Life in rural China is excruciatingly painful for Jade Moon.  Without her mother and under the Zodiac sign of the Fire Horse, she is a quick to speak, hot tempered, feisty young woman in a society that would never let her be true to her spirit.  She yearns for freedom — that which America could bring if she follows the aptly named Sterling Promise, her adopted cousin, to the United States.  Dreams of Jello and unbridled opportunity give strength to this Fire Horse as her new world does not match up that of her imagination.  The realities of how Americans treated Chinese immigrants coming into Angel Island in the 1920’s as well as the underground gang-like world of San Francisco’s Chinatown come from Kay Honeyman’s fastidious research.  This research also provided the thread for the Romantic narrative woven into the storyline through the Chinese oral tradition of storytelling that Nushi, Jade Moon, and Spring Blossom share with the reader.  The Fire Horse Girl is an excellent piece of literature that blends multiple worlds, has action that both male and female readers will enjoy, and will allow for rich classroom discussion.  Highly recommended for 8th – 10th grade humanities classrooms to adopt into their curriculum as well as for classroom, school and public libraries to promote.

Beginning with a definition of a rainforest or jungles near the equator where the sun shines hottest, one is taken on a journey around the world.  Each floor of a rainforest is home to a variety of plants and animals – each vying for food and space.   Many wildly colorful, strange-looking plants and animals of the rainforests of the Amazon, Africa, along the Congo, Madagascar, and Asia, from India to Australia, are portrayed.  The photographs are colorful and engaging but sizes are not comparable.  Many plants and animals are showcased, but there is no mention about where they are found.  One may download a digital book to accompany this one using a provided website and code.  This book ends with a warning about the potential loss of rainforests without the interference of concerned people.  An interview with a conservationist, and extensive index, and a glossary are included.

What an eye-catcher!  Large, colorful, magnified images fill every page in this engaging book.  Bugs can be grouped into six categories: insects (beetles, flies, bees, ants), arachnids (spiders, scorpions, ticks), centipedes and millipedes, wood lice, worms, and slugs and snails.  Each category shows close-up examples, includes informative captions, and a “Find Out More” section which directs one to other pages.  Words along the bottom of the pages provide even more facts.  Stunning photographs show the adult, often including images of life-cycles and habitats.  The reading level is for upper elementary, but the book is fascinating to kids of all ages.  An extensive index, a glossary, and an interview with an entomologist (insect expert) are found in the back.  Great addition to any library!

This brief biography of Jackie Robinson is written by his daughter.  It is filled with many back-and-white photographs from childhood throughout his life.  He excelled in many sports but wanted to play professional baseball.  Segregation was strong within the country but Branch Rickey of the Major League Baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, encouraged the board to integrate and take advantage of talent from the Negro Leagues.  They chose Jackie to help break the racial barriers.  He not only needed to play exceptionally, he needed to show strength, courage, and composure when dealing with angry and vicious insults and physical attacks.  With a loving family and the support of his team, Jackie became an American hero.  Other than reading about this admirable person, this book may also be a resource during discussions on bullying, segregation, or strength of character.  Jackie’s legacy lives on through the Jackie Robinson Foundation and scholarships.  A glossary and an author question/answer page are included.

This is an interesting topic about being truthful.  Most kids like quizzes found in magazines and social sites. Fifteen scenarios present a variety of situations in which one can choose one of three responses.  Most people probably feel they are honest, but what about the little fibs or “white lies”?  When finished with the quiz and points are added, the results are explained and additional information is given.  Tips and examples from others in the same category are offered.  This may be a great conversation starter about friendships and being honest with one’s self and others.  Other books in the series are: Are You a Good Friend?, How Much Do You Know about Bullying?, and How Trustworthy Are You?

Jake loves playing on his championship soccer team but a family move results in him playing on the worst team in the league.  As in many of Mike Lupica’s books, the main character seems to have more maturity than most 11 or 12 year olds.  In Shoot-Out, Jake tests his sportsmanship and skills with helping his team grow as a unit.  Jake learns that Kevin is a superb kicker but is wallowing in grief for his mother who has recently died.  As captain, Jake feels he needs to assist his team both on and off the field.  Even though many of Lupica’s books share a common theme, the storylines are engaging.  The soccer commentary from the field is realistic, the action is lively, and the personal struggles and behaviors are believable.  Other Comeback Kids books include: Hot Hand and Long Shot, both about basketball, Two-Minute Drill, about football, and Safe at Home, about baseball.

Strictly a book for the youngest audiences.  Three hens try to work up the courage to go for a ride in the farm truck, but they are scared of the noise it makes and of the unknown world beyond the farm.  They decide to go together, but after Pip gets into the truck, the other two make an excuse to stall, and while they’re gone the engine revs, Pip gets scared by the noise and hides her eyes until it stops, and when she looks around she thinks the rest of the wide world looks just like the farm, until the other hens inform her she never really went anywhere, and they all decide sitting in the wheelbarrow is more their speed.  In some respects, it is a book about facing up to one’s fears, but at the same time, it’s suggesting that venturing away from home is something to be scared of.  Also, the text is written in such simple sentences as to be stilted.

The fun illustrations are as charming as in the other grandma and grandpa books by this author.  The text follows a day-of-the-week pattern, describing something different each day that Anya cooks with her grandma, and what they do with what they make, each item also representing something one eats at a different time of day.  On Saturday they make a cake, which they save instead of eating right away, because on Sunday Anya’s dad and dog arrive and they have a party.

It’s trying to cover too much information in a too simplified format for that information.  The result is shallow, surface statements, that seem a bit disjointed and unorganized. It’s bound to leave young readers with more unanswered questions that any real clear understanding.  I’d rather find a book targeting slightly older students — I think it would do it’s topic more justice if it had more words to work with.

I don’t like it when books make statements as fact that are really over-simplified generalizations.  In describing parts of a day, this one says, “In the afternoon the bus takes you home from school.” Yet not all kids ride busses.  It says, “Aftern dinner the sun sets and night falls.” Yet around here in the winter, that would likely happen before dinner.  It says, “One day rain falls. The next day the sun shines.” Yet rain could stick around for weeks on end or only last for half an hour.  It says, “Celebrations last a day.”  Yet some celebrations last a week or a month.  It says, “You celebrate your birthday.” Yet not all families do.