Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby - ADVISABLE

Rorby, Ginny Hurt Go Happy, 267 p. TOR, 2006. $5.99. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE

Joey has been deaf since she was six, so being on the outside is nothing new to her. Then she meets Dr. Mansell and his sign-language-using chimp. Even though her mother has forbidden her to sign, Joey is drawn to the means of expression and to Sukari the chimp. When Dr. Mansell dies, Joey is in agony over what may happen to Sukari. She will have to be bold and determined in order to secure a safe future for herself and for Suakri. 

Rorby manages to pack several different threads into her novel without over dramatizing or skimming over any of them. The drama between Joey and her mother about whether she should be a lip-reader or a signer and the options available for chimps who have been abandoned are just two of the themes. 

CINDY

Accidentally Fabulous by Lisa Papademetriou - ADVISABLE

Papademetriou, Lisa Accidently Fabulous, 187 p. Scholastic, 2008. $5 

EL, MS - ADVISABLE.

Amy has always had an easy time getting to know people. All of her skills are put to the test, however, when she enters new, ultra-rich, ultra-fancy Arlington Academy. She thinks she has a friend in Jenelle, but Jenelle is a member of the League, a group of prima donnas, ruled by mean girl extraordinaire Fiona. And if Amy doesn't do things Fiona's way, Amy may have no social life to talk about. 

While I had a hard time stomaching (or believing) the description of the Academy, the rest of the book was just fine. The Candy Apple series, written by various authors, makes their point without resorting to profanity, drugs, violence or sex. The subjects are the kinds of things tween girls think about all the time. 

CINDY

Floods by Mary Winget - ADVISABLE

Winget, Mary Floods, 32 p. NON-FICTION. Lerner, 2008. 

EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

Floods is a quick little tutorial for younger readers on the causes, the kinds and what to do in case of a flood. While it isn't a true picture book, each page has a colored picture to supplement the accompanying text. Early readers will grasp the information easily. It also includes books and websites for further learning. 

CINDY

Eli Manning by Matt Doeden - ADVSIABLE

Doeden, Matt Eli Manning, 106 p. NON-FICTION. Twenty-First Century (Lerner), 2008. 

 MS - ADVISABLE

Eli Manning has broken out of the shadow of his famous father and older brother and become a football powerhouse in his own right. 

 Doedon's biography is well researched and is a good balance between personal information and intriguing football action. My only complaint is that all of the pictures are clumped together in the middle and none of them are in color. But don't let this detract from your purchasing decision; it does help keep the purchase price down (schools and libraries: $21.95). It is very up to date and will be appreciated by Manning fans.

CINDY

Sweat and Blood by Gloria Skurzynski - ADVISABLE

Skurzynski, Gloria Sweat and Blood: A History of U.S. Labor Unions, 107 p. Twenty-First Century (Lerner), 2008.

MS, HS - ADVISABLE

Don't let the page count fool you; this is a deep, detailed look at the history of labor unions in the US. There is enough information here for a student who needs the book to write or a report, yet it is fluid enough for a student who may just be looking for something to read. If your school teaches Lyddie by Patterson, Out of the Dust by Hesse, or any other novel about the Great Depression or unions, this would be a necessary supplement.

CINDY

The Year my SIster Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman = OPTIONAL

Friedman, Aimee, The Year My Sister Got Lucky, 415, Point,

Language - PG; Violence - G; Sexual content - PG;

MS - OPTIONAL

Katie and Michaela are two ballets dancers in New York living the life. They are forced to move to a town near Canada that had a population of about how many people were in their high school. Katie has a hard time adapting while Michaela becomes part of the in-crowd. Their used to be close relationship gets separated by secrets and lies. Katie begins to snoop and finds the biggest secret of all. Within days she spills the beans and becomes a social pariah not only in school but in her own home as well.

This book was more about the relationship between the two sisters than anything else. I liked it because it definitely had many things that separated it from other books.

Student Reviewer: AA

Necks Out for Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering - ADVISABLE

Ering, Timothy Basil Necks out for Adventure. Candlewick, 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

PreK - ADVISABLE

The wiggleskins know that it is safest to keep their necks tight within their shells. But when all the other wiggleskins are scooped up by a predator, Edwin heads out on an adventure and rescues his family with his new "heads out" philosophy.

Smaller children will appreciate Ering's silly illustrations and the smart youngest wiggleskin.

CINDY

Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden - ADVISABLE

Madden, Kerry Jessie's Mountain, 304 p. Viking (Penguin), 2008.

