First, some unique nonfiction that gets it right for younger readers:

GANGES, Montse. El perro. illus. by Anna Clariana. (Zoo ¿Quién soy? Series). ISBN 978-84-9825-622-2.
–––– . El caballo. illus. by Mercè Canals. (Zoo ¿Cómo soy? Series). ISBN 978-84-9825-622-2.
–––– . El delfín. illus. by Jordi Sales. (Zoo ¿Dónde vivo? Series). ISBN 978-84 9825-627-7.
ea vol: Combel Editorial. 2012. Tr $7.95.
PreS-K–These series titles are examples of what nonfiction for the very young should be. Rather than oversimplified texts that are essentially high-interest low-reading level books, they present factual information in a way that is appropriate for a preschool and kindergarten audiences. ¿Quién soy?, or “Who am I?” is the youngest series. In El perro, a dog speaks directly to readers and asks questions such as, “Am I a dwarf or a giant?” The illustration on the right shows a child with a small dog. A drawing of a dwarf on the child’s wall gives readers a clue to the answer. This unique approach teaches children about size relationships, in addition to pets. Another design feature is that each line of text is repeated twice on the page, once in all caps, and once in a cursive font, also allowing them to function as an adjunct to handwriting instruction. ¿Cómo soy?, which roughly translates as “How am I?,” is a clever combination of illustrations and actual photographs giving a level of factual information perfectly suited to the intended audience. In El caballo, a horse introduces himself and then asks, “What kind of tail do I have?” The answer on the next spread shows a photograph of horses’ tails. An illustration for the question, “What do horses eat?” shows horses at a table with bibs eating off of plates. This giggle-inducing image sets up readers up for the more factually correct photo of what horses really eat. The book ends with a spread of photographs of different breeds of horses. The series aimed at the highest reading level is ¿Dónde vivo?, or Where Do I Live? El delfín would actually make a terrific read-aloud. The book answers just one simple question: “Where does a dolphin live?” Several possibilities are given, which are clearly incorrect. For example, for the question “Does a dolphin live in a glass of water?” the illustration shows the creature obviously not fitting into a glass. The text gives children the chance to yell the answer: “Noooooo!” After determining that a dolphin cannot live in a bathtub, a water fountain, a swimming pool, or in the clouds, the correct answer is given: a dolphin lives in the ocean. The final spread provides photos of dolphins in the ocean along with some factual information.

Activity Idea: Some of these books work very well as read-alouds and would be appropriate for themed storytimes. They invite audience participation and could be paired with other fiction or nonfiction titles about these animals.

Other books in the ¿Quién soy? series:
El gato (Cat), El pajaro (Bird), El pez (Fish).
Other books in the ¿Cómo soy? series:
La vaca (Cow), La gallina (Hen), La oveja (Sheep).
Other books in the ¿Dónde vivo? series:
El pingüíno (Penguin), El tigre (Tiger), El cocodrilo (Crocodile).

Here are some terrific informational books in Spanish, which are comparable to DK’s “Eyewitness” series. The design of these titles is a bit different, but like the DK books, they have strong visual interest and are great for filling a real need for general nonfiction books in Spanish.

EDWARDS, Hermione & Holly Russell. Descubre y juega: ¿De dónde vienen las cosas? Macmillan. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-84-9825-582-9.
K-Gr 6–This book uses pop-up-style paper engineering to show children where things come from. For example, a spread about plants and food has a lift-the-flap with a lemon, pineapple, and potato. You lift the flap and see a photo of how they grow. There is a nice page that shows the process of extracting chocolate from cocoa beans. There is a delightful foldout that shows a block of cheese, asking the question, “Do you know of other ways to eat cheese?” The first flaps show a sandwich, and macaroni and cheese. When you fold it out to full size there is a pizza. This is an excellent presentation of a simple idea in a visual and interactive way that will appeal to kids.

Ganges, Montse. Historias increíbles. Bk. 1. ISBN 978-84-9825-578-2.
––––. Historias increíbles. Bk. 2. ISBN 978-84-9825-579-9.ea. vol: illus. by Imma Pla. Combel Editorial. 2012. Tr $16.95.
Gr 6 Up–These two volumes are compilations of true adventure stories. Book One includes the explorers Marco Polo, Ernest Shackleton, Amelia Earhart, Thor Heyerdahl, along with two alpine climbers, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal. The second volume covers the historical gamut, beginning with Pheidippides, the messenger whose run inspired the modern marathon, and highlights the stories of swimming great, Gertrude Ederle; Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay, the conquerors of Mount Everest; Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins; and Dian Fossey, noted for her work with gorillas. These books work not only as collective biographies but also as general reading for kids who want to learn about intrepid explorers, athletes, and adventurers. The large-format books present the information in different ways, using photographs and sidebars, and graphically appealing maps that are easy to follow, and provide visual learners with a good sense of the geography.

ELIE, Mathilde. En el tiempo de los dinosaurios. ISBN 978-84-9825-645-1.

LOIZEAU, Catherine. Los conquistadores de los mares. ISBN 978-84-9825-644-4. ea. vol: Combel Editorial. 2012. Tr $19.95.
Gr 6 Up–The text of these two titles is written in short, readable paragraphs, and the spreads are full of visual interest along with information. There is a mixture of photos and illustrations that makes these volumes extremely browsable. Elie’s book will delight any dinosaur-loving, Spanish-speaking child. It provides not only information about the wide variety of dinosaurs themselves, but also about fossils, archaeological digs, and even movies like Jurassic Park. Loizeau presents a history of ocean exploration beginning with the Phoenicians, and then continuing on with the Greeks, Vikings, Columbus, and on through to the sinking of the Titanic. Some of the stories, such as those of the pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Cook are provided in graphic-novel format. A quiz is included at the end of both books.

Here are two books that can serve as resources for librarians who are working to bring the makerspace movement to their Spanish-speaking population. These are superb books to support craft programs, and hands-on activities. Manufacturas brings along with it the added value of recycling and reusing materials. Maya provides a wealth of historical background about the Mayan people.

BELL-REHWOLDT, Sheri. Maya: inventos increíbles que puedes construir tú mismo. illus. by Tom Casteel. Nomad Pr. 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-84-9825-582-9.

TUBAU, Victoria. Manufacturas: 30 ideas sencillas para fabricar objetos con residuos. Combel Editorial. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-84-9825-530-0.
Gr 3-6–Maya provides a number of interesting activities. There are directions to make a funeral mask and musical instruments. It provides instructions as how to weave fabric, make paper and construct children’s toys. There are even recipes for Mexican hot chocolate and tortillas. With each of these projects there are sidebars that explain the cultural context. The number of library programs and activities that could be derived from the information in this book is endless. It’s a must-have for professional collections as well as for circulation. Manufacturas is the book for makerspaces in Spanish! The focus here is on using leftover materials and recyclables to create things, from hats to masks to purses to dresses. The supplies that can be used to create these items are very simple and easy to find. We’re talking cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, plastic grocery bags, plastic bottles, and paper plates. The illustrations are created with a mixture of drawings and photos. The instructions are great for visual learners and are easy to follow. The projects in this book are likely to inspire creativity well beyond the actual items depicted. Another real plus is that this title is particularly well designed and manufactured, with a strong cloth binding.

One important area that for nonfiction collection-building is biographies of Latino role models. It is important for kids to read about people like themselves, and for them to develop a sense of pride and possibility. This is one area of Spanish-language nonfiction where you can find culturally specific works, even from U.S. Publishers. Here are some examples.

VALAY, Ana Patricia. Giovanni Dos Santos . ISBN 978-1-4222-2597-4.

VÁZQUEZ-LOZANO, Gustavo A. & Federico Vargas Benard. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. ISBN 978-1-4222-2660-5.

WANDERSMAN, Aldo. Ronaldinho gaúcho. ISBN 978-1-4222-2604-9. ea vol: (Superstars of Soccer Series). Mason Crest. 2013. PLB $19.95.
Gr 4-8–These three books are available in both English and Spanish. Here is an example of series titles that do belong in public as well as school library collections and can serve a dual function: providing interesting material for reluctant bilingual readers, as well as something that will be of cultural interest. The celebrated athletes featured in these books are of different nationalities including Brazil and Mexico. While the text is easy to read, it is not oversimplified, and there is significant information about each player packed into the 32 page format. Each volume includes great pictures, suggestions for further reading (and collection building) along with websites to direct young readers for more information. I especially appreciated that the volumes about Javier Hernández and Ronaldinho are written by native Mexican and Brazilian authors who are closer to the game and the cultural significance that these players have for the fans.

HERNÁNDEZ, Daniel. con Susan Goldman Rubin. Me llaman héroe: recuerdos de mi juventud. S & S. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6619-7.
Gr 7 Up–Daniel Hernández was Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’s intern and was at her side on January 8, 2011, when a shooter would change the lives of everyone who had gathered at the Safeway that day to meet her. Hernández is credited with saving Giffords’s life and has been called a hero for what he did that day. In this autobiography, Hernández tells his story about growing up as an LGBT Latino teen, and what led him to that fateful day in Tucson. Hernández’s book is all about how to overcome obstacles to achieve something in life and this Spanish translation is an absolute must for collections serving Spanish-speaking teens.

SALINAS, Eva. Lo inventaron los latinoamericanos: innovaciones asombrosas. Annick Press. 2012. Tr $21.95 ISBN 978-1-55451-379-6.
Gr 4-7–While not precisely a biography, this slim volume commemorates achievements of Latinos over history, such as the distinctive clothing that becomes symbolic of national pride in Latin American countries. It describes the constructions of ancient civilizations as well, such as the city of Machu Picchu and the Mayan pyramids. The much-discussed Mayan calendar also makes an appearance. There is a good sampling of many forms of beautiful folk art. Cultural celebrations, music, and dance are also celebrated. And, of course, there are spreads devoted to chocolate and chili peppers. All of this is presented with a pleasant design, and excellent photographs.

Tim Wadham is the director of the City of Puyallup Public Library in Washington State. Email him at wadhambooks@gmail.com.

Typical textbook chapter divisions notwithstanding, history never divides neatly into decades—but the giddy era that kicked off with the worldwide euphoria following the end of World War I in 1918 and crashed along with the stock market near the end of 1929 certainly came close. If it wasn’t exactly Party Time for everyone in America, the Roaring Twenties merits its general reputation as an era of sweeping social change and rising prosperity. It was a time of grand experiments, from the failed one dubbed “Prohibition” to the wildly successful, hard-won constitutional amendment that guaranteed voting rights to U.S. women. It was also a time of portable machine guns and bathtub gin, flappers and hot jazz, technological innovations from talking movies to television, Art Deco, the beginning of baseball’s home-run era, and the revolutionary development of frozen foods.

The books below will effectively sharpen readers’ knowledge and understanding of those colorful times. Most incorporate period photographs, documents, and other primary-source material; others filter careful research through the sensibilities of talented writers and illustrators to convey events, attitudes, and details of daily life from a variety of compelling angles. With a concentration on nonfiction, the first section gathers broad historical surveys, while the second offers a highly select assortment of closer looks at particular events and people. The final portion presents particularly perceptive examples of historical fiction.

Wide Angles

CORRIGAN, Jim. The 1920s Decade in Photos: The Roaring Twenties. (Amazing Decades in Photos Series). Enslow. 2010. PLB $27.93. ISBN 978-0-766-03131-9.
Gr 5-7—Grouped in topical chapters, the photographs in this visual history really make the decade’s mobsters, musicians, movie stars, flappers, financial tycoons, celebrities, and ordinary folk come alive. Both casual browsers and serious students of the times will find plenty to pore over in this gallery of faces, fashions, and events.

FEINSTEIN, Stephen. The 1920s: From Prohibition to Charles Lindbergh. Enslow. 2006. ISBN 978-0-766-02632-2. (OP)
Gr 6-8—Enhanced by color photos and other illustrations, this survey provides a broad overview of the decade’s high and low points. Along with important historical events, it covers social changes, developments in science and technology, the early years of the Harlem Renaissance, fads and fashions, and an array of related topics in a clear and readable way.

HILL, Laban Carrick. Harlem Stomp!: A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance. Little, Brown. 2004. PLB $24.50. ISBN 978-0-316-81411-9; pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-316-03424-1.
Gr 6 Up—Jazzy page design boosts the visual energy of this heavily illustrated survey of the distinctive art, music, and literature that fueled Harlem’s cultural ferment. Hill fills in the historical background from the Great Migration on, adds select passages from contemporary writers, and closes with a generous bibliography.

 LINDOP, Edmund & Margaret J. Goldstein. America in the 1920s. (The Decades of Twentieth-Century America Series). Lerner/Twenty-First Century. 2009. PLB $38.60. ISBN 978-0-761-32831-5.
Gr 5-8—Along with highlighting significant figures and historical “Turning Points,” this solid survey offers students a coherent overview of the decade with chapters on politics, the economy, Prohibition, literature, the arts, and sports, enhanced by plenty of illustrations and leads to additional sources of information.

STANLEY, George E. An Emerging World Power, 1900-1929. (Primary Source History of the United States Series.) World Almanac Library. 2005. PLB $31. ISBN 978-0-836-85828-0; pap. $14.05. ISBN 978-0-836-85837-2.
Gr 5-8—Particularly valuable for its extensive use of contemporary letters, reports, news stories and other primary documents, this volume offers a broad view of our country’s political, economic, and social history leading up to and through the decade of the 1920s.

Closer Looks

BAUSUM, Ann. With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote. National Geographic. 2004. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-0-792-27647-0; PLB 32.90. ISBN 978-0-792-26996-0.
Gr 5 Up—The 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment marked a revolutionary moment in our country’s political and social history. In vibrant prose and engrossing period photos, Bausum chronicles the down and dirty battles that led to ratification and taught a generation of women how to shake off traditional constraints on their rights, lives, and minds.

BLUMENTHAL, Karen. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. Roaring Brook/Flash Point. 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-596-43449-3. ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-466-80158-5.
Gr 6-9—Opening with multiple bangs—the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, to be exact—this rousing account of Prohibition’s history and its immediate and long-term effects on our society makes colorful reading. Profusely illustrated and well documented, Blumenthal’s narrative paints vivid pictures of both the era and memorable figures from Al Capone to Carrie Nation.

BLUMENTHAL, Karen. Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929. S & S/Atheneum, 2002. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-689-84276-4; ebook $13.84. ISBN 978-1-4424-8891-5.
Gr 6 Up—This searching, informative examination of the watershed event that brought the Roaring Twenties to a precipitate close not only analyzes the causes of the disaster, but also conveys a sharp sense of its devastating economic and emotional effects. For readers with an awareness of contemporary financial woes, Blumenthal’s account creates a link between that seemingly distant time and our own.

BRIGHTON, Catherine. Keep Your Eye on the Kid: The Early Years of Buster Keaton. illus. by author. Roaring Brook. 2008. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-596-43158-4.
Gr 3-5—“Face,” his father would say to remind him to keep the frozen expression that in later years helped to make him one of the greatest comic actors of the silent film era. Keaton’s distinctive style of comedy and his fascination with the possibilities of the movie camera infuse this droll visual presentation of his semilegendary early life and career.

BURGAN, Michael. The Scopes Trial: Faith, Science, and American Education. (Perspectives On Series). Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $39.93. ISBN 978-0-761-44981-2.
Gr 7-9—In a close study of one of the most dramatic and significant trials in this country’s history, Burgan presents a clear picture of the issues that drove it, recounts the trial’s course and events leading up to it, and profiles the figures involved from Scopes himself to William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow.

BURLEIGH, Robert. Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh. illus. by Mike Wimmer. Philomel. 1991. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-698-11425-8.
Gr 1-3—Celebrating one of the most renowned feats in aviation history, this soaring tribute to Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight features a terse first-person narrative that heightens the drama in Wimmer’s luminous illustrations. Readers will be swept along on the adventure, as both the Spirit of St. Louis and its intrepid, ultimately exhausted young pilot positively pulse with life.

FINKELSTEIN, Norman H. Three Across: The Great Atlantic Air Race of 1927. Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek. 2008. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-590-78462-4.
Gr 5-8—Though Charles Lindbergh deserves credit for being the first to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, the story of his adventure is joined in this exciting, high energy account by those of the equally daring aviators who came in second and third. Finkelstein folds in plenty of photographs and infuses his tale with a compelling feeling for the journey’s deadly hazards.

FLEISCHMAN, Sid. Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. 2010. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-061-89640-8; PLB $20.89. ISBN 978-0-06-189641-5.
Gr 5 Up—In this outstanding profile, Fleischman incorporates careful research and archival photos into a playful, nuanced biography of a complex man who rose from unlikely beginnings to become the greatest film comedian ever. Audio version available from AudioGo.

GOURLEY, Catherine. Flappers and the New American Woman: Perceptions of Women from 1918 through the 1920s. (Images and Issues of Women in the Twentieth Century Series). Lerner/Twenty-First Century. 2007. PLB $38.60. ISBN 978-0-822-56060-9.
Gr 6 Up—Combining sharp analysis with a generous array of period photos and advertisements, this study traces changes in the public images of women through the decade. Drawing examples from a wide range of social classes as well as racial and ethnic backgrounds, the author includes profiles of iconic figures such as Zelda Fitzgerald along with less-well-known game changers.

HINTON, Kerry. The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti: A Primary Source Account. (Great Trials of the Twentieth Century Series). Rosen. 2004. PLB $31.95. ISBN 978-0-823-93973-2.
Gr 6-8—Based on photos, court transcripts, and other contemporary documents, Hinton’s account of the then-sensational and enduringly controversial trial and execution sheds a light on that time’s attitudes toward immigrants and political activists. Thoughtful readers will find those attitudes discomfitingly familiar.

KRULL, Kathleen. T he Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth. illus. by Greg Crouch. Knopf. 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84561-1; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-94561-8.
Gr 2-5—Krull tells the inspiring story of a brilliant, if obscure, electronics geek who parlayed an idea that came to him while plowing a potato field into one of the 20th century’s most revolutionary inventions. Smoothly modeled, sometimes fanciful illustrations give visual expression to the scientist’s searching intelligence and vivid imagination.

NIVEN, Felicia Lowenstein. Fabulous Fashions of the 1920s. (Fabulous Fashions of the Decades Series). Enslow. 211. PLB $23.93. ISBN 978-0-766-03551-5; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-59845-275-4.
Gr 5-8—In lively observations festooned with stylish, full-color and black-and-white period photographs and advertisements, Niven surveys the decade’s changing fashions in men’s and women’s clothing, footwear, hairstyles, and accessories.

PINKNEY, Andrea. Duke Ellington, the Piano Prince and His Orchestra. illus. by Brian Pinkney. Hyperion. 1998. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-786-81420-6.
Gr 1-5—Though Ellington’s orchestra made music for decades, it was his historic New York gigs and recordings in the 1920s that jumpstarted his career. The story of this jazz pioneer is told in language and illustrations that evoke the smooth elegance of the music he wrote and played.

TAVARES, Matt. Becoming Babe Ruth. illus. by the author. Candlewick. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-763-65646-1.
Gr 1-4—Looking appropriately larger than life and glowing with good cheer in Tavares’s painted illustrations, baseball’s greatest player steps up to the plate in this quick and engaging run through his upbringing and spectacular career. The author closes with a stat box and a tribute to the Babe’s awesome stature, both in his time and in ours.

Catching The Flavor

HALL, Bruce Edward. Henry and the Kite Dragon. illus. by William Low. Philomel. 2004. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-23727-0.
K-Gr 4—Set in New York City in the 1920s, this tale of a peacefully resolved clash between young people in Chinatown and the adjacent Little Italy not only makes a point about the causes of intolerance, but also conveys a clear sense of place and time—thanks particularly to Low’s vivid, atmospheric illustrations.

HESSE, Karen. Witness. Scholastic. 2001. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-439-27199-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-439-27200-1.
Gr 6 Up—Inspired by actual events and shaped into a free-verse, multivoiced narrative, this intensely felt account of the arrival of the KKK in a small Vermont town in the mid-1920s effectively sets both the broader social and historical stage and the smaller, local one, on which a mix of triumph and tragedy plays out. Audio version available from Listening Library.

HUGHES, Shirley. Ella’s Big Chance: A Jazz Age Cinderella. illus by author. S & S. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-689-87399-7.
Gr 1-4—Dressing her figures in elegant fashions based on period styles, Hughes crafts a 1920s Cinderella variant starring a dress-shop seamstress named Ella Cinders and Buttons, a humble delivery boy whom she chooses over the aristocratic Duke of Arc because he “could always make her laugh, even if her mouth was full of pins.”

LEVINE, Gail Carson. Dave at Night. HarperCollins. 1999. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-440747-2.
Gr 4-6—In a novel based on the author’s family history, young Dave escapes his harsh life in an orphanage for the swinging night life of Harlem’s streets and speakeasies. An absorbing, fast-paced tale rich in period detail. Audio version available from Listening Library.

MYERS, Walter Dean. Harlem Summer. Scholastic. 2007. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-439-36843-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-439-36844-5.
Gr 6-9—A teenager bumps up against Fats Waller, Langston Hughes, and additional Harlem Renaissance luminaries—as well as bootleggers and other shady characters—in this high-spirited historical novel. Myers artfully blends historical figures into a rollicking urban adventure.

TARPLEY, Natasha. Joe-Joe’s First Flight. illus. by Earl B. Lewis. Knopf. 2003. (Note: print ed. seems to be OP, but Kindle ed. is available.)
Gr 2-4—Featuring illustrations rich in period detail, this tale of a young lad in a 1920s small town who dreams of flying to the Moon highlights the historical struggle of African Americans whose own hopes of becoming aviators were hobbled by racial prejudice.

TATE, Eleanora E. Celeste’s Harlem Renaissance. Little, Brown. 2007. Tr $15.99. 978-0-316-52394-3; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-316-11362-5; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-0-316-04046-4.
Gr 4-7—Fresh up from the South in 1921, young Celeste is shocked to discover that Harlem isn’t quite the glamorous place she had supposed—but amid the ferment of new music, culture, and ideas she finds keys to her own coming of age. Tate’s tale is livened with historical detail and an authentic sense of period.

