Bianca struggle for self-control is edgy and probably a bit too sexy for a school audience in Kody Keplinger’s The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). The storyline is pretty predictable but the redeeming value is Bianca’s reflective, smart, sometimes in-your-face voice as the narrator. Bianca is best friends with two girls she believes are much more attractive than her. To appease her friends, she often sits on the sideline of their teen hangout while they dance the night away. Enter Wesley Rush, one of the most attractive and sexually active boys in the school. Wesley informs Bianca that he’ll hang out by her in order to attract her best friends’ attentions because she’s the DUFF of the group. After drowning him in Cherry Coke, one would think Bianca would have nothing to do with him again. But then the plot gets interesting, and quite hot. Biance turns the tables, or bed, so to speak on Wesley. To escape her stress about being the DUFF, as well as her parents imminent divorce, she turns to Wesley, who will sleep with anything. Throughout the story, Bianca goes from highs to lows. She’s honest with her intentions, but sometimes a bit too self absorbed, like EVERY teenager out there. There is a happy ending in it all, and upper high school or public library patrons will probably enjoy this more than they might admit in person. (Blush, blush).
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Brothers at bat: the true story of an amazing all-brother baseball team
Summary: Here’s a story that seems almost impossible to believe, but yet it is a true story about an American family. The Acerra family had 16 children. Twelve were boys, just enough to field a baseball team! This was the 1930s, and times were tough, but they stuck together as a family. They had one passion: baseball! It brought them a lot of joy and a lot of fun! And they were really good players! In 1938, the brothers ranged in age from seven to thirty-two. The oldest nine brothers formed a semi-pro team! They played around on the East Coast and the always drew a crowd! In the 1940s six of the brothers went to war, but they all came back and played in a baseball league another six years. They played their last game in 1952.
What I liked about it: It’s a positive story about a family working together. Salerno’s illustrations have a retro feel from the period from the 40s and 50s that match the time period perfectly. Author and Illustrator add historical detail on the last page.
Who would like it: The picture book format would suggest a younger audience: K-3rd grade, but anyone would enjoy this all-American story. Highly recommended.
Njinga: The Warrior Queen. (The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames)
Summary: As part of the series, “The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames,” Njinga, the Warrior Queen tells the story of a young girl growing up in West Africa. Njinga was born into a royal African family in 1583. When she was born, the soothsayers predicted she would not be an easy person. Njinga was a clever girl and her father noticed and taught her how to be a ruler. After her father died, Njinga’s loyalty was always to her people. She strived for sovereignty against other raiding tribes, the encroaching Portuguese and the slave trade. To do this she had to be ruthless. How dastardly was she? Read on.
What I liked about it: Drawings and paintings interspersed through the text make this period come alive. The details of Njinga’s life add interest to the story, such as what she ate or wore. (For example, she would dress like a man when she went into battle.) . Author Janie Havemeyer is a former elementary teacher and museum educator. Illustrator Peter Malone has illustrated the entire series about “Dastardly dames.”
(Includes a bibliography for further reading.)
Who I would recommend it to: Recommend this series to girls in grade 4-8. Recommended for schools and public libraries.
Heroes of the surf: A rescue story based on true events
Summary: Two boys playing “pirate” on a steamship off the coast of New Jersey in 1882 find themselves in real danger when their ship runs aground. Hope is almost lost when waves are too high to lower the life boats. Someone spots something on the horizon. Is it pirates? No, there are rescuers in the surf! Local people have prepared for ships running aground and are on their way to help!
What I liked about it: Introduces the history of the Coast Guard through a fictionalized story, but based on a actual event. Illustrator Nancy Carpenter’s drawings vividly capture life on a steamship and the movement of the waves.
Who I would recommend it to: Grade 2-4. This would be a great classroom read-aloud.
Claude Debussy: (First discovery – music)
Summary: In an attractive “picture book” format, author Pierre Babin tells the story of musician Claude Debussy. Claude was born in 1862 near Paris. His early life wasn’t easy. His parents owned a shop, but were not very good at business and they moved a lot. Then Claude’s father is sent to prison for taking part in the revolution. His mother sends him to live with his Godmother in Cannes. Claude sees the ocean for the first time and wants to become a sailor. But something else also interests him at his Godmother’s house – a piano. Claude is captivated by sound. His Godmother decides to give him piano lessons. When Claude returns to Paris he continues lessons with Madame Maute, who learned from the great Chopin. By age 10 he has won a place at the Paris Conservatoire. As a piano student, Claude is rebellious and fights with his teachers. In spite of this, he goes on to win prizes and to compose many great compositions, including the beautiful “Claire de Lune.”
