risk traveling overland in the sky where the only fliers would be Thican soldiers wielding deadly fire lances. Not that the surly wyvern would carry them any closer to the home of its once-masters. And Flittermouse wasnt large enough to carry anything heavier than one small elf. Theyd have to make their own way from here on out.The elf ran a hand through the fur of her upside-down mounts cheek.Im sorry to say goodbye to you again, boy, she told the bat. I wish I could take you with me.Flittermouse squeaked sadly, as though it understood. Probably it did.Desstra stood on tiptoes to hug the animal around its neck.Dont go back to Deep Shadow, she whispered, speaking of the underground city of dark elves. Theres nothing for either of us there. I hope you find a new home where you fit in, one where they treat you nicely.The bats eyes said it hoped the same thing for her. Desstra sighed. Then she let go of her mount and approached Thianna and Karn.Suns coming up soon, she said. Wed better get inside the city before it does.Yeah, we already know that, said Thianna. So not very helpful.Good thinking, though, said Karn, glaring at the giantess. Thianna shrugged. Beside her, the wyvern hissed.I guess this is goodbye to you too, Thianna said.If you expect me to shed any tears at our parting, it spoke into her mind, youre going to be sadly disappointed.I know youre really crying inside, Thianna said with a chuckle. Then she surprised the reptile by hugging it around its long neck.Get off! Get off! Get off! its thoughts screamed. It tugged its neck in a useless attempt to dislodge the frost giant, but when Thianna released it, the wyvern added, For what its worth, I hope you succeed at your mad scheme.Sure you wont come?Bringing you here to the coast was risk enough. Im leaving now, before the dawn arrives. Live well or die well, Thianna Frostborn.Then, without another word, it flapped its wings and rose into the night. Flittermouse squeaked once, then the bat too flew away into the darkness.A tearful farewell? asked Karn. Lacking Thiannas ability to communicate with reptiles, he had only heard the frost giants half of the conversation.What do you think? she replied. Still, I guess that wyvern was as sentimental as they get. She chuckled. I must be growing on it.Kind of like mold on cheese? teased Karn.Thianna punched his shoulder playfully, then guided by Desstras night vision the three companions began making their way down the hill.; Title: Skyborn (Thrones and Bones) | [
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14,708 | 2 | K-Gr 2Moore offers another delightful tale of her red-headed heroine, Freckleface Strawberry. In Backpacks!, Freckleface and her best friend, Windy Pants Patrick, are both enthusiastic students who always do their homework and prepare their own backpacks with their favorite items. Unfortunately, the two friends discover that their favorite items (bubble gum and doughnuts) do not necessarily belong in their backpacks. Ruined homework fills the students with despair until their teacher mistakes their poor judgment for scholarly creativity. Faced with false praise, the two students face up to their mistakes rather than lie to their teacher, leading to a kind and whimsical ending. In Lunch, Freckleface and Windy Pants are back in action and solving one of life's most universal mysteries: What on Earth is that thing they are serving for school lunch? The two budding foodies adore noodles, hot dogs, and sandwicheshowever, they are baffled by the odd green gloop served in the cafeteria. Freckleface and her peculiar meal soon draw a crowd of disbelievers and skeptics, but Freckleface braves her trepidation and decides to try something new to surprisingly pleasant results. The Japanese brush pen illustrations bring to life the expressive faces of the children, and the wide spectrum of colors are used effectively, particularly with the freckles of the main character. The bold style and strong colors we have come to expect from the series are used cleverly to portray various characters and busy spaces, while there is an excellent use of white space for clear and concise text. VERDICT Fans of the series will welcome these latest installments.Maria Alegre, The Dalton School, New York City"Moore offers another delightful tale of her red-headed heroine, Freckleface Strawberry."School Library Journal; Title: Freckleface Strawberry: Backpacks! (Step into Reading) | [
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14,709 | 2 | Mariana Ruiz Johnson is the author and illustrator of several books for children in other countries. This is her first picture book published in the United States. She lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Title: I Know a Bear | [
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14,710 | 0 | MARY POPE OSBORNE and NATALIE POPE BOYCE are sisters who grew up on army posts all over the world. They work together on Magic Tree House® Fact Tracker books to give readers information about the places, time periods, and animals that Jack and Annie discover in their Magic Tree House adventures. Mary lives in northwest Connecticut. Natalie makes her home nearby in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Mary is the author of all the Magic Tree House® fiction titles, as well as many more books for kids.   SAL MURDOCCA has illustrated more than two hundred children’s trade books and textbooks. He is also a librettist for children’s opera, a video artist, an avid runner, a hiker, a bicyclist, and a teacher of children’s illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Sal lives and works in New York with his wife, Nancy.; Title: China: Land of the Emperor's Great Wall: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #14: Day of the Dragon King (Magic Tree House (R) Fact Tracker) | [
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14,711 | 16 | GARTH WILLIAMS (1912-1996) is known for his realistic yet highly expressive animal characters. He brought to life some of the best-loved childrens books of the 20th century, including E.B. Whites Charlottes Web and Stuart Little, and the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Williams illustrated many timeless Golden Books, including Baby Farm Animals, Mister Dog, The Friendly Book, The Sailor Dog, The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies, and The Kitten Who Thought He Was a Mouse. ; Title: Bunnies' ABC (Little Golden Book) | [
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14,712 | 11 | Since the Academy Awardnominated Brooklyn Bridge aired in 1981, Ken Burns has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. These include The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, The Civil War, The National Parks: Americas Best Idea, and Baseball, among many others. A father of four, Ken was inspired to write this book by his daughters, who, when they were young, enjoyed reciting the names of the presidents and would gleefully shout out Grover Cleveland, again! when they got to his second, nonconsecutive term. Ken lives with his family in New Hampshire. Find out more about Ken and his films at kenburns.com or @KenBurns.Gerald Kelley has illustrated several books for children, including My Name Is Bob by James Bowen and Garry Jenkins (a picture book prequel to the New York Times bestseller A Street Cat Named Bob) and M Is for Monster: A Fantastic Creatures Alphabet, by former U.S. Childrens Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis. Gerald lives in Colorado. You can see more of his work at geraldkelley.com.; Title: Grover Cleveland, Again!: A Treasury of American Presidents | [
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14,713 | 2 | For over twenty years, Ilene Cooper has been writing both fiction and nonfiction books for children, including The Golden Rule, Jack: The Early Years of John F. Kennedy, and her Absolutely Lucy series. She is also the childrens book editor at Booklist.; Title: Absolutely Lucy #7: Lucy's Holiday Surprise | [
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14,714 | 2 | PreSA tiny fly imitates his insect friends before finding his own unique abilities. Worm can "WIGGLE!" with aplomb, but Fly's tentative "wiggle?" attempt falls flat. A row of ants "MARCH! MARCH! MARCH!" with military precision, but Fly is out of step and facing the wrong direction. While gazing at bees, butterflies, and dragonflies, Fly is inspired to flap his own wings and triumphantly realizes he can "Yes! Fly!" Edwards's colorful, digitally created cartoon illustrations humorously capture the little bug's wide-eyed trepidation as he tries to shimmy and swing like a spider and his clenched-jaw determination as he tries to jump like a grasshopper. VERDICT The spare text, comprised entirely of action words, will have toddlers buzzing with excitement.Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, CanadaIn fewer than 20 words, Edwards pieces together a story of grand willpower and discovery...Toddlers will cheer this tale of exploration while simultaneously jumping to their feet to try every action, right along with Fly. Kirkus Reviews"Edwardss colorful, digitally created cartoon illustrations humorously capture the little bugs wide-eyed trepidation as he tries to shimmy and swing like a spider and his clenched-jaw determination as he tries to jump like a grasshopper." School Library Journal"The seriously simple text, sometimes with just one repeated word per spread, makes excellent use of action verbs, so this could serve equally well as a beginning reader and a readaloud cue for some audience action."The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; Title: Fly! | [
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14,715 | 2 | K-Gr 2Rocket's engaging personality shines through once again in this beginning reader. Just as in the original picture books, the pup's adventures focus on his positive dealings with his animal companions and, of course, his insatiable enthusiasm for learning. This story revolves around the traditional school celebration of the 100th Day. Like many kindergarten and first-grade students, Rocket is collecting assorted objects to equal the important number. On the big day, however, he discovers that Bella, a squirrel, has eaten five acorns. Ingeniously, Rocket settles on a plan to make up for the shortfall. He and his four pals will become part of the collection, bringing the count to 99, and adding their new friend Bella will equal 100. Sweet and satisfying, this story has suitably spare text and pictures that ooze with charm.Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CTTAD HILLS is the author and illustrator of the highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling picture books How Rocket Learned to Read; Rocket Writes a Story; Duck & Goose; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Duck & Goose Go to the Beach. His other books include the ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book What's Up, Duck?; Duck & Goose: It's Time for Christmas!; and the early reader Drop It, Rocket!; Title: Rocket's 100th Day of School | [
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14,716 | 0 | No doubt about it--Caldecott Medalist Montresor has a unique, often disturbing artistic vision in his works. This has never been more evident than in his interpretation of Perrault's classic tale. The artist adheres closely to the source, an unrepentantly grisly story that rarely appears in its original form. His Red Riding Hood is a model of earthy innocence; the wolf an urbane, dapper figure turned out with hat and walking stick. Played out against Montresor's trademark dark backdrops, the story unfolds with a theatrical simplicity that accentuates its violent and even sexual undertones. Accompanied by an appropriately gruesome illustration, the tale ends abruptly and segues into an uneasy visual denouement: Red Riding Hood floats inside the wolf's swollen stomach across the final three wordless pages. When the hunter appears in the background on the final page, no clue is given as to his purpose and there is no hint of redemption. Older children and adults may well be riveted by the ambiguity and ferocity here, but youngest readers--raised on more benign versions of the tale--will probably be scared out of their socks. Ages 4-up. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4 Up-- From the cover illustration, which both descends from and pays tribute to Gustave Dore's wood engraving of Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, to the melancholy black endpapers, Montresor has provided a reinterpretation that is both astonishing and esoteric. Although Montresor chooses to omit it, Perrault himself appended a highly didactic moral in verse. In it he warns ". . . pretty girls, who're bred as pure as pearls,. . . they may serve one day as feast for a wolf or other beast." It is the subtext and cryptic nature of the tale that Montresor enlarges and underscores masterfully. In disturbing illustrations heavily overlaid with black, he piles up images and scenes that will haunt readers: a graceful prepubescent Red Riding Hood who is watched silently by the town's women and girls, voyeurs at some obscure rite of passage; the encounter with the beguiling, dapper wolf; the palpable pause as Red Riding Hood stands, uncertain at the dark forbidding threshold of Grandmother's house; the wolf greedily devouring Red Riding Hood head first; three wordless illustrations following the end of the text in which the girl floats cruciformly, transformed and serene, within the distended belly of the wolf--seemingly ready for rebirth, absorbed into the unending chain of reproduction. While Montresor offers an ostensibly straightforward text, he has altered Perrault's original intent both by omitting the concluding moral and by silhouetting the figure of the Grimms's hunter on the final plate. His daring, enigmatic illustrations, saturated with layers of mysterious symbolism, are clearly his vehicle for reinterpretation. It is difficult to assign an appropriate age for this work, but it clearly does not belong on the picture-book shelves. Large folklore collections should consider this provocative version that will reward with endless possibilities for study, discussion, and comparison. --Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CTCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Little Red Riding Hood | [
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14,717 | 2 | PreS-Gr 2A barefoot boy and girl discover that little things can be more significant than they seem. Using a small circular die-cut hole in alternating pictures, Pham asks simple questions and reveals the answer on the following spread. "A little light?" shows the children looking at a small candle, while the next illustration, captioned "No, a welcoming light," depicts that candle in the window of a lighthouse helping to guide a boat in a stormy sea. "A little hand" becomes "a strong hand" joined to other children playing a circle game. In the most poignant scene, "a little gift" of a flower from the boy to the girl develops into "a gift of love" when that flower is passed from one person to another, or in some cases, to a beloved animal. The overall cheerful mood of the book is enhanced by pictures of smiling multicultural children enjoying life's small pleasures. The brief text introduces words such as a "unique" snowflake, a "generous" tree, and an "inspiring" line. This sweet book can be enjoyed by children in a group setting or when shared one-on-one with someone special.Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CTLeUyen Pham is the bestselling illustrator of many books for children, including Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, and the Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look. Her own books include Big Sister, Little Sister and A Piece of Cake. She lives in San Francisco with her husband (who is also an artist) and her two adorable sons, who teach her every day that little is truly a state of mind. You can learn more about her at leuyenpham.com; Title: There's No Such Thing as Little | [
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14,718 | 0 | KATE KLIMO is the author of many books for young readers, including The Dragon Keepers and all the books in the Dog Dairies series. She lives in New Paltz with her husband and two horses, Harry and Fancy. Over the years, she has served as companion to eight dogs: Pal, Beauregard, Fred, Kelly, Bear, Rascal, Dobey, and George W. Currently, she is searching for a furever friend who gets along well with horses. To learn more about her and her work, visit www.kateklimoauthor.com.TIM JESSELL is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous children's books. He is the illustrator of all the books in the Dog Diaries series. Check out his work at timjessell.com.; Title: Dog Diaries #7: Stubby | [
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14,719 | 2 | Mary Man-Kong is achildrens bookeditor and author living in New York City. When she's notediting orwriting, she loves travelingwith her amazing family on awesomeadventures.; Title: Sleepover Fun! (Barbie) (Pictureback(R)) | [
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14,720 | 4 | Generations of children around the world have grown up spending hours poring over books by the late RICHARD SCARRY filled with all the colorful details of their daily lives. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. He began his career at Golden Books in the 1940s, and he remains one of the world's best-loved children's authors EVER! He was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2012.; Title: Richard Scarry's Planes (Richard Scarry's Busy World) | [
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14,721 | 0 | PreS-Gr 1Out of print since the mid-1980s, this whimsical collection features short tales and poems from the great Margaret Wise Brown, complemented by lush and richly detailed illustrations by Leonard Weisgard. Though not nearly as groundbreaking or eye-popping as their 1946 collaboration on The Little Island (Doubleday), which snagged the Caldecott medal, these sweet stories of a land in which "there were nothing but bunnies" will work nicely as one-on-one or bedtime reads. The production value is high, with saturated jewel tones and an attractive cover design; this would also make a lovely gift. From Weisgard's collagelike endpapers featuring a colorful array of leaves to Brown's evocative verse ("By the dark gray river in the soft white snow/I caught a little Rabbit and let him go/Bounding deep in the deep soft snow."), this collection certainly stands the test of time.MARGARET WISE BROWN (1910-1952), best known as the author of Goodnight Moon, wrote countless childrens books inspired by her belief that the very young were fascinated by the simple pleasures of the world around them. Among her many bestselling Golden Books are The Sailor Dog, The Color Kittens, Mister Dog, Seven Little Postmen, and Home For A Bunny. LEONARD WEISGARD(1916-2000) was a beloved and award-winning illustrator of more than 200 childrens books, perhaps best known for his collaboration with the author Margaret Wise Brown. His books includeThe Little Island(for which he won the Caldecott Medal in 1947),The Golden Egg Book, andThe Golden Bunny.; Title: Margaret Wise Brown's The Golden Bunny | [
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14,722 | 2 | Gr 7 UpIn this debut novel told in alternating points of view, one in poetry and one in prose, Bodger explores a future in which gender selection in India has led to there being five boys for every girl. The prose is captivating in its authenticity, portraying Kiran's point of view very well. The poetry is appropriately jarring and nuanced, showing many aspects of Sudasa's culture and lifestyle. Sudasa is about to come of age, meaning that she, along with many other girls just like her, will watch eight boys compete for her hand in marriage. Kiran is one of those boys, but he has a plan to escape the tests, his inevitable military assignment, and the oppression of his country. Sudasa struggles against her grandmother's strong and repressive influence, while Kiran battles pressures from the other boys in his testing group. Over days of trials and judging, Sudasa comes to realize that Kiran may have another agenda besides winning her hand in marriage. Meanwhile, Kiran comes to see that Sudasa is not just a power-hungry woman looking for a male companion to obey her every wish. What these two discover puts them on the cusp of changing their worlds forever. In a not-so-distant future, readers see the possibilities of giving too much power to one gender or the other, and the negative impact that inequality can have on young people and an entire country. VERDICT An engaging dystopian novel set in India that poignantly explores gender politics.Eden Grey, Kenton County Public Library, KY"An engaging dystopian novel set in India that poignantly explores gender politics." -School Library Journal"Flavored by a South Asian cultural essence, this accessible dystopian novel builds readers' belief in the driving message: to be fair to oneself." -Booklist"5 to 1 is a visual and intriguing masterpiece that opens the imagination and never leaves even after the book is closed."-USA Today"This is a fast, fascinating story that will appeal to many readers."- VOYA; Title: 5 to 1 | [
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14,723 | 0 | Jennifer Liberts grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Agoura, California. She has a BA in English Literature from California State University, and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. She has worked as a children's book editor, an English teacher, and an independent bookseller. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her three book-loving children, and an orange cat named Chuck.Patrick Spazianteis an Americancomic book artistknown for his work forArchie Comics, in particular his interior pencil andcover workforSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic XandSonic Universe.; Title: Phonics Power! (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) (Step into Reading) | [