TIMONY, Peter. The Night Owls, Bk.1. illus. by Bobby Timony. DC Comics/Zuda. 2010. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-401-22673-2.
Gr 5-8—With panels rich in period style, these web-comic episodes feature three New York detectives—a scientist who is allergic to daylight, a flapper with a mean punch, and a Coney Island gargoyle who will eat just about anything—who fight vampires, evil masterminds, and other supernatural threats at the height of Prohibition.

WEATHERFORD, Carole Boston. Dear Mr. Rosenwald. illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Scholastic. 2006. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-439-49522-6.
Gr 2-5—In free verse paired to Christie’s strong, expressionistic illustrations, Weatherford delivers a moving account of how a rural Southern community came together, sparked by seed money from a Sears business executive, to build a school for African American children. Inspired by a true story.

John Peters is a Children’s Literature Consultant in New York City.

It’s spring, a time when high school students start looking for summer jobs or internships—and that requires some attention to their resumes and portfolios. While some prospective employers may be fine with traditional documents, the companies where I’d like to see my students land a position favor digital portfolios. Assembling an online personal showcase can be accomplished with a number of freely available tools. The following recommended sites and apps are also worth a visit by teachers and librarians looking to retool their own resumes.

About.me is a free tool for creating a one-page display (pictured) of your best work, highlighting examples of select blog posts, video creations, and more. You can also link to your social network profiles on About.me. Most prospective employers are going to seek these out anyway, so do them a favor by linking directly to your Twitter or Tumblr account, for example—a time-saver for an employer that also indicates that you don’t have anything in your digital footprint to hide.

Another option, Visual CV, lets you apply the traditional one-page resume approach to building your digital portfolio. In the main column of your Visual CV page, add all of the typical elements of a resume, such as “objective,” “experience,” and “education.” In the side columns, you can include links to your blog and social network profiles and embed video or audio clips. Your Visual CV is assigned its own URL, and via several available widgets, you can embed the file on your blog or website. Need a hard copy of your resume? Download your Visual CV as a PDF and print it minus the multimedia elements.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t have a blog or website or any multimedia to display,” now is a good time to start creating those materials. The technical aspect of starting a blog is the easy part. Blogger and Edublogs offer great tutorials that can get you up and running with your first blog in under 30 minutes. The real work of blogging comes after you’ve chosen your URL and your blog design. Committing to a regular schedule of posting can be difficult. A weekly reflection about your teaching practice, including your successes and failures, might be a good start. Write more frequently if you like, but write consistently. Over time, you’ll have a nice journal of your experiences. And when someone asks you to share your philosophy of education, you won’t have to develop one on the fly because you’ll be able to pull your best ideas from all of your blog posts.

Writing isn’t for everyone, and, thankfully, blogging isn’t restricted to composing prose. Try posting in the form of a video clip or audio message. SoundCloud makes it easy to create audio files to share on a blog. Use the SoundCloud website or mobile apps (available for Android and iOS devices) to make brief recordings about your latest library project, for example, or share your thoughts on the flipped classroom concept. Ready for your close-up? Create a video message to post on your blog with YouTube apps for Android and iOS devices. Or give YouTube’s native recorder a try in your Web browser.

But, when the crafters of the CCSS came out with “readability” recommendations (Lexile Measures), they did not arbitrarily say, “Kids can’t read. Let’s make it more difficult for them.” Knowing the research behind text complexity is critical to understanding the call for more complexity. The CCSS crafters examined college freshman textbooks and career manuals. These texts typically measure at a Lexile score of 1450. This Lexile measure was used as a benchmark for college and career readiness (CCR). Grade level Lexiles were then scaffolded in reverse, defining grade level Lexile expectations as stated in the Common Core Appendix A.

You may not agree with this direction, but those who create assessments have already increased the reading difficulty on state tests. Students should not see difficult material for the first time on these tests. They have to be prepared to closely read, examine, decode, and digest material that is not within their “fluency” or comfort range.

In August 2012, the CCSSO team (Council of Chief State School Officers) revised Appendix A to approve five additional readability measures. Other “readability” formulas such as ATOS and the Flesch-Kincaid measure within Microsoft Word are now valid as well. These apply a mathematical measure to a linguistic product and are flawed—but they cannot be ignored.

Educators across America know that our transliterate learners have eyes that gravitate to pictures over text, skim and scan Web pages at warp speed, and lack the determination to read difficut material. That is problematic for close reading. Consider this passage from Appendix A (p.4):

Moreover, current trends suggest that if students cannot read challenging texts with understanding—if they have not developed the skill, concentration, and stamina to read such texts—they will read less in general. In particular, if students cannot read complex expository text to gain information, they will likely turn to text-free or text-light sources, such as videos, podcasts, and tweets. These sources, while not without value, cannot capture the nuance, subtlety, depth, or breadth of ideas developed through complex text.

They did not have to say “if.” The triage for our transliterate generation will be embracing complex text and close reading. Two important tactics that will help teachers get there are purposeful reading and tactile reading.

Purposeful reading requires that teachers give students a reason to read. For instance, suggest that they read a passage “as though you were a king” or “as though you were a serf.” Then ask what part of the passage they pay attention to and for them to show evidence in the text that will support the particular point of view.

Tactile reading is reading with a twist. In the New York State training last month, the phrase drilled into turnkey trainers was “read with a pencil”—what we all did in our print textbooks in college. Close reading requires students to jot notes in the margin, write the gist of the text, and make notations. Closely read passages will be copied, distributed, written upon, digested, discussed, and debated. In digital formats, iPads with apps such as iAnnotate will become increasingly popular to give students the ability to read and react to the text.

Why fluency is important

As great as close reading of complex text may be for instruction, we should not measure independent reading. Also from Appendix A (p.4):

Students need opportunities to stretch their reading abilities but also to experience the satisfaction and pleasure of easy, fluent reading within them, both of which the Standards allow for…. Students deeply interested in a given topic, for example, may engage with texts on that subject across a range of complexity.

Many schools are disregarding reading for pleasure. This illustrates a gross misunderstanding of the goals of CCSS. It is in reading easy material that a student enjoys a book and builds fluency. Dare I suggest that everyone have this paragraph from Appendix A ready for the debates that ensue? For independent reading recommendations, students need to read and enjoy whatever they choose, at whatever level for independent reading. That is how we build lifelong readers.

Paige Jaeger (pjaeger@WSWHEBOCES.org) is coordinator for school library services, Washington Saratoga Warren Hamilton Essex BOCES, Saratoga Springs, NY.

ALSC Notable Children’s Books

Younger Readers

Drop down to YA Fiction

BARNETT, Mac. Extra Yarn . illus. by Jon Klassen. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-195338-5.

BELL, Cece. Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover. illus. by author. Candlewick. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5475-7.

BINGHAM , Kelly. Z Is for Moose. illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-079984-7; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-079985-4.

BUZZEO, Toni. One Cool Friend. illus. by David Small. Dial. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3413-5.

COAT, Janik. Hippopposites. illus. by author. Abrams/Appleseed. BD $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0151-1.

DACOSTA , Barbara. Nighttime Ninja. illus. by Ed Young. Little, Brown. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20384-5.

DAVIES, Nicola. Just Ducks! illus. by Salvatore Rubbino. Candlewick. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5936-3.

FLEMING, Candace. Oh, No! illus. by Eric Rohmann. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84271-9; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-94557-1.

FOGLIANO, Julie. and then it’s spring. illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/A Neal Porter Bk. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-624-4.

HALE, Christy. Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. illus. by author. Lee & Low. RTE $18.95. ISBN 978-1-60060-651-9.

HENKES, Kevin. Penny and Her Doll. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208199-5; PLB $14.89. ISBN 978-0-06-208200-8.

HEST, Amy. Charley’s First Night. illus. by Helen Oxenbury. Candlewick. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4055-2.

HOSFORD, Kate. Infinity and Me. illus. by Gabi Swiatkowska. Carolrhoda. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6726-0; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-58013-997-7.

JEFFERS, Oliver. This Moose Belongs to Me. illus. by author. Philomel. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-16103-2.

JOHNSON, D. B. Magritte’s Marvelous Hat. illus. by author. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-55864-6.

KHAN, Hena. Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. illus. by Mehrdokht Amini. Chronicle. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-08118-7905-7.

KLASSEN, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. illus. by author. Candlewick. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5599-0.

LITWIN, Eric. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. illus. by James Dean. HarperCollins/Harper. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211058-9; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-211059-6; ebook $11.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211061-9.

LOGUE, Mary. Sleep Like a Tiger. illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Harcourt. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-64102-7.

LONG, Ethan. Up, Tall and High! illus. by author. Putnam. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25611-0.

LOW, William. Machines Go to Work in the City. illus. by author. Holt. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9050-5.

PATENT, Dorothy Hinshaw. Dogs on Duty: Soldiers’ Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond. Walker. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-80272-845-6; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-80272-846-3.

PINFOLD, Levi. Black Dog. illus. by author. Candlewick/Templar. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6097-0 .

REYNOLDS, Aaron. Creepy Carrots! illus. by Peter Brown. S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0297-3; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5309-8.

SCHAEFER, Lola M. One Special Day: A Story for Big Brothers & Sisters. illus. by Jessica Meserve. Hyperion/Disney. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-3760-3.

SCHMIDT, Gary D. Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert. illus. by David Diaz. Clarion. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-61218-8.

SEEGER, Laura Vaccaro. Green. illus. by author. Roaring Brook/A Neal Porter Bk. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-397-7.

SPRINGMAN, I. C. More. illus. by Brian Lies. Houghton Harcourt. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-61083-2.

STEAD, Philip C. Bear Has a Story to Tell. illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-745-6.

SUTTON, Sally. Demolition. illus. by Brian Lovelock. Candlewick. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5830-4 .

WILLEMS, Mo. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs: As Retold by Mo Willems. illus. by reteller. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210418-2.

WILLEMS, Mo. Let’s Go for a Drive! illus. by author. (Elephant and Piggie Series). Hyperion/Disney. RTE $8.99. ISBN 978-142316482-1.

Middle Readers

APPLEGATE, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. illus. by Patricia Castelao. HarperCollins/Harper. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199225-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210198-3.

BURLEIGH, Robert. George Bellows: Painter with a Punch! Abrams. RTE $18.95. ISBN 9781419701665.

BYRD, Robert. Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. illus. by author. Dial. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3749-5.

CHIN, Jason. Island: A Story of the Galápagos. illus. by author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-716-6.

CLOSE, Chuck. Chuck Close: Face Book. Abrams. RTE $18.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0163-4.

COLE, Henry. Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad. illus. by author. Scholastic. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39997-5.

DECRISTOFANO, Carolyn Cinami. A Black Hole Is NOT a Hole. illus. by Michael Carroll. Charlesbridge. RTE $18.95. ISBN 978-1-57091-783-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-073-7.

FREEDMAN, Russell. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship. Clarion. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-547-38562-4.

GIDWITZ, Adam. In a Glass Grimmly. Dutton. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42581-6.

HOOSE, Phillip. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. Farrar. Tr $21.99. ISBN 978-0-374-30468-3.

HOPKINSON, Deborah. Titanic: Voices from the Disaster. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-11674-9.

JENKINS, Steve. The Beetle Book. illus. by author. Houghton Harcourt. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-68084-2.

JOHNSON, Rebecca L. Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead. Millbrook. RTE $30.60. ISBN 978-0-7613-8633-9; ebook $22.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0125-9.

KNOWLES, Jo. See You at Harry’s. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5407-8.

LIN, Grace. Starry River of the Sky. illus. by author. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12595-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-21553-4.

MCKAY, Hilary. Lulu and the Duck in the Park.
Bk. 1. illus. by Priscilla Lamont. Albert Whitman. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-4808-0.

MCPHERSON, Stephanie Sammartino. Iceberg, Right Ahead!: The Tragedy of the Titanic. 21st Century Bks. PLB $33.26. ISBN 978-0-7613-6756-7; ebook $24.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8048-1.

OBED, Ellen Bryan. Twelve Kinds of Ice. illus. by Barbara McClintock. Houghton Harcourt. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-618-89129-0.

PALACIO, R. J. Wonder. Knopf. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86902-0; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96902-7; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89988-1.

RAPPAPORT, Doreen. Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller. illus. by Matt Tavares. Hyperion/Disney. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-0890-8.

ROSE, Caroline Starr. May B: A Novel . Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-58246-393-3; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-58246-412-1; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-58246-437-4.

RUSCH, Elizabeth. The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity. (Scientists in the Field Series). Houghton Harcourt. RTE $18.99. ISBN 978-0-547-47881-4.

SCHLITZ, Laura Amy. Splendors and Glooms . Candlewick . Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5380-4; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6246-2.

SHEINKIN, Steve. Bomb: The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon. Roaring Brook/Flash Point. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-487-5; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-861-3.

STEAD, Rebecca. Liar & Spy. Random/Wendy Lamb. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73743-2; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90665-4; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89953-9.

TURNAGE, Sheila. Three Times Lucky. Dial. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3670-2.

VERNICK, Audrey. Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team. illus. by Steven Salerno. Clarion. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-38557-0.

WOODSON, Jacqueline. Each Kindness. illus. by E. B. Lewis. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24652-4.

Older Readers

ABIRACHED, Zeina. A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return. tr. from French by Edward Gauvin. illus. by author. Lerner/Graphic Universe. 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.

BLUMENTHAL, Karen. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different. Feiwel & Friends. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01557-0; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01445-0; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01461-0.

DE GRAAF, Anne. Son of a Gun. tr. from Dutch. Eerdmans. pap. $8. ISBN 978-0-8028-5406-3.

HARTMAN, Rachel. Seraphina. Random. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86656-2; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96656-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89658-3.

LEVINSON, Cynthia. We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March. Peachtree. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-627-7.

LOWRY, Lois. Son. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-88720-3; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-92851-7.

MANZANO, Sonia. The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32505-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46958-6.

MONTGOMERY, Sy. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-44315-7.

MURPHY, Jim & Alison Blank. Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure. Clarion . Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-618-53574-3; ebook $18.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82268-6 .

PITCHER, Annabel. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece. Little, Brown . Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-17690-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20185-8.

RAPPAPORT , Doreen. Beyond Courage : The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust. Candlewick . Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2976-2.

SÁENZ, Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0892-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0894-4.

TELGEMEIER, Raina. Drama. illus. by author. Scholastic/Graphix. Tr $23.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32698-8; pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32699-5.

VOORHOEVE, Anne C. My Family for the War. tr. from German by Tammi Reichel. Dial. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3360-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-1015-7521-5.

All Ages

COOMBS, Kate. Water Sings Blue. illus. by Meilo So. Chronicle. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8118-7284-3.

FARRAR, Sid. The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons. illus. by Ilse Plume. Albert Whitman. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-8129-2.

FROST, Helen. Step Gently Out. photos by Rick Lieder. Candlewick. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5601-0.

LEWIS, J. Patrick, ed. National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! National Geographic. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4263-1009-6; PLB $28.90. ISBN 978-1-4263-1054-6.

ZULLO, Germano. Little Bird. tr. from French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. illus. by Albertine. Enchanted Lion. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59270-118-6. YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

(Starred items represent the ‘top ten’ picks in the category)

ANDERSON, Jodi Lynn. Tiger Lily. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-200325-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211461-7.

ANDREWS, Jesse. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Abrams/Amulet. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0176-4; ebook $16.95. ISBN 978-1-6131-2306-5.

BACIGALUPI, Paolo. The Drowned Cities. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05624-3.

BARDUGO, Leigh. Shadow and Bone. Bk.1.(The Grisha Trilogy). Holt. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9459-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9710-8.

BARNABY, Hannah. Wonder Show. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-59980-9; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-59981-6.

BARNES, Jennifer Lynn. Every Other Day. Egmont USA. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-169-3; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-267-6.

BARRACLOUGH, Lindsey. Long Lankin. Candlewick. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5808-3; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6108-3.

BRAY, Libba. The Diviners. Bk. 1. Little, Brown. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12611-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-21464-3.

BRENNAN, Sarah Rees. Unspoken. Bk. 1. (The Lynburn Legacy Series). Random. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87041-5; PLB $21.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97041-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98918-6.

CALAME , Don. Call the Shots. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5556-3; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6185-4.

CAMERON, Sharon. The Dark Unwinding. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32786-2; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46964-7.

CAREY, Janet Lee. Dragonswood. Dial. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3504-0.

CARLTON, Susan. Love & Haight. Holt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-8097-1.

CASHORE, Kristin. Bitterblue. Dial. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3473-9.

COATS, J. Anderson. The Wicked and the Just. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-68837-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-68883-1.

CRONN-MILLS, Kirstin. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children. Flux. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7387-3251-0.

CROSS, Sarah. Kill Me Softly. Egmont USA. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-323-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-324-6.

CROWLEY, Cath. Graffiti Moon. Knopf. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86953-2; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96953-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98365-8.

DAMICO, Gina. Croak. Houghton/Graphia. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-547-60832-7; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82256-3.

DANFORTH, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202056-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210196-9.

DERTING, Kimberly. The Pledge. S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2201-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2203-2.

DOLLER, Trish. Something Like Normal. Bloomsbury. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-844-1.

ELLISON, Kate. The Butterfly Clues. Egmont USA. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-263-8; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-268-3.

FAMA, Elizabeth. Monstrous Beauty. Farrar. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-374-37366-5; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-429-95546-1.

FARISH, Terry. The Good Braider. Amazon. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6267-5; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6268-2.

FFORDE, Jasper. The Last Dragonslayer. Bk. 1. (Chronicles of Kazam Series). Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-73847-5; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-93542-3.

FITZPATRICK, Huntley . My Life Next Door. Dial. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3699-3.

GAGNON, Michelle. Don’t Turn Around. HarperCollins/Harper. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210290-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210292-8.

GAUGHEN, A. C. Scarlet. Walker. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2346-8.

GRANT, Michael. BZRK. Bk. 1. Egmont USA. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-312-3; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-313-0.

GRANT, Michael & Katherine Applegate. Eve & Adam. Feiwel & Friends. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-58351-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-02648-4.

GREEN, John. The Fault in Our Stars. Dutton. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-525-47881-2.

HALPERN, Julie. Have a Nice Day. Feiwel & Friends. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-312-60660-2; ebook ISBN 978-1-466-82753-0.

HAND, Elizabeth. Radiant Days. Viking. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01135-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-101-56704-3 .

HARRINGTON, Hannah. Speechless. Harlequin Teen. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-373-21052-7.

HARTMAN, Rachel. Seraphina. Random. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86656-2; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96656-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89658-3.

HIAASEN, Carl. Chomp. Knopf. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86842-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96842-6; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89895-2.

JOHNSON, Angela. A Certain October. S & S. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-689-86505-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1726-7.

JORDAN, Dream. Bad Boy . St. Martin’s/Griffin. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-54997-8.

KAGAWA , Julie. The Immortal Rules. Bk. 1. (The Blood of Eden Series). Harlequin Teen. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-373-21051-0; ebook $14.99. ISBN 978-1-459-22704-0.

KINCAID, S. J. Insignia . HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-209299-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-209301-1.

KINDL, Patrice. Keeping the Castle. Viking. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01438-5.

KING , A. S. Ask the Passengers. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19468-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-21453-7.

KNOWLES, Jo. See You at Harry’s. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5407-8.

KOKIE , E. M. Personal Effects. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5527-3; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6203-5.

KONTIS, Alethea. Enchanted. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-64570-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82235-8.

LACEY, Josh. Island of Thieves. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-76327-9; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82232-7.

LACOUR , Nina. The Disenchantments. Dutton. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42219-8.

LAFEVERS, R. L. Grave Mercy. Bk. 1. (His Fair Assassin Series). Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-62834-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82241-9.

LAKE, Nick. In Darkness. Bloomsbury. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-743-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-820-5.

LANAGAN, Margo. The Brides of Rollrock Island. Knopf. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86919-8; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96919-5; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98930-8.

LARBALESTIER, Justine & Sarah Rees Brennan. Team Human. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208964-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208966-3.

LEAVITT, Martine. My Book of Life by Angel. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35123-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35124-3.

LEE, Y.S. The Traitor in the Tunnel: A Mary Quinn Mystery. Bk. 3. (The Agency Series). Candlewick . Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5316-3; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-763-65959-2.

LEVEEN, Tom. Zero. Random. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86921-1; RTE $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96921-8; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98932-2.

LEVINE, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. Putnam. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25644-8.

LEVITHAN, David. Every Day. Knopf. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-307-93188-7; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97111-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97563-8.

LYGA, Barry. I Hunt Killers. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12584-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20174-2.

MAAS, Sarah J. Throne of Glass. Bloomsbury. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-695-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-939-4.

MACCOLL, Michaela. Promise the Night. Chronicle. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8118-7625-4.

MCCORMICK, Patricia. Never Fall Down. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-173093-1; PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-173094-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211442-6.

MCDONALD, Ian. Planesrunner. Bk. 1. (Everness Series). PYR. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-61614-541-5.

MACKALL, Dandi Daley. The Silence of Murder. Random/Alfred A. Knopf. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86896-2; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96896-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89981-2.

MCQUERRY, Maureen Doyle. The Peculiars. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0178-8; ebook $16.95. ISBN 978-1-6131-2308-9.

MAGOON, Kekla. Fire in the Streets. S & S/Aladdin. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2230-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2232-2.

MARCHETTA, Melina. Froi of the Exiles. Bk. 2. (The Lumatere Chronicles). Candlewick. RTE $18.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4759-9; ebook $18.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5966-0.

MARILLIER, Juliet. Shadowfell. Bk. 1. (Shadowfell Series). Knopf. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86954-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96954-6; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98366-5.

MATSON, Morgan. Second Chance Summer. S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9067-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4391-5752-7.

MAZER, Harry & Peter Lerangis. Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am. S & S. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-3895-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4990-9.

MEYER, Marissa. Cinder. Bk. 1. (Lunar Chronicles Series). Feiwel & Friends. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-64189-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4668-0011-3.