What I like about it: This is an excellent addition to the “First Discovery –Music series”, that includes biographies of Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven and others. The information is beautifully presented interspersed with vintage photos and illustrations by Charlotte Voake (Ginger). The volume includes a CD with examples of Debussy’s compositions interspersed with narration by Michael Cantwell.
Who I would recommend it to: Music teachers, student musicians age seven and up. Highly Recommended.
Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of engineering with 25 projects (Build it yourself series)
Summary: Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate feats of Engineering with 25 projects by Donna Latham, is the latest edition of the excellent (Build it yourself series), which includes such titles as Backyard Biology: Investigate habitats outside your door with 25 projects and Robotics: discover the science and technology of the future with 20 projects by Kathy Ceceri. “Bridges and Tunnels” explains in simple terms the social, scientific, natural and artistic forces behind the creation of bridges and tunnels. Words that may be unfamiliar to young readers are highlighted and defined in boxes on the page they are discussed. Several chapters cover the science (physics) of building bridges and tunnels and several cover well-known bridge and tunnel disasters and why they happened. Each chapter offers clear instructions for experiments to demonstrate principles discussed in the chapter and instructions for a “build it yourself” project. The volume is completed with a glossary, index and list of resources. The author, Donna Latham has great credentials. She is an award-winning author and playwright and the author of Amazing Biome Projects You Can Build Yourself, Deciduous Forests, Deserts, Garbage, Norah Jones, Oceans, Respiration and Photosynthesis, and Tundra. She is also a librarian at the Schulz Graphic Novel Library, a muralist at Dartmouth College, and a staff writer for the comics journalism website The Beat (www.comicsbeat.com).
What I like about it: Purchase this for the simple, explanatory writing style and the many project ideas it offers your students. It was written for 4th through 6th grade students, but would work well in a middle school library. As a basic text for understanding the physics and engineering behind building structures, this is an excellent introduction. I loved the “build it yourself “ activities which extend the science in the book. Students can enjoy building “Newton’s Rocket mobile,” or a “Craft stick beam bridge.”
Who I recommend it for: Public libraries, school libraries, students in upper elementary and lower middle school, science teachers, science clubs for youth, boy scouts and girl scouts. Excellent!
The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
Summary: The night Balin is born in Norththumberland, the old woman of the mountain arrives and predicts greatness for the newborn! “But wait,” the old woman exclaims! “There’s a cloud over this!” “His greatness will bring calamity to all his companions and he will strike the dolorous stroke!” Thus begins the life and knighthood of Sir Balin, the ill-fated, alternately trying to avoid and fulfill his fate.
What I like about it: This is another installment in “The Knights’ Tales,” a fun series for reluctant readers. Readers will enjoy the twists and turns in the story, the wordplay, and humor, matched with clever illustrations by Aaron Renier. Gerald Morris is clever writer, who will win many fans with this series.
Who I would recommend it to: Hook reluctant readers to this series in grades 3 to 5. Recommended for school and public libraries!
Bushman lives!
Summary: This is the story of Harold Knishke, a Chicago teenager growing up in the 60s. He loves “Bushman,” the famed recently departed gorilla of the Lincoln Park Zoo. “Bushman lives” is a common greeting among his friends! After his flute teacher convinces Harold that he has no musical talent, he sells his flute for art supplies and embarks on a journey into the strange “beatnik” world of Chicago art.
What I like about it: I usually enjoy Pinkwater’s YA novels filled with the quirkiest of characters, literary illusions and philosophical discussions. I loved that 1960s Chicago is his own personal wonderland filled with the oddest of characters, from the artist who only paints one color, calling this style “mimimonoism,” to the wise woman and somewhat bossy lady named Molly and her “non” dog “Wolluf.” This time, the sheer volume of quirky characters and odd plot diversions crashed the whole story.
Who I would recommend it to: I would only recommend this to a true fan of Pinkwater’s books. Instead, I would recommend one of his older YA novels: The Neddiad : how Neddie took the train, went to Hollywood, and saved civilization, 2007.
Bug Off! Creepy, Crawly Poems
A collection of 13 poems about bugs. “Tiny living beings [with] a beauty and mystery all their own” is Yolen’s apt description of the insects featured in this
book. Jason Stemple uses macro photography to capture fascinating and interesting detail. From the facets on a fly’s eye, to the divisions of a dragonfly’s wing, the details are intriguing. Each insect is highlighted on a two page spread – one side for the full color photograph, the other side for a witty poem from Jane Yolen accompanied by a non-fiction paragraph that gives the scientific order of each insect and an interesting factoid. For example: Did you know that ants are found everywhere in the world except Antarctica and that not all ladybugs have spots?
“An Army of Ants” has a nice cadence to it, “POP Goes the Tick ” has the gross factor and “The No-Spot Ladybug in Court” is a trial case that is fun to read.
