Millie's Marvellous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura

Kitamura, Satoshi. Millie’s Marvellous Hat. Andersen Press, 2009. $16.95. Millie passes a hat shop on her way home from school. She goes in and tries on an expensive hat and then asks the clerk for a hat that costs nothing. The clerk goes to the back of the shop and brings back a hat box. He places an imaginary hat on Millie’s head and she pays him imaginary money. As she continues to walk home her hat morphs with her imagination from a peacock to cakes to flowers, etc. Millie notices that everyone has a hat that matches their personality. The book first published in England and the illustrations definitely have a charming British flair. A fun book for the imagination. EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Cake Girl by David Lucas

Lucas, David. Cake Girl. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. $15.95. EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian. It was her birthday and the Witch was alone. So the Witch baked herself a Cake Girl and made her sing, dance, and do whatever the Witch wished. The Cake Girl asked the Witch if she was going to have a birthday party. The Witch said she wasn’t because she didn’t have any friends. The Cake Girl offers to be the Witch’s friend if she’ll be nice. The Witch learns how to be nice and the two have a magically good time together. The wickedly tasty illustrations are delightful. EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Going, Going, Gone! and Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs by Alan Katz

Katz, Alan. Going, Going, Gone! and Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs, illustrated by David Catrow. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. $16.99. Katz and Catrow team up to deliver another book of silly dilly original songs and illustrations to familiar tunes such as “On Top of Old Smokey” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The songs are hilarious and you’ll find yourself singing along. For example, the song “All Fall Down” is sung to the tune of “Ring Around the Rosie”: “Kickoff, the game’s started! / Ouch, that tackle smarted! / Bashes! Bashes! / All fall down!” Librarians will find Catrow’s illustrations similar to the charmingly whimsical ones he created for the Collaborative Summer Reading Program 2009. EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Skippyjon Jones-Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner

Schachner, Judy. Skippyjon Jones-Lost in Spice. Dutton Children’s Books, 2009. $16.99. Skippyjon Jones, a Siamese kitty boy who thinks he is a Chihuahua, is off on another adventure, this time into outer-spice. He politely borrows red spices from his mother so that he can go to the red planet Mars. On his adventure he meets a one-eyed green Martian that could be his twin, other green creatures, and Martian perritos. The illustrations are red hot and imaginative. The different fonts and font sizes add to the fun. Songs, clapping, and Spanish phrases make this story perfect to read-a-loud. There is also a bonus CD of the story with sound effects and music. EL-ESSENTIAL. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes by Sujean Rim

Rim, Sujean. Birdie’s Big-Girl Shoes. Little, Brown and Company, 2009. $15.99. What Birdie wants more than absolutely anything is to wear her mother’s shoes. Birdie asks her mother if she can wear big-girl shoes. Her mother tells her that she’ll have plenty of time to wear heels in the future. Birdie imagines how wonderful it is to wear high heels to dance, play hide-and-seek, and do cartwheels. Birdie begs her mother again to let her wear big-girl shoes. She relents, but wearing heels isn’t quite how Birdie imagined it. The illustrations are runway worthy. High heels of every variety and print add color and sophistication to the story. EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith

Smith, Andrew. In the Path of Falling Objects, 323 pgs. Feiwel and Friends, 2009. $17.99. Language-PG (5 swears); Sexual Content-PG-13; Violence-PG-13. During the Vietnam War, two teenage boys are abandoned by their mother and leave home in search of their father who is being released from prison. Their horse dies and they start to walk carrying the letters from their brother in Vietnam, a change of clothes, and a gun. Simon, the younger brother, decides to hitchhike and flags down a vehicle before his older brother Jonah can stop them. Mitch and Lily pick them up. Mitch has already murdered two men and is dangerous. Lily is pregnant and on her way to California for an abortion. Lily flirts with all of the guys and sleeps with Jonah in a hotel while Simon and Mitch are drunk and stoned. When Mitch discovers them his anger is uncontrollable. Will the three passengers leave this car ride alive? The novel is predominantly told from Jonah’s perspective; however, other characters narrate different chapters making the plot feel contrived. The characters are static and their motivations not fully explored. The letters from the brother in Vietnam are the best part of this novel. NOT RECOMMENDED. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Lips Touch (three times), by Lani Taylor

