iBoy by Kevin Brooks - NO

Brooks, Kevin iBoy, 288 pgs. Chicken House, 2011. Language – PG-13 (16+ swears, 15+ “f”), Sexual Content – PG-13; Violence – PG; I stopped reading at page 66 because the language was getting out of control for me. You don’t need that many f-bombs in a row.  Although it was kind of interesting, I couldn’t convince myself to keep reading. HS – NO. Reviewer: CCH

MicroMania by Jordan D. Brown- ADVISABLE

Brown, Jordan D. MicroMania: A real close-up look at bacteria, bedbugs & the zillions of other gross little creatures that live in, on & all around you, 80 p. Imagine (Charlesbridge), 2011.  $10.  NON-FICTION.  Jordan Brown knows how to bring science to the level of kids and how to bring microscopic creatures up to the level of our eye.  Fromt eh germs around your house, inside your body to the ones surrounding us on all sides in nature – you just might be afraid to get out of bed – or maybe you should sleep in a bed at all.  Perfect for elementary aged boys who love to be grossed out!  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Where’s My Truck? by Karen Beaumont - ADVISABLE

Beaumont, Karen. Where’s My Truck?  Dial Books for Young Readers, 2011. $16.99. Content G. PICTURE BOOK. When Tommy loses his favorite toy truck, the whole family suffers. No substitute toy will do for Tommy. The day is saved and truck found by the most likely of heroes. I liked the simplicity of the story and it’s a subject that every little one can relate to. The illustrations are amazing, brightly colored and capture emotion perfectly. ADVISABLE, HOME, EL, Shauna Reading Teacher.

How Tia Lola Learned to Teach by Julia Alvarez - ESSENTIAL

Alvarez, Julia  How Tia Lola Learned to Teach, 134  p. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. $15.99 Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f') Violence: G, Mature Content: G.  Finally! Another Tia Lola book! Miguel and Juanita's tia Lola has been invited to teach Spanish at their elementary school.  Tia Lola doesn't even speak English!  3rd grader Juanita is thrilled because Tia Lola is very special and her friends (and everyone she knows) agrees.  Miguel is worried that her colorful dresses and Dominican ways will be too strange for his friends. He has nothing to worry about.  This sequel to How Tia Lola Came To (Visit) Stay is just as much fun, teaches lots of Spanish Sayings, and leaves the reader wanting more. Nice to see you again Tia Lola!  EL - ESSENTIAL.  Lisa, Reading Teacher

Pirates and Princesses by Jill Kargman - ADVISABLE

Kargman, Jill and Sadie Kargman. Pirates and Princesses.  Dutton Children’s Books, 2011. $16.99. Content G.  PICTURE BOOK. Ivy and Fletch are best friends and have been since they were born. Things change when they go to Kindergarten though. There, girls play with girls and boys play with boys. Together, Ivy and Fletch help the other children to see that everyone can play together and still get along. This book is great for teaching kids how to work together and get along. They saw a problem and solved it showing kids that it’s possible to do! ADVISABLE - HOME, EL(K-3), Shauna, Reading Teacher.

Frost by Marianna Baer - OPTIONAL

Baer, Marianna Frost, 402 pgs. Balzer + Bray, 2011. Language – R (107 swears, 9 “f”), Sexual Content – PG-13; Violence – PG; Leena has been looking forward to senior year all summer long, and when she ends up in the dorm she wanted she’s really excited. But she has a weird roommate and can’t get along with her best friends as well as they use to. Leena’s life is falling apart, but if she stays in her closet where everything feels okay, will she really be okay? This is a very odd book. The whole story was weird and it tried too hard to be suspenseful and then didn’t fully end. It was way too slow for me and when it finally got to the interesting part, it freaked me out. HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Marching with Aunt Susan by Claire Murphy - ADVISABLE

Murphy, Claire Rudolf Marching with Aunt Susan, illustrated by Stacey Schuett.  Peachtree, 2011.  $17.  PICTURE BOOK.  Bessie Pond was only ten when she met Susan B. Anthony, who had been fighting for women’s rights for more than 50 years.  The great leader inspired her walk in a parade asking the men of California men to vote to allow women the right to vote.  While this is a work of fiction, most of the details of the book actually happened – including the rewording of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” used in the parade.  Murphy includes historical material that she used to construct her story.  Very useful for any class that talks about the history of women’s rights – instructional for young girls who don’t understand how much better off they are now.  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale - ADVISABLE

