Liberty Porter is a fourth grader whose father just happens to be President of the United States.  Being the new student in school is tough enough and having one’s own secret service agent can complicate things.  Liberty is up-beat and determined to live a normal life both inside and outside the White House.  The story tells of Liberty fitting in with other students as well as including interesting facts of past presidents and White House trivia.  This is book two in the series.  The text is well-spaced on the page.  Paige Pooler’s black and white drawings highlight particular events in Liberty’s daily life.  Quick and fun to read, many will be drawn to typical family and school situations as well as taking a look inside the White House.  Liberty portrays a strong female image and encourages one to take the high road, be kind, and stay true.

In this first book of the Agent Amelia series, elementary school secret agent Amelia Kidd uses her skills and gadgets to protect the world.  In the first chapter, she is convinced her teacher is a criminal mastermind who intends to steal the Ghost Diamond.  In Chapter 2, cats are disappearing.  She suspects a local fish shop of planning a bank robbery using the cats to infiltrate the bank.  In chapter 3, while at a garden center with her family, she suspects an employee of developing hybrid weeds to spread into every garden and farm.  Amelia uses disguises and devices to foil the attempts of these evil geniuses and to save the world.  Michael Broad’s pencil illustrations and large font make this fast-paced story entertaining.  This series appears to be written for a younger reader, yet the AR level is upper fifth and sixth.

Zander Scott and three friends publish a school newspaper called”The Cruisers” at DaVinci Academy for Gifted and Talented in Harlem.  When Sidney, a chess prodigy, is caught trying to buy drugs, his friends are stunned.  Sidney is not the stereotypical drug user and his friends are determined to get to the bottom of this unexpected problem.  Although the setting and language reflect a predominately poor area in New York City, the characters and situation are common throughout the world.  Walter Dean Myers uses his characters to explore and genuinely deliver an anti-drug message.  This is book two in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Second grade Keena Ford loves to write in her favorite journal where she records all her thoughts and feelings about daily happenings of friends and family.  When she accidentally leaves it at Tiffany’s apartment, Tiffany meanly says she will reveal all of Keena’s secrets unless Keena does what she says.  To complicate matters, Keena has to write a speech on friendship to honor a  visiting author.  The story is written in journal style and the reader easily identifies with her issues with a sometimes grumpy older brother, civil but divorced parents, and the delemmas of friendships.  Keena’s spunky personality prevails, she confronts Tiffany, and takes responsibility for her journal entries.  Characters are likeable and both family and friendship situations are realistic.  Frank Morrison’s black and white illustrations are expresswive and well-placed to support the story.  Melissa Thompson has written three Keena Ford stories to date.  Readers of Keena stories may also enjoy Sharon Draper’s “Sassy” books.

Joseph Bruchac, known for his many books on Indigenous peoples of the Americas, has written a lovely book of simple pleasures shared by fathers and sons.  Thirteen varied settings, times of year, and ethnicities show tender, affectionate moments in father-son relationships.  Every double-page spread contains one large and four smaller beautiful illustrations of a day in the lives of each father and son.  A one-line rhyming verse relates the companionship of the pair.  Wendy Anderson Halperin’s crayon and pencil drawings are outstanding.  A perfect match to the obvious joy and comfort sons receive from their dads.

Moldy Mozzarella! Geronimo Stilton has his own graphic novel!  Stories have gone high-tech and include a time machine.  It’s cats vs rats as the Pirate cats and Geronimo’s family go back in time to sail with Columbus.  The Pirate cats want to change history by preventing Columbus from discovering America.  Geronimo and relatives use Professor Volt’s new time machine, Speedrat, to travel back to join Christopher Columbus’s crew in order to foil the cats’ intentions.  Font color and style are still included with the comic book format.  Fact boxes add information about Columbus and his expedition in 1492. End pages introduce this cast of characters and give a taste of the story inside.  There is plenty of action and shenanigans to make this a true page-turner.  A fun combination of historical facts and fantasy to appeal to Geronimo Stilton fans.

