As Book One ended, Opaline had finally gained her super powers, but was using them for BAD! As Book Two begins, Opaline’s three former besties are determined to change Opaline back from the dark side. The Ultra Violets (UVs)  begin to plan a surprise birthday party to win Opaline back to them – Operation Get-O, not Ghetto. But the UVs plan gets derailed when Opal plans her own 12th birthday party inviting everyone, except the 3 UVs. Opal is planning on shocking the entire 6th grade class, at her birthday party, “INTO HER ELECTRIC ZOMBIE SLAVES!” (pg. 193) The UVs are crashing Opal’s party in a spaceship disguised as a cloud, “like the Greeks rode in on the Trojan Horse!” (pg. 218) ” The Ultra Violets foiled Opaline’s plot to reprogram their Chronic Prep class…”( pg. 307) And now, as Book Two comes to an end, the mayor has asked that an UltraViolets signal be made [much like the Bat Signal] , which is a good thing because Opaline has not given up the idea of taking over the students in her school, but the entire city, too, if her mother has her way.  STAY TUNED for BOOK 3!

All printed in purple ink.

This is a great counting book.  The pictures are great with lots of color.  This is the best counting book I have ever seen.  It was a lot of fun and the story was interesting.

I love the “How Do Dinosaurs…” books and this is a good one too.  This book is really a lot of fun.  It’s very informative.  My brain couldn’t understand the title, so I started reading the book.  I got pulled through quickly.  I was entertained and amused and I now know how to behave for Chanukah.  The pictures are wonderful.

Anguished and angsted Greer Cannon is smart — smarter than she let herself take credit for.  Though she learned to use her body for the wrong purposes and found shoplifting to be addictive, which landed her at the McCracken Hill rehabilitation school for teens, Greer knows when to talk and when to just keep chill.  This is why Addison is so attracted to her.  Addison’s violent behavior topped with alcoholism are in the shadows behind his great looks and qwirky personality — a personality that is too often swayed by Joshua Stern, Addison’s Narcotics Anonymous sponsor. Thus the battle of the minds, and hearts, begins.  Readers may start to find frustration in how obvious the brainwashing is, how unlikely the trip to the Piconos and events during their stay is, how naive Greer tries to be in supporting Addison versus being true to her own spirit.  The book jacket really does make this seem like it will be a psychological thriller, but it certainly lacks any over the top drama.  In fact, the conclusion was lack luster at best.  This dark tale is going to be picked up, but it may not be finished by all.

This is a great story most any child could identify with.  If you have ever been embarrassed or felt like the world was against you, this story is for you.

The boy in the story is an interesting individual.  His family is mostly out of touch with his feelings, as many children feel their families are.  There is a happy ending.

This story was a fun, unique story, with amusing pictures.

This is such a cute book about Ernest B. Spinosaurus who writes to Santasaurus all year long to let Santasaurus know That he should be on the “good” list for Christmas.  Ernest lets Santasaurus know of all the good things he has done and lets him know that the bad things aren’t his fault or weren’t so bad.  Oh, and what he wants for Christmas, which changes with the newer models that come out and depending what he got for his birthday.  Very entertaining.

A singing, dancing, crime-fighting girl superhero TV show is filming in Milo and Jazz’s ‘ordinary’ town. “Milo and Jazz were sleuths in training. They got lessons in the mail from world-famous private eye Dash Marlowe and worked together to solve mysteries that popped up in their town.” (page 9) Shortly after spoiled little girl – Ursula- throws a fit when no one will sell a prized ‘power pick’ in the crowd of towns people out to watch the filming of the TV show episode, the ‘power picks’ begin to disappear. At first, Milo and Jazz think Ursula is behind the disappearances. Then, it is revealed someone is sending letters to the “power pick” owners saying they will get to be in the TV episode if they secretly drop off their “power pick” after that day’s filming. Milo receives his monthly letter from Dash Marlowe advising the use of Venn Diagrams for helping to sort out clues. Through the use of Venn diagram and Milo’s observation the mystery is solved.

Two or three black and white illustrations per chapter.

Includes five pages entitled: Super Sleuthing  Strategies of brain teasers for the readers to solve on their own. Answers are supplied.