Updale, Eleanor  Johnny Swanson, 382 p. David Fickling Books, 2010. $16.99 Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f') Violence: G, Mature Content: G. Johnny Swanson is desperate to make some money.  His paper route hardly pays enough to buy the weekly comics, but the rent his mother pays is being raised 3 shillings a week, and, in 1928, there aren’t that many jobs for an 11-year-old bullied little boy.  After being tricked himself, Johnny places advertisements in the newspaper to fool people into sending money to him for worthless advise.  One thing leads to another, and before long, Johnny turns amateur detective to help solve a murder and to get his mother out of terrible trouble.  I really enjoyed this historical mystery.  Johnny is a capable detective.  The bits of history – WWI information, post office rules and a TB scare add to the realistic feel of this well written detective story.  Look out Hardy Boys, Johnny Swanson is here!   EL, MS - ADVISABLE.  Lisa, Reading Teacher

Jingle Bells by John Harris - OPTIONAL

Harris, John Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be, illustrated by Adam Gustavson.  Peachtree, 2011.  PICTURE BOOK.  Content: G.  This is not a historical tale of  what did happen, but an imagining of what might have been the inspiration and timeline of Pierpont’s penning of this winter favorite.  It is still cute and a nice fantasy that isn’t so improbable.  PRE-K, EL(K-3) – OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

The Mystery of the Missing Everything by Ben WInters - OPTIONAL

Winters, Ben H. The Mystery of the Missing Everything, 263 pgs. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2011. Language – PG (13 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – G; Violence – G; The school’s only trophy is missing and the principal is throwing a fit. All the extracurricular activities are cancelled, including the eighth graders special field trip. Bethesda is determined to solve the mystery, but the more she learns the more the case confuses her. Time went by so slowly in this book and I feel it took too many pages to solve the mystery. I was also disappointed by Bethesda’s detective skills, I didn’t like how she went about poking her nose in everything the wrong way. It made me frustrated and I didn’t want to read about her poor choices and be embarrassed with her. EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Listen to the Silent Night by Dandi Mackall - ADVISABLE

Mackall, Dandi Daley Listen to the Silent Night, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.  Dutton (Penguin), 2011.  $17.  PICTURE BOOK.  Mackall brings to life the sounds that broke through on the not-so-silent night when Jesus was born in a barn – sounds which are given form by Johnson and Fancher’s illustrations.  If you know anyone who teaches religious classes for small children, this would be excellent, too.  GIFT, EL(K-3) – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking by Alan Katz - ESSENTIAL

Katz, Alan Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking, 145 pgs. Margaret K. McElderry, 2011. $18.00. Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content G; Violence G; This is a laugh-out-loud book full of fun poems for people of any age. The poems are written about simple everyday occurrences like: avoiding homework, listening to your sister practice the violin, driving in the car with Mom and Dad, and hoping for snow days so you don’t have to go to school. The book plays with words, sounds, and meanings which is what we want kids to do as they develop language skills. The book could also be used in the upper grades to get students excited about poetry. The poems are short and easy to read. It’s a delightful book. EL, MS, HS (appropriate for everyone) – ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: M. Mathews teacher librarian

The Invincible Iron Man by Rich Thomas - OPTIONAL

Thomas, Rich The Invincible Iron Man: an origin story, illustrated by Craig Rousseau.  Marvel Press (Disney), 2011.  $9.  PICTURE BOOK.  Written at a level for young children, Thomas writes about Tony Stark’s background without delving into the darker side of Stark’s personality.  Kids who are not old enough to see the movies or read the comics will enjoy this.  EL(K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Teeth: Vampire Tales edited by Ellen Datlow - NO

Datlow, Ellen & Windling, Terri Teeth: Vampire Tales, 454 pgs. HarperTeen, 2011. Language – R (97 swears, 32 “f”), Sexual Content – R; Violence – PG-13; A collection of nineteen vampire stories from varying authors. Two are poems with the others being short stories. Out of all nineteen, I only enjoyed six of them. “Things to Know About Being Dead” and “Why Light?” were the most interesting and my favorites. “In the Future When All’s Well” and “Slice of Life” were my least favorites because they had the worst of the language and sexual content. HS – NO. Reviewer: CCH