Poem Runs: Baseball Poems and Paintings
The opening poem on the inside front flap – Let’s Play Ball! begins the inspired collection of poems all about baseball. Florian takes the reader from opening season warm ups to end of season reminiscing. There is a poem for every player position – pitcher, catcher, first, second and third baseman, short stop, right fielder, umpire and base stealer among others. He even includes a poem about the fans (on the back cover) and one about the baseball itself. Baseball lovers will envision that the poems were written about them. After all, what pitcher wouldn’t want to be known as the “scourge of all hitters / the starter of slumps” and how many hitters would be happy to consider themselves as “strong…mean..with eyesight quite keen”? This book would be great to use as an example for students to model their own themed book of poetry.
Florian creates the artwork in “gouache watercolors, oil pastels, colored pencils, and pine tar on primed paper bags”. This mixed media combination gives a wonderful organic feel and texture to the illustrations. My favorite is the illustration for “A Baseball”. Here Florian depicts a baseball unraveling at the seams. The red lacing forms words to help explain why it’s falling apart. The words “hit, smash, crash, pound and drive” say it all.
Florian has hit a home run with this delightful book!
Get Into Any College: Secrets of Harvard Students
Authors of this self-help book are both Harvard graduates who have crafted a fine book of guidelines for parents, students and school staff for how to succeed in all the many aspects of college/university choice and acceptance. Any student in 10th or 11th grade ought to examine this book with their parents at their side because it provides so many practical and proven tips on testing, ratings, applications, essays, recommendations, visitations–just to name a few. Each chapter begins with key points that will be covered, and there are highlighted text boxes that show examples of various points throughout. A rather exhaustive book, my suggestion to readers is to break it down and refer to various chapters as needed: pre-college planning, preparing an essay, how to prepare for the interview, what makes for a good recommendation and how to garner one, etc. Humor helps break up the intellectual tone of the book, i.e., ice cream colleges and “No-No” topics for essays. I disagree with the authors’ remark that there is a ton of financial aid available due to recent economic cut-backs. Resources, sample worksheets that can be printed and written on and an index are included.
Up! Tall! and High!
2013 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner
A group of funny, colorful birds will amuse children as they learn the concepts of up, down, tall, small and high. Readers are introduced to the comic antics of the birds in three separate
chapters. Children will delight in the simple text and the colorful drawings. Long’s use of few words and repetition will allow the beginning reader to feel confident in their emerging skills. With less than thirty words used throughout the book, it is the illustrations that carry the story lines and in a way that will make the reader smile and want to reread the stories. The book is an interactive, lift-the flap style, printed on heavy weight pages (similar to board books). School and public libraries may still want to reinforce the three lift-the-flap pages though, as this book will get a lot of circulation.
Memorial Day
Primary, nonfiction book which explains the importance of Memorial Day, as celebrated by the people of the United States, to honor the people who served in the armed forces. Honored are the ones who gave their lives, and also those who currently serve. There is a suggestion to write a thank you note to people who currently serve. Great photos in this book. Recommended.
The Mighty Mars Rovers, The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Oppotunity
Very informative book about the Mars mission of the Exploration Rover Mission. Eleven full chapters with photos, captions, and lots of text, probably best fit at the Middle School level, but all will find this an enticing and informative piece. We get a peek into the emotions of the scientists as they wax and wane with elation and defeat with the progress of their amazing robotic devices. History, science, and human drama all in one beautiful coffee table worthy book!
Washington, D.C.
In the latest Third Edition of the America the Beautiful series, the design and layout has been updated to appeal to readers who like gorgeous photographs, or illustrations, sidebars with FAQs, “Who knew?” facts to keep you thinking, travel guide tips, and incredible ideas for school assignments and research projects. Of course the usual information is found in the body of the content, such as Land, First People, Exploration and Settlement, Growth and Change, More Modern Times, People, Government, and Economy. There is a guide to primary sources, what they are and how to cite them. A fun Biographical Dictionary is included in the Back Matter along with the Timeline, Fast Facts, Glossary, Resources and Index. A delightful read, whether for recreation or research.
Pennsylvania
Designed for kid appeal, this well researched, latest third addition to the American the Beautiful state books series, will give students detailed and interesting information about what started out as William Penn’s 1682 colony. The contents covers Land, First People, Exploration and Settlement, Growth and Change, More Modern Times, People, Government, Economy, and Travel Guide. Special features, such as sidebars, charts, graphs, original maps, FAQs, WOW Factors, and Project Room (fun ideas for assignments and projects) keep the reader engaged. The author provides source notes explaining which print and web resources were most used in her research. She also gives tips on the best internet sites for primary sources.
