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17,400 | 16 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A story that invites participation and promotes letter recognition. When Little x disappears from Charley's Alphabet, the rest of the letters search for him, finding him in the castle of Master M. To their surprise, he does not want to be rescued, because he is useful there unlike at home, where Charley seldom uses him. When Master M awakes and threatens to use the letters in soup, Little x comes to the rescue and they all return home safely. There, Charley helps his dad decorate a birthday cake for his mother, and he uses Little x four times-because it is the only letter that stands for kisses. As in Alphabet Adventure (Scholastic, 2001), children will work on a skill necessary to begin reading as they enjoy the story and the bright, three-dimensional-looking digital illustrations filled with detail.Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-Gr. 2. Charley's letters from Alphabet Adventure (2001) set off on another escapade to find Little x, who was absent from the bedtime roll call. After Little t tattles that x took a pencil and flew away, the other letters hop on a pencil and take off to hunt for him. They find him in a castle, held captive by Giant M, a miserable monster. It seems Little x ran away because Charley never used him. But Little i knows a secret; tomorrow is Charley's mother's birthday, and Charley plans to use Little x. Monster M lets Little x go and allows each letter to choose a gift from his treasure room. As it turns out, Charley makes a cake, spells out "I Love You Mom," and uses Little x four times--for kisses, of course. Visual and verbal puns add to the fun of learning the alphabet, as do the vividly colored, digitally created illustrations that look like animated photographs. Kids will love the "I Spy" aspect of matching letters to the gifts. Julie CumminsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Alphabet Mystery | [
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17,401 | 20 | ...Emily Sper's book is a precursor to the family gathering, explaining the customs that the children will soon see. -- Suburban Chicago Newspapers...The use of Hebrew, in Hebrew type and transliterated, gives the beginning Hebrew student a challenge.... -- virtualjerusalem.comA good read-aloud all year round...to remind children of the celebration that will come again each spring. -- Childrenslit.comBesides being fun, this book has a uniquely personal feel that reaches to the heart and soul of its readers. -- Virtualjerusalem.comClever paper engineering turns The Passover Seder into interactive educational fun. Bold yet polished graphics ensure a strong visual appeal. -- Publishers Weekly, February 24, 2003Sper's colorful novelty book provides a retelling of the Passover story and takes young readers through a hands-on seder experience. -- Newport This WeekYoungsters can spin the seder plate, read the Four Questions and hunt for the piece of matzah... -- The Salt Lake Tribune; Title: The Passover Seder | [
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17,402 | 1 | Grade 2-4–Davis has chosen 15 presidents, briefly summarizing their terms of office and highlighting the unusual animals they kept, as well as the quirky behavior of both the creatures and their owners. While some of the pet facts are mildly entertaining, the book is replete with sweeping generalizations that are often unfounded or misleading. For example: "Jefferson was a true democrat.… [he] not only believed in equal rights for people, he believed in equal rights for animals, too." Jefferson as a slaveholder is ignored. President Buchanan "was too old and cautious to make hard decisions." The relationship drawn between age and decision- making is ridiculous. "World War I was a time of plots and spies under every bed." Will the intended audience recognize the hyperbole here or take it literally? A section presenting some information about the other presidents is included, but with the same difficulties in terms of generalizations. Johnson's watercolor illustrations are amusing, but cannot compensate for the problems with the text. For a humorous, eclectic, but more accurate peek at the presidency, stay with Judith St. George's So You Want to Be President? (Philomel, 2000).–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. John Quincy Adams briefly kept an alligator in the East Room during his presidency. Ronald Reagan had a First Fish, sent to him in the mail by a 10-year-old boy. Sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue has witnessed 400 different pets, from Lincoln's goats to Coolidge's raccoon. This whimsical topic will appeal to young history buffs and provide entertaining insights into the family life of presidents. The art, rightly, goes for the humor, but neither the delicate, muted colors used, nor the stiff design, are especially engaging. Still, breezy, exclamation point-ridden, corny joke-filled tales about the likes of Dolley Madison's pet parrot, rescued when British troops set fire to the White House during the War of 1812, and Woodrow Wilson's tobacco-chewing ram can't help but amuse. The 43 presidents are listed in chronological order in the back, with nicknames, brief historical notations about term highlights, and lists of pets--most of which are dogs. A bibliography is appended. Karin SnelsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Wackiest White House Pets | [
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17,403 | 0 | Kristiana Gregory grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, two blocks from the ocean. She's always loved to make up stories [ask her family!], telling her younger siblings whoppers that would leave them wide-eyed and shivering. Her first rejection letter at age ten was for a poem she wrote in class when she was supposed to be doing a math assignment. She's had a myriad of odd jobs: telephone operator, lifeguard, camp counselor, reporter, book reviewer & columnist for the LA Times, and finally author. Her award-winning books include STALKED, which earned the 2012 Gold Medal for Young Adult Mystery from Literary Classics and is hailed as "historical fiction with a thrilling twist." KIRKUS calls it "an atmospheric confection that will thrill YA readers ... Gregory achieves a realistic, rich atmosphere with insightful details about the immigration process and New York tenements in the early 1900s." Now available on Kindle and in paperback. JENNY OF THE TETONS [Harcourt] won the Golden Kite Award in 1989 and was the first of two-dozen historical novels for middle grade readers. Several of Kristiana's titles are now available on Kindle including "Curiously Odd Stories: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2" with the celebrated 'Paper Monument', a futuristic book-banning with horrific consequences. MY DARLIN' CLEMENTINE [Holiday House] takes place in an Idaho mining camp of 1866, based on the song of that name, and was Idaho's top pick for the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. BRONTE'S BOOK CLUB [HH] is set in a town by the sea and is inspired by the girls' book club Kristiana led for several years. Her most recent title with Scholastic's Dear America series is CANNONS AT DAWN, a sequel to the best-selling THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, which was made into a movie for the HBO Family Channel. Kristiana and her husband have two adult sons, and live in Idaho with their two golden retrievers. In her spare time she loves to swim, walk, hike, read, and hang out with friends. She's trying to learn to knit, but isn't yet having much success. Check out Kristiana's blogs at http://notesfromthesunroom.blogspot.com/ for behind-the-scenes stories about her books, and with photos from her childhood.; Title: Prairie River #4 | [
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17,404 | 15 | Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of Indigo, Aquamarine, The Foretelling, Incantation, and, for adults, Practical Magic and The Third Angel, among many other acclaimed works. Her latest novel is Green Witch. She lives in Massachusetts.; Title: Green Angel | [
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17,405 | 0 | Kristiana Gregory has published more than 30 children's books with Scholastic, Harcourt and Holiday House, and has now ventured into self-publishing with her memoir "Longhand: The Rise and Fall and Rise of My Career a Children's Book Author." She grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, two blocks from the beach and she always loved to make up stories. Her first rejection letter at age eleven was for a poem she wrote in class when she was supposed to be doing a math assignment. She's had a myriad of odd jobs: telephone operator, lifeguard, camp counselor, reporter, book reviewer & columnist for the LA Times. Kristiana and her husband live in Idaho with their golden retriever, Poppy. Their two adult sons visit often. In her spare time she loves to swim, hike, watch clouds, do yoga, read & hang out with friends. For all her titles, please visit her website: www.kristianagregory.com --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.; Title: Prairie River #3 | [
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17,406 | 13 | Grade 1-5-In his fifth visual math adventure, Tang uses the artwork of 12 famous painters as an aid in developing problem-solving skills through grouping. Each spread features a quality reproduction on the left side. The poem underneath it highlights an item in the picture and presents a math query. For example, on the spread titled "Dancing Shoes," illustrated with Edgar Degas's Ballet Rehearsal on Stage, readers are asked to combine the colorful pictures of varying numbers of ballet shoes on the opposite page into several groups of seven. ("Can you make 7 with these SHOES?/THREE clever ways earn rave reviews!") Clearly written solutions to these exercises are given at the end of the book along with art definitions and brief explanations. This math-concept book is far more appealing than most.Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-4. Tang and Paprocki, who also wrote and illustrated The Best of Times (2002) and Math Appeal (2003), again challenge children to take a playful approach to learning math, using elements from famous paintings by artists such as Matisse, Mondrian, and Warhol. For instance, one double-page spread has a reproduction of Dali's painting The Persistence of Memory and the verse, "Is it a dream or is it real? / It's hard to know when art's surreal. / Dali's clocks once so precise-- / now they're melting just like ice. / Find SEVEN ways to make an 8 / group the CLOCKS, it's getting late!" Paprocki's more colorful versions of melting clocks are grouped on the facing page, and the groups can be combined in seven different ways that add up to eight clocks. Children drawn to the gamelike element will undoubtedly become more familiar with the paintings, though the main point is combining the sets of objects. This book provides an attractive setting for that activity. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving | [
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17,407 | 14 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A story about an enormous pumpkin that gets out of hand. The Baxter boys make the mistake of cutting it from the vine before they have worked out how to get it safely home. With a repeated rhythmic chorus that kids will love to chime in on, the pumpkin makes its way through the hillside farm, scattering animals and Baxters in its wake. The family members finally manage to get it inside, and Granny cooks up a feast for Halloween supper. Schindler's gouache-and-pencil illustrations are amusing and rich in detail. Children will enjoy seeing the animals' reactions, as the out-of-control pumpkin wreaks havoc on sty and henhouse, and will also appreciate the family's inventive Halloween costumes. This is a fun read-aloud, without the dark overtones of so many of the holiday's stories, but it pays to practice the text once or twice as it can be a bit of a tongue-twister. At the end, readers are likely to be left with a longing for an appendix of Granny's recipes.Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-K. Lewis, the author of Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo (1999) and My Truck Is Stuck (2002) offers another silly, rollicking action story for preschoolers. Rhymed couplets tell the tale: Buck and Billy Baxter and their little sister, Lil, are climbing a hill on Halloween when they happen upon an enormous pumpkin. The brothers Baxter ignore wise Lil's cautions and cut the pumpkin from its vine. Down the hill it tumbles, crashing through the family farm, finally coming to rest after Papa uses his tractor to dig a ditch to catch the gigantic squash. That night, the family gathers in costume to enjoy a smorgasbord of pumpkin treats, joined by the pumpkin itself, now transformed into an enormous jack-o'-lantern. The rhyme and rhythm occasionally feels forced, but Lewis' words capture the rolling pumpkin's "thumpin' bumpin'" rhythm, and Schindler's paintings extend the story's tall-tale humor with detail and action that's perfect for entertaining a crowd. An obvious choice for rowdy, fall story hours. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Runaway Pumpkin | [
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17,408 | 0 | Grade 4-6-Nessa Clemens has lived in an orphanage in Missouri for as long as she can remember, but Mr. Carey has a strict rule that children must leave at age 14. Nessa has been promised as a bride to the Reverend McDuff, and her 14th birthday is just days away. The reverend has told her that it is God's will that she become his wife, but she is not willing to enter a loveless marriage. She runs away by stagecoach to Prairie River, KS. Once there, she faces the constant fear that someone will send her back to Missouri, causing her to keep to herself and not share in the confidences of those who would be her friends. Through it all, her faith keeps her strong as she tries to make a new life for herself. In this first book in the series, Gregory has created strong, realistic Christian characters. Nessa's world, an 1865 prairie settlement town, is rich in description and historical detail. Nessa's faith, apparent throughout the book in the prayers she writes, scripture verses, and hymn lyrics, is not overwhelming, but rather flows with the narrative. An enjoyable story with a memorable protagonist.Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, ALCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kristiana Gregory grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, two blocks from the ocean. She's always loved to make up stories [ask her family!], telling her younger siblings whoppers that would leave them wide-eyed and shivering. Her first rejection letter at age ten was for a poem she wrote in class when she was supposed to be doing a math assignment. She's had a myriad of odd jobs: telephone operator, lifeguard, camp counselor, reporter, book reviewer & columnist for the LA Times, and finally author. Her award-winning books include STALKED, which earned the 2012 Gold Medal for Young Adult Mystery from Literary Classics and is hailed as "historical fiction with a thrilling twist." KIRKUS calls it "an atmospheric confection that will thrill YA readers ... Gregory achieves a realistic, rich atmosphere with insightful details about the immigration process and New York tenements in the early 1900s." Now available on Kindle and in paperback. JENNY OF THE TETONS [Harcourt] won the Golden Kite Award in 1989 and was the first of two-dozen historical novels for middle grade readers. Several of Kristiana's titles are now available on Kindle including "Curiously Odd Stories: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2" with the celebrated 'Paper Monument', a futuristic book-banning with horrific consequences. MY DARLIN' CLEMENTINE [Holiday House] takes place in an Idaho mining camp of 1866, based on the song of that name, and was Idaho's top pick for the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. BRONTE'S BOOK CLUB [HH] is set in a town by the sea and is inspired by the girls' book club Kristiana led for several years. Her most recent title with Scholastic's Dear America series is CANNONS AT DAWN, a sequel to the best-selling THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, which was made into a movie for the HBO Family Channel. Kristiana and her husband have two adult sons, and live in Idaho with their two golden retrievers. In her spare time she loves to swim, walk, hike, read, and hang out with friends. She's trying to learn to knit, but isn't yet having much success. Check out Kristiana's blogs at http://notesfromthesunroom.blogspot.com/ for behind-the-scenes stories about her books, and with photos from her childhood. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.; Title: Prairie River #1: A Journey Of Faith | [] | Validation |
17,409 | 1 | Nancy Tafuri is the acclaimed author/illustrator of more than 30 children's books, including the Caldecott Honor Book Have You Seen My Duckling? "I feel honored to be creating literature for young children," she says. "Seeing how very important these early years are in children's lives, I hope that my books contribute in some small way to their growth, with the feelings I try to project through line, color, shape, and story." Tafuri, who studied at New York's School of Visual Arts, lives with her husband, Tom, and their daughter, Cristina, in rural Connecticut.For more information about Nancy Tafuri, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks; Title: Silly Little Goose! | [
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17,410 | 12 | Grade 3-6Tang's seventh entry in a series that includes The Grapes of Math (2001) and Math-terpieces (2003, both Scholastic) is another winner. Each spread includes a poem consisting of neatly rhymed couplets that first set a scene (I gaze into the evening sky,/Think great thoughts and wonder why) and concludes with a hint or suggestion as to how the objects on the opposing page might most efficiently be grouped to arrive at a sum (When you look up to the heavens,/Try to think in groups of sevens!). There are no overt patterns so that, as Tang says in his author's note, children are challenged to combine numbers in smart ways, not just obvious ways. The book concludes with clear diagrams and succinct explanations providing the solutions. Briggs's computer-generated art is crisp, clear, and delightfully quirky. For example, Sock Hop features a loafer on guitar, work boots on drums, and a high-heeled pump on keyboard. Puzzle-loving kids will pick this up on their own, and teachers could pair it with Jon Scieszka's Math Curse (Viking, 1995) for an energizing departure from the standard math lesson.Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5. The seventh in Tang's math series, which includes The Grapes of Math (2000), this picture book uses all kinds of visual tricks to demonstrate how to make arithmetic faster and easier. On each double-page spread, a rhyming verse has fun with a variety of subjects. Most rhymes are about foods--including pickles, potatoes, and "flat-jacks"--and the bright, computer-generated pictures are as playful as the words. This goes far beyond the usual simple counting book. The games are complex, the visuals are tricky, and although the rhyme seems straightforward ("Instead of adding row by row / Columns are the way to go"), readers must think carefully about adding, subtracting, and multiplying. "Imagine eight in every row / Just subtract and you will know." The spacious, illustrated answer pages at the back explain the puzzles, which will be fun for classroom use as well as for kids trying to find shortcuts in the counting jungle. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Math Potatoes: Mind-stretching Brain Food | [
