This is the special edition 2012, complete with 3-D cover with moving eyeballs.  Yes, another visually attractive, eye catching cover.   This edition is following in the footsteps of previous for amazing visuals with each page drawing you in and around.The coloring seems a little brighter and lighter than in the past, which is a nice reprieve.  This would make a nice addition to a library or book collection.

From the author who wrote the book Dog Lost, this story is similar in theme.  It will appeal to cat loving young people, as Dog Lost was enjoyed by kid’s who love dogs.  This story takes place in a rural community that has a problem of being over run by feral cats.  The community is divided about what to do with the problem.  One group wants to build a shelter for the animals, but the other group doesn’t want to spend the money and would rather solve the problem by paying someone to shoot them.  The main character of the story finds a young cat and hides her under the church while his father is advocating for the shooting of the animals.  He hides his secret as his father gives him a rifle for his birthday with the expectation that they can get rid of the cats.  This story progresses with themes of political divide, family expectations, honestly, and of course love for animals.  Well written and will appeal to young readers who love pets.

In this graphic non-fiction, the Medikidz zoom to Earth to get Jo, a girl with a brain tumor.  They bring her back to Mediland with them and similar to the Magic School Bus, they shrink and travel into a brain to see how brains grow and function.  Jo learns that when cells start to multiply and behave badly, they lump together to form a tumor which can display symptoms and can be either benign or malignant.  Treatment and after effects of such are also explained.  Graphics are interesting, the information is great without any emotional attachment, and there is nothing gloomy about it.  I enjoyed learning about brain tumors.

The American Cancer Society has gotten into the publishing business by introducing a series of graphic novels which explain different forms of cancer and how they grow and effect the body.  In this book, Lyndon woke up with a sore knee that’s swollen.  His mom decides he needs to go to the doctor.  During the same time, the Medikidz on Planet Mediland (science fiction gets involved) are able to see him via their link (how they do this is just a given).  They hurry and burst into Lyndon’s house, put his parents to sleep, and take him on a trip to Mediland, where they then shrink in size and warp through the skin to the knee.  Here it is explained how the sarcoma grows out of control and causes pain.  Lyndon finds out that he’ll need an operation to remove the growth and then will take chemo to stop the growth.  The whole thing is very well explained and interesting.  I really enjoyed learning how the human body works.  The only part I didn’t enjoy was the lame flatuence jokes; they could have omitted that part.

Whenever I can get my hands on an “Enchantment of the World” series country book, I’m a happy librarian!  As with others I own, this book is thorough in content, and loaded with colorful snapshots, maps, and drawings to help you feel like you just visited the country.  It’s those facts that students need for reports: climate, population, natural resources, native animals, education, religion, government, etc. that are covered.  A Fast Facts section at the back, along with a timeline, a list of common words & phrases, a list of notable Australians, and an index will aid the researcher in finding what they need.

In this fantasy/science fiction novel, Hanna lived with her aunt Ulla in Finland her whole life then runs away to Portero, Texas to find her mother.  Hanna is manic-depressive which triggers hallucinations of her dead father.  Hanna’s mother does not want her around; she eventually gives Hanna two weeks to prove herself to the people of Portero.  Hanna meets a boy named Wyatt; a Mortmaine – a monster hunter for the town.  He helps Hanna make a name for herself and her mother allows her to stay.  Hanna soon realizes that her mother is possessed by Runyon, an evil Mortmaine of the past.  Hanna and Wyatt find a way to conquer the evil spirit and Hanna gains the affection of her mother.

The beauty of this twisted story is in its flow; the writing style is simplistic and does not busy the reader with decoding the plot.   The author clearly conveys to the reader that even the most twisted minds will put themselves in danger for the affection of a loved one.  The surprises in the story keeps the reader turning the pages.  A satisfying tale for young adults who can identify with weird thoughts.

— Tyler Z.

In this instance, the Little Princess wants to win–everything.  And does schemes and figures out ways to make everything to her advantage.  At school, however, there are trophies to win for being the best, and try as she may, she’s not the best.  She does, however, win a trophy for trying the hardest.  This is the lesson to be learned here.  Trying hard and doing your best will be rewarded.  The story and message is fine but meant more for preschoolers than for elementary students.  Ross does a fine job with the illustrations and he is a master in the use of shading.

I really think that the Boxcar Children is one of the best series for beginning readers of chapter books.  From my experience, kids love them once they discover them.  The four Alden children are relatable to today’s kids, even decades after they first originated.  This graphic novelization of the series is the second one I’ve seen, the first illustrated by Mike Dubisch.  This other series was also published by ABDO and the set up is much the same:  same style for table of contents, same picture identification of the main characters at the beginning of the book, same type, and even same color pages.  The main difference is that this version illustrated by Ben Dunn has ‘Manga’ overtones to it.  The peoples’ faces all resemble each other.  In this story there is a boy who wants to go to college, and he looks the same age as Benny, who is six.  This same boy’s mother also looks about six  years old.  The story and adaptation is fine, but it’s the illustrations that don’t fit.  In the first version illustrated by Dubisch, the people look their age and not everyone looks alike, which makes it much more appealing.  I’ll stick with the first one.

This is one of those books that may never be checked out — not that students don’t need it, but because they may be embarrassed to check it out.  Enslow did a decent job covering the topics of what stresses young people out, what happens to your body if you don’t cope well with stress,and offered tips for managing stress.  The author also pointed out that some stress is good, as it challenges us and pushes us to perform at our optimum level. Unhealthy coping skills vs healthy coping skills are compared.  Managing stress through regular exercise, good nutrition, and proper sleep are covered, along with the scientific reasons why proper care of your body battles stress (lowering cholesterol, the release of endorphins which acts as a natural anti-depressant, the slowing down of digestion, and the release of adrenaline).  Presented in this way, with medical explanations sounds less preachy than a parent telling their child to eat well, get exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Stretching techniques, food suggestions, and time management tips leave the reader with sound advice to take away with them.

This is a great book about the US Air Force.  The pictures are fabulous and the information is very good.  There is a lot of good information on the history of the Air Force and what was used in each war. It tell a little bit about how the pilots are so highly trained.  There is information on several of the aircraft used today.

A great book for students.