Cheerleading, a title in the Science Behind Sports series from Lucent Books, is a 100 page report on what body parts are in motion while performing cheers and dance moves.  The first chapter gives an historical overview of the development of cheerleading into the competitive sport it is today.  The final chapter covers some psychological aspects of cheer, including crowd management, stress, and positive speaking.  There’s nothing spectacular about this book.  It fits a need if one exists in showing that cheerleading is a physically active sport.  But there aren’t many references to research studies or data from scientific journals to make this very authoritive.  This reader would actually encourage students to supplement this with much more web research.

Abdo Publishing has got the right style going on with their Contemporary Lives biography series.  Glossy pages full of color photos, sidebars, and to be honest, font at a size 14, really makes the information easy to get through.  Specifically, Lisa Owings writing about Adele was very intriguing.  Owing keeps readers interested by her own exciting diction such as dazzled, rocketed, belted, and fizzled.  Her writing also focuses on the emotional side of the Adele, allowing readers to feel Adele’s excitement, passion, and soul for music.  Any student in middle or high school would enjoy this  100 page biography.  Other artists in the series that this librarian plans to pursue include: Beyonce, Drake, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West.  Highly recommended for school and public libraries.

Stephen is a scavenger.  He travels around a post-biological-attack America with his father, looking for usable items and avoiding threats.  One day he finds himself in need of help and a group of strangers come to his rescue.  They have built a microcosm of civilized society in what used to be a gated neighborhood.  Dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings are all the rage in teen literature today.  In a field overflowing with books of this type, this is one of the good ones.  In a blurb on the jacket, Suzanne Collins (author of The Hunger Games) describes this novel as “taut,” and she has found just the right word to describe it.  The first chapter opens with Stephen and his father burying Stephen’s grandfather and they are immediately thrust into a dangerous situation.  Eventually Stephen is forced to make important decisions without the help or advice of his father.  As he struggles to decide what the “right” thing to do is in a world where every choice is life-or-death, the reader witnesses a true coming of age.  This is a novel which will catch teen’s attention at the very beginning, make them think, and keep them reading through to the end.

Frank is a name you don’t hear much anymore, nor is it word often used to describe being totally honest.  But it’s a word that shouldn’t be forgotten, as this book so aptly shows.  Being totally frank with someone does not make one popular.  Learning how to be honest without hurting someone’s feelings is a skill in diplomacy of which we all need a reminder.  Frank learned from his grandpa that you can still say what you think, and be honest, without alienating people.  A great book with a great lesson.

Beginning with some words to know, one learns about the life of pigs on a farm.  Simple text tells what pigs like to eat and what they like to do.  Photographs are focused and colorful.  Most have captions that provide additional information.  This short 24-page book provides many clear facts and quality photos that raise it above other typical nonfiction animal books.  Other books to read, websites, and an index are included.

This 32-page book tells of the diverse land forms, the basic groups of indigenous people, and culture of this island country.  It is packed with information, many facts useful as-is, others invite further investigation, if desired.  Maps, colorful photographs, “Did You Know” sections, and “Fun Fact” boxes, along with informative paragraphs fill every page.  Photos are labeled or clarified in the text.  Bold words are defined in the glossary.  A page of fast facts are in the back with books to read, a factsurfer website, and an index.  This book provides plenty of facts for those looking for a quick introduction to a fascinating country.

Mr. Tate’s class gather on the beach to help on Clean-up Day.  They meet Captain Ned, who explains how important the ocean is to the health of the planet.  They listen to the ocean and become aware of the animals who call the ocean home and depend on it being clean: one whale, two giant sea turtles,… to 10 bottlenose dolphins.  On shore, they collect 10 bags of trash as they think about the water cycle and pollution.  Plants and animals that live in the ocean provide food for people, resources for medicines, and clean air for all.  The class also goes out on Captain Ned’s boat to scoop up floating debris.  The message that everything in the natural world is connected and that people need to be responsible for their actions is repeated throughout.  A final page gives more in-depth information on how the world’s climate and weather rely on a healthy ocean.  Sarah Snow’s digital collage illustrations are colorful and full of texture and light.  They provide strong visual images to accompany the message of protecting our ecosystem.  Good resource for explaining the importance of being responsible care-takers of our world.

In 1936, a young Joe DiMaggio’s skills were to be tested  before being accepted on a major-league team.  The greatest pitcher in the 1930s was Satchel Paige, who was only allowed to play in the Negro leagues.  An exhibition game was scheduled.  Paige’s skills as a pitcher and batter kept the game close, even though his team was much more inexperienced than the opposing team of major-league stars.  Suspense builds as Satchel Paige throws his amazing “bat dodger”, “wobbly ball”, and his whipsey dipsey do”.  Joe DiMaggio was up to bat four times before her was able to make it to first base.  Both players proved they had what it takes to be placed among the best.  Floyd Cooper’s amazing artwork in muted tones is a good match for this retelling of a day in baseball history.  The illustrations are action packed and full of emotion.  Great book as a spring-board for discussions on the sport, about segregation, or during Black History month.

As first introduced in Diary of a Wombat, this mostly sedentary wombat arouses during the Christmas holidays to the smell of carrots.  In his typical low-key humor, he continually fights “strange creatures” (reindeer) for his favorite food (carrots).  Finding a good place to nap (Santa’s sleigh), he soon discovers these strange creatures are terrific at finding carrots all over the world!  Bruce Whatley’s humorous illustrations show this irresistibly charming wombat’s confrontations in a variety of situations.  This delightful book will appeal to people of all ages.