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17,411 | 2 | What a week! First Natty has a horrible new teacher, Miss Pike, who hates children. Then Danny, the class rat, escapes and Miss Pike wants him caught dead or alive! Natty and Ned hatch a daring plan in this race against time. But will they beat Miss Pike and rescue Danny before it is too late?; Title: Worst Week at School (Magic Pony) | [
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17,412 | 1 | LAUREN BROOKE lives outside London in an old English farmhouse. She divides her time between writing and mucking out the stalls of her two horses. In addition to writing the twenty-four Heartland books, Lauren is the author of the Chestnut Hill series.; Title: Everything Changes;HEARTLAND | [
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17,413 | 2 | There's no denying that kids love Clifford. The Big Red Dog has been a favorite since Norman Bridwell created him over 40 years ago. "I was working as a commercial artist in New York City. There wasn't much work, so I made some sample pictures and took them to several publishers. They all rejected my work. But one editor suggested that I try writing a book of my own to illustrate. I had done a painting of a little girl with a big red dog. That seemed like a funny idea, so I made up a story about them. I increased the dog's size from as big as a horse to as big as a house. My wife named the dog Clifford, and we named the little girl Emily Elizabeth after our daughter. In three days I had written the story and drawn the pictures for Clifford The Big Red Dog. When Scholastic called and said they wanted the book, I was stunned." Bridwell, who grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, lives now on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with his wife, Norma.For more information about Norman Bridwell, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks; Title: Clifford's Touch-and-Feel Day (Clifford the Big Red Dog) | [
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17,414 | 0 | After stops at Pearl Harbor and the Great Depression, this exceptional historical-fiction series for young adults continues with the diary of a "hello girl"--one of the brave young switchboard operators who volunteers for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during WWI.New York society life couldn't be more boring for 17-year-old Simone Spencer, but her diary entries are about to become a lot more exciting--for better and for worseas President Wilson brings America into the fight against the Kaiser. Simone's beloved brother Will signs up to be a doughboy, and soon after she herself finagles her way overseas to help the war effort, putting her native-sounding French (thanks to Simone's fiery mother, her "Maman") to use at a combat switchboard. (In the chaos before the liberation of St. Mihiel, Simone recalls, "If anyone had happened on this room in the midst of the battle ... they might just have thought we had gone perfectly mad. They might have thought we were screaming at one another in a sanitarium instead of an office of war.")First-time author Beth Seidel Levine does a tremendous job with her debut, spinning a charming story that folds in period details and current events with another winning Dear America female protagonist. Kids will learn along with Simone how women's involvement in the war would have a lasting impact--and, as Simone's Maman says, how sometimes "things work out better when they go the opposite way of what is expected." (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer, New York City to the Western Front 1917 (Dear America Series) | [
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17,415 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2Katie tells readers right from the get-go that she is one happy kid. She loves to play with her friends, cuddle with her parents and little brother, and just twirl through life. That is, until she goes to bed. Most nights she can "comfortable" herself right to sleep, but other nights the Jibberwillies come. This is not a new subject but the treatment here is altogether fresh. In Heo's delightful artwork, the Jibberwillies are not frightening; they are more odd-looking than anything else. Their name might sound shivery but it doesn't conjure up awful ogres hovering over the bed. Katie tries to make them go away but it just doesn't work. Mommy comes in and, with Katie nearby, catches the creatures in a bucket and tosses them out an open window. This acknowledgment of a child's fear and allaying it makes for a positive and reassuring message. Well written and artfully designed, this is a sound choice for any collection. Pair it with Ed Emberley's Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Little, Brown, 2005) to be sure the Jibberwillies are gone for good.Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* The effusive heroine of Sometimes Im Bombaloo (2002) returns in thissatisfying look at confronting nighttime fears. Most of the time, Katie Honors is a happy kid. She wakes with a smile, is known to twirl when she walks, and doesnt even mind making room for her little brother when her family cuddles on the couch. But at night, after Katie has put on her pajamas and curled up in bed, the trouble starts. Jibberwillies. Awful, noisy, flying creatures that neither bravery nor nice thoughts of ice cream can stop from going jibber in the night. The oddball monsters will look familiar to fans of Bombaloo, as will Heos distinctive mixed-media compositions, featuring bold colors and simple, expressive lines, particularly apt at showing Katies fear and uncertainty when she teams up with her mother to send the jibberwillies packing. Vail ventures into some well-trod bedtime-book territory here, butKaties narration is fresh and compelling, and her mothers clever solution to calming Katies frightcollecting the jibberwillies in a bucket and tossing them out a windowprovides readers young and old with an excellent model for dealing with their own anxieties. Preschool-Grade 2. --Kristen McKulski; Title: Jibberwillies At Night | [
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17,416 | 6 | The best way for kids to learn is by playing. So it makes sense that the entertaining, challenging, and visually stimulating I Spy series of childrens books has been such a big success in helping them have fun while expanding their minds. This handy box set contains three I Spy board books: I Spy Little Book, I Spy Little Letters, and I Spy Little Numbers. Each volume is not so much a book as a game. Instructions are given on the left page as to what to look for in the photographic montage on the right page. Walter Wicks colorful photos feature not just the object, letter, or number being sought, but also numerous other trinkets and household objects that young readers will delight in recognizing and pointing out. The density of these items minimizes the frustration factor common in some search games since theres always something to discover and discuss. In I Spy Little Numbers, for instance, the green number three can be found on the appropriate page along with, among other things, three tiny pigs, a small tricycle, a three leaf clover, and a ball with three stripes. Jean Marzollos simple yet clever rhymes add to the fun. The premise of the books, based on the enduring road trip game, makes learning more than just a passive experience, but something to fully participate in. (Ages 2 to 5). --John MoeJEAN MARZOLLO has written many award-winning children's books, including the I Spy books, the I Spy Little books, and Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. Jean lives with her husband, Claudio, in New York State's Hudson Valley.; Title: I Spy Little Learning Box | [
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17,417 | 12 | PreSchool-Grade 1--Complete with catchy titles such as "Trying Times," "Midnight Snack," and "Gone with the Wind," each brief fable told in rhyme ends with a moral. Except for some suggested activities at the end, there are no math problems or puzzles to solve. Rather, the author strives to help readers learn how to see a number as a combination of smaller groups of numbers in order to lay "the foundation for place value" and as a "first step to building strong computational skills." The text and perky, computer-generated cartoons show youngsters that there are many different ways of putting numbers together. For example, in "Going Nuts," four squirrels frolic in autumn leaves until they realize they need provisions for winter. One begins to explore while three sit on a branch, frightened with worry. Next, "2 squirrels raced to gather nuts" while "the other 2 buried them in stashes underground." Finally, "all 4 slept very well that night,/no longer feeling scared./They learned it's wise to plan ahead/and always be prepared!" Cahoon keeps the different combinations together by enclosing them in ovals, visually emphasizing that although the groupings may look different, they still add up to four. Featuring words like "sultry," "wholeheartedly," and "procrastinate," the enriching vocabulary is an added bonus. A fine addition to math shelves.--Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. As he did in Math Appeal [BKL F 15 03], Tang introduces children to the wonders of grouping numbers. Each "fable" tells a rhyming story in a two- or four-page spread, with each setup more complex than the last. One of the first fables tells of two young birds. One bird takes wing and hits the ground, and the other one falls from the sky and nearly drowns. When the birds practice together, however, they both learn to fly. In another story, 10 beavers leave for work, regrouping and reorganizing their numbers all day. A final page offers ideas to help more accelerated learners combine groups of numbers in various ways. The bright, shiny artwork, executed on a computer, sometimes appears literally rough around the edges, but the target audience will like the illustrations' happy cartoon look. Like Tang's other books, this will engage children, who may not even realize they are learning. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Math Fables: Lessons That Count | [
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17,418 | 0 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Flora, the youngest rabbit in the family, watches as her siblings do their spring planting. When her parents encourage her to participate, Flora decides to plant a brick in a pot so she can grow a house. Her family's flowers bloom and their vegetables are eaten, but to Flora's great disappointment and her family's gentle amusement, her brick remains a brick. In the cozy and satisfying conclusion, the family emerges from their burrow in spring and finds that Flora's brick has indeed become a house-a bird has chosen her pot to make a nest. Gliori's bright, cheerful, full-color watercolor-and-ink art fills the spreads with the lush abundance of spring, summer, and fall gardens. Each illustration is full of homey details that children will want to pore over. With a few lines of text per page, this story is perfect for sharing with groups or one-on-one. The ending will be as much a surprise for readers as it is for Flora. Brick solid!-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WICopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Flora's Surprise | [
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17,419 | 0 | Tony Abbott has written more than seventy novels for young readers, including Kringle, The Postcard, and Firegirl, which won SCBWI's 2006 Golden Kite Award. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.; Title: Secrets of Droon Box Set | [
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17,420 | 0 | Reviewed with Kathryn Lasky's Hope in My Heart.Gr. 3-6. An Italian immigrant child writes her diary in these two small books that are part of the My America series. Hope in My Heart is the most dramatic. After the family finally arrives at Ellis Island, nine-year-old Sofia is separated from her parents and quarantined. Terrified, angry, and knowing almost no English, she is at the mercy of officials and doctors, some of whom are prejudiced and corrupt. Only her friendship with an Irish girl and the support of a kind official and a priest make her life bearable, until her heartfelt reunion with her family. Home at Last is a conventional account of Italian Americans who struggle and eventually make it in the North End community of Boston. A teacher makes a huge difference, as does a doctor, whose character is based on a real person, Lasky's husband's grandfather. As is often the case with books in this series, the diary format is an awkward contrivance, but it certainly makes the tale more immediate. A historical note and archival photos add to the story. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: My America: Home At Last: Sofia's Immigrant Diary Book Two | [
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17,421 | 12 | Count on plenty of laughs in this antic adventure, bursting with real-life math problems and zany pictures. When Marnie's class visits the Mighty Mart, they find that the store is hopping with vexing math problems. Fortunately, Math Man (also known as Garth, the stock boy) has plenty of solutions. No room for a whole watermelon in your fridge? Try quarter slices. Can't feed five children with four snack cakes? Buy the easy-to-divide family ten pack.But Math Man's skills are really put to the test when all the cash registers go kaput. Thank heavens he can add the contents of sixty baskets in his head!; Title: Math Man | [
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17,422 | 5 | It's a fantasy, it's long, and it's got dragons in it. Dragon Rider is bound to be another hit book from Cornelia Funke! Ever since the popularity of bestselling fantasies The Thief Lord and Inkheart went global a few years ago, legions of fans have demanded more books from the German author than she can reasonably hope to write each year. So, re-discovering this hefty, earlier novel from 1997 was a logical development--and her keenest readers will devour it as before.Aimed at slightly younger readers than her previous novels, despite its massive five hundred pages, Dragon Rider is about a brave young dragon called Firedrake who embarks upon a dangerous journey to the Rim of Heaven in the Himalayas--a magical place where silver dragons can rest easy, free from the threat of destruction by mankind and their only hope of sanctuary. The key to its location is a map rendered by a rat who is a master cartographer.Firedrake is joined on his quest by Ben, an orphaned boy, and Sorrell--a wise-cracking Brownie that is an odd, but ingenious, grumpy kind of fairy. Their journey is not a straightforward one by any means. Created by an alchemist called Petrosius Henbane in 1424, Nettlebrand (a malevolent creature covered in impenetrable gold plates) is their biggest threat--he is intent on destroying them. Nettlebrand is aided by Twigleg, a homunculus who has stowed away in Ben's bag and who is feeding reports on their progress back to his master.Their exciting encounters are many... It is easy to forgive the narrative's excessive length when readers are gorging on such a wonderfully inventive and readable story from an author who has her readers in the palm of her hand on every page. (Age 9 and over) --John McLayGrade 4-6Young Firedrake is the only dragon to heed a warning from his colony's senior resident: return to the hidden city at the Rim of Heaven, or suffer imminent discovery and destruction by humans. Accompanied by a feisty Scottish brownie, an orphaned boy who becomes his dragon rider, and a large group of other supporters, Firedrake fulfills an ancient prophecy and safely returns to his ancestral home. Occasional black-and-white illustrations show many of the book's more exotic characters, a plus for young readers who may not know the folklore from which the creatures are drawn. The omniscient point of view follows each member of this ensemble at length, providing the tale with humor and action but also preventing the main characters from fully developing. The company survives encounters with a basilisk, a djinni, a roc, and a sea serpent, as well as an ongoing threat from Nettlebrand, a malevolent being intent on destroying them. Although each of these confrontations is interesting, the sheer number of episodes, the lack of strong central characters, and Nettlebrand's blustering inability to actually hurt anyone make for a story with much less dramatic tension than Funke's outstanding novels, The Thief Lord (2002) and Inkheart (2003, both Scholastic). A well-known author will assure the book's popularity, but the overlong plot is forgettable.Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Dragon Rider | [
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17,423 | 12 | Book Details:; Title: Grammar Tales: When Comma Came to Town | [
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17,424 | 21 | Gr. 4-6. Distilling experiences garnered from a lifetime of fishing, boating and wildlife observation, naturalist Arnosky offers outdoorsy readers a handbook that is as much memoir as vademecum. In an engaging mixture of personal anecdotes and practical tips, he covers the ins and outs of fresh- and saltwater fishing, with, in turn, bait, lures, and flies. He then moves on to the pleasures of messing about in small boats, and finishes with a chapter on safe, nondisruptive techniques for watching wildlife along shores and waterways. Illustrated with finished paintings, quick sketches from his notebooks (including several entire sample pages), and small but very sharp color photos, this fills in the basics on diverse topics from boating safety to artificial flies to sport fish and shore birds, while providing the sort of agreeable pleasure reading also found in Gary Paulsen's outdoor reminiscences. John PetersCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hook, Line, And Seeker: A Beginner's Guide To Fishing, Boating, and Watching Water Wildlife | [
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17,425 | 12 | Book Details:; Title: Grammar Tales: The No-Good, Rotten, Run-on Sentence | [