MICHAELIS, Antonia. The Storyteller. tr. from German by Miriam Debbage. Abrams/Amulet. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0047-7.

MIÉVILLE, China. Railsea. Del Rey. Tr $18. ISBN 978-0-345-52452-2.

MYERS, Kate Kae. The Vanishing Game. Bloomsbury. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-694-2.

NELSON, Vaunda Micheaux. No Crystal Stair: A Novel in Documents, Based on the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller. illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Carolrhoda Lab. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6169-5; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8727-5.

NEWMAN, Lesléa. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Candlewick. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5807-6.

NIELSEN, Jennifer A. The False Prince. Bk. 1. (The Ascendance Trilogy). Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-28413-4; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39249-5 .

NIX, Garth. A Confusion of Princes. HarperCollins/Harper. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-009694-6; PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-009695-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-221356-3.

OPPEL, Kenneth. Such Wicked Intent. Bk. 2. (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein).
S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0318-5; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0319-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0320-8.

PEARCE, Jackson. Purity. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-18246-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20198-8.

POBLOCKI, Dan. The Ghost of Graylock. Scholastic. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-40268-2.

PRATCHETT, Terry. Dodger. HarperCollins/Harper. 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.

QUICK, Matthew. Boy 21. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12797-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19314-6.

RIVERS, Karen. The Encyclopedia of Me. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-31028-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46951-7.

ROSSI, Veronica. Under the Never Sky. HarperCollins/Harper. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207203-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207205-4.

RUBENS, Michael. Sons of the 613. Clarion. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-61216-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-544-08044-7.

SÁENZ, Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. S & S. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0892-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0894-4.

SCHREFER, Eliot. Endangered. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16576-1; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-47001-8.

SCHREIBER, Joe. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-57738-8; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-547-67763-7.

SCHUMACHER, Julie. The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls . Delacorte. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73773-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90685-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98571-3.

SELFORS, Suzanne. The Sweetest Spell. Walker. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2376-5.

SHERMAN, Delia. The Freedom Maze. Big Mouth House. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781931520300; ebook $9.95. ISBN 9781931520409.

SONNENBLICK, Jordan. Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32069-6; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39311-9.

STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Bk. 1. (The Raven Cycle). Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-42492-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46979-1.

SUMMERS, Courtney. This Is Not a Test. St. Martin’s. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-65674-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01181-7.

TREGAY, Sarah. Love & Leftovers. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202358-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-209935-8.

VIVIAN, Siobhan. The List. Scholastic/PUSH. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16917-2.

VOLPONI, Paul. The Final Four. Viking. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01264-0.

WASSERMAN, Robin. The Book of Blood and Shadow. Random/Knopf. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86876-4; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96876-1; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89961-4 .

WEIN, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. Hyperion/ Disney. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5219-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5325-2.

WOODSON, Jacqueline. Beneath a Meth Moon. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25250-1.

WOOLSTON, Blythe. Catch & Release. Carolrhoda Lab. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7755-9; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8725-1.

ZETTEL, Sarah. Dust Girl. (The American Fairy Trilogy). Random. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86938-9; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96938-6; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98318-4.

Great Graphic Novels for Teens

(Starred items represent the ‘top ten’ picks in the category)

Nonfiction

ABIRACHED , Zeina. A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return. tr. from French by Edward Gauvin. illus. by author. Lerner/Graphic Universe. 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.

BACKDERF, Derf. My Friend Dahmer. illus. by author. Abrams. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0216-7; pap. $17.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0217-4.

FETTER-VORM, Jonathan. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb. illus. by author. Hill and Wang. Tr $22. ISBN 978-0-809-09468-4.

GOODWIN, Michael. Economix: How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn’t Work), in Words and Pictures. illus. by Dan E. Burr. Abrams. pap. $19.95. ISBN 978-0-8109-8839-2.

HALE , Nathan. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy. illus. by author. Abrams/Amulet. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0396-6.

LAMBERT, Joseph. Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller. illus. by author. (The Center for Cartoon Studies Series). Hyperion/Disney. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1336-2.

O’CONNOR, George. Hades: Lord of the Dead. Bk. 4. illus. by author. (Olympians Series). First Second/A Neal Porter Bk. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-434-9; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-761-6.

QUINN, Jason . Steve Jobs: Genius by Design. illus. by Amit Tayal. Campfire. pap. $12.99. ISBN 9789380028767.

Fiction

AZZARELLO, Brian. Wonder Woman: Vol. 1: Blood. illus. by Cliff Chiang & Tony Akins. (The New 52!). DC Comics. Tr $22.99. ISBN 9781401235635.

BENDIS, Brian Michael. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. Vol. 1. illus. by Sara Pichelli. Marvel Comics. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7851-5712-0.

BENDIS, Brian Michael. Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man. illus. by Mark Bagley. Marvel Comics. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7851-5274-3.

BERMEJO, Lee. Batman: Noël. illus. by author. DC Comics. Tr $22.99. ISBN 9781401232139.

BROWN, Tom & Nimue Brown. Hopeless, Maine Vol 1: Personal Demons. illus. by Tom Brown. Archaia Entertainment. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-936393-57-2.

CAREY, Mike. Sigil: Out of Time. illus. by Leonard Kirk. Marvel Comics. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-07851-5622-2.

COSBY, Nate. Cow Boy Vol. 1: A Boy and His Horse. illus. by Chris Eliopoulos. Archaia Entertainment. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-936393-67-1.

COSTA, Mike & Jon Armstrong. Smoke and Mirrors. illus. by Ryan Browne. IDW. pap. $19.99. ISBN 978-1-61377-402-1.

DEFILIPPIS, Nunzio & Christina Weir. Avalon Chronicles: Once in a Blue Moon. Vol. 1. illus. by Emma Vieceli. Oni Pr. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-1-934964-75-0.

GAULD, Tom. Goliath. illus. by author. Drawn and Quarterly. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9781770460652.

GIALLONGO, Zack. Broxo. illus. by author. First Second. pap. $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-551-3.

GRAHAM, Brandon. King City TP. illus. by author. Image Comics. pap. $19.99. ISBN 9781607065104.

HATKE, Ben . Legends of Zita the Spacegirl. illus. by author. First Second. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-806-4; pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-447-9.

HICKS, Faith Erin. Friends with Boys. illus. by author. First Second. pap. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-556-8.

INZANA, Ryan. Ichiro. illus. by author. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-547-25269-8.

ISAYAMA, Hajime. Attack on Titan 1. illus. by author. Kodansha. pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-1-61262-024-4.

JEON, Hey-jin. Lizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries Vol.1. illus. by Ki-ha Lee. Seven Seas. pap. $11.99. ISBN 9781935934806.

KASHYAP, Keshni. Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary. illus. by Mari Araki. Houghton Harcourt. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-0-618-94519-1. ebook. $18.95. ISBN 978-0-547-60786-3.

KOVAC, Tommy. The Royal Historian of Oz. illus. by Andy Hirsch. SLG Publishing. pap. $14.95. ISBN 9781593622169.

KWITNEY, Alisa, et al. A Flight of Angels. illus. by Rebecca Guay. Vertigo. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9781401232009; pap. $17.99. ISBN 9781401221478.

L’ENGLE, Madeline. A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel. adapted by Hope Larson. illus. by adapter. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-374-38615-3.

LEPP, Royden. Rust Vol 1: Visitor in the Field. illus. by author. Archaia Entertainment. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-936393-27-5.

LONG, Mark & Jim Demonakos. The Silence of Our Friends. illus. by Nate Powell. First Second. pap. $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-618-3.

MEREY, Ilike. a + e 4ever. illus. by author. Lethe Press. pap. $18. ISBN 978-1-59021-390-2.

MORRISON, Grant. Joe the Barbarian Deluxe Edition. illus. by Sean Murphy. Vertigo. Tr $29.99. ISBN 9781401229719.

MURAKAMI, Takashi. Stargazing Dog. illus. by author. NBM/ComicsLit. pap. $11.99. ISBN 978-1-56163-612-9.

NEEL, Julien. Secret Diary. Bk. 1. tr. from French by Carol Klio Burrell. illus. by author. (Lou! Series). Lerner/Graphic Universe. PLB $27.93. ISBN 978-0-7613-8776-3; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8868-5; ebook $20.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0099-3.

PETTY, JT. Bloody Chester. illus. by Hilary Florido. First Second. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-100-3.

PHAM, Thien. Sumo. First Second. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-581-0.

RIOUX, Jo. The Golden Twine. Bk. 1. illus. by author. (Cat’s Cradle Series). Kids Can. RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-636-8; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-637-5.

ROZUM, John. Xombi. illus. by Fraser Irving. DC Comics. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781401233464.

SHINKAI, Makoto. 5 Centimeters per Second. tr. from Japanese by Melissa Tanaka. illus. by Yukiko Seike. Vertical. pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-1-932234-96-1.

SIMONE, Gail. Bat girl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection. illus. by Ardian Syaf. (The New 52!). DC Comics. Tr $22.99. ISBN 9781401234751; pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781401238148.

SMITH, Mark Andrew. Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors. Vol. 1. illus. by Armand Villavert. Image Comics. pap. $15.99. ISBN 9781607061151.

SNYDER, Scott. Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls. illus. by Greg Capullo. (The New 52!). DC Comics. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9781401235413.

TELGEMEIER, Raina. Drama. illus. by author. Scholastic/Graphix. Tr $23.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32698-8; pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-0-545-32699-5.

TENNAPEL, Doug. Cardboard. illus. by author. Scholastic/Graphix. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-545-41872-0; pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-545-41873-7.

THUNG, Diana. August Moon. illus. by author. Top Shelf. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-60309-069-8.

TOMA, Rei. Dawn of the Arcana. Vol. 1. ISBN 978-1-4215-4104-4.
_____. Dawn of the Arcana. Vol. 2. ISBN 978-1-4215-4105-1.
ea vol: tr. from Japanese by Alexander O. Smith. illus. by author. Viz Media. pap. $9.99.

TOMORI, Miyoshi. A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 1. tr. from Japanese. illus. by author. Viz Media. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4215-4164-8.

WAID, Mark. Daredevil. Vol. 1. illus. by Paolo Manuel Rivera & Marcos Martin. Marvel Comics. pap. $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7851-5238-5.

WESTERFELD, Scott & Devin Grayson. Uglies: Shay’s Story. illus. by Steven Cummings. Del Rey. pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-0-345-52722-6.

WILSON, G. Willow. Mystic: The Tenth Apprentice. illus. by David Lopez. Marvel Comics. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7851-5608-6.

WOODING, Chris. Pandemonium. illus. by Cassandra Diaz. Scholastic/Graphix. Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-0-545-25221-8; pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-439-87759-6.

YANG, Gene, Michael Dante DiMartino, & Bryan Konietzko. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1. ISBN 978-1-59582-811-8.
_____. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 2. ISBN 978-1-59582-875-0.
ea vol: illus. by Gurihiru. Dark Horse. pap. $10.99

Beyond those bells and whistles, where the Sky smartpen really shines—like the Echo and Pulse models before it—is its capacity to record and post audio-enhanced notes called “pencasts.” And the addition of WiFi in this newest model greatly improves the convenience of doing so. As soon as you’re done taking notes, the Sky immediately syncs them with your free Evernote account, which includes 500 MB of free storage. Tethering’s no longer necessary. From Evernote, you can replay the pencasts and hear the recorded audio as your original notes are highlighted. You can also share pencasts from Evernote on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or as an email or Web link. Want to bypass Evernote? Direct wireless sharing is promised soon. Livescribe expects direct exporting to email and Facebook to come this month, with the service extending to Dropbox and Google Drive accounts by year’s end. Spotty WiFi? Then download an app called “Livescribe Helper” for Windows or Mac, which allows you to upload pencasts via USB and a ’net connected computer.

Livescribe smartpens like the Sky have a tiny camera recessed below the pen tip that reads barely visible dots on special paper. The dots are encoded with location information that makes it possible to replicate the motion of the pen tip—reproducing the original notes—and the dots also provide cues for recording, playback, and other menu functions. The smartpens only work with Livescribe’s dot paper, available in a selection of notepad and journal styles starting at $8.95 per package or printable from Livescribe’s website. Audio is captured by a built-in microphone in the front of the pen, or you can
buy a set of earbuds that also contain a pair of 3-D binaural microphones for higher fidelity audio pickup for $19.95. The Sky charges via a supplied USB cable or an available A/C holster adapter. It charges in about two hours, with about six hours of operation with WiFi on. Users can expect about 100 hours of recording capability per GB of pen storage.

The Sky smartpen is a convenient way for students and teachers to take and share notes. Teachers could even share links to entire notebooks of pencasts or use Sky smartpens to compile digital portfolios. There’s a lot of educational potential. You can hear a brief sample pencast, which I recorded with the built-in mic.

A new book committee has formed under the umbrella of Library Services for Youth in Custody (LSYC).  We will look for more “gritty” titles for Latino readers, books like It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way (Lee & Low, 2004) by Luis Rodriguez, Next Stop: Growing Up Wild in the Bronx (Touchstone, 2008) by Ivan Sanchez, Detoured (JSD Consultations, 2011) by Jesse De La Cruz, and Willie Stokes’s Testimony of a Black Sheep (Willie R. Stokes, 2009).

We will seek out and highlight  high-interest preschool through adult fiction and non-fiction books for boys or girls ages 9 to 18 who may fit into one or all of the following categories: multicultural (primarily African American and Latino), from a street culture,  in restrictive custody (books need to be suitable for children’s and YA sections), and/or reluctant readers.

The committee will select and review the best books of the year, specifically for the population listed above. Titles of interest may be unusual; possibly not reviewed; have multicultural characters; and deal with difficult situations including (but not limited to) street life, marginalized populations, crime, justice, war, violence, abuse, and addiction.

“YA Underground,” a SLJTeen column featuring highlighted titles, will run reviews bimonthly throughout the year. You can check out an example at tinyurl.com/cblsq7a. The final list will be decided upon by this committee and also run in SLJ. Books will be featured on the Library Services for Youth in Custody website (youthlibraries.org). For more information, contact Amy Cheney at ajcheney@mac.com.

Amy Cheney
Librarian
Alameda County Library, CA

Interesting article. It is so difficult to get most children’s books in front of any kind of audience. So little money and effort is spent publicizing them. As bad as it is for most children’s literature, it is much more difficult for Latino books.

Publishers like Lee & Low and Cinco Puntos Press can’t reach the broad audience of librarians, much less the general public, with their books. Awards like the Pura Belpré help, but unfortunately are often still considered to be “special interest” awards by bookstores and libraries. Mainstream media covers only blockbuster books, usually ignoring everything else.

Jaime Naidoo’s ah-ha moment holds true for almost every reader—they want to see themselves in books, as well as enjoying new experiences and meeting different people through stories. Several years ago a 43-year-old student in my children’s literature class at the University of Texas–Austin finally made a connection to reading when he read a book about a kid with ADHD…Joey Pigza was just like him! It was the first book he read all the way through just for the joy of reading.

Librarians try to connect kids with books they will relate to, but first we have to have access to the kids. And we have to have the books that will be meaningful to them. The struggle continues.

Jeanette Larson
Consultant/trainer/author
Pflugerville, TX

Each student is shaped by personal experiences and culture, and we can explore these different cultures through the integration of resources into the classroom curriculum and library program. It is critically important that students see themselves reflected in the library collection and programming and in the books that they read in their classroom and for pleasure. By doing so, we build students’ self-esteem and cultivate empathy, respect, and cultural and global awareness.

Oakridge Elementary School in Arlington, VA, initiated the MOSAIC project—a school-wide reading program that uses globally diverse literature to teach targeted reading strategies. Each month the entire school (more than 680 students from 50 different countries) reads a single text portraying a different country or region and uses it to explore culture and delve into a reading strategy appropriate for the grade level. Through the MOSAIC project, we’ve been able to open the doors to new worlds to all our students. For more information on the project, visit apsva.us/Page/6203.

Julie M. Esanu
Librarian
Oakridge Elementary School
Arlington, VA

Photo credit: iStockphoto

I’m usually a glass-half-full kind of person, but sometimes you can’t help reflecting on the emptiness—on what’s missing. When our schools cut librarians to save dollars, a critical contributor to student learning exits the building. And kids lose out.

This is the undeniable impact illustrated by a Pennsylvania study presented in our feature story, “Librarian Required,” by Debra E. Kachel and Keith Curry Lance (p. 28). The study joins a growing body of research that proves the efficacy of librarians in our schools. But this one goes further, showing how some 200,000 students are being denied in a state with deep cuts to school libraries. All this in light of the Common Core State Standards and the call for 21st-century skills. Given the responsibility for student achievement, anyone with control of the purse strings should seriously consider the lessons of the Pennsylvania study.

“Consistently, reading and writing scores are better for students who have a full-time, certified librarian than those who don’t,” note Kachel and Lance. On the flip side, “Below Basic” scores on reading and writing are higher in schools that do not have librarians. The inclusion of writing is an important element of this kind of research, which has often focused on reading scores
(see “Something to Shout About,” SLJ, September 2011, pp. 28–33).

This writing aspect is especially vital given the Common Core and its emphasis on students’ ability to produce meaningful materials in the learning process. “Advanced” writing scores are three times as likely in schools with a full-time librarian. And, it gets better with better budgets. “Students with access to well-resourced libraries are two to five times more likely to score ‘Advanced’ in writing than students without such libraries,” write Kachel and Lance. From the glass-half-full perspective, that’s inspiring. But then I think of the kids in schools without librarians.

The findings of this study alone should take the decision to cut a librarian off the table. Pennsylvania should serve as an example for all.

Of course, principals and superintendents make hard decisions based on much more than research—the decision to trim a library position is no doubt a complex one. This is why, inside the profession, we have to be ever more creative in surfacing this kind of data as we illustrate librarians’ value in terms of student achievement to principals, superintendents, and parents.

We have the research, now we have to get it into the right hands. Kachel and Lance call for each of us to take these findings to key stakeholders. As part of the profession, I’m committed to sharing the message in our publication and in my discussions with educators and partners. As a parent, I’m going to take these findings to the principal of my son’s school, which currently has no librarian despite strong library leadership in the district.

What will you do?

Too often, advocacy can take a defensive position. I’m not talking about defending what has been, but showing what librarians bring toward a successful future. The survey makes clear: one key staffer can make a huge difference in the overall learning in our schools. And that staffer is a librarian.

Rebecca T. Miller
Editor-in-Chief
rmiller@mediasourceinc.com

Illustration by David Flaherty.

Imagine trying to teach kids how to swim in an empty pool.

That’s exactly what Baruch Kintisch envisioned when he took a hard look at the effects of his city’s deep education cuts. Philadelphia’s “schools are underfunded; classrooms are crowded; libraries, labs, and special-education services are outdated or nonexistent,” writes Kintisch, the director of policy advocacy and a senior staff attorney at the Education Law Center (see the Philadelphia Inquirer’s “City Schools’ Real Problem,” August 9, 2012).

Simply put, students suffer when they don’t have adequate resources—and, in particular, we’ve found that student achievement suffers when schools lack libraries that are staffed by full-time librarians. “Nearly every public school in Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties has a library with certified staff, which has been proven to increase student reading and comprehension,” notes Kintisch. “In contrast, most public schools in Philadelphia do not employ a certified librarian, and more than 140 do not have a library.”

He’s right. More than half of Philadelphia’s public schools are currently without a library. And according to the recent Pennsylvania School Library Study, a comprehensive study of school library services in publicly funded K–12 schools, 56 percent of the state’s schools don’t have a full-time school librarian. During the current school year, 2012–2013, the School District of Philadelphia, the state’s largest district, provided only 17 percent of its schools with professional librarians—that’s an anemic 43 of 249 schools. The picture is almost as bleak in the Pittsburgh School District, where just 27 percent of schools have full-time librarians—or a measly 14 out of 51 schools. Yet that hasn’t deterred many districts from getting rid of media specialists.

Even wealthy suburban districts find library reductions acceptable. For example, Manheim Township in Lancaster County, PA, has slashed librarian positions by 80 percent since 2010, going from 10.5 to 2.5 media specialists. At the same time, other districts employ full-time librarians in every building, many with support staff and annual budgets that enable them to update their collections and technology. How do these inequities affect teacher effectiveness and student achievement? And why is the research that shows the impact of quality school library programs and librarians on students being ignored?

Background

In 2007, when the trend to cut library programs and staffing became apparent to us, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) teamed up with the Education Law Center (ELC), a nonprofit educational advocacy organization that has made substantial gains for the state’s most vulnerable children—including poor kids, kids of color, kids with disabilities, English-language learners, and others. PSLA and ELC discovered that they had many similar interests and goals, including a strong urge to ensure a quality public education for every child. The two groups began to lobby for statewide regulations and reforms to ensure library equity for Pennsylvania’s 1.8 million K–12 students.

When representatives of the two organizations approached influential state legislators, they quickly discovered that some lawmakers didn’t know that schools weren’t required to have libraries, and others had no idea how rapidly these programs were being eliminated. Among many legislators’ first questions were, “How many schools do not have libraries or librarians?” and “How do school librarians improve student achievement and by how much?” Clearly, research and verifiable data were needed to influence these policymakers.

In the absence of data to answer their questions, PSLA persuaded the state’s House of Representatives to commission the Pennsylvania School Library Study of 2011—a “snapshot” of library programs in which 73 percent of public schools participated. While the study uncovered huge inequities among various districts, according to PSLA surveys, school library programs and staff have continued to be cut. For instance, in 2011–2012, an additional seven percent of librarians were let go, and, in 2012–2013, another six percent were jettisoned. As a result, “almost 200,000 students have been affected by elimination or severe curtailment of school library services throughout the Commonwealth,” says PSLA’s president, Eileen Kern.

