Eloise Decorates for Christmas

Precocious, 6 year old, Eloise observes The Plaza Hotel, where she lives, being decorated for Christmas and decides to help. Illustrator, Tammie Lyon, has Eloise drawing decorations on the hotel’s hallway walls, taking a red ribbon off of a wreath, and a garland off of a banister. The hotel staff are eyeing Eloise as Eloise eyes the giant Christmas tree in the hotel lobby. Eloise takes a silver bow off of a present leaps into the air to the top of the Christmas tree “To fix the tree.” Soon Nanny is there to take Eloise back to the hotel’s top floor, where they live.

Eloise Skates!

On a cold winter New York City day, Eloise is bored until Nanny takes her ice skating. Eloise zooms past, between, and through several groups of people, as Nanny cries out, “Eloise, watch out!” Then, Eloise begins showing off her twirls for the tourists. The skating comes to an end when Nanny takes Eloise off to get hot chocolate, after Eloise flies through the air on her skates into the arms of a policeman.

Fun energetic pictures with marvelous facial expressions fill the pages of this easy to read book.

Eloise and the Very Special Room

6 year old, Eloise, who lives on the top floor of The Plaza Hotel, is off exploring the Lost and Found without her Nanny’s knowledge. Eloise has a great time trying on 19 hats, napping on a fur coat, drumming on a hat box, and jumping rope with neck ties she’s tied together until Nanny and the hotel manager find out where she is.

Fun energetic pictures with marvelous facial expressions fill the pages of this easy to read book.

Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game

In 1944, John McLendon, coach of the North Carolina College of Negroes’ Eagles, organized a secret basketball game with Duke University Medical School, an all white team.  Because of segregation, these two top teams were prohibited from playing each other.  John McLendon studied under James Naismith, the inventor of the game and coached his players with an innovative style.  Both teams were hesitant as the game began, each using their coach’s techniques.  As the game progressed, the Duke squad were stunned with the Eagles’ fast-break style of attacking the basket.  The final score was Duke 44, Eagles 88. Then surprisingly, they played another game. The teams mixed and played shirts against skins.  The trepidation with which they started dissolved as they played.  Skin color no longer made a difference.  Both teams vowed to keep it secret as serious complications could occur if word got out.  This was 20 years before Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.  The artwork also adds to the historical perspective.  Illustrations begin with the shades of gray in black and white photographs.  As the teams play the game they love, more color is introduced.  John Coy brings this remarkable story out of the sports history books to be enjoyed today.

My Dream Dog

Author / illustrator Arthur Howard provides us with a whimsical story line showing the double meaning of this book’s title.  A young boy with his ‘dream’ pet, a dog: play together in the sprinkler, tail wagging with friends, growling at something disliked, following commands, getting drinks from the toilet, hiding under a chair when scared by thunder, and always wanting to play some more. Then, there is the question, ‘What does my dog dream about when he is asleep?’ Is it food, or riding in the car, or chasing things, or going to school, or various smells and sounds only a dog can smell and hear, or as Grandpa says, ” ‘ Maybe Scooter dreams about you.’  ”

A single simple sentence per page with a big friendly dog rollicking across the page is shear joy.

I recognized Arthur Howard’s illustrations from his book HOODWINKED and from Cynthia Rylant’s series “Mr. Putter and Tabby” .

ABCs on Wheels

There must be a hundred or more alphabet books out in circulation at all times.  An author picks a topic and then proceeds to write about said topic using each of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet usually as an individual entry. Often the letters ‘q’ and ‘x’  are quite contrived to complete the book. So what makes this book better than most? Author- Ramon Olivera’s passion for all things with wheels for one. Second, he usually has two consecutive letters in a double page spread being highlighted. Three of these pairs of letters are showing opposites: “E e is for empty.  F f is for full.” ( A man pushes his truck with the empty gas tank to the filling station where another man is filling his truck’s gas tank), “C c is for compact. D d is for double decker.” (Where  a mini-Cooper is next to a double decker bus.), AND “N n is for new. O o is for old.” ( A young man purchasing his new car is getting the keys, followed by the now old man selling the same car and handing over the keys.) The consecutive letters j and k show a tow truck taken a ‘kaput’ car to a ‘junkyard’. L and M show a presidential ‘limousine’ in a ‘motorcade’. P and q show a ‘plugged in’ electric car purring with a technician measuring how ‘quiet’ it is. The four letters t,u,v,and w take up four pages with a NASCAR theme for track, underdog, victory lane and winner. The finale comes as a yellow cab zooms off with the fare it has just picked up.

 

SIMPLY CLEVER from start to finish or should I say from A to Z!

Proud to be a Ghostbuster

If you have younger students who enjoyed last summer’s revived GHOSTBUSTERS movie, then this book is for them. The book is written in six short chapters, in large text font, and with photos from the movie on every page turn.

