In this realistic sports novel, the semi-final March Madness basketball game is detailed while the stories of the players are told as well.  The game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University is the epitome of college basketball with it’s exhilarating and fast-paced action.  Meanwhile, the backgrounds to all the important players are told, including the author’s portrayal of an ancient battle between real Spartans and Trojans.

This exciting novel leaves the reader cheering for more.  I particularly liked the format: a few minutes of the game followed by a story from a player’s past, an interview from a few days before, or a sports commentary from a cable news network.  This book will have the reader constantly switching which side they will root for in this epic game for the championship.

— Michael S.

This book is about a young girl, Trisha, who moves to a new school and finds that she is in a class called “the junkyard.”  She didn’t want to be in a special class anymore but her teacher Mrs. Peterson is a wonderful person.

Trisha learns that she and the other misfit students have great abilities.  When they go to the junkyard and find what ever they think can be made into something new.

Working together with the other students “the junkyard,” students build an amazing project for the science fair.

This is a great book that shows what real genius is.  And shows that there is potential in everyone.

These True books are a real deal for a school library, only $6.95 for a hard cover volume.  The text is engaging and clearly written and the pictures are good quality, relevant, and interesting.  This book is about the Pueblo people.  From the earliest known communities to the present, the history, traditions, and Pueblo ways of life are explained.  There is an Accelerated Reader test for this title (level 5.7, .5 points).

This is one in a series of six books about food.  The other titles include:  Food as Fuel:  Nutrition for Athletes; Food Buzz:  Nutrition in the News; Food Culture:  Celebrating Diverse Traditions; Food Options:  Following Special Diets; and Food Safety:  Avoiding Hidden Dangers.  This book is written by a Registered Dietitian (RD) and is current on USDA’s dietary recommendations.  The MyPlate recommendations are clearly explained as are other government resources such as Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign.  The author explains calories and energy, nutrients, food labels, serving sizes, how exercise factors in, and the value of healthy living.  All of this information is clearly written, easy to understand, and is given in context of being a child or adolescent.  There are relevant tables, diagrams and illustrations.  The photography is clear, relevant, excellent quality, and engaging.  Overall, students will learn a great deal from this book about eating for a healthy body.  There is an Accelerated Reader test (level 4.9, .5 points).  I highly recommend this book.

This is one in a series of six books about adrenaline adventures.  The other books in the series include:  Mountain, Rock, and Ice Climbing; Auto Racing; Dogsled Racing; White-water Rafting, Canoeing, and Kayaking; and Surfing.  This book is library bound and is of very high quality construction.  The photographs are full-page, sharp and clear, bright, exciting, and relevant.  Definitely engaging the reader to the text, these photographs are mostly taken by an aerial skydiving photographer.  This book explains the types of skydiving, necessary training, various classifications of experience, required equipment and resources, expenses and risks, not to mention the thrill of the ride.  There is an Accelerated Reader test for this title (level 4.8, .5 points).

The Handy Psychology Answer Book may be the the most approachable, fun to read text book one will ever find. While divided into sections by topic, it’s hard to not just read cover to cover because the guide book is so interesting.

Dr. Cohen, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor of clinical psychology has written more than 70 articles in professional journals and 14 book chapters, and in writing this guidebook, she has excelled in explaining human behavior.

There are many photographs that help increase interest. A fun example is in the section on Pavlovian conditioning where she features a photo of a bull dog puppy keenly focused on a bowl of food.

Famous (or infamous) individuals / organizations are used as examples of various elements of psychology, including Patty Hearst (victim of torture, kidnapping), and O.J. Simpson (perpetrator of domestic violence) for Psychology of Trauma; Ted Bundy (mass murder) and the Enron executives (fraud) for Psychopathy;  Bernard Madoff (Ponzi scheme) for rationalizing immoral behavior; and Kelly Micahels (child molestation) for Forensic Psychology.

Dr. Cohen uses folk psychology (‘When the cat’s away, the mice will play’, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained’), as well as the classic suspense film Psycho,  to explain the basics of psychology.

Cohen discusses current trends in mental illness such as the increase in the number of cases of autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

In addition to providing answers to more than 800 questions pertaining to psychology, Cohen’s answer book also includes a glossary, index, and comprehensive bibliography.

This book consists of 26 stories of heroines whose volunteerism and humanitarianism had critical effects on the war against the Nazis during WWII. The stories of espionage, sabotage, resistance and rescue are set in Germany, Poland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States.

While most war histories focus on men, Women Heroes of World War II focuses on heroic women, some who were still teenagers. The stories are intriguing, exciting, harrowing, and inspiring.

The book contains photographs, a glossary, notes, a bibliography and an index, and will make an excellent addition to a library’s WW II collection.

Israel, from the Enchantment of the World series, is a comprehensive look at the state of Israel today through 2012.  Color photos throughout enhance this typical country report book.  With about a 70% text to 30% picture rate over a two page spread, the author, Nel Yomtov, is still able to give a very balanced look at an unbalanced region.  Yomtov carefully gives equal time to each of the three religious groups, their historical connection to the land and their political influence today.  Because of it’s rich and turbulent past, when one begins to read about the economy and culture that make up the cities and rural life, it’s not surprising that tourism is its leading industry.  To go there is to see Israel at its core, with its industrial as well as farming side of life, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and other faiths comingled in this country the size of New Jersey.  It is a worthy addition to any school or public library.

Although the story in Spin the Bottle centered around the Monroe Middle School Drama Club, there was little drama in the book.   This is refreshing to me.  The narrator, Phoebe, has been looking forward to middle school and joining the drama club.  She did not plan to have her first crush though, and thankfully, this did not develop into a boy crazy plot.  The story line of friendship was center stage in this book.  The setting of backstage and play rehearsal will appeal to anyone who has performed in a play or has aspirations of being a star.  (By Jamie Kenny)

In the “rags to riches” biography, we read about Tyler Perry who raised himself up from an abusive childhood to a playwright/actor/ movie producer who helps others cope with life struggles.  So strongly did his faith nudge him to help others who were abused, that Tyler Perry wrote his first play, I Know I’ve Been Changed, in 1992 as a gospel musical, urging others to use the power of God to help overcome problems in their daily lives.  Perry poured all his money into the play, and when it failed, he was left homeless.  Perry believed so deeply in his work, he gave the play one last chance with a heart-to-heart conversation with God.  The play sold out that night, which was the beginning of turning his life around.  More plays, mostly about the struggles that plague African-Americans, followed with more success, and then eventually movies.  Tyler Perry is now a millionaire, but claims he doesn’t continue his work for the money — he does it to help spread the message that you can take your problems to God.  Whether you’re a fan of his Madea movies or not, this biography is sure to inspire.