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14,724 | 14 | Simon, whose first foray into children's books was Amy and the Dancing Bear , here offers a holiday tale that she invented for her children when they were small. As a writer, Simon displays a developing feel for language, but the plot, which revolves around a boy named Ben and his suddenly mute sister, Miranda, is uneven, and the tone frequently becomes maudlin. Asked by his grandfather to ring the bells in the church steeple one Christmas Eve, Ben gets the bright idea to fetch Santa early by ringing the midnight bells at 11 o'clock. When Ben begs Santa for help with his sister's handicap, Santa suggests the lad wake the town in the morning with a symphony of bells. Ben does so, Miranda speaks again and readers are left completely mystified as to the cause of her ailment and its sudden cure. Datz's illustrations, though colorful and meticulously executed, are two-dimensional. It's a well-meaning book, but hardly the stuff of which classics are made. All ages. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.The acclaimed author and her gifted artist colleague who created Amy The Dancing Bear return with a delightful, colorfully illustrated story of Christmas and a very special family.Full-color illustrations throughout.; Title: The Boy of the Bells | [
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14,725 | 2 | New York Times bestselling author Suzy Becker is back with fifth grade artist Kate Geller, who brings more wit, attitude, and doodles. With over 400 illustrations and brimming with humor, Kate the Great: Winner Takes All is perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Dork Diaries and any reader looking for slice-of-life tales about family, school, and life. ; Title: Kate the Great: Winner Takes All | [
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14,726 | 2 | "Moore offers another delightful tale of her red-headed heroine, Freckleface Strawberry."School Library JournalJULIANNE MOORE is an Academy Awardwinning actress and the author of theNew York Timesbestselling Freckleface Strawberry series andMy Mom Is a Foreigner, But Not to Me, illustrated by Meilo So. She lives in New York City with her family.LeUYEN PHAM is the prolific illustrator of many books for children, including theNew York Timesbestselling Freckleface Strawberry series andGrace for Presidentby Kelly DiPucchio. Her own works includeTheTwelve Days of Christmas,All the Things I Love About You,andBig Sister, Little Sister. She lives with her husband and two sons in San Francisco.; Title: Freckleface Strawberry: Lunch, or What's That? (Freckleface Strawberry: Step into Reading, Step 2) | [
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14,727 | 8 | In a rather long text for the picture book format, San Souci ( Feathertop ; Young Merlin ) draws on an amalgam of sources to portray the young princess as she explores the enchanted forest around her father's castle and as she ultimately saves the kingdom from destruction. All the ingredients prized by fantasy aficionados are here: the prophecy of Guinevere's marriage to Arthur, the unicorn in the woods, the hideous monster Guinevere outwits, the heraldic splendor of the battle for control of England, the heroine's brave journey to summon her future husband to arms. Although the extensively researched text evokes the glamour and danger of legends of the Middle Ages, it occasionally becomes self-consciously weighty. As a result, characters are little more than stock gothic types, which befits the grand scale of oral epic but is ill-suited to the more intimate scope of a picture book. Henterly's ( Good King Wenceslas ) lavish full-page artwork in rich jewel tones is, like the text, best when confined to small detail work. The exquisite spot illustrations embody all the beauty and delicacy of the tapestries they are meant to suggest. However, the sweeping large-scale paintings may appear overly commercial for some tastes, conjuring up visions of florid romance novel covers. Ages 7-11. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-- Hardly a junior Mists of Avalon (Ballantine, 1985), this large picture book pays welcome attention to a female figure--the central female--in the Arthurian cycle. The motherless daughter of a king, Guinevere spends her maiden days embroidering or wandering in the forest with her bow. She shoots a wolf, then discovers and treats the shape-changing, wild boy she has wounded. Later the wolf/boy helps her evade a siege of her father's castle, escape a dragonlike beast, and seek aid from the court of King Arthur. Arthur falls in love with her, but she overhears Merlin warn him that their marriage could be disastrous. When the young king decides to take that risk, the story ends happily, with Guinevere riding off to her wedding. (A postscript summarizes the later developments in her story.) Henterley's illustrations are traditional and romantic, rich in color and detail, although the figures are sometimes a bit stiff or flat. The decorative elements, drawing on Kells-period design, and the spot illustrations, modeled on the Bayeux Tapestry, are particularly successful. The appeal of the pictures should lure readers to this book, which may in turn springboard a few to more complex treatments of Arthurian material. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, SeattleCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Young Guinevere | [
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14,728 | 10 | Gr 46Gerald Overflight is a poetry-writing, cowardly griffin whose anxiety and siblings get the best of him. Griffins are supposed to be fierce, regal, and fearless, but Gerald defies typical griffin stereotypes. The first egg laid but the last to hatch, he runs away when even his father states that he is ashamed of his son. With the prodding of Master Abelard, a gnome with ulterior motives, Gerald soon enters the world of humans, where he befriends Brad Ashango. Despite their obvious differences, the two soon discover their similarities, establishing trust and confidence and ultimately saving a secret community of gnomes. Coville brings his signature wit and humor to this fantasy story. The text is composed of diary entries, letters, articles from enchanted books, and more, forcing readers to independently put the pieces together. The inclusion of the personal writings of Gerald, Master Abelard, and Brad allows for strong character development. The only major flaw is the rushed climax and falling action, which feel abrupt and too easily accomplished. However, this second installment adds authentic and engaging, multidimensional characters to a strong series that finds heroes in outcasts. VERDICT Recommended for medium and large middle grade collections looking to add high-interest fantasy.Mary-Brook J. Townsend, Episcopal Collegiate School, Little Rock, AK“Coville brings his signature wit and humor to this fantasy story. This second installment adds authentic and engaging, multidimensional characters to a strong series that finds heroes in outcasts.” —School Library Journal   Praise for Cursed, the first book in THE ENCHANTED FILES:   * “Coville brings it off with wit, style, and respect. The first volume of the Enchanted Files series is smart, amusing, and a lot of fun.” —Booklist, Starred   “A knee-slapper.” —Kirkus Reviews; Title: The Enchanted Files: Hatched | [
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14,729 | 13 | Brighton's ( Nijinsky ; Five Secrets in a Box ) considerable gifts are mostly unfulfilled in this rather static picture book about the talented and precocious Austrian composer (1756-1791). As narrated by Mozart's sister Nannerl, here a rather prim and proper fraulein-in-training who became a music teacher at the ripe old age of 16, the story is oddly perfunctory and cold, told in a diary-like style with an unornamented probity that, even if historically accurate, makes dull work of the young genius. Set in rococo frames, Brighton's paintings are intentionally selective in tone: creamily pallid and formally flat, they make even a naughty kitten look inert. Much the same, regrettably, can be said for Mozart: he's a good little boy who just happens to have a musical knack. A sense of the music itself is wholly lacking, and of Mozart's legendary playfulness there's hardly a clue. While the Viennese formality of Empress Maria Theresa's court--and of drawing rooms throughout--is skillfully evoked, more seems missing from than included in Brighton's ceremonial account. Ages 3-8. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.In a charming picture book, Brighton takes readers on a journey across Europe with the amazing Wolfi and his talented older sister, Nannerl. Each scene is brief and simply told but with the kind of detail that brings the Mozart children to life: Wolfi falling asleep on Papa's shoulder after doing three concerts in one day; their sea sickness crossing the English Channel; a big oak table in Chelsea where Wolfi, at nine, composed his first symphony. The illustrations are a visual pleasure, from the patterned end papers and rococo borders that frame each page, to the exquisitely detailed interiors. Yet what children will see first are Wolfi in his folded paper hat, Nannerl with her violin, and the cats and dogs tucked everywhere in the foreground. After fascinating books such as The Picture (Faber, 1986), and Five Secrets in a Box (Dutton, 1987), Brighton seems here to have hit her stride. Her text and pictures are always closely intertwined, and in Mozart she has not only found an engaging subject but has also shaped the length of the story to suit the age group most likely to enjoy the book. --Ann Stell, The Smithtown Library, NYCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Mozart | [
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14,730 | 2 | If Ready...Set...Read! were a movie, it would surely be a box-office hit with its all-star cast, including Little Bear, Morris the Moose, and Frog and Toad. This rich treasury of children's favorite stories, as well as poems, riddles, tongue-twisters, and hidden picture games, will delight and inspire every beginning reader. There's something for everyone in this diverse collection: Have a young poet in the house? How about a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks or Robert Louis Stevenson? Let the budding scientist discover "Our Earth in Space." The amateur comedian might pick up a few tips from the knock-knock jokes and riddles. And be prepared to untie some messy knots after the tongue-twister section: "Wendy went to rent one red room."Ready...Set...Read! is a perfect introduction to many well-loved authors and illustrators, including Maurice Sendak, Else Holmelund Minarik, and Russell Hoban. Most importantly, this all-in-one collection, with its easy-to-read type, simple vocabulary, and variety of lively and colorful illustrations, will provide a jump-start to reading that will soon have children racing to the bookshelf for more.A dynamite anthology for emerging readers that features stories, poems, and a section called "fun and games." The stories include selections from favorite easy readers by Dr. Seuss, Else Homelund Minarik, Arnold Lobel, Joanna Cole, and Bernard Wiseman. The poetry section is predominantly humorous and includes Calmenson's "Giggle Poem" and Russell Hoban's "Soft-Boiled Egg" from Bread and Jam for Frances (Harper, 1964). Anne Burgess' illustrations for the poems are fresh but muted watercolors with a comic element. The "fun and games" include a generous variety of riddles, rebus stories, tongue-twisters, silly rhymes, and hidden pictures. Demarest illustrates these with watercolors splashed with vibrant color. The book design is perfectly suited to beginning readers; borders in simple designs and one-color frames both unify and distinguish individual selections. While readers may find the single story books more appealing for read-alone times, families who read and share stories together will find this to be an excellent introduction to a variety of literature, authors, and book characters. A rich and satisfying collection. --Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IACopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Ready, Set, Read!: The Beginning Reader's Treasury | [
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14,731 | 13 | From the Eiffel Tower to the Taj Mahal -- 50 man-made and natural structures from around the world are drawn here.fel Tower to the Taj Mahal -- 50 man-made and natural structures from around the world are drawn here.; Title: Draw 50 Buildings and Other Structures: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Castles and Cathedrals, Skyscrapers and Bridges, and So Much More... | [
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14,732 | 1 | Established in July 2013 in a merger between Penguin and Random House, Penguin Random House, with nearly 250 independent imprints and brands on five continents, more than 15,000 new titles published each year, and close to 800 million print, audio, and eBooks sold annually, is the world’s leading trade book publisher. Like its predecessor companies, Penguin Random House is committed to publishing adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print editions and is a pioneer in digital publishing. Its publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.Dave Aikins grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, immersed in comic books, action figures, and B-movies. In 1991, Dave was somehow persuaded to move to Ohio, studying at the Columbus College of Art & Design. After graduating in 1995, he spent four years working for a large newspaper and a commercial art studio. Now residing outside of Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, energetic son, and multiple cats and dogs, he is currently running Let’s Draw Studio, the freelance illustration company he founded in 1998.; Title: You're Fired! (SpongeBob SquarePants) (Pictureback(R)) | [
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14,733 | 13 | Grade 3-6A series addition for amateur artists. After a brief introduction, each page features a creature or vehicle to draw, accompanied by detailed sketches that progress logically. At times, however, the green pencil used in the illustrations is too light to show the added lines clearly. The figures vary in difficulty so that novices will not be discouraged and more experienced children will be challenged. The bizarre space characters with funny names are sure to please artists of any age.Michele Snyder, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3^-5. Drawing aliens! Of course, this volume promises to be a popular entry in the long-running Draw 50 series. Each page offers six to nine stages in drawing a particular creature, with new lines in each sketch made darker to guide children in copying the drawings step-by-step. The artists identify each alien with a name and a bit of imaginative description, such as "Nayzzel Likkinhulk: a savage from the environment of the Oort cloud." The book's lightly comic tone and high-interest subject will encourage children to try at least some of the suggested drawings. A paperback that will probably see high circulation. Carolyn Phelan; Title: Draw 50 Aliens: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw UFOs, Galaxy Ghouls, Milky Way Marauders, and Other Extraterrestrial Creatures | [
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14,734 | 2 | On Ellie and Carrie's first day of second grade there's a brand new kid in the class. But when the teacher asks her students to welcome the ultrablond, blue-eyed, pink-lipped, loud-voiced, accent-sporting Lazlo S. Gasky to Brookhaven School, they all mock him instead: "Too different and strange to fit in they all feared." Lazlo grows unhappier by the minute, as he is ostracized and taunted by his classmates. One day, however, when Ellie sees his sad-looking mother walking forlornly toward her car ("Her son's having trouble, she might pull him out, / this school may be wrong for him, she's full of doubt"), things begin to look up for Lazlo. At that moment Ellie begins to wonder what it must be like to be a new kid, feeling so "different and strange," and she decides to take steps to get to know him, even at the risk of facing her friends' ridicule. ("At school the next day the kids stopped her and said, / 'You were walking with Lazlo, are you sick in the head?' / Ellie paused and replied, 'Now I know him, you see, / Lazlo isn't that different from you and from me.'"NBC News' Today coanchor Katie Couric's rhyming book provides a healthy approach to treating people who may be perceived as different, and works well as a springboard to discussion. Though the suddenness of Ellie's turnaround in attitude seems a bit unnatural and the rhymes are often forced ("They arrived at his door greeted by his French poodle / and Mrs. Gasky was there with a plate of warm strudel!"), the message of The Brand New Kid will certainly not be lost on children. As Couric writes in her introduction, "It sometimes takes courage, but I hope this story will inspire all of us to reach out and make someone feel a little less scared and a little less lonely." Hear, hear. Caldecott Honor artist Marjorie Priceman's watercolor spreads are positively delightful, washing warmly over the pages in a free, buoyant style. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie CoulterCouric, co-host of NBC's Today show, pens an energetic though uneven picture book about tolerance. When second grader Lazlo S. Gasky, who speaks and looks different from everyone else, arrives at Brookhaven School, the other kids are quick to both tease and alienate him. Some weeks later, when Ellie McSnelly sees Lazlo's tearful mother, the girl makes kind overtures to him that Lazlo happily returns many times over. Ellie soon inspires others to extend a hand in friendship. Couric's laudable message of inclusion comes through. Unfortunately, however, the narrative's rhyming-couplets format results in forced, sometimes ungrammatical, phrasing (e.g., "They arrived at his door greeted by his French poodle/ and Mrs. Gasky was there with a plate of warm strudel!" and "He's terrific at chess, and his Mom's really sweet./ Playing soccer the guy doesn't have two left feet"). In what appears to be a hole in the plot, Ellie's best friend, Carrie, from whom she is initially inseparable, all but disappears for much of the proceedings. Priceman (Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin) compensates by picturing Carrie even when she's absent from the text. Using softer lines and more muted hues than usual, the artist captures a full gamut of emotion, particularly in the crabby faces of taunting classmates and a beaming portrait of Lazlo at the moment he makes his first real friend. Ages 3-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Brand New Kid | [
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14,735 | 2 | Lively and inspirational, Katie Couric's sophomore picture book, reunites Ellie McSnelly and Carriet O'Toole, friends from her successful first book, The Brand New Kid. Once again, Couric's tale deals with the aches and pains of growing up, and in The Blue Ribbon Day, she encourages kids to deal positively with disappointment. Carrie doesn't make the soccer team with Ellie, but with some reassuring words from mom, "We're all good at something, you'll have your time to shine," she makes a new start, and ends up placing first in the school science fair.Told in fun, jazzy rhymes that help mitigate Carrie's disappointment and foretell a happy ending, Couric's snappy, upbeat text is perfectly matched by Caldecott winner Marjorie Priceman's vibrant illustrations. Charming, engaging, and brimming with positivity, parents and kids alike will enjoy this reassuring tale. Daphne DurhamQ: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?A: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?A: Encyclopedia Britannica Any Motown compilation To Kill a Mockingbird Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?A: I told my mom that I didn't break one of the bedposts of her four-post bed during a pillow fight with my brother, but I eventually fessed up because the guilt was killing me!!!.Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.A: In the morning, on a patio with lots of flowers and birds chirping. A comfortable wicker chair. Sunshine, low humidity and a great cup of coffee.Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?A: "Perky no more."Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?A: Thomas Jefferson or Eleanor Roosevelt Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?A: The power to cure serious illnesses.Kindergarten-Grade 2 - Couric and Priceman return to the scene of The Brand New Kid (Doubleday, 2000) for another look at a common school problem, this time learning to face disappointment. Light verse tells of soccer tryouts at Brookhaven School. Ellie McSnelly is fabulous, but Carrie O'Toole is not asked to join the team. She goes home feeling blue and cries to her mom, who hugs her and says, "Everybody's a star, a brilliant creation,/the trouble is finding the right constellation!" The warm, energetic watercolor illustrations of kids at work and at play complement the story well and help to move it along. If the ending is a little pat - Carrie and Lazlo (the new kid of the earlier title) find their talent - the book's good humor carries the day. - Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Blue Ribbon Day | [
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14,736 | 16 | STEVE MARTIN is a celebrated writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include The Jerk, Father of the Bride, and The Spanish Prisoner, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays. He is the author of the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile and of the bestselling collection of comic pieces Pure Drivel, as well as the bestselling novellas The Pleasure of My Company and Shopgirl, which was made into a popular movie. His work appears frequently in The New Yorker and the New York Times. He lives in Los Angeles. ROZ CHAST's cartoons have been appearing in The New Yorker since 1978. Her work also has appeared in many publications, including Scientific American, Travel & Leisure, the Harvard Business Review as well as many others. She has also published several cartoon collections, illustrated children's books, and designed CD covers, book jackets, and theater posters. Her most recent book is Theories of Everything (Bloomsbury, 2006). She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and currently resides in Connecticut.; Title: The Alphabet from A to Y With Bonus Letter Z! | [
