Lost in the River of Grass, the story of a two teenagers lost in the Everglades, is an absolute nail-biting, breath holding page-turner.

Written by a native Floridian, Ginny Rorby, this young adult novel appears on the Truman Award final nominee list for 2013-14.

The adventure story of how a local boy, and an urban girl ostracized by her field-trip classmates, survive four days in the Everglades with nothing but a knife, a can of Spam, and half a bottle of Gatorade, while wading neck high in swamp water and fending off alligators, wild boars, fire ants, cottonmouth, water moccasin and rattlesnakes, will keep the reader’s heart racing. An excerpt from chapter 13 provides a example of the suspense:

I raise my head to look at the gator, estimating the distance between us to be only about ten yards. It has closed its eyes, but there is something else moving through the grasses near the trail…Whatever it is slides slowly beneath the flattened grasses…”There’s another, Andy!” I grab his arm. My cry startles the gator, but it’s too late. Like a flash of lightning, a giant snake strikes the side of the gator’s face. “Holy Christ.” Andy jumps up and jerks me to my feet. I bite my fist to keep from screaming. Blood whooshes in my ears. Minutes ago, Andy and I walked right past that snake.

Issues of class, bullying, and race make this more than just an adventure story. However, this book is so suspenseful that the reader will be tempted to read the entire 255 pages in one sitting to discover whether the teens (and the orphaned ducking the girl rescues) will make it out unscathed.

Thirty four action filled baseball stories by authors including Zane Grey, James Thurber and Garrison Keillor, make up this expanded edition of Baseball’s Best Short Stories. Featured stories begin with the famous baseball poem from 1888, Ernest Thayer’s ‘Casey at the Bat’ and continuing with stories from the early 1900’s, into the 1920’s, through the 1940’s and 50’s, and into modern times with Brendan DuBois’ 2001 ‘A Family Game.’  This collection reflects the best stories of American’s favorite past time and will be enjoyed by any baseball fan.

Chasing Evil is book two in this Beast Quest series, and as such, it does not stand alone; it is necessary to read book one in order to understand what drives Tanner and how Gwen came to the story.  The legend has it that whomever wears the Death Mask will control the five magical beasts of Avantia and, therefore, control Avantia.  After the death of the last Death Mask wearer, the mask was broken in four pieces and hidden throughout Avantia.  An evil army is now on the march to retrieve all the pieces of the Death Mask and thus rule Avantia.  Apparently the evil tyrant who last wore the Death Mask has a trace of mortality left and needs the Death Mask to become whole again.  Similar to Voldemort not being all there in the first few Harry Potter novels.  Tanner is revealed as the first ‘chosen rider’ to have a magic beast and is on a quest to find the other pieces.  The last words of his dying grandmother send him to a mapmaker of a nearby village who will help him.  There he meets Gwen, the second ‘chosen rider’ whose beast is a wolf.  Gwen’s jealous, competitive twin brother turns traitor and gives the evil General Gor the locations of the mask pieces.  This is all in book one.  Then, in book two, the one reviewed here, much of the beginning goes about explaining in a not so exciting way, the story from book one.  Here, Tanner and a disbelieving Gwen, go to rescue her twin brother, Geffen.  As they come to another village which has been destroyed by General Gor, they meet Castor, the third ‘chosen rider,’ who beast is a lion.  The three of them team up to go on the hunt for Geffen and the mask pieces.  Where they find him and events surrounding his rescue are exciting, there isn’t really quite enough in this book to give the reader a reason to keep going onto books three and four.  I am curious as to how the beasts play a part in Avantia, but it sure is taking a long time to get to the point.  Many, many battles with unkillable army leaders.

Author, Bridget Heos, sets to hook her readers by comparing and contrasting real spider silk with that in the Spider Man movies. She follows this by going down to the cellular level of spider silk for comparison. While spider silk is extremely strong the practicality of trying to collect it is not easy.

In steps the genetic research scientists to isolate the spider silk gene and implant it into goat embryos, alfalfa, bacteria,  and silkworms. Next they must extract the spider silk milk and be able to turn it into actual silk.

