Have you ever played those word games were you have to see how many words you can create from the original word? This book reminds me of one of those games, but for primary age readers. It is a cross between one of those games and a wordless picture book. There are no sentences in this book.  There is usually one word per page. All of the words begin with the letter “p”. Sometimes a letter is added to the word on the previous page and sometimes a letter is subtracted from the word on the previous page. Here is the progression of words: plan, plane, planet, plant, pant, pants, pans, pals, Pa’s, past, post, pot, pit, pin, pint, point, paint, pain, plain, plan. Have you guessed the plot of this book yet? It is about a young girl with a dream to fly a bi-plane as she plants a garden,  hangs pants up on a clothes-line, and goes about her daily life. She takes a key which fell out of the pant’s pocket to open a locked photo album belonging to her Pa. Inside the album are ticket stubs, old photos, a blue ribbon, and pilot’s wings from her parents’ barnstorming days. She shows the album to her pa. Together they paint posters, fit aviator clothing, paint the bi-plane, visit her mother in the cemetery, and pack a picnic lunch and luggage, before flying off over the plain. What a great plan!

The first graders I read the book to loved finding the change from one word into the other, as well as, following the story-line through use of the one word per page and the illustrations!

Poisonous vomit, punching shrimp, hidden claws… oh my!  This high appeal title profiles a wide selection of animals from all over the world which defend themselves in unexpected ways.  Many of the defenses hinge on bodily fluids in some way – and kids can’t get enough of it.  Each tale is accompanied by photographs, and the graphic design of the book has pizzazz.  This and Johnson’s similarly packaged works “Zombie Makers” and “Masters of Disguise” are essential for any public, elementary, or middle school library.

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hitton is a novel written in free verse form as in the style of Brown Girl

Dreaming. It’s about a girl named Mimi whose family moves from Berkley, California to Vermont

*Japanese making Mimi multi-ethnic and feeling like an outsider in her new community. Not only

must she adapt to a new climate with cold winters, but she is in the middle of Junior High. It is set in

the late 1960’s and Mimi questions school policies such as classes being assigned by gender (really,

shop is only for boys). It also highlights historical events such as the first lunar landing.

I like the style of this book with many short chapters making it easy to pick up and put back down, for

busy people who tend to read books in short bits. It has Japanese words and customs sprinkled

throughout which increases the interest. It is a realistic book of a girl on the verge of discovery of who

she is.

Tiny Cooper is not Tiny.  He’s big boned and has a big presence too.  Additionally, he is gay and figuring out how to love in this novel written as a script for a musical by David Leviathan.  Hats off to Leviathan for accomplishing such a feat of writing.  The word choices are so terse, yet so loud and powerful.  Tiny wants to experience the type of love he sees his unconditional parents exchange to freely.  He tries this through multiple boyfriends, each who have their own agendas.  When Tiny does find love, his last partner becomes the one who can’t trust the love Tiny so desperately wants to give.  Ultimately, Tiny shares the message he has had to learn over the course of the story — that you have to fall to learn to trust.  And if you hit bottom, you just have to get up again.

The stage directions Leviathan incorporates are more impressive than the dialogue between actors.  In fact, because of the repetition within music, a reader can fast forward their reading.  Written for a high school audience and above, there are plenty of witty lines which just highlight the truth in certain stereotypes of gay men.   Tiny is jazz hands gay, proud of it, and makes his presence known to all.  It will be interesting to see if this gets picked up in my library.

This is a silly, funny story about the fashion world and the humorous drama that surrounds it. In a panic search for a fashion assistant just one week before Fashion Week, Cover magazine has a huge problem.  Mitford the giraffe saves the day.  She knows just the right new look, who to bring on as the most unique model and the latest “look” for this season.  Mitford’s dream comes true and Fashion Week is a success!  The wispy, sketchy drawings capture the mood of spontaneous design.  A delightful book!

The focus of this book is to investigate Internet privacy and the spying of companies and governments against their own employees and citizens.  There is an explanation of “cookies” and how they facilitate a third party viewing an internet account.  The legitimacy of surveillance for purposes of protection and the legal “greater good” of society is contrasted with the expectation of  individual’s constitutional rights of  privacy. A person may unknowingly allow a company access to private information by clicking user agreements. Digital privacy is at risk the world over and stricter controls are needed on data tracking. This book offers a brief, informative investigations of a growing problem.

Ebola: fears and facts  clearly discusses the terrible disease, the terror it evokes and the search for a cure.  The Ebola epidemic of 2014 killed nearly 10,000 people and terrified the world with the fear of an uncontrollable pandemic.  The book is clear and concise, using photos and graphs to explain the spread of the disease and how it is contracted. Although there is not a “cure” for Ebola,  methods have been developed to curtail the spread of the disease.  Care to not touch an infected body and a prohibition against eating bush meat are both effective.  In a brief clear manner, this book answers many questions about a world problem.  It could be very useful in writing a middle school report.

