10-year old Persimmony Smudge falls into an adventure when she seeks the answer to the question, “Is there a giant sleeping under the island of Mount Majestic?”  First-time author Jennifer Trafton writes in a delightful, lyrical way (…for if there was one talent in the world Prunella possessed, it was a gift for going into hysterics), full of puns (the Lyre-That- Never-Lies), and whimsically profound (“But how do you know the sea goes on and on forever on all sides, and how do you know the sky is blue behind your back when you aren’t looking, because after all it might turn green or purple or orange the way the sunrise changes colors, and did you see how beautiful the sunrise was this morning?) This wacky tale features wonderful artwork by Brett Helquist (from the Series of Unfortunate Events) which helps add dimension to the story.

Friends and detectives-in-training, Milo and Jazz, are at the local fair during the summer.  The fair seems to be jinxed because strange things are happening: farm animals getting loose, pies disappearing, fake snakes in the games.  No one can explain it, until Milo and Jazz overhear a group of older boys known for their troublemaking ways, saying pretty incriminating stuff.  This leads Milo to think that these boys are planning for something bad to happen during the next day’s Fourth of July celebration.  Milo decides to infiltrate the group by pretending he’s a ‘bad boy,’ too.  But rather than planning a heist, the boys are trying to get organized to be fruits and veggies for a parade.  Big mistake on Milo’s part.  The person who they least expected turned out to be the culprit. This book will be a great fit and popular for readers in third and fourth grades who need something to read that’s of interest to them but not difficult.

Kayla Dean is a 15-year-old student journalist who smells a story when she hears that the Lady Lions, a prestigious hip-hop dance team at her high school, chooses members more for their curvy bodies than their dancing skills.  Encouraged by Rosalie, her best friend and fellow journalist, Kayla, who lacks the most basic of feminine curves, embarks on a fitness/dance/makeover process to try out for the team.  Through her own efforts and a dynamite tryout performance, she makes it, and is shocked to find new and supportive friends on the team.

“Being chosen…exceeds the boundaries of earth and space,” Kayla opines.  But her happiness is challenged when Rosalie accuses her of losing both her feminist and journalistic ideals.

This story of  teen friendships and triumphs is told with humor and wisdom, and will appeal to teens facing the everyday trials in their lives.  I especially liked seeing an African-American teen whose problems have nothing to do with poverty of lack of education.  We need more books like this one.

“You never know when everything is going to change, when everything you’ve taken for granted…is going to get smashed to pieces and you’ll realize that there’s nothing you can do, there’s no way out”, Will, the protagonist of the novel, confides to the reader. In The Returners, this is exactly what happens to 15 year old William Hodges. This dystopian novel, set in the very near future of 2016 England, examines issues relevant to current societies around the world: issues of politics, race, immigration, prejudice, and ethnic cleansing.

The novel is suspenseful, engaging, and disturbing. Dream sequences of historical attrocities, including WWII concentration camps and the Rwanda genocide, are constant throughout the book and may be disturbing to the reader. Themes include loss, grief, despair, bullying, regret, betrayal and redemption.

In spite of the weighty subject matter, the novel is exciting and profound, with plot twists unexpected by the reader. Recommended for those fans of dystopias.

It has been a year since the meteorite struck the moon leaving the earth and its inhabitants struggling to survive.  In this 3rd book in the Last Survivors trilogy, teen Miranda (with her diary) surviving in Pennsylvania (from Book 1) and teen Alex who survived in New York City (from Book 2) meet in Pennsylvania under interesting circumstances.  And, yes…romance does bloom instantly between the two even though they hardly know each other.  Staying alive in this unforgiving climate is the ever-present constant in the book.   This novel, with its plots flaws and all, is still an interesting read.  It will leave the reader wanting to know more.  Is this really the end of this series?

Stylish and colorful this readable introduction to writing ones own graphic novel will be a hit with the comic book crowd.  Written for ages 10-12, it could certainly engage and prove very useful to the junior high or high school student.  Student writers will receive oodles of excellent advice on various topics, such as, setting the scene, characters and character building, building suspense, etc.  Of particular interest to me was the How to Use this Book intro which visually depicts in a linear fashion the writing process.  This book also includes a glossary, a “Further Information” section which includes websites and graphic novel titles and an index.

In this science project book, the author offers older students 16 plans…”to construct and explore working models that generate renewable energy.”  The directions are easy to follow; black-and-white simple photos help to visually depict the steps.  Safety is one-page addressed.  (Note:  Quite a few of these projects involve cutting, soldering, sawing, etc.  The young scientists must pay heed to the author’s Safety First section.  I wish the author had stated the need for adult help or adult supervision depending upon the age and ability of the young scientist.)  Each project includes a Materials and Tools list (websites are given on where to find specialized items) and  More to Think About questions.  Although the presentation of the book is not handsome, it is straightforward.  The topic is definitely current and relevant for today’s students.

This book does an excellent job in illustrating the interdependence of all creatures.  If we were to extinguish even one species, others would fail and the quality of the environment would drop.  The illustrations and simple explanations are easy to follow and understand.  This book would make an excellent resource in teaching habitats.

Attractive in design, this boldly colorful book will attract motorsport fans young and old!  The writing is clear and informative.  The book is logically organized with a wealth of information; chapters include a short historical perspective, “Motorsport Classes,” “Techniques and Technology,” “Tracks and Races,” “The Business of Racing,” “Racing Legends,” and “Teams and Machines.”  This engaging book will appeal to the casual reader as well as to the student who is gathering research information.  The color photos are definitely awesome eye grabbers.  The reference section includes U. S. Facts and Figures, a glossary, a resources section, and an index.

Author Catherine Reef offers the reader a well-rounded realistic portrait of the incredible life of Ernest Hemingway.  The text is concisely written and logically organized.  This biography is a great choice for students needing information on this fascinating writer AND it is a great choice for pleasure readers as well.  The black-and-white photos complement the text nicely.  The book includes a “Selected Biography,” a list of “The Major Works of Ernest Hemingway,” and an index.