Sid, Axl and Ivan make a midnight run for the theater group, but on the way come upon some creepy events and a strange Taco Bear drive-thru that transports them to another dimension. Their taco order turns into tentacled creatures and the world around them turns soft and goopy. They must team up with grad student, Wendy, to save the world from these creatures. This is a science fiction graphic novel that would appeal to students who like horror. The pictures change from gray to an orange to coincide with events in the story.

Richard’s third grade class at Carver Elementary School has been working on earning a pizza party for perfect line behavior for 16 days now. If they can keep it up for just four more days, Ms. Shelby-Ortiz will provide the class with a pizza party. Then, Ms. Shelby-Ortiz gets sick. Her substitute teacher is the meanest substitute the class can remember ever having. The last time the class had him, he took points away if they did not address him as “Sir”. They are all trying hard to earn the pizza party. But when answering the substitute honestly and truthfully in their writing journals, as opposed to writing what they think the substitute wants to hear, problems develop. The class cut-up tones it down, but not enough in the opinion of the rest of the class. Then Richard forgets his homework at school, he goes back to get it, but the room is already locked, and he cannot find the custodian to unlock the door for him. Will the mean substitute ruin their chance to earn the pizza party by the time Ms. Shelby-Ortiz gets back in three days?

Realistic third grade dilemmas will resonate with young readers.

When ‘inventors’ come to mind I abstractly picture a man, of man of Thomas Edison’s generation. Here is a book with not one, but 15 women inventors stories and more women inventors listed on the front and back end papers! Six of these women are from 2000 to the present, four are from the 1970s to 1999, and the other five are from the earlier 1900s. Three have been on the television show “SHARK TANK“.

These women saw a need and worked to solve it, whether at home or in the workplace from the first wind shield wipers for cars, to Kevlor, to anti-bullying apps, to paper bag folding machines, to lasers for removing cataracts, to hands free baby carriers, to debugging computers, and combating drought.

Here is a book for the equity of women inventors. It is awe inspiring, while at the same time, “I can see myself doing something like that to solve a problem.”

There are eight “contests and organizations that encourage young people to innovate” (94) listed on pages 94-95. Some of these are the ones the young women in this book entered to get their ideas out in front of the world.

I go down to Las Vegas, Nevada, not to gamble, but to go out into the desert hiking. I have lived where dust storms occur, but have never been in one myself. I have been on a week long bicycle tour in the Rocky Mountains. And I have gone hiking with my sons’ boy scout troop when survival gear is always inspected before leaving the parking lot. All of these play a part in this story. Now every time I think about this book, my eyes get scratchy and itchy.

This book is set in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. It is the retelling of what should have been a great time at a club geocaching competition by sixth graders on bicycles. It turns out to be a story of survival , as the title suggests, but it is also the tale of how two young people rediscover their lost friendship and why.

When the club’s van gets stuck, Mr. Lee goes for help, while the 6th grade geocaching team stays with Mrs. Sloan and the van. Martin’s need to win this competition has Martin sneaking through Mr. Lee’s brief case to find the coordinates. Jen sees this and follows Martin out into the desert, when no one is looking. Shortly, the dust storm engulfs them. At times, they have no idea where the other one is the dust is so blindingly thick and loud. The dust stings their eyes and skin, fills their ears and noses. The dust is choking. They survive the storm, but will they survive the desert! They are lost. Their bicycles are ruined. They are in an arroyo which will be the path of the flash flood, that follows a dust storm.

Jen has book knowledge and Martin has math on his side. If they work together these two who were once good friends might get out of this alive. They will face coyotes and the coldness of the desert by night, extreme heat without shade and thirst without water by day.

What Jen and Martin did not do is stay put, so searchers could easily find them. They can hear the rescue helicopter, but it can not see or hear them.

What Jen and Martin did do correctly and how they were finally rescued could have all been avoided, but they are back to being friends due to being put to this test. They, also, are doing volunteer hours of community service to help pay back for the hours put into their rescue effort.

I am looking forward to reading the other three books in this series.

After the story there are ‘Survival tips from the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council’, plus a list of the ten bare essentials of wilderness travel.