Fuel Under Fire assesses the fuel industry and its many problems.  It is an informative read to learn about the fossil fuel industry.  There is little discussion in the book about the spectrum of green fuel alternatives currently under development and commercially viable alternatives that are not being promoted by energy companies and investors in general.  Millions of dollars have been invested in renewable resources over the past couple of decades while billions of dollars are spent on fossil fuel projects.  The book missed the mark on electric cars in failing to point out how the market has advanced with the introduction of the Tesla electric car and the public demand for practical cars that consume less gas.  Alternatives are being developed but at a slow rate.  When the cost of fossil fuel becomes prohibitive, change will happen.

Life in the United States military is definitely different from civilian life, but it is also different for the spouses and for their children.  Combat Zone,  weaves a story about high school senior Justin who is the child of a military parent. Justin is the son of a Navy Seal, the elite of the elite. Every year before school begins, Justin takes part in the ritual mixed martial arts BBQ with the sons  and their Navy Seal fathers in one of their backyards. “This establishes who’s tough and who’s weak. Who rules but also who needs to be protected. At school, we stick together. The Seals are not just a branch of the military; we’re a family.” (4)

Justin and his father haven’t spent much time together as Justin was growing up. So now that Justin’s parents are divorced, Justin is enjoying their time together. Dad- Colonel Edwin Ladd, wants Justin to teach Col. Parker’s son Calvin , a freshman, how to fight. Justin doesn’t want to saying it’s Calvin’s dad’s job. Dad ends the discussion by inferring it’s Justin’s “Duty”.

After the football game Friday night, Justin and his Dad go for a motorcycle ride. On one of their stops, Dad suggests that Col. Parker and Calvin come on their next ride, too. On a later stop, Justin texts his friend Eric to see where the after game parties are happening. When Justin shows up at the party, his teammate Anton asks for a ride home because it’s against the “athlete code of honor” to be drinking. Justin eventually agrees to take Anton home. On the way home, Anton tells Justin, “I thought you’d be a good person to come out to first…” Justin can’t stand the implication of what Anton is trying to tell him. This is unmanly! Justin goes overboard and breaks Anton’s jaw.  At school, Justin makes up a story saying the fight with Anton was over Allison. The next weekend, Colonel Parker (Larry) and Calvin tag along on Justin’s and his father’s motorcycle ride. During a stop on the ride, Ed and Larry go off together to see something leaving Calvin and Justin to talk. Calvin mentions that he and his father will be stationed here for as long a Justin and his Dad are here. Why? ” ‘You know about our dads.’  ” (39) Justin is about to hit Calvin when the dads come back. All Justin can do is race out of there as fast as he can. Justin is so hurt and angry he smashes the windshield of his father’s car. He doesn’t come home that night. Colonel Ladd has Justin taken out of school in handcuffs by the MP, when Justin won’t talk to him, and put in the back seat of his car. At home, Justin pretends to teach Calvin how to fight, pins him, and tells Calvin he lied about his father. Justin is so confused. His father, his macho Navy Seal role model, is living a lie. Justin starts spreading rumors at school about boys he suspects of being gay. He even tells one of the boy’s girl friends, he’ll be taking her to the homecoming dance because her boyfriend is gay. Justin is out of control. Between the football game and the homecoming dance Justin and Jimmy get into a fight in their backyard. Justin won’t end the fight when Jimmy taps out, until Justin’s dad steps in. After the homecoming dance, Justin breaks Allison’s curfew and scares her by his actions. When Justin finally takes her home, both Allison’s and Justin’s parents are there. Justin goes over to Eric’s house to get away from his father. Eric’s mother doesn’t want Justin in their house, so they sit out on the curb and talk. Justin finally tells Eric what is going on with his father. Eric’s response , ”  ‘I’ve been so jealous of the two of you since my dad split. You know what to do. Man up.’  ” (73) Back at his home, Justin confronts his father. Dad say, ”  ‘ This changes nothing between us…’  … ‘I don’t want to be a disgusting freak.’.. SMACK.  Justin’s father hits him and he runs from the house. (77) Justin spends the night in the high school baseball dug out. Later at lunch, Justin and Mychal throw a bowl of fruit at Eric. Coach Young sees the whole thing and takes it upon himself to handle the situation. Coach Young takes them aside and then throws them off of the football team.  Coach “knows about Dad. He doesn’t care. Am I the only one who does?” (82) Coach Young arranges for  Colonels Ladd and Porter to have a talk with Justin in his school office. Dad tells Justin he’s always been this way.  He can ”  ‘accept it now. I hope you will. … How do you feel? ‘   ” … ”  ‘ Betrayed.’  ”     ”  ‘You’re my son. I’m still your father.’  “(85)  … ”  ‘First, you’ll apologize to Eric. Second, you’ll get a job so you can pay for replacing my windshield, and third, you’re going to get your act together going forward? ‘  ” (86) …  ”  ‘So we know where we stand. Are you going to keep acting like this or will you…’   ‘ Man up.’ I finished his sentence. For the first time in a long time, Dad and I both smile.” (87)

Short and quick paced.