It all began when 8 yr. old Erin was visited by a ghost. Then, Erin and Abby did a school science fair project together on the barrier that separates ghosts and living people.  Erin and Abby later wrote a book on ghosts. Years later, Abby and Erin met up again at the Aldridge Mansion Museum in time to see their first ghost, as adults.

 

The next ghost they saw was in the New York City subway. Erin, Abby,  her friend Holtzmann, and now Patty (the subway worker) became the Ghostbusters team. The team’s first ghost was at a rock concert. Next, a fellow named Rowan became a ghost. Rowan gets ghost after ghost through the barrier. The ghostbusters successfully close this portal between worlds.

 

The Ballad of a Broken Nose

Bart lives in Norway with his mother who is overweight and lives in low income housing with drug addicts.  He sings opera songs in the shower.  His teacher wants him to sing in the end of the year show but he is too nervous.  His friend, Ada is his support.  When his classmates find out he lives in public housing, they go to his home to ridicule him and then he swings a punch at one of the boys and misses, but the boy breaks his nose. Bart does not let this stop him.

This story celebrates the underdog and it would be a good read aloud for 4th or 5th grade.

The Art of Not Breathing

Set on the shores of Scotland, this debut novel tells a heartbreaking story of a family: Elsie, her twin brother Eddie, her older brother Dillon, their parents, and how the family deals with the drowning of Eddie. Blame, guilt, teen romance, an extra-marital affair, mental illness, and eating disorders all feature in this drama.

Ghosts and Goblins and Ninja, oh my! #4

Rider Woofson is the leader of the P.I. Pack, who investigates crimes.

Westie Barker, a member of the P.I. Pack,  is testing to earn his yellow belt at Pawston Martial Arts Dojo in Bark-Jitsu. Westie is unsuccessful at each stage of the trial, but the next student, a cat, succeeds easily. After the night of testing, Sensei Hiro sets the high-tech security system on his way out of the dojo. Then, Sensei Hiro hears a noise outside. He looks into a store window. “Suddenly a scary face popped into view. It had a huge hairy nose, pointy ears, green skin, and large red eyes. ‘Oh no!’ Sensei Hiro cried out. ‘It cannot be! The ancient Goji Goblin has come for the sacred Scroll of Bark-Jitsu!’   ” (24-25)

Sensei Hiro seeks out the help of his student, Westie, and the rest of the P.I. Pack to protect the ancient scroll, which the Goji Goblin has been after for generations.

Mr. Meow, the P.I. Pack nemesis, has cat burglar ninjas breaking into the dojo to steal the scroll. Mr. Meow has arranged to have the P.I. Pack, who are on stake-out at the dojo, taken into the police station for questioning while the cat ninjis are at work. Westie, the Pack’s inventor, is able to stop the ninjis. Then, Gus dressed up as the Goji Goblin enters. Westie takes off with the scroll heading towards the police station. The rest of the P.I. Pack emerge from their police questioning just in time to catch Gus.

” ‘Westie, my student,’ Sensei Hiro said. ‘You were very brave in the face of great danger. You protected the Scroll of Bark-Jitsu and stopped the bad guys. To accomplish such a feat, you must have a pure and brave heart. For that you deserve this…’ The sensei pulled out the yellow belt.” (113-114)

Across town, Mr. Meow is not happy that P.I. Pack has ruined his plans again.

Gray-tone pencil pictures are on almost every page.

Under the Lights

Under the Lights is the second in The Field Party series, following Until Friday Night, published in 2015. Set is a small southern town, Under the Lights  is a teen romance with a love triangle between two football players and a girl who is back in town after being away for six following a family tragedy.

Filled with teen angst and drama, this second book in the series can actually be read without having read the first book, as the major characters in the first book are not the major characters in the second. Glines’ novels are formulaic, and this one is no exception.

Undercover in the Bow-Wow Club #3

Author- Walker Styles fills his Rider Woofson series full of word play dealing with all things ‘dog’.

Rider Woofson is the lead dog in P.I. Pack.  The P.I. Pack is called in to help “Mega- famous rock star, David Bow-Wowie” (6) whose instruments have been stolen by a ghost. The security video at the Bow-Wow Club shows David Bow-Wowie ‘s instruments start to move on their own and out the door.

Across the street Mr. Meow wants to turn the Bow-Wow Club’s building back into the dentist office it once was. Mr. Meow’s dream will come true if the club can not come up with the money it owes the bank in just one day.

Many years before, David’s family were dentists in the building. Back then, dentists filled cavities with gold. When the gold shipment disappeared one day, the family sold the building.

The P.I. Pack follows some clues to a music store, but they do not pan out. Meanwhile, one of the pack has been investigating in the building’s basement where he has found some ants.

