This nonfiction book has a sense of humor!  Which can be refreshing when reading a biography.  Cartoon captions are throughout the book with humorous references to difficulties or obstacles facing Sir Issac Newton.  Well done account of his youth and struggles in school and finally into world of science, even at the expense of contradicting his religious faith.  Accomplishments, discoveries, and honors are described in this intermediate, elementary level book.

As Book One ended, Opaline had finally gained her super powers, but was using them for BAD! As Book Two begins, Opaline’s three former besties are determined to change Opaline back from the dark side. The Ultra Violets (UVs)  begin to plan a surprise birthday party to win Opaline back to them – Operation Get-O, not Ghetto. But the UVs plan gets derailed when Opal plans her own 12th birthday party inviting everyone, except the 3 UVs. Opal is planning on shocking the entire 6th grade class, at her birthday party, “INTO HER ELECTRIC ZOMBIE SLAVES!” (pg. 193) The UVs are crashing Opal’s party in a spaceship disguised as a cloud, “like the Greeks rode in on the Trojan Horse!” (pg. 218) ” The Ultra Violets foiled Opaline’s plot to reprogram their Chronic Prep class…”( pg. 307) And now, as Book Two comes to an end, the mayor has asked that an UltraViolets signal be made [much like the Bat Signal] , which is a good thing because Opaline has not given up the idea of taking over the students in her school, but the entire city, too, if her mother has her way.  STAY TUNED for BOOK 3!

All printed in purple ink.

This is a great counting book.  The pictures are great with lots of color.  This is the best counting book I have ever seen.  It was a lot of fun and the story was interesting.

I love the “How Do Dinosaurs…” books and this is a good one too.  This book is really a lot of fun.  It’s very informative.  My brain couldn’t understand the title, so I started reading the book.  I got pulled through quickly.  I was entertained and amused and I now know how to behave for Chanukah.  The pictures are wonderful.

Anguished and angsted Greer Cannon is smart — smarter than she let herself take credit for.  Though she learned to use her body for the wrong purposes and found shoplifting to be addictive, which landed her at the McCracken Hill rehabilitation school for teens, Greer knows when to talk and when to just keep chill.  This is why Addison is so attracted to her.  Addison’s violent behavior topped with alcoholism are in the shadows behind his great looks and qwirky personality — a personality that is too often swayed by Joshua Stern, Addison’s Narcotics Anonymous sponsor. Thus the battle of the minds, and hearts, begins.  Readers may start to find frustration in how obvious the brainwashing is, how unlikely the trip to the Piconos and events during their stay is, how naive Greer tries to be in supporting Addison versus being true to her own spirit.  The book jacket really does make this seem like it will be a psychological thriller, but it certainly lacks any over the top drama.  In fact, the conclusion was lack luster at best.  This dark tale is going to be picked up, but it may not be finished by all.

This is a great story most any child could identify with.  If you have ever been embarrassed or felt like the world was against you, this story is for you.

The boy in the story is an interesting individual.  His family is mostly out of touch with his feelings, as many children feel their families are.  There is a happy ending.

This story was a fun, unique story, with amusing pictures.

This is such a cute book about Ernest B. Spinosaurus who writes to Santasaurus all year long to let Santasaurus know That he should be on the “good” list for Christmas.  Ernest lets Santasaurus know of all the good things he has done and lets him know that the bad things aren’t his fault or weren’t so bad.  Oh, and what he wants for Christmas, which changes with the newer models that come out and depending what he got for his birthday.  Very entertaining.

A singing, dancing, crime-fighting girl superhero TV show is filming in Milo and Jazz’s ‘ordinary’ town. “Milo and Jazz were sleuths in training. They got lessons in the mail from world-famous private eye Dash Marlowe and worked together to solve mysteries that popped up in their town.” (page 9) Shortly after spoiled little girl – Ursula- throws a fit when no one will sell a prized ‘power pick’ in the crowd of towns people out to watch the filming of the TV show episode, the ‘power picks’ begin to disappear. At first, Milo and Jazz think Ursula is behind the disappearances. Then, it is revealed someone is sending letters to the “power pick” owners saying they will get to be in the TV episode if they secretly drop off their “power pick” after that day’s filming. Milo receives his monthly letter from Dash Marlowe advising the use of Venn Diagrams for helping to sort out clues. Through the use of Venn diagram and Milo’s observation the mystery is solved.

Two or three black and white illustrations per chapter.

Includes five pages entitled: Super Sleuthing  Strategies of brain teasers for the readers to solve on their own. Answers are supplied.

In the summer between 5th and 6th grades, Leo and Chad are about to attend Camp Smellerd where 12 Guppy Scouts disappeared in 1981, never to be heard from again. Meanwhile, Leo has a half-zombie friend, Roger, who lives in a lab behind a sliding panel in the back of his bedroom closet. Chad’s older sister, Anita, is excited to be a counselor at Camp Smellerd this summer and plans to clean up the algal bloom on Lake Moan. She thinks it is caused by the “radioactive blast at Brainland’s nuclear power plant ” back in 1981. Anita’s plan is to take ” the group of ragtag kids in mismatched socks and stained T-shirts…[now] In their sparkling white suits, they looked like algae-fighting superheroes.”  In the exact middle of the book, while Anita is running the pond/water skimmer a “noise grew louder and louder until— ‘AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH’ from the lake’s shore came a long, low moan.”  Fish zombies dressed in old guppy scout uniforms surround Anita, Chad, and Leo in the boat. Dun, dun, dah! The zombies are attacking the boat, when Roger arrives at the lake on a bicycle, only to find out ‘these’ zombies are toothless algae eaters. The police arrive to shut down the lake, but Anita convinces the police the zombies do not exist, because the zombies are helping the lake’s ecosystem, not harming people.

My one complaint about this book is its cover. My students want to read scary zombie stories, ie. GOOSEBUMPS, not ones with comic BART SIMPSON covers.  My school library patrons won’t be checking out this book. CHANGE the cover, not the story, and this will be a hit.