In this day and age of computers and photo shop here is an amazing true story of how innovative young people can be when they want “to get back at the adults for scolding…” one of them. (29)

Elsie (16 yrs. old) and Frances (9 yrs. old) only wanted to play a prank on their parents. Cameras for the general public were still rare in 1920. Elsie’s artwork was very good. Put the two together and the girls took a photo of Frances with fairies out in the woods of Northern England. It was never intended for anyone else to ever see the photo(s).

Just like today, some people yelled, “Fake,” while others believed. I will compare it to Big Foot photos. You decide which side of the fence you are on.

The book makes me smile and chuckle because it has similar applications to today’s photos of Big Foot and UFOs.

from author’s note: The difference now is that we are trained not to accept automatically but rather to question, and when possible, to investigate on our own to determine the truth. Though the internet is a powerful tool in trying to confirm or deny a suspicious story or photo, it can also spread misinformation just as easily. Having the internet doesn’t mean you can kick back and think less. On the contrary, it forces you to think more.”

2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles just makes you want to smile every time you see her smile, which seems to be all of the time! This book concentrates on Simone Biles’ enjoying what she does, being good at jumping and then striving through hard work to get even better at it. There is not much ‘meat’ to the text (only two short sentences per page turn) but this is a ‘feel good’ book all the same. The nine photos just make the reader want to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ at Simone Biles’ form, concentration, and the happiness she is experiencing.

A wonderful tale of misunderstanding, culture shock, and opposites all rolled up in one!

Miranda, the princess, is going to her first day of public school. She has always had a private tutor before today.

Maude, the absolutely not a princess, wants to work for social justice.

Miranda is quiet and a girly, girl. Maude is a talkative, chicken loving, very casual dressing, knowledge seeking, loner – though not by choice.

On the first day of school, Miranda and Maude must sit next to each other in the back of the classroom because of alphabetical order. The princess assumes all the students will know all her likes and dislikes just like the servants do in the palace. Wrong. The other students just stare at her.

Day after day the class spends their time on practicing the Mandatory National Reading and Writing and Math Exam. Miranda does not understand the questions on the test. Miranda does not own a pencil. She is asked to borrow a pencil, which is sticky, from Maude. Miranda does not like the noisy lunch room or its food, noisy PE or noisy recess, or the music room’s recorders. Miranda keeps to herself. Maude is by herself, too. Maude is after knowledge and social justice. She has no friends, either.

Miranda’s parents inform her they are inviting her entire class to her birthday party in two weeks. Miranda says, “No.” Miranda thinks the class does not like her. When Miranda places a gold invitation on each student’s desk, before school, she purposely does not give one to Maude. Of course, Maude notices this immediately. Maude, in her quest for social justice, talks to each student individually about boycotting the party. They all agree.

The day of Miranda’s party no one shows up. Back at Maude’s house, Maude is upset, too. Then, Maude discovers the bandana she had tried to lend to Miranda is stinky. “No wonder Miranda hadn’t wanted to use it on her sneezy nose.” (103) Off Maude goes to talk to Miranda. Silence between Miranda and Maude. “And then Maude yelled, ‘ARE THOSE RAINBOW SWEETIES?’ “(107) The silence is broken and like falling dominoes the two girls discover a few things they have in common. Maude invites Miranda over to her house. Over the course of a few weeks, they become good friends. The only friend each of them has ever had.

Opposites attract. Miranda and Maude are opposites and they are now good friends.

Just six weeks after little Shylo left his mother and family out in the country warren, he is being called upon by the Royal Rabbits of London to help save the Queen’s reputation. If the reader has not read the first book in this series, never fear, the highlights are recapped in chapter one. (The Royal Rabbits are true rabbits that protect the royal humans in England and have been doing so undetected for centuries.)

In this story, the nasty, foul Ratzis (no ordinary rats, but rats just the same) are out to humiliate the the President of the United States (POTUS) and the King and Queen of England at their state dinner in London. The head Ratzi – Papa Ratzi- has numerous TV stations and Internet web sites. He will destroy both of these world leaders and their countries’ alliance to each other in one embarrassing event on live TV. BAD NEWS SELLS!!

