Girls Who Code: the Friendship Code (Book #1) by Stacia Duetsch -ESSENTIAL

Duetsch, Stacia Girls Who Code: the Friendship Code (Book #1), 137 pgs. Penguin (Penguin Random House), 2017.  $13. Language: G (1swear G word); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

Lucy is thrilled about the new after school coding club. But its moving too slow for her, after all the app she wants to create is sort of urgent, to help her uncle who has cancer. But when she starts getting anonymous notes in computer code, it leads her to new friends, and a fun journey to solve the puzzles.

This is a fantastic read with a group of friends and characters that are believable and relatable. The coding component feels like a natural part of the story instead of an assignment for the reader. The cover is appealing and I am sure (especially after next months annual Hour of Code) that this will be a popular book. Great for 3rd thru 6th grade. 

EL -ESSENTIAL.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Survivor Diaries: Overboard by Terry Lynn Johnson -ADVISABLE

Johnson, Terry Survivor Diaries: Overboard 103 pgs. HMH, 2017.  $10. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G

Travis is a on a wildlife watching boat tour with his family when the entire group ends up in the cold waters off the coast of Washington. Travis finds himself swept away with a young girl named Marina, who knows the how-to’s of survival but is injured and sick. Will the pair be found? Or will a friendly seal help guide them to safety.

This was a fantastic read for 2-4^th graders with fast paced action, surprising well fleshed out characters, and an interesting plot. The appendix contains real life survival information and what facts (the seal!) the story was based up. The cover is appealing and its sure to be a popular read. Its quite a bit like the ‘ I survived’ series but without the historical context.  I am going to order this series for my library, as my adventure genre section could use some sprucing up.

EL (K-3), EL –ADVISABLE.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Spine-Tingling Urban Legends by Karen Kenney -OPTIONAL

Kenney, Karen Spine-Tingling Urban Legends 32 pgs. Lerner, 2018.  $20.

This book features a wide range of urban legends from bigfoot, to bloody Mary, to bugs in your ears, haunted bridges, and the grave of Amie Laveau in New Orleans. Lots of bright and well-chosen photographs accompany the legends.

This book is maybe a bit too creepy for younger students, the whole section on bugs hatching from your body is fairly nightmare inducing (at least for me!). Better for 4^th grade and up. I would also be a bit worried about introducing the bloody mary legend to students that had never heard it before, I can already hear the parents uproar. Upper grade students would find this book fascinating.

EL –OPTIONAL.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Frightful Ghost Ships by James Roland -ADVISABLE

Roland, James Frightful Ghost Ships 32 pgs. Lerner, 2018.  $20.

This book presents a wide variety of ghost ships and provides historical information as well as conjecture. There are crew-less ships, burning ships, sunken ships and more. It provides a balance opinion of fact versus mystery that will keep students questioning. The pages have large bright photographs and images.

Students love books like this and I can see this book (and the series) being a popular read. Its spooky without being so creepy that parents would complain. I liked the history component, so at least there is some learning going on while the student is reading about ghostly stuff. It was interesting and intriguing.

EL –ADVISABLE.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Besides the Caldecott

I had no idea that the New York Times chooses a list of best illustrated books each year.  But a kind friend pointed me in this direction.  The list just came out yesterday, so at least I am not totally out of the loop.

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Savenaz Tash- ADVISABLE

Tash, Sarvenaz. The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love, 256 pgs. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. $17.99. Language: PG-13 (37 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Graham has been in love with his best friend Roxy for months now. He can’t seem to find the right moment to tell her, but when he finds out their favorite recluse writer is going to be at New York Comic Con, he comes up with the perfect plan to tell her his feelings. The only thing he doesn’t plan on though, are a series of unfortunate events that make all his plans completely disappear. First, he doesn’t get a wristband to see the all-important writer, even though he waited in line all night long. Then, Roxy meets a good-looking British guy and they totally hit it off. When each portion of his plan falls through, he tries to come up with something else, but eventually he ends up spewing his feelings during karaoke and it doesn’t end up going well. Worried that he has now ruined his friendship with Roxy (as well as their comic book writing partnership), his broken heart hurts even worse.

This will really appeal to a specific demographic of reader. Those in the realm of quirky TV shows, movies, and comic books will relate well to the characters. The story was a bit slow for me and didn’t have enough action, but I could see how those who know a lot about this area of comics, etc. would enjoy how Graham’s story plays out. The author did a good job of fleshing out the main character, but the other characters weren’t multi-faceted. It made the story a little more burdensome to get through. HS- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Can an Aardvark Bark? by Melissa Stewart- ESSENTIAL

Stewart, Melissa. Can an Aardvark Bark?, PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books, 2017. $17.99. 