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14,737 | 6 | a different ending -- every time!<br><br>If you could do anything, what would you choose? Imagine you could go anywhere, with anyone and do anything. Where would you live? Where would you sleep? Who would be your friends? What games would you play? Go on . . . You choose! With the help of witty illustrations, and a whole range of scenarios to choose from, this highly original book has a different ending every time and makes choosing, and reading, fun.PIPPA GOODHART's interest in children's books was originally sparked by a Saturday job at Heffers in Cambridge when she was at school. Since then, Pippa qualified as a teacher and returned to Heffers, where she eventually became Manager of the Children's Bookshop. She has been writing since 1993 for a wide age range and was shortlisted for the Young Telegraph Award for Ginny's Egg in 1995. Pippa is married with three young daughters and she lives in Leicester. NICK SHARRATT has written and illustrated many books for children and won numerous awards for his picture books, including the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the 2001 Children's Book Award. He has also enjoyed great success illustrating Jacqueline Wilson books. Nick lives in Brighton.; Title: You Choose! | [
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14,738 | 6 | Nick Sharratt has written and illustrated many books for children and won numerous awards for his picture books, including the Red House Children's Book Award, the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the Stockport Schools Book Award. He has also enjoyed great success illustrating Jacqueline Wilson books. Nick lives in Brighton.; Title: Shark in the Dark | [
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14,739 | 10 | As if being tiny and also having S.Horten as your name isn't bad enough, ten-year-old Stuart Horten is moved (by his very clever, but not very sensible parents) to Beeton, far away from all his friends. But in Beeton starts the strangest adventure of Stuart's life as he is swept up in a quest to find his uncle's old workshop - his famous magician, and also very short, uncle, that is...; Title: Small Change for Stuart | [
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14,740 | 0 | "Realistic, frightening, and heartbreaking.... A novel that is compelling and emotionally wringing."--Quill & QuirePraise for Eric Walters"Eric Walters is a classic storyteller. His award-winning novels are smooth, clean reads that put ordinary kids in extraordinary situations. . . . Highly Recommended." --CM Magazine"Vintage Walters . . . the adventure just doesn't stop." --Canlitforkids.comEric Walters, a former elementary-school teacher, began writing as a way to encourage his students to become more enthusiastic about literature. His many works include Camp X, Royal Ransom, and Run. His novels have won numerous awards including the Silver Birch, Blue Heron, Red Maple, Snow Willow and Ruth Schwartz awards and have received honours from the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year and UNESCOs international award for Literature in Service of Tolerance. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario.; Title: We All Fall Down | [
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14,741 | 7 | A richly inventive fantasy.Literary ReviewFabulously illustrated and written with more than usual elegance.Sunday Times; Title: The Twig Trilogy (Edge Chronicles #1-3): Includes Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser & Midnight Over Sanctaphrax | [
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14,742 | 0 | “The Gravesavers is a humorous and heartfelt look into a devastating time in a young girl’s life. Sheree Fitch has truly captured the angst and curiosity inherent in the nature of any young person, and she has thrown in a Titanic-like story for added excitement….It is a pleasure to read a book with a real story with real people that I feel comfortable letting my children read.” –The Edmonton Journal“Although Sheree Fitch is a prolific and prizewinning author of children’s books, Gravesavers is her first novel. On the strength of this debut, it’s fair to say that she’s found another medium in which she excels….[A] thoroughly satisfying experience for readers.” —The Globe and Mail"An odd shaped shell caught my eye. . . . I turned it over. . . . It was a tiny, perfect skull."In the wake of a family tragedy, twelve-year-old Minn Hotchkiss is sent to spend the summer with her sour grandmother in the tiny seaside town of Boulder Basin, Nova Scotia. Almost as soon as she arrives, Minn discovers the skull of a human child on the beach. She is swiftly caught up in a mystery that reaches back more than a century, to the aftermath of the most tragic shipwreck in Maritime history before the Titanic.Over the course of this extraordinary summer, Minn will discover romance with a boy who turns out to be much more than he seems, and learn that the grandmother she resented is more curious, dedicated, and surprising than she had ever guessed. She might even meet a world-famous rock star!By summer's end, Minn will solve a ghostly mystery and, most importantly, finally be able to give up the terrible secret she has kept locked in her heart.; Title: The Gravesavers | [
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14,743 | 7 | ERIC WALTERS' young adult novels have won numerous awards, including the Silver Birch, Blue Heron, Red Maple, Snow Willow, and Ruth Schwartz Awards, and have received honours from UNESCO's international award for Literature in the Service of Tolerance. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario.It looked like a giant butterfly fl uttering through space, the wings of its solar panels extended to gather in the power from the sun’s rays. Different instruments attached at strange angles gave it an awkward and fragile look. But it was strong—strong enough to survive as it sailed silently across the frigid, bleak, black expanse of open space. With each second it left Earth farther and farther behind. But attached to the satellite was a small part of its planet of origin, a gold disc showing a diagram of our solar system and an illustration of a man and a woman with their hands open in a gesture of friendship. No one could hope to predict, but maybe, just maybe, this wanderer might someday meet somebody in its travels. First it travelled toward the giant of the solar system, the planet Jupiter. The journey of 759 million kilometres took nearly three years. Arcing into a perfect elliptical orbit above the poisonous atmosphere, it began its task. The lifeless satellite bristled with activity as it observed, recorded, analyzed, and transmitted information. Never before had man observed this mysterious planet at such close range. With this job completed the satellite was ordered out of orbit. Using its booster rockets and the gravity of the planet, it was slingshot farther out toward the more distant planets at the very edge of the solar system. It was connected to Earth by a continuous trickle of information, like the string on a kite. Travelling at 300,000 kilometres per second, the signals raced back to Earth as the satellite continued on its relentless journey. With each passing hour it moved a further 17,000 kilometres away from Earth, and to places never before visited by man or his instruments. Six years after leaving Jupiter, having made close passes of five different planets, it passed beyond the outermost orbit of the outermost planet. In breaking this imaginary line, it left behind the solar system of its birth, but it refused to die. It kept travelling, kept recording, kept transmitting. No one could have believed that despite the passing of eleven years and more than 24 billion kilometres, the satellite still had the will to live. As it rocketed farther and farther it continued to send back its messages: a faint, feeble voice coming from somewhere out there. Like a little lost child in the dark night sky, it called out, “I’m here. I’m still here.” The scientists who had dreamed and conceived and then watched the life of the satellite would have marvelled at its continued existence. But the country that had sent this satellite skyward, the Soviet Union, no longer existed. It had been broken into smaller pieces, none of which now had the will or the resources to track the ongoing journey away from our solar system. The satellite called out, “Look at this!” but nobody was there to hear. Thirty-three years after its launch, twenty-two years after it left our solar system, the satellite cruised toward a small planetary body. With the gentle pull of gravity it settled into a perfect orbit. This new home was a lifeless chunk of rock with a diameter of 500 kilometres, roughly one-sixth the diameter of Earth’s moon. This became the centre of the satellite’s universe as it sailed around and around and around, once every fourteen hours. And like the good machine that it was, it started to observe, record, analyze, and transmit its findings. Just by chance, somebody was listening. The satellite transmitted its messages in its only true language, the language of mathematics. Its faint signals were accidentally heard and translated. At first nobody thought it could be possible that the traveller still existed. This was cause for great celebration. With each orbit, at fourteen-hour intervals, as it faced toward Earth, it sent back information. But the messages didn’t seem to make sense. Somehow the satellite appeared to be moving closer. Somehow the world that it was attached to was moving closer. And the one message that the satellite wasn’t transmitting was the most important—perhaps the most important message in the history of mankind. “I’m coming back, I’m coming home . . . and I’m not coming alone.”; Title: End of Days | [
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14,744 | 7 | Paul Stewart is the author of a number of previous titles for children including The Midnight Hand and The Wakening. He won the Smarties Gold Award with Chris Riddell for Fergus Crane.Chris Riddell has won the Unesco Award for Something Else, as well as being shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Kurt Maschler Award. He is also the political cartoonist for the Guardian and the Observer.; Title: The Lost Barkscrolls | [
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14,745 | 7 | Gr 710An incoming asteroid is projected to end all life on Earth and 100 highly skilled children and four adults wait in space until the time when it is safe to return to the planet. With the isolated society that has formed on the space station, many dynamic relationships develop and evolve, though characterization does take a backseat to plot, which is what really drives this space adventure. Readers will feel immediately immersed in the communal space atmosphere and connected to the fate of the crew. It may be a stretch to imagine the population of Earth would allow a 16-year-old to lead a mission this large, but the politics of all that entails is captivating and richly drawn. Fans of Ender's Game will appreciate the attention paid to the importance of leadership skills and those that enjoyed the problem solving aspects of Andy Weir's The Martian (Broadway, 2014) will be right at home as disaster inevitably strikes. Although there is a prequel, End of Days (Doubleday Canada, 2011), this book can stand alone and the cliff-hanger ending will drive all readers straight to the next installment. VERDICT This exciting adventure will please sci-fi fans, specifically those who enjoy reading about rebuilding a society after a catastrophic event.Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJPraise for Eric Walters:"Eric Walters is a classic storyteller. His award-winning novels are smooth, clean reads that put ordinary kids in extraordinary situations. . . . Highly Recommended." --CM Magazine"This is classic Walters: a good yarn, plenty of action, lively dialogue and quirky details drawn from research." --Quill & Quire"Vintage Walters . . . the adventure just doesn't stop." --Canlitforkids.com; Title: Regenesis (End of Days) | [
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14,746 | 2 | Gr 47Muchoki is only 13, but already carries a great burden of responsibility. After extreme violence breaks out in his village, those surviving members of his family are relocated to an unfamiliar and unwelcoming refugee camp. His burden, and dire situation, only grow as Muchoki has to assume responsibility for his younger sister Jata and lead them on a long walk to a place they hope to call home. Walters went to great lengths to gain insight and details for Walking Home, which come through in the text. The writing is concise and melodic, capturing the dialogue and attitude of Kenyans. The pacing feels rushed at times, jumping quickly through scenes and lingering in others, but the brevity does keep it ideal for middle grade readers. The book includes real-life issues such as violence, war, illness, and orphans, but also includes themes of hope, family, and generosity. A forthcoming digital companion to the book directs readers to additional material that will enhance the educational experience for young readers.Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, IDAn inspiring story, showing how perseverance, common courtesy and bravery can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Winnipeg Free Press A solid story of hope prevailing over despair. . . . With its . . . comforting message of the strength of family, this story should resonate. Kirkus ReviewsWhile readers will feel confident that the siblings will arrive at their destination, numerous menacing challenges, from lions to starvation, create suspense. Walters . . . captures the hope and need driving Muchoki and Jata through empathic writing and a brisk plot. Publishers WeeklyInspired by real people and events, Walters places forgiveness at the center of an adventurous story of survival in the midst of ethnic conflict. . . . Walters brings a wonderful verisimilitude to the story. The New York Times Book ReviewPraise for Eric Walters:"Eric Walters is a classic storyteller. His award-winning novels are smooth, clean reads that put ordinary kids in extraordinary situations. . . . Highly Recommended." --CM Magazine"This is classic Walters: a good yarn, plenty of action, lively dialogue, and quirky details drawn from research." --Quill & Quire"Vintage Walters . . . the adventure just doesn't stop." --Canlitforkids.com; Title: Walking Home | [
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14,747 | 2 | Wilson (Double Act; Bad Girls) presents an insightful portrait of 10-year-old Tracy in the girl's own words. Readers initially make her acquaintance through entries in a fill-in book entitled "My Book About Me." Her revelations are by turn caustic, funny and heartbreaking. Living in a group home for children after two unsuccessful stints in foster homes, Tracy repeatedly expresses her fervent hope and pitiable conviction that her roaming, much-idolized mother will appear to take her away. "There's not much point making friends because I expect to be moving on soon," resolves the heroine, whose tough-kid veneer is wrenchingly transparent. An aspiring author, Tracy takes solace in her autobiographical writing and her new friendship with Cam, a writer who visits the home while researching an article. Despite Tracy's passionate attempts to persuade Cam to take her in as a foster child, her fate is uncertain at the close of the novel. Yet her indomitable spirit and grit leaves little doubt that she will end up on top. Sharratt's drawings help to keep the mood light, as Wilson again shapes a convincing and memorable heroine with a snappy, fresh voice. Ages 8-12.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 4-6-A first-person narrative about a bright and feisty girl. Tracy has spent most of her life in the British foster-care system, always fantasizing that her mother will come back for her. When Cam, a writer, comes to the home to do research for an article, she and Tracy connect. Not intimidated by the angry 10-year-old's tantrums and fibs, Cam exerts a positive influence on Tracy, who finally makes overtures of friendship to some of the other kids. Tracy is at times a tough character to like-she is rude, sarcastic, and unfriendly. However, perceptive readers will quickly see beneath the outrageous tales and bravado a vulnerable youngster desperate to be loved. The book ends rather abruptly, with Tracy asking Cam to be her foster parent, but readers will be glad to know a sequel is imminent. Sharratt's witty cartoonlike drawings enliven this universal tale of a child struggling to belong. Readers will root for Tracy, who never admits to tears, only to attacks of hay fever. A well-paced and involving novel in which a memorable character learns to cope better with her very real problems.B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Story of Tracy Beaker | [
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14,748 | 17 | Grade 5-8-Paulsen accounts for his 13th year "of wonderful madness" when he and his friends tried to shoot a waterfall in a barrel, break the world record for speed on skis, hang glide with an Army surplus parachute, and perform other daredevilish stunts. Readers will be drawn to the term "extreme sports" but the story is more accurately one generation's version of homemade fun in the days following the Korean War when "radio was king" and the great outdoors served as the playground. Like much of his autobiographical fiction, these sketches are more episodic than plot driven. Paulsen exhibits a wry sense of humor and storytelling ability as if he were sitting on a country porch with eager listeners at his knee. In one chapter, a friend borrowed a quarter to wrestle a bear at the carnival to get the attention of a girl, only to be swept out of the ring by a giant paw, like "a hockey puck with legs." The stories are fresh and lively and will especially appeal to reluctant middle-grade readers.Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 6-9. Every boy who is 13 or about to be 13 or who remembers being 13 should read this short story collection based on people and events from Paulsen's own life. Even though the action takes place 50 or so years ago, they will recognize themselves. And every girl who has ever liked a 13-year-old-boy, or been related to one, or wondered about one, should read this, too, because although the book doesn't explain why boys like to do things like pee on electric fences, it does give an insight into how their funny little minds work. Writing with humor and sensitivity, Paulsen shows boys moving into adolescence believing they can do anything: wrestle with bears; shoot waterfalls in a barrel; fly eight-by-twelve-foot Army surplus kites--and hang on, even as they land in the chicken coop. None of them dies (amazingly), and even if Paulsen exaggerates the teensiest bit, his tales are side-splittingly funny and more than a little frightening. GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: How Angel Peterson Got His Name | [
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14,749 | 7 | Earthling (or Earthian, as residents of Planet Quilk would have it) Akiko has just entered fifth grade, is the head of the school safety patrol, and is settling into life on her home planet after the past year's wild space adventures (Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd, Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor, etc.). Of course, she should know by now there's no rest for the weary interplanetary heroine. When her old pals Spuckler, Poog, Gax, and Mr. Beeba show up in a spaceship behind the school Dumpster, offering her another adventure--this one's just a vacation, they promise--what's a girl to do? Soon they're off to see the amazing creatures in Planet Quilk's Intergalactic Zoo. Unfortunately, their giant, seemingly gracious zookeeper host has a dirty trick up his sleeve, and Akiko may soon become the zoo's prized display.Fans of Mark Crilley's Japanese anime-inspired series will be thoroughly satisfied with the triumphs and near misses in Akiko's latest escapade; her once-shaky self-confidence is growing by leaps and bounds, too! (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie CoulterAs a show of gratitude for rescuing Prince Froptoppit, the King of Smoo sends Akiko and her friends on a vacation to the planet Quilk to visit their famous zoo in Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo by Mark Crilley. But the zookeeper wants Akiko for his special collection can her friends free her? Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo | [
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14,750 | 0 | An island boy himself, Graham Salisbury has written many books for teens that draw on his understanding and appreciation of the rich culture of Hawaii. His finest novel to date, Lord of the Deep, shows his growing ability to portray the subtleties of relationships as well as the colorful flavor of Hawaiian life. In Island Boyz he makes good use of that skill in 10 stories and a poem set in this Pacific society. Some are poignant and tender, some are comical, others dark and suspenseful, and all are enriched with the delightful pidgin patois of Hawaiian common folk. The book opens with a richly evocative poem drawn from the author's own teen days of surfing, stolen papayas, and warm nights on the beach. The last piece is a strongly constructed story of a boy whose older brother regains his dream of owning a deep sea fishing charter boat after he returns from Vietnam missing a leg. Although five of these stories have been published elsewhere, they make a fine coherent collection with broad appeal for teens. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty CampbellReaders will soak up the 11 stories collected in Island Boyz by Graham Salisbury, five of which have been previously published. Set on the Hawaiian beaches of his youth, the fiction revisits the terrain of Under the Blood-Red Sun and other Salisbury novels.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Island Boyz | [
