A stand-alone novel based on H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, told from his teen daughter’s point of view.
Pick of the Day: Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet
By on February 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
A powerful and uplifting biography of a 19th-century slave who was also a talented artist.
Pick of the Day: Just One Day
By on February 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
A coming-of-age novel of love and self-identity set in Paris; by Gayle Forman
Book Review: Grades 5 & Up | February 2013
By on February 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
Check out SLJ’s more than 100 reviews for grades 5 and up.
Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: February 2013
By on February 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
Check out this month’s listing of stars! WOW!
Pick of the Day: The Price of Freedom
By on January 28, 2013 1 Comment
FRADIN, Judith Bloom & Dennis Brindell Fradin. The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery. illus. by Eric Velasquez. 48p. bibliog. further reading. photos. websites. Walker. Jan. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2166-2; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-8027-2167-9. LC 2012015781.
Gr 3-6–In 1856, John Price escaped from slavery in Kentucky by crossing the frozen Ohio River. Two years later, slave hunters arrived in Oberlin, Ohio, and attempted to take him back at gunpoint. Shopkeepers, farmers, teachers, and college students formed [...]
BiblioBoard’s Curated Collections for the iPad
By on January 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
With the free BiblioBoard iPad app readers can dip into curated collections of “licensed, open source and public domain materials” on topics ranging from Punk Rock to The Brothers Grimm.
Pick of the Day: Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty
By on January 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
BOLDEN, Tonya. Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty. 120p. bibliog. chron. glossary. illus. index. notes. photos. reprods. Abrams. Jan. 2013. RTE $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0390-4. LC 2012000845.
Gr 5-9–After a dramatic opening description of abolitionists waiting for word that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed, this title reviews the events that led up to the Civil War, examines Lincoln’s reasons for writing it, and details the role of abolitionists. Bolden makes excellent use of primary sources; the pages are filled [...]
Pick of the Day: Lincoln
By on January 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
HOLZER, Harold. Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America. 240p. appendix. bibliog. chron. notes. photos. Newmarket. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-226509-8.
Gr 5 Up–In 14 well-crafted, concise, fact-filled chapters, Holzer offers a biography of the 16th president and narrates the story of passage of the 13th amendment in January 1865, which brought an end to slavery in the United States. Illustrated with historical photographs, the text is filled with quotes from Lincoln’s speeches, letters, and other documents, making it a [...]
Pick of the Day: Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers
By on January 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
STONE, Tanya Lee. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers. 160p. appendix. bibliog. chron. notes. photos. reprods. Candlewick. Jan. 2013. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5117-6; ebook $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6405-3.
Gr 5 Up–A moving, thoughtful history of the United States military’s first black paratrooper unit. During World War II, African American soldiers were mostly relegated to service and security jobs, generally denied the same training and active-combat positions that were available to their white counterparts. [...]
Pick of the Day: The Savage Fortress
By on January 9, 2013 1 Comment
CHADDA, Sarwat. The Savage Fortress. 292p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-38516-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46996-8. LC 2011046291
Gr 8 Up–On vacation in India with his aunt, uncle, and younger sister, pudgy Ash Mistry can’t wait to get back home to his video games and London friends. But when his uncle is offered a million pounds to assist mysterious Lord Savage with translations from an archaeological find, Ash becomes embroiled in an overwhelming and deadly real-life battle. He realizes [...]
Pick of the Day: Jinx
By on January 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
BLACKWOOD, Sage. Jinx. 360p. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212990-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212992-5.
Gr 4-8–“In the Urwald you grow up fast or not at all,” readers learn in the opening of this rich and fecund fantasy. Jinx is that staple of children’s literature: the scorned, ill-used orphan who proves to be so much more gifted and important than he ever imagined possible. He occupies a world that is simultaneously original and familiar, influenced by centuries of folklore, but newly [...]
Fiction Series Update: January 2013
By on January 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
The latest installments in ongoing fiction series that are well-known to most of our readers.
Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: January 2013
By on January 1, 2013 1 Comment
Henry and the Cannons (Brown), ©2013 illustration by Don Brown
Preschool to Grade 4
AHLBERG , Allan. The Goldilocks Variations . illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. p. 74.
BROWN , Don. Henry and the Cannons . illus. by author. Roaring Brook. Jan. 2013. p. 89.
BRYANT , Jen. A Splash of Red . illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 89.
HALPERIN , Wendy Anderson. Peace. illus. by author. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2013. p. 92.
HELQUIST , Brett. Grumpy Goat. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. p. 78.
JEFFERS , Oliver. This Moose Belongs [...]
Book Review Grades 5 & Up: January 2013
By on January 1, 2013 2 Comments
BLACKWOOD, Sage. Jinx. 360p. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212990-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212992-5.
Gr 4-8–“In the Urwald you grow up fast or not at all,” readers learn in the opening of this rich and fecund fantasy. Jinx is that staple of children’s literature: the scorned, ill-used orphan who proves to be so much more gifted and important than he ever imagined possible. He occupies a world that is simultaneously original and familiar, influenced by centuries of folklore, but newly envisioned and [...]
Pick of the Day: Wild Horse Scientists
By on December 31, 2012 Leave a Comment
FRYDENBORG, Kay. Wild Horse Scientists. 80p. (Scientists in the Field Series Series). diags. further readig. glossary. index. maps. photos. reprods. websites. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51831-2.
Gr 5 Up–Focusing on the wild horses of Assateague Island, Frydenborg effectively combines scientific facts such as coloration and size, as well as the actual definition of a wild animal, with a compelling narrative about several of the scientists who are working to protect and maintain the wild horse population there. A large [...]
Pick of the Day: Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey
By on December 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
GOLIO, Gary. Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey. illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. 48p. bibliog. discography. further reading. websites. Clarion. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-23994-1.
Gr 4-6–A well-conceived marriage of art and text breathes life and passion into this picture biography. Swirling strokes of vibrant colors give the book an almost cinematic quality, animating Coltrane’s passionate journey from a joyous, nurturing early childhood with a loving extended family to the despair of losing too many loved ones in a short time. The [...]
From the Trenches: Parallel Universes
By on December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment
Wishing for everyday life to disappear and to be magically transported somewhere else does not always deliver on the promise of a happier ending. Parallel universes seem to be a popular trend these days, with quite a few books released in 2011 and 2012. For one, YA thrill-master Christopher Pike is back, veering toward fantasy with his trademark thriller plot thrown in the mix. And, in one of the most highly acclaimed books of the year, Every Day, David Levithan drops the main character into a new body, and therefore a new world, each morning. Some of the titles are serious, offering a look at how one might escape a bad home or school life. Others trend toward humor or fairy tale retellings. In all, the glimpse of “what might have been” provides readers an escape from their daily lives.
Pick of the Day: The Encyclopedia of Me
By on December 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
RIVERS, Karen. The Encyclopedia of Me. 248p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-31028-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46951-7. LC 2011046292.
Gr 5-8–Diminutive, biracial, freckled Isadora “Tink” Aaron-Martin is grounded for most of the summer after an incident with her best friend. She decides to write an encyclopedia, and in spite of the artificiality of the alphabetical format, Rivers has created a warm, funny, fast-paced story about an endearing middle schooler who keeps her cool and sense of humor when events [...]
Global Issues, Digital Perspectives
By on December 11, 2012 Leave a Comment
Population growth, extreme weather, global warming—are all topics of interest to students and digital producers. Here’s a round-up of some recent apps that address these issues.