Taylor, Laini Lips Touch (three times), 272 p. Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic), 2009. $16.99. Language: PG-13 (33 swears); Sexual Content: PG (implied rape); Violence: PG (animal fights). Three stories; three first kisses. One story of lust and possession. One of deeper love that is almost stillborn by an evil curse. And one a story of a love that abides through the centuries, waiting until the moment is right to unfold. I really could have done without the first two stories in the book. The third story deserved every single page, plus a couple hundred more to make it an even richer experience. If readers can make it past the first two, they will be well rewarded by the third. HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

FYI - I am not a big fan of the cover art, but it works well inside the book.

The Boy Who Invented TV by Kathleen Krull

Krull, Kathleen The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth, illustrated by Greg Couch. Alfred A. Knopf (Random), 2009. $16.99. PICTURE BOOK. Growing up in Utah and Idaho in the early 1900’s Philo Farnsworth’s imagination was captured by the few electric devices available at the time. He knew of the race to send pictures the way radio sent sound, but unless he found financial backing, his project could never get off the ground. If you grew up in Utah or Idaho, chances are you have already heard of Philo, but dye to the machinations of RCA, Philo didn’t his kudos from the world until well after his death in 1971. Couch’s illustrations bring in just the right feel to support Krull’s text, creating a great biographical sketch of Farnsworth life and his invention. EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Paul Bunyan by David Harrison

Harrison, David L. Paul Bunyan: My Story, illustrated by John Kunzler. 48 p. Random House, 2009. $3.99. EARLY READER (Step into Reading level 3). Listen to Paul Bunyan as he regales you with the stories lumberjacks made up about him to entertain themselves during the long winter nights. Harrison has remained true to the Paul Bunyan folklore in his retelling for younger readers. EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Night-Night, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton

Boynton, Sandra Night-Night, Little Pookie. Robin Corey (Random House), 2009. $5.99. BOARD BOOK. Little Pookie needs to get ready for bed in that special Little Pookie way. Sure to be a bedtime classic and the start of a nighttime ritual in many households. PARENTS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Ice Mummy by Mark Dubowski

Dubowski, Mark Ice Mummy: The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Man. 48 p. Random House, 2009. $3.99. EARLY READER (Step into Reading level 4). Step into the world of a mummy discovered encased in ice, on the slopes of the Italian Alps. Easy to read, but still containing scientifically valid information on the discovery of this particular mummy and mummies in general. This is a pretty popular topic for younger readers. EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Shampoodle by Joan Holub

Holub, Joan Shampoodle, illustrated by Tim Bowers. Random House, 2009. $3.99. EARLY READER (Step into Reading level 2). The dog groomers have their hands full as they clean and beautify their charges for picture day at the park. Beginning readers who are big fans of dogs will enjoy the antics on these pages. EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

A Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes by Matthew Reinhart

Reinhart, Matthew A Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes. Little Simon, 2009. $26.99.

15 familiar nursey rhymes are recreated in three dimensions on the pages of this delightful book. While not every rhyme is reproduced in full, there is enough of each to familiarize new readers to old tales, making for a great book to read aloud at bedtime or any other time.

PARENTS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Peter Rabbit: A Winter’s Tale by Beatrix Potter

Potter, Beatrix Peter Rabbit: A Winter’s Tale . Frederick Warne (Penguin), 2009.

Peter and his cousin Benjamin have been warned about the danger posed by mean Mr. Tod, a red fox, but when the two suspect that Tommy Brock has stolen some baby mice, they make it their job to go to the rescue.

