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Grades 5 & Up: December 2012

By on December 1, 2012 1 Comment

 LAKE, Nick. In Darkness. 352p. Bloomsbury. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-743-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-820-5. LC 2011022350.
Gr 9 Up–Trapped in the rubble of Haiti’s massive 2010 earthquake, teenage Shorty desperately waits for rescue. While in darkness, events of his traumatic, violent life replay in his head. He is haunted by his father’s brutal murder, his twin sister’s disappearance, and the armed gang activity that has been his means of survival in Site Soléy (Cite Soleil), a very real and dangerous slum. As he [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up

Pick of the Day: Summer of the Mariposas

By on November 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
summer of the mariposas

MCCALL, Guadalupe Garcia. Summer of the Mariposas. 354p. Lee & Low/Tu. 2012. RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-1-60060-900-8.
Gr 7-9–While swimming in the Rio Grande, the five Garza sisters find a dead man, and, against the better judgment of Odilia, the eldest, decide to return his body to his family in El Sacrificio, Mexico. Their decision is partly altruistic and partly personal, for their paternal grandmother, whom they have rarely seen, lives nearby. Thus begins their journey, guided by supernatural forces, both [...]

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Pick of the Day: Dodger

By on November 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
Dodger

PRATCHETT, Terry. Dodger. 360p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-200949-4; PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-200950-0; ebook $11.99. ISBN 978-0-06-219015-4.
Gr 8 Up–The master of humorous fantasy has taken to historical fiction like a London guttersnipe to a large helping of bangers and mash, albeit with a touch of the fantastical. Dodger is an inhabitant of the worst stews of London, who makes a meager living as a tosher, a treasure hunter in the sewers under the city.  His fortune changes, literally [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Fourmile

By on November 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
Book cover with Boy and dog

KEY, Watt. Fourmile. 228p. Farrar. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35095-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-374-32441-4.
Gr 5-8–As punishment for throwing a brick into Dax’s truck windshield, 12-year-old Foster has to paint the fence that surrounds the Alabama farm where he lives with his mother. Dax, her boyfriend, is just plain mean and dangerous–even Joe, Foster’s dog, knows that the man is bad news. Foster is out painting when Gary, a traveler on his way to Texas, walks up the road carrying [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Forensic Scientists at Work | Noteworthy Nonfiction (For Older Readers)

By on November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment
facessmall

New titles point to the tantalizing clues left by ancient remains, and the painstaking work of geologists, archeologists, and physical and cultural anthropologists, as they search for and consider evidence, draw conclusions, and re-examine theories in light of new information and technologies.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collection Development, Curricula, Standards & Lesson Plans, Curriculum Connections, Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Industry News, Nonfiction Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Don’t Turn Around

By on November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment
Orange Book cover with handprint

GAGNON, Michelle. Don’t Turn Around. 310p. CIP. HarperCollins/Harper. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210290-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210292-8. LC 2012009691.
Gr 8 Up–Teen runaway Noa has managed to make a tolerable life for herself. She has an apartment, a job as a freelance computer security specialist (she’s a hacker), and a fake foster family to make it all legal. Most importantly, she is off the grid and all but invisible–until she wakes up on an operating table with no memory of [...]

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Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: November 2012

By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
Colorful Dreamer (PARKER) ©2010 by Holly Berry

Colorful Dreamer (PARKER) ©2010 by Holly Berry

Preschool to Grade 4

BERK , Ari. Nightsong. illus. by Loren Long. S & S. p. 70.

COLE , Henry. Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad. illus. by author. Scholastic. Nov. 2012. p. 70.

DALY , Niki. The Herd Boy. illus. by author. Eerdmans. p. 71.