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14,751 | 0 | Praise for the Nate the Great Series Kids will like Nate the Great. School Library Journal, Starred Review A consistently entertaining series. Booklist Loose, humorous chalk and watercolor spots help turn this beginning reader into a page-turner. Publishers Weekly Nate, Sludge, and all their friends have been delighting beginning readers for years. Kirkus Reviews They dont come any cooler than Nate the Great. The Huffington PostShortly after a breakfast generously supplied with pancakes, Natethe Great got an urgent call from Annie. "I lost a picture," said Annie. "Can you help me find it?" "Of course," said Nate. "I have found lost balloons, books, slippers, chickens. Even a lost goldfish. Now I, Nate the Great, will find a lost picture." "Oh, good," Annie said. Nate, with the cool detachment of a Sam Spade, immediately plunges into his new and baffling case. Getting all the facts, asking the right questions, narrowing down the suspects. Nate, the boy detective who "likes to work alone," solves the mystery and tracks down the culprit. In the process he also discovers the whereabouts of Super Hex, the missing cat."From the Trade Paperback edition.; Title: Nate the Great | [
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14,752 | 2 | Ellie is frantic. Her two best friends seem to be living life in the fast lane while she putters along the curb. Glamorous blond Magda has got a thousand cute boys buzzing around her, and Goth girl Nadine has just been asked to take part in a national teen modeling contest. All Ellie has are massive panic attacks about her weight. So she decides to go on a diet. But instead of counting calories, Ellie just tries to stop eating altogether. Soon she's starving, miserable, and lying all the time to her friends and family. Luckily, a frightening encounter with a real anorectic, and an encouraging dose of art history from a handsome new teacher ("Beauty is just fashion. Male artists have used beautiful women throughout the centuries but their sizes and proportions keep changing") help Ellie realize that size is just a state of mind.In this second installment of the Girls trilogy, fabulous British author Jacqueline Wilson keeps her trademark funny bone firmly in place while simultaneously raising some sobering questions about issues like eating disorders and teens' overemphasis on appearance. Despite the laughs, Ellie very nearly lapses into anorexia, Magda gets a scare when her chronic flirting almost leads to date rape, and Nadine realizes that the modeling business could care less about her individuality or intellect. Wrapping serious messages in a sugary comical coating is always the best way to make the medicine go down. Recommended for those teen female readers who want something both funny and filling. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer HubertFeeling like she doesn't measure up to her "drop-dead gorgeous" friends, Ellie tries to take control of her weight, and ends up battling bulimia, in Girls Under Pressure by Jacqueline Wilson, the second book in her Girls trilogy. Ages 12-up.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Girls Under Pressure (Girls Quartet) | [] | Test |
14,753 | 2 | Grade 6-9-In this boy-and-his-dog tale with a twist, Logan Moore, 14, doesn't measure up to the expectations of his mom and stepdad, and is friendless at school. His one interest, inventing electronic gadgets, only gives vent to mischievous impulses. The teen lacks direction and self-esteem until he adopts Jack, a wild and mangy mutt. Initially, Logan is a reluctant caregiver, but real affection and trust soon blossom between the two as he proves himself to be a loving and effective trainer. The twist is provided by the emergence of a deadly and contagious disease that causes infected canines to become vicious before they die. These events are revealed through textual inserts (news reports, e-mails, etc.). A parallel story line involves a renegade scientist who may hold the key to developing a vaccine against POS, which can be developed from the blood of an immune animal. The disparate plots come together as Logan, running away with Jack from mandatory quarantine or worse, stumbles upon the scientist, who turns out to be his biological father, whom he hasn't seen in years. The dog proves to be immune and provides the life-saving solution to the scientific puzzle but sadly dies from brutal injuries inflicted by vigilantes. Last Dog is a fast-paced novel with stark language, and readers will be sympathetic to the pair's plight. However, one-dimensional characters and an unconvincing denouement ultimately reduce the book to the equivalent of a fast-food meal.Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.A smartly written, thoroughly engrossing tale.Publishers WeeklyA fast-paced novel with stark language . . . readers will be sympathetic to the pairs plight.School Library JournalNicely written with a sprinkling of humor amid the pages of action and adventure.VOYAFrom the Trade Paperback edition.; Title: The Last Dog on Earth | [
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14,754 | 0 | In Cannon's (Shadow Brothers) strongly sketched pioneer novel, Mormons emigrating from Wales traverse the West with pushcarts, and a bold 12-year-old girl shoulders the additional burden of an infant whose mother has died in childbirth. Narrator Charlotte, a storyteller who dreams of fame, impulsively volunteers for the challenge to impress the grown women when they can't seem to make the baby's grief-stricken father attend to her. Cannon's realistic details do justice to Charlotte's humorous and exhausting experiences with the infant she names Rose, and to Charlotte's vacillating resentment and fierce love for her charge. The author populates the handcart train with a conflict-charged cast, including the imperious Brother and Sister Roberts, the pitiable widow who nurses Rose along with her own daughter, and the enigmatic and scarred Sister Catherine Jones, whom Charlotte initially imagines a witch but ultimately befriends. While offering some insight into Mormon doctrine, Cannon also proposes personal motivations for her Welsh characters' embrace of a new religion. Charlotte herself blossoms through her sacrifice, and her maturation will likely endear her to readers. Ages 8-12.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 5-8-As they travel to Utah, a group of Welsh immigrants are sustained by their Mormon faith and little else. Motherless Charlotte, 12, and her loving father are among the followers. On the ocean, the prairies, and finally into the mountains, the journey is difficult and deadly. When a young woman dies in childbirth, her husband can't face the baby. Thinking of her own mother's death during childbirth, Charlotte offers to take over the care of the infant-except for feeding. It is a demanding task for one so young, and her need for help is obvious. A ghostly white lady haunts the edge of Charlotte's consciousness in a mild evocation of spiritual support, but as food and supplies run short, Charlotte's high spirits gradually adjust to reality. Amid quoting scriptures and singing songs, the protagonist's clear innocence and goodness sometimes leaves the narrative teetering on the edge of saccharine indulgence. However, physical hardships and the emotional toll of being part of an often-misunderstood religious group help bring some balance. Despite a large cast, Cannon manages to distinguish most of her characters. Even though this is valuable as one of a very few books to show readers the Mormon Church from the inside and with sympathy, the focus is on the characters and not on the faith. Based on historical fact, the book offers a genuine headstrong girl in hardscrabble circumstances with a lightness of heart and a strong will to do right.Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Charlotte's Rose | [
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14,755 | 3 | Wilson (The Story of Tracy Beaker, reviewed July 23) here poignantly addresses a tragic and traumatic experience: the death of a friend. Narrator Jude and her friend Vicky are inseparable ("We're going to be best friends for ever and ever and ever, through school, through college, through work"), until one afternoon, when Vicky is hit by a car. But the separation is temporary: after learning at the hospital that Vicky has died, Jude returns to the site of the accident, where she discovers a bouquet of red roses ("It's as if any spilt blood has been magically morphed into sweet-smelling flowers")--as well as Vicky. Guilt-filled (at one point Vicky's mother asks Jude, "Couldn't you have stopped her?"), the grieving girl finds solace in visits from Vicky's ghost. Yet Wilson adds intriguing dimension to her plot, as the apparition intermittently comforts and taunts Jude, sometimes making her laugh and at other times encouraging her to be mean to classmates who try to comfort her. Other characters, too, seem to make light of the events (e.g., Jude's mother wishes to contribute flowers and, upon learning that white lilies were Vicky's favorites, says, "They'll cost a fortune--but it can't be helped, I suppose"). Despite the well-intentioned efforts of teachers and friends, Vicky increasingly becomes a controlling presence from which Jude feels unable to escape. Yet ultimately, the friends do let go, as Jude's narrative reaches an affirming, affecting conclusion. Ages 8-12.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 6-8-Jade and Vicky are as close as sisters and have been friends since nursery school. However, while Vicky is outgoing and bubbly, Jade is quiet, and definitely the follower in the relationship. As the teens are leaving school one day, they have an argument. Vicky flounces off in a huff, crossing the street without looking. She is hit by a car and dies in the hospital. Remorseful, Jade returns to the spot where the accident happened. She encounters Vicky, now a ghost, who over the next several months takes to tormenting Jade, getting in the way of homework and new friendships. A teacher suggests that the young woman might benefit from grief counseling. In the final pages, when she gives evidence at the inquest, Jade, who has felt responsible for the death, allows herself to remember the events leading up to the accident. This is a well-written book by a popular British author, but somehow it just doesn't work: the ending is facile, as is the implication that her sudden recollection of what happened makes her "OK." Also, the idea that she would see a grief counselor without her parents' approval is interesting, but Mrs. Wainwright seems a little too good to be true, and the relationship and trust between the two develop too quickly. Still, the book may prove popular with reluctant readers who enjoy novels that portray teen angst.Marlyn K. Roberts, Torrance Public Library, CACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Vicky Angel | [] | Train |
14,756 | 7 | Mark Crilley was raised in Detroit. After graduating from Kalamazoo College in 1988, he traveled to Taiwan and Japan, where he taught English to students of all ages for nearly five years. It was during his stay in Japan in 1992 that he created the story of Akiko and her journey to the planet Smoo. First published as a comic book in 1995, the bimonthly Akiko series has since earned Crilley numerous award nominations, as well as a spot on Entertainment Weekly's It List in 1998. Mark Crilley is also the author of the Billy Clikk series for young readers and lives in Michigan with his wife, Miki, and son, Matthew.Visit the author at www.markcrilley.com. The author lives in Novi, MI.Chapter 1 My name is Akiko. You know how whenever something really amazing happens to you, you just can't wait to tell all your friends about it? And how sometimes the amazing thing that happened to you is so incredible and mind-blowing that even after you've told your friends about it they think you made the whole thing up? And how sometimes you don't even dare to tell any of your friends about the amazing thing that happened to you because it all took place while you were on another planet in a distant galaxy, surrounded by aliens and robots and exploding volcanoes and stuff, and if you were foolhardy enough to even begin to tell your friends a word of it, they would decide then and there that you are completely and irreversibly out of your mind? Don't you hate that? Well, hey, right now I don't care whether people who read this think I'm making it up. If they think I'm a few cards short of a full deck, they can go right ahead and think that. My only concern is to put all this stuff down on paper, in the exact order it happened, and to get the details right. Because if I don't write it down and I end up forgetting some of it after a while, that really would make me crazy. Here's what you need to know: 1. I'm an ordinary sixth grader. A human being, I swear. 2. A few years back I became friends with a bunch of space people from a planet called Smoo. 3. Since then, every few months or so, these friends of mine come to Earth and say they need to take me into outer space because . . . well, they've always got one excuse or another, and it always sounds pretty reasonable at the time. All right. Now I can tell the story. When it comes to meeting up with me on Earth, my friends from Smoo have made some pretty weird entrances over the years: appearing in rocket ships disguised as police cars, intergalactic transit systems on shopping mall rooftops, you name it. But the way they showed up this last time really raised the bar in terms of sheer ridiculousness. I was on vacation with my mom and dad. We were staying at my aunt Lucille's house in Minnesota. (Aunt Lucille, who has an unexplainable fondness for big floppy hats and bright orange lipstick, has made some pretty weird entrances of her own over the years, but that's a different story.) We'd been there for a couple of days, and my cousin Earl had grabbed his fishing poles and taken me down to Wacahoota Creek to see if we could catch anything "big enough to stick in the bathtub and scare the bejeezies outta Mom." Me, I wasn't sure I wanted to see Aunt Lucille any more freaked out than she already was on a day-to-day basis. But hey, it was my third day in the backwoods of Minnesota, and my entertainment options--even my reasons for staying awake--were severely limited. So there I was with Cousin Earl, sitting at the end of a mossy makeshift dock with a fishing pole in my hands, staring down into the brown-black waters of Wacahoota Creek. In spite of Earl's claim that this spot was "world famous" as the best fishing hole in Putnam County, we'd caught nothing but dead leaves and, in what was possibly the low point of the vacation so far, a pair of discarded diapers from somewhere upstream. "That reminds me of a funny story," Earl said, tossing the diapers as far as he could back upstream (thereby all but guaranteeing that we would catch them again a few minutes later). "This one's a real gut buster." He went to his tackle box and began noisily rummaging through it. "You know what a gut buster is, right?" Earl had an amazing ability to tell "funny stories" that weren't funny and--this takes talent--really weren't even stories. They started at point A, moved on to point G, and then just sort of petered out somewhere in the middle of an entirely different alphabet. Without waiting for me to either confirm or deny that I knew what a gut buster was, Earl launched into his diaper-related tale. I stopped listening by around the third rambling sentence. Then, to my shock, I actually felt something tugging on my line. "Hey, Earl . . . ," I said, then nearly bit my tongue off trying to stop myself midsentence. There, about six inches below the surface of Wacahoota Creek, was a small glass dome, the kind you would see at the top of a deep-sea submersible on the Discovery Channel. Through the dome, which was attached to a submarine-like vessel, I saw the face of none other than Spuckler Boach, grinning from ear to ear and giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Behind Spuckler, squeezing in to make sure I'd see him, was a cheerful but panicky-looking Mr. Beeba. I blinked in disbelief: my friends from Smoo had somehow found their way into the best fishing hole in Putnam County and were inches from rising to the surface and scaring the bejeezies out of my cousin Earl. I motioned furiously to Spuckler and Mr. Beeba to stay underwater. "What's up?" said Earl, still rummaging through his tackle box. "Getting crawdad nibbles again?" "No!" I said a little too loudly, setting my fishing pole on the edge of the dock. "I mean, um . . ." I tried desperately to come up with a good reason for having said "Hey, Earl" two seconds earlier, one that wouldn't encourage him to come back over. The interstellar submarine had not broken the surface of Wacahoota Creek, but if Earl joined me on my side of the dock, he'd see it as plainly as I did. "Could, could, could you go back and repeat that last part of the story? It was, uh, so funny I gotta hear it again." Earl turned his face in my direction, so pleased with my sudden appreciation of his genius for storytelling that he failed to notice I'd broken into a sweat. "Which part? The part about the bald-headed squirrel or the part about surfer dude from Saskatoon?" I briefly marveled at the fact that these two topics had not only nothing to do with each other but also nothing whatsoever to do with diapers. "Um, both. You should be a stand-up comedian, Earl, I swear." Earl chuckled, cleaning his glasses with the hem of his T-shirt. "You are not the first person to say that." The second Earl turned back to his tackle box, I began motioning to Spuckler that he should steer their submarine as far as he could downstream and that I would catch up with them in--I pointed to an imaginary wristwatch and splayed all my fingers two times--twenty minutes.; Title: Akiko: Pieces of Gax | [
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14,757 | 0 | Grade 4-7 - Cody, 13, and his mother have temporarily moved to Texas to care for Cody's ailing grandmother. As the story opens, he is running from class bullies, one of whom is his cousin. He runs straight into a police officer, an aspiring comedian, who intervenes. A friendship develops between them, and Officer Ramsey pays Cody to write jokes for his stand-up routine. When a bomb threat is phoned in at school, Cody is the prime suspect, and he and Officer Ramsey are determined to find the real culprit. A subplot involves an assignment on Hamlet, which adds interest and results in an unusual oral report from the teen. While the characters aren't fully developed, the pacing of the story, Cody's humorous side, and the book's length make this mystery ideal for reluctant readers. - Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-7. Thirteen-year-old Cody is in Texas because his grandmother is ill and his mom is taking care of her. Grandma is the one bright spot in his new world. Otherwise, it's a new school, no friends, and his bullying cousin, Hayden. Then bad gets worse as Cody is blamed when things go wrong at school, including a prank bomb threat. Fortunately, Cody is befriended by police officer Jake Ramsey, who wants to be a stand-up comic, so there's someone on Cody's side when trouble begins. This is more family story than mystery--it's obvious who is behind the shenanigans. There are also a few things off here: Cody seems too young to be studying Hamlet (though the kids do complain how hard it is), and it's not clear why Hayden's family isn't taking care of Grandma. But readers will probably skip over these nuances and spend time sympathizing with the kid who gets into trouble that's not of his making. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Laugh Till You Cry | [
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14,758 | 7 | Odilon and Carmilla love sucking up the ink in books with their twin straw. Especially the ink in adventure stories! But as they begin one of their favorite tales, it?s the straw that sucks them in?and plops them right into the story. . . .ric Sanvoisin has written numerous books for children, including every Ink Drinker book.Martin Matje has illustrated all the Ink Drinker books.; Title: Little Red Ink Drinker | [
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14,759 | 7 | Grade 3-6-Akiko, now in fifth grade, is more ready than ever to trade places with her robot look-alike and zoom into space. This time, the girl and her alien friends are headed for the Intergalactic Space Patrollers Training Camp on Zarga Baffa. Can Akiko withstand the gross food, the physical and mental tests, and her training master's rough treatment? She starts to fail miserably and wonders if she should "cry blue" and leave the program. However, as her pal Spuckler says, she's "a fighter, not a quitter." When an accident puts the training masters' lives in danger, she is the one student willing to break the rules to rescue them. There is humor as well as action in this lively confection; Akiko struggles to earn Ds (for distinguished) and Fs (for first-rate). She consults a Yoda-like mentor who gives her a mysterious container and urges her to "Draw upon the power within" to open it-then reveals that it is a jar of jelly with a stubborn lid. Akiko's confusion as she faces the often-wacky unknowns of intergalactic society will resonate with kids trying to figure out what's going on around them here on Earth. This lighthearted series began as an indie comic, and the book's roots show in the anime-influenced art, derring-do adventures, and Akiko's indomitable spirit.-Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.When Akikos Smoovian friends, Poog, Mr. Beeba, Gax, and Spuckler Boach, swing by to pick her up in an astroshuttle, shes feeling bored with her normal life and more than ready to goanywhere. What she doesnt know is that King Froptoppit has enrolled them all in the Intergalactic Space Patrollers Training Camp on Zarga Baffa. Every planet in the universe relies on patrollers for protection, but no one from Smoo has ever graduated. Akiko and her crew are the planets last hope.After a freak accident at nearby Virpling Canyon, Akikos crew faces the ultimate final exam. Will Akiko go home, leaving the rescuing to others? Or will she stay and risk everything?; Title: Akiko: The Training Master | [