Papa Ratsi wants small, meek- mannered, brainy Shylo caught for ruining their last attempt to humiliate the Queen. Papa Ratsi wants Shylo interrogated to get all the information he knows about their nemicus the Royal Rabbits of London.

Meanwhile, the Royal Rabbits do not want to work with the Rabbits of the United States (ROTUS) in their mission to protect these two leaders on their home soil. And the ROTUS do not want to work with the Royal Rabbits to protect their president. Thank goodness the two leaders of these two groups insist both sides work together.

In a diversion, the Ratzis grab Shylo. Once this is known, the Royal Rabbits and ROTUS decide that their mission to protect their leaders comes before trying to rescue Shylo. Shylo, being the smart bunny that he is, figures this out for himself. He is on his own to escape. Shylo outwits his guard, escapes his prison, and succeeds in stopping the Ratzis plot.

Shylo, the small, smart, unassuming ‘bunkin’, saves the day, once again! Time to celebrate with the finest carrot juice and dancing down in The Grand Burrow beneath Buckingham Palace!

Meanwhile, Papa Ratzi , AKA Nibbles, is off in America “with his plans to cause havoc in the world, and neither was he finished with his plans for a weak but troublesome little bunny called Shylo.” (201)

After the story ends, the readers will have the chance to test their knowledge on 1) London Landmarks, 2) make a recipe from the story, 3) take a personality quiz, and 4) read ‘Top Ten Facts about the US President and the White House’.

Illustrator Kate Hindley’s illustrations (one per chapter) add to a rabbit’s point-of-view, how the reader will relate to the rabbits’ point-of-view, how stylish the Royal Rabbits are, and how foul the Ratzis are with great charm.

“The text of this book was set in Aged Book” which adds to the allure of British charm this book strives to present to the reader.

With three national parks in our own state’s backyard, it is fitting we should expose our children to other national parks, as well.

This book tells the what, where, and when of the Grand Teton National Park dating from February 26, 1929, in the state of Wyoming. The what will enthuse the reader to go see this park in person some day.

The what includes: mountains and valleys, lakes, and plants like white bark and lodgepole pine, flowering yellow balsamroot,and scarlet gilia. The animals will include cutthroat trout, calliope hummingbirds, elk, moose, red squirrels and black bear. And then where is the horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, along with the scenic drives.

This is presented in large font type, in two or three sentences on the left page opposite the full color photo on the right page. The book includes a glossary, index, table of contents, and the abdokids.com website where the entire book is presented, plus much, much more through links to the national park’s links for Grand Teton National Park.

I grew up watching the television specials by Jacques Cousteau in the 1960s. In this graphic novel formatted story, we read about Jacques Cousteau’s grandson, Fabien Cousteau carrying on his grandfather’s love of the ocean and research. This is a work of fiction, but I am finding myself wanting to display this book in my nonfiction shark section so all the shark lovers will find it. This is a story about shark conservation and research with Fabien Cousteau as the lead on the research team. The author’s note states, ” Great White Shark Adventure is a work of fiction based on actual expeditions and accepted ideas about the ocean and its inhabitants.”

Illustrator Joe St. Pierre makes this adventure come to life! I liked it better than a live action show because the action is obviously freeze framed. Nothing advanced until I was ready to turn the page.

Fabien and his crew, along with two junior expeditioners- Bella and Marcus, are off to research local South African tuna fishermen’s claims of seeing a massive great white shark off the coast of Gansbaai. Twelve and thirteen yr. old Bella and Marcus taking part in the research ship’s mission gives author James O. Fraioli reason to explain shark behavior, ecosystems, habitats, boat equipment, local area history, and much more to the reader as part of the story, whereas the rest of the ship’s crew already know this information. It is all masterfully woven into the story.

The crew find sharks right away. The massive one they are searching for is very elusive. It takes several tries and several different types of equipment over the course of several days before the crew successfully locates THE one shark they are after. The shark is tagged with “A PSAT TAG, WHICH STANDS FOR ‘POP-UP SATELLITE ARCHIVAL TAG’…WILL ALLOW US TO ANSWER MIGRATORY PATTERNS, FEEDING MOVEMENTS, DAILY HABITS, AND EVEN SURVIVAL, SHOULD THIS SHARK BE CAUGHT…” (43)

Shark fans will love this book!