Montana
Well researched and well designed layout with gorgeous photographs, as well as helpful special features, make this a top consideration for a print choice in state studies. Content covers Land, First People, Exploration and Settlement, Growth and Change, Modern Times, People, Government, and Travel Guide. Special features provide sidebars, charts, graphs, original maps, FAQs, WOW Factors, and a Poject Room with fun ideas for school projects. Included is a guide to primary sources…what they are and how to cite them. Back Matter covers resources such as fiction and nonfiction books, DVDs, Web Sites and Organizations, and an extensive Index.
Vikings: A Guide to the Terrifying Conquerors
In 48 pages, this book provides a nice overview of the Viking society during the 250 years that they were famous and feared raiders of Europe. Detailing the art, technology, religions, class structure, leadership, weapons, tools, daily life as well as the military exploits of the Vikings, the reader learns a great deal. The multitude of graphics, photographs, and maps engage the reader and enhance the text. This is a good series particularly for reluctant readers.
Time to Recycle
The eight topics in the table of contents: Recycling, Collection, Glass, Metal, Plastic, Paper, At the Store, and Make Paper are accompanied by a well photographed landfill, garbage truck, recycle bins, recycling center with stacks of crushed cubes of squashed cans, a store shelf full of food products packaged in containers made from recycled paper, plastic, and glass .
This book shows the steps in the process of changing the collected glass, cans, plastic, and paper into new items to complete the recycle cycle.
Includes a do-able craft activity for making paper from used paper and a food blender.
Recycling is Fun
Eight little couplets for young learners to recite and enjoy about dividing used packaging for curbside pickup, donating goods to second hand stores, and using old odds and ends to make toys and crafts.
Cheery vibrantly colorful pictures of young children placing plastic bottles, cans, and paper into recycling containers create the idea that children can take an active part in this grown up activity.
Includes a Creative Tot Time craft project for making a ‘Recycled Snake’ stuffed toy.
End papers include printed flowers on unbleached brown paper.
Backyard Biology
This amazing science experiment book focuses on topics related to biology. The chapters include: The Study of Life, Cells Alive!, Microbiology Reveals an Invisible World, Plants Make Life Possible, Plant Life Cycles, Adaptations are a Matter of Life and Death, Animal Life Cycles, and Protect Living Things. Each chapter has background information followed by a number of experiments and activities related to the topic. The illustrations on each page compliment and do not make the layout too busy or distracting. The list of supplies and the instructions for each activity are clearly written and straight forward. A thorough index and glossary can be found at the back of the book. This book is a wonderful addition to our library collection and should be well used for students participating in the science fair.
The Curious, Captivating, Unusual History of Sports
This book focuses on sports related facts, events and trends that are not typically highlighted. For example, how uniforms and sports-related fashion have evolved over the years, how ancient sporting events relate to modern ones, the effects of technological developments and how sports equipment has changed. The pages are really packed with text boxes, colorful backgrounds, graphics and photographs, I fear to the distraction of some readers. This is a fun book to pick up again and again, even just for a short time to read one section. The text is clearly written and thematically organized.
Bless This Mouse
This is a novel set in Saint Bartholemew’s Catholic church. The main characters are mice who scurry around foraging for food and trying to avoid detection by Father Murphy and his congregation in fear of “The Great X” (exterminator). A few careless mice draw attention to their presence and the exterminator is scheduled. Hildegarde, the Mouse Mistress and leader of the mouse colony, must come up with a plan to save her charges. The antagonist is Lucretia who is vying to oust Hildegarde and become the next Mouse Mistress. In a twist, Lucretia is the only mouse who ends up in danger as a result of the exterminator’s visit and it’s up to Hildegarde to save her. This book about friendship and forgiveness has enough excitement and humorous situations to keep the reader engaged. The lovely and detailed illustrations are plentiful and enhance the story. Accelerated Reader classifies this book as targeted for lower elementary readers, but the ATOS level is 4.5. I do wish that author hadn’t put in a reference to “X-rated DVDs” on page 57 when the mice were looking in a phone book for “exterminator”. That seemed unnecessary for a lower elementary audience. Fortunately, it should go over their heads undetected.
Mountain Climbing
The mountain climbing photographs in this book are especially breathtaking and enhance the text well. The author has done a nice job of presenting the adventurous, exciting and dangerous nature of this sport as well as practical considerations. The reader is provided with a nice overall view of the demands and realities of climbing a mountain.
The Eagles are Back
This majestic picture book tells the story of the American Bald Eagle as it faced extinction and was brought back to stronger numbers by the care of wildlife experts and concerned citizens. This book focuses on one concerned boy, who helped a ranger to pair up an eagle egg with a pair of bald eagles whose eggs were weak and broken due to DDT exposure. The eagles adopted the egg and with time, the eagle population great larger. In the end, that boy was a father, telling the story to his own son. The illustrations are realistic and beautifully painted in watercolor.