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14,760 | 2 | Thirteen-year-old Mikey Donovan has nothing but admiration for his stepfather, Bill. An accomplished charter fisherman who works in and around the Hawaiian islands, Bill is teaching Mikey the ins and outs of his boat, the Crystal-C, and Mikey is soaking up Bill's nautical know-how faster than a sea sponge. "Lord of the deep. It was kind of a joke, but that's what Mikey called him, because as far as he was concerned, Bill was the best deep-sea charter-fishing skipper there was." But what Mikey painfully discovers is that someone put on such a high pedestal has a long way to fall. When two boorish game fisherman charter the Crystal-C, their surliness and dishonesty force Bill to make some uncomfortable decisions that shake Mikey's faith in him. Over the course of two days, Mikey is taught the meaning of character and conscience by his very human stepfather, a ferocious 90-pound mahi-mahi, and an insightful drawing by a wise-beyond-her-years artist. And lest you think this fish tale sounds too weighted down in morality and matters of the heart, just try not to gasp aloud at the splendidly written struggles between man and marlin. Like the fish themselves, they jump right off the page.Lord of the Deep isn't just about deep-sea fishing, it's about deep thinking and even deeper feelings. Veteran young adult author Graham Salisbury has written a masterful tale that astutely illustrates that almost indecipherable point in adolescence when a boy becomes a man. Heartily recommended. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer HubertAs in his previous books (Shark Bait; Jungle Dogs), Salisbury navigates familiar waters those surrounding the Hawaiian Islands for a diverting and dramatic coming-of-age tale. Thirteen-year-old Mikey Donovan still can't believe he's the new deckhand on his stepfather Bill's charter boat, the Crystal-C. Mikey calls Bill "Lord of the Deep" because he believes Bill is "the best deep-sea charter-fishing skipper there was." In addition to learning fishing secrets from a master, Mikey gets to spend quality time with his mother and his younger half-brother. The idyllic working situation hits a snag, however, when two loutish adventurers hire the Crystal-C for a three-day fishing excursion to bag an impressive marlin. When a big catch suddenly becomes a possibility, Mikey faces a moral dilemma that shakes him to the core. Salisbury frames his tale within the rhythms of Mikey's island routines, carefully describing the preparations and maintenance required for a successful fishing operation and unfolding events in the span of little more than a day. He also puts readers in the middle of some thrilling sports action as the anglers try to land their prey. A subplot about Mikey's biological father is never clearly resolved, but brilliant depictions of water and sky and a number of tender moments that reveal more about Mikey, Bill and their close relationship further strengthen the story. Ages 10-up.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Lord of the Deep | [
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14,761 | 7 | In the third episode of the bizarre Ink Drinker series, following The Ink Drinker and A Straw for Two, Draculink, Odilon, and Carmilla are destined for disaster unless they find a new home. A subway line is being built under their cemetery, and soon their world (and their coffins) will come crashing down. Draculink, a vampire-like creature who sucks book ink rather than blood, will disintegrate into moldy paper, and Odilon's sweetheart Carmilla will be forced to return home, destroying all Odilon's fantasies about a future family of wee little ink suckers. Luckily, our weird hero has an idea, if only everything can fall into place before it's too late.Perhaps it is the translation, but the text of this latest addition to the series is somewhat clunky, with mysterious leaps at important moments: if the giant Library of the World has been almost next-door to the cemetery all this time, why didn't the book-lusting ink drinkers think of it sooner? Still, Eric Sanvoisin's altogether out-of-this-world story will delight readers with a quirky bent, as will Martin Matje's shadowy illustrations. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie CoulterInkthirsty Odilon, Carmilla and Draculink continue to quench their eclectic taste in The City of Ink Drinkers by Eric Sanvoisin, illus. by Martin Matje, trans. by Georges Moroz, the sequel to The Ink Drinker and A Straw for Two. Matje's skewed perspectives provide humorous details in the paper-over-board book as the trio seeks a new cemetery after construction uproots their final resting place. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The City of Ink Drinkers | [
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14,762 | 9 | Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, November 19, 2007:"This intimate story realistically examines friendship, family secrets and the struggles of a learning-disability child trying to make sense fo the world."Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2007:"An engrossing examination of a profound theme in the deft hands of a discerning author."Interview, The New York Times: In the Region, February 3, 2008:"Handling difficult subjects with sensitivity is Mrs. Giffs specialty. If she has tried to drive home a single point in all her stories, it is that ordinary people are special and that children, most of all, need to feel that way."Patricia Reilly Giff is the author of many beloved books for children, including the Newbery Honor books, Lilys Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. She lives in Trumbull, Connecticut.; Title: Eleven | [
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14,763 | 7 | First published as a comic book, Mark Crilleys bimonthly Akiko series has earned numerous award nominations, as well as a spot on Entertainment Weeklys It List. He lives in Michigan. You can visit him at www.markcrilley.com.; Title: Akiko and the Missing Misp | [
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14,764 | 2 | Grade 4-8-School is just about finished for the year in Whitman, OH, and 11-year-old Frances is looking forward to long days of freedom and two weeks at a local camp with her best friend. However, her mother wants to spend the summer at a spiritual retreat in Oregon so Frances agrees to stay with Aunt Blue, her mother's sister and emotional and physical opposite. Before long, Mom and Everett, Frances's younger brother, head off to the West Coast, and even though she doesn't want to go, Frances feels left behind. Aunt Blue's place is messy and disorganized and the Camp Whitman experience is a disaster. When some of the boys hint that her mother and brother are with a cult and Frances begins receiving unusual messages from Everett, her imagination goes into overdrive, and she is sure they are in danger. Then, Everett runs away. This is the story of a girl learning her first real lessons about life. Frances is beginning to experience the complexities of relationships, to see the necessity of give and take, and to realize what is most important to her. Most of the book deals with her emotions, and the plot builds very, very slowly. Although the novel is well written, it lacks punch, and there is not enough action to grab and hold young readers' attention.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-8. When her mother and younger brother, Everett, head off to Mountain Ash, an Oregon spiritual retreat, Frances Cressen is left to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Blue and to attend camp with her best friend, Agnes. Over the summer, Frances comes to love her aunt, but she becomes convinced that her mother doesn't want her and may not return for her. When her brother goes missing, Frances' part in the search helps her to realize what readers will understand all along: that she is smart, resilient, and lovable. With the exception of Frances' mother, characters are carefully, lushly drawn, particularly unconventional, delightful Blue. Readers will connect with this poignant yet occasionally lighthearted novel, which touches on many children's greatest fear: abandonment.^B Frances BradburnCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Grass Angel | [] | Test |
14,765 | 2 | Grade 5-8-Xandra Hobson likes to escape from her family, where she feels like a complete failure in the company of geniuses, and to embark on imaginary adventures involving magic. One day, while in the woods, she encounters real magic when she rescues a bird from some hunters; the next day, it is gone, leaving a feather in its place. A classmate, Belinda, sees it and realizes that it is a key to the unseen world and that with it, Xandra can enter a reality no one else can see. The girls become friends as Belinda and her grandfather attempt to explain the mystical world of the unseen to her. Xandra is terrified by the horrible creatures that surround her and the physical wounds that they inflict on her, unaware that they are of her own making and fed by her anger and hostility. When she breaks her ankle and is stranded in the woods, her family comes to her rescue and she realizes that her siblings aren't perfect and that she is loved. This book is a wonderful ride into fantasy, with a lot of realistic touches to think about and relationships to ponder. Readers will see, even though Xandra does not, that her perceptions about her family are all wrong. They'll also see that being so wrapped up in yourself can cause you to miss what's right in front of you. This perceptive story is not to be missed.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-8. Twelve-year-old Xandra Hobson feels like a changeling, growing up alienated in a large family of self-absorbed overachievers. Her parents are rarely home, her siblings seem intolerable, and her position in the seventh-grade pecking order makes her reluctant to be seen with the one girl who interests her, Belinda. In the opening chapter, Xandra saves the life of an injured egret, which leaves her a feather that she believes to be magical. When Xandra learns that the magic is real and that Belinda and her father understand its power, she befriends them but later unthinkingly betrays them. Snyder masterfully portrays Belinda's sensations and emotions in the alternate world she enters with the feather's aid, and she shows how the experience subtly changes the girl's later actions. The novel is too realistically written to let the betrayal of Belinda go without consequences, but neither does the author leave readers without hope. Though less convincing than the magical episodes, the family scenes at the end bring this well-grounded fantasy to a satisfying conclusion. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Unseen | [
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14,766 | 11 | Grade 6-10-Violet Paz, a 10th grader in suburban Chicago, spends the better part of a year preparing for her quincea-ero, the celebration of her womanhood, that her Cuban grandmother longs for her to experience. While her attention to the plans and her understanding of what the event means wax and wane in her consciousness, she turns her family's personal foibles and social extravagances into fodder for her speech team's Original Comedy competition. She wittily points up the bizarreness of her father's sartorial choices, her little brother's peskiness, her mother's quest to open her own restaurant, and the family's devotion to dominoes. She also struggles to make sense of traditions-including formal gown and waltzing-that are foreign to her life. Violet's father, born in Cuba and brought to the U.S. as a baby, refuses to discuss his native culture with his children, and Violet becomes increasingly anxious to learn more about her roots. Her two best friends are more than simply foils; they provide texture, humor, and tension to the story. In addition to speech team and family affairs, Violet's year includes a first crush and first date, each of which resolves pleasantly. Among the many strengths of this book are its likable and very real protagonist and her introduction to the nexus of politics and family. Too much goes on in this first novel, but the characters are so charming that while readers are in their company, the experience is interesting and engaging rather than frustrating.Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.*Starred Review* Gr. 6-10. Violet Paz, growing up in suburban Chicago, barely knows Spanish, and her dad refuses to talk about his Cuban roots, so it's a real surprise when Abuela insists that Violet have a grand quinceanero, the traditional Latina fifteenth-year coming-of-age ceremony. But Violet insists that she is an American. After all, she looks a lot like her Polish American mother. What's more, she wouldn't be caught dead in any onstage ceremony wearing a ruffled pink dress and a tiara. As wonderfully specific as this first novel is to one immigrant family, many teens will recognize the cross-generational conflict between assimilation and the search for roots. Violet's hilarious, cool first-person narrative veers between slapstick and tenderness, denial and truth, as she shops for her party dress, attends a Cuban peace rally, despairs of her dad's values and his taste in clothes, sees that her American friends are also locked in crazy families, and finds the subject for her school comedy monologue in her own wild home, where she is "sentenced to life." There's no message, unless it's in the acceptance that resolution doesn't happen and that Dad is still worth loving--even if he comes to the elegant quinceanero in his favorite sunshine-yellow shirt with multicolored monkeys printed on it. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Cuba 15 (Pura Belpre Honor Book Author (Awards)) | [
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14,767 | 7 | Akiko to the rescue again! On her way home from school one day, the intrepid fifth grader is picked up in a space ship masquerading as a police car by her alien friends Mr. Beeba, Spuckler, and Gax. Quickly they explain: their friend Poog was recently called back to his planet, Toog, which apparently is in grave danger. But Poog hasnt returned, and his buddies are concerned. So off they all go, in spite of Akikos misgivings: "We were heading to a planet none of us had ever been to before--a place where we were apparently not the least bit welcome--to deal with some sort of terrible threat that we knew absolutely nothing about. It sounded like an excellent recipe for total disaster." But Akiko has faced danger before, and has always made it through in one piece (Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo , Akiko on the Planet Smoo , etc.). Surely she can save little purple Poog and make it home in time to relieve her replacement robot on Earth before another school dayMark Crilleys Japanese anime-inspired Akiko series offers plenty of intergalactic adventure and a spunky, likable heroine who is surprisingly down-to-earth for being so often in outer space. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie CoulterGrade 3-5-Fifth-grader Akiko is on her way home from school when a space-faring police car lands nearby. Her planet-hopping buddies-space tramp Spuckler, brainy but befuddled Mr. Beeba, and robot Gax-need her help again. Their other shipmate, Poog, has disappeared following an emergency summons back to his endangered home planet of Toog. The space travelers want to find their plum-hued friend, but his world is off-limits to non-Toogolians. Since Akiko has led them through tight spots in the past, they are sure she can find a way in-and out-of the forbidden planet. Based on a popular graphic-novel series (Sirius Entertainment), the story's comic-book pedigree is plain to see-breakneck episodic plot action, cartoon illustrations, bantering dialogue, and scores of onomatopoeic words ("FLA-FLUMP!"). There is also a subtle message about friendship and tolerance as Akiko's resourceful leadership provides the stabilizing influence for her oddly assorted band of space misfits. Fans of the previous books will welcome this new adventure, while others will find it an enjoyable introduction to Akiko and her crew.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, ILCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Akiko and the Journey to Toog | [
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14,768 | 2 | In this sequel to the Victorian fantasy A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma continues to pursue her role as the one destined to bind the magic of the Realms and restore it to the Order--a mysterious group who have been overthrown by a rebellion. Gemma, Felicity and Ann, (her girlfriends at Spence Academy for Young Ladies), use magical power to transport themselves on visits from their corseted world to the visionary country of the Realms, with its strange beauty and menace. There they search for the lost Temple, the key to Gemma's mission, and comfort Pippa, their friend who has been left behind in the Realms. After these visits they bring back magical power for a short time to use in their own world. Meanwhile, Gemma is torn between her attraction to the exotic Kartik, the messenger from the opposing forces of the Rakshana, and the handsome but clueless Simon, a young man of good family who is courting her. The complicated plot thickens when Gemma discovers a woman in Bedlam madhouse who knows where to find the Temple; Ann shows signs of being enamored of Gemma's loutish brother Tom, and their father's addiction to laudanum lands him in an opium den. A large part of the enjoyment of this unusual fantasy comes from the Victorian milieu and its restrictive rules about the behavior of proper young ladies, as contrasted with the unimaginable possibilities of the Realms, where Gemma has power to confront gorgons and ghosts and the responsibility to save a world. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty CampbellGrade 8 UpAt the end of A Great and Terrible Beauty (Delacorte, 2003), Gemma Doyle was determined to rebuild the Order and find and destroy Circe. Now the teen finds that she must do one more thingfind the Temple and bind the magic she released into the realms when she destroyed the runes. Her task will not be easy; Kartik and the Rakshana have their own plans, which threaten her; a mysterious new teacher may be Circe; and Christmas in London challenges the careful facades that Gemma and her friends Ann and Felicity have built. Dark things are stirring within the realms, including a possibly corrupted Pippa, and the only guides are Gemma's horrifying visions of three girls and the gibberish of a girl confined to Bedlam. Like the first volume, this is a remarkable fantasy steeped in Victorian sensibility; even as the girls fight to bind the magic, they are seduced by London society and the temptation to be proper young ladies. Gemma and her friends are pitch perfect as young women in a world poised for change, uncertain of their places. In many ways, this volume surpasses the first. The writing never falters, and the revelations (such as Felicity's childhood of abuse, discreetly revealed) only strengthen the characters. Clever foreshadowing abounds, and clues to the mystery of Circe may have readers thinking they have figured everything out; they will still be surprised. This volume does not stand alone; however, any collection that doesn't already have the first should just get both volumes.Karyn N. Silverman, Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Rebel Angels | [
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14,769 | 0 | Grade 4-7-Ben and his father are the cooking team at a logging camp in northern Minnesota in the winter of 1898. Pa's in charge, and Ben is the helper hoping for a chance at other duties beyond peeling spuds and setting tables. The thread that carries through the episodic narrative is Ben's longing to know more about his dead mother and to feel closer to his reserved and demanding father. The "dentist," the man who sharpens the teeth on the saws, happens to have been one of his mother's suitors before she married; this unlikely coincidence provides Ben with a chance to satisfy his need to know more about his family. Maintaining a light tone, Durbin revels in his descriptions of the amount of work required, the intensity of the cold weather, and the cantankerous eccentricities of the members of the logging crew. The arrival of Nevers, who tells of his life as an orphan, helps Ben gain perspective on his own circumstances. The letters between him and his landlady back home add to the sense of remoteness of the camp, yet connect it to the world around. The glossary and an afterword summarizing facts about logging make this a tidy package for curriculum support. Vivid and often quite funny, the book is also a lively read.Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CACopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-8. In the winter of 1898, 13-year-old Ben Ward drops out of the seventh grade to work as a cook's helper for his pa at the Blackwater Logging Camp in Minnesota. He soon discovers that long days of cooking flapjacks, peeling potatoes, and washing dishes under the supervision of his cranky father is not the life of adventure he wants. He would rather be out in the woods with the lumberjacks, chopping trees, sawing wood, and driving a team through the snowy forests. Ben finds himself caring more about his job after Pa hires an orphan boy to help, and a rivalry develops between the two boys. In time, Ben comes to appreciate the importance of his father's work; he also manages to learn much about himself through his interactions with the lumberjacks, who seem to have an inexhaustible supply of hilarious, outrageous tales. Lively details about logging add depth to this warm, colorful historical novel, which is a good choice for fans of Will Hobbs and Gary Paulsen. Ed SullivanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Blackwater Ben | [
