Sandra Markle hits another home run with this nonfiction book about the inner workings of a healthy wolf pack.  The illustrations by Alan Marks enhance the experience of this well written book.  This is a contemporary story told from a lone female wolf’s point of view, after being released and relocated by authorities.  She is confused and all alone as she ventures out into Yellowstone P ark looking for food to hunt.  She eventually finds some prey, becomes a confident hunter and becomes adept to her new environment.  Later she discovers another male wolf and quickly become mates.  They learn to hunt as a team and she gives birth to wolf pups!

The only downside to this beautifully written and illustrated book is the cheap binding.  The large stitched strong already shows through and it will be a matter of short time before it is worn out in a library setting.  Sigh.

Strattenburg’s very own 13-year-old lawyer is back again for the second installment in John Grisham’s very first series for children.  This time, Theo’s best friend April has vanished, and no one in town knows where she has gone.  Was she murdered?  Kidnapped by a criminal?  Did she run away?  When the adults in the town cannot answer these questions, Theo must take matters into his own hands and solve his friend’s disappearance himself.  In the first book, Grisham’s no-nonsense writing style was unobtrusive and moved the storyline along swiftly.  Unfortunately, in this sequel, the writing feels rushed and sloppy, and the plot is uneven.  Why, for example, is a random scene in which Theo saves a classmate’s parrot from execution in animal court inserted into an otherwise straightforward mystery plot?  For all the tension build up in the beginning, the ending is anti-climactic, and the courtroom drama (Grisham’s forte) is an afterthought instead of the centerpiece of the novel.  Fans of the first book will probably be satisfied with the sequel, but as a stand-alone, Theodore Boone: The Abduction is unremarkable.

A band of vermin are stealing children from Mossflower Wood under the command of Zwilt the Shade and the mysterious Sable Quean.  Two young hares from the mountain stronghold of Salamandastron are sent to the peaceful Redwall Abbey and along the way they encounter the vermin band.  Once again in the Redwall series, the defenders of Redwall must defend the peace of Mossflower Wood.  Can the hares of Salmandastron and the inhabitants of the Redwall Abbey save the captured children?

This book could be read as a stand-alone although reading the series in sequence would enhance the reader’s background knowledge of the characters.  Jacques once again brings his descriptive writing to put the reader into the powerful adventure of the exciting plot.  Readers will feel the emotions of all the characters – good and bad.  The vivid writing captures puts the reader immediately into the setting.  If you have read this series, you are guaranteed satisfication.  If this is your first read at the Redwall series, you will definitely want to read more of this series.

Mike S.

I found this picture book about female racing legend, Louise Smith, to be interesting and exciting.  The text is descriptive enough without being too detailed for young children.  Race car sounds are sprinkled throughout.  The illustrations are vibrant and action-packed, bringing the story alive.  I also appreciated the Author’s Note in the back of the book that enriches the story with additional facts about Louise, early car racing and other female racers in history.  It is great to add books about strong women in non-traditional roles to our elementary school library.

A cornucopia of highly informative two page chapters on the history, types, uses, characteristics, processes, and culture surrounding corn.  Does this sound like a less-than-stimulating topic?  Not in the least.  The actual size of primitive Mexican corn cobs 7,000 years ago were about 1 inch long!  Cobs grew larger as the crop was cultivated.  One thousand year old popcorn kernels, when dampened, will still pop!  The annual value of corn crops in the USA is ten times larger than the gold mined in the country.  Along side the fascinating fabulous facts are a myriad of humor filled, cheerful illustrations peppered on each two page spread.  Unfortunately, I was surprised to note the absence of a glossary  or index in the back matter.  (There are sources and credits.)  Still, this little 32 page book has all you need to know about one of the most a’maizing’ food of our times.

What do you get when you cross Miss Congeniality and The Lord of the Flies, and mix it all together with Libba Bray’s unique brand of sardonic wit?  Why, you get Beauty Queens, of course!  When the airplane carrying the 50 contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant crashes into a deserted tropical island, only a fraction of the beauties survive.  What ensues is a rich exploration of the female psyche and social world, a biting social satire, and a fast-paced survival tale.  Where Bray succeeds in this novel is in the development of her characters; girls the reader despises on the first page become lovable by the end, and each individual beauty queen develops a distinct personality that jumps off the page.  The treatment of female independence and sexuality is realistic, refreshing, and empowering.  The political satire aspect of the novel is less effective and a little over-the-top, but the humor and characterization of the girls’ social world keeps this book a winner.  Plus, there are sexy pirates, and who can resist sexy pirates?