In the second graphic novel of Geronimo Stilton and his time-traveling relatives, Geronimo’s family departs Mouse City in the middle of winter to go to Ancient Egypt, around 2484 BC.  Professor Volt has discovered an indication that someone is trying to change history which will affect the present.  Geronimo and family travel by time machine to the Egyptian civilization in the 4th dynasty ruled by Pharaoh Chephren.  Someone is trying to convince him to change the face of the Great Sphinx to that of a cat.  When Geronimo’s group obtain jobs in the palace, they discover the culprits are the Pirate cats.  They learn of the cats’ plan to over-throw the Pharaoh and are able to prevent it at the last moment.  The typical font color and style in other Geronimo books are still present in this graphic novel format.  Fact boxes add information about Ancient Egypt during Pharaoh Chephren’s reign.  If one can ignore a few inconsistencies (Geronimo surviving after being run over by a 2.5 ton block of stone, the dates mentioned for the time period – 2484 BC stated by Professor Volt and 2588-2563 BC referred to in a text box, and hungry crocodiles in the Nile at one moment and not the next – then this adventure has plenty of action!  Geronimo Stilton fans will enjoy reading this book.

An eating disorder means a person is not able to use food in a normal way.  Food consumption and weight are usually not the focus, but symptoms of a deeper, emotional issue.  The Hot Topics series attempts to provide a variety of facts and opinions so young people can think critically and become knowledgeable.  The three main types of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating) are explained.  There is a brief history of eating disorders and how neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) can affect appetite behaviors.  Personal stories, some with true names withheld, tell of those dealing with this disorder.  One chapter deals only with diagnosis and treatment and how complicated it can be.  The final chapter focuses on prevention.  This targets those at-risk as well as providing over-all health advice while attempting to change beliefs and attitudes about body image.  Education is the key to protecting oneself and understanding the pull of eating disorders.  In the back are many pages of notes of the resources used, discussion questions for each chapter, other books to read, websites, and an index.  This is a starting place for information about eating disorders.

Simply defining fibromyalgia has proven difficult because there is disagreement of whether it is a symptom or a disease.  There are a variety of treatments but no known cure.  The book has three chapters: Understanding Fibromyalgia, Controversies Concerning Fibromyalgia, and Personal Narratives About Fibromyalgia.  Because not all physicians see this as a disease, treatment differs.  This book presents many points of view and facts associated with fibromyalgia, but no definitive form of  treatment.  The information found in the book about this mysterious illness may help those with, or know someone with, fibromyalgia to understand they are not alone.  Found in the back is a complete glossary, a timeline of major “firsts”, many organizations to contact for more details, an extensive list of books and periodicals to read, and a comprehensive index.  Good resource and starting place for information about this baffling ailment.

In the Patagonia region in Argentina there is an unusual cave called Cueva de las Manos – the Cave of the Hands.  the Tehuelche tribe lived there long before Europeans ever wandered into the area.  Today there is no one left who can explain the sacred cave and why, among the 890 separate hand paintings, there is one foot.  T. A. Barron could not resist creating an explanation.  Auki, “Little Hunter”, begged his father to be taken along on a hunt only to be told he must wait.  Auki practiced his skills and worked on his patience.  When he was refused again, Auki set out on his own.  If he could find and follow the puma back to its cave, Auki could prove he was competent to join a hunt.  Instead, the puma surprised him and he fell down a canyon, injuring his foot.  As he examined his surroundings, he discovered the cave – and a grouchy painter.  Slowly limping after being sent away, he heard a shout.  The puma had returned.  Without thinking, Auki charged, yelling, waving his arms, and kicked the puma in the head.  The story is rich and realistic.  William Low’s exquisite, vibrant illustrations are perfectly suited to the story.  Teachers will find many reasons to keep this book on hand.