GORDON , Domenica More. Archie. illus. by author. Bloomsbury. Nov. 2012. p. 76. [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Graphic Novel Reviews, Multimedia Reviews, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews

Book Review Grades 5 and Up: November 2012

By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

FFORDE , Jasper. The Last Dragonslayer. Bk. 1. 286p. (Chronicles of Kazam Series). Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-73847-5; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-93542-3.
Gr 4-7 –Orphaned Jennifer Strange, 15, is the manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an organization that promotes the use of magic by its resident sorcerers, a quirky bunch at best. Within the course of one week, Jennifer becomes famous when she is named the Last Dragonslayer, and her already [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Reviews

“Oddities and Prodigies” | A Day at the Renaissance Fair

By on October 31, 2012 Leave a Comment
wsparrowresize

Author Karen Cushman is no stranger to the medieval and Renaissance world. Her first novel, the Newbery Honor book “Catherine Called Birdy,” examined the period from the perspective of a noble-born girl waiting to be married off. The author’s latest work, “Will Sparrow’s Road,” is set during 16th-century England and its title character lives a life that Birdy could only “[fantasize] about as she sat inside embroidering.”

Filed Under: Author Interview, Collection Development, Curriculum Connections, Grades 5 & Up Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pick of the Day: My Book of Life by Angel

By on October 31, 2012 1 Comment
young girl with angel wings

LEAVITT , Martine. My Book of Life by Angel. 244p. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35123-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35124-3.
Gr 9 Up–A 16-year-old caught up in a life of drugs and prostitution finds the strength to protect a younger girl in this lyrical novel in verse. Angel describes how her pimp, Call, lured her from her family with promises and “candy,” the drug her body craves even as she tries to resist it, and onto street corners in Vancouver, [...]

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Pick of the Day: Shadow on the Mountain

By on October 22, 2012 Leave a Comment
Shadow on the Mountain

PREUS, Margi. Shadow on the Mountain. 386p. bibliog. chron. maps. photos. CIP. Abrams/Amulet. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0424-6. LC 2012015623.
Gr 6-9–This engrossing offering sheds light on the Norwegians’ courage during World War II. Preus masterfully weds a story of friendship with the complications faced by 14-year-old Espen and his friends as Nazi restrictions and atrocities become part of their everyday lives. Espen not only has to deal with the political turmoil, but also with discovering that his best friend has [...]

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Pick of the Day: The Fire Chronicle

By on October 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
Illustrated fantasy novel book cover with 3 children

STEPHENS, John. The Fire Chronicle. Bk. 2. 436p. (The Books of Beginning Series). Knopf. Oct. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86871-9; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96871-6; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89956-0.
Gr 4-7–Fifteen-year-old Kate, almost 13-year-old Michael, and 12-year-old Emma don’t know why Dr. Pym sent them back to the dreadful orphanage at the end of The Emerald Atlas (Knopf, 2011), but Kate, who learned to control the power of the Atlas to travel through time, knows they need to leave as soon as [...]

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Pick of the Day: Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead

By on October 15, 2012 Leave a Comment
Red cover with insects eating other insects

JOHNSON, Rebecca L. Zombie Makers: . 48p. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. notes. photos. websites. CIP. Millbrook. Oct. 2012. RTE $30.60. ISBN 978-0-7613-8633-9; ebook $22.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0125-9. LC 2011046181.
Gr 5-8–Ratchet up your ick-factor and practice your eeyuw’s because Johnson’s researched text will reveal enough details to cause squeamish (or highly imaginative) readers to quail. Hairworms that cause crickets to commit suicide; jewel wasps that turn cockroaches into walking pantries for their larvae; and a fungus that drives its ant host [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Nonfiction, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Their Skeletons Speak: Kennewick Man and the Paleoamerican World

By on October 3, 2012 1 Comment
Purple cover with skeleton

WALKER, Sally M. & Douglas W. Owsley. Their Skeletons Speak: Kennewick Man and the Paleoamerican World. 136p. bibliog. diags. further reading. illus. index. maps. notes. photos. CIP. Carolrhoda. Oct. 2012. RTE $22.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7457-2; ebook $17.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0001-6. LC 2011051329.
Gr 8 Up–This detailed study of the discovery and forensic evaluation of the skeleton dubbed “Kennewick Man” puts forensic TV shows to shame. From his accidental discovery in 1996 through multiple examinations by scientists with ever-improving forensic tools and years of [...]