In the summer between 5th and 6th grades, Leo and Chad are about to attend Camp Smellerd where 12 Guppy Scouts disappeared in 1981, never to be heard from again. Meanwhile, Leo has a half-zombie friend, Roger, who lives in a lab behind a sliding panel in the back of his bedroom closet. Chad’s older sister, Anita, is excited to be a counselor at Camp Smellerd this summer and plans to clean up the algal bloom on Lake Moan. She thinks it is caused by the “radioactive blast at Brainland’s nuclear power plant ” back in 1981. Anita’s plan is to take ” the group of ragtag kids in mismatched socks and stained T-shirts…[now] In their sparkling white suits, they looked like algae-fighting superheroes.”  In the exact middle of the book, while Anita is running the pond/water skimmer a “noise grew louder and louder until— ‘AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH’ from the lake’s shore came a long, low moan.”  Fish zombies dressed in old guppy scout uniforms surround Anita, Chad, and Leo in the boat. Dun, dun, dah! The zombies are attacking the boat, when Roger arrives at the lake on a bicycle, only to find out ‘these’ zombies are toothless algae eaters. The police arrive to shut down the lake, but Anita convinces the police the zombies do not exist, because the zombies are helping the lake’s ecosystem, not harming people.

My one complaint about this book is its cover. My students want to read scary zombie stories, ie. GOOSEBUMPS, not ones with comic BART SIMPSON covers.  My school library patrons won’t be checking out this book. CHANGE the cover, not the story, and this will be a hit.

Delaware is one in the completely revised America the Beautiful series. This book is divided into 9 chapters before the projects, timeline, glossary, fast facts, biographical dictionary, and resources found at the vary back of the text.The nine chapters include: 1- Land, 2- First People, 3- Exploration and Settlement, 4- Growth and Change, 5- More Modern Times, 6-People, 7- Government, 8- Economy, and 9- Travel Guide.

DuPont, “one of the largest chemical companies in the world” is headquartered in Delaware.

Delaware has its share of museums. There are museums for shipwrecks, Native Americans, Hispanics, Swedish, African Americans, explorers,  and colonial life. There are museums were children “can dress up in old-time clothing… and [others where] costumed guides… demonstrate life in the 1800s.”

Banking and Financial activities are the leading service industry in Delaware. It is the National Center for the credit card industry.

This book is filled with charts, graphs, maps, and photos which will aid students in attaining the Common Core Standards .

If you have ever been to summer camp, this book will ring true for you in many ways. This book is told in graphic novel format, perhaps this will be the next BIGGEST science series since ‘Magic School Bus’.

While at summer camp, six of the campers learn about gravity, as it relates to their camping experiences, from their camp counselors. Gravity first comes into play, when the cuckoo clock in the dining hall is ‘wound’ by pulling the chains so gravity can pull on the weights which move its gears. Later, center of gravity and friction are experienced on the beach and in the lake, then explained by the counselor in the dining hall.

A pendulum’s speed and an objects weight with regards to gravity are also explained.

Includes: 2 experiments with explanation, Mysterious Words (glossary), and 5 stated facts about gravity under the heading- “Could You Have Solved the Mystery of the Cuckoo Clock?”

“Go Beyond the printed book. Download FREE educational resources at www.lerneresource.com”

Here is the mini-bio of a Native American chief who just wanted his people to be left alone. Please have the wagon trains go away with their ” horses and cattle …[that] ate the grass needed by Sioux ponies.  The loud wagon trains scared away the game. And the whites brought deadly diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and the flu.” (page 16) Some of the Sioux decided to live near the trading post, Red Cloud and others decided to isolate themselves from the whites. Later, when gold was discovered, Red Cloud first talked with Bozeman, then the U.S. government peace commissioner to keep Sioux land away from the gold hunters.

“Red Cloud was unlike most war chiefs. He made long-range plans. No war chief had power to command his men.Red Cloud had to rely on his reputation and oratory to lead his band. Thus he persuaded the warriors to do things his way.” (page 23) … Red Cloud “would not talk of peace until all the soldiers left his hunting grounds.” (page 24)  Meanwhile, other Native American groups further south were giving the whites trouble because of the railroad being built. ” President Andrew Johnson (post-civil war) did not want further fighting.” Army forts were abandoned and Red Cloud had them burnt to the ground.