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17,426 | 2 | Your 2-year-old approaches daily experiences, such as bath time, with playful exuberance.Tips for reading and sharing:; Title: Bubbles, bubbles | [
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17,427 | 15 | Grade 7 UpThis detailed and informative book offers in-depth descriptions of brain processes coupled with engaging content. Intriguing illustrations and diagrams and clear, full-color photos enliven the text. Historical information pairs nicely with modern scientific knowledge and practice to provide a complete picture of the brain. The hardcore science is balanced with anecdotes that will capture student interest, such as how tightrope walkers rewire the fear centers of their brains and how lobotomies came to be popular. This is an excellent resource for reports as it is much more detailed than an encyclopedia entry or book chapter in a general physiology reference. It includes a short but effective index and a one-page list of Web resources. A handsome addition.Cass Kvenild, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-8. With an appealing, colorful design and a flashy cover, this in-depth introduction to the human brain and its remarkable powers will attract browsers, but strong readers are its best audience. Newquist begins with the brain in history, from the ancient Egyptians (who thought the brain was so worthless they scooped it out of corpses before mummifying them) up to Wilder Penfield's work in the 1950s, which proved that the brain was the source of human memory. The book goes on to discuss, in impressive detail, the structure and inner workings of the organ--glia, neurotransmitters, hypothalamuses, etc. Pencil drawings and color illustrations (many of them deliciously icky) help to lighten the weight of the vocabulary. The clever, kid-friendly anecdotes amid the anatomy lessons also enhance accessibility: the one about a man whose personality changed after a steel rod shot through his brain, and the real cause of brain freeze. John GreenCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Great Brain Book, The: an Inside Look at the Inside of Your Head | [
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17,428 | 2 | Grade 5-8-Felix, a sickly 13-year-old on vacation with his parents in Costa Rica, stands astride the Continental Divide and is transported into a world in which mythological creatures are real and humans are believed to be myths. Felix first meets a griffin, called a brazzle. Soon he meets Betony, a tangle child, known to humans as an elf. They enlist some brittlehorns (unicorns) to help Felix try to find a magical cure for his heart defect. Things go badly, though, because Snakeweed, an evil japegrin (pixie), has a plan to make a great deal of money selling bogus healing potions that are sometimes fatal. After a series of adventures, Felix is indeed healed by magic and manages to be transported back home, but Snakeweed and a couple of other evil creatures join him. This leaves the way open for a sequel. Unfortunately, while Felix and Betony do brave things, they are not well developed as characters and it is hard to become emotionally involved with them. Unicorns and brownies die, and other wonderful beings are placed in grave danger, but no one seems to care as much as they should. Felix himself is cured without much cost or sacrifice on his part, and the whole concept of a world in which mythological creatures are real but have different names begins to wear thin after a while. This is a light, enjoyable read, but one cannot escape the feeling that it has not lived up to its potential.Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NCCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-9. While visiting Costa Rica with his parents, 13-year-old Felix, who has a life-threatening heart condition, passes out. When he comes to, he finds himself in a magical world populated by griffins, unicorns, dragons, pixies, and elves. Humans, their science, and their culture are considered mythical, totally nonexistent. When he meets Betony, an elf about his age, Felix proves that he's human by showing her his flashlight, ballpoint pen, and compass. With the help of some unicorns, Felix and Betony journey toward the city where Betony's brother and sister are, but the travelers soon find themselves sought by evil pixie Snakeweed and his vicious shadow-beasts. Kay's grand adventure, which includes a search for a cure for Felix's illness and the means to send him home, is packed with humor as the protagonists work to turn the tables on Snakeweed and his minions. The conclusion points to a sequel. Sally EstesCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Divide | [
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17,429 | 2 | Dr. Phil meets Captain Underpants in Max's Logbook, the latest illustrated journal of Marissa Moss, creator of the Amelia's Notebook series. Max is an imaginative, robot-loving young fellow who, as much as he would relish living on an alien planet, finds himself stuck in a house on Earth with two fighting parents. His logbook (jam-packed with sketches, doodles, and funny asides) is "for writing scientific stuff in," including experiments from "What happens when you microwave a marshmallow?" to his more poignant Invention #4--the Prevent-a-Divorce Machine, complete with toilet brush, flowers, and chocolates. Max recreates the perfect family out of eraser tops, including Eraser Dad (holding rubbery pizza) and Eraser Brother (who he can rub out when he gets mad at him). He and his friend Omar also make eraser aliens, and they draw a comic strip together with adventures like "Alien Eraser in How the Wind Blows" involving a whoopee-cushion parachute and a grim ending in a trash can. In addition to creating a colorful smorgasbord of genuinely entertaining experiments, inventions, and comics, Moss captures the pained voice of a kid who's seriously upset about his parents' impending divorce. Young people with their own "black clouds of worries" will surely be comforted by Max who maintains his sense of humor throughout and learns (from the alien eraser in his dream) that he doesn't have to choose between his divorcing parents, that he can choose his own world, "a planet that was perfect for me." (Ages 8 and older) --Karin SnelsonGrade 3-5-Like Moss's "Amelia" (Pleasant Co.), Max keeps a notebook. He records some of his inventions and experiments, but mostly he writes about his life, both at school and at home. His parents' constant fighting is troubling to him. He fears that their arguing will lead to a divorce and tries to invent a way for his mother and father to get along better. He illustrates his logbook with pictures of his "perfect family" that he drew on pencil-top erasers. The clever artwork also includes the adventures of "Alien Eraser," a comic strip that he and his friend Omar devise. There are some funny one-liners among the humorous, color illustrations. In the end, Max's folks separate, and he realizes that he doesn't have to choose one over the other. An additional purchase where Moss's books are popular.Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Max's Logbook | [
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17,430 | 1 | Spanning 1966 to 1998, this collection of eight Clifford classics follows everybody's favorite Big Red Dog through an entire year's worth of holidays (Clifford, We Love You; Clifford's Birthday Party; Clifford's Happy Easter; Clifford's Spring Clean-Up; Clifford and the Big Parade; Clifford's Halloween; Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit; and Clifford's Christmas).The stories are as fun as ever (if a little dated--even, strangely, the more recent ones), but serious students of Clifford-ology will particularly love some of the choicer bits creator Norman Bridwell includes in this compilation: Clifford's entire family (mother, father, sisters, and brother), two Clifford puppy sightings (he's about the size of a very cute lunch box), Clifford's gigantic Halloween ghost costume (again, classic), some King Kong-style clambering over skyscrapers (in Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit), and the official Clifford song (entitled "It's Clifford," reprinted here with sheet music and handy notation). Even Clifford's religious affiliations get cleared up: the BRD is decidedly gentile, as he celebrates both Christmas and Easter, albeit in a pretty hands-off, nondenominational way.Bridwell's time-honored dog tales don't exactly rely on unpredictability for their charm (they're funny because he's big), and this collection is no exception. But if you love Clifford--or you love someone else who loves Clifford--you can't go wrong getting in on the big guy's celebrations. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes; Title: Clifford Celebrates The Year | [
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17,431 | 1 | Kindergarten-Grade 3As in Dear Mrs. LaRue (Scholastic, 2002), "local dog" Ike LaRue tells his story through a series of misleading letters to his owner. When two neighborhood cats disappear, the pup winds up a jailed suspect. A black-and-white illustration depicts his pitiful plight as he would like Mrs. LaRue to imagine itsadly blowing on a harmonica in jail. The real situation, in which he shares doughnuts and coffee with a friendly police officer, is revealed in a color illustration on the same spread. This type of juxtaposition continues as Ike slips out to track down the cats on his own. Pictures reveal that the tireless legwork he describes to his owner is actually time spent relaxing in a luxury hotel. Despite his life of ease, the pooch finally does find the missing felines, and he becomes a hero. The contrast between the melodrama of Ike's imagined world and the comfort of his true experiences should elicit many smiles. The placement of the color and black-and-white scenes varies with each spread, which helps prevent the pictorial construct from being predictable or repetitive. Teague's visual characterizations of animals and people are also a treat. Ike displays a variety of emotions and attitudes, often subtly conveyed by posture, facial expression, or even just the tilt of an eyebrow. The cat-bashing references in the dog's letters add another touch of humor to this satisfying epistolary tale.Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. In Teague's sequel to Dear Mrs. LaRue (2002), a pair of cats hungry for canary flesh have escaped their apartment and left Ike holding the bag--a bag of incriminating cat treats. "Apparently it is easier for some people to blame a dog than to solve a crime," sniffs the offended Ike in a letter to his vacationing owner. As in the first book, children can tease apart truth from exaggeration by interpolating among the letters, the color scenes of reality, and Ike's gumshoe fantasies, cleverly rendered in black and white. It turns out that the "daring escape" from police custody is really a casual leave-taking ("I'm sure he'll come back when he gets hungry," says the officer in charge); his nighttime investigations are conducted from the comfort of a posh hotel room. The noir-inspired premise drifts farther from doggy reality than the first book's, but children will get a thrill out of piecing together the mystery alongside the wily, self-serving, yet eminently lovable Ike. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation | [
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17,432 | 0 | Praise for The Story of Ruby Bridges"Ford's moving watercolour paintings... capture the physical warmth of Ruby's family and community, the immense powers against her, and her shining inner strength." -BooklistAwarded the Pulitzer Prize for volumes two and three of the five-volume work CHILDREN IN CRISIS, Robert Coles is the author of many distinguished books for adults. A research psychiatrist at Harvard University, Dr. Coles lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.George Ford has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including RAY CHARLES by Sharon Bell Mathis, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, and PAUL ROBESON by Eloise Greenfield, winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. Mr. Ford lives with his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: The Story Of Ruby Bridges: Special Anniversary Edition | [
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17,433 | 2 | Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of Indigo, Aquamarine, The Foretelling, Incantation, and, for adults, Practical Magic and The Third Angel, among many other acclaimed works. Her latest novel is Green Witch. She lives in Massachusetts.; Title: Aquamarine And Indigo - Water Tales | [] | Train |
17,434 | 2 | Walter Wick's fun photos and Jean Marzollo's tricky riddles have returned in this I Spy "best of," a compilation of some of the duo's most entertaining "Where's Waldo?"-style visual scavenger hunts.Kids and grownups should be amply entertained digging up hidden treasure from a dozen different two-page tableaus, like "Baking Cookies": "I spy a boot, five arrows, blue hair,/A deer, four flames, a little green bear;/Five white beards, two three-string guitars,/Six raisin eyes, and three treetop stars." Wick's detail-rich photographs span from the realistic--like The Rainbow Express (an excitingly in-progress train diorama) and Arts & Crafts (a craft table crowded with thumbtacks, pipe cleaners, and the like)--to the more surreal, like Inventor's Workshop, a confabulation of live electrodes and steaming test tubes.Ultimate Challenger makes a fine introduction to the 20-plus-volume I Spy series (Treasure Hunt, School Days, and Marzollo gladly adds value here with two pages of brand-new additional riddles. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: I Spy Ultimate Challenger: A Book of Picture Riddles | [
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17,435 | 2 | Grade 1-3-Echoing the sentimentality of his Love You Forever (Firefly, 1986), Munsch tells the story of a girl, her father, and the memories they share of a beloved relative. Sarah awakens her father in the middle of the night to visit a nearby lighthouse, a tradition begun by her grandfather. They dress quietly and travel through deserted streets, all the while talking about Grandpa. When they find the door to the lighthouse unlocked, they climb to the top. The girl yells "Grandpa!" into the night sky; her father poignantly replies that her grandfather is not going to answer. She tosses a flower that she had saved from his funeral into the ocean, and vows to someday come back again with her own child. Wilson's richly colored and textured oil-on-canvas illustrations capture the somber mood as well as the warmth of the father-daughter relationship. However, while fog is described and depicted numerous times, the stars twinkle brightly in the lighthouse scenes. Still, young readers will be comforted by the characters' matter-of-factness in confronting death and take strength from the promised continuity of a family tradition.Mary Ann Carcich, Hampton Bays Public Library, NYCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Lighthouse: A Story Of Remembrance | [
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17,436 | 2 | Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books June 2003 0-439-47519-8 $3.99 Third-grader Maritza Cabricla Morales Mercado (Gaby at home) has a problem- johnny and Sissy, two of her least favorite people in her class, are her partners for a science report about strange and unusual animals. johnny is a bully who teases Gaby about her name, Sissy is a snob, and they can't agree on what animal to study. A surprise visit from her grandmotherhelps Gaby solve the problem: her grandmother gives her a tape of the sounds of coqui, tiny Puerto Rican tree frogs. When Gaby plays it in class, even johny and Sissy agree they want to learn more about the strange and beautiful frogs. Since part of the resolution involves the importance of the accent over the in "Gahy,' it's confusing that her name initially appearswithout it even in Gaby's own first-person narration, and some of the secondary characters are a bit flatly drawn. Gaby and her family are sketched with affectionate detail that makes them particularly attractive, however, and the text is energetic and bouncy, just like the amiable main character; the dialogue is an easy mix of English, Spanish, and Spanglish (a Spanish/Engfish glossary is appended). The cast of characters is decidedly multicultural and the classroom dynamics are, while neat, believable. Short chapters, large typeface, and angular yet jolly fine drawings by Cepeda add to the book's accessibility. This is a solid early chapter book (the first in a new series) that knows the audience it wants and reaches itwith humor and flair. JNFD**Praise for Marisa Montes' writing: Egg-napped! "...a sparkling read-aloud." --SLJ "..a rollicking adventure." --BooklistJuan Bobo Goes to Work "...the funny, well-paced retelling smoothly incorporates Spanish words and phrases...this will be popular whereever children love to laugh." --BooklistSomething Wicked's in Those Woods "A suspenseful page-turner." --Booklist**Cepeda's expressive and engaging style--his skillful use of color, bold brushstrokes, and energetic compositions--always receives glowing praise: "sumptuously rich...pleasure giving"-Kirkus "Cepeda's saucy oil paintings...have real bite." --Publisher's Weekly Marisa Montes was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved several times with her family throughout the rest of her childhood. At the age of four, her family moved to Missouri, then Toul, France when she was seven and eventually to California when she turned ten. It was in France, however, that Montes first discovered her love for literature and writing. There, she had no access to American television, so instead found entertainment through books. Literature made quite an impact on her, because as she explains, “Books are now my life.”Montes was educated at University of California - Santa Cruz and then continued on in law school at University of California - Hastings College of Law. She practiced law for a few years, moved into legal publishing and then finally became a full time children's writer. Her diverse background has enabled her to write in a variety of genres, in several languages. She has written two mystery novels, Something Wicked's In Those Woods, A Circle of Time and two picture books, Juan Bobo Goes To Work and Egg-Napped! Her books have won several awards, including the 2003 WILLA Literary Award.Her most recent project is the series Get Ready for Gabi! , published by Scholastic Inc. Illustrated by Joseph Cepeda, the series includes A Crazy Mixed Up Spanglish Day, Who's That Girl? , No More Spanish! , Please Don't Go! and All in the Familia. This series, praised as realistic fiction, demonstrates to children the wonders of bilingualism. Gabi is a funny, spunky Latin American protagonist that provides inspiration to children.Marisa Montes currently lives in Northern California with her husband David.Mr Cepeda received his BFA in illustration from California State University, Long Beach in 1992 and also studied Engineering at Cornell University. He is the illustrator of awarding-winning picture books such as What a Truly Cool World and Nappy Hair.; Title: Get Ready For Gabi #1 | [
