Samurai by Jason Hightman - OPTIONAL

Hightman, Jason Samurai 310  pgs. Eos (Harper Collins), 2006. $16.89.  

LANGUAGE – G (1 “G” word); Sexual Content – PG; Violence – PG-13 (most of the violence is dragon to human or human to dragon, but some instances are somewhat disturbing).

Tied to his roots, Simon St. George does not have a normal teenage life.  A descendent of the St. George who slew dragons, Simon and his father now carry the burden to rid the world of such evil.   In an attempt to find their friend, they get much more than they bargained for as they come across new allies and enemies.  As they attempts to unite their forces with these new allies, they seek to overcome a powerful combination of serpents.  

While the book carries a lot of action and addresses the important concept of good over evil, it feels like the emphasis is on the evil in the world as opposed to the good.  It was entertaining, but not very fulfilling.  

MS, HS – OPTIONAL Reviewer: Margaret W., Middle School Teacher

Crows and Cards by Joseph Helgerson

Helgerson, Joseph  Crows and Cards  344  pgs. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. $16.00   Rating: G.  Travel along with Zeb as he learns the hard lessons of the life as a gambler’s apprentice.  Meet characters such as the tricky Chilly Larpenteur, the wise Chief Standing Tenbears (and his beautiful daughter), a professor and his chickens, and a freedom-seeking slave who all play a role in teaching Zeb who he really is and can be.  This is a well-written and fun story that entertains, enlightens, and enriches.  Recommended for students and adults alike.  MS – ADVISABLE, Margaret W. – Middle School Teacher

The Toymaker by Jeremy DeQuidt

De Quidt, Jeremy The Toymaker, 356 pgs.  David Fickling Books, 2010.   $16.99.  Language – G, 1 swear, 0 F’s.  Sexual Content – G.  Violence – PG.   Setting:  A mysterious land far away, a long time ago.   This book starts out with a toymaker trying to figure out a way to keep toys from running down.  He discovers that he can use the hearts of animals in the toys.  I thought that this book was going to be full of blood and gruesome action…not so…after the first chapter the story follows young Mathias and his friend Katta, as they escape from the evil Dr. Leiter and gain the help of Koenig the woodsman.  Koenig helps them discover the secret that Mathias’s grandfather gave him before his death.  The adventure and excitement the characters go through will keep the reader hooked until the end.  However, I felt that there were too many unanswered questions and the ending was disappointing and depressing.  MS-HS ADVISABLE.  Reviewer Jim Moon, Middle School Librarian

Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion by Hilaire Belloc

Belloc, Hilaire Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion.  PICTURE BOOK.  Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.  $19.99.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-PG; Jim is a young boy who was taken to the zoo and he gets eaten by a lion because he wasn’t following directions.  The book is trying to use the scare tactic into getting children to be obedient or unfortunate events can occur.  His parents use Jim as an example of what not to do.  It is a poorly written book, but beautifully illustrated by Mini Grey.  It is too bad that the pop-outs and illustrations couldn’t be used with a better story.  EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

The Madman of Venice by Sophie Masson

Masson, Sophie  The Madman of Venice, 276 pages.  Delacorte Press, 2009.  $17.99.  Language – G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content  - PG;  Violence – PG.  There is piracy on the high seas and the British merchants intend to stop their merchandise from being stolen.  Master Asby is chosen to travel to Venice to see if he can discover who is behind these attacks on British vessels.  He takes along his daughter, Celia, and his clerk, Ned and sets out to unravel the mystery.  The plot thickens as a musician from the royal court also summons Asby’s help to find the daughter of a Jewish Dr. who mysteriously disappears.  There are a lot of twists and turns and plots and sub plots to keep the reader guessing and on their toes to keep up with the action of this book.  MS – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer:  CS

Journey of Dreams by Marge Pellegrino - ADVISABLE

Pellegrino, Marge  Journey of Dreams,  245 pages.  Francis Lincoln Children’s Books, 2009.  $15.95.  Language – G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – G; Violence – PG-13.

Tomasa and her family live in the highlands of Guatemala during the “scorch and burn campaign”.  The government is stealing boys for the army and burning the villages.  This is a story of how this family flees for their lives and tries to find refuge in another country.  

It is full of suspense and reads quickly.  It gives the reader a feeling of empathy for the many people who have to leave their homeland because of war and the danger it presents to the civilians.  Although this book is fiction, the author based this story on real experiences from real people.  