The title page says that this story is based on The Tale of Mr. Tod, but the connection is loose at best. This tale actually flows much better than the original and contains more charm. The full-color illustrations are taken from various pages of Potter’s entire body of work, with the addition of snow for a wintery scene. A pop-up snow-flocked tree at the end, with snowflakes collected throughout the tale makes for a pretty holiday decoration. The small parts make this less appropriate for a school, but a perfect addition to a holiday book collection at a home.

PARENTS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Ex-mas by Kate Brian

Brian, Kate Ex-mas, 216 p. Simon and Schuster, 2009. Language: PG-13 (15 swears). $9.99. Lila, a senior, is looking forward to hosting the hottest holiday party – just as soon as her parents leave for a trip. But, thanks to her bratty little brother, the jig is up and Lila is super grounded. After Lila retaliates, threatening the existence of little bro’s hero, Santa Claus, she is now desperately racing after him, as he rushes to Santa’s side. The only person willing to help – Lila’s ex-boyfriend, whose own little brother has run off to save Santa also. The pair may not be able to out their quarrels aside long enough to rescue the boys. Light, simple and easy on the eyes – is you need of this type of romance, feel free. HS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Knight in the Shadows by Chris Eboch

Eboch, Chris Knight in the Shadows (Haunted #3), 182 p. Simon and Schuster, 2009. $5.99. Content: G. Jon, 13, and his sister Tania, 11, are with their parents in New York scouting up new material for their stepfather’s ghost-hunting show, when Tanya finds a ghost who is haunting a sword on display in the National Museum. Will it be possible to help the ghost and get rid of the evil Madame Natasha? The Haunted series is a nice little set of books for the younger set. EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

One of the Survivors by Susan Shaw

Shaw, Susan One of the Survivors, 199 p. McElderry (Simon), 2009. $15.99. Content: G. Joey Campbell and his friend Maureen survived the school fire that killed the rest of the kids in their class. They may not, however, survive the vitriol that everyone in their small town is heaping upon them, accusing the two of setting the fire before the professionals come up with the actual cause. I had such high hopes for this novel, based on how much I loved Shaw’s previous novel “Safe”. Unfortunately, the narrative does not hang together well – the circumstances are just so improbable, to the point of being unbelievable. I wanted to love this, but just couldn’t. MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set

Deen, Paula Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set, 187 p. Simon and Schuster, 2009. $21.99. Kids love to cook and Paula Deen loves food. Now the two come together in a good mid-level cookbook for the young set. Deen includes cooking lessons and manners along with the recipes. The recipes are a step up in complexity from Deen’s “My First Cookbook”, and cover the kinds of recipe planning that a parent and child might encounter during the school year. It’s a toos-up between this and Honest Pretzels” for my favorite children’s cookbook. Add some basic kitchen tools and an apron and a Christmas gift is born! PARENTS- ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Lulu’s Pajamas by Lucie Papineau

Papineau, Lucie Lulu’s Pajamas, illustrated by Stephanie Jorisch. Kids Can Press, 2009. $16.95. PICTURE BOOK. Lulu loves her pretty, silky red pajamas so much that she insists that she be allowed to wear them to school. After a day of school, however, the pretty pajamas are not so pretty any more. Now Lulu has a decision to make. I think everyone wishes they could wear their pajamas to school (or work) and this may be a good way to head off the problem with an adorable main character – reminiscent of, but not a direct copy of Maisie. Pre-K – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Creamed Tuna Fish & Peas On Toast by Philip Christian Stead

Stead, Philip Christian Creamed Tuna Fish & Peas on Toast 32 pgs. Roaring Brook Press, 2009. PICTURE BOOK. $16.99. In this fun, country-feel book, Wild Man Jack's least favorite dish is creamed tuna fish and peas on toast. All of his kids are wondering what he will do if Mama Jane makes it for him....and in the end he does all that he says he will and more! The intricate collage artwork in this book is so unique but it is incredible! For parents out there who have kids with phobias to food, you will LOVE this book! EL-ESSENTIAL. Whitney, Library-Teacher.