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17,437 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1With comforting, carefully chosen words and soft pastels shading linocut prints, this book has all the elements to make it a bedtime favorite. A polar bear cub leaves the security of her warm den to discover something special out in the cold arctic air. The words "The night is keen and cold" have both a visceral and riveting effect. The choice of colors for each page establishes the mood; as the little cub sets off into snow she finds a world shaded in pink and violet, with a deep black/green sky. The comfort is reinforced at the sight of the sleeping animals she encounters, and the repetition of phrases ("She sees the seals. She sees the whales") keeps the rhythm going. Sharp edges pair easily with soft colors as the drama of the cub's outing builds to the climax of falling stars that light up the sky, the sea, and the animals. In fact, "They light up everything the little bear loves." When the stars stop falling, she's ready to go back home to her mother's "soft, warm fur." A successful and satisfying combination of adventure and bedtime story.Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* PreS-K. Joining Henkes' Kitten's First Full Moon [BKL F 1 04] and Mo Willems' pigeon duet is another graphically minimalist yet utterly effective picture book for the very young. "Snug inside her warm den, a polar bear cub wakes. Something in the moonlit stillness quietly beckons. What is it?" The tug of this gentle mystery will draw children into Thompson's simple bedtime story, and the hypnotic ebb and flow of her alliterative lines (on a night that's "keen and cold," little cub "sets out for the snow and sky and sea and ice") will keep children immersed as the young explorer encounters floating, dreaming sea creatures, and witnesses a meteor shower that further transforms the already exotic nighttime surroundings. As arresting as Thompson's language are Savage's powerful linocuts, which beautifully reference the textures and forms of Inuit stone carvings and evoke the arctic landscape in a few elemental colors per spread: glacial blues, grays, and sea greens; the pinks and lavenders of the aurora borealis. Like Henkes' kitten and Willems' pigeon, little cub harks back to an earlier, more technologically constrained era of bookmaking, when enduring classics were born of well-honed writing and thoughtful design rather than easy, glitzy effects. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Polar Bear Night (New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (Awards)) | [
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17,438 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 2-5Set in the rural South in the early 1920s, this simple, respectful story examines one community's efforts to build a new school for African-American children with seed money provided by the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Each spread features a prose poem told in the voice of a student. Readers learn about the difficult decision to accept the challengewhich the Sears Roebuck executive extended to more than 5000 communitiesand then to build a decent schoolhouse for the children of sharecroppers and other poor families. Land, lumber, and labor were all donated or purchased cheap; cast-off books and furnishings from more affluent communities appeared; and within a year, the students who used to study in a drafty shack walked into the first building they could truly call their own. Christie's gouache and colored-pencil illustrations have the variegated look and stylized layout of collage arta good complement to the child's rough-around-the-edges narration. An afterword explains Rosenwald's impact on thousands of poor black communities. An uplifting and inspiring story about the buildings that are all too frequently taken for granted.Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.In the early 1920s, Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck, was inspired by Booker T. Washington to give millions to build schools for African American children in the rural South, on condition that the local community raised money too. This picture book tells the story from the viewpoint of Ovella, 10, part of a sharecropper family, who attends a rough one-room schoolhouse when she is not picking cotton ("Instead of learning long division / I'll be working in the fields"). Weatherford's short lines in clear free verse and Christie's exuberant gouache and colored-pencil illustrations show Ovella as part of a vibrant family and community, hard at work, passing the plate in church, and, finally, thrilled to be welcoming the teacher to the exciting new school ("no more eight grades in one room"). The story ends with the child's dream: "One day, I'll be a teacher." Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Dear Mr. Rosenwald | [
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17,439 | 2 | Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2 - The Night Eater follows the moon at "the edge of every day," consuming the darkness. He is a cheerful, cherubic creature, sporting a sleeping cap and a tied-on nose folded out of red construction paper. With a gleam in his eyes, he gobbles up "every kind of night: cloudy nights as light and sweet as cotton candy and deep black nights that tasted like bitter chocolate." However, when the moon makes a rude comment about his increasing size (he is literally bursting at the seams), the wounded Night Eater stops eating. At first, people are delighted to discover some of the treasures of nighttime, such as nocturnal animals and flowers that bloom in the dark. But soon it gets cold, the moon grows weary, and the sun becomes restless. Fortunately, the Night Eater doesn't take much convincing to go back to his ways, and all is well. The sense of magic realism in this story is matched in Juan's richly colored acrylic-and-wax paintings. The pages are filled with appealing denizens of day and night, both real and imaginary. This delightful tale will definitely appeal to children's imaginations. - Robin L. Gibson, formerly at Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. A little boy with a fake beaked nose, a pink stocking cap, and a mischievous look ushers children into this dreamy fantasy. The child is the Night Eater, and each night he gobbles the darkness. Juan's evocative text describes cloudy nights as light as cotton candy and deep black nights like bitter chocolate. A fantastical spread shows the sun feeding light to a string of creatures as the Night Eater withdraws. So night follows the day--until the moon notes that the Night Eater has put on weight, and the Night Eater, infuriated, decides never to eat another bite. The ensuing chaos opens the way for marvelously surrealistic paintings of people moving through their days in the dark and crying children waiting for the sun. Juan, who illustrated Jonah Winter's Frida (2002), uses a similar style here. Rounded shapes, floating images, and star-shine hues make his pictures even more delicious. In a happy ending, the Night Eater resumes his munching, leading to gloriously colored scenes as the sun breaks through. An unusual, enchanting blend of sophistication and simple storytelling. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Night Eater (Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award) | [
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17,440 | 2 | Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2In many ways Spencer's situation epitomizes every child's fantasy-he has a toy collection that rivals a major toy store in depth and breadth. Simply cataloging the different types takes many engaging pages overflowing with brightly colored playthings. The problem is that the sheer number of toys has created multiple hazards. Tired of dodging disasters and sidestepping landslides, Spencer's mom decides that enough is enough and begins negotiating the downsizing of inventory. Savvy Spencer turns on the big sad eyes in order to protect his favorites. Mom's troubles do not stop there; the toy debate is weighted in the boy's favor by the constant deluge of gifts from friends and family. After sorting through the entire collection, he and his mother come up with a box of items to give awayonly to find that the toy he refuses to part with is the box. A master at capturing the workings of a young mind, Shannon combines realistic dialogue with his boisterous illustrations to create another surefire hit. This book provides a pertinent and appealing read.Piper Nyman, Brookmeade Elementary School, Nashville, TN Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Spencer has too many toys. They spill from closets, cascade down staircases, and generally occupy him and frustrate his parents in equal measure. Finally Spencers mom has had enough, and after a litigious negotiation, she helps Spencer pack a box of toys to give away. At the last minute, though, Spencer reconsiders the plan in unexpected ways. Shannons illustrations are cacophonous explotions; even the title page is so chaotic that the text is crowded into the corner. Shannons fans will recognize elements of his previous charactersAlice the Fairys expressive aspect; Davids corn teethin this current cast, portrayed with ebullient vigor. Also effective are the almost surreal backdrops to some of the disagreements. When Spencer is asked to let go of some of his treasures, for example, he resembles a sad-eyed puppy, standing in a gray wasteland, a barren tree in the background. Shannons story carries an attitude large enough to entertain a big group, while the illustrations are detailed enough to engage even the most inattentive individual when viewed up close. Preschool-Grade 3. --Thom Barthelmess; Title: Too Many Toys | [
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17,441 | 1 | PreSchool-Grade 2–Reading this story is like having a romp with the funniest dog in town. As the book opens, two lines of text (Good morning, Fergus!/Want to go out?) frame the irrepressible face of a furry white terrier, black button eyes glistening with excitement. Subsequent pages feature the pups adventures chasing cats and motorbikes, scratching and being scratched, playing in the dirt, begging for meatballs, and riding in the car. No matter what the animal does, his masters refrain is…you guessed it. Readers see everything from a terrier-sized perspective, and they rarely see anyone but Fergus. When he is trampling his owner to request a walk, they catch just a glimpse of a human face. The motorcyclists face is so covered with gear as to be generic. The more intimate portraits here are of things of interest to Fergus–spaghetti and meatballs, for example, or the whipped cream that he likes on his kibble. Shannons artwork is like an overstuffed sofa: colorful, homey, and bouncy. A riotous book to unleash on all readers–even those who own cats.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 2. Fergus is a West Highland terrier, sort of an antihero to Rosemary Well's doggie, McDuff. He goes wild when he sees a cat, won't come when he's called, eats the daisies, and puddles in the wrong places. Of course, he's not entirely to blame; his unseen master is the sort who tells him not to beg, then slips him a tidbit, and puts whipped cream in his food bowl after the original offering gets only a disdainful sniff. This book is all about the impressive, oversize visuals--pictures that show the adorable doggie in full canine-caper mode: leaping, chasing, digging, not rolling over on command. And the expressions on Fergus' face perfectly mirror those of many pets who have the innocent look down pat: "Who me?" However, the best audience for this will be children old enough (or experienced enough with dogs) to catch the humor. Fergus has made cameo appearances in other Shannon books. Come to think of it, maybe he's not so much a counterpoint to McDuff as he is Shannon's David in fur. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Good Boy, Fergus! | [
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17,442 | 0 | Gr. 5-8. In her second novel for young people, part of the Royal Diaries series, Danticat writes a gripping story that shows European invasion from a native Caribbean viewpoint. In fifteenth-century Haiti, Anacaona is part of a royal lineage that rules the Taino people. After her coming-of-age ceremony, she marries a neighboring chief and learns battle techniques to defend against warring tribes. Then "pale men" arrive from Europe. Although Anacaona's people win a vicious battle against the Spanish explorers, children who read the epilogue will learn about the ultimate devastation that Europeans brought to the island worlds. The diary format raises several issues. A preface acknowledges that Anacaona, whose society had no written language, wouldn't have kept a diary. Also, the text is filled with long, purposeful explanations of Taino customs, which prompts questions about the division between factual and fictional content, as will some of the extensive back matter. Still, readers will connect with Danticat's immediate, poetic language, Anacaona's finely drawn growing pains, and the powerful, graphic story that adds a vital perspective to the literature about Columbus and European expansion in the Americas. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 | [
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17,443 | 15 | Make way for these lucky ducks. After swimming to shore and finding a bite to eat in the park, Mama Duck and her five ducklingsPippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joewalk to town. But Mama Duck is the only one to make it across the road, as, one by one, the ducklings slip through the openings of the storm drain. Amid Mama Ducks anxious quacking, three firemen and a quick-thinking resident with a pickup truck and a roll of cable manage to lift the grate and retrieve the ducklings from the storm drain. Based on an actual event in Montauk, New York, the heartwarming tale features delightfully fuzzy illustrations, some from the ducklings perspective, which highlight the concern and relief of townsfolk and Mama Duck alike. The refrain of Oh dear! That could have been the end of the story. But it wasnt because . . . encourages participation from young listeners. Pairing with Robert McCloskeys Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings (1941) is a must. Preschool-Grade 1, --Angela Leeper"Carpenters warm, retro spreads salute McCloskey in what might turn out to be this generations duckling rescue story. Seeing public officials put civic machinery to work to save baby animals is every bit as charming today as it was 70 years ago. Help! cries a woman who sees five pint-size ducklings follow their mother across a storm drain and disappear through the grate one by one. Call the fire department! Carpenter (Heroes of the Surf) supplies a ducklings-eye view of their wait in the darkness as curious faces stare down at them. The firefighters cant budge the drain cover, but a truck driver named Perry drags it off so they can free Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin... and last of all, Little Joe, who await their mother in a handy bucket of water. The rescue depicted actually took place on Long Island in 2000; Moore enlivens the account with engaging narrative devices, repeating the ducklings rhyming names and punctuating the story with Oh, dear! That could have been the end of the story. But it wasnt. Its worthy of its predecessor, and a welcome sequel of sorts." - Publishers Weekly starred reviewThis stunning book depicts an incident that took place in Montauk, Long Island (NY). Mama Duckling swims to shore one day, followed by her five offspring: Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joe. (Guess whos the one who lags behind to watch a butterfly or check out a big red berry.) The homey village seems like a fine place for a walkbut for diminutive ducklings, there are unforeseen hazards. Luckily, there are also watchful, resourceful villagers to rescue the little creatures when they all fall through a storm drain in the street. The language is melodic: The Duck family lived in a pretty pond in a green, green park, in a sunlit little town at the end of a long, long island. Its dramatic: Mama Duck came running after him. Whack! Whack! Whack! she cried. Bring my babies back! Its comically suspenseful: Oh, dear! That could have been the end of the story. But it wasnt, because. Carpenter, a gifted and powerfully versatile illustrator, fills the book with beauty, humor, and a delicious variety of perspectives. Her style here has a sweet old-fashioned spirita touch of Robert McCloskey, but more visually arresting. Writer and artist have conspired to give children a sure-to-be classic that theyre sure to love. School Library Journal starred review, Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYMama Duck and her little ducklings are headed off for a walk when an accident happens: as the ducklings follow their mother onto a paved street, one by one they fall through the openings in a storm drain grate. A witness calls the fire department, and Fireman Paul heads down into the drain and rescues each duckling. Fireman Joe is about to carry the babies off in a bucket, but Mama Duck makes such a fuss that Fireman Dennis stops traffic in order to allow Mama Duck to lead her ducklings across the road herself, and a happy ending finds Mama and babies safely back in their own pond in the park. Based on a real event that happened in Montauk, New York in 2000, Moores story is simply but dramatically told, and repetition of a few key phrases (That could have been the end of the story. But it wasnt, because . . .) will help young listeners focus on the pivotal plot points. The satisfying storyline of a mother and babies separated and reunited is one to which many young children will easily relate, and the ducks themselves have enormous visual appeal. Carpenters illustrations, rendered in charcoal and digital media with a warm, earth-toned palette, are large and impressive in their artistry; the masterful compositions feature creative perspectives, peering up through the grate with the ducklings or looking down on their doomed trip across the grate. This makes a natural partner for Tafuris Have You Seen My Duckling? as well as a fine lead-in to the lengthier text of McCloskeys classic Make Way for Ducklings. JH - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review; Title: Lucky Ducklings | [
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17,444 | 10 | Gordon Korman is the author of The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and The 39 Clues Book #8: The Emperor's Code. Gordon has written more than sixty books for kids and young adults, including Zoobreak, Swindle, and Son of the Mob, as well as the On the Run series and the Island, Everest, Dive, and Kidnapped trilogies. A native of Ontario, Canada, Korman now lives with his family in Long Island, New York.; Title: The Deep (Dive, Book 2) | [