Heos introduces the reader to the scientists and their lives when not engaged in the laboratory work. For example, they raise the goats, playing with them, and giving them a normal goats’ life outside of the testing. Photographer, Andy Comins, gives us a close up of a spider named Piggy Two on page 45. The sidebar reads- ” Piggy Two is taped down so that silk can be extracted. It will make her tired but will not hurt her. She is given a sip of water and a cricket before the process begins.”

Heos brings up the ethical side of genetic research. All of this is done for the betterment of the world. Cruelty is not practiced. But one issue brought up is how others ( non-scientists) see this work. When working with genetically modified alfalfa, what happens when the neighboring farmer’s field is outside the testing area (say the farmer is trying to raise organic alfalfa) but the bees pollinating the field cross the fence line? Now the genetic test subjects are on both sides of the fence, whether that was the plan or not.   Three-quarters of the way through the book, there is a “Be a Part of the Discussion” section.

The ‘quest’ mentioned in the subtitle had not been reached at the time of publication, but this book is thought provoking!

As Book 3 of the Witches at War series begins, Sam has come along way from being an orphan apprenticed to an old witch, to being a gorgeously dressed, lavishly housed prisoner of Diabolica Nightshade. “On the night of the Midwinter Moon she[ Diabolica] is going to crown herself Wicked but Lovely Witch Queen of All the World. All this is very bad.” Diabolic taunts Sam about her being good and succeeds in enraging Sam. Sam decides to go NASTY even to the point of turning her best friend into a zombie-witch. Diabolica is convinced Sam is evil, after Sam offers and takes a ‘truth potion’. No one can lie after taking the truth potion, but while Sam is telling the truth, it is not the whole truth, because the right questions have not been asked of her. Diabolica’s coronation turns into a battle field with spells flying threw the air. Diabolica’s only competitor for the Witch Queen of All the World, Esmelia, is leading the battle charge against Diaboica, but it is Esmelia’a secret admirer, who leads the wizards into the fray, as the battle seems lost, that wins for the ‘better’ of two evils.

Tween girls now have a super hero group to call their own! The Ultra Violets!  The cover art by”Emmy-nominated animation character design artist, best known for his work on the hit Cartoon Network shows Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Samuri Jack… ” Chris Battle  will draw in the readers. Next, the book is published in purple ink! The Fuchsia is now – dawns the cover.

Four 2nd grade best girlfriends , whose mothers all hold PhDs,  are being baby-sat in a lab at Fascination Laboratory, or FLab, when an accident exposes them to “blue-red goo splattered all over the ninja-princess-samurai-schoolgirls… Heliotropium, the liquefied post-atomic hybrid particle capable of genetically altering any bio-organism on earth.” [Reminds me of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]  Fast forward four years, the  BFF girls are now reunited in middle school and are having a sleepover. Perhaps its puberty, the author doesn’t say, but ‘freaky talents‘  are developing in three of the four friends: purple hair & the ability to change the color of objects, the ability to solve complex math equations with ease, and the ability to out dance anyone on the planet while doing cool ninja moves. The fourth girl has always been the quiet one of the group, but not having any super powers, soon becomes a problem. Then once her super powers emerge – she is the evil one.

Author, Sophie Bell, has captured ‘tween years. Sophie talks directly to the readers at times as on page 96,  “But yes! This chapter also involves a flash of brilliance. A hint of romance. A dash of jealousy. And a lavender dog.” There are numerous take-offs on famous books, characters, etc. : orange brick road, Forever Twenty Fun, Build-a-Girl Workshop, Victoria Shush [Secret] ,Cinnaubonpain, simple is as simple does, with great responsibility, Cher- I’ve got you babes…   And let’s not forget the ‘tween style of talking with IDK  &  NBD, shortened words, and combined words [viomazing] only ‘tweens can understand.

BeauTek housed in the Mall of No Returns, run by Develon Louder [Revlon & Este Lauder] has created mutants and is running tests on animals. This the Ultra Violets have to stop!  “The fate of an entire city in the hands of three sixth-grade girls”

Watch for Book 2 in this series!

Dragonbreath’s 8th book begins with eight pages of full-size graphic novel style illustrations of Wendell Iguana’s nightmares. Danny Dragon helps his friend Wendell overcome the nightmares (which do in fact look like horses) by going into Wendell’s subconscious using a portal inside the refrigerator with a dream-eater in tow. Wendell’s scary school related dreams are defeated by the baku, dream-eater, and “They rode the Night Mares out of the dreamlands.”