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14,770 | 0 | Grade 5-8This novel is rich with believable, endearing characters as well as excitement and emotion. Dina, 13, can't wait to leave Germany and begin her new life in America with Mama's rich brother and his family. She longs to finally escape the drudgery of her mother's sewing shop, even though she is often reminded, "As much as you hate sewing, Dina, that's how much the needle and thread love you." As soon as she arrives at the cramped, five-story walk-up, however, she knows that she has entered a house of tailors, "no different from my own, except that it was poorer." Though she helps Aunt Barbara with the house and baby Maria, Uncle Lucas views her as a burden. She has no choice but to sew for him, her only consolation being the 40 cents he will give her each day toward her passage home. Gradually, Dina grows to love her new family, meets another "greenhorn" with whom she can reminisce and trade new American words, and becomes a promising hat and dressmaker. She also nurses Barbara and Maria through smallpox and carries the child to safety during a devastating fire. Readers get a glimpse into life in Brooklyn in the 1870s, especially the dreaded Health Department inspections during the epidemic. Sprinkled with letters from home, the story captures the universal immigrant dilemma, "we would always have a longing to go back, and a longing to stay."Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-7. In 1870, 13-year-old Dina is forced to flee Germany after being mistaken for a spy, and she takes her sister's place on a ship to America, where she will live with Uncle, his young wife, Barbara, and baby Marie. After arriving, Dina finds herself in Brooklyn, sleeping in a stifling closet. Worst of all, she must earn her room and board by sewing. Although talented, Dina despises the work, but sewing is part of Uncle's plan to improve their situation, so Dina finds herself either at the machine or doing the endless work of a tenement life. There are many books about immigrants in the U.S; the strengths of this one are its profuse details and its cranky heroine. And a heroine Dina is, sometimes exaggeratedly so, as when she saves both Barbara and Marie from a fire. Yet, Dina is not a stock character; she's a real child, who works hard, literally and figuratively, to find her way. When she realizes that designing dresses is something she loves, readers will cheer her perseverance, and the happy ending seems well deserved. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: A House of Tailors | [
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14,771 | 7 | Grade 5-7-Forty years after the publication of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Doubleday, 1963), Aiken presents a new and vibrant adventure of indomitable Dido Twite in this eighth book in the series. Dido gets involved in a plot by an exceedingly evil werewolf-Baron fresh from 15 years incarceration in the Tower of London. The Baron connives to place his own son on the throne of England, rather than Dido's friend Simon. Energetic, imaginative characterization, suspense, and superb timing drive the story to a satisfying conclusion. Although titles in the "Wolves" series may be read independently, readers of the earlier books are the best audience for this romp of a Victorian parody. Aiken's faux-historical novels should appeal to readers of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (HarperCollins).Susan Patron, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-8. The latest installment of the Wolves Chronicles finds Simon, Duke of Battersea, hiding the dying King Richard from enemies and on the lookout for a missing coronet needed for the coronation of the new king (who will probably be the unwilling Simon). Also back on the scene is Dido Twite, who, following her return from America, is almost immediately kidnapped. There is much to like here, including a vampire and his nasty son, some Russian bears, and plenty of cliffhangers that lead from one chapter to the next. But the book will be best appreciated by series followers, who have a background in the complicated politics that permeate the story, and are already familiar with those characters whose stories were told in previous books. The last chapter, which finds Simon crowned king and Dido in tears (fearing that Simon's love is now forever lost), signals more adventures to come. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Midwinter Nightingale (Wolves Chronicles) | [
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14,772 | 0 | A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mothers death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left wi! th the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Ages 12 up) Patty CampbellGrade 9 Up An interesting combination of fantasy, light horror, and historical fiction, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. On her 16th birthday, Gemma Doyle fights with her mother. She wants to leave India where her family is living, runs off when her mother refuses to send her to London to school, has a dreadful vision and witnesses her mother's death. Two months later, Gemma is enrolled in London's Spence School, still troubled by visions, and unable to share her grief and guilt over her loss. She gradually learns to control her vision and enter the "realms" where magical powers can make anything happen and where her mother waits to instruct her. Gradually she and her new friends learn about the Order, an ancient group of women who maintained the realms and regulated their power, and how two students unleashed an evil creature from the realms by killing a Gypsy girl. Gemma uncovers her mother's connection to those events and learns what she now must do. The fantasy element is obvious, and the boarding-school setting gives a glimpse into a time when girls were taught gentility and the importance of appearances. The author also makes a point about the position of women in Victorian society. Bray's characters are types--Felicity, clever and powerful; Ann, plain and timid; Pippa, beautiful and occasionally thoughtless; Gemma, spirited and chafing under society's rules--but not offensively so, and they do change as the story progresses. The ending leaves open the likelihood of a sequel. Recommend this to fantasy fans who also like Sherlock Holmes or Mary Russell.--Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) | [
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14,773 | 0 | Grade 4-7–Meggie Dillon, 11, candidly shares her perspective on the sacrifices and fears experienced on the homefront during World War II. The girl's family moves from Rockaway, NY, to Willow Run, MI, so that her father can work in a plant constructing B-24 bombers. Meggie is a likable, realistic, fleshed-out character, introduced in Lily's Crossing (Delacorte, 1997). In this current offering, she deals with moving away from all that is familiar to her to live in far less comfortable conditions. Her brother, Eddie, is in the army. Her grandfather is a German American, and when older boys paint a swastika on his window, she bravely tries to chase them away. Though she has found her grandpa annoying in many ways, once the Dillons move to Willow Run, Meggie misses him terribly and realizes that despite his many quirks, she loves him dearly. With the news that Eddie is missing after the invasion at Normandy, she springs into action to bolster her family's hope for his safe return. She and her friends become convinced that the ice-cream man must be a spy because he isn't fighting in the army. They use their suspicions to steal from him, an act that leaves Meggie feeling extremely guilty. Giff's engrossing, heartwarming story will help readers understand how personally war affects people.–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 4-6. Introduced as Lily's friend in the Newbery Honor Book Lily's Crossing (1997), Margaret "Meggie" Dillon now experiences World War II on her own. "For the duration" is how the adults talk about the war's deprivations, whether they are referring to eating Spam or to the Dillons' makeshift housing in Michigan, where Meggie's father has moved the family in order to take a job building planes. Meggie desperately misses her home in Rockaway, and German-born Grandpa, who was left behind. Still, sometimes she's glad he stayed home: it was Meggie who wiped the swastika from his window and heard the culprits say that anywhere else he would be jailed. Giff artfully carves the sentiments so prevalent in times of war--anxiety, inspiration, boredom--into sharp relief while creating a cast of finely drawn characters (the kind of people Meggie would never have met had she stayed home), each with his or her own worries, fears, and hopes. Many story lines are threaded neatly together here, but what has happened to Meggie's brother, Eddie, who is fighting overseas, remains unknotted at the end. Tough and tender, this is an excellent addition to World War II shelves. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Willow Run | [
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14,774 | 2 | Grade 4-6-Eleven-year-old Fiona Cheng is half and half-her father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Being biracial hasn't bothered her, but lately she has been thinking about it quite a bit. It seems that people make assumptions about her based on her appearance. Her grandfather calls her red-haired brother "laddie" and expects him to be the one in the family interested in Scottish culture, and her paternal grandmother always seems surprised that Fiona is not a delicate Chinese girl. When it's time for Seattle's annual Folk Fest, Fiona is faced with a problem. She is expected to perform with her grandfather's Scottish dance group and participate in a talk her father is giving, wearing the costume her paternal grandmother has made for the occasion. Unfortunately, both events are scheduled for the same time. Fiona's solution to her dilemma allows her to please everyone, making her realize that she is 100 percent Fiona, and that is just fine. A humorous novel with an appealing heroine.Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3-5. Her mother is Scottish and her father is Chinese, so Fiona Cheng, 11, doesn't know which box to check on the enrollment form for the folk-dancing festival in Seattle. She doesn't want to check "other," which will make her feel like a weirdo. Why don't they have a box for half and half? There isn't much plot in this short chapter book. The focus is on the identity issues, and the messages are spelled out all the time. But Namioka does make the search for roots a lot of fun, whether she's describing Fiona's disastrous attempt to dye her hair, or her older brother's conflict about wearing a tartan "sissy" skirt for the Scotch Highland dance. Fiona's parents and grandparents add depth to the story, especially when the kids see how Mom and Dad handle their parents' expectations. Children of many backgrounds, mixed or not, will relate to Fiona's drive to fit in and her realizations that everyone has something that is different and that her life isn't always about race. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Half and Half | [
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14,775 | 0 | Born to Fly: The Heroic Story of Downed U.S. Navy Pilot Lt. Shane Osborn by Shane Osborn with Malcolm McConnell tells the story of a young American pilot, his life-long love of flying and the fateful events that led him to receive the Navy's highest airmanship honor. Michael French adapted the book for young readers from the simultaneously published adult title, Born to Fly: The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 5-8-A fascinating story of endurance, courage, and patriotism. French has adapted Osborn's adult book for young people. He tells the story of a boy's dream to become a pilot, his formal flight training in the Navy, and how his skill and stamina were tested as commander of an EP-3E reconnaissance aircraft. In April, 2001, an inflight collision with a Chinese fighter over China during a routine surveillance mission turned into an international incident. Osborn managed to land the damaged aircraft, save his crew, and survive interrogation and imprisonment by the Chinese. He inspired his crew to get through their ordeal and came out a hero to all. The book reads like fiction, with lots of dialogue. The brief glossary of aviation terms is useful and the photos and map enhance the readable text. Black-and-white photos appear in an eight-page center section. A good choice for anyone considering a career in the military and for fans of true-adventure survival stories.David M. Alperstein, Queens Borough Public Library, NYCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Born to Fly: The Heroic Story of Downed U.S. Navy Pilot Lt. Shane Osborn | [] | Train |
14,776 | 11 | During the early 1900s, China struggled to maintain an unstable democracy as radical factions fought over territories and political titles. Many young women found themselves caught between old traditions and new notions. Xueyan, or Yanyan, is lucky. Her father is one of the few who believes in education for women. So when an opportunity arises for her to attend Cornell University in America, Yanyan takes it with her family's blessing. Her only regret is leaving behind her schoolgirl crush, Liang Boashu. Once enrolled at Cornell, Yanyan is overwhelmed by culture shock. In America, the food is heavy, the money system is difficult, and odd English phrases like "pull yourself together" are confusing. Still, Yanyan thrives at school, even when American "Big Noses" embarrass her by stereotyping her as a maid, or think she must be good at doing laundry because she is Chinese. But just when she begins to finally feel at home in her new country, Liang Boashu shows up. No longer an angry young militant, Boashu is now a polished diplomat with marriage on his mind. Will Yanyan be forced to choose between her hard-won independence and the feelings she still has for Boashu?Lensey Namioka's story of one girl's quest for identity in a time of shifting gender roles is both charming and thought provoking. Teens will be absorbed and amused by Yanyan's attempts at American slang ("I had to pull my guts together") and witty observances of "Big Nose" culture, while commiserating with her search for self. Recommended. (Ages 10 to 14) --Jennifer HubertPicking up where Namioka's Ties That Bind, Ties That Break left off, this novel opens in 1921 China, where Ailin is about to set sail for America. Ailin's classmate and friend Yanyan, who narrates here, travels to Shanghai to bid her farewell; Eldest Brother and his friend Baoshu serve as Yanyan's chaperones. Baoshu's mixed heritage (a father who served as a Chinese imperial officer and a Manchu mother) offers Namioka an opportunity to explore the mounting tensions in China over beliefs about who can best unite the country. However, the author does not delve deeply enough to give readers a clear sense of the issues at stake. Instead, she concentrates on Yanyan's adjustment to American culture, when the heroine enrolls as a student at Cornell. A romance ignites between Baoshu and Yanyan, who then turns down Baoshu's proposal that she run away with him; later L.H., a fellow Chinese student, also gradually shows signs that he wants more than friendship. Yanyan must decide what she wants for herself and from a partnership. Namioka covers (literally) so much ground (Yanyan's boat trip to America, her cross-country rail trip from Seattle to Cornell, her visit by train to Ailin in San Francisco during her school's Christmas break, etc.) that many of the characters and relationships are fleetingly portrayed rather than fully developed. Some readers may be satisfied with the conclusion, but others may wonder if Yanyan ever fulfills her dream to become a doctor. Ages 12-up.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: An Ocean Apart, a World Away | [
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14,777 | 0 | When Margaret Cavendish, one of Elizabeth Is Gentlewomen of the Bedchamber, lost her life in a bungled attempt to kill the Queen, her daughter, Lady Grace, became a protge to the monarch, who takes her under her wing. Now Grace, a spunky girl who romps through the gardens with the laundry maids and court tumblers and rolls her eyes at her fellow ladies, chronicles the court intrigues that swirl around her. . . .The Royal Court is on its summer travels and Lady Grace is sure something strange is going on. As Queen Elizabeth narrowly escapes a series of mysterious accidents, Grace must investigate just who might be behind the conspiracy. Could it really be one of the Queens faithful friendsor even her latest suitor?Delve into the daybooke of Lady Grace, Queen Elizabeths favorite Maid of Honor, to discover a deadly dangerous plot.; Title: Conspiracy (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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14,778 | 0 | Grade 4-8This heartwarming novel continues the saga begun in Nory Ryans Song (Delacorte, 2000) and Maggies Door (Random, 2003). With the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge as background, the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Bridget (Bird) Mallon and Thomas Neary, from the time that they are nearly 13 until they are 14. Bird is the youngest child of Nory and Sean Mallon, who came from Ireland to Brooklyn to escape the poverty and hopelessness of the potato famine. Thomas moves with his father into the tenement where the Mallons live. Mr. Neary spends most of his time at a neighborhood pub, and where the boys mother is remains a mystery for much of the book. A strong friendship develops between the young teens. The creation of the bridge looms as a dream that parallels the dreams of the characters. Bird, a bright, sensitive girl, wants to follow in her mothers path and become a healer, but she discovers that the road is not without obstacles. Thomas dreams of becoming a writer and of having a family like the Mallons. Though the plot is somewhat predictable and the likable characters are a bit stereotyped, Giff masterfully integrates the historical material and presents a vivid picture of the immigrant struggle in the 1870s.Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-8. Continuing the Irish American immigration story begun in Nory Ryan's Song (2000) and Maggie's Door (2003), Giff's new novel, set in 1875, is about the next generation. Nory and Sean's daughter, Bridget ("Bird"), 13, befriends a lonely boy, Thomas, who lives upstairs with his father in Brooklyn. From their tenement windows they can see the building of the bridge and the structure's great towers. Bird's dad has a job there, and the construction is both fact and metaphor. Bird would like to be a nurse-midwife like Mama, but the work is sometimes hard and scary. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Bird and Thomas; Bird's loving family takes Thomas in, and the two young people help each other at school and on the street. The happily-ever-after ending never denies the harsh struggle; the memory of what drove them from the Old Country is always there, as is the mantra "We have to better ourselves." A poignant immigration story of friendship, work, and the meaning of home. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Water Street | [
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14,779 | 2 | *Starred Review* Senior patrol leader of his Hilo, Hawaii, scout troop, eighth-grader Dylan looks forward to camping on the coast in the shadow of a volcano. But when he hears that Louie, atough, troubled kid,will be joining the scouts on thetrip, Dylan remembers when their paths crossed once before, and his anticipation turns to dread. Dylan's sense of foreboding is justified tenfold. After a difficult trek to their campsite, an earthquake jolts the ground and shakes boulders down from the cliff. Then atsunami engulfs the area. Even in the midst of disaster, Dylan finds that support can come from unexpected directions. A strong sense of place informs the plot as well as the setting of this convincing story. Inan unusually compelling author's note, Salisburywrites ofcamping on the site of the 1975 natural disaster at Halape with his cousin, who lived through it as a Boy Scout. Inspired by that earthquake and tsunami, this vivid adventure soon strips away every vestige of normality, leaving characters dependent on their wits, their skills, and the mysterious spirits of land and sea for their survival. Salisbury weaves Hawaiian legend into the modern-day narrative to create a haunting, unusual novel that will practically booktalk itself. Phelan, CarolynStarred Review, Booklist, August 1, 2007:"Salisbury weaves Hawaiian legend into the modern-day narrative to create a haunting, unusual novel that will practically booktalk itself."Carolyn Phelan; Title: Night of the Howling Dogs | [