A Storm Called Katrina by Myron Uhlberg - ADVISABLE

Uhlberg, Myron A Storm Called Katrina, illustrated by Colin Bootman.  Peachtree, 2011.  PICTURE BOOK.  Content: G.  Louis Daniel is only ten, but he’s no baby.  When the levee breaks and his Ninth Ward home is flooded, He and his parents flee on a broken porch pretending to be a boat.  And they end up in the SuperDome.  Uhlberg and Bootman bring the drama of Katrina to life for small children, adding a hint of danger without becoming sensational, leaving the material appropriate and hopeful for a young audience.  EL – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker - OPTIONAL

Walker, Melissa Small Town Sinners, 258 pgs. Bloomsbury, 2011.

Language – PG (11 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – PG-13, Violence – PG

HS – OPTIONAL

Lacey is a good girl in a small town. She acts how she always has because that’s what everyone expects, but when Ty shows up, he shows her that she can be herself. All Lacey’s life, she’s known good and bad like black and white, and with help from Ty she now sees and learns to decipher the gray.

I didn’t LOVE this book, but I love that it made me think. The truth is that there is a lot of confusion between good and bad, that’s why kids act up. Lacey got on my nerves in the beginning because she didn’t have an open mind about the gray areas. All in all, I’m glad I read it, but it wasn’t as good as it sounded on the back.

Reviewer: CCH

The Lost Songs by Caroline Cooney - ESSENTIAL

Cooney, Caroline B. The Lost Songs, 256 p. Delacorte (Random), 2011.  $18.  Lutie Painter has led a poor but happy life with her grandmother, but an early morning call from her drug-addled mother sets her whole world on a new course.  Doria Bell has been fairly content being virtually invisible on the bench behind the organ and piano, but now she wants to be noticed.  What would happen to her, however, if the wrong person sees her? Train may be big, but up until now he has been fairly harmless.  When his older brother is sent to jail, Train has to decide what kind of person he really is – the follower who wants to make a dangerous name for himself, or can he leave everything behind and forge his own path?  These three fellow students will intersect and interact in surprising ways.  Far beyond her mysteries, her supernatural fiction and her romances, Cooney has crafted a masterpiece – definitely for students who want a modern, moving story.  I also plan on sharing this one with my teachers; I think this would be an excellent option for a new classroom novel.  MS, HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Chilly Milly Moo by Fiona Ross - ADVISABLE

Ross, Fiona Chilly Milly Moo.  Candlewick, 2011.  $16.  PICTURE BOOK.  Content: G.  Milly Moo is way too hot to produce any milk.  Farmer threatens to send her away if she won’t produce.  When the temperature drops significantly overnight, Milly’s special talent for chilly concoctions becomes apparent.  Ross’ book is silly fun that will make young children chuckle.  I think this would be great for story time.  Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher - ESSENTIAL

Christopher, Lucy Flyaway, 329 pgs. Chicken House, 2011. $16.99. Language-G(0swears,0”f”), Sexual Content-G;Violence-G; Iris and her dad share a love for swans that connect them through trying times.  Iris learns that the characteristics of swans can be a metaphor to life.  Her father becomes ill and is hospitalized.  During this time a relationship develops with a boy named Harry who has cancer.  The story brings to life topics such as dying, love for others, family problems, a love for animals, peer pressure and more.  The author pulled you into the life of Iris and her family. She brought out real life emotions and character traits that young children would relate to. Upper EL, MS- ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer: M. Pierson

The Story of Christmas illustrated by Pamela Dalton - ADVISABLE

The Story of Christmas (from the King James Bible), illustrated by Pamela Dalton.  Handprint Books (Chronicle), 2011.  Dalton uses a Pennsylvania-German folkart cut-paper technique, scherenschnitte, to illustrate the Christmas Story from the King James Bible.  She is a master of the craft and for anyone looking a version of this hallowed story will be delighted to receive and read this book.  GIFT, EL – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher