This is a very interesting book about hairless cats.  There is a lot of information. I enjoyed learning about hairless cats.  The pictures are great and add a lot to the book.

There is a table of contents in the front, a glossary of Words to Know in the back.  Also a list of books and web sites that have more information.

Upon finding three ghosts, Malcolm David learns that it’s their stomachs making the scary noises because they are hungry.  Feeling sorry for them, he tries to figure out what they would eat.  After cleaning his very messy room, he finds out that ghosts are everywhere: old food, flowers, leaves and so on.  Everything leaves a ghost!  So he takes the ghosts from his old food to the hungry ghosts and they become satisfied.  They showed him the  beautiful and sparkly colors ghosts really make.  The story is just okay, but the saturated colors are really beautiful in this story.

This is a very informative book.  The pictures and facts are wonderful.  A 4th or 5th grader could read this book for a report and have plenty of information.

It is an interesting and complete story about the Titanic; This book covers everything from the building to the salvage operation.  All kinds of wonderful facts are included.  Very straight forward, easy to read.

This book is about two friends who come from poor homes.  The boys are crazy about dogs and really want one.  They find rottweiler puppies for sale but they don’t have any money.  They decide to start a business of scooping poop to earn money.  The business goes well but the boys find that the owner of the puppies has a secret in his garage.

I thought it was a great book about two friends and how they solve their problems.  I think it would be a great read-a-loud for a classroom.

This is a cute book about a hermit crab who doesn’t want to be noticed.   He finds a new  shell that he could call home.  He happens to save the life of the flounder but doesn’t want to be a hero and leaves the special shell and hides.  The fish take the shell and have a celebration for their hero.  Hermit crab goes back to his old shell and goes looking for food.

The pictures in this book are beautiful.  The kids loved this book. A great little story.

Sam is a big sheep dog whose owner, Jennie, understands what he is saying and vice versa.  Jennie has new neighbors who seem mighty suspicious.  They have strange pets and cook strange foods.  Jennie, Sam, and Beth (Jennie’s best friend) believe that the new neighbors,  three women,  are actually witches who use the pets for their brew.  The illustrations are in black and white and are simple but depict just the right amount of the story without causing distractions.  The story moves along at a great pace and is interesting.

In this graphic version of a Pompeii adventure, Isabel Soto, a time-traveling archaeologist, travels from India during the construction of the Taj Mahal to present day Italy, at a location formerly known as Pompeii.  Pompeii was a thriving city with 10,000-20,000 population that was buried under the volcanic blast of Mount Vesuvius about 2,000 years ago.  The city was buried under 60 feet of pumice but the remains, except for the ceilings and roofs, were left in tact.  Archaeologists have been excavating for centuries and studying the buildings and hieroglyphics.  This is an interesting book to read and the time-traveling explorer allows you to hop from time to time.  It makes ancient history exciting to learn about.

A young blacksmith’s son, in the time of the Crusades, finds himself suddenly promoted to the level of squire.  Andrew’s dream of becoming a Templar approaches with every adventure until he finally is accepted into the Order.  The enemies he has made along the way circle closer and closer around him.  Will he find a way to overcome his rivals?  This exciting novel takes the reader into the life of a teen in the early 11th century.  The story demonstrates the parallels between today’s teens and their 11th century counterparts.  In this compelling story, readers will cheer for the young boy reaching for his dreams.  I highly recommend this book because of its relateable  characters and its action-packed adventures.

— Mike S.

This is book 2 in the Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist series.  I enjoy this series and read aloud the first one in the series (Flight of the Phoenix) to my second grade library class each year.  They LOVE it and clamor to read more in the series.  The illustrations are descriptive and add interest. to the story.  The mythical creatures in these stories are interesting to the kids with just the right amount of adventure to be exciting but not too scary.  The author has a wonderful way of getting the reader to the end of their seat without falling off or  hiding under it.  The characters are funny at times and the lead female character (Aunt Phil) is strong and confident.   The stories are set in interesting places around the world.  There are good lessons about being brave and determined and working hard for a goal.  This series appeals equally to boys and girls.  I highly recommend this book and series.   I am happy to add this second copy to my collection.

Our young readers tend to enjoy books like Ivy and Bean with fun characters, descriptive illustrations throughout and relevant topics for kids.  My only criticism is the seemingly random scene mid-way through the book when a rather menacing character, Katy, ties up the main characters and threatens to cook them alive if they don’t march.  She then proceeds to tie Ivy and Bean to a railing, goes to get more ropes and says she will string them up and that they should “prepare to meet your maker!”  On the next page, the girls are back in class and Katy isn’t mentioned again.  This scene is bizarre and scary and seems completely unnecessary to the storyline.  I will have to test this book out on my elementary audience to make a final judgment.