Polka-dot Fixes Kindergarten by Catherine Urdahl - ADVISABLE

Urdahl, Catherine Polka-dot Fixes Kindergarten PICTURE BOOK Illustrated by Mai. S. Kemble. Charlesbridge, 2011. $7.95. Content: G. Polka-dot is nervous about leaving Grandpa and starting kindergarten, so Grandpa helps her make a kit with duct tape and other handy fixes, so she can take care of herself at school.  When Polka-dot gets to school she is confronted by a mean girl named Liz who makes fun of everything Polka-dot does.  When Polka-dot finally tells Liz she is mean, Liz backs into the chain-link fence and rips her dress.  Polka-dot quickly fixes Liz’s dress with her duct tape and they become friends.  I think this is a cute book about being your own problem solver when you are away from home.  EL (K-3)-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Winterling by Sarah Prineas - ADVISABLE

Prineas, Sarah Winterling, 256 p. HarperCollins, JANUARY 2012. $17.  

Content: G.  

Fer (Jennifer) has always felt outside of all of the kids at her school and in her community.  When she meets a boy, Rook, who is obviously not from her world, she also learns the truth about her mother’s and father’s disappearance.  When she decides to go through The Way herself, the Lady she meets is beautiful, but dark secrets will cause problems not only for this world, but also for Fer’s home world if Fer doesn’t figure out who the real enemy is.  

Prineas’ novel is a prime piece of elementary fantasy.  A great choice for younger students who are not ready for long series fantasy.  

EL, ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

No Two Alike by Keith Baker - ESSENTIAL

Baker, Keith No Two Alike PICTURE BOOK Beach Lane Books, 2011. $16.99 Content: G.

A great book that celebrates the similarities and differences between two things, whether nature (snowflakes and forests), or animals (redbirds or deer).  

The story has excellent rhythm and great illustrations with only five or six words of text per page layout.  It’s a beautiful and heart-warming depiction of how we are alike, but not quite.  This would also be great in a board book format.  

EL (K-3)-ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

The Incredible Hulk: An Origin Story -- ESSENTIAL

Thomas, Rich.  The Incredible Hulk: An Origin Story, interior illustrated by Val Semeiks and Hi-Fi Design. Marvel [Disney], 2011.  $8.99.  Violence-G.  PICTURE BOOK.  

How did Bruce Banner become the Incredible Hulk?  As a child he was timid and didn’t have many friends.  As an adult he worked as a scientist for the army.  He studied an energy called Gamma Radiation.  During an experiment, he saw a teenager that was too close and in danger.  He saved the boy, but his body was affected by the Gamma Radiation. He became the Incredible Hulk and had to run for his life. 

Marvel’s comic heroes continue to be in high demand as new movies are released (Avengers 2012) and characters are reinvented.  The illustrations combine comic style cartooning with a traditional picture book style.  A must purchase for boys.  

EL – ESSENTIAL.  

Samantha, Public Librarian.

Twelve Haunted Rooms of Halloween--ADVISABLE

Twelve Haunted Rooms of Halloween, illustrated by Macky Pamintuan.  Sterling Children’s Books, 2011.  $14.95. PICTURE BOOK.  A Halloween version of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song, a bear peaks into twelve haunted rooms and sees “a bat hanging from a bare tree,” monsters, zombies, goblins, etc.  The cartoon illustrations capture the Halloween spirit of spooky fun without being too creepy.  Illustrator Macky Pamintuan adds to the fun by adding 5 additional characters and items that are hidden throughout the book.  A great book for a storytime at home or at the library.  EL– ADVISABLE.  Samantha, Public Librarian.

Kostyal, K. M. with The Colonial Williamburg Foundation. Christmas in Williamsburg: 300 Years of Family Traditions.--OPTIONAL

Kostyal, K. M. with The Colonial Williamburg Foundation. Christmas in Williamsburg: 300 Years of Family Traditions. Photography by Lori Epstein. 57 pgs. National Geographic, 2011.  $17.95.  NONFICTION.  The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation “operates the world’s largest living history museum” (book cover) and is over 301 acres and includes 88 structures from the 1700s (http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/whatToSeeAndDo/historicArea/). The book feels like a souvenir or tourist guidebook for the museum, rather than a general interest book about the history of Christmas in America.  The writing-style is formal and often uses primary source quotations. The reenactment photographs are vibrant and show the beauty of Williamsburg.  Teachers or parents looking for ideas for a party or a new Christmas tradition will find some great traditional craft ideas and recipes.  EL – OPTIONAL.  Samantha, Public Librarian.

