Race to the Moon (Escape This Book!) by Bill Doyle and Sarah Sax - OPTIONAL

Race to the Moon (Escape This Book!) by Bill Doyle, illustrated by Sarah Sax. 186 pages. Random House, 2020. $11. 

Content G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS (GIFT)- OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

With this book on space, the reader has three chances to join NASA’s space program and help the Apollo mission reach the moon, either as the mission commander, the moon buggy driver, or the flight director. Think escape room meets book. 

The book is loaded with interactive activities for the reader to do with the book, like cut up its pages and drawing in it, so getting a copy for a library may be dodgy. Readers could read it without vandalizing the book, but it may just be too tempting to follow the directions. Fun and immersive for readers interested in space, it will definitely hold your attention, but it may also be a one and one book as well. 

Michelle in the Middle 

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell - ESSENTIAL

This Book is Anti-Racist : 20 Lessons on how to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by Aurelia Durand, 160 pages. NON-FICTION, ACTIVITY BOOK Quarto. 2020.  $15 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS, ADULT - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

In 20 short lessons, readers learn about identity - personal and social; race and ethnicity, prejudice and history - including microagressions; resisting racism, what to do when you see injustice and so much more. Disrupt, interrupt, stand together - be an anti-racist youth!

Tiffany Jewell has written for children of color who need the words to speak up for themselves and others, especially when the adults in their lives have racist ideas. Young people will be empowered as they work through the activities. A wonderful resource for the classroom. Work is done in students' notebooks, so This Book is Anti-Racist can be used over and over. I did the activities as I read, and it's changed me - I see things differently, am more sensitive to bias and am ready to speak up. 

Lisa Librarian

Draw a Comic! by JP Coovert - ESSENTIAL

Draw a Comic! (Maker Comics) by JP Coovert, 123 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, ACTIVITY BOOK First Second, 2019. $13.

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

A DIY Guide to drawing Comic, there is a story-line. You have been given an internship to work with Maggie building her grandpa's library of comics, and along the way, Maggie will teach you how to create comics yourself. Also, there's a villain, Dr. Carl Stephens, who has acquired the lease of the building from the bank and wants to tear it down. Good thing Maggie has a piece of a treasure map from her grandfather - maybe you can help her follow the clues and Save the comics library. Maggie gives step by step instructions on drawing panels, using details to show the story, how to use captions, and writing a script; you visit an art supply star to learn about all the best pencils, erasers and pens and. how to take care of them, and so much more.

The kids are going to love this! The instructions are perfect - simple and precise. The story is engaging, but most of all it keeps the reader going through all the different steps to making a comic. It's not one you will have to worry about the kids writing in - each of the projects start with a blank piece of paper. I love that maggie has the reader draw their own panels and talks about layout and design and everything. This will definitely be popular.

Lisa Librarian

A Dragon Walks Into a Bar by Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor - OPTIONAL

A Dragon Walks Into a Bar by Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor, 205 pages, JOKE BOOK, Aadams Media (Simon & Schuster), 2019, $15.

Language: PG (3 swears); Mature Content PG-13; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This joke book is for RPG (Role Playing Game) players.  Otherwise you might not be into jokes like, “Why did the barbarian add a story to his house?  He wanted to gain a level.”  You can roll your d6 to generate an orc tribe name, or a 1d8 to fill in the blanks for a Tragic Backstory.  According to the book, there is a grand total of 335 jokes, 17 tables, and 117 sidebars containing snide commentary and further information about the jokes.

The jokes are pretty funny but are targeted to a specific audience.  There are several with sexual connotations, so bear that in mind, though for a joke book, they showed a lot of restraint.  If your idea of a good time is to roll dice and fight dwarves, then this is truly your book, because “the best selling book in the forest is an elf-help book.” 

Michelle in the Middle

Super-Duper Spooky Doodle Book by Ryan Sias - GIFT

Super-Duper Spooky Doodle Book by Ryan Sias, 94 pages.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.  $10  9781328810199  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) , EL – GIFT  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

This activity book is broken down into sixteen different spooky characters including a skeleton, tarantula, witch, zombie and Frankenstein.  Each section starts with directions on how to draw that character then there are different drawing activities such as finish the picture, write a story or find hidden objects.  At the back of the book there are 50+ stickers and throughout the book you can search for 20 hidden moons.  

This is a fun doodle book for young artists.  The drawing instructions are simple and fun for Halloween themed drawing.  I think the cartoon characters are cute and I like the amount of different activities.  

C. Peterson    

Super-Duper Summery Doodle Book by Ryan Sias - OPTIONAL

Sias, Ryan  Super-Duper Summery Doodle Book, 96 pages.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. $10. 9781328810175  

Fourteen different characters make up this activity book that revolves around the beach.  Every couple of pages there is a step-by-step guide on how to draw one of the characters-including a pig, monkey pirate, octopus, etc.  Then that character is in a hidden picture puzzle, story starter and other pictures that you fill in with drawings or designs.  This is an activity book with many pages to color, activities to complete and some stickers at the back.  