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17,445 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1Donning a fairy costume inspires a little girl's imagination in this droll picture book. Alice speaks for herself, claiming she can fly (not too high but really fast), can change her dad into a horse (for a horsey ride), can make herself disappear (by flicking off the light switch with her wand), and can turn oatmeal into cake by pouring on fairy dust (sugar). There are elements of danger, such as broccoli poisoned by the wicked Duchess (Mom) and baths (fairies hate baths), as well as mischief ("my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them into mine") and mishaps ("Once I accidentally turned my white dress into a red one"). Alice knows that Permanent fairyhood requires a lot of tests, attending Advanced Fairy School, and learning how to "make clothes get up off the floor and line up in the closet," so she'll "probably be a Temporary fairy forever." With his signature cartoon-style art and childlike lettering, Shannon has created a winsome, exuberant heroine whose wide eyes and toothy smile bring David to mind, though Alice's blond ringlets are all her own. Variety in page and text layout and the use of brilliant color make the pictures dance and occasionally pop right off the pages. An enjoyable romp.Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. If Shannon's David is a little devil, Alice is on the angelic side (almost). Using the same oversize format that he did in books such as No, David! (1998), Shannon introduces young Alice, a fairy-in-training dressed up with wings, a wand, and patent leather shoes. Similar to David, she is drawn in doll-like style (though her teeth aren't sharp). Alice talks directly to her audience, informing them what fairies do and how she works her magic. "One time my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them into mine," she says, as she eyes the plate of cookies; in the next picture the plate is almost empty, and there are crumbs all over Alice's face. A few of the analogies are a stretch (this fairy's life is filled with danger--in the form of broccoli), but kids will find most of the humor right at their level, in terms of both wit and imagination. The pictures are richly colored, some almost effervescent in their playfulness. A meeting between Alice and David would engender even more fun. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Alice the Fairy | [
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17,446 | 13 | Starred Review. Grade 3-8–Through a powerful marriage of rhythmic text and hip and surprising illustrations, the unorthodox creator of Bebop comes to life. Beaten regularly by his father, the young Gillespie found escape in a trumpet given to him by his music teacher. For the boy with the horn/fueled with a FIRE/that burned with every whooping,/JAZZ was like a fire extinguisher./It was cooooooool. He went on to become a crowd-pleasing performer, loving jazz because it ...was like breaking the rules,/like inventing new rules. Later, in New York, he began playing his own music. He called it Bebop: It was like he had taken a wrecking ball/and SMASHED IN/The House of Jazz,/till the walls came tumbling down…. Winter's lively writing pops with energy and begs to be read aloud. Qualls's acrylic, collage, and pencil illustrations swing across the large pages with unique, jazzy rhythms, varying type sizes and colors, and playful perspectives, perfectly complementing the text. This is a book that has a message: …the very thing that had gotten him into trouble/so much–/being a clown, breaking all the rules–/had become the thing that made him great…. But most important, it is a delightful story that introduces readers to an influential and unique American musician.–Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* There have been many books about jazz for young readers, a peculiar topic because, as a rule, it's not a form of music that children have an affinity for, if they are familiar with it at all. But, together, Winter and Qualls make it work. That's because Winter recognizes that if he can get readers interested in a character--in this case, trumpet revolutionary Dizzy Gillespie--they will want to learn more about his music. And Qualls is able to translate the story (and the music) into shapes and colors that undulate and stream across the pages with a beat and bounce of their own. The story of "one real cool cat" begins with a South Carolina childhood full of blue notes. Poor, abused, and angry, young John Birks Gillespie has his life turned around after a teacher gives him a trumpet. In a two-page spread, a river of red--his anger in living color--bursts out of Gillespie's new horn as he blows "REALLY LOUD." An explanation of jazz follows, and it is simple enough for the audience: "You took a melody and played it all different ways . . . changed every phrase--it was crazy." That is followed up with a bit more illumination dear to kids' hearts: "If a melody was like a rule, jazz was like breaking the rules, like inventing new rules. Jazz was like getting into trouble." Tracing Gillespie's ascent in the New York jazz world of the early 1940s, the story catches the excitement of the city, meshing it with the trumpeter's crazy personality (which earned him the nickname Dizzy); meanwhile, the artwork zigs and zags in color combinations that evoke the nightclub scene--greens, tans, a bit of peach, all counterpointed with muted grays. An author's note fills out Dizzy's story and lauds him for a personal life that was as composed as his music was wild. Turn up the stereo: kids will want to hear his music for themselves. Bill OttCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Dizzy | [
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17,447 | 11 | In Feliz Navidad, singer/songwriter Jose Feliciano's beloved Christmas song comes to life with Caldecott Medal recipient David Diaz's lush, expressive illustrations. The lyrics (and picture book text) are simple, but Diaz's bold illustrations are rich and intense--families and friends gather in swirly, stylized paintings, caroling and sharing festive foods. The "Two Stories" in the subtitle are a bit hard to decipher from the pictures, but Feliciano's introduction describes both the Puerto Rican tradition of parranda (caroling and feasting), and the customs of colder climates: Christmas trees, poinsettias, hot cider, and snowmen. Feliz Navidad will undoubtedly become an annual family tradition in its own right. (All ages) --Emilie CoulterKindergarten-Grade 4-Like an oversized, multipaged, bilingual Christmas card, this gorgeous production's minimal text consists of the lyrics to Feliciano's famous song and emphatically wishes readers both Feliz Navidad and a Merry Christmas. Beautifully designed pages feature Diaz's characteristic stylized paintings and song lyrics in large, faux hand-lettered font. The pictures make reference to and contrast many Christmas traditions and symbols, and show that all cultures emphasize families and friends celebrating together. Two introductory pages introduce the parranda as a long-standing tradition in Puerto Rico and (somewhat gratuitously) a paragraph explains that "Christmas crosses all cultural boundaries." The subtitle depends on a very close reading of the pictures to decipher the two stories. Musical notation is not included.-S. P.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Feliz Navidad: Two Stories Celebrating Christmas | [
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17,448 | 2 | Grade 1-5-Bang has chosen a huge topic, and in some ways, it overwhelms her. Writing in the voice of the sun, the first-person narrative investigates various forms of energy on Earth, all derived in one way or another from the light and heat of this solar system's major star. It's an enormous task-how to describe the weather cycle, dams, turbines, electricity and its generation, windmills, fossil fuels (she mentions coal but leaves out oil), and solar cells in an illustrated book for fairly young children-and Bang is only moderately successful. Indeed, in the introduction to four pages of much denser end matter, the author mentions that her notes started turning into an encyclopedia, but, mercifully, an editor "cut them WAY back. Now those notes are on my Web site at www.mollybang.com, and I hope interested readers will do further research on their own." Overall, the author makes a valiant stab, and for science-minded children who can absorb a large amount of information, this title could be an interesting selection. Her stunning and technically accomplished illustrations, as always, are radiant and worth a look. Despite its shortcomings, this ambitious book is an illuminating auxiliary purchase.-Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 1-3. A typical science text for kids might define light as "shifting electromagnetic fields." In Bang's outstanding new picture-book exploration of light and energy, electromagnetism is mentioned only in the endnote, and the accessible text, narrated by the sun ("I am your sun, a golden star. You see my radiance as light"), will be far more meaningful for children than one with stock definitions. Bang focuses on four scenarios in which the generation of electricity can be traced back to the sun: a hydroelectric dam, wind turbines, a coal-burning plant, and solar cells. Making the connection between light, water, wind, and electricity requires a conceptual leap, but tiny yellow dots representing the sun's power as it streams from one form to another will help children grasp the principle of energy conservation. Bang's strong design sense comes through in compositions that gracefully incorporate diagrams and strike a balance between graphic forms and delicate, decorative patterns. Particularly notable is a jungle landscape reminiscent of Rousseau that will delight kids with its individually rendered, jewel-like foliage. Careful endnotes, not final in the version reviewed, touch on everything from dark matter to atoms to pollution. A lovely and illuminating book that presents sound science while expressing the wonder of flipping a switch and flooding a room with light. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: My Light: How Sunlight Becomes Electricity (Sunlight Series) | [
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17,449 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 2Pierre, a mouse who sails a fishing boat, is in love with Catherine, a ballet-teaching rabbit he glimpses from afar. She admires the dashing figure she sees from her window in the evening. Yet each is afraid to speak to the other. Eventually, they reveal themselves and learn that "feelings are like tidesyou can't hold them back." While the notion of the torments of adult romantic love may go over the heads of the intended audience, children will relate to the themes of honesty and being true to oneself. For that reason, the story would make a good Valentine's Day read-aloud, although the French ballet terms may require further explanation. Mathers's watercolors of the fishing village, in a palette of moody grays, blues, and purples, add a calming and whimsical touch.Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library, GA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* A simple fisherman, Pierre the mouse is in love with Catherine the rabbit, a ballet teacher. But how can he hope to win one so fair? Then Pierre finds something that matches Catherine's beauty--a shell. He decides to dress to the nines, give her the shell, and tell her how he feels. But when the moment comes, he flees, leaving the shell behind. That sets off a string of anonymous nightly gift giving, until Catherine can bear the mystery no longer. She waits up and catches Pierre, who confesses his love. Alas, Catherine loves another, but in a happily-ever-after ending, she realizes that Pierre, so smartly dressed, is, in fact, the fisherman she has admired from afar. Subtleties abound, and the emotions may affect adults more than children. But the purity of the love will touch children, too, and both the words and the art are delightful. Sometimes the phrases are elegant: Catherine's voice floated like "silver ribbon over the harbor." Sometimes they capture the goofiness love engenders: "He felt all bloopy and love-swoggled." The watercolors have a deceptive, childlike simplicity that draws in readers, with color, detail, and a warm expression of feelings. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Pierre In Love (Golden Kite Awards) | [
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17,450 | 2 | Grade 4-6-When he is 10 years old, Charlie discovers that he is able to look at photographs and hear conversations and even thoughts that were taking place at the time the photo was taken, a legacy of his ancestor the Red King, whose descendants all have different magical abilities. Charlie hears one conversation that sets him on a search for a girl who has been missing for years, and when he begins attending Bloor's Academy, an elite boarding school for the rich and the endowed (as the Red King's descendants are called), his life becomes full of intrigue and danger. Charlie, his friend Benjamin, and other allies try to unlock the secrets of a mysterious case that could get the girl back, while the sinister Bloors and Charlie's ghastly relatives who are endowed try to thwart them. While the parallels with Harry Potter are obvious, this fantasy has its own charms, chief among them being the endoweds' often-odd magical abilities. The writing is deft, most of the characters are intriguing, and Charlie Bone is an appealing boy. The story is marred by some predictability, and the role of the endowed in this otherwise contemporary, unmagical society is not clear. Many aspects of the book are not fully thought out, making it less compelling than it might be. However, this is the first of a projected series, so it will be interesting to see if some of these vague points are resolved. A flawed but worthwhile offering for avid fantasy fans.Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-6. These days stories about schools for budding magicians are inevitably compared to the Harry Potter books. Indeed, British author Nimmo's creation, Bloor's Academy "for gifted children," bears some resemblance to Hogwart's School, but the story itself is quite different. Seemingly ordinary Charlie Bone suddenly discovers that he can hear the thoughts of people in photographs, a talent that dour Grandma Bone and her three baleful sisters work to bend to their own ends by sending him to Bloor's and to its sinister headmaster. It's not an easy year for Charlie despite the friends he makes. Too many people have it in for him as he's swept into an age-old battle being waged by descendants of a powerful king of long ago. A mysterious box, a missing girl, a strange man who flits in and out in the company of three brightly colored cats, and various villains all figure into Charlie's exciting, fast-paced adventure tale, which happily is the first book in planned quintet called Children of the Red King. Harry Potter's myriad fans will be well pleased. Sally EstesCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Children of the Red King #1: Midnight for Charlie Bone | [
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17,451 | 2 | Peter Lerangis is the author of the DRAMA CLUB series, as well as one of the authors of the upcoming 39 CLUES series.; Title: Spy X #3 | [
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17,452 | 10 | Gordon Korman is the author of The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and The 39 Clues Book #8: The Emperor's Code. Gordon has written more than sixty books for kids and young adults, including Zoobreak, Swindle, and Son of the Mob, as well as the On the Run series and the Island, Everest, Dive, and Kidnapped trilogies. A native of Ontario, Canada, Korman now lives with his family in Long Island, New York.; Title: The Discovery (Dive, Book 1) | [
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17,453 | 12 | Although the copyright is 2001, there was a new and updated printing of this atlas in 2003. The almost 30 pages of introductory material has information not found in other atlases, such as a section on how mountains are formed and the different kinds of rocks. There is also a good explanation of the types of maps. The map section is introduced by political and physical world maps. Each continental, country, and regional map is accompanied by fact boxes, a "Search and Find" key for locating geographic locations, time zone information, small color photographs, and more. This atlas is second only to Gareth Stevens Atlas of the World (p.1644) in the number of individual maps representing regions and countries--there are more than 70, including 9 for Africa and 10 for the U.S. Maps are not highly detailed and don't show latitude and longitude, although these are given for some locations. Following the maps is a list of dependencies and disputed territories.RBBCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Scholastic Atlas Of The World | [
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17,454 | 14 | PreSchool-Grade 2Little Nell, introduced in The Biggest, Best Snowman (Scholastic, 1998), returns with BIG Mama, BIG Sarah, and BIG Lizzie. It's Halloween, and the three siblings are looking for pumpkins to carve into jack-o'-lanterns. Little Nell's selection is deemed too small and ugly by her sisters. Not to be deterred, Little Nell enlists the help of Reindeer, Hare, and Bear Cub and creates a special jack-o'-lantern that can proudly take its place on the porch. As BIG Mama says, Jack-o'-lanterns come in all shapes and sizes!, a line that can be reassuringly applied to children as well. Reminiscent of Charlie Brown's devotion to his scraggly Christmas tree, Little Nell's story is just as satisfying, stressing the worth of a child's handiwork and the value of creating. The colorful cartoons provide the perfect complement. This is a holiday story that can be used year round; it's an excellent choice for reading aloud, both in a group setting or one-on-one.Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 2. Little Nell, who first appeared in The Biggest, Best Snowman (1998), is back in another story about an independent, young sibling. Nell is dwarfed by her sisters, BIG Lizzie and BIG Sarah, and by her mother, BIG Mama. At Halloween, Lizzie and Sarah choose huge, smooth pumpkins, while Nell selects the small, lumpy runt of the vine. Her sisters dismiss it as too "bumpy and little and ugly," and Nell withers under the criticism. Then her animal friends appear, and using antlers and beaks as tools, they help her carve a winning face on her pumpkin, earning Mama's praise and delight. Once again, Cuyler and Hillenbrand create a warm, empowering story about a youngest sister's struggles. Cuyler's infectious, repetitive text, with its recurrent use of BIG, is perfectly paced for participatory read-alouds, and Hillenbrand's cheery, whimsical mixed-media illustrations show Little Nell's perspective, moving from images of giant, looming figures to scenes with a more balanced scale at the story's triumphant end. A reassuring story about individuality, friendship, and finding beauty in the imperfect and unusual. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin | [