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14,780 | 2 | Grade 6-9-This fourth book in the series furthers the trials and tribulations of best friends Ellie, Magda, and Nadine. Ellie experiences many ups and downs (mainly downs) as she grapples with the shaky relationships all around her. Her dad and stepmom are continuously fighting, her little brother's hopelessly annoying, and her friends seem to be excluding her. Her "perfect" boyfriend proves not so perfect as he plagiarizes her beloved cartoon character for a drawing contest, and when all of the friends get drunk at a party, he ends up making out with Magda. The teen has to come to the realization that her forever friends and forever boyfriend may not actually be forever. This is a quick, enjoyable read, complete with British vernacular and humor. It will appeal to many girls facing relationship issues.Michele Shaw, Yorkshire Academy, Houston, TXCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Jacqueline Wilson pulls off the rare feat of dramatizing a serious issue with a light touch. -- Daily Telegraph; Title: Girls in Tears (Girls Quartet) | [
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14,781 | 2 | Grade 7 UpThis novel is presented in parallel, first-person accounts (or story lines) that begin prior to September 11, 2001, and culminate some months later. Dawn is a runaway from California headed for New York City. She is resentful of her foster mother, a doctor with the Red Cross who is helping in a refugee camp near Pakistan. Johar, 15, lives in Afghanistan. Many of his relatives are dead. His aunt, a teacher, has disappeared. The Taliban has taken his brother, and Johar is left to care for his three-year-old cousin. He flees to escape the danger. The days tick by to September 11th, when Dawn arrives in New York, and everyday life in America shifts. The teens' lives unfold in alternating chapters, and the contrast between their daily experiences is huge. Dawn, a gifted musician, panhandles on the street and, later, plays her flute for mourners at ground zero. She lands a nice place to stay as she cat-sits for a traveling journalist and jams with a hunky rock star. In sharp contrast, Johar's life is dire, tough, and eerily credible. Torturing, mutilating, and killing are the rule. He makes it to the refugee camp where Dawn's mother is working. The teens develop an e-mail friendship, which seems too predetermined and artificial. Much of the plot, particularly the elements that revolve around Dawn, is just too implausible. The contrived ending is unrealistic and disappointing.Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NYGr. 9-12. The "refugees" in Stine's powerful first novel for young adults (see adjacent Story behind the Story) are teens who flee deprivation and conflict as disparate as their countries. Sixteen-year-old Dawn is unhappy in California with foster parents Louise and Victor. After Louise leaves for Afghanistan to work as a refugee-camp doctor, Dawn runs away with her best friend, Jude, a gay teen. They land in New York City, and two days later, on September 11, terrorists attack the World Trade Center. Across the world, Afghan teen Johar has escaped his village and found safety in a Pakistani refugee camp, where he lands a job at Louise's clinic. Then Dawn tries to contact Louise, and Johar answers the phone. In phone calls and e-mails, the teens share their stories, and through their love of music and poetry, they help each other find the hope and courage to move forward. In vivid, alternating chapters Stine follows the teens' flights and tense struggles to cope with the tragedies of the attacks, rebuild their families, and discover their own strengths. Not all the characters in the crowded narrative are developed; Victor, in particular, is a puzzling shadow. Still, Stine tells an ambitious, haunting story that asks urgent questions about current conflicts, the human lives behind the headlines, and the healing that must follow. Afterwords about post-9/11 Afghanistan and New York City close this timely, accomplished novel that teachers and teens will want to discuss together. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Refugees | [
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14,782 | 2 | Ages 12 and up. Best buds Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget are back with their magical pair of shared jeans in Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. Each summer brings new and difficult challenges, as the perennially separated friends discover afresh this last season before college. Tibby struggles with the idea of close friend Brian becoming her boyfriend, and their fragile relationship is soon tested by a tragedy in her immediate family. Carmen doesnt know how to react when she finds out that her middle-aged mom is pregnant, and Bridget is unpleasantly surprised to be reunited with the boy who broke her heart two summers ago. Finally, Lena, still coming to terms with the loss of her first love, tries to convince her strict father that art school is a better career path than Greek restaurant management. But through every crisis, each girl is assured of the love and support of the created sisterhood when she pulls on the denim armor of the cherished, and by now, a bit fragrant ("Rule # 1. You must never wash the Pants.") Traveling Pants.Full of homey platitudes about life, love and the pursuit of perfect jeans, Girls in Pants occasionally reads like a lengthy Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul entry. But often thats precisely the kind of friendly reassurance female readers are looking for, and fans of the wildly popular series whove journeyed every summer with the "Septembers" will find much to laugh and cry about in this volume. --Jennifer HubertGrade 7 Up - Four friends embark on their third summer of adventures, beginning with their high school graduation. Tibby ponders the change in her relationship with a male friend who now wants to date her. She is devastated when her little sister is seriously injured after falling out a window that Tibby accidentally left open. Lena's plans to attend art school are disrupted when her conservative father discovers her sketching a nude male model during a summer class and refuses to pay the tuition. Carmen takes a job looking after Lena's cantankerous grandmother. She decides to attend college locally when she discovers that her mother and new stepfather are expecting a baby. Bridget goes to summer camp and is surprised to learn that her ex-fling is also a counselor. As in the previous books, the pants move from girl to girl weaving their special magic, but they are mentioned only briefly and it is easy to forget who has them when. The multiple story lines abruptly switch within chapters, building suspense. However, reluctant readers may miss having more solid transitions. The novel will appeal to those wanting light fare as the girls spend most of their time fretting about boys and all of their tribulations end happily. Fans will clamor for the latest in the series. The story stands alone, but references to the previous summers will attract readers to the other books. - Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood | [
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14,783 | 7 | Grade 3-5-Japanese-American grade-schooler Akiko is scooped up by her former spacefaring buddies: the seedy space tramp Spuckler, brainy but befuddled Mr. Beeba, robot Gax, and floating-dot creature Poog. These cosmos-cruising misfits have entered a cross-galaxy race and need to program the new navigational computer that Spuckler has added to soup up his rickety spacecraft. Unfortunately, the user's manual is written in Jabblenese, a language they mistakenly believe Akiko can read. After all, she has led them through trouble before. Since there is no time to return her to Earth before the race starts, she goes along for the ride. But, when Spuckler's old enemy Bluggamin Streed enters the field, the race threatens to turn deadly and Akiko begins to wonder if she can even get her shipmates to the finish line alive. Based on the highly successful graphic-novel series (Sirius Entertainment), the story clearly shows its comic-book roots: fast-paced, episodic plot action; anime-inspired cartoon illustrations; and descriptive sound bites ("FWUUUUUUUUM!"). Familiarity with the earlier books is helpful but not essential.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, ILCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-5. Ten-year-old Japanese American Akiko, last seen in Akiko in the Castle of Alia Raptor (2001), returns in another novel for young sf readers. Fresh from building snowmen with her somewhat annoying human friend, Akiko is taken off by her regularly featured alien pals to participate in an outer-space speed race. It seems there's some confusion about her ethnic heritage. There's also a mysterious manual written in Jabblenese. This particular episode includes sabotage, and the worst physical disaster to befall the crew is getting slimed by Black Hole mucus. Crilley, who also writes a comic book series featuring this character, offers generous doses of wit as well as moralizing here, and, as always, Akiko demonstrates her physical and character strengths, making this an adventure story that packs gender equity as well as an antixenophobic theme. Soft-pencil illustrations appear in each chapter and include some good depictions of old space-opera machinery. Francisca GoldsmithCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 | [
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14,784 | 0 | Grade 5-8 -To say that this lively novel is Dickensian is to understate its debt to that author. The story abounds in terrifying villains, grime, misery, and cruelty. Yet it also serves up a fair share of optimism. The narrator, Tom Tin, has fallen on hard times through no fault of his own. When his father, an unemployed ship's captain, is taken to debtor's prison, Tom discovers the dark underbelly of 19th-century London. He has the incredible luck of finding a valuable diamond, only to lose it in a grave robbery. Then he is arrested for theft, convicted of murder, and incarcerated on a dismal prison ship for boys. There he is mistaken for a boy called Smasher, who was part of a dastardly gang of pickpockets. Unfortunately for Tom, one of Smasher's victims is also on the ship and vows revenge. A wretched and weak youngster named Midgely convinces Tom that they can escape to a better life, and they hatch a plan. The plot twists in this story rely on a series of coincidences that no reader will take seriously, but this is where the fun lies. One is never sure what lurks around the next corner. This book is as action packed and as thoroughly researched as the author's seafaring trilogy, but it will be accessible to a wider audience because of its easier reading level. Give it to reluctant readers who are looking for an exciting adventure.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 7-10. When his father lands in debtors' prison, Tom, 14, tries to survive on the rough streets of early-nineteenth-century London. The setting is Dickensian, though more gruesome, and the story is packed with action and wild coincidence: Tom finds, and loses, a diamond; joins a street gang; and helps a grave robber steal a corpse. He is sentenced to seven years on a prison ship for boys, escapes, is recaptured, and is transported to Australia. Tom is no saint; in fact, he's ashamed of his meanness and cunning. Readers may not understand the message about social class or the parallels to the classics referred to in the story. What they will find unforgettable is the gritty historical fact, especially the horror of the young convicts' daily struggle and the wretched suffering of 500 children packed and punished on the ship.^B Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Convicts | [
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14,785 | 2 | Lurlene McDaniel is known for her poignant inspirational novels. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.; Title: Hit and Run | [
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14,786 | 2 | Grade 2-4Lucy Rose is trying to adjust to all the changes in her life. Her parents have separated and she and her mother have moved to Washington, DC, to be closer to Lucy's maternal grandparents. The third grader misses her dad and her old friends, and she is struggling to fit in at her new school. She must also deal with Adam Melon, a boy in her class who teases her. Lucy wants a pet to replace the dog she left with her father so she is on a campaign to get her teacher to let her care for the class guinea pig during spring break. Inevitably, the animal gets lost, leading to disaster, and help comes from an unlikely source. Lucy's plight, which is told in diary format, is one shared by many children who are adjusting to life in broken families. The child meets her challenges with humor and honesty. Her grandparents and mother serve as key supporting players. This first-time author has captured the trials, tribulations, and joys of this eight-year-old. Lucy Rose is not as finely honed as Amber Brown or Judy Moody but she is funny, and she has a unique voice.Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 2-4. In the spirit of Junie B. Jones, Amber Brown, and mother of them all, Ramona, comes Lucy Rose. Eight years old, Lucy has just moved to Washington, D.C., with her mother after her parents' separation. Kelly covers familiar ground. Lucy misses her father, she takes the classroom gerbil home for vacation and loses him, and Alan Melon, her nemesis (he has given her a valentine that says "You are a fart"), eventually becomes a friend. Her knowing yet funny voice will be familiar to any kid who has read books about Ramona or Junie or Amber. Yet there's something especially endearing about Lucy Rose, and her interactions with her parents, grandparents, teacher, and friends all seem believable and comfortable. Written as a month-by-month diary, this will give a push to readers ready to move beyond chapter books. Planned illustrations were not available in galley. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me (Lucy Rose Books) | [
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14,787 | 0 | Gr. 4-6. Things are just as they always have been in Idaville. Encyclopedia Brown is still 10-years-old, still helping his police-chief father nab suspects, and still charging kids only 25 cents to solve their cases. (Note to Encyclopedia: to make more money, consider babysitting). Another thing that remains the same is the pleasure of trying to solve the minimysteries along with the boy genius. Most of these 10 cases aren't particularly easy to crack. For instance, to solve the first mystery, a reader will need to know which number in the English language is spelled with letters that are in alphabetical order. Even so, both the mysteries and their solutions are fun to ponder. The pencil illustrations are pale and rather stiff, but the photograph on the cover, featuring a Macaulay Culkin look-alike as Encyclopedia, is delightful. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedCan the secret weapon in Idavilles war on crime really be a ten-year-old boy in sneakers? It can if its Encyclopedia Brown! Encyclopedia is back with ten all-new mysteries to solve, along with the help of his partner, Sally Kimball, the prettiest and toughest girl in the fifth grade. Theyll have to face Bugs Meany, whos up to his old tricks, and Wilford Wiggins, whos still dreaming up new schemes to trick the kids of Idaville out of their money. Plus theres lots of new characters too!The solutions to all the mysteries are in the backbut can you solve them first?; Title: Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs | [
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14,788 | 2 | Grade 5-7Sixth-grader Billy Clikk's family BUGZ-B-GON business has his parents working unusual hours. Then he accidentally discovers that they are actually secret agents for the Allied Forces for the Management of Extraterritorial Creatches. AFMEC operatives protect the human world from a dizzying variety of weird beasties using an array of specialized high-tech weaponry. The organization doesn't like outsiders encroaching on its secrets, so the Clikks are summoned to headquarters to explain how Billy came across the truth and caused a breach in security. Before punishment can be carried out, however, a creatch mission intervenes. A monster has burrowed beneath the Taj Mahal and Billy's folks are on the assignment list. There's no time to send the boy home, so he goes along but is warned to stay clear of danger. Determined to prove his courage, he goes after the invading beast alone and uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the very existence of AFMEC. Reminiscent of the alien-chasing Men in Black films, this story incorporates comic-book-style actioncomplete with sound effects ("K'CHIK")and lively, wisecracking dialogue with a subtle message about courage and responsibility. Billy is an unlikely but likable hero who rushes heedlessly into trouble but has the creative perspective to succeed where the more conventional adults fail. Monster fans will enjoy the "creatch" descriptions and will identify with Billy as he tries to find his place in his parents' undercover world.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5. The author of the Akiko graphic novels gives kids with a budding taste for sf and an established delight in the witty and the gross a new hero. At 12, Billy feels ignored by his parents, pest exterminators who seem always to be working late, leaving him to fend for himself with the family dog and a babysitter who checks in by phone. Then one evening Billy tunes in the television to discover his parents are not, after all, the suburban business people everyone believes them to be. High adventure ensues as Billy involves himself in the affairs of the Allied Forces for the Management of Extraterritorial Creatures, a gonzo secret society currently attempting to rid the Taj Mahal of threats from big, ugly monsters. As with the Akiko books, the pace is breathless, but this time, Crilley imbues the plot with an assortment of crude elements--from farts and viscous drool to horrible deaths. Children who like this sort of gross stuff will find enough to entertain them, but readers will also like Billy, whose story is light but far from fluffy. Francisca GoldsmithCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Creatch Battler (Billy Clikk) | [
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14,789 | 0 | Now that Lady Grace is the Queen's secret "Lady Pursuivant"a title normally reserved for those who pursue wrongdoers of the Crownshe can hardly believe that a new mystery has fallen in her lap. But what else can it be when Lady Sarah, a fellow lady-in-waiting known for her fancy clothes and hoity-toity attitude, is missing and feared kidnapped by the dashing Captain Drake. Despite her hard feelings, Grace must help rescue Sarah . . . or Sarah's sullied reputation will ruin her life. But was Sarah really kidnapped? It's up to Lady Pursuivant to find out!All miscreants and ill-thinkers, keep out! The Lady Grace Mysteries come from the most privy and secret daybookes of Lady Grace Cavendish, Maid of Honour to Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I of that name. The author lives in Whitehall Palace, Middlesex, in Gods Own Chosen Kingdom of England.; Title: Betrayal (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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14,790 | 0 | Grade 4-7Set in two time periods, Moonshower's novel is a riveting look at actual earthquakes in New Madrid, MO, in 1811-12 and a compelling drama. Zoey, a modern 13-year-old, is embarrassed by her Native American heritage and her midwife mother. While on a school field trip, a storm hits and she is whipped back into the past. She meets Prudence, whose mother is struggling with a pregnancy and whose minister father is away converting Indians. Prudence is enamored with Chief Kalopin, a legendary Chickasaw chief who fell in love with a Choctaw maiden. Their marriage is said to have caused the curse that changed the course of the Mississippi River and created Lake Reelfoot. The lives of these characters, some fictional and some real, intertwine amid the famous earthquakes. The narrative alternates between Prudence and Zoey, using a journal/diary format to relate the story. Zoey helps Prudence's mother with the birthing process and gains a new respect for her mother's work. The experience makes her appreciate her background and gain a knowledge of history and her ancestors. Some clever details are mixed in with the conclusion to give readers a feeling that the whole time-travel incident really happened. Moonshower captures the perfect blend of fact and fantasy, past and present, adventure and characterization to make this a compelling first novel. It's is a must-purchase for libraries in the Tennessee and Missouri regions. Other libraries should also consider it worthwhile.Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-6. When a freak storm forces children on a field trip off the school bus, contemporary middle-schooler Zoey Smith-Jones is plunged back in time to 1811 and the beginning of a geophysical assault known as the New Madrid earthquakes. Zoey's experiences, told in entries in her diary, which she carries throughout her time-travel adventures, are interspersed among those of her nineteenth-century counterpart, Prudence, the daughter of white settlers. The plot weaves together two urgent experiences: the earthquakes, described with much attention to sensory detail, and Zoey's struggle to come to terms with her Native American ancestry. Both girls are brave, resourceful, and credible products of their times, and their contact with one another opens their awareness to mysteries that neither science nor religion can explain. Zoey's feelings about her relationship to the local native peoples seem contrived, but children are likely to focus mostly on her bravery when faced with the discomforts of the past and on the oddities that accompany her return to her own times. Francisca GoldsmithCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Legend of Zoey | [