Students who have read the first seven Dragonbreath books will want to read this one, too, partly for the art work which accompanies the story.

Pip escapes from an orphanage and manages to sneak a ride on a coach headed for Hangman’s Hollow, a place he’s only heard about in stories but didn’t believe existed.  Once there, he thinks he may have made a mistake in leaving the orphanage and the seafaring future which awaited him, as Hangman’s Hollow is not kid-friendly.  Sam, the owner of a pub, befriends Pip and hides him with his own son who is hidden.  Pip makes his first friend ever and learns how to survive in a world where kids are hunted.  First of all, the illustrations in this book are remarkable.  They are generously placed in the book depicting the evil-looking characters that hunt children, the forbidden forest, the deadly animals, and even the town itself.  The story moves along quickly as Pip and his new friend try to find another child whose siblings and parents have been jailed.  Lots of action and drama and cliffhangers.  Writing is a strong element in this book; I love the vocabulary and the varying sentences.  I would use this book in teaching writing to show how sentences should be mixed up, short and long, simple and complex.  It seems that many UK authors have this ability.  Mould does an excellent of this book one of a new series.  I am definitely adding this and the others to my library collection.

In this fantasy/romance/horror novel, newly mermaid teenage Luce belongs to a tribe of mermaids that sink ships. After a cruise line interrupts a funeral of one of her friends, the mermaids are forced to sink the ship. Once a human hears a mermaid’s song, they must die. However, Dorian, a boy on the cruise ship, sings back to Luce, and she, breaking the mermaid’s covenant, rescues him. Newly orphaned Dorian wants to take revenge for his family and sets out to meet the mermaid that tore his world apart. When the two world’s collide it becomes more than just a simple story of revenge bringing into play the lives of all the mermaids and the traditions that they have been practicing since the dawn of the existence.

This is not a happy-go-lucky lovestruck mermaid story; it is a realistically dark tale. The characters appear to be people that one could see or meet any day. The writing is not complicated; it is easy to understand, but a haunting feeling still lingers after the last page. Readers of fantasy will enjoy this book for its depth and how it confronts every obstacle that would otherwise make the book seem superficial and not nearly as dark.

— Kit H.

In this adventure/mystery/supernatural novel, teenage Tessa is a variant; she can absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and become them. In a small town in Oregon, there has been a series of murders. Tessa is given the mission to play the role of recently murdered Madison who, the world believes “miraculously survives” the attempt on her life. But, in reality, Tessa has to find the murder while trying not to be murdered herself.

The writing style was not too complicated, but it still created an impact on the reader. The plot was fast-paced and flowed evenly until just before the ending where it stumbled, but picked up shortly after. Most of the characters appeared realistic, but a few were fan service. Readers will enjoy the combination of mystery, suspense and the supernatural aspects of this book. Note: One suspects a sequel.

— Kit H.

In this first in a series graphic novel, a young teenage boy has his life changed by events that he can not control. James is forced to join a secret government organization that uses kids to get information on terrorists. This story tells of James’s training and his first mission.

The writing style is written from a teenager’s point-of-view; the language is clear and one that a teenager would use. The artwork is outstanding; the anatomy poses of the characters are true to form and the backgrounds are detailed. The story hooks a reader immediately and can keep one’s attention throughout the entire book. Note that there is some violence in the book and a few actions that may not be suited for younger children (smoking, drinking). This book is recommend for those readers who enjoy action novels.

— Kellyn S.

In this graphic novel, there are three tales of famous war dogs from three different major wars. The first story takes place during World War I – Germany where Boots accompanies a medical assistant in the battle field. The second story takes place during World War II – Greenland where Loki helps a soldier get back to the air base when the soldier gets separated from his group during a mission. The last tale tells the story of Sheba, a war dog in Vietnam.

This book is very informational; the reader is able to learn historical facts about canine war dogs and how they were important during wartime. The creative writing style is continuous throughout the book. The artwork is realistic even though it is in comic book style form. Each story is fast-paced, getting to the point quickly but effectively. These stories are about war – death and blood are depicted. The stories are powerful and fascinating to read. I would recommend this book to mature readers who appreciate and understand the meaning of war. Dog lovers would also enjoy these tales.

— Kellyn S.