Research and key findings

Joining forces with the Education Law Center and the Health Sciences Library Consortium (a nonprofit group that manages ACCESS PA and POWER Library electronic databases), PSLA was awarded an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership research grant to determine what school library infrastructure contributes most to student achievement, the costs and benefits associated with it, and what’s needed to develop students with 21st-century learning skills. Although more than two decades of similar research has been conducted in over 22 states, the Pennsylvania study uncovered the following new and significant findings:

Quality school library programs significantly impact the most vulnerable students. For the first time, the impact of library programs on selected student groups that tend to experience achievement gaps was examined directly. The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), which measures how well schoolchildren are doing in reading, writing, math, and science according to the state’s education standards, maintains separate test scores for subgroups of students who are economically disadvantaged, black, Hispanic, and have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). PSSA scores range from “Advanced,” which indicates an in-depth understanding of the subject and superior academic performance, to “Below Basic,” which reflects poor understanding and inadequate academic performance.

Consistently, reading and writing scores are better for students who have a full-time certified librarian than those who don’t. Students who are economically disadvantaged, black, Hispanic, and have IEPs (i.e., students with disabilities) benefit proportionally more than students generally. These findings suggest that staffing libraries with certified librarians can help close achievement gaps. What are some of the other key findings?

• Students who are poor, minority, and have IEPs, but who have full-time librarians, are at least twice as likely to have “Advanced” writing scores as their counterparts without full-time librarians.

• Generally, the benefits associated with larger staffing and collections and increased access to technology, databases, and to the library itself are proportionally greater for students who are poor, black, Hispanic, and disabled.

• For black and Hispanic students, access to more books more than doubles their chances of obtaining “Advanced” writing scores and cuts their risk of “Below Basic” writing scores in half.

• The association between flexible scheduling and writing scores is more pronounced. With flexible scheduling, all students are about four times more likely to earn “Advanced” writing scores, and Hispanic students are almost seven times more likely to earn “Advanced” scores with flexible scheduling.

Writing scores are more positively impacted than reading scores. Since 21st-century learners must be effective knowledge producers as well as information consumers, examining the relationship between writing scores and quality school library programs was essential. Writing scores of students were studied at both the “Advanced” and “Below Basic” levels. Interestingly, the impact of school library programs was greater proportionally on writing than reading scores. Students with access to well-resourced libraries are two to five times more likely to score “Advanced” in writing than students without such libraries. Other significant findings include:

• For all students, those with full-time librarians are almost three times as likely to have “Advanced” writing scores as students without full-time librarians.

• The differential impact of librarians suggests that writing rather than reading scores may be a better indicator of a student’s mastery of 21st-Century Learner and Pennsylvania/Common Core standards.

The role of the school library program and academic standards. This is the first statewide study to assess the roles of librarians in teaching the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Standards for the 21st-Century Learner as well as Common Core standards. We and our associates at RSL Research Group in Louisville, CO, surveyed more than 1,850 librarians, teachers, and school administrators to determine the extent to which these standards are addressed by school library programs and the instruction by librarians. To verify their perceptions, survey results were then correlated with the reading and writing scores of the respondents’ schools. This study provides the first evidence that what librarians teach both addresses academic standards and impacts students’ standardized test scores.

• These relationships are especially strong for the Pennsylvania/Common Core standards for English language arts and reading and writing for history and social studies.

• Notably, the positive association of the librarian’s role in teaching AASL’s Standards for the 21st-Century Learner with “Advanced” writing scores is dramatically higher than with “Advanced” reading scores.

• Consistently, students are less likely to score “Below Basic” on reading and writing in schools in which administrators, teachers, and librarians assess as “excellent” the library program’s teaching of inquiry-based learning.

As Carol Heinsdorf, a National Board–certified school librarian at Philadelphia’s Youth Study Center High School, explains, “These nationally adopted academic aspirations, supported by empirical evidence of school librarians’ effectiveness, are at odds with the 87 percent of Philadelphia’s incoming ninth graders who have never experienced an adequately resourced school library managed by a certified librarian, don’t know how books are arranged on a library shelf, do not know to, or how to, cite sources, and have not read a book from beginning to end for either academic purposes or pleasure. How are these students being prepared to successfully complete a two- or four-year college program? How are they to be reading role models as their children’s first teachers? How are those policy and decision makers shepherding public education as a public good for the future of our democracy going to prioritize adequately resourced school libraries managed by certified school librarians, to align with the evidence?”

Staffing remains the key factor. This study suggests that there’s no substitute for a full-time, certified school librarian who’s fully engaged in the teaching and learning process. Key findings include:

• With a full-time librarian, students are more likely to score “Advanced” and less likely to score “Below Basic” on reading and writing tests.

• Consistently, reading scores are better for elementary, middle, and high school students who have full-time certified librarians. In schools with full-time librarians, “Below Basic” scores not only improve, but improve more from elementary to middle to high school as well.

• The proportional difference in “Advanced” reading scores associated with a full-time librarian grows from elementary to middle to high school.

• Students who are Hispanic and whose full-time librarians have support staff are three times as likely to earn “Advanced” writing scores as their counterparts whose full-time librarians lack such support staff.

• On average, almost nine percent more students score “Advanced” in reading where students have a full-time, certified librarian with support staff than where they have a full-time, certified librarian alone. Further, almost eight percent more students score “Advanced” in reading where students have a full-time, certified librarian than where they do not.

• On average, the percentage of students scoring “Advanced” in writing is two and a half times higher for schools with a full-time, certified librarian than those without one. Similarly, the average percentage of students scoring “Advanced” in writing is almost twice as high for schools with a full-time, certified librarian with support staff as for those with only a full-time certified librarian.

As Jessie B. Ramey, a parent of two Pittsburgh public school students, wrote on her educational advocacy blog, Yinzercation, “Without a full-time librarian in each of our schools, we are still short-changing our kids…. As this most recent study clearly found, librarians are even more significant for our most struggling students, yet these are often the very kids forced to go without books, staff, or space.”

We couldn’t agree more. Of all the factors examined in this study, the one with the most impact on students is the presence of a full-time certified librarian in the school library.

Conclusion

This study adds to the evidence that all K–12 students need and deserve quality school library programs with full-time certified staff. Students are more likely to succeed when they have library programs that are well staffed, well funded, technologically well equipped, well stocked, and more accessible. And, the neediest learners may benefit the most from trained librarians and quality library programs.

However, much work still needs to be done to use this research to reach influential stakeholders who control the future of school library programs and their staffing. While many states are pursuing state reforms and regulations, this doesn’t negate the role of the individual school librarian to learn and share these findings locally. Everyone needs to nurture library champions who will defend the position that all K–12 school students need and deserve full-time school librarians and well-resourced school libraries in order to develop the skills needed to be productive in the 21st century.

Debra E. Kachel teaches online library science and technology courses at Mansfield (PA) University. Keith Curry Lance is a consultant with the RSL Research Group in Louisville, CO. To read a complete report of the study, see Pennsylvania School Libraries Pay Off: Investments in Student Achievement and Academic Standards. The research was presented at SLJ’s 2012 Leadership Summit.

The Highway Rat (Donaldson) ©2013 by Axel Scheffler.

Preschool to Grade 4

BUNTING , Eve. Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. Clarion. Mar. 2013. p. 108.

CATE , Annette Leblanc. Look Up! illus. by author. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. p. 134.

DE SÈVE , Randall. Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball. illus. by Paul Schmid. Dial. Apr. 2013. p. 110.

Donaldson, Julia. The Highway Rat. illus. by Axel Scheffler. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. Apr. 2013. p. 134.

FLEISCHMAN , Paul. The Matchbox Diary . illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. p. 111.

GUIBERSON , Brenda Z. Frog Song. illus. by Gennady Spirin. Holt. p. 138.

LAGERCRANTZ , Rose. My Happy Life. tr. from Swedish by Julia Marshall. illus. by Eva Eriksson. Gecko. Mar. 2013. p. 116.

MCKAY , Hilary. Lulu and the Dog from the Sea. Bk. 2. illus. by Priscilla Lamont. (Lulu Series). Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. p. 120.

MARKLE , Sandra. The Long, Long Journey. illus. by Mia Posada. Millbrook. Apr. 2013. p. 142.

PANZIERI , Lucia. The Kindhearted Crocodile. tr. from Italian by Grace Maccarone. illus. by AntonGionata Ferrari. Holiday House. Apr. 2013. p. 122.

RASCHKA , Chris. Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle. illus. by author. Random/Schwartz and Wade. Apr. 2013. p. 124.

SPINELLI , Eileen. When No One Is Watching. illus. by David A. Johnson. Eerdmans. p. 128.

WORTH , Valerie. Pug and Other Animal Poems. illus. by Steve Jenkins. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. Mar. 2013. p. 144.

GRADES 5 & UP

CARRIGER , Gail. Etiquette & Espionage. Bk. 1. (Finishing School Series). Little, Brown. p. 150.

FLOWERS , Arthur. I See the Promised Land. illus. by Manu Chitrakar. Groundwood/House of Anansi. p. 184.

GOULD , Steven. Impulse. Bk. 3. (Juniper Series). Tor. p. 158.

MACCOLL , Michaela. Nobody’s Secret. Chronicle. Apr. 2013. p. 167.

MCKAY , Sharon E. War Brothers. illus. by Daniel Lafrance. Annick. p. 186.

O’CONNOR , George. Poseidon. Bk. 5. illus. by author. (Olympians Series). First Second. Mar. 2013. p. 185.

PADIAN , Maria. Out of Nowhere. Knopf. 2013. p. 170.

SEPETYS , Ruta. Out of the Easy. Philomel. 2013. p. 174.

VANDERPOOL , Clare. Navigating Early. Delacorte. 2013. p. 176.

Adult Books 4 Teens

EISENSTOCK , Alan with Eric Zala & Chris Strompolos. Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made. Thomas Dunne. (Jan. 23, 2013, post)

VALENTE , Catherynne M. Six-Gun Snow White. Subterranean. (Feb. 4, 2013, post)

DVD

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. Weston Woods. p. 61.

Man Who Saved the World. PBS Dist. p. 64.

Merry Christmas, Splat. Weston Woods. p. 61.

Sky Color. Weston Woods. p. 60.

Wapos Bay, Season 3. National Film Board of Canada. p. 64.

AUDIO

Action! Fun! Dance! For Kids. Learning Station. p. 73.

Carnival of the Animals. Maestro Classics. p. 73.

Come August, Come Freedom. By Gigi Amateau. Brilliance Audio. p. 66.

Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There. By Catherynne M.Valente. Brilliance Audio. p. 67.

Hootenanny. CDBaby.com. p. 74.

Lullaby. Justin Roberts Music. p. 74.

Sir Charlie. AudioGO. p. 75.

Torn. Brilliance Audio. p. 72.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants,
Scholastic ©2013 by Dav Pilkey.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants: The First Epic App. Dav Pilkey. Scholastic. 2013. Version 1.1. iOS, requires 5.0 or 1. $4.99.

Gr 2-6–Fans of Captain Underpants—and of rude, over-the-top humor, awesome animation, and engaging activities—are in for a field day. First is the complete Book-O-Rama, here in high resolution and full color. Viewers can read George and Harold’s original adventure or listen to Mike West’s spirited narration with added sound effects and musical accompaniment. Pages aren’t turned per se; a swipe of the screen slides the characters to the next page, or morphs the background into the next setting.

Games, manipulable message boards, and even those flip-o-rama pages found in the books are embedded in appropriate spots. A jump from one page to any other in the text is via a collapsible bar at the bottom of the screen, while a bar at the top allows children to return to the main menu, to select chapters, or to exit to a game. Avatars to help track game progress are easy to create, but with a tap of a button one will be created (and named) for viewers.

Activities include hypnotizing Mr. Krupp with the 3-D Hypno-Ring, catching Captain Underpants in the Skate-o-Rama, or slinging underwear at robots and the diabolical Dr. Diaper in the Stretch-O-Rama. Beat Box 2000 is a music-making machine; as Captain Underpants flies across the sky, he triggers ka-booms and other, (often uncouth), noises to catchy beats. Users can record their own sounds if they prefer. The games take full advantage of the iPad’s capabilities, requiring the players to tilt and tap their way through various levels using different strategies; plenty of options keep the play fresh.

The app contains “no ads, no social media sharing, no in-app purchasing, no links to outside websites, [and] no location-tracking features.” With access to a full-length story, terrific animation, challenging activities, and loads of irreverent fun, this app will have fans cheering.–MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY  

The Orchestra. Mark Swed. Touch Press, The Music Sales Group, and Rite Digital Ltd. 2012. Version 1.1.0, iOS requires 6.0 or later. $13.99.

Gr 3 Up–For those who didn’t grow up immersed in orchestral practices, trying to understand the art and its ensembles may seem daunting. Even a seasoned musician may open this app and wonder, where do I begin, for the options are vast. Starting with the commentary of the conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, will give listeners a flavor of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, and open their minds to the complexity of Salonen’s task. His level of thought and his narrative are deep; as the engineer and artistic guide for the orchestra, he speaks at a level suitable for high school or college students. But there is plenty in this app that will have a place with students as young as the elementary grades; for example, the individual showcases for each orchestral instrument

Each showcase consists of a photo of the instrument that can be enlarged and rotated 360 degrees; a video narration and demonstration of the sounds that instrument produces; a written entry; a keyboard (showing the range of the instrument); an orchestral excerpt performed by the artist, and more. Percussion instruments have touch pads to mimic the sounds made by drums. Many of the musicians’ video narratives are endearing (particularly the brass section, notably Katy Wooley’s French Horn video and Alistair Mackie’s on the trumpet). This section would be also useful for young people trying to determine which instrument to study, for each video explains the working of the instrument and depicts a musician playing it. The snare drum excerpts are wonderful and worth a special mention.

Continuing through the app, users have a choice of orchestral pieces that highlight specific instruments. Claude Debussy’s  Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird are two examples, but the real joy in listening to these pieces comes from the commentaries provided by the musicians and the conductor. There are also opportunities to to listen (with or without full score) to thoughtful conversations concerning the expression, technique, and even the conducting style, while watching the orchestra perform. It is fascinating. When principal flutist Samuel Coles confesses, “I spend whole days practicing flute so that I can forget technique…(in concert)” viewers will gain a new appreciation for the work that goes into creating art.

The text is no less engaging. Penned by Mark Swed (chief classical music critic of the L.A. Times), it covers the history of the orchestra, makes suggestions on how to listen to orchestral music and how to interpret a score.

The power of orchestral music is compelling; this app provides unique and rich experiences that can be appreciated by both beginners and professionals. It’s available in English and Japanese.–Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, Newburgh, NY

FRASER , Elizabeth. Reality Rules II: A Guide to Teen Nonfiction Reading Interests. 240p. appendix. bibliog. index. websites. Libraries Unlimited. 2012. PLB $48. ISBN 978-1-59884-790-1. LC 2012020232.
Fraser recommends nonfiction books published after 2007 that will appeal to a wide range of young adults, including reluctant and ESL readers. Sections include “Adventure,” “Memoirs and Autobiographies,” “Biography,” “Sports,” “All About You,” and “The Arts.” The chapters are clearly organized, and each featured title includes an annotation and suggested reading level. Titles that have won awards are noted. As books are selected for their quality, design, and organization, as well as for their popularity , Reality Rules II is a useful tool for collection development and programming. The “Consider Starting With…” feature points out the more accessible titles in the chapter that would be a great starting place for purchasing or for creating displays or booklists. “Fiction Read-Alikes” offers more suggested titles to expand topics. An appendix provides information about additional reference and readers’ advisory resources, review journals, and online sources. The indexes are user-friendly and allow for quick access to specific authors, titles, and subjects. As many states are adopting the Common Core Standards with its shift in focus from fiction to nonfiction, this guide will be especially valuable to librarians selecting content that will actively engage teen readers across the curriculum. –Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MO

ISAACS , Kathleen T. Picturing the World: Informational Picture Books for Children. 218p. appendix. bibliog. index. websites. ALA. 2012. pap. $50. ISBN 978-0-8389-1126-6. LC 2012010059.
Isaacs draws on her considerable experience as a teacher and librarian to produce this useful tool. She begins by clarifying the terminology, followed by a chapter outlining solid criteria for making choices. The remainder of the book consists of seven chapters with such broad titles as “The Natural World Around Us” and “Ourselves and Our World at Home and School,” with critical, informative annotations for close to 300 titles, all published within the last 10 years. An appendix provides a list of awards and Best-of-the-Year book lists mentioned in the annotations. Title, author, illustrator, and subject indexes are included. Considering the emphasis on nonfiction in the new Common Core Standards, elementary librarians wishing to flesh out their collections will find this a valuable resource. –Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

MOREILLON , Judi. Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Secondary School Libraries: Maximizing Your Impact. 192p. bibliog. charts. illus. index. ALA. 2012. pap. $50. ISBN 978-0-8389-1088-7. LC 2011029708.
The target audience for this book is pre-service school librarians and classroom teachers, although veteran practitioners may also learn a few tricks along the way. Readers will gain a “background knowledge in literacy instruction based on research and writing in the fields of education and librarianship” with sample lessons to put into practice. The authors define various co-teaching approaches that focus on learning outcomes; therefore, emphasis is given to evaluation and assessment. They define reading-comprehension strategies: “Activating or Building on Background Knowledge,” “Using Sensory Images, “Questioning,” “Making Predictions and Drawing Inferences,” “Determining Main Ideas,” “Using Fix-up Options,” and “Synthesizing.” Each chapter provides a description of the strategy, guidance on how to teach tit, connections to literature, and a listing of tween, YA, and adult literature cited in the chapter. The lessons are based on three different levels of readers’ abilities: advancing, advanced, and challenging. Standard lesson plans are included, and are enriched with ideas for collaboration and guidance in how to proceed through the lesson. Extensive downloadable supplemental materials are available online as “web extras” and include lesson plan graphic organizers, mentor texts, rubrics, and thematic text sets, to name just a few. –Wendy M. Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY

NEUBURGER , Emily K. Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children’s Storytelling. 144p. diags. illus. index. photos. Storey. 2012. pap. $16.95. ISBN 978-1-60342-988-7; Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-1-61212-148-2. LC 2012004610.
This collection invites children between the ages of 5 and 12 to create stories about their everyday lives and imaginings. Divided into four sections (“story starters,” “story evolution,” “story activities,” and “story play”), the book provides a variety of projects to make and use. Each one includes a list of materials, clear step-by-step instructions, teaching tips, and other ideas that can be adapted for younger or older children. Bright photographs feature boys and girls engaged in each activity. Story prompts painted on wooden disks and worn as necklaces; a pretend neighborhood created with wood, paper, and craft foam; a story terrarium in a glass jar; and a traveling puppet theater with tongue-depressor puppets are among the projects. A reference desk game provides information, a time-line mural promotes sequencing, and word lists inspire characters and settings. Outside activities encourage children to observe and think like storytellers, and their stories–whether written or told–come together. With binoculars and treasure maps from their adventure kits, they can experience the stories they have created. Back matter includes templates and puppet-theater backdrops. Public and school libraries will want this rich, innovative craft book in their collections. –Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

REID , Rob. Silly Books to Read Aloud. 160p. illus. index. ALA. 2013. pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-1-937589-10-3. LC 2012021523.
This guide differs in two ways from Reid’s Read-Alouds: Selections for Children and Teens (2009) and Reid’s Read-Alouds 2: Modern Day Classics from C.S. Lewis to Lemony Snicket (2011, both ALA) as it is written more as a guide for parents than for librarians. The books are organized by format: picture books, easy readers, chapter books (fiction), poetry collections, and graphic novels and manga. Some titles date back to 1987, such as Keiko Kasa’s Wolf’s Chicken Stew , but all of them are still available. Each annotation gives a detailed description of the book and a taste of the kind of humor it employs. It also lists any companion books (which may or may not be in print). No grade or age levels are included. While this isn’t vital information when choosing a read-aloud, parents may want, or need, a bit more guidance in selecting an appropriate title. That said, when looking for something fun to read to a child or group of youngsters, this source will be used over and over again. –Renee McGrath, Nassau Library System, NY

St. STEPHEN’S COMMUNITY HOUSE . It’s Not All Black and White: Multiracial Youth Speak Out. 120p. illus. photos. Annick Press. 2012. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-380-2.
This collection of personal stories, poetry, artwork, and photography was created through the project Making Sense of One. Based at St. Stephen’s Community House, a social service agency in Toronto, the project brought young adults together to share their experiences and focus on issues of racial identity. Their backgrounds include African, Caribbean, European, Latino, Native American, and South American. Contributions by and interviews with adults who share their experiences and discuss raising mixed-race children are also included. The collection explores how multiracial people identify themselves and how they are perceived by others; the positive aspects of being able to embrace multiple cultures and ethnicities; as well as the racism they encounter, and the confusion, frustration, resentment, anger, and isolation they experience. Compelling graphics and fonts, some resembling handwriting, impart a visceral sense of directness and intimacy. Sidebars provide definitions of words that have been used to categorize and define race, ethnicity, and interactions among racial groups. People of mixed race will be able to identify with the stories that are shared, and will see themselves reflected in this collection. This important book will be valuable in opening up discussion about issues of racial identity. –Francesca Burgess, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

WEINER , Stephen. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. 72p. further reading. illus. NBM. 2012. RTE $14.99. ISBN 978-1-56163-702-7. LC 2012947465.
A comics historian offers a short but pithy history of the industry and how it led to the format known as the graphic novel, a term first coined by Will Eisner in the late 1970s. The first third of the book analyzes the factors that influenced the evolution of comic-book content, quality, and readership from The Yellow Kid in 1895 to the first graphic novels, paying special attention to the causes and effects of the Comics Code Authority, the severely restrictive production code established in 1954. Weiner maps out the relationships among publishers, distributors, and retail outlets. This is helpful for understanding the route by which an unconventional, independent title such as Jeff Smith’s Bone finds an initial readership, appears in a number of editions, and may be picked up by a larger publishing house. A good portion of the book is dedicated to the revival of the industry in the 1980s, when creators like Frank Miller and Alan Moore reinvented traditional superheroes for a more sophisticated adult audience, and how this revival paved the way for the astonishing diversity we see today. Perhaps most valuable for librarians is Weiner’s description of not only the various types of comics and graphic novels, but also of the nature of various types of fans–readers of arty work such as Julius Knipfl, Real Estate Photographer are not likely to embrace the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Illustrated on every page with pertinent comics panels, this book is meant to be a durable addition to a shelf that also includes Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics (Tundra, 1993) and David Hadju’s The Ten-Cent Plague (Farrar, 2008). Break out the reading glasses though–you can’t fit all this analysis, plus copious illustrations, into 70 pages without using a typeface that is punishingly small. –Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