Content: G

MS - ADVISABLE

When Livy Two's grandmother gives Livy her mother's journal, Livy Two decides to read it out loud to all her brothers and sisters. Livy Two wants to go to Nashville to audition for the Music Man; she is in for a huge surprise when her sister Jitters tags along. Their parents are furious and angry and Livy Two loses her job on the bookmobile. Then Livy Two gets her whole family to buy an empty store front and they start to perform music there.

I really liked this book and it had a good story line.

Student Reviewer: JG

The True Meaning of Smek Day by Adam Rex - OPTIONAL

Rex, Adam The True Meaning of Smek Day, 423 p. Hyoerion, 2007.

Content, G

MS, HS - OPTIONAL

Gratuity has to do a report on what Smek Day means to her. She explains what happened and her own story of that terrible day. she even makes friends with some of the aliens and has to help save the world from mass destruction. When her mom is abducted, Gratuity sets out to find her. Can she save her before it's too late? 

I really liked this book and thought it was really well written. 

Student Reviewer: JG

George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy Hawking - OPTIONAL

Hawking, Lucy and Stephen George's Secret Key to the Universe, 297p. Simon and Schuster, 2007

Content, G

EL - OPTIONAL

George is very excited when he gets a pig for Christmas and he loves his pig. One day George's pig goes through a hole in the fence into his neighbors yard. The house hasn't been lived in since the man who lived there disappeared a year before. He goes over to the house and finds a scientist and his daughter living in the house. He discovers that his teacher has hunted them down for a long time and he has to save a very special computer.

I didn't really like this book it was kind of boring.

Student Reviewer:JG

Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco - ESSENTIAL

Polacco, Patricia Christmas Tapestry. Puffin (Penguin), 2002, paperback, 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL - ESSENTIAL

A young man is heartbroken when his preacher father takes a job in a rundown church in Detroit, far from his home of Tennessee. The family is busy with preparations for the Christmas program, but a trip to town on a snowy night throws them together with a little old lady who recognizes a tapestry the pair just purchased. On Christmas Eve the plasterer arrives to help repair the church and also recognizes the tapestry as the one his young bride made for their wedding, but they were separated during the Holocaust. Suddenly, Jonathan understands why his family moved when they did.

Sorry that I gave the whole thing away, but I didn't want to be mysterious. This is a perfect little Christmas story to add to a collection.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Angel Girl by Laurie Friedman - ESSENTIAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE: This book has been revealed to be fiction - it is NOT based on a true story, and thus should be treated as such, severely weakening its appeal. Too bad the man and his wife didn't tell the truth from the start.

Friedman, Lauire Angel Girl, illustrations by Ofra Amit. Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Based on a true story. A young man is separated from his family and thrown into a concentration camp during World War II. He only manages to survive with apples given to him by a girl from the other side of the fence. After liberation, he leaves for America, leaving his angel girl behind forever. Then one day he is set up on a blind date with a young woman who may just be his angel girl.

I dare you to read this book without tearing up. There are so many Holocaust stories which need to be told and this one is packaged perfectly fir any age to appreciate.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Queen of Style by Caralyn Buehner - ESSENTIAL

Buehner, Caralyn The Queen of Style, pictures by Mark Buehner. Dial Books (Penguin), 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL - ESSENTIAL

Queen Sophie is utterly bored, so she enrolls ina mail-order beauty education. Her subjects are very patient - to a point - and then they tell Sohpie that they have had enough. Sophie figures out how to serve her subjects and still have fun with style.

The Buehners have combined their talents again to create another fabulous children's book. Hidden pictures in vividly colored drawings are a supplement to Caralyn's fine tale with its wise end.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Battle Against Invasive Species by Sneed Collard III - ESSENTIAL

Collard, Sneed B. III Science Warriors: The Battle against Invasive Species, 48 p. NON-FICTION. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

EL - ADVISABLE; MS - ESSENTIAL

Sneed Collard takes us through the world of invasive plant and animal species, focusing on fire ants imported to America from South America and the paperbark tree brought from Australia. With only those two focuses, however, he manages to bring perspective to the entire scope of the problems. Though the book is short, it will provide plenty of background information for a student doing research or a teacher looking for inspiration for a unit of study.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Things That Are by Andrew Clements - OPTIONAL

Clements, Andrew Things That Are, 167 p. Philomel (Penguin), 2008.

Content: G

MS - OPTIONAL

It's been two years since invisible Bobby met blind Alicia during his mysterious disappearance. Alicia is afraid that Bobby is drawing away from her, even before they had a chance to grow together. Her new seeing-eye dog has given her more freedom around the city, but she is still pretty insecure. Now Bobby is back in town, but someone else has come along with him - William, the still invisible man, who has brought danger along with him.