It turns out David puts drops of maple syrup on his instruments before each show in honor of his uncle who told him to follow his dreams. The syrup attracted the ants from the basement who took the instruments, but the ants were too small to be seen. As it turned out, the ants had also taken the gold and buried it in the basement. “After the great discovery, David Bow-Wowie used the gold to pay the bank.” (115) Across the street Mr. Meow is hissing at the moon. He is upset with the P.I. Pack for finding the gold and the instruments. Mr. Meow wants that building! He is the one who put the maple syrup on the instruments.

 

There are gray-tone pencil drawings on almost every page by illustrator Ben Whitehouse.

Lost and Found

Jasper John Dooley is quite excited when he finds his dad’s old toy mouse, Marcel. Jasper loves Marcel so much he keeps him on a long string and wears him around his neck. But sometimes Jasper has to take Marcel off, and that leads to all kinds of worry. Marcel turns up missing from under Jasper’s pillow, and again when Jasper is sent to the principal’s office.
Finally, Marcel has a serious accident, and it seems like he may be gone forever! This is a super sweet story about a boy with a special bond.

The Mystery of the Zorse’s Mask

Kelsey, Becca and Leo have very different personalities and generally don’t hang out, until they rescue three kittens which forms a bond of friendship. They decide to form a club committed to solving mysteries. Becca’s mother runs the Wild Oaks Sanctuary for animals. They have a zorse (cross between a zebra and horse) that was abused and brought to them for rehabilitation wearing a sparkly fly mask. However, a man shows up to claim the zorse. This sends the trio into action to solve the mystery of who abused the zorse, which turns into a dangerous situation. The trio work to solve a twisted, double mystery; who abused the zorse, and why is the sparkly fly mask so important. This is the second book in “The Curious Cats Spy Club” series.

It Came in the Mail

“Liam loved to get mail.” So begins the story of a boy who NEVER received mail and decided to do something about it – he wrote a letter to his mailbox! The mailbox responded by sending Liam a fire-breathing dragon. Liam, who must have been raised by very polite parents, wrote a thank you letter back to the mailbox (with a request for more stuff) and received many wonderful items, like trombone-playing pigs and an air whale (i.e. a whale that flies). He and the mailbox went back and forth until he had TOO MUCH MAIL! He then decided to share the wealth by sending gifts to others through the mail and decided that it felt good to give to others, too.
This book is full of fun, with cartoon-like drawings, speech bubbles and little side jokes that will appeal to older readers as well as the target k-3 crowd. Writing letters and the enjoyment of sending and receiving mail are explored in a silly, entertaining way. This will be a great addition to a lesson on letter writing or a unit on community helpers (post office).

Ellie the Flower Girl

This series focuses on four friends and their adventures as Critter Club members, who care for and find homes for pets. They operate a volunteer pet rescue center with help from Amy’s mom, Dr. Purvis, a veterinarian.
In this book, Ellie can’t wait for her cousin’s wedding, but she becomes even more excited when Hailey asks her to be the flower girl! To add to the excitement, the Critter Club girls (Ellie, Amy, Marion and Liz) get a cute bulldog puppy that needs a home. Ellie’s enthusiasm turns to dismay when she ruins her flower girl’s dress with paint. How will she fix this and can they find a home for Lulu, the bulldog puppy? Fortunately, things seem to work out for the Critter Club!
This series is a great one for early chapter book readers. The combination of cute animals and the diverse girls who help them is a winner and the accompanying illustrations are quite charming. The stories are relatable and the language is appropriate. Pick this book up for your primary students – it will fly off the shelf.

Secrets, Lies, and Scandals

Five high school students are in their evening summer school Psychology class when their heartless and sadistic professor dies. They spend the next three weeks in a state of absolute terror, dread, and crisis as they try to cover up their involvement, avoid implication in the crime, and struggle with the temptation to turn on each other to pin the blame on someone else.

This is a suspenseful nail biter that engages the reader through the very last page, in spite of the somewhat stereotypical characters. There is the “Queen Bee” gorgeous (white) girl, so popular with the boys and envied by the girls; the super brainy girl (black) who has never had a boyfriend; the rich and unemotional (Asian) boy; the handsome (white) juvenile delinquent guy; and the kind, sweet (white) gay boy.

The story is told from all five of their points of view, which makes the book even more engaging.

Life is Funny

Life is Funny by E.R. Frank is an intense fiction novel that is anything but funny. The author gives insight into 11 teenagers growing up in Brooklyn, NY over a span of 7 years; each character has a voice and portrays an in depth look into their modern day life and struggles dealing with topics of unwanted pregnancies, drug and sexual abuse, love, suicide, cutting, and what it’s like to be a teenager. It’s at times graphic and slightly intense for younger teen readers, but at the same time gives raw perspective into 11 teenagers lives all living in the same area. Originally published back in 2000, this new cover art will also help pull in readers.  I recommend this book older teens and adults who want a look at what some students in our system have to deal with, and how they react.