The Secret Box by Barbara Lehman - OPTIONAL

Lehman, Barbara The Secret Box. Houghton Mifflin, 2011. $16. 48 pgs. PICTURE BOOK. In this wordless picture book, a young boy from long ago hides a box under a loose floorboard. Over the years, the landscape surrounding the house changes, as does the purpose of the house in which he lived. Decades later several children discover the box and follow the enclosed map to Seahorse Pier. Lovely illustrations and a nice concept, but children may have difficulty following the story. EL-OPTIONAL. Caryn

Puff, the Magic Dragon: Pop-Up Book by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton--ESSENTIAL

Yarrow, Peter & Lenny Lipton.  Puff, the Magic Dragon: Pop-Up Book, illustrated by Eric Puybaret, paper engineering by Bruce Foster.  Sterling Children’s Books, 2011.  $26.95. 

PICTURE BOOK / POP-UP BOOK.        

In the 1960’s the musical group Peter, Paul, and Mary recorded a popular song about Puff.  In 2007, a picture book entitled Puff, the Magic Dragon came with a CD including 4 songs.  This new edition is a pop-up version of that same title, including the CD.  The original paintings by Eric Puybaret continue to charm and enchant; however, as expected, the paper engineering by Bruce Foster steals the show. Each pop-up adds motion to the story and enhances the overall experience.  The pirate pop-up in particular with a moving hook and a sail with a rope is magical.  

EL (K-3)  – ESSENTIAL.  Samantha, Public Librarian.

Around the World by Matt Phelan - ADVISABLE

Phelan, Matt  Around the World, 235 pages.  Candlewick Press, 2011. $24.99.  Language G; Mature Content G; Violence G.  GRAPHIC NOVEL.  Following the printing of the novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, three different adventurers decided to give it a go themselves.  The three stories in this book are about Thomas Stevens, Nellie Bly and Joshua Slocum.  Each story captures the personalities of the adventurers and their thoughts and emotions.  The art work is more telling than the words used.  Thomas Stevens traveled by bike, Nellie Bly by trains and cruise ships and Joshua Slocum by a sail boat.  The author pulls the reader into their lives so much that when I was done reading I found myself looking for different versions of their stories.  EL, MS-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer - OPTIONAL

Springer, Kristina  Just Your Average Princess, 197 pgs.  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. $15.99  Language PG (1 hell, 11 God); mature content PG-13; Violence G. Jamie has always dreamed of becoming the pumpkin princess.  She works hard at her family’s pumpkin patch and contributes to her community, so she thinks that she should easily become princess.  However, her cousin Milan shows up with her Hollywood stories and her Hollywood clothes and outshines Jamie.  But the person Jamie cares most to impress, Danny, doesn’t seem to fall under Milan’s spell, because he has his eyes on Jamie.  With an unexpected princess pageant for an ending, this book was a fun and fast read with a good main character.  MS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Every-Day Dress-Up by Selina Alko - ADVISABLE

Alko, Selina  Every-Day Dress-Up  PICTURE BOOK Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. $16.99.  Content, G.  A little girl who likes to play dress up, changes from wearing princess costumes to wearing outfits inspired by real women from history.  She plays Amelia Earhart, Julia Child and Frida Kahlo to name just a few.  She decides that having many interests like cooking, helping people and being a leader are more interesting and fun.  I think this a great book to teach children that real women are worth following, unlike princesses they have interests of their own and don’t wait around for others to save them.  The back of the book also includes a mini biography of all the women portrayed in the book.  ES (K-3)-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel - OPTIONAL

Heltzel, Anne  Circle Nine, 260 pages.  Candlewick Press, 2011. $16.99 Language R (5 “F”, 5 other); mature content PG-13; Violence PG-13.  Abby wakes up in a burning field and can’t remember who she is, but Sam is there to help her and he whisks her off to a little house in the woods.  Abby decides to see this wood house as their castle, even though occasionally she can see that she is imagining her world, that in reality the house and Sam aren’t as beautiful and shiny as she pretends.  Slowly, Abby’s world is shattered as Sam turns out to be a drug addict and she remembers the reason she woke up in a burning field.  Abby eventually breaks away from Sam, but the book ends without any hope or direction for Abby.  I thought the book was hard to put down and kept you wondering what was going to happen, but once I found out that Abby wasn’t innocent, I had a hard time with her character.  She also didn’t ever get help which left me unsatisfied with the ending.  HS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Rapunzel by John Cech - ESSENTIAL

Cech, John. Rapunzel. Sterling, 2010 $14.95 Content G-PICTURE BOOK.  

A classic fairy tale is great to add to any library.  

In Cech’s version Rapunzel’s adopted mom (aka the evil witch) catches on to her plans to build a rope ladder and escape the tower she has been living in since birth. She whisks Rapunzel away and brings harm to the prince who is trying to court her. Years of pain and suffering ensue before Rapunzel and the prince have their happy ever after. I liked this version because it seemed to have more plot to it than other versions. An afterword follows the story telling how the story has evolved.

EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL. Shauna, reading teacher.