GIFT – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson. 

My Big Fat Zombie Fun Book by Mo O'Hara- GIFT

O’Hara Mo My Big Fat Zombie Fun Book ACTIVITY BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2018. $13 9781250122506

Tom and Pradeep are volunteer guides at the pet fair, but of course, Tom’s brother Mark (The Evil Scientist) is trying to make thing difficult for everyone.  But you can help the situation by following clues, drawing escape routes, solving puzzles, learning magic tricks etc.

This is a fun puzzle book, the difficulty is appropriate for middle school - there are puzzles as easy as word searches and as difficult as logic puzzles, there’s color by number, draw the missing part of the picture, there are mazes, riddles, mad libs - this is a very entertaining book.  It’s designed to be written in, so probably not a choice for a library, but would make a great gift for the zombie goldfish lover, or the puzzle book aficionado.

EL, MS GIFT Lisa Librarian

A Map Coloring Book by Natalie Hughes - OPTIONAL

Hughes, Natalie  A Map Coloring Book Henry Holt, 2017.  $12.99  Content: G.  

This is a detailed coloring book that has parts of a map of the world.  Each page is a different part of the continents of the world.  The major states or countries are listed with pictures of the animals and plants that are known in that area.  There are upwards of twenty animals/plants to color on each page and they are labeled.  This is a fun book that might appeal to kids’ love of animals and extend that to geography.  

There is a lot going on in this book and it takes a close look to distinguish all the many animals and plants.  There isn’t any further information about the animals or the countries provided throughout the book.  Because of the amount of detail it seems overwhelming for the younger crowd.  

GIFT – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.   

Box: What would you do with a box? By Min Flyte -ADVISABLE

Flyte, Min Box: What would you do with a box? Nosy Crow (Candlewick), 2015. $15.99 PICTURE BOOK

A simple story about a small group of children and boxes. The reader first lifts flaps to discover what is inside the box that each child has. Then the reader discovers what each child build separately. When the children build together, the reader gets to see large projects made of boxes.

This is an adorable book with charming illustrations. It jump starts the imagination and would be perfect for a pre-k class or daycare activity as the words are very simple. I was hoping it was more of a craft book for a bit older reader, so I won’t be adding this to the school library, although it would make a great gift for young child.

PRE-K – ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Sew Dolled Up: Make Felt Dolls by Boutique Sha - OPTIONAL

Boutique Sha Sew Dolled Up: Make Felt Dolls…, 112 pages.  Creative Publishing (Quarto), 2013.  $20.  Content: G.  

As adorable as the dolls, clothes, and accessories are in this felt doll-making book, they are really for the expert hand sewer, not for a beginning seamstress and not for making on a machine.  These are the kinds of dolls and stuff that should command top prices in boutique stores.  So if your library attracts a high-level crafter, or if you know someone who has this level of expertise and interest, then this is a beautiful book.

ADULT, GIFT - OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Beeswax Alchemy by Petra Ahnery - ADVISABLE

Ahnert, Petra Beeswax Alchemy, 133 pages.  Quarry Books, 2015.  $25.00.  NON-FICTION.  

If you like crafting, or like me your husband or you have started raising bees, then this is a great book to get started making giftable items from the wax your new charges are producing.  I have read other beeswax books in the past, but I like this author’s approach.  She gives the basics, the theory and the ideas behind each project and teaches you enough to allow you freedom to create your own concoctions in the future.  Other books I have read made me feel like I was not allowed to deviate from their recipes or didn’t give me enough information to understand why I was putting the ingredients together in a specific way.  A great reference book for an amateur, a crafting leader of any sort, a teen activity leader in a library, or someone who is bent on creating a home business. 

ADULT, GIFT - ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Complete Photo Guide to Knitting by Mary Huff - ADVISABLE

Huff, Mary Scott Complete Photo Guide to Knitting.  Creative Publishing, 2015.  $25.  

Ready to start knitting?  Pair this book with a couple of youtube videos and you will ready to finish your first project in almost no time.  I was happily surprised to see how methodical and helpful the pictures actually were.  The projects are paced well to nurture a beginning knitter.  Whether you want this as a reference for students to checkout or you want to have activity time for your students, this is a solid addition.  

EL, MS - ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Amigurumi Animals by Annie Obaachan - ADVISABLE

Obaachan, Annie Amigurumi Animals, 128 pgs. St. Martin's Griffin

EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

This book teaches you how to crochet animals. Amigurumi was developed by the Japanese. Now you can learn on how to make creative and cute animals. First, they show the history of Amigurumi animals. Then, it's on to tips and instructions. Finally, in the back of the book, there is a gallery full of cute pictures! This book is really detailed in the instructions. It can be used by beginners and experts. But one thing I didn't like was that there were so many abbreviations. It made it a bit confusing.

Student Reviewer: CW