CARRIGER , Gail. Etiquette & Espionage. Bk. 1. 307p. (Finishing School Series). Little, Brown. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19008-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-21521-3. LC 2012005498.
Gr 6-9–Sophronia is far from the proper Victorian young lady she is expected to be. She would rather climb, take apart machinery, and cause a general ruckus than sit for tea and crumpets, making her a blight on her mother’s reputation. She is enrolled in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality to learn proper decorum. But she soon discovers that its students are learning more than a proper curtsy. The school is a floating airship charged with teaching the skills of espionage. Sophronia is an early savant of sorts and quickly learns to use her skills to help thwart a fellow student in an attempt to steal a prototype essential to communications. The author touches on themes of gender identity and racial and social equality, though they are not developed thoroughly enough to either add to or distract from the story. Carriger’s leading lady is a strong, independent role model for female readers. There is still more to be learned about the relationships of other characters who are integral to the story, perhaps in a sequel. Ladies and gentlemen of propriety are combined with dirigibles, robots, werewolves, and vampires, making this story a steampunk mystery and an adventure mash-up that is sure to intrigue readers who can get past the language of the time period.–Betsy Davidson, Cortland Free Library, NY

GOULD , Steven. Impulse. Bk. 3. 368p. (Juniper Series). Tor. 2013. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2757-4; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4299-8754-7.
Gr 8 Up–This addition to the series is the first one marketed to young adults. It stands strongly on its own, but will encourage teens to pick up Jumper (1992) and Reflex (2004, both Tor) as well as seek out the 2008 film, Jumper, based on the first book. Sixteen-year-old Cent has spent her life in isolation, hiding from the people who are looking to kidnap and control her father and his ability to jump from place to place via teleportation. Although she has been able to travel the world by “jumping” with her parents, her entire existence is a secret, and she has never been able to go to school or have friends. This all changes when she is caught in an avalanche and suddenly ends up back in her own bedroom. Cent is a jumper, too. No longer able to protect her, her parents allow her to assume a false name, set down roots, and attend school, where she makes friends and finds her first love. But what happens when her identity is discovered and her family is suddenly in grave danger? A great science-fiction story that holds up to classic adult/YA crossovers, this is a must-read for any fans of the genre. With a strong female protagonist, interesting secondary characters, a bit of romance, some humor, and loads of action and adventure, Impulse will keep readers engaged from start to finish.–Sharon McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA

MACCOLL , Michaela. Nobody’s Secret. 248p. further reading. Chronicle. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0860-5. LC 2012030364.
Gr 7-10–When 15-year-old Emily Dickinson meets and flirts with a handsome stranger, she feels the first flicker of romance. Then the young man is found dead in her family’s pond, and the budding poet is sure that he was a victim of foul play. Determined to see that justice is done, she and her younger sister, Vinnie, investigate and discover that he is James Wentworth, heir to a fortune from which his aunt and uncle have defrauded him. Suspecting murder, Emily sets out to solve the case, almost becoming a victim herself. Life in 1845 small-town Massachusetts is painstakingly portrayed throughout this suspenseful tale. Emily is extremely well drawn, revealing her enthusiasm for and intense curiosity about the smallest of life’s details, while minor characters have just enough depth to provoke interest. The fast-moving plot makes this a well-crafted page-turner. The dialogue rings true, both to the historical time and to the chronological ages and social status of the characters. The full text of “I’m Nobody,” as well as quotes from other poems, not only focus readers’ thoughts but also provide an easy introduction to the recluse’s poetry. The author’s note explains which of the novel’s details are based on fact. MacColl once again brings a strong female protagonist to life, revealing pertinent and interesting information about a literary figure.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI

PADIAN , Maria. Out of Nowhere. 338p. Knopf. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86580-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96580-7; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89610-1. LC 2012005653.
Gr 9 Up–Tom Bouchard’s small Maine hometown has become a key secondary migration location for Somali immigrants, and the local high school is overwhelmed with helping these students adjust to their new surroundings. As captain of the soccer team, Tom follows his instincts and recruits a Somali player, cashing in on Saeed’s talents and unique playing style. In the wake of a racially charged incident on their home turf, the team goes on to beat their crosstown rival, sparking racist reactions both from the opposition and local authorities. To classify Out of Nowhere as a sports story sells it short. Soccer is certainly an element, with a fair amount of play-by-play action (and standard locker-room language), but the novel is rich and multidimensional, addressing the Muslim experience in America, addiction, and romance. Tom is an authentic narrator who deals out life-changing empathy.– Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

SEPETYS , Ruta. Out of the Easy. 346p. Philomel. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25692-9.
Gr 9 Up–Against a vivid 1950s New Orleans backdrop, 17-year-old Josie Moraine is caught between the harsh reality of her negligent, prostitute mother’s lifestyle and her desire to escape to a new life. Josie is smart, resourceful, and determined. Her support group includes Willie, the shrewd brothel madam who recognizes Josie’s potential; Cokie, Willie’s kind and devoted driver; Patrick, who runs the bookshop where Josie works; Charlotte, an upscale acquaintance who encourages Josie to join her at Smith College; and Jesse, the handsome motorcyclist neighbor who has eyes only for Josie. When a mysterious death leads police to Josie’s mother and abusive boyfriend, the teen is drawn into the investigation and into an underworld of threats, violence, and retribution. After her mother skips town, Josie is targeted to repay her debt to a powerful criminal boss. As she tries to handle mounting adversity on her own, she struggles with fear, desperation, and her conscience. Stealing from Willie or hooking up with a wealthy john seem her only choices for survival. Overwhelmed, she reveals her predicament to Willie, who saves her in a final act of generosity. Josie’s narrative features a Dickensian array of characters; the mystique, ambience, and language of the French Quarter; a suspenseful, action-packed story; and a coming-of-age realization that personal decisions ultimately shape one’s future. With dramatic and contextual flair, Sepetys introduces teens to another memorable heroine.–Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC

VANDERPOOL , Clare. Navigating Early. 320p. Delacorte. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74209-2; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99040-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97412-9. LC 2012014973.
Gr 6-9–When Jack’s mother passes away, his military father returns home to pack him up and ship him off to boarding school in Maine. Wading through the emotional trauma of grief and trying to adjust to his new surroundings, Jack feels that he doesn’t really fit in anywhere. It is not until he befriends the school’s resident outsider that he finds someone who might be able to help him navigate the troubled waters of his future. Early’s older brother, Fisher, is a school legend, and the boy refuses to believe that he perished in the war. He sees numbers as having colors and narratives and believes that the story of Pi is also the story that will lead his brother home. Early sets off on an epic quest to find the Great Bear that has been ravaging the countryside as he believes it will lead him to Fisher.  When Jack teams up with Early to find a bear, a brother, and an unending number, both boys finally find their way back home. Set just after World War II, this novel, like Vanderpool’s Moon Over Manifest (Delacorte, 2010), once again meticulously blends an intricately plotted and layered story line with a fully realized historical backdrop. Interesting characters meander through the boys’ adventure, fitting themselves into the pieces of their story as it begins to weave together. Readers will find themselves richly rewarded by this satisfying tale.–Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT

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The following titles are reviewed in the March print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

Fiction

ALEXANDER , William. Ghoulish Song. 176p. S & S/McElderry. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2729-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2731-0.

ARMISTEAD , Cal. Being Henry David. 308p. Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-0615-8. LC 2012017377.

ARNOLD , Elana K. Sacred. Bk. 1. 356p. Delacorte. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74211-5; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99042-7; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97414-3. LC 2012010891.

BARNHOLDT , Lauren. Girl Meets Ghost. Bk. 1. 224p. S & S/Aladdin. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4246-7. LC 2012032234.

BARTOLETTI , Susan Campbell. Down the Rabbit Hole: The Diary of Pringle Rose. 246p. (Dear America Series). illus. maps. photos. reprods. Scholastic. Mar. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-545-29701-1. LC 2012023693.

BICK , Ilsa J. The Sin-Eater’s Confession. 288p. Carolrhoda Lab. 2013. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-5687-5; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0948-4. LC 2012015291.

BLAKEMORE , Megan Frazer. The Water Castle. 342p. Walker. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2839-5.

BRACKEN , Alexandra. The Darkest Minds. 488p. Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5737-3. LC 2012008661.

BREWER , Heather. Soulbound. Bk. 1. 394p. (Legacy of Tril Series). Dial. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3723-5; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-1015-7546-8. LC 2011035025.

BRIAN , Kate. Shadowlands. Bk. 1. 328p. Hyperion/Disney. 2013. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-6483-8. LC 2012025624.

CARMAN , Patrick. Pulse. 368p. (Pulse Trilogy Series). HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208576-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208578-8.

CHEN , Justina. Return to Me. 338p. Little, Brown. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-10255-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20201-5.

COOK , Kristi. Mirage. 374p. S & S/Simon Pulse. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4299-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4301-3.

CRAVEN , Tracy Leininger. Alone Yet Not Alone: The Story of Barbara and Regina. 160p. Zonderkidz. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-310-73053-8.

CRILLEY , Paul. The Lazarus Machine: A Tweed & Nightingale Adventure. 268p. PYR. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-61614-688-7.

CROMPTON , Laurie Boyle. Blaze: Or Love in the Time of Supervillians. 304p. Sourcebooks/Fire. 2013. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-7343-8.

DAHLQUIST , Gordon. The Different Girl. 230p. Dutton. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42597-7.

DATLOW , Ellen & Terri Windling, eds. After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia. 384p. Hyperion. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4619-3. LC 2011034582.

DENMAN, K. L. Agent Angus. 121p. ISBN 978-1-4598-0104-2; ISBN 978-1-4598-0103-5.
JONES, Kari. Out of Season. 111p. ISBN 978-1-4598-0097-7; ISBN 978-1-4598-0096-0. LC 2011943723.
ea vol: (Orca Currents Series). Orca. 2012. PLB $16.95; pap. $9.95.

DITTEMORE , Shannon. Broken Wings. Bk. 2. 310p. (The Angel Eyes Trilogy). Thomas Nelson. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4016-8637-6.

DOCTOROW , Cory. Homeland. 400p. bibliog. Tor. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-3369-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4668-0587-3.

EDWARDS , Janet. Earth Girl. 276p. PYR. Mar. 2013. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-61614-765-5.

ELLEN , Laura. Blind Spot. 332p. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-76344-6; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-76380-4.

ELLISON , Kate. Notes from Ghost Town. 326p. Egmont USA. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-264-5; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-407-6.

FARREY , Brian. The Vengekeep Prophecies. Bk. 1. illus. by Brett Helquist. 490p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-204928-5; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-204930-8.

FEDERLE , Tim. Better Nate Than Ever. 288p. S & S. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4689-2. LC 2011050388.

FICHERA , Liz. Hooked. 368p. Harlequin Teen. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-373-21072-5.

FORSTER , Miriam. City of a Thousand Dolls. 368p. HarperTeen. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212130-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212131-8. LC 2012004289.

FRENETTE , Bethany. Dark Star. 368p. Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4665-0. LC 2011053078.

GALLOWAY , Gregory. The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand. 314p. Dutton. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42565-6.

GARDNER , Sally. Maggot Moon. illus. by Julian Crouch. 288p. Candlewick. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6553-1.

GLINES , Abbi. The Vincent Boys. 288p. S & S/Simon Pulse. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8526-6; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8525-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8524-2.

GRAFF , Lisa. A Tangle of Knots. 232p. Philomel. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25517-5; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-101-60778-7. LC 2012009573.

GREEN , Tim. Force Out. 288p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208959-5; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208961-8.

GREENWALD , Lisa. My Summer of Pink & Green. 260p. Abrams/Amulet. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0413-0.

GUIBORD , Maurissa. Revel. 352p. Delacorte. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74187-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98734-2. LC 2012008028.

HARRISON , Troon. Red River Stallion. 330p. Bloomsbury. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-845-8; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-928-8.

HARVEY , Sarah N. Three Little Words. 220p. Orca. 2012. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4598-0065-6.

HASHWAY , Kelly. Touch of Death. Bk. 1. 236p. (Touch of Death Series). Spencer Hill. 2013. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-937053-30-7; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-1-937053-31-4.

HAYS , Casey. The Cadence. 368p. The Grumpy Dragon. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-0-9881880-0-6.

HIGGINS , M. G. Falling Out of Place. 191p. (Gravel Road Series). Saddleback. 2013. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-62250-021-5.

HOBBS , Will. Never Say Die. 212p. maps. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-170878-7; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-170879-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-222384-5. LC 2011053289.

HODKIN , Michelle. The Evolution of Mara Dyer. Bk. 2. 530p. S & S. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2179-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2181-3.

HOLDER , Nancy. On Fire: A Teen Wolf Novel. 246p. Gallery Books. 2012. pap. $11. ISBN 978-1-4516-7447-7; ebook $8. ISBN 978-1-4516-7448-4. LC 2012002504.

HURLEY , Tonya. The Blessed. Bk. 1. 406p. (The Blessed Trilogy). S & S. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2951-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2953-6. LC 2012000654.

JOHNSON , Christine. The Gathering Dark. 498p. S & S/Simon Pulse. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3903-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3905-4.

JOHNSON , Maureen. The Madness Underneath. Bk. 2. 288p. (Shades of London Series). Putnam. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25661-5. LC 2012026755.

KACVINSKY , Katie. Middle Ground. 324p. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-86336-8; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-92780-0.

KARCHUT , Darby. Finn Finnegan. 184p. Spencer Hill. Mar. 2013. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-937053-32-1; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-1-937053-33-8.

KLADSTRUP , Kristen. Garden Princess. 262p. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5685-0. LC 2012943642.

KLAVAN , Andrew. If We Survive. 342p. Thomas Nelson. 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-59554-795-8.

LANCASTER , Mike A. The Future We Left Behind. 372p. Egmont USA. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-410-6; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-411-3.

LARSON , Kirby. Hattie Ever After. 230p. Delacorte. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73746-3; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90668-5; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97968-1.

LAVOIE , Jennifer. Andy Squared: Secrets Are Hard to Keep. 202p. Bold Strokes. 2012. pap. $11.95. ISBN 978-1-60282-743-1.

LERANGIS , Peter. The Colossus Rises. Bk. 1. 360p. (Seven Wonders Series). HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207040-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207042-5.

LYGA , Barry. Game. 518p. Little, Brown. Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12587-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23499-3.

MCALPINE , Gordon. The Tell-Tale Start. Bk. 1. illus. by Sam Zuppardi. 192p. (The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe Series). Viking. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-670-78491-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-101-62133-2.

MCELFRESH , Lynn. Strong Deaf. 122p. Namelos. 2012. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-60898-126-7; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-60898-127-4; ebook $8.95. ISBN 978-1-60898-128-1.

MCMANN , Lisa. Crash. Bk. 1. 240p. (Visions Series). S & S/Simon Pulse. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0391-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0592-9.

MAGNASON , Andri Snaer. The Story of the Blue Planet. tr. from Icelandic by Julian Meldon D’Arcy. illus. by Áslaug Jónsdóttir. 96p. Seven Stories. 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-1-60980-428-2. LC 2012023316.

MAGNIN , Joyce. Cake: Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar. illus. by Olga Ivanov. 208p. glossary. Zonderkidz. 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-310-73333-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-310-73335-5.

MILLER , Kirsten. How to Lead a Life of Crime. 434p. Penguin/Razorbill. 2013. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-518-5.

MONIR , Alexandra. Timekeeper. 272p. Delacorte. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73840-8; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90727-9. LC 2012016869.

MOSKOWITZ , Hannah. Marco Impossible. 248p. Roaring Brook. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-721-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-860-6.

MOULD , Chris. Pip and the Wood Witch Curse. Bk. 1. illus. by author. 176p. (A Spindlewood Tale Series). Albert Whitman. 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-6548-3. LC 2012013165.

NICKERSON , Jane. Strands of Bronze and Gold. 352p. Knopf. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97598-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97118-1; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97606-2. LC 2012001041.

PAULS , Chris & Matt Solomon. Deck Z: The Titanic. 224p. Chronicle. 2012. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4521-0803-2.

PELOQUIN , Lili. The Innocents. Bk. 1. 272p. (The Innocents Series). Penguin/Razorbill. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-582-6.

PETERSON , Lois. Disconnect . ISBN 978-1-4598-0144-8; ISBN 978-1-4598-0143-1. LC 2012938149.
VAN TOL, Alex. Oracle. ISBN 978-1-4598-0133-2; ISBN 978-1-4598-0132-5. LC 2012938209.
ea vol: 136p. (Orca Currents Series). Orca. 2012. PLB $16.95; pap $9.95.

PIKE , Christopher. Witch World. Bk. 1. 528p. (Witch World Series). S & S/Simon Pulse. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3028-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3030-3.

PROBST , Jeff & Chris Tebbetts. Stranded. 192p. Puffin. 2013. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-14-242424-7.

RASHEED , Leila. Cinders & Sapphires. Bk. 1. 400p. (At Somerton Series). Hyperion/Disney. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-7117-1; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-7891-0.

RHODES , Morgan. Falling Kingdoms. Bk. 1. 412p. Penguin/Razorbill. 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-584-0; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-10159-076-8.

ROSSI , Veronica. Through the Ever Night. 342p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207206-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207208-5.

ROTH , Judith L. Serendipity & Me. 320p. Viking. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01440-8. LC 2012014395.

SCHREIBER , Joe. Lenny Cyrus, School Virus. illus. by Matt Smith. 282p. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-89315-0.

SCHWAB , Victoria. The Archived. 322p. Hyperion/Disney. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5731-1. LC 2012025485.

SEDGWICK , Marcus. Midwinter Blood. 262p. Roaring Brook. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-800-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-802-6.

SIMONE , Ni-Ni & Amir Abrams. Hollywood High. 288p. Kensington/KTeen. 2012. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7582-6317-9.

SKUSE , C. J. Rockoholic. 358p. Scholastic/Chicken House. 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-545-42960-3; ebook $18.99. ISBN 978-0-545-47004-9. LC 2011046582.

SMITH , Cynthia Leitich. Feral Nights. 290p. Candlewick. 2013. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5909-7; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6368-1. LC 2012942377.

STARKEY , Scott. The Call of the Bully: A Rodney Rathbone Novel. 264p. S & S/Paula Wiseman Bks. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5674-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5676-1. LC 2012039444.

TAYLER , Kassy. Ashes of Twilight. Bk. 1. 310p. St. Martin’s. 2012. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-64178-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01824-3.

TRACY , Kristen. Death of a Kleptomaniac. 264p. Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2752-9. LC 2011045659.

WELLS , Rosemary. Ivy Takes Care. illus. by Jim LaMarche. 208p. Candlewick. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-76365352-1. LC 2012942383.

WEST , Kasie. Pivot Point. 344p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211737-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211740-3. LC 2012019089.

WOODWORTH , Chris. Ivy in the Shadows. 198p. Farrar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-33566-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-374-33618-9.

YEP , Laurence. City of Death. Bk. 3. 384p. (City Trilogy). Tom Doherty Assoc/Starscape. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-1926-5; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4299-9664-8.

YOUNG , Karen Romano. Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School): A Novel in Doodles. illus. by author. 112p. Feiwel & Friends. Mar. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-312-55596-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-03765-7.

Nonfiction

BANKSTON, John. Electric Trains and Trolleys (1800-Present). chron. ISBN 978-1-61228-291-6. LC 2012009416.
GIBSON, Karen Bush. The Railroad Comes to America (1820s-1830s). ISBN 978-1-61228-287-9. LC 2012009423.
MATTERN, Joanne. The Birth of the Locomotive (1780s-1820s). ISBN 978-1-61228-286-2. LC 2012009415.
ORR, Tamra. The Railroad and the Civil War (1860s). ISBN 978-1-61228-289-3. LC 2012009427.
ROBERTS, Russell. The Railroad Fuels Westward Expansion (1870s). ISBN 978-1-61228-290-9. LC 2012009424.
TRACY, Kathleen. The Railroad Grows into an Industry (1840-1850). ISBN 978-1-61228-288-6. LC 2012009426.
ea vol: 48p. (The Railroad in American History Series). illus. photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. notes. websites. Mitchell Lane. 2012. PLB $29.95.

BERAM , Nell & Carolyn Boriss-Krimsky . Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies. 184p. bibliog. chron. index. photos. reprods. Abrams/Amulet. 2013. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0444-4. LC 2012011539.

COELHO , Alexa & Simon Quellen Field . Why Is Milk White?: & 200 Other Curious Chemistry Questions. 260p. diags. glossary. illus. photos. Chicago Review Pr. 2013. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-61374-452-9.

FARYON , Cynthia J. Guilty of Being Weird: The Story of Guy Paul Morin. 144p. (Real Justice Series). chron. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Lorimer. Mar. 2013. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-4594-0093-1; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4594-0092-4; ebook $9.95. ISBN 978-1-4594-0094-8.

FARYON , Cynthia J. Sentenced to Life at Seventeen: The Story of David Milgaard. 120p. (Real Justice Series). chron. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Lorimer. Apr. 2013. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-4594-0169-3; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55277-433-5; ebook $9.95. ISBN 978-1-4594-0170-9.

FOSTER , Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor for Kids. 176p. further reading. index. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-220086-0; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-220085-3; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-0-06-220087-7.

FROMMHERZ , Andrea. The Wonder of Trees: Nature Activities for Children. tr. from German by Bernadette Duncan. 150p. bibliog. further reading. illus. photos. Floris. 2012. pap. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-86315-866-7.