Travel through a plethora of animal sounds and learn all about some of the different noises certain animals make and why they make them. The end of the book invites the reader to make the noises described in the book. 

The pictures are phenomenal and the descriptions of the sounds are awesome, it’s a fantastic informational book that will be really engaging for young readers. 

EL (K-3), EL- ESSENTIAL. 

Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

The Giant of Jum by Elli Woollard- ADVISABLE

Woollard, Elli. The Giant of Jum, PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt and Company, 2015. $17.99. A grumpy giant is convinced that a good meal of children will fill him up quite nicely. So he goes on a search for a boy named Jack that his brother met on a beanstalk. He knows that if he finds him he can make the most delicious food. When he starts looking for Jack he finds many more children, who beg him to help get down their ball and their cat. They determine he is a very nice giant and in the end, once he actually finds Jack, he becomes convinced that he’s kind and should eat cake instead. The rhyming for this book is very well done. Children will recognize many aspects of giant stories (such as, “Fee, fi, fo, fum”) intermixed throughout. The possibility that the kids in the book will be eaten is always a threat and the human recipes the giant comes up with are amusing. EL (K-3), EL- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Terrific by Jon Agee- OPTIONAL

Agee, Jon. Terrific, PICTURE BOOK. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. $17.99. Eugene has won a trip on a cruise, but he can’t seem to get past his bad attitude to enjoy it. He thinks he’ll just get a sunburn. When his cruise boat capsizes, he’s the only one who doesn’t get rescued. He washes up on a deserted island with a talking parrot and a bunch of pomegranates to eat (which he doesn’t like). The parrot teaches him how to build a boat, they set sail off the island, and are saved by the crew of the parrot’s ship. In the end, Eugene sticks up for Lenny (the parrot) and Lenny doesn’t want to leave Eugene behind, which makes Eugene happy too. I got so tired of Eugene’s bad mood. I didn’t find it amusing and although I’m glad he ends up finding a friend in the end, the rest of the book was a chore to get through. The pictures are decent enough, but the Eugene’s character is frustrating. EL- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Boo Who? by Ben Clanton- ADVISABLE

Clanton, Ben. Boo Who?, PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2017. $15.99. Boo is new. He is making new friends, but it’s kind of scary and hard, even when everyone is really nice. He starts to play games with his new friends and finds that because he’s a ghost, balls go straight through him, no one can feels it when he tags them, and picking up sticks doesn’t work either. He’s beginning to feel like he will never fit in when his friends start a game of hide and seek and can’t find him anywhere. He rules at the game and finds out he does belong. I love the pictures in this book. All of Boo’s friends are different and unique. I also like that the friends are all welcoming and kind (not always the case in picture books). A sweet addition for early childhood collections. PRE-K, EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Perfect Pumpkin by Kallie George- OPTIONAL

George, Kallie. Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Perfect Pumpkin, PICTURE BOOK. HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. $16.99. Spike the dinosaur is the brother of two little ducks. When they decide to go pick out pumpkins, Spike keeps accidentally smashing them all when he tries to jump on them, or kick them, etc. Finally, his siblings convince him that pumpkins are best for decorating. When he feels badly about the ones he smashed, his mom just makes pumpkin pie. The illustrations in this are what really stand out. They are vibrant and have a sweet look to them. The text is a little humdrum, as it usually is with early readers, but the characters, etc who are included will definitely appeal to that age group. PRE-K, EL (K-3)- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

My First Karate Class by Alyssa Satin- OPTIONAL

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. My First Karate Class, PICTURE BOOK. Simon Spotlight, 2016. $3.99. A group kids describes their first karate class together. They learn how to warm up and stretch, block, and bow. They get new colors of belts as they learn even more. At the back of the book are the directions for kids to use with an adult to try some of the different stretches and karate moves provided in the book. This is a really cute book with real life photographs that are fun to look at. The only problem is that it’s an early reader book meant for kids in kindergarten, first, or second grade and the kids in the book are much younger than that. I think it would be much more appealing for the right age group if there were pictures of kids closer to their own ages, not three or four year olds. PRE-K, EL (K-3)- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Miffy Rides a Bike by Dick Bruna- OPTIONAL

Bruna, Dick. Miffy Rides a Bike, PICTURE BOOK. Simon Spotlight, 2017. $4.99. Miffy rides a bike with her dog Snuffy racing along with her. As she zooms down a hill, she crashes and hurts her ear. She doesn’t want to ride her bike ever again, but with a little prompting from her dad, she does. This time though, Snuffy is the one that gets hurt. Luckily, Miffy knows just what to do to make sure he is taken care of. This seems to be based off of an episode of a TV show with the same main character. Perhaps it translates better as a cartoon, but the lack of facial expressions was a real hang up for me. I think younger readers will definitely relate to some aspects of this story, but the lack of exciting illustrations made the text less exciting as well. PRE-K, EL (K-3)- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

The Tickle Test by Kathryn White -ADVISABLE

White, Kathryn The Tickle Test, PICTURE BOOK Anderson Press, 2017. $18.

This is a rhyming book featuring a variety of animals being tested for the tickle squad by a group of mice wearing lab coats. They are administering the tickle test to a tiger, a gorilla, a snake, a flamingo and more. Finally they get to the alligator –a creature who may eat them up during the test. Featuring big bright illustrations, a working rhyming scheme, and as super surprise ending.

This is a cute book for Pre-K or better yet a parent who can read it with their child and they can tickle each other at the ending. The illustrations are quite cute and so are the rhymes.

Pre-K –ADVISABLE.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

Pig Has a Plan by Ethan Long- OPTIONAL

Long, Ethan. Pig Has a Plan, PICTURE BOOK. Holiday House, 2012. $3.99. Pig really wants to take a nap, but all the other animals on the farm are making such a racket. He can’t get any rest with all their hammering, sawing, mixing, and popping. He decides to stick his head in the mud so he can sleep, just as the other animals are revealing a surprise birthday celebration just for him. This is an early reader book with emphasis on sound and animal words. It’s done well enough considering that early reader books can sometimes be dull. PRE-K, EL (K-3)- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

What is Baby Gorilla Doing? by Christena Nippert-Eng- ESSENTIAL

Nippert-Eng, Christena. What is Baby Gorilla Doing?, BOARD BOOK. Henry Holt and Company, 2017. $8. 
Real photographs, paired with single verbs, tell us about all the things that baby gorilla is doing. We see baby gorilla eating, playing, reaching, smelling, and more. The pictures have not background and just show the gorilla and the one item he is interacting with. The last two pages show a compilation of all the things baby gorilla does in the book. It is really fun to see how the gorilla interacts with the world in real photographs and children will enjoy identifying with how the gorilla looks and moves and seeing the similarities in themselves. 
PRE-K- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Train by Chris Demarest- ADVISABLE

Demarest, Chris. Train, BOARD BOOK. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1996. $6.99. We follow a train along its journey. Bells clang, cows moo. Bridges are crossed and farms are passed. And at the end, finally home. There is a basic color scheme in this book that will really appeal to a younger audience, of babies especially. The text is sparse, but detailed that it’s not a chore for adults to read aloud. There are a lot of good sound words to get the attention of little ones. PRE-K- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Cat Nap by Toni Yuly- ADVISABLE

Yuly, Toni. Cat Nap, BOARD BOOK. Feiwel and Friends, 2016. $7.99. 

Big Cat is so tired. It’s nap time and little Kitten wants to play. Anywhere Cat goes, Kitten finds him. When Cat finally escapes to slink off and get some rest… Kitten is sleeping in his bed! 

Simple, cute pictures will make young readers interested in these cats who can’t get away from each other. They’ll also find the antics of Kitten amusing. 

PRE-K- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian

Samson the Mighty Flea! By Angela McAllister -OPTIONAL

McAllister, Angela Samson the Mighty Flea!, PICTURE BOOK Lerner, 2017. $18.

Samson is mighty and can lift many heavy things, but his small town flea circus is not enough. He finds his way to the big city, and discovers that its lonely at the top. He remembers his lost love and his home and discovers where true happiness lies.

This book is bold and bright with fantastic illustrations and lots of cover appeal. However I didn’t find that I enjoyed the story and I think students will have a challenge relating to flea’s. I am not sure exactly how his change of mind happened, it was very sudden and didn’t seem like a natural course. I like the message of the story: appreciate what you have, but I think there are better books that fit that bill. Also it bugged me that some of the book rhymed (even to the point of being forced) while other parts didn’t in the slightest.

EL (K-3) –OPTIONAL.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author

The Cholent Brigade by Michael Herman -ADVISABLE

Herman, Michael The Cholent Brigade, PICTURE BOOK Kar Ben (Lerner), 2017. $18.

Monty Nudelman shovels his entire neighborhood after a big snow storm. He shovels so much that he hurts his back. That is when his church community springs to action, each person in the neighborhood sends a child with a different container of traditional Jewish stew called, Cholent. Eventually there is enough for a feast and the children enjoy it with Monty –later that week they shovel his walk after a storm.

With universal themes of community, community service, and kindness, this is a wonderful book. There is a big component that references the Jewish religion, but it would be a great talking point. Often I think the books from this publisher are meant just for the Jewish community as an audience but in this case, its balanced between a great message and an easy to understand cultural aspect.  The illustrations are simple and bright, easy to share with a group.

EL (K-3) –ADVISABLE.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author