The book Keeping the Beat is a murder mystery that keeps the reader’s attention by slowly revealing the details through multiple characters’ perspectives. The book begins with a murder then shifts back in time to chronicle the events that lead up to it.

The cast of characters are five girls from Britain who form a rock band and win the opportunity to spend a summer in Los Angeles in attempt to make it big. Each girl tries to maintain her own relationships outside of the band while also continuing to support the efforts of the band. The details are given at a fairly slow pace, making the novel feel as though it drags at times. The characters are relatable and the style of prose is also easy to get into and well written. Recommended for grades 8-12.

The book Light is part of the Abdo Zoom into Science Concepts series.  The definition of the basic characteristics of light is followed by the role of light in sight, natural and human generated light, light used in art, and some numbers relating to light.  Text is supported with simple colorful photographs.  The book is a good introduction to the concept of light for young readers.

Contains a Table of Contents, Glossary, Booklinks, and Index.  The external links found at Abdobooklinks all access age appropriate educational resources.

Dams in the Abdo’s Engineering Superstructures series is a solid choice to support engineering standards for the youngest learners.  The book covers the definition of a dam, it’s purposes and it’s construction.  The simple text is supported by colorful photographs.  The small size of the book will fit well in little hands.

Includes Table of Contents, Glossary and Think About it section.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Josh Schneider has aged his character James a little , since he appeared in Tales for Very Picky Eaters.

This story begins innocently enough with Jimmy doing his homework. When “an extremely annoying howl” causes him to head to the secret door in his bedroom closet where Jimmy will transform into KID AMAZING. Now dressed to keep his identity secret, he answers the commissioners call to stop the howling. Kid Amazing reassures the commissioner he will take care of his ‘arch-nemesis, the Blob!’ Kid Amazing follows the ‘stink trail’ to the Blob’s lair. With tools from his utility belt, he spritzes the stink cloud with his de-stinking spray. Then, he cleans up the floor with his clown print de-sliming wipes. Kid Amazing is now face-to-face with the Blob, but his utility belt is empty. “The howl is melting his brain. He dives for cover. Then he sees it: the Blob’s howl neutralizer.” Kid Amazing pops the howl neutralizer ( a binky / pacifier) into the Blob’s mouth. The commissioner [aka: mom] will see about getting a reward [ a cookie] for Kid Amazing’s services.  Kid Amazing lets the commissioner know that the Blob also “needs a new stink-containment unit.”

Spoiler Alert! There is a surprise ending.

Toby is a very literal little boy. When his little sister argues that he never gives her anything, Toby replies, “Just last month I gave her a cold!” (31) This is the typical line of humor in this graphic novel formatted book. There are many one-liners, and a few sections where the humor revolves around a particular person or place: little sister, younger friend, mother, parents, or school and teacher.  There is no plot. It is innocent humor the likes of Dennis the Menace.

On page 35, a traveling salesman asks Toby if his mother is home. Toby replies, “Oh, yeah…”. When the salesman returns to Toby after ringing and ringing the door bell with no one answering the door, the salesman states, “I thought you said your mother was home?!” “She is!…but I don’t live here…”, states Toby.

Or on page 44 where Toby asks his little friend George, “George, what’s the difference between broccoli and boogers?” George replies, ” I never eat broccoli!”

MARVEL comic AVENGER hero Falcon is in trouble when Red Skull hits him with “a powerful mind-control blaster.” (6) “Now Falcon is afraid to fly!” (8)

When Red Skull attacks the city with flying robots, Falcon is less successful because of his fear to fly. Iron Man helps fight the robots. Afterwards, Iron Man encourages Falcon to keep trying. There are more flying robots the next day.  This time Captain America helps Falcon. Afterwards, Captain America encourages Falcon.

“Falcon practices everyday… at first, he can not fly very high.” (23) Falcon overcomes his fear to rescue his partner – Redwing. In Falcon’s next battle with Red Skull the mind-controller no longer works on Falcon. Red Skull is taken to jail.

Perseverance is the theme of this superhero book for young readers.

No Good Deed, Goldy Moldavsky’s latest Y.A. offering, certainly lives up to what the famous phrase declares: “No good deed goes unpunished”. It is true for the lively cast of characters who head to tech genius Robert Drill’s summer camp for youthful activists, Camp Save the World, run haphazardly by his new stepson, Jimmy.