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14,791 | 0 | WHEN MARGARET CAVENDISH, one of Elizabeth I's Gentlewomen of the Bedchamber, lost her life in a bungled attempt to kill the Queen, her daughter, Lady Grace, became a protégée to the monarch, who takes Grace under her wing. Now Grace, a spunky girl who romps through the gardens with the laundry maids and court tumblers and rolls her eyes at her fellow ladies, chronicles the court intrigues that swirl around her. . . .It's the spring of 1569 and 13-year-old Lady Grace, the youngest lady-in-waiting to the Queen, finds herself at a glittering ball choosing amongst three suitors. But the Queen's generosity turns deadly as threats, dark secrets, and even murder descend on the Tudor court. And it is up to Grace to use her intelligence, stealth, and curious nature to solve the mystery that threatens the very lifeblood of England.All miscreants and ill-thinkers, keep out! The Lady Grace Mysteries come from the most privy and secret daybookes of Lady Grace Cavendish, Maid of Honour to Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I of that name. The author lives in Whitehall Palace, Middlesex, in God’s Own Chosen Kingdom of England.; Title: Assassin (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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14,792 | 2 | Like its predecessor, Space Race, Sylvia Waugh's whimsical yet thought-provoking fantasy Earthborn chronicles the doings of visitors from the enlightened planet Ormingat. Nesta Gwynn, a 12-year-old living in northern England, has grown up believing her parents are from Boston, but after the publicity surrounding the disappearance of a father and son (the protagonists of Space Race), she learns the truth that the Gwynns came from Ormingat and that she, Nesta, is destined to return with them. Can she manage to stay on Earth? Ages 10-up.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4-7-When 12-year-old Nesta, who thinks her mother and father come from Boston, finds out that they are really from the planet Ormingat, she is horrified. Even worse, her parents must leave Earth in just a few days, which means that she must go, too, to a planet that she has never seen and into an alien body. If they are not on the spaceship by the deadline, they must stay on Earth forever, so Nesta runs away, gambling that her parents will not depart without her. Set in England, this independent sequel to Space Race (Delacorte, 2000) is science fiction, but it is first and foremost a complex and absorbing look at three people struggling with a difficult and highly secret situation. Nesta is masterfully drawn, full of resolve even when terrified. Her mother and father, who have a dilemma every bit as anguishing as hers, are fascinating people in their own right, as is the girl's friend Amy. Every moment is magical in this enthralling book about the meaning of home.Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Earthborn | [
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14,793 | 2 | Grade 6 UpWhen the Finches take in a church-sponsored refugee family from war-torn Sierra Leone, teenage Jared is annoyed that he has to share his room with Mattu, who is his age. Sixth-grader Mopsy, however, is thrilled to embrace Alake and wants to turn her into a "best" friend. Alake doesn't talk, barely eats, and is plagued by nightmares. Meanwhile, Kara Finch takes the Amabo parents under her wing, teaching them about conveniences such as microwaves. The family brings no luggage except for two boxes of cremated remains. Through snooping, Jared and Mopsy find uncut diamonds in the ashes. Unlike their parents, they realize that something is amiss in this family. The Amabos do not talk, or touch, or seem to care about each other. Cooney brilliantly contrasts the horror of Africa's civil wars with the overwhelming abundance and naivety of American suburban life. Jared's narcissism, selfishness, and racism disintegrate when he confronts true evil. How families mysteriously bond and care for one another is examined under the dramatic circumstances of two disparate groups trying to make things work. When Jared learns that Mattu never heard of the Holocaust, he is astonished. But, Mattu tells him, "We have those in Africa. I have been in one." Indeed, more than 60 years later, we are learning about ever-new Holocausts.Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Cooney's Connecticut church has sponsored war refugee families, and her stirring teen novel neither sensationalizes nor minimizes the brutality of their experiences. Her story unfolds through the alternating narratives of the American teens in a host family and African refugee teens, who can't forget what happened even as they adjust to their new surroundings and try to convince themselves they will eventually find a safe home. While Jared is angry that he has to share his room with Mattu and introduce the refugee at school, his younger sister tries to help Alake, who is mute and still. What horrors did Alake witness? Even in America, there's fear to be dealt with: a killer wants the uncut diamonds he forced Mattu and Alake to smuggle out for him. The climax is too neat, but tension mounts in a novel that combines thrilling suspense and a story about innocence lost. Rochman, Hazel; Title: Diamonds in the Shadow | [
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14,794 | 2 | Grade 13In the third easy chapter book about the Pain (first-grader Jake) and the Great One (third-grader Abigail), Blume relates several common childhood concerns. Each chapter begins with an illustration to let readers know which sibling is narrating. The Great One tells about her brother losing a tooth and her phase of wanting to be known as Violet Rose. Jake explains what happened the day he was a waiter when the first graders opened the "Breakfast Club" in their classroom and about the time a student took her dog to school and it ran off with Jake's stuffed elephant. The two siblings squabble but it is normal, harmless teasing, and when the chips are down they band together, as in the chapter about their run-in with the school bully. The family cat, Fluzzy, ends the book with a brief chapter of how he also would like a new name. Stevenson's trademark ink sketches add interest and humor to the stories. No new ground is broken here, but the topics are those to which early-elementary graders can relate.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Blume continues a series that started as a picture book and then expanded into a chapter book series with Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (2007). This entry finds first-grader Jake, the Pain to his sister, and third-grader Abigail, the self-proclaimed Great One, telling their stories in alternating chapters. Their concerns are familiar and reader friendly: a loose tooth, being bullied, love of a stuffed animal, and, of course, sibling rivalry. Yet brother and sister are always there for each other, and the durability of the bond is the strong underpinning for Blumes frothy style. Recently independent readers will find this just the book to push their skills forward. Stevensons gray-washed line illustrations add to the fun. Grades 3-5. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One (Pain & the Great One) | [
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14,795 | 2 | The Pain and the Great One first appeared in a 1985 picture book.In this chapter book,theyget a fuller treatment that's just right for the audience.First-grader Jake is the Pain, the annoying thornin the side of the Great One (third-grader Abigail). The short, funny chapters point up the push-pull relationship between the siblings, but sometimes they focus on only one of the characters: Abigail can't ride a bike and worries about it throughoutone story;Jake has fun playing with his aunt's visiting dog, despite thecanine's serious doggy breath.A more tender side to the relationship comes out in a story in which they both appear. Jake is suddenly afraid of haircuts, so Abigail cuts cardboard covers to protect his ears, even as she denies it's to help him. As one would expect from Blume, the book provides plenty of family-familiarfun, and Stevenson's signature ink artwork boosts the tale with amusing pictures that pull the reader along. Cooper, IleneStarred review, School Library Journal, August 2007:"[T]he stories are sweet and accurately depict the growing pains of childhood."; Title: Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (Pain & the Great One) | [
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14,796 | 2 | Grade 7 UpAs in Kit's Wilderness (2000) and The Fire-Eaters (2004, both Delacorte), Almond revisits the English north country of his youth to spin this metaphysical tale of boys in conflict. Davie and his friend Geordie are altar boys, but are beginning to doubt the value of their long-held religious beliefs. They live in fear of the bullying Mouldy, a hulking, drunken lout from a neighboring village whom they're sure is out to kill them. Enter Stephen, a slightly older boy whose father is dead, whose mother is mad, and who was reputedly kicked out of priestly training for some kind of trouble related to devil worship and performing a Black Mass. A talented sculptor, he proceeds to scare Davie silly with his talk of creating life, of creating, in fact, a monster that will wreak revenge on Mouldy. Davie sees Stephen's clay figures move. Is it hypnotism, faith, or madness? Whatever, their monster is eventually made real. Mouldy may have been killed by it in a fall from a cliff, and Davie wrestles with his guilt until he ultimately destroys it. This is a Catholic ghost story, a sort of Secret Life of Boys with which many readers, should they persevere through the heavily nuanced language, will identify. While the look of the book is deceptively simple, the weighty content of the plot and its accompanying themes are chilling, indeed.Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. In Almond's beautiful novel Skellig (1999), a boy finds a fragile angel-like creature in his garden shed, but in this book the magical realism goes much further. The author sets a Frankenstein monster story in a small, contemporary English town. Mischievous altar boy Davie explains how a strange new kid, Stephen, convinces him to steal the body and blood of Christ from church, which the boys use to create a huge clay monster that obeys their wishes. Should the boys send Clay to kill Mouldy, the vicious local bully? When Mouldy falls to his death in the local quarry, Davie wonders if Clay is responsible. Is the monster reading his thoughts? How much of Davie is in the monster? The scary monster-come-to-town story raises big issues about God, creativity, and evil, but Davie's first-person narrative is never preachy. Discussions about art ("our passion to create goes with our passion to destroy") and religion (Has God abandoned us because we created nuclear bombs and gas chambers?) are beautifully handled, as is the portrait of Davie's happy family. Rooted in the ordinariness of a community and in one boy's chance to play God, this story will grab readers with its gripping action and its important ideas. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Clay | [
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14,797 | 0 | Grade 4-7-In 1933, as the Great Depression hits his Pittsburgh neighborhood, Mike Costa has a handful of problems to face. The family business is in financial trouble, his grandfather is losing his memory, and he faces bullying and anti-Italian prejudice at school. Meanwhile, his job as family rat catcher leads him to investigate the mysterious sickness that has killed some local hoboes, and affected his own grandfather. From the start, this fast-paced novel puts readers right into the vivid world of "the Strip" where Mike lives. His confused feelings of guilt about the neighborhood homeless and the squalid home of his bullying classmate add powerful human touches to the effects of the Depression. Though Mike has to rely on help from his archenemy, and helps him in turn, the boys quite realistically remain foes afterward. The mystery of why there are suddenly no rats for Mike to catch adds to the fast pace, though an encounter with moonshiners seems more contrived than other plot developments. As protagonist, Mike seems like an ordinary boy at first, but learns to solve his problems with intelligence, rather than the straightforward resistance his grandpa and uncles preach. His actions and his perceptions give readers an involving and informative kid's-eye look at several aspects of city life in the 1930s.Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, ORCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-8. In 1933 Pittsburgh, sixth-grader Mike Costa's family owns a food warehouse. The school bully torments Mike for this, calling him Macaroni Boy. Mike's job is to kill rats in the cellar, but each morning, when he checks his traps, he notices that there are fewer rats in the traps and more dead ones on the street. He notices also that his grandfather is becoming increasingly ill. With the help of his best friend, Joseph, Mike sets out to discover if there is a link between the dying rats and his grandfather's illness. Eventually, they piece enough clues together to determine the cause of the health problems. The mystery, however, is secondary to Ayres' evocation of Pittsburgh at the height of the Depression. She effectively describes not only Mike's warehouse-district neighborhood but also the highly anxious mind-set of the era. Mike's world is not, however, unrelentingly grim; he's surrounded by a loving extended family who helps him gradually gain a more mature understanding of the world. Todd MorningCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Macaroni Boy | [
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14,798 | 2 | Grade 13The Pain and the Great One are back in another series of short vignettes. This time Jacob, aka the Pain, is embarrassed when he makes a mistake in front of the entire class, and Abigail, aka the Great One, deals with the betrayal of trust when her good friend Sasha steals her story. The brother and sister also contend with obnoxious cousins when they visit their curmudgeonly Uncle Phil and with mean Madison Purdy when they have a snow day. Like the previous volumes, this book concludes with a chapter from the family cat, Fluzzy. Stevenson's ink sketches are interspersed throughout the chapters and add detail to the stories. The situations are believable, and many readers will relate to the squabbles between the siblings and their school experiences. A nice addition, but not an essential purchase unless the series has a strong following.Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Many kids will befriend this delightful fourth chapter book about the slice-of-life experiences of a third-grade sister (the Great One) and her first-grade brother (the Pain).The siblings trade narration of chapters that describe recent excitement at home and at school, such as a birthday party with burned cupcakes or shopping with contentious cousins. Fluzzy the cat once again stretches his literary whiskers and contributes the last chapter. Blumes singular ability to portray the minutiae ofa childs everydaylife with humor is perfectly complemented by Stevensons occasional line drawings that extend the storys charm and fully shaped characters. Grades 1-4. --Andrew Medlar; Title: Friend or Fiend? with the Pain and the Great One | [
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14,799 | 0 | Gr. 4-7. Running down the alphabet, Exile is the fifth title in the series that began with Assassin (2004), written by Patricia Finney, though the purported author of all the volumes is Lady Grace Cavendish, protege of Queen Elizabeth I. In this tale, a jewel is stolen from an exiled noble from Sharakand. When a laundry maid is falsely accused of the crime, Grace tries to discover the thief's identity. Less convincing than the portrayals of the English characters are the colorful but cardboard figures of the visitors from Sharakand. Still, this is an enjoyable mystery, which moves swiftly to a satisfying conclusion. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedThe Fifteenth Day of January, in the Year of Our Lord 1570The Queen's Presence Chamber--late morningI am sitting with the other Maids of Honour, awaiting the Queen. We are huddled as close to the roaring fire as we can get without scorching our skirts. I must be especially careful for Mrs. Champernowne, the Mistress of the Maids, has warned that there is not an endless supply of kirtles for me. (The last one only had a little tear from my recent entanglement with a holly bush and I did not mean to put my foot through the hole!)We are not usually at the Palace of Placentia at this season. We moved here in a rush, for there was talk of plague near Whitehall last month, where we were to have spent the winter. I think it was just a rumour, for plague generally strikes in summer, but Her Majesty has a horror of it. So there was nothing for it but we must pack everything up and come to Greenwich.Mrs. Champernowne has left instructions that we are to do our embroidery and listen dutifully while Mary Shelton reads to us from "A Godly Meditation of the Christian Soul," by Marguerite of Angouleme. It is the Queen's own translation, done when she was only fifteen, and I am sure it is excellent--but Marguerite of Angouleme is a little too Godly for my taste.I am pleased to write in my new daybooke. It is a beautiful book with a pink vellum cover, and a gift from Her Majesty herself for the New Year. I must be certain I do not make ink blots over it. But that will be hard, for I have exciting news!Today a most unusual guest arrives at the palace--Banoo Yasmine of Sharakand! "Banoo" means "Lady," for Banoo Yasmine is from a noble family and said to be very beautiful. Sharakand is thousands of miles away near the Holy Lands. No one at Court has ever visited it, but the stories are many and the Maids are chattering of exotic clothes, strange animals, and fruit to be picked from the trees all year round. Banoo Yasmine is an exile from this wondrous place and Her Majesty has offered her sanctuary. I must be sure that no one peeks over my shoulder as I write, for only I of all the Maids know the reason for the Banoo's exile. It is most entertaining to listen to their fanciful ideas on the subject."I have heard she is a great sorceress!" said Penelope. "Mayhap she has upset someone by turning them into an earwig.""I am certain that she must have fled on account of a prince of Araby," Lady Sarah Bartelmy told us all with a flick of her copper curls. "He wanted to steal her away because he was smitten with love for her." Lady Sarah thinks of nothing but love and marriage."That could be true," agreed Mary Shelton, "for her beauty is legendary. She will surely win all the men's hearts here at Court."That, however, did not please my fine Lady Sarah, for she considers herself to be the most beautiful of the Maids and does not like any sniff of competition. "No one has yet seen her!" she snapped. "I warrant that in truth she is really ugly and has cast an enchantment on those who look at her! That would be how she caught the eye of the prince of Araby.""Perhaps you should try that, Sarah," said Lady Jane Coningsby, very sweetly. Lady Jane and Lady Sarah see themselves as rivals for the affections of all the young unmarried gentlemen at Court and cannot be friends. But before Lady Sarah could make a barbed reply there were shrieks from Carmina and Penelope."We must not be unkind about the Banoo!" exclaimed Carmina. "Or she may cast a spell on us!""She could turn us into frogs!" giggled Penelope."Or crows!" squealed Carmina. "Or even pigs!" They rocked with laughter till I thought they would fall off their cushions."In truth," I said solemnly, "the Banoo will not need to turn you into any beast.""Why not?" asked Mary."Because she will bring her own fabulous creatures with her," I told them, trying not to laugh. "What are they?" gasped Carmina and Penelope in one breath."Huge birds that can carry a man on their wings, fearsome snakes, and giant lizards with two heads," I said. "And they are all her enemies under enchantment. Now I must begin my new daybooke before Her Majesty arrives. It will please her to see me writing in it."I wish that the Banoo's story was as exotic as the Maids imagine. Alas, it is rather sad. The Queen told me the real reason for Banoo Yasmine's visit some weeks ago when her messenger came with letters asking for sanctuary. "Keep your counsel until the Banoo's arrival, Grace," she bade me. "For the other Maids are too apt to gossip. They would work themselves into a great ferment over the matter and I have not the patience to bear it." The Queen often confides in me, for she knows I am her loyal subject and would not break her confidence. I have been at Court since my birth, and the Queen is my godmother. Both my parents are dead. My father died just after I was born and two years ago my dear mother drank poisoned wine intended for the Queen, thus saving Her Majesty's life but losing her own. I am the youngest Maid of Honour in Her Majesty's service, and secretly--it still gives me a thrill to write it--I am her Lady Pursuivant. That means it is my duty to seek out wrongdoers and those who wish her ill. But I am wandering from my story. The Queen told me that the Banoo comes from a noble family which has served the kings of Sharakand for centuries. The head of the family has always been the king's Chief Minister, rather as Secretary Cecil is to our Queen. And so it has been for hundreds of years. But now all is changed. There has been a revolt. The old king was murdered by a usurper who took the throne by force. The new king, Ashraf, declared the Banoo's family to be traitors and had them killed! Only Banoo Yasmine escaped. She fled Sharakand with a few of her loyal servants and her horses. She hopes to find a safe home in England, and so she comes to ask our Queen for sanctuary and for a loan, since the new king has stolen so much of her land and wealth that she is left quite poor! She will have to provide the Queen with surety for the loan, of course--something of a similar value that the Queen will hold in her safekeeping until the loan is repaid. But the Banoo still has many jewels--and mayhap some fabulous beasts or items of sorcery that are not to be found in all of England!; Title: Exile (The Grace Mysteries) | [
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