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17,455 | 18 | Starred Review. Grade 5-9In an age when critics obsess about the blurred line between fact and fiction, Freedman prepares readers for ambiguity right from the contents page. Nothing But the Truth is both the title of his first chapter and a phrase pulled from Polo's book, The Description of the World. Apparently the Venetian's own family doubted the veracity of his version of the 24-year, 6500-mile journey to and sojourn in Kublai Khan's court and begged him to recant on his deathbed. The chapter Did Marco Polo Go to China? presents current scholarship challenging the nobleman's claims, as well as plausible counterarguments. In between, readers find a flavor of the adventurer's early and final years, descriptions of treacherous mountain excursions and raging sandstorms, and details of the splendor and sophistication of Xanadu, where Polo served as envoy to the emperor. The accounts are accompanied by original and archival illustrations and maps; extensive endnotes provide further documentation. Many of the illuminated manuscripts come from various editions of Polo's book; they span several centuries. Ibatoulline's handsome single-page paintings appear at the beginning of each chapter, anchoring the telling, even while the artistic conventions adapt to the culture being depicted. The calligraphic font of the chapter headings and the parchmentlike pages add to the sense of an authentic experience. The author's in-depth narrative style and historian's skepticism require more background knowledge and a longer attention span than Nick McCarty's Marco Polo (National Geographic, 2006), but the effort will be richly rewarded.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* The name Marco Polo evokes images of faraway travels and exotic treasures: silks and spices, gold and jewels. Newbery Medal-winner Freedman takes readers along on Polo's journey in a book that is as beautiful as many of the sights the explorer observed. It begins at Polo's deathbed, his family begging him to confess his exaggerations. Even some contemporary scholars don't believe Polo went to China, but many observers think most of his tales were true. Using Polo's own descriptions (as told to a writer he met in prison), Freedman shepherds readers across deserts, down the Silk Road, and over mountains until the adventurer reaches the magnificent kingdom of Kublai Khan. Supporting Freedman's informative yet evocative prose are enchanting illustrations. Ibatoulline follows the historic journey with art inspired by different periods--for instance, he uses illuminated manuscripts as the basis for the European scenes. The original artwork is complemented by many historic illustrations, some from editions of Polo's Description of the World. The meticulous art notes call attention to the lack of text source notes, although Freedman does include an extensive, informative author's note about Polo's claims. With its thick, mottled pages and attractive design, this is a glorious piece of bookmaking; readers will find it a pleasure to explore. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Adventures of Marco Polo | [
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17,456 | 2 | Grade 2-5In this prequel to The Quiltmaker's Gift (Pfeifer-Hamilton, 1999), Brumbeau and de Marcken tell the story of this generous artisan's early life. As a young girl, the protagonist lives the grand life of a wealthy child in a land where poverty is unknown, but she is not happy. One night she slips out of the walled city and finds the world beyond, scarred by poverty and need. She has little with her, but kind strangers help her on her journey, where she finds happiness through giving. When she returns to her walled home, the elders reject her idea to give her wealth to the needy, and she is turned out of the city. She becomes a quiltmaker, and the rest is history. The brightly detailed and realistic watercolor illustrations will give children plenty to pore over, but the plodding story is overwhelmingly didactic and much too sweet to appeal to a wide audience.Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. In this prequel to The Quiltmaker's Gift (1999), a young woman born into great wealth risks banishment to see what lies beyond the walls of her town, encounters poverty and disease, and resolves to help the poor. The theme of out-of-control materialism segues into an exciting quest story, but what really distinguishes this are the vivid, intricately designed watercolors, double-page spreads with insets of varying size that add drama and action to the main story. The inside of the jacket is an elaborate puzzle-poster showing the book's setting and action from a panoramic perspective. The endpapers display and name 34 quilt patterns, presented in full color, many of which (in a different color combination) are set beside the boxed text, serving as clues to the heroine's journey; a pattern called "Twist and Turn," for example, accompanies text describing the girl's struggle through a rat-filled maze. An ambitious, strikingly illustrated moral fable that will give children much to look at; a special treat for quilters, too. Connie FletcherCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Library Book: The Quiltmaker's Journey | [
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17,457 | 0 | Reviewed with Barry Denenberg's Pandora of Athens, 399 B.C.Gr. 4-8. These entries in the Life and Times series feature young adults facing difficulties in ancient times. In the first book, Atticus is captured by Roman soldiers and sold into slavery to an influential political figure in need of a spy. Atticus' skills help him to uncover a plot to murder the emperor and to reconnect with his father, a gladiator. In the second novel, Pandora, who chafes at the social restrictions placed on young women, meets Socrates, and, during his imprisonment, comes to appreciate his wisdom. Both novels are rich in setting details and dutifully describe a wide range of ancient customs--from clothing to personal hygiene. Occasionally, the details overwhelm the action, especially in Pandora, in which the protagonist must observe rather than participate in her own story because she is female. With short chapters and intriguing covers, however, these will be popular among students assigned historical novels or in classes in which history is taught through fiction. Caroline Lawrence's The Thieves of Ostia (2002) and its sequels provide an equally informative look at the period. Kay WeismanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Atticus Of Rome 30 B.C. (The Life And Times) | [
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17,458 | 2 | Cornelia Funke, author of the bestselling Thief Lord, tells a short, sweet story about a brave little princess with a mind of her own.King Wilfred's three sons learn to become big, bad knights the way any boisterous boys would: "They learned riding and jousting, fighting with swords...They learned how to stride proudly and how to shout very loudly." At her father's urging, young Princess Violetta tries to keep up with the same lessons, "even though she was so small she could hardly lift a sword at all!" Despite her brothers' teasing and laughing, Violetta continues to practice--even secretly at night. Soon enough, Violetta becomes "so nimble and quick" that when practicing with her brothers, "their spears and swords just hit the empty air." But then King Wilfred does the unthinkable: For his Violetta's sixteenth birthday, he plans a jousting tournament designed to bring "the bravest knights in the land flocking to the castle" to winher hand in marriage! Violetta is outraged: "You want me to marry some dimwit in a tin suit?" Fortunately, of course, the princess finds a way to come to her own rescue.Funke does well in this picturebook format, but Kerstin Meyer's delicate and extremely cute illustrations set the quiet, measured (but still fun) tone of the Princess Knight, as she takes inspiration from a bona fide medieval piece of art--the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes PreSchool-Grade 2--King Wilfred teaches his daughter the same knightly skills he has taught his three sons. Mocked by her brothers for being smaller and weaker, Violetta grows more determined to succeed. She creeps out at night to practice her sword fighting and horseback riding. With perseverance, the "nimble and quick" Princess becomes an expert jouster. In honor of her 16th birthday, the king announces a tournament with the victory prize being her hand in marriage. Outraged and appalled, Violetta cries: "You want meto marry some dimwit in a tin suit? Just look at your own knights! They whip their horses and they can't even write their own names!" Taking matters into her own hands, she disguises herself in armor and poses as "Sir No-Name." After defeating the other contenders, she reveals her true identity and chooses her prize--independence. Meyer's ink-and-watercolor illustrations run across the pages in panels and were inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. Children will pore over the medieval details. Pair this spirited tale with Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess (Turtleback, 1980) for a discussion of gender stereotypes.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Princess Knight | [
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17,459 | 0 | Jean Marzollo has written many award-winning childrens books, including the acclaimed I Spy series and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING. Jean lives with her husband, Claudio, in New York States Hudson Valley.Walter Wick is the photographer of the international bestselling I Spy series as well as the author and photographer of the acclaimed Can You See What I See? series. He lives with his wife, Linda, in Miami Beach, Florida.; Title: I Spy Funny Teeth (Scholastic Reader, Level 1) | [
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17,460 | 0 | As a child, Dav Pilkey was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hall every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories, so he spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books.In the second grade, Dav Pilkey created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldnt spend the rest of his life making silly books. Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener.Dav has gone on to create award-winning and bestselling books for children. His Captain Underpants series has more than 80 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into more than 28 languages. In 2017, DreamWorks Animation brought the character to the silver screen in the feature film adaptation Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and Netflix is now streaming The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants TV show.Davs latest creation, Dog Man, continues to be a #1 New York Times bestselling series with more than 13 million copies in print worldwide and translations available in more than 21 languages. Dav is also the creator of the Dragon series, the Dumb Bunnies series, Dog Breath, and The Paperboy, which is a Caldecott Honor Book.Dav lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife.; Title: El Capitán Calzoncillos y la furia de la supermujer macroelástica (Spanish Edition) | [
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17,461 | 2 | Peter Lerangis is the author of the DRAMA CLUB series, as well as one of the authors of the upcoming 39 CLUES series.; Title: Tunnel Vision (Spy X) | [
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17,462 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2This child-friendly guide is set up as a series of don'ts and dos. Each vignette shows the repercussions of doing something thoughtlesslyjumping off a seesaw too quickly, climbing up a slide, kicking sandfollowed by the proper way to play. Children can participate in the story by replying to the question asked at the end of each don'tIs that right?with the refrain, No, that's wrong, before Penguin explains the safe way to behave. The text is simple enough for beginners since the softly shaded, multimedia color illustrations provide excellent visual clues. The pictures are full of active animals under the watchful tutelage of whistle-wearing Penguin. A fun addition.Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.MARGERY CUYLER is the author of many children's books, including the first Little Nell story, The Biggest, Best Snowman; Please Say Please!: Penguin's Guide to Manners; and 100th Day Worries. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.; Title: Please Play Safe! Penguin's Guide To Playground Safety | [
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17,463 | 0 | Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated numerous popular, award-winning books for children, including the Captain Underpants and Dumb Bunnies series; DOG BREATH, winner of the California Young Reader Medal; and THE PAPERBOY, a Caldecott Honor Book. He lives with his wife in the Pacific Northwest. Visit him online at www.pilkey.com.; Title: Dragon's Halloween | [
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17,464 | 12 | Grade 5-9 - Well-conceived cover art draws readers into this investigation of animal behavior. Inside, brief insets of fascinating information about amphibians, reptiles, salt and freshwater creatures, insects, spiders, birds, reptiles, but mostly mammals, are presented with brilliant art. Francis zooms in to illustrate and skillfully highlight the text. Although this fluidly written title will widen children's understanding of the amazing diversity of life on Earth, the information is scattered. While each animal and its behavior is consistently compared and contrasted to human behavior, no one creature is featured throughout the five chapters: "Starting Out in Life" (mating, birth, and parental care); "Sharing" (which includes symbiotic and cooperative relationships); "Fighting to Live" (encompassing basic threats to a variety of species); "Defenses" (demonstrating the hunting skills of predators and survival techniques of prey); and "Now You See Me" (survival techniques involving display and camouflage). As a result, the focus is loose, which limits this attractive presentation to the browsing shelves. - Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: How Animals Live: Amazing World of Animals in the Wild, The | [
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17,465 | 2 | Grade 5-8Charlie Bone is starting a new school year and once again there are unpleasant surprises in store for him and his friends at Bloor's Academy. Little Billy Raven has finally been adopted, but the sinister de Greys have other plans for Billy, and it is up to Charlie and his friends to find a way to save him. Nimmo once again delivers an exciting, plot-driven tale that is sure to please fantasy and adventure fans. This new chapter in Charlie's saga is full of plot twists and thrills that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. While the character development is a bit lacking, fantasy fans will enjoy the story.Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-6. In the fourth book of the projected five in the Red King series, Charlie Bone and his friends (and enemies) begin a new term at Bloor's Academy, where many of the students and staff are endowed with magical abilities. Hoping to find his father and help a friend, Charlie travels to the ominous Castle of Mirrors. Nimmo adds several inventive elements to this magical world, including the transformation of Charlie's wand into a silent creature of mysterious power. Explaining the complex background story and introducing the many characters to new readers slows down the action quite a bit at the start, but the pace picks up nicely when Charlie goes to the rescue of his friend Billy. Prediction: this fantasy should do quite well, assuming a continuing demand for stories about a nice lad with magical powers who goes to boarding school, longs to see his father, has adventures, makes a few mistakes, and gets by with a little help from his friends. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors (Children of the Red King, Book 4) | [
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17,466 | 2 | British boy with catchy name and unusual powers, check. Wild hair, check. Students at boarding school, check. Owls and funny street names, check. Mysterious shape-shifting enemies out to get the affable boy protagonist, check. Jenny Nimmo's "Children of the Red King" series (starring Charlie Bone) has so many of the same trappings as the Harry Potter series that, unfortunately, comparison is unavoidable. Rowling's books clearly trump these simpler fantasies for younger readers--but the Charlie Bone books are finding their audience in those who need a boy-wizard fix and need it now.Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy, the third book in the author's planned quintet, begins when the magically "endowed" Charlie and his friend Emma discover a mostly invisible, strawberry jam-loving boy named Ollie Sparks imprisoned in the attic of the Hogwartsian Bloor's Academy. Ollie's plight is part of a seemingly amorphous Larger Evil Plot involving school authorities, a blue boa, and Charlie's three horrible great aunts. Charlie Bone and his friends are eager to fight wrongdoing with their combination of special powers, but obstacles in all shapes and sizes abound. Can the children rescue Ollie, Charlie's uncle, Ollie's older brother, and the other hapless victims...or are the enemies too plentiful and powerful? Despite the likeable Charlie and a plethora of magical happenings (raining frogs, sorcerers who escape paintings, etc.), reading this 408-page fantasy feels like a bit like running a marathon where the finish line feels farther away with every step. Thankfully, the ending is a happy one. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin SnelsonGrade 4-7In this third installment in the series, another semester at Bloor Academy is about to begin, and, as usual, chaos ensues. At home, Charlie's Uncle Paton disappears, then returns ill and powerless. Charlie's friend Benjamin heads off to Hong Kong, and his grandmother Maisie leaves to take care of her sick sister. At the same time, a new and sinister student named Belle arrives and quickly establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with. A new art teacher has joined the staff to find his younger brother, Ollie Sparks, turned invisible by a blue boa (snake, though there are feathers involved) controlled by the evil Ezekiel Bloor. Charlie and his friends try to come up with ways to help Ollie and Billy Raven, the poor orphan being manipulated and tormented by the Bloor clan. One of the strengths of this story (and the whole series) is the way both regular people and those who are magically endowed work toward common goals. A weakness is the lack of progress toward identifying and rescuing Charlie's father, who is barely mentioned in this outing. Still, it's a wild roller-coaster ride of a story, and will more than satisfy not only fans of this series, but those who are exhibiting symptoms of Harry Potter withdrawal.Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Children of the Red King #3: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy | [
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17,467 | 7 | Grade 7 UpJack the Ripper meets the supernatural in this Bosch-like horror tale set in an alternate Victorian London where supernatural "wych-kin" lurk around every corner waiting to prey on humans. Hot on the trail of a vampirelike "Cradlejack," 17-year-old wych-hunter Thaniel stumbles upon beautiful Alaizabel Cray, who unknowingly has been possessed by an "old wych" named Thatch. Determined to rescue Alaizabel from Thatch and the sinister cult responsible for depositing the evil spirit in Alaizabel's body, the innately chivalrous Thaniel slashes and burns his way through a nightmarish city crawling with enough ghastly human and supernatural villains to stock a wax museum. Eerie and exhilarating, this book marks a thematic and stylistic departure from Wooding's earlier, more contemporary teen novels of partying, drug addiction, and pyromania. Instead, he fuses together his best storytelling skillsplotting, atmosphere, shock valueto create a fabulously horrific and ultimately timeless underworld where heroes battle menacing foes to save the world from demonic overthrow.Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 9-12. In Wooding's alternative, Victorian London, a new plague is underway: an infestation of demonic creatures known as wych-kin. Thaniel Fox, a 17-year-old wych-hunter who calls forth both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Indiana Jones, spends his time reducing wych-kin populations with methods that combine magic, superstition, and good old-fashioned gunslinging. After stumbling upon an obviously traumatized young woman on one of his expeditions, he swiftly discovers that she has escaped from the clutches of a powerful cult called the Fraternity. The connections between Alaizabel's plight, rising numbers of wych-kin, and the Fraternity's plans are revealed by tantalizing degrees, as Thaniel; Alaizabel; Thaniel's guardian, Cathaline; and several colorful allies join forces to combat evil on a terrifying scale. This is dark fare, often graphically violent (a Jack-the-Ripper-type serial killer plays a role), but not gratuitously so. Wooding delivers characters to care about, including strong-willed and capable young women, deliciously scary bogeys drawn from world legend and lore, and philosophical underpinnings suggesting an imagination heavily steeped in Tolkien and Pullman. Though the action bogs down a bit in the middle as Wooding assembles his cast of good guys, the atmospheric scene setting and attention to chilling detail ensure his hold on fantasy enthusiasts. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray | [
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17,468 | 0 | "Considered one of the most popular contemporary authors for readers in elementary school, (Dav Pilkey) is also regarded as a talented artist and inventive humorist as well as a subtle moralist. ...He underscores his works--even at their most outrageous--with a philosophy that emphasizes friendship, tolerance, and generosity and celebrates the triumph of the good-hearted." -The Educational Book & Media AssociationDav Pilkey is the Caldecott Honor Award-winning creator of more than 40 books for children.; Title: Dragon's Merry Christmas | [
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22883,
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22886,
22905,
2... | Test |
17,469 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2–The Beavers are busy rebuilding their dam, except for Thelonious, who daydreams and idles the day away. While his family is working harder and harder to keep up with their neighbors, he creates an artistic structure of trees, leaves, and flowers inspired by his observations of the world around him. Through his example, the other beavers learn to slow down and appreciate the creative side of life. Crimi spices her tale with many repeated words, which works well to capture the frenzy of the industrious animals. In contrast, her descriptions of Thelonious's activities use long, flowing sentences to express his temperament. Bynum's cartoon watercolors depict colorful landscapes and the characters have amusing and varied facial expressions. Unfortunately, Thelonious's construction is a little too amorphous and abstract to generate much enthusiasm from readers. Despite this flaw and the fact that the story is reminiscent of Leo Lionni's Frederick (Knopf, 1967), it is an enjoyable read-aloud with a valuable message.–Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Get Busy Beaver | [
2235,
18099,
31762
] | Validation |
17,470 | 2 | Modeled after the popular Taggies baby blankets, My First Taggies Book is a soft fleece picture book with eight different looped ribbon tags to rub and pull and chew. The content of the book is very simple: three two-page spreads featuring a plush kitty, bunny, and puppy, along with accompanying rhymes. "Sweet dreams, little kitty,/ Rock-a-bye and nighty night." The point here is not the plot line, but the delightfully cuddly feel of the book and the interactive tags. Designed to be tactile and visually stimulating, each tag has a different print or texture, much like the satin edges of blankets or clothing labels that so intrigue babies and toddlers. A gentle and safe way to introduce the very youngest "readers" to the world of books. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie CoulterKAORI WATANABE has illustrated My First Taggies Book: Sweet Dreams and My First Taggies Book: I Love You. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: My First Taggies Book: Sweet Dreams | [
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17,471 | 2 | First in the Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-Ups series, this book marries form and function, with pop-up babies taking center stage while additional babies, whose hands move via pull-tabs, form simple hand signs. Examples include eat (Place closed fingertips to lips), hurt (Touch index fingers together over painful area), and Mommy (Spread fingers, tap thumb on chin). The playful bordersshapes, fruits, animals and toysand the large three-dimensional figures, give it crib appeal, while giving parents an alternative to more instructional books on baby sign language. All ages. (May) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-Ups: Baby Signs | [
36544
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17,472 | 1 | When she's not having tea parties or zooming around in her new car, David Kirk's colorful Miss Spider helps kids learn their ABCs and even how to count. This set of three Miss Spider board books--Miss Spider's ABC, Miss Spider's New Car, and Miss Spider's Tea Party: The Counting Book--comes in a handy cardboard carrying case with a red plastic handle. If you're looking for the rich, rhyming language of Miss Spider's New Car, you should stick with the original hardcover, for the board book edition of this and of Miss Spider's Tea Party have been abbreviated and modified as smaller books for smaller hands. In Miss Spider's ABC, the heftiest board book of the bunch with all 26 letters of the alphabet, Miss Spider's friends prepare for her giant surprise birthday party: "Bumblebees blow balloons.... Earthworms entertain.... Fireflies fandango.... Moths mingle.... Owlflies ogle." Kirk's action-packed illustrations are crisp and luminous--crawling with comically anthropomorphized bugs jumping and laughing and mingling. A fine introduction to the world of Miss Spider for the younger set. (Baby to preschool) --Karin SnelsonThe uncommonly unique imagination of David Kirk has an equally uncommon source. "I found a small copy of The Gnomes' Almanac by a little-known Viennese author Ida Bohtta Morpugo. It was a cutout book simply subtitled: A Book for Children. In it, the pictures and verse about bugs, butterflies, and mice really came to life." That got him drawing and writing. Before that he made children's toys by hand. "I love making stories. The bookmaking process is a liberation for me from the years I toiled to produce handmade items. I think the life of a children's book author is bliss." Kirk lives in upstate New York, with his wife and three daughters.For more information about David Kirk, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks; Title: Miss Spider Boxset (Sunny Patch Library) | [
17266,
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] | Test |
17,473 | 0 | ANDY GRIFFITHS is an internationally successful children's author and the New York Times bestselling creator of The Day My Butt Went Psycho!, Just Annoying, and Schooling Around series. He lives in Australia with his wife and kids.; Title: Just Disgusting | [
16906,
17373,
17374,
17380,
17382,
17387,
45771
] | Test |
17,474 | 11 | Grade 4-6-Aveni mixes anthropology and archaeology to describe seven early cultures. The book opens some 20,000 years ago in Beringia (the now-submerged land between Siberia and Alaska) and attempts to assemble evidence that all points to one basic conclusion: The native tribes of North and South America-all descended from those-who crossed the land bridge from Asia to discover America. This is by no means a universally accepted thesis, and is made in the face of the author's own passing acknowledgement of the possibility of a sea route. Succeeding chapters, liberally illustrated with full-color paintings and photos, cover the food, dress, social organization, and religion of the Tano; League of the Iroquois; the Ohio Moundbuilders; the Anasazi; the Kwakiutl, Tlingit, and Haida; the Timucua; and the Mississippian pyramid city of Cahokia. A final chapter details the branches of science involved in putting the puzzle pieces of origins together and explains the methods used to determine age. The layout is attractive, but the photos are not always clear. Also, the organization can be problematic, with special-topic pages inserted in the middle of continuing text and inconsistent phonetic pronunciations. The strength of the book is the author's style and enthusiasm. This is an intriguing account, but the author's insistence on a single route of migration seems a misleading representation of current thought. Patricia Lauber's Who Came First? (National Geographic, 2003) questions the limited-to-the-land-bridge idea, but does not go into detailed cultural descriptions. Buy if interest warrants and if you have other titles to balance the approach.-Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The First Americans: The Story of Where They Came From and Who They Became | [
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] | Test |
17,475 | 2 | PreSchool-K - This bland visual rendering of one of Joel's popular ballads takes what should be a universal declaration of love between a parent and child and turns it into a narrow, limiting sentiment. The lyrics hint at an impending separation between a father and daughter, which he tries to soften with his heartfelt declaration of his unending love, comparing its limitless boundaries to a song that goes on and on. The words are beautiful and can be read aloud easily. The illustrations, however, deaden the overall impact. Depicting stiff and posed figures saying good night and then traveling on a sailboat off into the night, the pictures are nothing more than a literal interpretation of the words, not an expansion of them. A CD is included, but even that doesn't make the package worth the purchase. - Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Goodnight, My Angel: A Lullabye (Book & Audio CD) (CD: Goodnight, My Angel) | [
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17,476 | 1 | PIERS HARPER is the illustrator of Fluffy Bunny, Little Owl, and Snow Bear. He lives in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.; Title: Little Lamb (Soft-To-Touch Books) | [
15131
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17,477 | 0 | Jean Marzollo has written many award-winning children’s books, including the acclaimed I Spy series and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING. Jean lives with her husband, Claudio, in New York State’s Hudson Valley.Walter Wick is the photographer of the bestselling I Spy series as well as the author and photographer of the bestselling Can You See What I See? series. He lives with his wife, Linda, in Connecticut.; Title: I Spy a Candy Cane (Scholastic Reader, Level 1) | [
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17,478 | 18 | Gr. 5-7. Sandler revisits territory covered in his Immigrants: A Library of Congress Book (1995) but expands the scope considerably: first, with a detailed station-to-station description of how immigrants were processed through Ellis Island; then with sweeping discussions of tenement life in the cities, the transformation of the midwestern prairie to farmland, and finally, the role played by immigrant laborers in the growth of railroads and heavy industry. He makes abundant use of original source material throughout, drawing hundreds of brief comments from an array of personal interviews, oral histories, and memoirs, all supplemented by dark but consistently relevant period photos. Though references to Yiddish as "the language of the Jews" and to a group of "Mohammedan priests" should not have survived editorial tweaking, this engagingly written, inspirational account will give children, particularly immigrants or descendants of immigrants, some sharp insight into the trials and triumphs of their predecessors. John PetersCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Island Of Hope: The Story of Ellis Island and the Journey to America | [
17531,
30779,
41698
] | Validation |
17,479 | 1 | Grade 3-5-When evil Professor Fleischkopf attempts to kidnap Freddy in order to dissect his brain and figure out why he can read and write, the golden hamster springs into action. Accompanied by his roommates, two wisecracking guinea pigs and one dignified cat, he seeks refuge with some city rats, but is captured by the professor. His friends save the day, but only after a truly hair-raising climax. Freddy may have a tiny body, but his personality is oversized, and kids will be won over by his always confident, sometimes petulant voice. The plot feels a little stale, and some of the characters are introduced only to wither on the vine, but there is a lot of fun in listening to Freddy and his friends tease, kvetch, and joke with one another. The many lively drawings of the characters, as adorable as Pokemon but with much more personality, bring Freddy and his pals to life. This second book in the saga stands on its own.Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 2-5. Freddy Auratus, the golden hamster who made his debut in I, Freddy (2003), is back for another madcap adventure. In a moment of weakness and frustration, Freddy posts his autobiography on the Internet. Unfortunately, evil Professor Fleischkopf reads the memoir and decides to hamster-nap poor Freddy. But before the professor can carry out his plans, Freddy (with the help of his friends, a tomcat and two guinea pigs) flees his apartment home to find safety. The friends' journey leads them into the company of a large family of sewer rats and a sophisticated female cat with a taste for hamsters. Oops! Witty prose, snappy dialogue, endearing characters, and a liberal scattering of stylized, black-and-white illustrations add to the book's appeal. Children will eagerly await the next installment in Freddy's life. Jennifer LockeCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Freddy in Peril: Book Two in the Golden Hamster Saga | [
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] | Train |
17,480 | 2 | Abby Klein was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has been a kindergarten and first-grade teacher for more than twenty years. She and her husband, two children, and four dogs live in Williston, Vermont.John McKinley has been drawing all his life. He is the celebrated illustrator of the Ready, Freddy! series. He and his family live in Northern California.; Title: Ready, Freddy! #6: Help! A Vampire's Coming! | [
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17,481 | 7 | As a child, Dav Pilkey was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hall every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories, so he spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books.In the second grade, Dav Pilkey created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldnt spend the rest of his life making silly books. Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener.Dav has gone on to create award-winning and bestselling books for children. His Captain Underpants series has more than 80 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into more than 28 languages. In 2017, DreamWorks Animation brought the character to the silver screen in the feature film adaptation Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and Netflix is now streaming The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants TV show.Davs latest creation, Dog Man, continues to be a #1 New York Times bestselling series with more than 13 million copies in print worldwide and translations available in more than 21 languages. Dav is also the creator of the Dragon series, the Dumb Bunnies series, Dog Breath, and The Paperboy, which is a Caldecott Honor Book.Dav lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife.; Title: Las aventuras del superbebe paal (El Capitn Calzoncillos) (Spanish Edition) Captain Underpants | [
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17,482 | 11 | PreS-Gr. 2. Does Billy Joel's wonderful song "New York State of Mind" make a picture book? Well, yes and no. Izak's sweeping artwork puts the accent on the pictures, but does the text work as a story? Not really. Those familiar with the song will remember that it's about the singer taking a nostalgic trip back to NYC, revisiting old haunts. Here the protagonist is a dog. After "taking a greyhound down the Hudson River line" (uh, that would be a bus, not a canine), the floppy-eared fellow finds himself in New York at Christmas. He knows "what I'm needing," and that turns out to be the fluffy, long-haired dog he meets in the park. Romantic New York activities ensue, with some cute twists. Pictures accompanying the lyrics about needing the New York Times and the Daily News show the pups under the papers in a driving rain. In the end, it's the artwork (which could probably be paired with lots of songs) that makes this special. Izak evocatively mirrors the city's vibe by mixing bold strokes with impressionistic touches. An accompanying CD brings the song to a new generation. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: New York State Of Mind (Byron Preiss Book) | [