GELLETLY , LeeAnne. A Woman’s Place in Early America. ISBN 978-1-4222-2355-0. LC 2011043480.
HASDAY , Judy L. Women in the Civil Rights Movement. ISBN 978-1-4222-2356-7. LC 2011043481.
ea vol: 64p. (Finding a Voice: Women’s Fight for Equality in U.S. Society Series). chron. further reading. glossary. illus. index. notes. photos. reprods. websites. Mason Crest. 2012. PLB $22.95.

HUNT , Sara R. You’ve Got Spirit!: Cheers, Chants, Tips and Tricks Every Cheerleader Needs to Know. illus. by Lisa Perrett. 48p. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Millbrook. Apr. 2013. PLB $30.60. ISBN 978-0-7613-8634-6; ebook $22.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1062-6. LC 2012020916.

JACKSON , Jeremy. I Will Not Leave You Comfortless: A Memoir. 224p. Milkweed. 2012. Tr $24.00. ISBN 978-1-57131-332-4.

JENKS , Andrew. Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker. 224p. photos. Scholastic. Mar. 2013. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-545-41727-3.

MOORE , Wes. Discovering Wes Moore. 160p. further reading. photos. websites. Delacorte. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74167-5; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99018-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98670-3. LC 2011049135.

NATTERSON , Cara. The Care & Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls. illus. by Josée Masse. 103p. diags. glossary. AmericanGirl. Mar. 2013. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-1-60958-042-1.

RAMPERSAD , Arnold & Marcellus Blount, eds. African American Poetry. illus. by Karen Barbour. 48p. (Poetry for Young People Series). illus. index. Sterling. 2013. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4027-1689-8.

REILLY , Kathleen M. Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects. illus. by Tom Casteel. 128p. charts. diags. further reading. glossary. index. maps. websites. Nomad. 2012. pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-61930-146-7.

ROTHROCK , Megan. The LEGO Adventure Book: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More! Bk. 1. 200p. diags. photos. No Starch. 2012. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-59327-442-9.

SCHULTZ , Robert A. & James R. Delisle. If I’m So Smart, Why Aren’t the Answers Easy? 190p. Prufrock Press. 2012. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-59363-960-0. LC 2012022967.

TAKAKI , Ronald. A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America. adapt. by Rebecca Stefoff. 378p. glossary. illus. index. notes. photos. Seven Stories. 2012. Tr $40. ISBN 978-1-60980-484-8; pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-1-60980-416-9. LC 2012017004.

TAN , Shaun. The Bird King: An Artist’s Notebook. illus. by author. 128p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2013. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46513-7.

TWIST , Clint. Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt. 30p. diags. illus. maps. photos. reprods. Candlewick/Templar. 2012. RTE $19.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6095-6.

VILADE , C. Edwin. The President’s Speech: The Stories Behind the Most Memorable Presidential Addresses. 256p. bibliog. further reading. illus. index. photos. reprods. Lyons Press. 2012. Tr $30. ISBN 978-0-7627-7981-9.

WAISMAN , Charlotte S. & Jill S. Tietjen . Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. 288p. bibliog. chron. illus. index. photos. reprods. HarperCollins/Morrow. 2013. pap. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211396-2; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-204146-3. LC 2007029942.

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle (Raschka)
©2013 by Chris Raschka.

BUNTING , Eve. Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. 32p. Clarion. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-75267-9. LC 2012012192.
PreS-Gr 1–A small green duck has lost his new blue socks. He looks for them in his toy box and consults his friends the fox and the ox. He does not find them among other socks on the rocks, but his peacock friends help him find them. The short, repetitive rhyming sentences are a good fit for beginning readers, and the large trim size allows plenty of space for the watercolor and pencil illustrations to provide clues to solve the humorous mystery. This is a whimsical delight for children whose parents clamor for phonics-based books.–Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

DE SÈVE , Randall. Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball. illus. by Paul Schmid. 32p. Dial. Apr. 2013. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3578-1. LC 2012014355.
PreS-K–Peanut is delighted with her new, bright-blue ball. Her older sister wants to play with it too, but Peanut refuses to share her special toy. Undaunted, imaginative Fifi tries a variety of strategies to get it from her sister. She proposes some enticing pretend games. “Where is my crystal ball?” she asks and then suggests, “It’s bread dough and we’re bakers.” Finally, Fifi returns with a seal that can do tricks with the ball. Peanut agrees to share it, but Fifi is off on another fantastic adventure, imagining that she and the seal are flying through space. After a moment, Peanut picks up her ball and chases after her sister, calling out, “Hey Fifi, check out this cool planet.” The digital artwork reinforces the playful tone of the story. The thick black outlines and geometric shapes featured in the simple but eye-catching illustrations have a childlike charm and capture the unique personality of each little girl. This story offers a gentle lesson about sharing, sibling dynamics, and the power of imagination. Pair it with But Excuse Me That Is My Book (Dial, 2005) or another title in Lauren Child’s “Charlie and Lola” series.–Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

FLEISCHMAN , Paul. The Matchbox Diary. illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. 40p. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-46011. LC 2012942613.
Gr 1-4–An Italian-American immigrant shares his childhood memories with his great-granddaughter. The twist of this tale is that his memories have been kept in a “diary” of saved objects that commemorate the important events of his life. As a poor child who could neither read nor write, this now-elderly gentleman found a unique way to preserve his memories by saving the objects in matchboxes. Among the many items were a box of sunflower seed shells that counted the days from Naples to New York, a fish bone to remember the long days the entire family had to work in the canneries, and a ticket stub from his first baseball game. The journey unfolds prompted by the child’s curious questions. Her inquiries provoke the descriptive vignettes of an earlier time and yet frame the story through the eyes of a youngster of today. Ibatoulline’s sepia-toned illustrations beautifully express this immigrant’s tale from Italy to Ellis Island and the start of a new life. They also provide a wonderful contrast to the warm-colored illustrations that depict a loving, appreciative relationship between an elderly man and a young child. This lovingly crafted picture book tells an amazing story that is uniquely American. Through unsentimental, yet warm and touching dialogue, Fleischman successfully shares a powerful journey that captures the hardships, self-reliance, strength, and simple joys that characterized early immigrants. It provides an inspirational introduction to the immigration story that captures the humanity of the journey.–Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY

LAGERCRANTZ , Rose. My Happy Life. tr. from Swedish by Julia Marshall. illus. by Eva Eriksson. 134p. Gecko. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-8775-7935-6.
Gr 1-3–Young Dani has what she considers a happy life, but she wonders if she will still be happy once she starts school. The butterflies subside when she meets Ella, and they are soon fast friends. When Ella moves away, Dani doesn’t think she’ll find happiness again, and she reflects on how unhappy she was when her mother died. The story unfolds in short chapters, with just a few sentences per page and large, plentiful, black-and-white drawings. The illustrations complement the narrative well, and will enable younger readers to feel a sense of accomplishment for tackling a lengthy chapter book. The few characters are well developed and the everyday happenings in Dani’s life feel genuine, such as friendship woes and childhood fears. The difficult subjects are handled gracefully, allowing children to realize that happiness comes and goes, and that everyone has hardships to face.–Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

MCKAY , Hilary. Lulu and the Dog from the Sea. Bk. 2. illus. by Priscilla Lamont. 112p. (Lulu Series). Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-4820-2. LC 2012013697.
K-Gr 3–Cousins Lulu and Mellie are best friends. In this modern-day, seaside adventure, the girls are vacationing with Lulu’s parents and their beloved old dog, Sam. Having rented a cottage from a persnickety owner, the family hopes for the perfect week full of reading, kite-building, and marathon-training. However, a wayward stray bounds into their lives and turns their plans upside down (along with a few trash cans along the way). McKay hits the nail on the head in this beginning chapter book. Children will delight in the story of how this thieving menace turns into a brave hero and loyal friend, wiggling its way into the hearts of the characters and readers alike. This book is just right for youngsters ready for chapters, with cheerful black-and-white illustrations on almost every other page. Younger children will also enjoy this story as a read-aloud. The plot is universal and the vocabulary hints of a European setting. Family members sticking together to overcome obstacles is the prevalent theme and the happy ending is hoped for, if not expected. This title should be a staple in any early-chapter-book collection.–Amy Shepherd, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

PANZIERI , Lucia. The Kindhearted Crocodile. tr. from Italian by Grace Maccarone. illus. by AntonGionata Ferrari. 32p. Holiday House. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2767-3. LC 2012025486.
PreS-Gr 2–This Italian import contains a smorgasbord of nods to children’s literature. A kind crocodile longs to be a pet and have a home with a family. Sadly, he merely inhabits the eponymous picture book in the children’s playroom. Pursuing his dream, he sneaks out beyond the confines of the book, and like the elves in the Grimms fairy tale, stealthily does all the housework. Nonetheless, he clearly perceives that families only want puppies and goldfish and each night slips back “between his covers.” (Little does he know that Madame Louis Bodot’s portrait hangs in this family’s living room.) The multicolored crocodile crawls out into the night onto pages turned pitch black with white delicate curlicue lines outlining the furniture, reminiscent again of Tomi Ungerer’s Crictor (HarperCollins, 1958). Masterful illustrations combine vibrant Jules Feiffer-like inkwork, acrylics, watercolor, bits and pieces of well-integrated colorful and printed papers, and even waxy crayon-layered rainbow textures. The tone is colloquial and the tale is recounted in a storyteller’s oratorical voice, sometimes addressing readers personally. Children are brought into the family’s decision making: Will they allow a crocodile in their home? Youngsters will delight in the drama and identify with everyone’s point of view, including the father’s, who “had as many doubts as the crocodile had teeth.” This well-written, imaginative, and accessible narrative will surely inspire more storytelling from enchanted readers.–Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City

RASCHKA , Chris. Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle. illus. by author. 32p. Random/Schwartz and Wade. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87007-1; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97007-8; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98732-8. LC 2012003172.
K-Gr 2–In his latest foray into childhood territory, Raschka explores the roles of adult and child in achieving one of the most challenging milestones of growing up–mastering a two-wheeler. The large, hand-lettered title framing the successful rider on the cover conveys the positive outcome, so the page turns are all about “how?” The story is narrated by an adult, presumably the father, but not limited to this relationship by text or image. The girl’s thoughts are all expressed visually. When the two are picking out a new bicycle and then watching other riders, the busy pages portray colorful examples, some surrounded by washes of watercolor, others set against the white background; all are connected with small strokes that animate the compositions. Clad in an enormous, blue-striped helmet, the child is watchful, then tireless, as she practices with training wheels. The narrator admits that taking them off is “a bit scary,” and the remaining scenes depict a brave girl in various stages of falling, trying, and being comforted and encouraged. In some close-ups, the heart on her shirt is askew, likely mimicking her actual pulse. Her legs, painted in thin, blue strokes, exhibit a fragile flexibility that expresses volumes. Raschka’s well-chosen words, spread over several pages, admonish: “Find the courage to try it again,/again, and again… until/by luck, grace, and determination,/you are riding/a bicycle!” The artist’s marvelous sequences, fluid style, and emotional intelligence capture all of the momentum and exhilaration of this glorious accomplishment.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

SPINELLI , Eileen. When No One Is Watching. illus. by David A. Johnson. 26p. Eerdmans. 2013. Tr $16. ISBN 978-0-8028-5303-5. LC 2012025506.
K-Gr 2–The nameless protagonist in this picture book is a wallflower around other people, but alone, she blossoms with exuberant play and a vivid imagination. Quirky and endearing with her wild mop of black curls, pink high-tops, and struggle with shyness, she will appeal to readers who know what’s budding inside them, but who aren’t quite ready to open up. The illustrations alternately show the little girl’s introverted behavior and her lone, free-spirited singing, dancing, stomping, and pretend-wrestling with wild animals. Spinelli’s narrative is simple, lyrical, and written from the first-person perspective, giving the sense that the child is sharing her secrets with a trusted friend. She is accompanied throughout by a charming cat whose actions and expressions mirror her own–perfect, given the feline tendency to be reserved between bursts of energy. In the end, readers are introduced to the girl’s shy friend, Loretta. They buoy one another when they are out and about, and they appreciate sharing quiet time, too. Johnson’s illustrations are dynamic, done in a palette of earthy colors and filling the pages with likable faces and activity. This is a wonderful book for reassuring a quiet kiddo that she is special, and that the world will be happy to know her, too, when she is ready to introduce herself.–Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

CATE , Annette Leblanc. Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard. illus. by author. 64p. illus. index. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4561-8. LC 2012942416.
Gr 3-5–With its emphasis on looking at the birds near home–from suburbs to inner cities–this invitation to bird-watching is an engaging addition to any collection. By grouping birds by colors, shapes, behaviors, feathers, calls, habitat, migration, and more, the spreads highlight the multitude of avian features to be observed. Cate emphasizes the importance of observation and includes sketching instructions as a way to hone those skills on the individual aspects of a bird along with its species’ characteristics. Each page is filled with full-color illustrations. At first glance they may appear crowded and busy, but the detailed drawings are charming, lively, and fun. Humorous dialogue bubbles feature bird “thoughts” in accessible language. Comic human observations are also included: “Are those pesky birds pooping on my windowsill again?” Lots of fun–and informative.–Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

DONALDSON , Julia. The Highway Rat. illus. by Axel Scheffler. 32p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-47758-1.
PreS-Gr 2–Inspired by Alfred Noyes’s “The Highwayman,” Donaldson tells the tale of a swashbuckling rat with mask and cape who stops hapless travelers and takes their food at sword point. While he prefers chocolates, puddings, and cakes, he steals clover from a rabbit, nuts from a squirrel, and even hay from his own horse. “The creatures who traveled the highway/grew thinner and thinner and thinner,/While the Highway Rat grew horribly fat/from eating up everyone’s dinner.” A brave duck in a red kerchief lures the thief to a distant cave, supposedly full of biscuits and buns. While he follows the echoes of his own voice deeper and deeper into the dark, the duck jumps on Rat’s horse and takes the stolen food back to her hungry friends. Eventually he emerges on the other side of the hill, becomes a reformed rodent, and finds work sweeping the floor at a cake shop. Scheffler’s rich, dark palette creates a brooding atmosphere just right for the Highway Rat’s dastardly deeds, and his cartoon-style characters are a wonderful tongue-in-cheek contrast. Humorous details abound, including Gruffalo cookies in the cake shop from this British duo’s The Gruffalo (Puffin, 2006). This well-paced, rollicking tale is a guaranteed storytime treat.–Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

GUIBERSON , Brenda Z. Frog Song. illus. by Gennady Spirin. 40p. bibliog. websites. Holt. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9254-7. LC 2011041940.
K-Gr 4–Guiberson has carefully chosen and researched 11 varieties of frogs whose habitats are scattered across six continents. In the spare text, she provides a transliteration of each species’ song and describes how its young are incubated and hatched. For example, the male Darwin’s frog scoops his tadpoles into his mouth and–after seven weeks of incubation–spits out his little froglets. On a spread at the end, the author notes where each frog can be found, its size, and an interesting fact or two. Each of Spirin’s exquisitely detailed, larger-than-life illustrations, created with tempera, watercolor, and pencil, provides a two-page close-up of a species in its native habitat, with a large, pale-hued area set aside to house the large-print text. There is just enough information to interest older children who can read the book themselves, but the realistic pictures and fascinating facts can be shared one-on-one with younger children as well. A thought-provoking author’s note mentions species-endangering changes in the environment caused by pollution, global warming, and paving of natural pathways. “A frog song is a celebration of clean water, plants, and insects to eat,” Guiberson cautions. A bibliography and list of outstanding informational websites are appended to this beautifully presented nature lesson.–Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

MARKLE , Sandra. The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration. illus. by Mia Posada. 32p. further reading. maps. websites. Millbrook. Apr. 2013. RTE $26.60. ISBN 978-0-7613-5623-3; ebook $19.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1051-0. LC 2012020915.
Gr 1-3–The bar-tailed godwit is an interesting bird. Born in June near the Cape Avinoff mud flats on Alaska’s southwestern mainland, the long-legged chicks are quickly able to catch worms, spiders, beetles, larvae, and tiny crabs and to walk and swim–all on their own. Throughout the summer, adult birds and their young spend much of each day eating, and, as autumn approaches, first the adult females, then the males, gather into flocks and begin their long migration to New Zealand. The mature young godwits follow in mid-October, instinctively flying more than 7000 miles over water (about eight days) without stopping. Two predators of the godwit–the Arctic fox and the peregrine falcon–are mentioned. Posada’s watercolor and paper collage illustrations show flocks of the wading shorebirds on the beach; in shallow water; in flight–close-ups and side views; overhead and head-on perspectives. They show brightly colored green and brown grasses; fluffy yellow pin-feathered chicks; and a predominance of grays, browns, and blues of birds, skies, and ocean. Appended are a page of additional facts; a simple map showing the birds’ flight path; and a brief list of book and website references. The book is well presented and fascinating and could be used as part of a geography lesson or to teach about animals’ unusual lifestyles. The large print, simple, straightforward vocabulary, and appealing format make it a good choice for a report or a simple research project for young nature lovers.–Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

WORTH , Valerie. Pug and Other Animal Poems. illus. by Steve Jenkins. 32p. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-35024-6. LC 2010034300.
Gr 3-5–A vividly crafted collection of 18 animal poems with subjects ranging from pugs to geese to fireflies. As in Animal Poems (Farrar, 2007), the poet’s undeniable expertise is elegantly expressed in Jenkins’s collage art. Each entry is featured on a spread with a paper collage depiction of the animal that complements the singular focus and brevity of the free-verse selection. Each poem captures a brief moment or an unusual perspective: from the mysterious nature of the fox, to the quiet stillness of a dead mouse left on the doorstep, to the power and raw ferocity of the tiger. The art reflects the shifting moods of the work deftly, allowing both to compel readers. Whether read aloud or scanned silently, this lovely book shines with the same qualities as the previous collection. Poetry readers who are hungry for more might want to peruse The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry, edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2012), to continue the exploration of the creature kingdom.–Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

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The following titles are reviewed in the March print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

Fiction

ABBOTT & COSTELLO Who’s on First? illus. by John Martz. 40p. Quirk. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59474-590-4. LC 2012934522.

ASHMAN , Linda. Rain! illus. by Christian Robinson. 32p. Houghton Harcourt. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-73395-1. LC 2011042039.

AVERBECK , Jim. The Market Bowl. illus. by author. 32p. maps. Charlesbridge. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-368-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-591-6. LC 2012007491.

BADGER , H. The Jelly People. ISBN 978-1-921564-85-7.
––––. The Shrinking Race. ISBN 978-1-921564-86-4.
ea vol: illus. by C. Bennett. 96p. (Space Scout Series). Trafalgar Square. 2012. pap. $8.99.

BARNER , Bob. I Have a Garden. ISBN 978-0-8234-2527-3. LC 201104907.
MCCULLY , Emily Arnold. Sam and the Big Kids. ISBN 978-0-8234-2427-6. LC 201104907.
ea vol: illus. by author. 32p. (I Like To Read Series). Holiday House. Apr. 2013. RTE $14.95.

BARTON , Bethany. This Monster Cannot Wait! illus. by author. 32p. Dial. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3779-2. LC 2012017408.

BROWN , Tameka Fryer. My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood. illus. by Shane W. Evans. 32p. Viking. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01285-5.

BROWNE , Anthony. One Gorilla: A Counting Book. illus. by author. 32p. Candlewick. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6352-0.

BROWNLEE , Sophia Grace & Rosie McClelland. Tea Time with Sophia Grace and Rosie. illus. by Shelagh McNicholas. 40p. Scholastic/Orchard. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-50214-6.

BUTTON , Lana. Willow Finds a Way. illus. by Tania Howells. 32p. Kids Can. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-842-3.

BUZZEO , Toni. Just Like My Papa. illus. by Mike Wohnoutka. 32p. Hyperion/Disney. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4263-8. LC 2011011153.

CASSIDY , Sara. Seeing Orange. illus. by Amy Meissner. 64p. (Orca Echos Series). Orca. 2012. pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-5546-9991-9; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4598-0318-3. LC 2012938344.

COBB , Rebecca. Missing Mommy: A Book About Bereavement. illus. by author. 32p. Holt. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9507-4.

COLLINS , Pat Lowery. The Deer Watch. illus. by David Slonim. 32p. Candlewick. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4890-9. LC 2012942667.

CORDEROY , Tracey. Hubble Bubble, Granny Trouble. illus. by Joe Berger. 32p. Candlewick/Nosy Crow. 2012. RTE $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5904-2.

COTTEN , Cynthia. The Book Boat’s In. illus. by Frané Lessac. 32p. Holiday House. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2521-1. LC 2012016548.

DALE , Penny. Dinosaur Zoom! illus. by author. 32p. Candlewick/Nosy Crow. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6448-0. LC 2012942660.

DALEY , Michael J. Pinch and Dash and the Terrible Couch. illus. by Thomas E. Yezerski. 48p. Charlesbridge. 2013. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-379-4; pap. $5.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-380-0; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-592-3. LC 2011025704.

DAVICK , Linda. I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! illus. by Linda Davick. 32p. S & S/Beach Lane. Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6037-9; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6038-6. LC 2012006994.

DOMINGUEZ , Angela. Let’s Go, Hugo! illus. by author. 40p. Dial. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3864-5. LC 2012003561.

DUNREA , Olivier. Jasper & Joop. illus. by author. 32p. Houghton Harcourt. Mar. 2013. Tr $9.99. ISBN 978-0-547-86762-5.

DUNREA , Olivier. Ollie’s Easter Eggs. illus. by author. 32p. Houghton Harcourt. 2013. BD $6.99. ISBN 978-0-547-85918-7.

DUVAL , Kathy. Take Me to Your BBQ. illus. by Adam McCauley. 40p. Hyperion/Disney. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2255-5.

EGAN , Tim. Dodsworth in Tokyo. illus. by author. 48p. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2013. RTE $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-87745-7.

FERGUS , Maureen. The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten. illus. by Mike Lowery. 32p. Kids Can. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-698-6.

FOLGUEIRA , Rodrigo. Ribbit! illus. by Poly Bernatene. 32p. Knopf. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-307-98146-2; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-307-98147-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-98150-9.