Filed Under: Grades 5 & Up, Nonfiction, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: The Raven Boys

By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
White cover with flying raven

STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Bk. 1. 408p. (The Raven Cycle). Scholastic. 212. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-42492-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46979-1.
Gr 8 Up–Blue was born into a psychic family with the misfortune of having no psychic ability of her own. However, her presence helps others “see” more clearly, which has led to every psychic she’s ever met predicting that if Blue were to kiss her true love, he would die. Not interested in boys yet and especially repulsed by the [...]

Filed Under: Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day, Teens & YA Tagged With: , ,

On the Radar Teen: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Sports Books that Slam Dunk the Competition

By on October 1, 2012 1 Comment
Sport pages

With the kick-off of a new school year comes the kick-off of football season. Sports activities fill our students’ days and nights with competition and energy. Thankfully, there are great new sports-themed books (football and more) to grab their attention even in the midst of strong opponents. You’ll note that all of these authors are big names in YA lit, which will help grab the attention of your tween and teen readers.

Filed Under: Collection Development, Grades 5 & Up, Teens & YA Tagged With:

Grades 5 & Up: October 2012

By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
redstar3

AVI. Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution. 320p. bibliog. glossary. maps. CIP. S & S/Beach Lane. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1441-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1443-3. LC 2012007962.
Gr 5-9–Sophia Calderwood, 12, and her parents live in British-occupied Manhattan, 1776; her brother William has joined the rebel army. Masquerading as Tories, the Calderwoods are able to stay in their home, but are forced to house British officers. Their first boarder is handsome Lieutenant John André. He captivates [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Industry News

October 2012 Reviews: Stars List

By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
The Monsters’ Monster (McDonnell) Illustration by Patrick McDonnell.

The Monsters’ Monster (McDonnell)Illustration by Patrick McDonnell.

Preschool to Grade 4

ASIM, Jabari. Fifty Cents and a Dream. illus. by Bryan Collier. Little, Brown. Dec. 2012. p. 110.

ASTON, Dianna Hutts. A Rock Is Lively. illus. by Sylvia Long. Chronicle. p. 111.

BANKS, Kate. The Bear in the Book. illus. by Greg Hallensleben. Farrar/Frances Foster. Oct. 2012. p. 88.

BARRETT, Judi. Santa from Cincinnati. illus. by Kevin Hawkes. S [...]

Filed Under: Adult Books 4 Teens, Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews

Pick of the Day: A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return

By on September 26, 2012 1 Comment
Graphic novel cover of a Middle Eastern family

ABIRACHED, Zeina. A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return. tr. from French by Edward Gauvin. illus. by author. 192p. diags. maps. CIP. Lerner/Graphic Universe. Sept. 2012. PLB $29.27. ISBN 978-0-7613-8568-4; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-57505-941-9; ebook $21.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0047-4. LC 201103891.
Gr 5 Up–Zeina and her younger brother are growing up in Beirut, where civil war is a part of daily life. To protect against strikes and sniper fire, the family’s living space has been reduced to the relative [...]

Filed Under: Grades 5 & Up, Graphic Novel Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: ,

Heavy Medal is Back!

By on September 18, 2012 Leave a Comment
91912Heavymedal

It’s here. Heavy Medal, SLJ’s mock Newbery blog, resumed September 4. Bloggers Nina Lindsay, supervising librarian for children’s services at Oakland (CA) Public Library, California and Jonathan Hunt, library media teacher for Modesto (CA) City Schools, return to discuss and debate potential titles in the running for this year’s Newbery Award. Bestowed annually by the American Library Association (ALA), the Award honors “the most distinguished American children’s book” of the year. This is the most fun you can have without [...]

Filed Under: Awards & Contests, Grades 5 & Up Tagged With:
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