Author, William R. Sanford makes this an easy read in nine short chapters. Black and white photographs and sketches from the time period are used for illustration, but this book could use some color. The headers for each chapter the two maps, and the purposeful smudge marks on the bottom of most pages could easily be in color! I fear the lack of color will decrease the number of readers choosing to read this book.

This reference presents essays that discuss not only the historical background of Kosovo, but also the ethnic cleansing there and the events leading to the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. The first chapter provides the background information and uses primary sources, such as articles from periodicals, State Department and judicial reports and the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. The second chapter presents information on the genocide in Kosovo from multinational perspectives, essays and speeches on whether or not the events in Kosovo meet the criteria of a genocide and reports on incidents of rape as a weapon of war the systematic execution of Albanian males of fighting age. Chapter three recounts personal experiences of victims of the Serbian forces, a peace worker who was imprisoned, a witness of atrocities, and young victims from the region. I don’t think many of our students know about the genocide in Kosovo, and I think fewer understand the root of the problems; this book does a good job explaining it. There are exercises at the start of each chapter, including analysis of data and political cartoons, writing prompts and group activities. The reference includes a timeline, maps, and lists of websites and books for further information.  I see this as an excellent addition to a high school library, both for students looking for more information on genocide or teachers interested in developing a lesson/unit on the topic, particularly one supported by primary source documents.

Cowpoke Clyde had finished his chores and was pleased with his clean home until he noticed his “dawg” caked with mud. Cowpoke Clyde was determined to give his dog a bath when his efforts turn into a comedy of errors from Clyde roping a hog instead of the dog, and instead of luring the dog in for treats, he attracted six cats. Well, Clyde decided to give up and take a bath himself. While he was singing in the tub, his dog decided to jump in and croon with him beneath the moon. This story is told in rhyme with a country twang. The illustrations are cute, colorful and detailed, allowing the reader to read facial expressions of each character!

Sam is very excited to hear that the new neighbors had a child named Charlie. He was surprised to find out that the new neighbor, Charlie, was a girl who had a little sister with his name, Sam. The two neighbors develop a great friendship that had its bumps along the way, such as small disagreements and accidental hurt feelings. However, Sam and Charlie knew the golden rule: love thy neighbor as thyself. This book has five stories that are approximately six pages each. It is perfect for children who want to start reading chapter books but are not quite ready yet. Cute, color illustrations are found on each page spread. Jewish religion is lightly brought into the stories.

Humphrey the hamster had a great summer break, but when he returns back to school in the fall, all of the students in Ms. Brisbane’s room are missing! Ms. Brisbane’s class is filled with strange students! Humphrey is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing students. He sneaks out of his cage at night and explores the school looking for clues. While Humphrey discovers where his old classmates are, he also discovers the new classmates have specific needs that Humphrey can help with, and he learns that he loves his new classmates just as much as the others. This Humphrey book will surely be kids favorites!

Nugget and Fang, a minnow and a shark, are the best of friends until Nugget goes to school and learns about the food chain, that SHARKS EAT MINNOWS! Nugget tells Fang they cannot be friends and leaves him all alone. Fang tries to win Nugget back by doing things such as getting a tattoo of Nugget and inviting him to dinner, but nothing seemed to work. Suddenly a net swooped down and captured Nugget and his friends. Fang took the opportunity to be a hero and chew a hole in the net, winning Nugget’s friendship as well as all the minnow friends! Super cute friendship story about diversity. Brightly colored  illustrations will intrigue kids.

This cookbook contains over fifty braces-friendly recipes that kids will love, braces or not! It starts with substitution foods for the forbidden foods and offers delicious breads and breakfasts, lunches and main meals, vegetables, desserts and finally, tips and advice for those who wear braces. The recipes have a full color photo of each dish that can make the reader’s mouth water! I was surprised to see alcohol on the ingredients list of a recipe in the book. The binding is a spiral type that tends to not hold up to multiple uses. Comes with a table of contents, glossary, and index.