FOREMAN , Michael. Oh! If Only … . illus. by author. 32p. Andersen. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1213-2; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1214-9.

FORMENTO , Alison. These Seas Count! illus. by Sarah Snow. 32p. websites. Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-7871-1. LC 2012026187.

FOXLEY , Janet. Muncle Trogg and the Flying Donkey. Bk. 2. illus. by O’Kif. 198p. Scholastic/Chicken House. Mar. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46527-4; ebook $14.99. ISBN 978-0-545-52065-2. LC 2012002713.

FULLERTON , Alma. A Good Trade. illus. by Karen Patkau. 32p. Pajama Press. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-0-9869495-9-3.

GOOBIE , Beth. Jason’s Why. 72p. Red Deer. 2012. pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-88995-484-7.

HALL , Algy Craig. Dino Bites! illus. by author. 32p. Boxer Bks. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-907967-50-4.

HELAKOSKI , Leslie. Doggone Feet! illus. by author. 40p. Boyds Mills. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59078-933-9. LC 2012949018.

HENNESY , Scott. The Cat’s Baton Is Gone: A Musical Cat-tastrophe. illus. by Joe Lanzisero. 32p. glossary. Hyperion/Disney. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4583-7. LC 2012004539.

HIGGINS , Ryan. Wilfred. illus. by author. 32p. Dial. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3732-7.

HOPKINSON , Deborah. Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story. illus. by Steven Guarnaccia. 32p. photos. reprods. websites. Putnam. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25241-9. LC 2012009635.

HOURAN , Lori Haskins. I Will Keep You Safe and Sound. illus. by Petra Brown. 32p. Scholastic. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-19751-9. LC 2011045990.

HUGHES , Shirley. Bobbo Goes to School. illus. by author. 32p. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6524-1. LC 2012942410.

IDLE , Molly. Tea Rex. illus. by author. 40p. Viking. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01430-9.

JAHANFORUZ , Rita. The Girl with a Brave Heart: A Tale from Tehran. tr. from Hebrew. illus. by Vali Mintzi. 40p. Barefoot. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-84686-929-7; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-1-84686-931-0.

JANSSENS , Axel. The Box. tr. from Dutch. illus. by author. 30p. Clavis. 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-60537-134-4.

JARMAN , Julia. Two Shy Pandas. illus. by Susan Varley. 32p. Andersen. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1141-8; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1146-3.

JOHNSON , Angela. Lottie Paris and the Best Place. illus. by Scott M. Fischer. 32p. S & S. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-689-87378-2. LC 2011011303.

KATZ , Karen. Now I’m Big! illus. by author. 32p. S & S/McElderry. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-3547-6. LC 2011047256.

KIRK , Daniel. Ten Things I Love About You. illus. by author. 32p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25288-4. LC 2012011081.

KNOWLTON , Laurie Lazzaro. Pirates Don’t Say Please! illus. by Adrian Tans. 32p. Pelican. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-58980-982-6.

KÖNNECKE , Ole. Anton and the Battle. tr. from German by Catherine Chidgey. illus. by author. 32p. Gecko. Mar. 2013. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-8775-7926-4.

KULKA , Joe. My Crocodile Does Not Bite. illus. by author. 32p. Carolrhoda. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8937-8; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0955-2.

KURTZMAN-COUNTER , Samantha, Abbie Schiller, & Ruby Vanderzee . Sally Simon Simmons’ Super Frustrating Day. illus. by Aaron Hawkins. 30p. The Mother Company. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-615-61033-7.

LANTHIER , Jennifer. The Stamp Collector. illus. by François Thisdale. 32p. Fitzhenry & Whiteside. 2012. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-55455-218-4.

LAROCHELLE , David. How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans. illus. by Mark Fearing. 32p. Dial. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3766-2. LC 2012014361.

LONG , Loren. Otis and the Puppy. illus. by author. 40p. Philomel. Mar. 2013. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25469-7.

LYONS , Kelly Starling. Hope’s Gift. illus. by Don Tate. 32p. Putnam. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-16001-1. LC 2012014587.

MCDERMID , Val. My Granny Is a Pirate. illus. by Arthur Robins. 32p. Trafalgar Square. 2012. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4083-0927-8.

MACLACHLAN , Patricia. White Fur Flying. 128p. S & S/McElderry. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2171-4. LC 2011046125.

MCNIFF , Dawn. Mommy’s Little Monster. illus. by Kate Willis-Crowley. 32p. Scholastic/Chicken House. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-48057-4. LC 2012030539.

MARSHALL , Linda Elovitz. The Mitzvah Magician. illus. by Christiane Engel. 32p. Kar-Ben. 2012. pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-5656-1; RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-5655-4; ebook $13.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0063-4. LC 2011029818.

MEADOWS , Michelle. Piggies in Pajamas. illus. by Ard Hoyt. 32p. S & S. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4982-4.

MEISEL , Paul. See Me Dig. illus. by author. 32p. (I Like To Read). Holiday House. 2013. RTE $14.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2743-7.

MIDDLETON , Julie. Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? illus. by Russell Ayto. 32p. Peachtree. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-690-1. LC 2012025716.

MILLARD , Glenda. And Red Galoshes: A Story About a Rainy Day. illus. by Jonathan Bentley. 24p. Trafalgar Square. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-921541-46-9.

MONROE , Chris. Cookie, the Walker. illus. by author. 32p. Carolrhoda. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-5617-2; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0951-4. LC 2012017626.

MURGUIA , Bethanie Deeney. Snippet the Early Riser. illus. by author. 40p. Knopf. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-58246-460-2; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-1-58246-461-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-98169-1.

MURPHY , Mary. Quick Duck! ISBN 978-0-7636-6022-2.
––––. Slow Snail. ISBN 978-0-7636-6023-9.
ea vol: illus. by author. 14p. Candlewick. 2013. BD $6.99.

O’CONNELL , Rebecca. Baby Parade. illus. by Susie Poole. 24p. Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-0509-0. LC 2012017375.

PARKER , Mary Jessie. The Deep, Deep Puddle. illus. by Deborah Zemke. 40p. Dial. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3765-5.

PHILLIPPS , J. C. Monkey Ono. illus. by author. 40p. Viking. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-78505-6.

PRESS , J. The Doodles of Sam Dibble. illus. by Michael Kline. 128p. Grosset & Dunlap. 2013. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-448-46107-6.

ROCHE , Suzzy. Want to Be in a Band? illus. by Giselle Potter. 40p. Random/Schwartz & Wade. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86879-5. LC 2011023590.

SATTLER , Jennifer. Uh-Oh, Dodo! illus. by author. 32p. Boyds Mills. Apr. 2013. RTE $15.95. ISBN 978-1-59078-929-2. LC 2012947460.

SAUER , Tammi. Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever or Snack Time? illus. by Michael Slack. 40p. Houghton Harcourt. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-85285-0.

SCHAEFER , Carole Lexa. Monkey and Elephant Get Better. illus. by Galia Bernstein. 48p. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4841-1. LC 2012942656.

SCHINDLER , S. D. Spike & Ike Take a Hike. illus. by author. 32p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24495-7. LC 2012010367.

SCHNEIDER , Josh. The Meanest Birthday Girl. illus. by author. 48p. Clarion. 2013. RTE $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-83814-4.

SCOTT , Brandon James, adapt. The Pancake Express. illus. by Brandon James Scott. 36p. (Justin Time Series). Immedium. 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-59702-035-0.

SHEA , Bob. Cheetah Can’t Lose. illus. by author. 40p. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-173083-2.

SHETH , Kashmira. Tiger in My Soup. illus. by Jeffrey Ebbeler. 32p. Peachtree. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-696-3. LC 2012025539.

STAAKE , Bob. Bluebird. illus. by author. 40p. Random/Schwartz and Wade. Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87037-8; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97038-2; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98904-9. LC 2012007043.

STEVENSON , Steve. The Curse of the Pharaoh. Bk. 1. tr. from Italian by Siobhan Kelly. illus. by Stefano Turconi. 134p. (Agatha Mistery Series). Grosset & Dunlap. 2013. pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-448-46217-2.

STIER , Catherine. Barnaby the Bedbug Detective. illus. by Karen Sapp. 32p. further reading. websites. Albert Whitman. Mar. 2013. Tr ISBN 978-0-8075-0904-3. LC 2012013166.

STOUT , Shawn K. Penelope Crumb Never Forgets. Bk. 2. illus. by Valeria Docampo. 182p. (Penelope Crumb Series). Philomel. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25729-2.

SULLIVAN , Mary. Ball. illus. by author. 40p. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2013. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-0-547-75936-4.

TAYLOR , Sean. Robomop. illus. by Edel Rodriguez. 32p. Dial. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3411-1. LC 2012012901.

TAYLOR , Thomas. The Pets You Get. illus. by Adrian Reynolds. 32p. Andersen. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1143-2.

UMAN , Jennifer & Valerio Vidali. Jemmy Button. illus. by authors. 48p. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6487-9. LC 2012942662.

UNDERWOOD , Deborah. Part-time Princess. illus. by Cambria Evans. 40p. Hyperion/Disney. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2485-6.

VAN GENECHTEN , Guido. Guess What? ISBN 978-1-60537-116-0.
––––. Guess Where? ISBN 978-1-60537-115-3.
ea vol: tr. from Dutch. illus. by author. 16p. Clavis. 2012. Tr $9.95.

VAN ZEVEREN , Michel. That’s Mine! tr. from French. illus. by author. 32p. Gecko. Mar. 2013. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-8775-7927-1.

WALTERS , Eric. Prince for a Princess. illus. by David Parkins. 64p. (Orca Echos Series). Orca. 2012. pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-4598-0200-1; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4598-0319-0.

WELLS , Rosemary. Following Grandfather. illus. by Christopher Denise. 64p. Candlewick. 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5069-8.

WHEELER , Lisa. The Pet Project: Cute and Cuddly Viscious Verses. illus. by Zachariah OHora. 40p. S & S/Atheneum. Apr. 2013. ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4234-4; Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7595-3.

ZAPPA , Ahmet. Because I’m Your Dad. illus. by Dan Santat. 32p. Hyperion/Disney. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4774-9. LC 2012002794.

Nonfiction

AJMERA , Maya, Victoria Dunning, & Cynthia Pon. Healthy Kids. 32p. maps. photos. Charlesbridge. 2013. RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-436-4; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-437-1. LC 2012000784.

ARNOLD , Caroline. Too Hot? Too Cold?: Keeping Body Temperature Just Right. illus. by Annie Patterson. 32p. diags. glossary. Charlesbridge. 2013. RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-276-6; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-277-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-596-1. LC 2012000792.

BATES , Katharine Lee. America the Beautiful: Together We Stand. illus. by Bryan Collier, et al. 32p. Scholastic/Orchard. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-49207-2.

BODDEN , Valerie. Ants. ISBN 978-1-60818-230-5. LC 2011050282.
––––. Beetles. ISBN 978-1-60818-231-2. LC 2011050278.
––––. Termites. ISBN 978-1-60818-235-0. LC 2011050279.
––––. Ticks. ISBN 978-1-60818-234-3. LC 2011050287.
ea vol: 24p. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. (Creepy Creatures Series). Creative Education. 2013. PLB $25.65.

BORGESON , Grace. Douwlina: A Rhino’s Story. 32p. photos. Bright Sky Press. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-936474-63-9.

CASALE , Karen. Never Let a Ghost Borrow Your Library Book: Book Care Guidelines from the Library Secret Service. illus. by Cecilia Rebora. 32p. UpstartBooks. 2012. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-60213-061-6.

COOKE , Lucy. A Little Book of Sloth. 64p. photos. S & S/McElderry. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4557-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4558-1. LC 2012018737.

COY , John. Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball. illus. by Joe Morse. 32p. bibliog. photos. Carolrhoda. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6617-1; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8723-7. LC 2011021235.

DAVIES , Nicola. Deadly!: The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth. illus. by Neal Layton. 64p. glossary. index. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6231-8. LC 2012942414.

FLOOD , Nancy Bo. Cowboy Up!: Ride the Navajo Rodeo. 48p. bibliog. photos. websites. Boyds Mills/Wordsong. Mar. 2013. RTE $17.95. ISBN 978-1-59078-893-6. LC 2012949009.

FORBES , Scott. China: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know. ISBN 978-1-74321-427-5.
SCOTT , Janine & Peter Rees. Australia: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know. ISBN 978-1-74321-422-0.
––––. Great Britain: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know. ISBN 978-1-74321-421-3.
ea vol: 96p. (Not-For-Parents Series). illus. index. maps. photos. reprods. Lonely Planet. 2012. pap. $14.99.

FOX , Kathleen. A Book Is Just Like You!: All About the Parts of a Book. illus. by John Wallace. 32p. glossary. UpstartBooks. 2012. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-60213-060-9.

GARCIA , Emmett “shkeme.” Sister Rabbit’s Tricks. illus. by Victoria Pringle. 40p. Univ. of New Mexico Press. 2013. pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-0-8263-5268-2. LC 2012017307.

GEORGE , Jean Craighead. The Eagles Are Back. illus. by Wendell Minor. 32p. websites. Dial. Mar. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3771-6. LC 2012005717.

HELD , George. The Yard Critters. Bk. 1. illus. by Joung Un Kim. 32p. (Neighbors Series). Filsinger & Co. 2012. RTE $20. ISBN 978-0-916754-25-9.

HELD , George. The Yard Critters Too. Bk. 2. illus. by Joung Un Kim. 32p. (Neighbors Series). Filsinger & Co. 2013. RTE $20. ISBN 978-0-916754-26-6. LC 2012937095.

HERRINGTON , Lisa M. Back-to-School Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28967-9. LC 2012013372.
––––. Bicycle Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28968-6. LC 2012013377.
––––. Car Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28969-3. LC 2012013373.
––––. Fire Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28970-9. LC 2012013375.
––––. Internet Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28971-6. LC 2012013376.
––––. Stranger Safety. ISBN 978-0-531-28972-3. LC 2012013378.
ea vol: 32p. (Rookie Read About Safety Series). glossary. index. photos. websites. Children’s Press. 2012. PLB $23.

HODSON , Sally. Granny’s Clan: A Tale of Wild Orcas. illus. by Ann Jones. 32p. further reading. glossary. photos. websites. Dawn. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58469-171-6. LC 2011049431.

HOPKINS , Jackie Mims. Prairie Chicken Little. illus. by Henry Cole. 32p. Peachtree. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-694-9. LC 2012025540.

JOCELYN , Marthe. Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight. 64p. illus. photos. Candlewick. Mar. 2013. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5648-5. LC 2012942615.

KANER , Etta. And the Winner Is…: Amazing Animal Athletes. illus. by David Anderson. 32p. glossary. maps. Kids Can. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-904-8.

KELLY , David A. Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball. illus. by Oliver Dominguez. 32p. Millbrook. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8092-4; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-1052-7. LC 2012020917.

KERLEY , Barbara. The World Is Waiting. 32p. photos. National Geographic. Mar. 2013. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-4263-1114-7; PLB $26.90. ISBN 978-1-4263-1115-4.

LAWRENCE , Ellen. A Bird’s Life. ISBN 978-1-61772-595-1. LC 2012012472.
––––. A Chameleon’s Life. ISBN 978-1-61772-596-8. LC 2012012184.
––––. A Dragonfly’s Life. ISBN 978-1-61772-594-4. LC 2012019344.
ea vol: 24p. (Animal Diaries Life Cycles Series). further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Bearport. 2012. PLB $23.93.

MCGRATH , Barbara Barbieri. The Little Gray Bunny. illus. by Violet Kim. 32p. Charlesbridge. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-394-7; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-395-4. LC 2012000788.

MACLACHLAN , Patricia & Emily MacLachlan Charest. Cat Talk. illus. by Barry Moser. 32p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. Mar. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-027978-3.

MARKLE , Sandra. Snow School. illus. by Alan Marks. 32p. further reading. websites. Charlesbridge. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-410-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-593-0. LC 2012000790.

MOONEY , Carla. Explore Rivers and Ponds with 25 Great Projects. illus. by Bryan Stone. 96p. (Explore Your World! Series). further reading. glossary. index. websites. Nomad. 2012. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-936749-80-5.

NORWICH , Grace. George Washington. ISBN 978-0-545-48435-0.
––––. Sacagawea. ISBN 978-0-545-40574-4.
ea vol: illus. by Anthony VanArsdale. 128p. bibliog. chron. glossary. index. maps. websites. (I Am Series). Scholastic. 2012. pap $5.99.

PATRICKGEORGE . A Crackle of Crickets: A Compilation of Insect Collective Nouns. illus. by author. 48p. Trafalgar Square. 2013. pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-1-908473-00-4.

PINBOROUGH , Jan. Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children. illus. by Debby Atwell. 40p. bibliog. photos. Houghton Harcourt. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-47105-1.

SELBERT , Kathryn. War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus. illus. by author. 48p. bibliog. chron. further reading. websites. Charlesbridge. 2013. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-414-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-598-5. LC 2012000794.

SKEAD , Robert. Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio. illus. by Floyd Cooper. 32p. bibliog. Carolrhoda. Apr. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6619-5; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0954-5. LC 2012019709.

STRIKER , Susan. M Is for Mola: A Kuna Indian Alphabet of Quilted Folk Art. illus. by author. 32p. XLibris. 2012. Tr $21.99. ISBN 978-1-4771-0003-5.

TAVARES , Matt. Becoming Babe Ruth. illus. by author. 40p. bibliog. charts. Candlewick. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5646-1. LC 2012942357.

THURLBY , Paul. Paul Thurlby’s Wildlife. illus. by author. 32p. Candlewick/Templar. Mar. 2013. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6563-0.

WARD , Jennifer. What Will Hatch? illus. by Susie Ghahremani. 40p. Walker. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2311-6; PLB $13.89. ISBN 978-0-8027-2312-3. LC 2011046330.

WINTER , Jonah. You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! illus. by Terry Widener. 40p. charts. glossary. websites. Random/Schwartz and Wade. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86844-3; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96844-0; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98782-3.

Hootenanny (CDBaby.com)

Sky Color. DVD. 6 min. with tchr’s. guide. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-52331-8. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-52330-1: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-52329-5: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 2–What color is the sky? Marisol is faced with this question as her class paints a mural in the library. She chooses to paint the sky, but blue is not one of the colors available to her. She notices, however, that the actual sky is not always blue. It might be the glowing colors of a sunset, or the deep velvet black of night with scattered diamond stars, or the grey of a rainy day. This gives her the scope to create a truly memorable sky. Peter H. Reynolds’s book (2012) is part of what he calls his “creatrilogy”—which includes The Dot (2003), and Ish (2004, all Candlewick, Weston Woods). As with the other two titles, Sky Color celebrates art and the power of creative thinking. Reynolds’s flowing watercolor illustrations against a stark white background have been beautifully animated. Sisi Aisha Johnson reads with a crisp, young voice as original, sprightly music by Ernest Troost plays in the background and sound effects draw listeners in. A read-along subtitle option is available. In a short interview, the author/artist explains his views about stories and art and encourages students to think creatively. Everyone can be an artist. This is optimistic and inspiring—a wonderful prelude to any class art project. It encourages young artists to think outside the paint box.–Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. DVD. 8 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-50221-4. $59.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-50223-8: $29.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-50222-1: $12.95.
PreS-K–Dramatically narrated by Dion Graham, Sherri Duskey Rinker’s story (Chronicle Books, 2011) of a crane, a cement mixer, a dump truck, a bulldozer, and an excavator at work on a city construction site winding down for the night is soothingly charming. Graham gives each machine a distinctive voice, and makes the most of every crunch, roar, and snore in the author’s rhyming text. The accompanying music by Jon Carroll begins jauntily as each machine performs one last task and then slows to appropriate bedtime pace as it gets ready for sleep. The video is true to Tom Lichtenheld’s wonderful illustrations with expressive, anthropomorphic faces for the trucks, a glorious sunset in tones of red, and a smiling moon overseeing the bedtime preparations. The warmth of the colors, the fading light, the moonlight, and the star captured by Crane Truck for a night light make for a cozy antithesis to a normal construction site. The most special moments from the book that are brought to life with animation are when the Crane Truck snuggles his teddy bear close and when a sleepy neighbor yells out the window, “Pipe down!” to the powerfully snoring Dump Truck. Subtitles are optional. Both the video and audio productions are superior versions of an exceptional picture book.–Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH

Merry Christmas, Splat. DVD. 6 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-52331-8. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-52330-1: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-52329-5: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 2–Splat is a rambunctious cat with only the best of intentions at Christmas. Determined to earn a really big present from Santa, Splat spends Christmas Eve being ever so helpful to his mother by doing unhelpful chores. The exhausted feline heads to bed and lays awake waiting for Santa Claus. On Christmas morning, Splat wakes up to a quiet house with no presents. Just when he decides that he hasn’t behaved well enough to receive gifts, his family jumps out from behind the couch with a pile of presents, including a really big one just for Splat. Author/illustrator Rob Scotton’s artwork is mostly in grey tones, and the cat family (along with the background) is all black, white, and grey. However, the illustrations are far from boring, with bold pops of reds, greens, purples, and blues. The facial expressions of Splat and his family are clear and often hilarious, while their fur is fuzzy and seems tangible. The animation brings the story (HarperCollins, 2009) to life with whimsical motion. John Keating narrates, giving each character a distinctive voice. The DVD features optional subtitles, and the CD has optional page-turn signals. Children will identify with Splat’s quest for presents and will enjoy the humorous illustrations.–Jenny Ventling, Dayton Metro Library, OH