I didn't enjoy Alicia as a narrator as much as I did Bobby or Gwen from the second book. Alicia is much more insecure. But then again, I don't know anything about going blind, either. I doubt that this one will ever be as popular as the first.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass - NO

Mass, Wendy Every Soul a Star, 322 p. Little, Brown, 2008.

Content: G.

NO

Ally has lived most of her life on a distant campground with her family, surround by the beauty of nature and of the stars, but she doesn't kow that her family is selling the campground and moving to the city. Bree lives in a family immersed in studying the stars, but has filled her life with fashion, popularity and spends her time trying to look good; she is stunned to find out that her family is buying the Moon Shadow campground and moving away from all things civilized for several years. Jack has pretty much no one for a friend and either has to take summer school to make up the classes he failed, or he can accompany his science teacher on a trip to the Moon Shadow campground to view a solar eclipse. All three will meet up at Moon Shadow and will learn some important lessons about life and about themselves.

As good as I seemed to have made this novel sound, its biggest downfall is that the story doesn't start rolling until 200 pages in- that is not good. If I weren't reading this for a review, I would have put it down 150 pages earlier. Each main character makes a profound change in themselves, but it comes so late that the reader will give up much earlier. Remember Criss Cross? Can you actually find a kid who found the book on their own and said they loved it? Exactly!

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan - OPTIONAL

Whelan, Gloria The Disappeared, 133 p. Dial (Penguin), 2008.

Violence: PG-13.

MS - OPTIONAL

1970's Argentina was a scary place - one where a person could disappear in the middle of the night, dragged off by the military, never to be seen again. Silvia's brother Eduardo is one such person - dragged away because he got too deeply involved with radical protestors. Silvia thinks that she may have found a way to free Eduardo, but it involves putting herself in danger too.

Gloria Whelan usually writes beautiful books. Homeless Bird is still one of my all time favorites. This, however, is not. The odd way that the story is told is very stilted and choppy and off-putting. I have a hard time imaging that the two main characters are educated teens. Too bad, because the material is fascinating.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors by Phyllis Root - ADVISABLE

Root, Phyllis, Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors, 56 pgs. Candlewick Press

Content~G

EL - ADVISABLE

Aunt Nancy lives by herself and life is just fine until there is a knock at her door. Four visitors set out to drive Aunt Nancy batty, but it seems that Aunt Nancy is just to smart for her four bothersome visitors.

This collection of four trickster tales is enjoyable, but seems to be marketed to the wrong audience. The book is formatted as an easy read with larger print and short chapters, but the vocabulary is for more proficient readers. The Appalachian slang could also be distracting and confusing for beginning readers. That said, it is a hilarious telling of some wonderful trickster tales. This title would be excellent to have in your library’s collection for a read aloud or for a curriculum based projects on folk tales, but not as a beginning reader.

Allison Madsen~Youth Services Librarian-SJO Public Librarian

Robe of Skulls by Vivian French - OPTIONAL

French, Vivian., Robe of Skulls, 208 pgs. Walker Books Ltd

Content~G

EL, MS - OPTIONAL

The infamous Lady Lamorna is dying to get her hands on a new dress embroidered with cobwebs and studded around the hem with skulls. The only problem is she can’t afford it! Sorcery isn’t paying what it used to and Lamona is broke. She comes up with a money making scheme involving turning princes into frogs. An unlikely hero appears in an orphan runaway named Gracie Gillypot. Full of slapstick comedy and depressing situations, French has written a mediocre tale that doesn’t do much to excite the reader.

Allison Madsen~Youth Services Librarian-SJO Public Librarian

Monster Mash by Jennifer L. Holm - ESSENTIAL

Holm, Jennifer L. Monster Mash (Babymouse #9), 96 pgs. Random House Books for Young Readers

Content~G

EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

It’s Halloween and Babymouse loves scary costumes! She can’t decide whether to be a mummy, a zombie, or a werewolf. She is super excited about her Halloween costume party, but then Felicia hears about it and invites herself. Babymouse is again stuck between being herself and being what the ‘popular’ girls say she should be. If you haven’t experience Babymouse, jump right in and join the fun. This special Halloween edition differs from the black, white, & pink coloring of the previous Babymouse books, replacing the pink with orange for a spooktacular read!

Allison Madsen~Youth Services Librarian-SJO Public Librarian