17475,
43446,
45886
] | Validation |
17,483 | 2 | PreSThis picture book is a lyrical, exultant welcome for the newest member of an African-American family. Collier's watercolor-and-collage illustrations in vivid summery hues and enticing textures depict the happy parents as they introduce their baby to the sights and sounds of a world wrapped in rainbow. The paintings portray scenes of cozy domestic life, each clearly capturing the couple's delight in their little one. Grimes's verses describe the delightful sensations in store for the infant: the satin of rose petals and the glistening mystery/of soap bubbles. There's a stately joyfulness throughout, and, indeed, this work seems most geared to adults, particularly grandparents, who will relish the heartfelt sentiments and gorgeous illustrations.Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The miracle of birth is lovingly and eloquently on display in this joyous picture book. An African American family has a new baby and wonders await: "Welcome to the silk of grass, / the satin of rose petals, / and the squish of sand between your toes. / Welcome to rain-swept earth and spiced cider on the wind." There are more down-to-earth pleasures as well: "the sticky joy of peanut butter," "the squeaky surprise of a yellow ducky." Most important, the newborn is loved by parents and family. Collier's watercolors (accented with collage) are sturdy; this baby's family seems very real. But in some pictures there's a shimmer of stardust or the glow of rainbows that captures how transcendent the arrival of a new baby really is. Adults will certainly read this aloud to help children understand the feelings surrounding their arrival, but perhaps parents themselves are the book's most natural audience; it articulates so much that they are feeling but not quite able to say. Pair with Robie Harris' Happy Birth Day (1996). Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Welcome, Precious | [
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17,484 | 11 | K-Gr. 2. In her first picture book, the author of When I Was Puerto Rican (1993) and other adult memoirs draws on her Christmas memories to tell a moving story. Sanchez's clear, bright, double-page acrylic artwork shows Esmeralda, seven, and her poor Puerto Rican family celebrating the traditional holiday and attending Misa de Gallo (midnight mass) on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Esmeralda writes to los Tres Reyes Magos (the three Magi) to bring her a baby doll like her cousin's (white, "with blue eyes that close"). When Esmeralda's little sister, Delsa, gets the doll instead, Esmeralda is furious. When her father explains that the Magi could bring only one doll, she sees his sadness and love, and she agrees to be the doll's madrina (godmother). The jealousy, sadness, and love in the midst of real family struggle make a great holiday story. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: A Doll For Navidades | [] | Test |
17,485 | 2 | Abby Klein was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has been a kindergarten and first-grade teacher for more than twenty years. She and her husband, two children, and four dogs live in Williston, Vermont.John McKinley has been drawing all his life. He is the celebrated illustrator of the Ready, Freddy! series. He and his family live in Northern California.; Title: Ready, Freddy! #3: Homework Hassles | [
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17,486 | 2 | My name is Geronimo Stilton and I live on Mouse Island, where I'm a newspaper writer and editor. I'm also an adventurer, though not a willing one -- my sister Thea and cousin Trap are always dragging me on outrageous escapades. Each of my books is a funny, fast-paced adventure with full color art that will appeal to kids ages seven to ten. And the stories? Well, they are whisker-licking-good tales, and that's a promise!; Title: Four Mice Deep in the Jungle (Geronimo Stilton, No. 5) | [
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17,487 | 1 | This pourquoi cum cautionary tale maintains that "in the bare bones beginning, Armadillo's ears were as tall as a jackrabbit's." Any time one prairie animal confides in another, Armadillo's burro-like listening devices can be seen protruding from a bush or desert rock, vibrating as they collect secret information. With an evident gleam in his squinty eyes, Armadillo then passes the hurtful news along. He doesn't desist until he tattles on Alligator, who "nipped and snipped and clipped at Armadillo's ears until there was nothing left but tiny, teeny, itsy, weenie little ears." Ketteman (Heat Wave) justifies the punishment by listing Armadillo's repeat offenses; each injured party throws "one humongous hissy fit," and each embarrassed gossiper gives Armadillo "the what-for and the how-come and the why-not," to no avail. Graves (Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance) provides earth-tone images of arid Texas grassland, populated by critters like Rattlesnake, Blue Jay and Muskrat. He styles the title character as an obsequious, elephant-gray coward, given to sniveling when confronted. Ketteman and Graves provide a comical folktale, especially relevant to little pitchers. Ages 5-10. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Kindergarten-Grade 3-"In the bare bones beginning," Armadillo had huge, tall ears and could hear everything the other animals said. He loved to eavesdrop and then tell tales on them-tales that were a little bit twisted to make trouble. For instance, Armadillo told Blue Jay that Egret thought he was scraggly looking, and "Blue Jay squalled and he bawled, and he squawked and he gawked, and he otherwise threw one humongous hissy fit." After Armadillo made trouble for several other animals, Alligator decided to teach him an unforgettable lesson, and now, "you may hide in the bushes and listen as long as you like, but you will never, ever catch an armadillo telling tales." Bold, stylized illustrations in acrylic, ink, and colored pencil accompany the humorous, imaginative text, adding to the story's appeal-the exaggerated expressions on Armadillo's face are particularly amusing. The animals are all indigenous to Louisiana and Texas, so the book could be used to give a lighter touch to a Southern/Southwestern U.S. unit, or, then again, it could be read aloud for just plain fun, which it definitely is.Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.; Title: Armadillo Tattletale (armadillo, El Chimoso): Armadillo, El Chisomoso | [
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17,488 | 11 | This striking pop-up book published under the imprimatur of paper engineers Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, introduces a medieval European castle and the activities within it. Open the first double-page spread and up pops a three-dimensional castle, including its walls, courtyard, and drawbridge, with two smaller gatefold pages revealing other pop-up scenes. From the alchemist in the tower to the prisoners in the torture chamber, the vision of medieval times seems romanticized and the text secondary to the pleasing artwork and paper engineering. Still, Olmon provides plenty of interesting facts about the castle, its inhabitants, and their activities, and what other book includes a working, pop-up catapult that can shoot a spitball three feet? Though primarily a bookstore item, this volume can also serve as an enticing addition to curriculum units and library displays on the Middle Ages. Pair it with Jan Adkins' What If You Met a Knight (2006) for a more realistic view of the period. Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedGrade 2-5–Chatty text and cleanly designed pop-up illustrations provide a hasty overview of life during the Middle Ages. Spreads briefly cover the construction and exterior footprint of a fortress; rooms (from the chapel above to the dungeon below); jobs performed by craftsmen and inhabitants; knighthood, armor, and weapons; a tournament; and a feast. Information is presented in a smoothly flowing narrative that tends toward the enthusiastic (Without an impressive and impregnable castle, you'd be in danger of losing your crown, your title, your lands…even your head!). There is no glossary, but terms such as parapets, oubliette, and trebuchet are defined in context. Featuring scenes such as a multifloored castle interior, a shiny suit of armor, and a joust (with a pull-tab that moves horses toward one another), the pop-ups are colorful and sturdily constructed. Eye-catching details abound in the cartoon-style illustrations; two men nap after a meal on the fortress roof, an extremely unhappy gong farmer cleans the garderobe pit, and a serving woman receives an unwanted pinch during a feast. Libraries having the dough for solteties (sugar-sculpted desserts served by the wealthy) should consider purchasing this fun-to-browse book, while those starved for funds should stick with meatier fare.–Joy Fleishhacker,School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Castle: Medieval Days and Knights (A Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-up Book) | [
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17,489 | 0 | Grade 2-4Geronimo Stilton, globe-trotting publisher of The Rodent's Gazette,returns. In Cheddarface, the respectable mouse's reputation is under attack. A double, hired by the editor of the local scandal sheet, is impersonating himand causing havoc all over town. When the cheesy counterfeit even takes over the Gazette office, Geronimo has to find a way to reclaim his identityand to get even with his tabloid rival at the same time. In Pizzas, Stilton responds to an SOS from his cousin, trapped in the Transratanian castle of Count Von Ratoff. The castle's weird inhabitants wear long capes and have sharp, pointed teeth and an eerie preference for red liquid diets. Can Geronimo get his cousinand himselfout alive? The comic-book-inspired design features cartoon illustrations that often spill across the text, which also incorporates a wild hodgepodge of type fonts, graphics, and colors. The broad humor, frantic action, and pun-filled dialogue may appeal to transition readers, but better-written and funnier adventure series such as Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" (Viking) are available.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.New adventure will appear every month.This internationally bestselling series has been translated into 36 languages in over 180 countries!; Title: Paws Off, Cheddarface! (Geronimo Stilton, No. 6) | [
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17,490 | 2 | Abby Klein was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has been a kindergarten and first-grade teacher for more than twenty years. She and her husband, two children, and four dogs live in Williston, Vermont.John McKinley has been drawing all his life. He is the celebrated illustrator of the Ready, Freddy! series. He and his family live in Northern California.; Title: The King of Show-And-Tell (Ready, Freddy! #2) | [
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263... | Test |
17,491 | 0 | Grade 2-4Geronimo Stilton earns his bread and cheese as editor of The Rodent's Gazette, but his true joy is writing adventure yarns. As a globe-trotting newsmouse, he finds plenty of material for his talesalthough his exploits never quite work out the way he anticipates. In Curse, Geronimo heads to Egypt to interview eccentric archaeologist Professor Spitfur. The professor claims that the pyramid of Cheops contains the ancient Egyptians' secret method for creating unlimited energy, but legend says the pharaoh's curse awaits anyone who enters the tomb. In the second title, a pirate map sends Geronimo and his intrepid companions from the Gazette on a voyage to find the Emerald Eye. Shipwrecked on the treasure island, the comrades follow the dangerous trail through traps and quicksand to locate the booty. Geronimo's adventures resemble old Saturday morning cartoons with broad humor, stock characters, frenetic action, and comic-book-style illustrations. Even the text is incorporated into the comic motif. Words and phrases are highlighted with a wild miscellany of type fonts, graphics, and colorsoften several on a single page. They curve across the pages, slant up or down or twist into odd shapes. While this device is amusing at first, it quickly becomes overwhelming. Transitional readers may be attracted by the flashy design, but for a better-written and funnier adventures series, steer them to Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" (Viking) instead.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid (Geronimo Stilton #2) | [
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17,492 | 8 | Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4McClintock's faithful adaptation combines readable text and enchanting pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations filled with minute details of architecture and dress from the era of Louis XIV. The artist's aesthetic sense is evident in the layout of text and illustrations, for she has carefully placed pages of vignettessome of them quite humorousas breathers between the larger, more detailed spreads. The smoothly flowing story, lightened by snippets of conversation, has been divided so that each page has more white space and artwork than print. This fresh, appealing version of the perennial favorite belongs in every collection.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. Here's a gentle version of Perrault's classic tale: no stepsister cuts off her toes to fit a shoe and everyone is forgiven at the end. McClintock places her sweet Cinderella in the Paris of Louis XIV, with period fashion and interior and architectural detail from Versailles and the Paris Opera. Pen, india ink, and watercolor make for delightful dancing lines and exquisite color: Cinderella's first ball gown is a profusion of roses under a plum overskirt, and her hair is decorated with a huge rose trellis. The stepsisters, one fat and one thin (both mean), and the prince, a graceful boy in a powdered wig, make a pleasing supporting cast. Cinderella's little gray cat appears on almost every page. GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Cinderella (Golden Kite Honors) | [
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17,493 | 2 | Ms. Frizzle and the class learn all about the Great Barrier Reef and the amazing creatures that claim it as their home. What a splash!; Title: The Fishy Field Trip (The Magic School Bus Chapter Book, No. 18) | [
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17,494 | 4 | Reviewed with Peter Mandel's Boats on the River.PreS. Busy and bright, these larger-than-average board books whir with vehicles in motion. Spare, rhyming words introduce each plane or boat, but the language is sometimes perplexing. Instead of using common names such as helicopter or submarine, Mandel uses phrases that describe what each vehicle does--"whirly-bird plane" and "go-below boats." The final spread in each book falls particularly flat, ending with a confusing reference: "This one is your [boat or plane]," accompanied by a picture of a toy children probably won't own. The illustrations more than make up for the over-reaching language, though. Using vivid, solid colors and simple geometric shapes reminiscent of Byron Barton's style, Miller creates exciting scenes of boats, planes, and passengers in action, while the uncluttered spreads and easily definable shapes invite counting practice for chubby-handed preschoolers. Pair these with Tana Hoban's Construction Zone (1997) for the Tonka Truck crowd. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Planes At The Airport | [
28895,
66091
] | Train |
17,495 | 0 | Here's the newest twist on the familiar tale of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow.I don't know why she swallowed some snow.Perhaps you know.This time, the old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be able to guess!; Title: There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! | [
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17,496 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 2 - These four easy readers, all of which feature African-American characters, are a bit uneven in quality. All begin with tips for adults on reading aloud and end with questions and activities that encourage youngsters to relate to the stories' themes. Daddy, in which a boy tells about his weekly visit with his father, is a sweet and gentle look at a difficult topic with watercolor illustrations that match the mood, while What Do You Know?, which relates a young girl's early-morning romp through fresh snow, is wordy with uninspired text and illustrations. Girls and Bath! are both fun stories with hit-and-miss rhyming styles and illustrations that bring the texts to life. - Catherine Callegari, San Antonio Public Library, TX Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Just For You!: The Girls In The Circle | [
17504
] | Train |
17,497 | 7 | R.L. Stine's books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children's authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written series including: Fear Street, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and his King Charles spaniel, Minnie. www.RLStine.com.; Title: Goosebumps House of Horrors Boxed Set | [
47084
] | Train |
17,498 | 0 | EARLY CHAPTER BOOKSFULL-COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT!A NEW ADVENTURE APPEARS EVERY MONTH!Oh, what a day! I had just published New Mouse City's first phone book--and almost every single number was wrong. My customers were out for my fur. So when Thea, Trap, and my nephew Benjamin asked me to join their quest for a legendary island covered in silver, I agreed. But no sooner had we set out then we were attacked by a ship of pirate cats. They mousenapped us and threatened to make us their dinner. Would we escape with our lives...or find ourselves in the soup?; Title: Attack of the Bandit Cats (Geronimo Stilton, No. 8) | [
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17,499 | 0 | Ten Book set of the popular Bailey School Kids, includes:Gremlins Don't Chew Bubble Gum; Werewolves Don't Go to Summer Camp; Zombies Don't Play Soccer; Leprechuauns Don't Play Basketball; Wizards Don't Need Computers; Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses; Witches Don't Do Backflips; Aliens Don't Wear Braces; Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots, and Ghosts Don't Eat Potato Chips. Scholastic Reading level: 3; Title: The Adventure of the Bailey School Kids Megapack (Ten Book Set) (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids) | [
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] | Train |
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