MS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer: CS

Super Human by Michael Carroll

Carroll, Michael Super Human, 336. Philomel, $16.99. Language-G (4 swears, 0 "F"), Sexual Content-G; Violence-PG-13; The world is at peace as the superheroes keep the villains at bay. In a secret operation a cult called The Helotry captures a nuclear power plant. The best superheroes are sent to stop them. Suddenly something has gone wrong. All the adults suddenly come down with a serious sickness. It's left to Roz, Abby, Thunder, and Lance to stop The Helotry. Soon they learn this is much more than a fight for a power plant. The fate of the world has been left in their hands. This book is an exciting adventure filled with intense fighting, huge decisions, and lots of action. A must read for all teens wanting an adventure. The only disappointment I have is that the ending was not well thought through. It seemed to me the author just wanted to end the book. Besides that this is a great book! MS-ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: BDB

Plus by Veronica Chambers

Chambers, Veronica Plus, 271 pgs. Penguin Books Ltd, 2009. $8.99. Language-PG(8 swears); Mature Content-PG; Violence-G; When Bee unexpectedly gets dumped by her boyfriend, she thinks it is the end of the world. Little does she know she has another surprise just lurking around the corner...she becomes a supermodel, and Brian wants her back, sounds like a win-win situation. But is this the life Bee really wants? I liked the book because it was predictable in some parts but in others it was completely unexpected. It showed the reality of how quickly things in your life can change. The author inserted too many 'saids' when they could have been replaced with another word with a similar or more specific meaning. MS-ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer:CGM

Kick by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter and Ross Workman Kick, 195 pgs. Harper Collins Publishers, 2010. $16.99.  Language: G, Sexual Content: G, Violence: G- Kevin is a boy who has good grades and doesn’t get into any trouble at school; the average thirteen year old kid. His father died many years ago while in the line of duty as a policeman and he only has his Grandma and Mother for family. Although Kevin has a good heart, out of the blue, a cop finds him behind the wheel of a car with a girl named Molly and he is on the edge of going to a juvenile detention center; all happening in what seems like seconds. The cops ask him why he was driving a car underage, but for some odd reason, he can’t tell them. He swears that he didn’t do this with bad intentions, but he still can’t tell them why he did it.  As his family, friends, and soccer teammates start to get more and more distant from him because of this, Kevin‘s life almost seems like it‘s falling apart. But Kevin has not lost all hope, a man named Sergeant Brown says that he will do all in his power to help Kevin out of this tight spot. However, with the trust between them being uneasy, will Sergeant Brown and Kevin be able to learn to trust each other so they can solve this mysterious case? I thought this was a great book. Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman did a fantastic job with bringing out the characters; they all seem so real. When I first saw this book, I thought it might entirely be about soccer, but it surprised me when I read it. It had a great mystery tied into it and lots of action, while incorporating the story with soccer. I also loved the way they showed two character’s perspectives of what was going on in the story. They would first of all show Kevin’s point of view, and then show Sergeant Brown’s point of view; making the story very interesting. Although parts of this book might only make sense to people who play soccer, I’m sure that this book will grab many people’s attention. MS - ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: JW.

Kick

A Chanukah Noel by SHaron Jennings

Jennings, Sharon. A Chanukah Noel 24 pgs. Second Story Press 2010. $15.95. Content G-picture book. Charlotte is Jewish and has never celebrated Christmas. When she moves to France and is told to do her best to fit in and live as the French, she tries to combine the two holidays with the help of her parents. I liked this book for the message it sends and also the illustrations capture Charlotte’s mood beautifully. ADVISABLE for HOME/FAMILY - Shauna, reading teacher.

Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly by Carolyn Parkhurst

Parkhurst, Carolyn, Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly.  PICTURE BOOK.  Feiwel and Friends, 2010 $16.99 Content G-picture book. 5-year-old Henry and his 2-year-old sister Elliebelly are cooking raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with barbecued banana bacon.  Mmmmm.  This book did a great job of showing how to work together and compromise.  It also showed how annoying and unreasonable 2-year-olds are. EL - OPTIONAL Shauna, reading teacher.

It’s Christmas David! by David Shannon

Shannon, David It’s Christmas David! PICTURE BOOK.  Blue Sky Press, 2010.  $16.99.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;  David Shannon has done it again with his fabulous “No David” books.  This time David gets told “no” by running naked, being impatient, throwing snowballs, not going to sleep, etc.  He writes and apology to Santa and in the end he is told “yes” because it is a glorious Christmas.  Darling read for young readers.  This book has beautiful illustrations and a happy tone.  EL– ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

Everything but the Horse by Holly Hobbie

Hobbie, Holly  Everything but the Horse.  PICTURE BOOK.  Hatchette Book Group, 2010.  $16.99.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;  This book has Holly’s own watercolor pictures in it.  It is about her life.  It feels real and special.  You will find yourself relating so easily to her memories.  Her family buys a farm and she learns to love horses.  She began to dream of owning a horse and she drew them.  Her parents in the end give her a gift and leave it in the barn.  It is not a horse but she names it  “Beauty” and she loves it too.  Sweet book and wonderful for young girls who keep dreaming and working hard for their reality.  EL – ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex by Lisa McClatchy

McClatchy, Lisa Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex.  PICTURE BOOK.  Random House New York, 2010.  $16.99.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;  Erin writes a dinosaur and invites him to her Birthday party.  She gives him directions and tells him some of the fun things they will do at the party.  They will slide down him like a dinosaur, play games, and eat pizza.  She tells him that she will be the happiest girl in the world if he comes.  At the end the picture infers that he has come because she is opening the door and there is a very large shadow outside.  This is a darling book.

EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

The Nightwood by Robin Muller

Muller, Robin  The Nightwood, 31pgs.  Tundra Books, 2010.  $18.95.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;  This book has beautiful illustrations.  It is a folktale with love sweetly entangled in its pages.  With a young girl named Elaine who falls in love with Tamlynne.  Tamlynne is owned by the wicked Elfin Queen.  Elaine must be unselfish and bold to save her love with much resist from her father.  The story has beautiful dances and enchanting pictures.  It is fun to read, but the ending is rushed.  Enjoyable for those girls who love a good fantasy with princes and princesses. EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

Dirtball Pete

Brennan, Eileen  Dirtball Pete.  PICTURE BOOK.  Random House, 2010.  $15.99.  Language-G (0 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;  This story is about Pete, a little dirty boy, who has to get cleaned up for his part in a state’s program by taking a bath.  He does get a bath but he still stinks because of his pet ferret.  He played the part of Pennsylvania, but before he got to play his part he was dirty again.  However, he delivered his lines better than all the other children and the crowd applauded him.  His Mom was proud and everyone knew it what is on the inside that counts.  It is a cute book and a nice book for little boys.  EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer:  BMN

Meet the Howlers! by April Sayre

Sayre, April Pully  Meet the Howlers!  Illustrated by Woody Miller.  PICTURE BOOK.  Charlesbridge Publishing, 2010.  $7.95.  Language –G; Sexual Content –G; Violence –G;  This fact finding book introduces children to howler monkeys.  Children can learn all about the howler monkeys while participate in the repetitive reading as the howler calls “Woo-hoo-hoo! Ah-Uh-Oh!”  In addition to the text of the story line, printed in small type on each page offers  more detailed, factual information about the howler monkeys.  The artwork is eye-catching.  The rhyming makes the story fun and enjoyable to read.  All students interested in animals and scientific facts will enjoy this book.  EL-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer: SL

Caterpillar, Caterpillar by Vivian French

French, Vivian Caterpillar, Caterpillar, illustrated by Charlotte Voake.  PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2009.  $8.99.  Language –G; Sexual Content –G; Violence –G;  With the help of her Grandfather, a little girl learns firsthand about a caterpillar’s development.  The little girl is curious about what happens next, and has a loving and patient grandfather who walks her through each stage of development.  The illustrations are simple and beautiful.  Any study of caterpillars would benefit from adding this book to it’s unit.  There is also a 19 minute companion CD included for children to listen to at a listening center.  We loved joining the amazement of finding the tiny dome-shaped eggs, watching the caterpillar shed it’s skin and finally watching the pupa transformed into a beautiful butterfly! EL- ADVISABLE. Reviewer: SL

Hush, Little Horsie by Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane Hush, Little Horsie, illustrated by Ruth Sanderson.  Random House Books, 2010.  $16.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  Language –G; Sexual Content –G; Violence –G.  Hush, Little Horsie is a perfect bedtime story about little horses who play and roam, as their Mama horses watch and protect.  All readers will relate to the need for comfort and peace that accompanies a mother’s constant care and love.  The pictures are beautiful, and the story is touching.  Horse loves big and small would love this book.  This would make a great bedtime book for any home.  Use in a school library would be limited.  For that reason I rated it optional, but not because of the content or illustrations.  EL- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: SL

A to Z Mysteries Collection #1 by Ron Roy

Roy, Ron. A to Z Mysteries Collection #1, illustrated by John Steven Gurney. 358 pgs. Random House, 1997, 1998. $8.99. Sexual Content-G; Language-G; Violence-G. Reprint.

 The collection includes the following titles: A is for Author, B is for Bandit, C is for Canary, and D is for Dungeon. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are three friends who live in Green Lawn where they solve various mysteries. In A is for Author, Dink is excited to meet his favorite author Wallis Wallace, but when he doesn’t show up at the book signing Dink suspects he’s been kidnapped. Dink and his friends take Wallis Wallace’s itinerary and follow the steps to find out what really happened. In B is for Bandit, a private detective asks the three friends to help him find a red-headed teen who filmed a robbery. They discover the teen and something about the private detective. In C is for Canary, pets around the neighborhood are missing and soon after they are returned, the houses are burgled. The three friends stake out a house to discover if the person returning the pets is also the thief. In D is for Dungeon, the three friends are visiting author Wallis Wallace in her castle Moose Manor, when they decide to discover who is making the spooky noises. Plenty of pencil illustrations adorn and add to the stories. These gentle, age-appropriate mysteries that will appeal to both boys and girls. 

EL – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.