Our library has all the Tacky the Penguin books and they are a hilarious series.  Wonderful to read-aloud, my students always enjoy story time when we read Tacky.  Tacky is a penguin who although wacky and a bit of an odd-ball, always ends up saving the day and proving the hero.  His unique perspective on life is enthusiastic, friendly, and creative.  This book includes a Christmas music CD ala Tacky.  These funny songs will delight the reader.

I enjoyed this middle elementary level chapter book sequel to The Lemonade War.  Each chapter was titled with a legal term related to the progression of the story line.  The main characters are 4th grade students (which is perfect for AR level 4.5) who suspect a classmate of stealing over $200 from another classmate’s shorts pocket while they were all off swimming.  They decide to have a trial on the playground and planned extensively for it.  Although the defendant was not found guilty, the main characters learned a lot about friendship and the deception of appearances.  The story does resolve well with the money returned and significant character development.  I read this book quickly because I wanted to keep reading.  It is very appropriate for grades 3 – 5 and I will recommend it to my students.

Three teenage girls from different lifestyles come together to study French at a summer school in Switzerland.  Ingrid is the wild child.  Shirin is the brain and the bookworm.  Vivien is trying to find herself.  The three girls find themselves staying in the same dorm room.  At first, they are very hesitant to become friends, but eventually they come to find out over the summers that they are meant to be best friends.  This is the story of how three different young ladies were able to bring out the best in each other through friendship.

The author writes from three different perspectives; one for each main character.  The reader will appreciate how diverse the author’s writing is because she is able to communicate the three different personalities believably well.  With the exception of no closure to the characters’ stories, this novel sends the message that true friendship can come from the most unlikely people.

— Christina D.

In a fantasy world where humans primarily travel in airships powered by creatures called bestia, two twin slaves are sold along with a new airship to the emperor of the Shinzo land.  These twins are the ship’s bestia keepers and as the ship is stolen from the emperor, they are caught up in the excitement and join the new crew as freed people.  The twins are not normal bestia keepers; they each possess their own special power.  Soon the new captain’s quest to save the Blue Dragon of the East becomes apparent, and the twins are the only ones who can unlock the magical weapon, the quillblade. With it’s untamed power, one of the best crews in the land, and two better than average bestia keepers, the race is on to save the world from the demonic wastelands and it’s dark taint. This non-stop action novel will keep the reader at the edge of their seat. The author’s fast paced writing draws the reader into the ups and downs of the characters and keeps the reader guessing what will happen next at every turn.

— Michael S.

This is a retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel.  The text of the story is geared for elementary aged students and follows the classic story closely.  The illustrations have a cartoonish feel but utilize rich colors and cloth-like textures.  Many elementary girls enjoy princess stories making this is a nice addition to our library collection.

This picture book features the journey of Moses and the Israelites through the desert including God’s gift of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai.   The beautiful and brightly painted illustrations bring this story alive.  The characters of the story are very human, making it easier to relate to in the present day.  I especially enjoyed the Author’s notes at the end of the book which further explain the biblical references.  This book is a lovely addition to our catholic school library and I’m happy to have it as a resource for elementary teachers focusing on the Old Testament stories about Moses.

This terrific magic book includes 8 easy to follow card tricks as well as an introduction so the budding magician can deliver the tricks with finesse.  The tricks are easy to learn due to the clear explanation and demonstrative photographs for each step of the trick.  This is so helpful for the magician to really refine the delivery of the trick.  The cover of the book has an engaging photograph as well.  The author is a currently performing magician which adds credibility to the work.  I expect this book to circulate well and perhaps we’ll see some of these tricks in the school talent show!

This is a level 2 early reader (AR test at level 2.9, .5 points) with chapters for those emergent readers.  I generally like the Cam Jansen mysteries but didn’t care for this story due to characterization issues.  A main character, Cam’s aunt, although an adult in the story, behaved more like a disruptive young child.  Her behavior didn’t make sense to me and probably would be distracting to young readers as well.  The story is about figuring out what happened to Cam’s box of popcorn which went missing during the circus.  The mystery is properly resolved and I did enjoy the memory game included in the back of the book.

In another edition of the Boxcar Children, the four children have earned reputations as first-rate detectives and are in a competition with another family of kid detectives.  The other family, the Best family, have won this competition four times and are looking forward to their fifth win, earning them an all expense paid trip to Hawaii.  Right from the start, their Aunt Fiona, tries to sabotage them by mismarking landmarks on maps, stealing a  precious object from Benny, and by spying on them and then telling her nieces and nephews their clues.  The Alden children are pretty smart and catch on to her antics.  I really enjoy this series because of it’s readability and consistency.

This notebook-style book is two summer stories in one: Amelia’s Longest, Biggest, Most-Fights-Ever Family Reunion, and Itchy-Twitchy, Lovey-Dovey Summer at Camp Mosquito.  In the first story, Amelia, and her sister Cleo meet their father for the first time.  Amelia is distraught as she’s not sure she likes her father, and even worse, Cleo bonds with him and his new wife and child immediately.

In the second story, Amelia and her best friend, Carly, are off to summer camp.  Trouble ensues when they fall for the same boy.  Friendship prevails, but not before  some hurtful fights cause tension and competition for Luke’s affection.

Being artistic, Amelia draws pictures throughout her journal, adding a certain amount of charm and humor.  The disadvantage to this format in the Amelia’s Notebook series, is that there are no chapters or page numbers.  This makes it awkward to put the book down for the night and pick up where you left off the next day.  On the other hand, this will appeal to students who love to draw.