Ablaze with zeal and commitment to Feed the Children of the world, Gregor Maravilla signs up for what he expects to be a summer of learning how to achieve his lofty goal while meeting others with their own burning issues, such as Men’s Rights, Diabetes Awareness, Down with Styrofoam, Boycott Camp and Stop Clubbing Baby Seals. Unfortunately, once a prize is introduced to the mix, underhanded competition and dirty tricks prevail as things get dangerous.

When teen movie star Ashley Woodstone (Eat Dirt) shows great interest in Gregor, he feels annoyed. Ultimately, however, their unlikely friendship helps Gregor realize that saving the world happens first in the heart, and then in the many little worlds where change can be truly made.

Engrossing, funny, tender and totally on-point, this book explores what happens ‘when doing right goes wrong’ while being a delicious satire on activism and activists going quite a bit too far. Highly recommended.  

Reviewed by Holly Graham for Kristi Bonds

Benton Bluff Junior High School’s band director, Mr. Byrd, is going to have a student teacher, Natalie Tate, begin just before winter break. This divides the band members into old versus new teacher style discussions. Some are not willing to give Natalie a chance because of bad experiences with former student teachers or due to her approach to what should be taught in band. Different does not mean bad or wrong.

Meanwhile, Mr. Byrd has assigned a group of students to come up with the music for the local theater groups’ production “What’s Your Holiday?” to showcase the diverse ways people  celebrate the season. Our band has been asked to participate.” (5)

When Mr. Byrd goes to a Band Director Conference, Carmen asks Natalie to help with the holiday music production, just hours before the first practice. “Change can be scary for some people.” (70) but the older band members finally apologize and the show turns out wonderfully.

Each chapter has a black and white sketch showing the drama that takes place between this diverse group of good band kids: Hispanic, wheel chair bound, athletic, and stylish / popular.

Louie the Unicorn continues his tale of student life at the New York School of Performing Arts in book two of the Unicorn in New York series.

The  New York School of Performing Arts will soon be celebrating its 50th anniversary. For the event,  the New York School of Performing Arts will be putting on the play “The Handsome Prince and the Princess Pointlessly Stuck in the Tower” for one night only, on Broadway. Auditions will be taking place soon. Louie believes he will get the lead role. Louie asks Arnie the Unicorn (the only other unicorn at school and the school’s top actor) for audition tips. Arnie ruthlessly tells Louie to practice circus tricks for the audition. Naive Louie begins learning quite a few circus tricks, spinning plates on his unicorn horn and  juggling torches to name a couple. During Louie’s audition he is asked,  ” ‘I wanted to stop you so I could ask, at what point in the show do you think this will be appropriate?’ ” (32) Louie does not get to part of the Prince, Arnie does. But Louie will be Arnie’s understudy. When Louie shadows Arnie’s every move so Louie can be the perfect understudy, Arnie turns Louie into his gofer. “Miranda and Danny said Arnie was treating me like a “gofer.” I like gophers and I’m sure Arnie does, too, but I think the phrase they were looking for was BFF.” (55)

Meanwhile, Frank the nice troll is about to loose his part in the play as the scary giant because he is not scary. Louie helps out his friend and roommate Frank by introducing Frank to method acting.  Frank states, ” ‘Finally! I think I can do this giant thing if I imagine I’m protecting the princess rather than scaring the prince. ‘ ” (68) Now Louie moves on to create a big school-wide surprise for principal Madame Swirler whose birthday is the same day as the school’s 50th anniversary.

Arnie has ordered Louie to polish his tap shoes until he can see his face in them. Louie does one better by polishing the bottoms of the shoes, as well. When Arnie preforms his tap dance number at the dress rehearsal, he slides right off of the stage and brakes his leg. Louie, the understudy, will have to perform in Arnie’s place. After the curtain call, Louie hushes the audience and presents Madame Swirler with a slide show and photo album of her 50 years of performances at the New York School of Performing Arts. Louie can tell Madame Swirler likes it because she looses just a teeny tiny bit of her sternness and cracks a small smile which Louie hopes won’t make her face muscles too sore.

Once again, Louie closes this book by writing home to his parents telling them about his latest experiences at the New York School of Performing Arts.

Illustrator Oscar Armelles livens up the pages with his sketches of Louie and his schoolmates.