Here is a plotless book much like I SPY by Jean Marzolla. Curious George visits and explores 12 structures which are all jam packed with items a curious little monkey would love to touch and play with when left alone. As the reader turns each page of this 10.25″ X 10.25″ book, the top left corner shows a picture of the outside of the structure ( forest cabin, vacation trailer, desert adobe pueblo, tropical stilted bungalow, lighthouse, houseboat, medieval castle, zoo monkey house, high-rise skyscraper*, a tree house, a barn,  and the house were the man with the yellow hat lives) above its brief description told in rhyme, with 4 or 5 or 6 isolated pictures of items to find in the larger page and a half spread of the inside of that particular structure. Each rhyme ends with – “Where is George?”

Young readers will enjoy searching the pages of this book for George and the items!

Printed on heavy paper.

* Skyscraper is misspelled by omitting the second ‘s.

These are always fun book to look at, the pictures are really nice.  There is a little story that goes along with the pictures.  It is fun to try to find the pictures.

This book tells you a lot about a Hot Air balloon.  Even though it is very basic information it is very good information about hot air balloons.  The pictures are very colorful and go well with the text.

There is a table of context in the front and a glossary and “Further Reading”, a list of books and websites for more information.  There is also an index and a page of “fun facts” in the back also.

this is a cute story of a little girl, Zaira,  who has many imaginary friends.   The other children make fun of her.  One day Zaira’s  imaginary friends are gone and she is very sad, until she sees them again and is happy.

The pictures are colorful and interesting.  I like the name of the fairy “Take that”.  It is perfect when she takes the smiles of the faces of the children who are laughing at Zaira.

The cover offers: “Watching the Universe outside your window”, as a hook to catch your interest. I loved the images in this book: from NASA, The Hubble Telescope, constellation drawings, and so much more. The Contents are broken up into four sections ( with 9+ entries in each section) : Watching the night sky, Searching for the stars, Discovering amazing planets, and Galaxies and the Universe.

I did enjoy this book in small sections at a time. My finite mind would just begin to wrap itself around one three dimensional idea when another one was introduced into the equation of space. I found out quickly,  I am not ready to be an astronaut and travel off of this planet! I will need more than this book to help me remember and understand all of the wonderful celestial bodies in this book: nebula, quasars, nebula, globular cluster, black holes, blazar, cepheid , asterism, and more, which often we are made aware of in science fiction accounts, but in fact do exist.

The photos whether taken from space looking further into space or taken  from earth looking up into the night sky, they are breath taking!

Round star maps were presented from different locations on earth, not just from the northern hemisphere.  The constellations presented are viewed from flat star maps, viewed with the unaided eye from earth, viewed with telescopes in part and in whole, and small tidbits of their ancient names / origins.

Comes with a free digital book download.

Here is a book which will give intermediate grade students some of the background needed to better understand why the United States fought a civil war. There are 4 short chapters entitled: Seeds of Secession, The Birth of the Confederate States of America, The Confederate Government, and The  End of an Era. Each chapter is accompanied by historic photographs and lithographs.

From the very beginning of the United States there was lack of communication between towns and states. Each place created its own laws with little regard or effect on other places, but by the early 1800s this was changing. The U.S. government forced the Southern states to purchase Northern manufactured goods by placing tariffs on the cheaper imported goods. Slavery divided North and South even more, especially when new states or territories were added.  Southern states feared their control over the Supreme Court would lessen if A. Lincoln was elected president.  “Some states believed secession was the only way to preserve slavery against the threat of the abolitionists… the Confederacy was founded ‘upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man.’ ”  Southern states seceded after the election of A. Lincoln, but before he took office. They thought the war would end once Lincoln’s term of office was over, but he was re-elected.  And finally, the Confederate generals did not have the needed skills to compensate for each others short comings. “Jefferson Davis was known for being stubborn… [and] argued over how to proceed.”

This book never gives the reader a clear cut definition of what a dinosaur was, either in the front section entitled “What is a dinosaur?” or in the glossary. Though the book is divided into three sections: The world of the dinosaurs, Triassic and Jurassic, and Cretaceous dinosaurs each section is somewhat abstract / random  in delivery of the information, but intermediate aged readers will still be pleased. An example, on pages 40-41 it is stated that Compsognathus means “Elegant jaw”. The page shows the teeth of five different animals ( Megalosaurus, lion, Troodon, human, and T.rex)  but not the tooth of a Compsognathus.  Should the reader draw the conclusion that meat-eating teeth are all pointed, so the Compsognathus’ were, too?