Piper Morgan in Charge #2

The new Piper Morgan series fills a niche for those young girls living in a single-parent family, where they are the only child and there is no father in the picture. Piper is most likely in the 5-8 year age range, is eager to please, wants to make friends, and jumps to conclusions – be they right or wrong. Piper’s mother works out of a ‘Temp’ agency which takes her and Piper to many different places. Piper’s big hope is that her mother will finally get a job where they will be able to stay in one place for a long time.

As book #2 opens, Piper’s mother has taken on her latest temp job working on a project in a school office. Piper might get to help around the school as a Helper Bee, when not in class. Piper is introduced to her new class. She will be sitting next to Lily, the principal’s daughter, who is also a Helper Bee.

Nana and Piper make cookies for Piper to give to the principal. When the cookies disappear, Piper blames Lily. Later, when Lily and Piper are yelling at each other Piper’s mother is able to get Lily to explain how she hid the cookies in a classroom. Meanwhile, Lily’s father had already found the missing cookies. It seems Piper and Lily both wanted to be the best Helper Bees.

In the end, Piper finds the “I’m sorry” card Lily made for her.

At the end of each of the ten chapters, there is a “Class Fact” page of trivia about the topic of interest from that chapter.  At the end of chapter 5, the Class Fact deal with how to tell if someone is lying. While at the end of chapter 8, the Class Fact deals with how to say you’re sorry and after chapter 9, it deals with famous artists.

Lucy Fleming has two or three gray-toned pencil illustrations for each chapter.

Basil and the Cave of Cats

Named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed over as a Kid” by Buzzfeed.com and the inspiration for a hit Disney film, the masterful Great Mouse Detective series is now available to a whole new generation of readers!

Basil the mouse detective sets off on a journey to solve one of the greatest mysteries of mousedom: Do miniature cats exist? Leading mouse scientists aren’t certain, but they believe that answers can be found in India. As Basil sets sail for the Far East-and the lost island of Kataarh-danger stalks him at every turn. Will Basil successfully unravel the mystery of these mini-cats and their mouse king?

Written on a 5.2 AR level, advanced second and third grade readers would enjoy this book. May not appeal to the older middle grade readers; seen as “too young.” Nice illustrations, well paced, interesting.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade

This is the second book in a hilarious new monster adventure series. With fresh, funny illustrations on every page, this is perfect for fans of comics and graphic novels aged 8 and over.

Jack Sullivan, originally introduced in The Last Kids on Earth, is back! It’s still TOTAL MONSTER ZOMBIE CHAOS on the streets, but now Jack has a gang of friends to help him through – science genius and best friend Quint, super-strong Dirk and all-round coolest girl ever, June. Not to mention Rover, Jack’s awesome monster pet! Along the way this group encounters a lot more than they bargained for, including a giant Wormungulous, a pizza parlor monster hangout, an ancient evil who destroys worlds, and a stereo system that is totally the bomb. Can Jack figure out why the zombies are vanishing . . . before he and his friends are next?

Do Trees Get Hungry? Noticing Plant and Animal Traits

Mr. Andre’s class is going on a nature walk, but first they must feed and water the class gecko, Jojo.  On their walk, Mr. Andrew and the students observe the similarities between Jojo and the plants and animals they see.  These observations lead the students to identifying patterns in the nature they see around them.  As they return to their class, they summarize their learning before saying goodbye to Jojo and heading home.  The story line is contrived but the connections the students draw fit well with the Next Generation Science Standards concepts.

Contains Table of Contents, Nature Treasure Hunt Activity, Glossary, To Learn More, and Index.

Bighorn Sheep

This informational book introduces basic facts about bighorn sheep such as their appearance, size, food, ewes vs. rams, predators, and information about babies. Each page spread contains large photos that supports the information stated. Charts are found throughout this book emphasizing the content. This book contains a table of contents, glossary, index, and library reference information.

Amazing Mammals

This informational book introduces basic facts about unique mammals such as pangolins, bats, sloths, monkeys, lemurs, moles and more. Mammal facts are also explained. Most page spreads contain a full page photo that supports the information stated. This book contains a table of contents, “which is stranger” page, “top 5 facts” page, “record holders” page, “animal crack-ups” page, glossary, index and a publisher sponsored web address.

Jellyfish

This informational book introduces basic facts about jellyfish such as their appearance, size, body parts, food and eating habits, and information about baby jellyfish. Each page spread contains a full page photo that supports the information stated. This book contains a table of contents, more facts page, glossary, index and a publisher sponsored web address code.