If you live in the United States, you probably know that Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese military in 1941, an act which triggered America’s involvement in World War II.  You probably DON’T know, however, that the Japanese invaded Alaska’s Aleutian Islands six months later.  This meticulously researched book tells that story.

The packaging here is masterful.  The cover is enticing and edgy, the book is shaped like most novels, primary source photos pop up on many of the pages, and the font size is large and readable.  Seiple, who has worked as a competitive intelligence specialist for a Fortune 100 company (according to the flap), includes fourteen pages of source notes and image credits.  She also gives the reader wonderful finding aids, including both a table of contents, and an eight page index.  In between, she tells the story more-or-less chronologically, from the perspectives of a wide variety of participants in the events.  The information is based not only on formerly confidential documents from the United States government, but on interviews with some of the witnesses of the events who are still alive.

The only downside to this title is that the narrative is not always as engrossing it could be.  Seiple sticks to the facts and primary testimony, and that can at times make this a dry read.  The unique strengths of this title, however, outweigh the weaknesses, and those strengths make this an essential purchase for any library, particularly libraries serving a military population.

Children love books about creatures.  Illustrated, diary-style chapter books are one of the hottest trends in youth literature today.  The Mystic Phyles combines these two elements to tell the story of Abigail Thaddeus, an outsider who is asked by a cat to research mythical creatures.  The presentation of this book couldn’t be much more attractive.  The whole book is in full-color, and pictures, clippings, photographs, and “hand-written” notes fill its pages.  Abigail tells her story in journal form, including the event of the mysterious request that she learn about mythical creatures, and records her findings in this book.  The information about creatures varies in length – some entries have only a single spread, some have pages of alternate illustrations and theories about the history of the creature in question.  This title would be stronger if the information on the creatures was more consistent.  The appeal factors override the weak elements however, and kids will eagerly look forward to the next installment of Abigail’s story.

Robert Goldstrom’s whimsical illustrations star in this journey through dreamland.  This is Goldstrom’s first picture book, and his illustrations already feel classic.  A father and son leave their home in a giant paper hat.  They sail through clouds, stars and galaxies, meeting ghost-like constellations, winged cats, a UFO, and a smiling moon which is really a balloon.  The text is lyrical and old-fashioned, using words like “cur” and phrases like “give chase,” and repeating the refrain, “Dream away, dream away, sleepyhead, love. / Set sail for the ocean of stars up above. / You be the captain and I’ll be your mate. / We’ll journey together, the heavens await.”  The pictures and the words don’t always connect – for instance, the second half refers to being “back on the sea” several times, and the pair never actually touch water.  But this can be excused by the surreal quality of the book at large.  Goldstrom is an illustrator to watch, and this is a lovely quiet journey through the night.

Interactive picture books with low word counts are fewer and further between than some might think. In Chew, Chew, Gulp!, readers are invited to pretend to consume food using a total of twenty-four different methods, from swirling to burping. Each page features a different kind of food, consumed by one of four multicultural children. The low word-count is conducive for large-group sharing and there are three natural endings to the text, which facilitates an adjustable length. The illustrations are bright and clear, depicting a wide variety of foods. The simplicity and direct approach of this title is deceptively minimalistic. In a field filled with complicated stories of hamburger people and counting potatoes, this is an essential food-themed acquisition for any library which presents storytimes for toddlers.

This sweet gem of a book invites the reader to take a contemplative journey through the seasons of the year by reflecting on one haiku for each month…and one accompanying, gentle and beautiful watercolor.  I, personally, felt the world actually slowing down from the race-a-day world, as I read and pondered the mental and visual images.  Being in nature has that same effect on me, so I was not surprised how the haiku, which is almost always about the natural world, transformed my experience.  The book opens with winter’s frost laden window panes…

“Each window pane’s a

masterpiece, personally

signed:  Your Friend, Jack Frost”

Then comes the wily robin, the dandelions, the tadpoles, and so on until we come full circle, and ” Lawns call a truce with mowers and slip beneath their white blankets to sleep.”  An explanation of haiku, The Cycle of Life, and seasonal descriptions are included in the back matter.  This book would be an obvious segue into the students’ composing their own seasonal, nature haikus.

This is a solid non-fiction fact book about Blue Sharks that would appeal to upper elementary students interested in the topic for research or curiosity.  There is information about habitat, diet, threats, physical description, migration and regions.  There is a glossary and index as well as additional resources.  The text is clearly written and the primarily underwater photographs are clear and vibrant.  The series also includes The Whale Shark, The Great White Shark, The Mako Shark, the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, and the Sand Tiger Shark.

This is a solid non-fiction fact book about Whale Sharks that would appeal to upper elementary students interested in the topic for research or curiosity.  There is information about habitat, diet, threats, physical description, migration and regions.  There is a glossary and index as well as additional resources.  The text is clearly written and the primarily underwater photographs are clear and vibrant.  The series also includes The Blue Shark, The Great White Shark, The Mako Shark, the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, and the Sand Tiger Shark.

This series does an excellent job with country books for elementary and early middle school students, this volume regarding North Korea included.  Topics include primary events in the country’s history; information about the regions, resources, and wildlife; government; culture and cuisine; and current events.  Handy resources in the back include brief country facts, the words for the national anthem, a timeline, glossary, sources for further research, the flag, index, and map.  The text is clearly written and the plentiful photographs and maps are excellent quality, relevant and enhance the text.

This is a beautiful true story of Ms. Patricia Polacco’s young school years and the wonderful art teacher, Miss Chew, who encouraged her and helped her to develop her talent.  Touching and emotional, Patricia overcomes obstacles and misguided teachers, to be better understood as a student.  The illustrations are bright and expressive.  Students who learn differently or who are artists would especially enjoy this book.

This is the story of Warduff the cat who saves the day when the farm animals are in danger of being eaten by the hungry fox.  The text and illustrations in this story are hilarious, making it a fun read-aloud.  The story is pretty simple, so I think it will appeal most to a younger audience, perhaps Kindergarten to 2nd grade.

How refreshing to come across a picture-book biography other than the pat same-ol’, same-ol’ that fills our shelves.  Zitkala-Sa (born Gertrude Simmons), a Native American Sioux born in 1876 in South Dakota, was taken from her tribe, at age 8, to be educated at a Quaker Indian Boarding School in Indiana.  Despite the loneliness, foreign customs, and homesickness, she blossomed from the love of music, writing, and public speaking.  She learned to recognize and speak against injustices and eventually became a well respected fighter for Native American civil rights in Washington DC in the 1920’s.  The acrylic illustrations are embellished with sheet music, maps and photographs, emphasizing primary source aspects of this adapted, heartfelt retelling.  “She was the first Native American writer to receive national acclaim; the first Native American violinist to perform before a U.S. president; and the first Native American to write an opera and have it staged.”  Comprehensive back matter includes suggested readings, websites, and more detail.