On pages 16-17 it states, ” We know of about 540 kinds of dinosaurs, but as many as 900 kinds might have lived, or perhaps more.”  The words ‘may’, ‘might’, and ‘probably’ are found through this book.

On the plus side, this book does separate the Triassic and Jurassic from the Cretaceous periods in chronological order. It shows a wonderful two-page spread photo of the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. And it devotes 4 pages of photos mixed with text to SUE the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found.

The book’s text ends with, “Recent technology and new fossils are giving us fresh information all the time. What will we discover next?” (p 74-75)

Very little new information, if any, was found in this book, perhaps that was all saved for the ‘free digital book’ download.

Young readers, especially boys, will enjoy this rousing story of dinosaurs playing football. Its big and action packed!

The two top teams are playing in the Mega Bowl at the Lava Dome: the Greenblade Snackers verses the Redscales or the Green Bay Packers vs. the Red Skins or the herbivores vs. the carnivores. You take your pick.

Author Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Barry Gott have done their dinosaur homework in selecting the actual dinosaur names (46 in all) to play on these two DFL teams.

The rhyme flows quick and fast as the Greenblade Snackers play the Redscales in this evenly matched game. Which team will win? I won’t tell.

Arctic Ocean- if you are thinking ice, snow, and cold – you would be correct, but there is so much more! Intermediate grade students will be introduced to some of the wonders of this region in 6 short chapters.

Chapter 1  “The Ocean at the Top of the World”. Location is shown on a round map looking straight down towards the North Pole, truly giving the reader a feel for its relationship to North American, Europe, and Asia. The Arctic’s summer temperature is 29 F meaning the ocean water closest to land is thawed while ice still exists over the central portion.

Chapter 2 “Natural Resources” is broken down into three sections dealing with food , energy, and transportation. Food includes fish, seal, walrus, and whales. Energy includes oil and natural gas especially from Prudhoe Bay. Transportation includes two shipping routes which are difficult but shorter than other world transportation routes. And weather forecaster for Europe and Eastern United States.

Chapter3 “The Ocean Below” reveals the shallowness of this ocean, its wide continental shelf, and two mountain ranges.

Chapter 4 “Arctic Ocean Life” covers phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish (cod, halibut, capelin, & herring), whales, land mammals, and  invertebrates (clams, crab, worms). Food webs are mentioned.

Chapter 5 “Arctic Explorers” begins with “ancestors of the various Arctic peoples”;  Greeks – 300s B.C.; Vikings -A.D. 800s; Europeans- 1500s;  as well as, Nansen of Norway who studied the actual ocean, and later 20th century studies by the Soviet Union, Canada, and United States ( 1937, 1958, 1990s, 2001).

Chapter 6 “Current Issues in the Arctic” covers pollution from oil, chemicals, and nuclear waste; overfishing and hunting; loss of ozone layer; global warming; and all of these working together causing endangered species.

The pictures are cute.  The story is sweet.  The best part is that the book in interactive.  There are places throughout the book where you stop and choose.  I liked it!

This book has great pictures.  It’s easy to read, and very informative.  The whole subject is a little frightening.   Through out the book there are interesting facts about snakes.  The list of dangerous snakes in the front of the book, with the locations where those snakes can be found was interesting.  There are amazing stories of people’s experiences with snake bites.   The book teaches you what to do if you are ever in the situation where you have been bitten by a snake.  I found the book held my attention.

The pictures are nice.  It moves along quickly, and is an easy read.

I’m certain some people will like it.  I don’t really care for it.  It seems to deal with a girl moving from being a girl to a teen.

It does have an easy to read rather pretty font.

At the end of the book is a number of questions that address being silly.   Reading the book to a group, and then exploring the open ended questions at the end of the book could be a fun and thought provoking experience for a group.

Basic science for young children with fun experiments to help teach the concept.  The illustrations are very good and help make the book more enjoyable and fun.

There is a section in the back for parents and teachers to help in using the book for teaching children about physical sciences.

Very nice book