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin - NO

Griffin, Paul Stay With Me, 304 pgs.  Penguin Group (USA), 2011. $12.10 Language – PG13; Mature Content – R; Violence: PG13; Cece and Mack are tow teenagers who come from dysfunctional families.  Mack is a dropout with a record and Cece is an honor student.  Cece lives with her mom who drinks and Mack’s dad is mean and angry.  Mack recues damaged dogs – pitbulls – and nurses them back to health.  They both work in a pizza restaurant.  Cece has a brother named Anthony who enlisted to go fight.  A relationship blossoms between Mack and Cece.  Mack has anger issues and hears noise like static in his head and it sets him off.  The relationship between Mack and Cece is doomed from the start and the book deals with the loss and frustrations they both face.  The story is told from the alternating voices of Mack and Cece.

I did not finish this book.  The sexual content was more than I would be comfortable with in my library.  The language was strong with several instances of the “F” word.  The online reviews were all very favorable of this book and wanted to be able to give it a good review.  However, because of the content I am not recommending it.HS – NO. Reviewer: W. Child - Cyprus High Library Media Specialist

Bedtime Bunnies by Wendy Watson - ADVISABLE

Watson, Wendy. Bedtime Bunnies. Clarion Books 2010 $15.99. Content G-PICTURE BOOK. The bedtime routine is different for all walks of life. These bunnies need to come inside, have a snack, brush teeth, have a bath and put on their pajamas before they go to bed.  Simple words are great for beginning readers and also great for teaching a unit on onomatopoeia or verbs to elementary and middle school kids.  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Shauna, reading teacher.

The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Odyssey - ADVISABLE

Odyssey, Shawn Thomas The Wizard of Dark Street, 346 pgs. Egmont, 2011. $17.

 Language: PG.  (1 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content – G; Violence: PG;

Oona Crate is a twelve-year-old girl who has been training to be a wizard by her uncle. Since her true desire is to be a detective, Oona asks her uncle to find a new wizard apprentice to replace her. As a new apprentice is about to be named, her uncle mysteriously vanishes. Oona must use both magic and some investigative skills to find her uncle and his attacker before magical glass gates swing open and mankind is taken over by faeries.

The magical descriptions are fun, but at times became so tedious I longed for some kind of action to occur—especially at the beginning of the book. There is also a problem with the author trying to cram so many details into the story that some were unclear to me until the end. With that being said, this book is a fun mystery that left me wondering who the villain was until the end. Oona is a bright and resourceful heroine and her sidekicks Deacon (a bird) and Samuligan (a faerie servant) are likable characters.

EL-MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Michele

The Classic Treasury of Childhood Wonders by Susan H. Magsamen - PARENTS

Magsamen, Susan H. The Classic Treasury of Childhood Wonders: Favorite Adventures, Stories, Poems, and Songs for Making Lasting Memories.  National Geographic 2010 $19.95. Content G-PICTURE BOOK. Just like the title indicates, this book is full of poems, activities and such. It’s split into three sections: outdoor exploring, dream it/make it, and magic and make-believe. Within each section are at least one story and a corresponding activity. This book truly is a family keepsake. It is great for family game night, story time, craft activities, rainy days, and on and on.  It caters to young, old, young at heart, boys and girls.  It’s probably not as valuable to a public or school library, but absolutely perfect for FAMILY/HOME. Shauna, reading teacher.

Tacky’s Christmas by Helen Lester - OPTIONAL

Lester, Helen. Tacky’s Christmas. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 2010, $16.99. Content G-picture book. Tacky the penguin is at it again. Not only does this fun-loving penguin enjoy life to the fullest, he always manages to somehow save the day. In this latest installment of the Tacky series, Tacky dresses as Santa Claus and a tree at the same time to distract and win over the hearts of evil hunters. I’m not sure how many of you are Tacky fans, but this being the first one I have read I was not impressed. I had a hard time getting over the incorrect grammar would not be wanting to have young readers read this because of that reason. EL - OPTIONAL if you are a Tacky fan. Shauna, reading teacher.

Ghosts in the Fog by Samantha Seiple - ESSENTIAL

Seiple, Samantha. Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion, 179 pgs. Scholastic Press, 2011. $16.99.  Language : G ; Mature Content : G ; Violence : PG-13 = references to, but not detailed in nature, to historically accurate accounts of warfare.

The Aleutian Islands had to be taken in order to form a base from which the Japanese could attack and conquer the Western U.S.  Because of the political backlash and fear that this event would cause in America, one of the most secretive and bloody battles of WWII took place at one of the gateways to the United States of America!  Good: This historically accurate account was covered from different angles and from various peoples points of view. The horrors of war are revealed enough so that the reader understands that great men and women gave everything, including their lives, so that America could maintain its freedoms.  Bad: I could not find anything wrong with how the story was written. MS - ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Kevin R. Moray

Babyberry Pie by Heather Vogel Frederick - OPTIONAL

Frederick, Heather Vogel. Babyberry Pie. Illustrated by Amy Schwartz. Harcourt Children’s Books 2010, $16.99. Content G-Picture Book.  Babyberry pie is another bedtime routine book. The rhyming couplets are super cute.  This isn’t a terrible book but not a great book either. OPTIONAL, Pre-K. Shauna, reading teacher.