Who could resist a book with a cover like this?  A slim girl, back turned, stands under the marquee of an old-time movie theater, her pink polka dot tights the only splash of color on a dark, rainy night.

Thus, the mood is set for a mystery that takes place around the Little Arts, a movie theater in a little town where nothing much happens–until the girl in pink tights shows up, and Dani, the young heroine, is consumed by curiosity as to who this stranger is.

As the plot unfolds, just like in the movies, Dani will convince readers that old movies can take one away from life’s troubles, that Rita Hayworth had glamour like no star before or since, and that black and white movies are far more elegant than color.

One more thing to like about this mystery for the middle grades is that there are no scenes to leave you wondering if they’re totally  appropriate for sixth graders, but there’s plenty of action and suspense to keep everyone turning pages.

Colorful photographs, well-placed text boxes, attractive type styles, and easy-to-read text, make this concise yet complete discussion of the Great Lakes easy to read and understand.  The author, Patricia Kummer, lives in Chicago and grew up spending summers on the beaches.  Her knowledge of and love for the area come through in this book.

The lakes in commerce,  research, ecology, art, recreation, poems, sculpture, and song (including, or course, the details of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald), kept me interested throughout.

A glossary, Fast Facts, easy-to-read index, and “Find Out More” pages will help researchers.  The listed web sites, including one on shipwrecks and another with up-to-date environmental information, should remain useful over many years.  This seems especially important in a book that will be used for reference.  The Great Lakes is a great addition to the Nature’s Wonders series.

Stephen Currie’s American History series Environmentalism in America examines the eras, events, and movements relating to ecology awareness, activism, and legislation. The 96 page book is a hardback, and a very typical school library historical short volume that expands on information commonly found in high school history textbooks. Currie gives a brief but solid historical perspective of the subject that has ultimately created and shaped public opinion and activism as well as governmental public policy regarding local and national ecology issues. Overall, this is a well-written but brief informational book.

These Bible stories are short, one to three pages, with simple, colorful illustrations.  The table of contents does a nice of dividing the stories between the Old Testament and the New Testament, which each story titled in bold face type with a brief explanation of what the story is about, and then the book and verse of the Bible in which you’d find the passage.  The only problem is that the stories are blah and somewhat boring–‘he said, she said,and then this happened.’  No explanation of why, no reaction from the people of God, pretty much ‘just because God said so.’  I understand that this is the Bible and all and that people aren’t supposed to question the word of God, however, I think that this was a missed opportunity of what the intention here should be–explain how the Bible or at least particular story pertains to them and how it can be interpreted for today.

Tumtum & Nutmeg, the mice who live at Rose Cottage, are back with three separate stories: A Christmas Adventure, A Seaside Surprise, and A Circus Adventure.  All three stories include Lucy and Arthur, the human children who also live at Rose Cottage with their neglectful father.  Tumtum & Nutmeg are the rock that anchors everyones lives.  They make sure the children have Christmas presents, they take care of their neighbors and get them out of predicaments–they are like the gramma and grampa everyone wishes they had.  A truly comforting book.

I was a reluctant reader of this book when I first glanced at the cover.  With all the cupcakes and the reference to fifth grade, I was sure it would be either a ‘mean girls’ or a ‘twitter techno’ kind of book–you know the type, a lot of blah, blah, blahing about not much of anything.  So I was totally knocked for a loop after I started reading it–I couldn’t put it down!  What really surprised me was all the complicated, kind of grown up issues that were presented.  Planning your life, saving your money and actually having a banking account, running an election campaign, starting a business, dealing with a new girl who tries to steal your friends, what it means to be a friend, and honesty–all just to name a few.  All these issues rolled into a great story.  Plus there are even some cupcake recipes at the end of the book.  So get over the cover–it’s a much more serious and realistic book than what the ‘cuteness’ of the cover implies.

Earth Day should be everyday, not a one day event, but for those who need reminding – this might be the book for them.

Written is rhyme , which sometimes gets awkward, the theme is:

“Just look at this planet!

What a great work of art!

To protect all this beauty,

we must each do our part!…

We can all make a difference,’ E.P. said

‘We can and we do!

Now kindly put down that litter,

and please join my Green crew!.”

After the story, 5 ‘Green Facts’ are given and then ‘More Ways to Green-i-fy!’

Art work resembles acrylic painted scenes of claymation figures.

France is more than the Eiffel Tower and fine dining. It is a country which starts at sea level and goes to ski level.

This book is one in the Exploring Countries series of 20 books. Each has 13 brief chapters written for the intermediate reader. Chapters include: Where is France?, The Land, The Massif Central, Wildlife, The People, Daily Life, Going to School, Working, Playing, Food, Holidays, French Art and Architecture, and Fast Facts.

Browsers will quickly read the ‘fun facts’ and ‘Did You Know?’ insets along with the 8 words in the ‘Speak French!’ section.

Ireland is more than shamrocks and leprechauns.

There are 13 brief chapters in this book written for intermediate age students. It is part of the 20 book  Exploring Countries series.

The photos definitely show off why Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, whether it is in the lush lowlands or in the bogs rich in peat.

Mixed in throughout the book are bits of trivia, such as, “the ruins of around 3,000 castles dot Ireland’s many landscapes”  from page 7’s ‘fun fact’ and “In some parts of Ireland, rain falls more than 220 days of the year” from a ‘Did You Know?‘ inset.

There is more to England than Big Ben and the city of London.

This book is one in the 20 book series Exploring Countries written for the intermediate grades. There are 13 brief chapters. In ” Where Is England?”, the map is big enough for the reader to see that England is a part of the United Kingdom and sits on the island of Great Britain. Some of the other chapters are: Wildlife, Daily Life, Going to School, Working, Playing, Food, and Fast Fact .  In Fast Facts, the English flag is shown with its white background and red cross, which is a part of the Union Jack.

Readers will come across interesting quick bits of trivia in the “Fun Facts” and “Did You Know?” insets throughout the book.

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