George “Suds”Morton introduced in Jerry Spinelli’s Fourth Grade Rats is the main character in Third Grade Angels. The teacher of third grade, Mrs. Simms, holds a competition every week to see which student deserves to be awarded “the halo” – which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and in short, perfect.  Suds is determined to be first to earn the halo.  Striving to be perfect proves to be nerve-racking for Suds.  It’s not until the 16th chapter that the reader and Suds learn who is given the first halo. Should be an easy read for most third graders.  Enough humor and suspense to keep a child reading.  Good life-lessons taught subtly.

Did you know that in the year 2011, 7 trillion texts were sent worldwide?  This nonfiction book is full of valuable facts, information, and advice about internet use.  It teaches what cyberbullying, what is looks like, the seriousness, and what to do about it.  This information is current, relevant, and useful for instruction.  I recommend this book.

There are many different versions of this Grimm’s classic, but this is one worth investing in.  I recommend Mark Teague’s version because of the bold, large, wonderfully created illustrations and his great sense of humor infused in this “happy ending” tale of the bully wolf changing his persona by the end of the story.  Good use of infusing modern problems into this antiquated tale by including the lazy pigs eating soda pop and potato chips instead of healthy vegetables and fruits, like our brick building pig was eating.  Recommended!

This is a primary book with an easy reading level for those beginning readers.There are two sentences per page, with vocabulary words in bold and large colorful photos.  This particular book from Scholastic has heavy duty binding, which makes it a good value as it should wear well with student use. Recommended for PreK, K and perhaps 1st grade readers.

This ‘wonderful’ story takes place in 1939 when the United States was recovering from a severe depression, world wars were raging, when gypsy encampments were common in towns, when traveling carnivals and freak shows went from town to town, when schools for ‘wayward’ girls existed (no foster care system) and human trafficking was common.  Ah, the good ol’ days—NOT!   Portia Remini grew up in a gypsy family and loved to learn old stories.  One by one, her family members left in order to scratch a traveling itch.  With only an aunt, her father’s sister, to care for her, Portia had become a true loner.  The townspeople didn’t understand her, but were afraid of her free spirit.  Then, finally, the day came when her aunt took her to the McGreavey Home for Wayward Girls; Portia wasn’t wayward, it was just that her aunt was tired of looking after her.  Mister McGreavey, who ran the home, used the girls for slave labor for his apple orchard.  His treatment of them was harsh and devoid of any humanism.  His goal was to sell girls to men who required dutiful, obedient girls.  After Portia had seen his evilness, she escaped one night on Mister’s bicycle, getting as far away as possible.  She knew he would try to find her.  Her goal was to find her father.  She came upon a traveling circus and sideshow and was allowed to stay with them.  She learned each person’s story, and they became her family, what she had been looking for.  This book is told in the third-person narrative, with a sideshow person and others, each given a turn to speak.  The chapters, their thoughts and histories, are short.  The result is that the reader feels that they, too, are learning about each person, just as Portia does.  Alas, Mister sends some goons to track Portia down and to bring her back, plus his bicycle.  He holds her prisoner and delights in tormenting her and telling her she’ll never leave again.  But, she has a family now and they are loyal and come to rescue her.  A truly beautiful story of hope and family.  The storyline was interesting and snappy, never a dull moment.  The only objection I have is the book jacket art–the scenes are too busy, even though they are meant to represent the sideshow freaks.  That would probably be better left to a reader’s imagination.

Set in rural Kenya, this inspiriting, fictionalized account of Mimi’s village without health care gives the reader a viewpoint  about the urgent need to improve developing countries by providing them with clean water, protection from mosquitos, and vaccinations.  The reader’s world views are expanded  with the ultimate goal  to create change.  In the developing world, 21,000 children die every day from preventable diseases.  This fact alone, illuminates the dire situation that cries out for attention.  Organizations such as Partners In Health and Malaria  No More  are explained. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also began helping parts of Africa , Asia and Latin America to  eliminate malaria.  Each year, for five years, they contribute $100,000  to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  Rates for malaria are now falling.  The website, www.mimisvillage.org provides more information for students and teachers who want to become involved in this global program.