The Man Who Saved the World (Secrets of the Dead Series). DVD. 60 min. Prod. by Bedlam Prods. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2012.  ISBN 978-1-60883-788-5. $24.99.
Gr 10 Up–Re-enactments and testimony from eyewitnesses and experts explain that the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crises was far more dangerous than ever imagined. When two superpowers challenged one another, the world came close to nuclear destruction. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson, confronted the Soviets with the discovery by U.S. intelligence of ballistic missiles in Cuba. At the same time, the Soviets were concerned about U.S. missiles in Turkey. Four Soviet submarines were dispatched with “special weapons” possessing the power of the nuclear bomb that had destroyed Hiroshima. Eighty-five percent of the U.S. Atlantic fleet, including 40 U.S. destroyers, four aircraft carriers, and over 350 aircraft were determined to prevent the Soviets from establishing a base for offensive warfare in Cuba. Tensions had escalated to the breaking point when Soviet submarine B-59 prepared to fire its “secret weapon.” However, the launch required more than the two halves of the key possessed by the submarine captain and its political officer. The commander of the fleet, Vasili Arkhipov, had the third piece required to fire the nuclear torpedo and refused to do so because he had already witnessed the horrible death caused by nuclear exposure. Had the torpedo been launched, the U.S. would have sent their readied aircraft to the Soviet Union to drop nuclear bombs, and our world would never have been the same. This documentary demonstrates how one man changed the course of history. Students and teachers of U.S. history and currents affairs will be thoroughly engaged by this film that will stimulate discussion about current concerns of nuclear arsenals throughout the world.–Ann Weber, Bellarmine College Prep., San Jose, CA

Wapos Bay, Season 3 (Series). 6 DVDs. 24 min. ea. with tchr’s. guides online. Prod. by Wapos Bay Prods. and National Film Board of Canada. Dist. by National Film Board of Canada. 2012. ISBN unavail. $335 ser. Includes: A Mother’s Earth; Going for the Gold; Raven Power; Lights, Camera, Action; Dance, Dance; Raiders of the Lost Art.
Gr 2-6—Produced in lovely stop-motion animation, this series, set in a remote Cree community in northern Saskatchewan, gets viewers to join in the lives of three children—Raven, Talon, and T-Bear—and the other members of their community. It provides a realistic view of modern Cree life, with touches of humor and a strong cultural undertone. The episodes cover many relevant issues. Raven tries to discover who she really is for a school assignment. Talon participates in the Indigenous Games by playing golf, but risks losing his friend, T-Bear. The women of the community leave the men to fend for themselves when they are under-appreciated. The community’s children are given an opportunity to celebrate their heritage through film for Treaty Days, but two competing projects emerge. Can cooperation be the key to success? T-Bear would rather dance than wrestle, but hates to disappoint his father. In the last episode, rock paintings are discovered and graffiti artists hit the community—are the two events related? These segments focus on important themes—identity, perseverance, jealousy, cooperation, heritage, and being true to yourself. Along the way there’s humor that will set both children and adults chuckling and messages everyone will appreciate. The programs can be viewed in English, French, or Cree. This is a good addition to multicultural collections, but the programs are also a lot of fun and can be appreciated on many other levels.–Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA

Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, the Gallows, and the Black General Gabriel. By Gigi Amateau. 5 CDs. 5:04 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-0528-8. $54.97.
Gr 7 Up–JD Jackson brings to life Amateau’s historical novel (Candlewick, 2012) set in Colonial Virginia prior to the Civil War with passion and a deep, emotional, and fully voiced performance that perfectly matches each turn of events. With almost poetic pacing, Jackson becomes Gabriel, a slave who has been educated alongside the slave master’s son, but harshly and bitterly faces the wretched reality when he is removed from his mother’s care and sent to Richmond. As he learns his trade as a blacksmith, he becomes inspired and, always believing he was meant to live free, works toward earning enough money to buy his freedom. As Gabriel ultimately becomes the leader in a planned slave rebellion, listeners are drawn into each heartbreaking and painful scene. Peppered with news articles, legal proclamations, and historical news accounts, Jackson effectively alters his voice so it’s clear that the focus has shifted. There are scenes that are alternately quiet, loving, hateful, and intense, and Jackson portrays each with ease. Listeners’ perceptions will be changed and they will be haunted at the book’s conclusion, and left pondering one of the darkest and most disturbing times in history. This fictionalized biography of a rebel leader would be a fantastic supplement to classroom studies of the time period.–Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There. By Catherynne M. Valente. 7 CDs. 8:21 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4418-7767-3. $79.97.
Gr 5-8–Valente returns listeners to Fairyland in this sequel (2012) to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011, both Feiwel and Friends). An awkward and lonely girl, September consoles herself with the delicious secret that she has been to Fairyland and saved it from an evil queen. On an ordinary day, after a long, impatient wait, September trips over a wall and falls into Fairyland where she discovers that things are not as she left them. The shadows of the inhabitants are being sucked into Fairyland-Below. September begins a quest, along with her dear companions A Through L, a Wyvern (a sweet, loyal, and dragonish beast), and Saturday, a Marid (a bluish boy). Divinely verbose, Valente’s brilliantly crafted words evoke exquisitely lush and detailed images in the listener’s imagination. She seamlessly and brilliantly blends elements of fantasy, mythology, and historical fiction to create a magical world so cunningly described that it’s utterly believable. Startling truths reminiscent of J. M. Barrie, L. Frank Baum, and others ground the story and give it depth. Singer/songwriter S.J. Tucker’s satiny voice blankets and captivates listeners. She is a storyteller in the classic sense, and voices lively, distinct characters, some with hints of exotic accents. It is not imperative that listeners are familiar with the first book, but it will lend clarity to some details of the story.–Lisa Hubler, Charles F Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH

Torn. By Stephanie Guerra. 6 CDs. 7:12 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-1522-8. $49.97.
Gr 9 Up–Guerra’s gritty novel (Amazon Children’s Pub., 2012) is a spectacularly realistic portrait of a teen torn between her former friends and the new girl in school, running the family household and having fun in high school, and being a friend who goes along with anything or one who really cares. Often stories like this are moralistic, with the good girl celebrated and the bad one shunned. But sometimes the choices aren’t so clear-cut. Stella is a senior, a soccer player, and has hung around with the same group of girls since elementary school. When Ruby arrives in school one day, Stella is intrigued by her aloofness and her disregard for the rules. Ruby is a wild child—she sneaks out, smokes weed, dates college guys, and seemingly has no parental oversight. Stella is a good kid and, despite knowing Ruby is “trouble,” she likes her and begins taking on the role of parent when Ruby acts out. Both girls have good hearts, and that’s the basis for their friendship. With Stella’s responsibilities at home, a little wildness is just what she needs and Ruby can provide it. However, when Ruby begins dating an older man and turns to drugs, Stella begins looking into his life. What she finds out is dangerous. Does she intervene to save Ruby and risk losing a friendship in order to save her friend? This is a wonderful story with real characters in real situations. Casey Holloway’s narration is as authentic as the story she is telling. A compelling listen that won’t stay on the self.–Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Action! Fun! Dance! for Kids. Performed by The Learning Station. CD. 43 min. with booklet. Learning Station. 2012. ISBN unavail. $15.
PreS-Gr 2–Veteran children’s entertainers The Learning Station (Don Monopoli, Laurie Monopoli, and Jan Hrkach) return with another round of 14 rousing songs that get listeners up and moving. Whether they’re singing about “Herman the Worm,” “Icky Sticky Bubblegum,” or “Doctor Knickerbocker,” kids will enjoy following the action prompts in these upbeat tunes. Also included are adaptations of the welcoming Western Africa song “Funga Alafia”; the salsa-based “Zumba Dance”; the “Jamaican Dance”; and “Shabooya,” a dance call song that features the swim, the bunny hop, and the monkey. The Learning Station is joined on many of the numbers by the USA Kid Singers, and results are terrific. The accompanying booklet contains the lyrics and action instructions for the songs. Since each number runs about three minutes, these would be great for story times, during movement breaks in the classroom, or at home when kids need to release some energy. A fantastic addition to every collection.–Veronica De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library, IL

Carnival of the Animals. CD. approx. 70 min. with booklet. Maestro Classics. 2012. ISBN 978-1-932684-09-4. $16.98.
PreS-Gr 5–Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals is the perfect choice for helping young listeners appreciate classical music. One of the interesting facts they will learn is that Saint-Saëns refused to have this work (composed for a Mardi Gras party) published until after his death (which occurred in 1921). Yadu  (aka Dr. Konrad Czynski) reads the humorous verses penned by Ogden Nash in 1950, when he was commissioned to do so by conductor André Kostelanetz, while the London Philharmonic Orchestra gives outstanding performances of the various movements. Bonnie Ward Simon narrates a brief biography of Saint-Saëns, and Stephen Simon tells listeners which instruments mimic the animals. The CD also includes “Au Clair de la Lune” by Jean-Baptiste Lully, sung in French and English, as Saint-Saëns wove this song into the movement “Fossils.” The booklet includes all the animal verses by Nash, a short biography of Saint-Saëns, and the score and lyrics for “Au Claire de la Lune.” Featuring excellent vocal and instrumental performances, this is a wonderful example of how classical music can be introduced to children.–Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Hootenanny. Performed by Steve Pierson. CD. approx. 42 min. Prod. by Got the Blues Music. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2013. ISBN unavail. $14.95.
PreS-Gr 3–For their second album for kids, Steve Pierson and his Los Angeles-based band Jambo rock as they perform 14 original feel-good songs by Pierson. The numbers display a wide range of musical styles, with a bluesy thread coursing throughout—a reflection of Pierson’s musical background. Lyrics are on target for the school-age set and pull no punches, yet always maintain a kid-friendly and relevant perspective. The band is packed with a powerhouse of professional musicians who are very polished, never missing a beat. Melinda McGraw harmonizes beautifully throughout. The album opens with “Hootenanny,” a call to get up and dance and closes with the lovely acoustic lullaby “Begin the Day Again.” Other standouts include “Let’s Be Friends” (about the importance of friends), “Try” (a bluegrass tune that encourages taking a risk for great rewards), “Be Yourself” (a bluesy encouragement to stay true to yourself), “Your Sweet Smile” (a delightful ditty about a parent’s love), “Don’t Play with Your Food” (a blues number that features three young girls, including Pierson’s daughter), and very grown-up sounding samba “Groovy Day” (about experiencing a perfect day). A s�urefire hit.–Stephanie Bange,Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Lullaby. Performed by Justin Roberts. CD. 38 min. Justin Roberts Music. 2012. ISBN unavail. $15.
PreS-Gr 2–Grammy-nominated children’s singer/songwriter Justin Roberts returns with an album devoted to the most gentle of songs—lullabies. These aren’t your grandmother’s lullabies though. Featuring rich melodies performed by musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, these ten original compositions will capture the heart and sooth the mind after a busy day of play. Roberts’s voice beautifully combines with strings and a variety of other instruments such as the French horn and oboe to create a serene atmosphere. Many of the lovely lyrics refer to the sky, the moon, the stars, and the soothing thought of cradling the listener all night through. Parents will want to give their children big hugs and cuddles while tucking them in after listening to this wonderful album. A must have for every collection.–Veronica De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library District, IL

Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World. By Sid Fleishman. 3 CDs. 3:40 hrs. AudioGo. 2012. ISBN 978-1-935430-92-6. $39.95.
Gr 5 Up–A strange way of walking, an odd wardrobe, and extreme over-the-top gestures are just some of the characteristics of Charlie Chaplin. Listeners will learn a lot more about the man behind the hat and mustache in this biography. Fleishman has penned (Greenwillow, 2010) a detailed account of this beloved silent-movies comedian, from his life of poverty as a child in the London slums living with an alcoholic father, an insane mother, and shy tendencies to his glory days on the stage and in movies to to his being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Fred Sullivan’s narration is superb, with just the right accents and pacing. No humor is lost in this verbal description of Chaplin’s more notable acts as Fleishman depicts his slapstick comedy routines that called for lots of physical humor. This well-research account will enthrall listeners.–Katie Llera, Sayreville Middle School, NJ

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The following titles are reviewed in the March print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

DVD

Health

The Biggest Myths about STIs. DVD. 22 min. with tchr’s. guide. Human Relations Media. 2012. ISBN 978-1-55548-912-0.$149.95.

HPV: What Every Teen Needs to Know. DVD. 20 min. with tchr’s. guide. Human Relations Media. 2012. ISBN 978-1-55548-797-3. $149.95.

Rock Your Taste Buds. DVD. approx 16 min. with tchr’s. guides, student worksheets. Jump with Jill. 2012. ISBN unavail. $50.

Language Arts

Critter Sitter & Lulu’s Magic Wand. DVD. 27 min. with tchr’s. guide. Nutmeg Media. 2012. ISBN 1-933938-89-7. $69.95.

Music

Sing Me Your Story. DVD. approx. 42 min. Two of a Kind. 2013. ISBN unavail. $14.98.

Science

All about Food Additives. DVD. 20 min. with tchr’s. guide. Prod. by VEA. Dist. by Films Media. 2012. ISBN unavail. $129.

Deserts (Global Environments Series). DVD. 18 min. with tchr’s. guide online. Prod. by VEA. Dist. by Films Media. 2012. ISBN unavail. $129.

Iris the Happy Professor, Vol. 2. DVD. 73 min. Organa. 2012. ISBN unavail. $19.95.

NOVA scienceNOW: What Makes Us Human? DVD. 60 min. Prod. by WGBH Educational Foundation. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2012. ISBN 978-1-60883-802-8. $24.99.

Out on the Prairie & Deep in the Swamp. DVD. 15 min. with tchr’s. guide. Nutmeg Media. 2012. ISBN 1-933938-92-7. $69.95.

Shattered Sky. DVD. 57 min. Prod. by Dorst Media Works. Dist. by Bullfrog Films, 2012. ISBN 1-93777-237-3. $250.

A Wild Idea. DVD. 26 min. Video Project. 2012. ISBN unavail. $79.

Social Studies

Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War. DVD. 60 min. Prod. by Crossing the Line Prods. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2013. ISBN 978-1-6088-3794-6. $24.99.

Drive Thru History: Philadelphia and the Founding Fathers (American History Series). DVD. 25 min. New Dimension Media. 2011, 2012 release. ISBN 978-1-60721-118-1.  $49 single site, $159 multi site.

55 Socks. DVD. 13 min. National Film Board of Canada. 2012. ISBN unavail. $129.

Follow the Leader: Politics Isn’t Just Child’s Play. DVD. 74 min. followtheleader.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $179.95.

Audio

Many of these titles are available for download and/or in Playaway format. Check distributors’ websites, playaway.com, and audio download retailers for availability and price.

Bilingual

Gracias/Thanks. By Pat Mora. CD. 23:17 min. with hardcover book. Lorito Books. 2012. ISBN 978-0-98-835-610-8: $28.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-98-835-611-5. $12.95.

Language Arts

The Art of Keeping Cool. By Janet Taylor Lisle. 5 CDs. 5:18 hrs. AudioGo. 2012. ISBN 978-1-935430-93-3. $54.95.

Ashes of Twilight.

By Kassy Taylor. 8 CDs. 9:24 hrs. AudioGo. 2012. ISBN 978-0-7927-9199-7-9. $74.95.

Battlefield Earth. By L. Ron Hubbard. 44 CDs. 47 hrs. Galaxy Press. 2013. ISBN unavail. $89.95.

Betrayal: An Empty Coffin Novel. By Gregg Olsen. 8 CDs. 9:07 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-4332-9. $69.97.

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake. By Michael Kaplan. CD. 13 min. with hardcover book. Live Oak Media. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4301-1132-0. $29.95.

Crown of Embers: The Fire and Thorns Trilogy, Book 2. By Rae Carson. 10 cassettes or 10 CDs. 11:30 hrs. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4640-4929-3. CD: ISBN 978-1-4640-4930-9. $108.75.

Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves. Edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kennedy. 6 CDs. 6:31 hrs. Brilliance Audio. ISBN 978-1-4692-5301-5. $59.97.

Deviants: The Dust Chronicles, Book 1. By Maureen McGowan. 7 CDs. 8:37 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-0463-5. $49.97.

Fishtale. By Hans Bauer and Catherine Masciola. 4 CDS. 4:34 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-1511-2 $49.97.

Flat Out Love. By Jessica Park. 8 CDs. 9:47 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-5305-2. $49.96.

Freakling. By Lana Krumwiede. 6 CDs. 6:38 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4602-0632-5. $54.97.

Guts. By Gary Paulsen. 2 CDs. 2:24 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-0472-6. $39.97.

The High Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate. By Scott Nash. 5 CDs. 5:15 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-0633-2. $54.97.

Iron Hearted Violet.

By Kelly Barnhill. 6 CDs. 7:22 hrs. Hachette for AudioGo. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61969-592-4. $59.99.

It’s a Tiger. By David LaRochelle. cassette or CD. 15 min. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4703-2983-9, CD: ISBN 978-1-4703-2975-4. $15.75; hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-8118-6925-6: $16.99.

Kiss and Make Up. By Kate D. Anderson. 8 CDs. 9:32 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-1514-3. $49.97.

Life on Hold. By Karen McQuestion. 5 CDs. 5:08 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-3108-2. $49.97.

The Lost Flower Children. By Janet Taylor Lisle. 2 CDs. 2:23 hrs. AudioGo. 2012. ISBN 978-1-935430-94-0. $29.95.

Monument 14.

By Emmy Laybourne. 6 CDs. 7 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-5004-5. $54.97.

Not Exactly a Love Story. By Audrey Couloumbis. 5 CDs. 6:14 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-385-36137-8. $45.

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. By Leslea Newman. 2 CDs. 1:20 hours. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN: 978-1-4692-0636-3. $53.97.

The River of No Return: The Jaguar Stones, Book 3.  By J and P Voelkel. 8 CDs. 9:42 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Listening Library. 2012. ISBN 978-0-307-71209-7. $60.

The Silence of Murder. By Dandi Daley Mackall. 8 CDs. 9:06 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-385-36149-1. $50.

Sneak: Swipe Series. By Evan Angler. 7 CDs. 8:25 hrs. Oasis Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61375-636-0. $48.99

Soccerland. By Beth Choat. 5 CDs. 5:48 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-1520-4. $49.97.

3 Below: A Floors Novel. By Patrick Carman. 5 CDs. 6 hrs. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-46616-5 $25.99.

Tiltawhirl John. By Gary Paulsen. 3 CDs. 3 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-4129-6. $39.97.

Will Sparrow’s Road. By Karen Cushman. 4 CDs. 5:10 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-449-01470-7. $30.

Zom-B. By Darren Shan. 3 CDs. 3:44 hrs. Hachette for Audio Go. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61969-549-8. $49.99.

Music

Because I Said So! Performed by Big Bang Boom. CD. 29 min. CDBaby.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $12.

Come Sing Along with Janie Next Door. Performed by Jane Christison. CD. 45 min. with lyrics. Prod. by Music with a Smile Prods. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2010, 2012 release. ISBN unavail. $14.98.

I’m So Glad. Performed by Alex & the Kaleidoscope Band. CD. approx. 35 min. CDBaby.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $10.

It’s Not Fair to Me. Performed by BillHarley and Keith Munslow. CD. approx. 35 min. Prod. by Round River Records. Dist. by Allegro/New Sound. 2013. ISBN unavail. $14.99.

Outer Space. Performed by Dino O’Dell & The T-Rex All Stars. CD. 33 min. AV Café. 2012. ISBN unavail. $15.

Yes! Performed by Wayne Potash. CD. 48 min. Happy House Records. 2013. ISBN unavail. $15.

Religion

The Preschooler’s Bible. By V. Gilbert Beers. 2 CDs. 2 hrs. Oasis Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61375-301-9. $12.99.

Social Studies

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust. By Doreen Rappapport. 5 CDs. 4:37 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4692-0625-7. $64.97.

Looking at Lincoln. By Maira Kalman. CD. 10:17 min. with hardcover book. Spoken Arts. 2012. ISBN 0-8045-4241-4. $29.95.

CD-ROM

Health

Nutrition Labels: Reading between the Lines. CD-ROM. Windows/Mac. with tchr’s. guide online. Learning Seed. 2012. ISBN 978-1-55740-620-0. $99.

The books listed below are the latest installments in ongoing fiction series that are well-known to most of our readers. We assume that purchase will be based on popularity of previous titles. Among these titles are fast-paced adventures, thrilling fantasies, hilarious middle-grade reads, and more.

Elementary and Middle School

BLADE, Adam. Fire and Fury. Bk. 4. 192p. (The Chronicles of Avantia Series). Scholastic. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-545-36154-5. Gr 5-7

BURGIS, Stephanie. Stolen Magic. 388p. (Kat, Incorrigible Series). S & S/Atheneum. Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9451-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3382-3. LC 2011042347. Gr 5-8

BYNG, Georgia. Molly Moon & the Monster Music. 310p. HarperCollins/Harper. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-166163-1. LC 2012952450. Gr 4-6

COLE, Steve. Z. Apocalypse. 276p. Philomel. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25255-6. Gr 6-9

COVEN, Wanda. Heidi Heckelbeck Is Ready to Dance! illus. by Priscilla Burris. 118p. S & S/Little Simon. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5192-6; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5191-9. LC 2011046288. Gr 1-3

ENGLISH, Karen. Nikki & Deja: Substitute Trouble. illus. by Laura Freeman. 112p. Clarion. July 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-61565-3. Gr 1-4

GIFF, Patricia Reilly. Zigzag Zoom. Bk. 8. illus. by Alasdair Bright. 80p. (Zigzag Kids Series). Random/Wendy Lamb Bks. Apr. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74275-7; PLB $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99075-5; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97703-8; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97704-5. Gr 2-4

GILMAN, Charles. Teacher’s Pest. Bk. 3. illus. by Eugene Smith. 176p. (Tales From Lovecraft Middle School Series). Quirk. May 2013. Tr $13.99. ISBN. Gr 6-8

HARPER, Charise Mericle. Just Grace and the Trouble with Cupcakes. illus. by author. 208p. Houghton Harcourt. May 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-87744-0. LC 2012033824. Gr 2-4

HARPER, Suzanne. A Mischief of Mermaids. Bk. 3. 288p. (The Unseen World of Poppy Malone Series). HarperCollins/Greenwillow. June 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199613-9. Gr 3-6

HUNTER, Erin. River of Lost Bears. 304p. (Seekers: Return to the Wild Series). HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199640-5. Gr 4-6

IGNATOW, Amy. The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham Chang. Bk. 5. illus. by author. 208p. (The Popularity Papers Series). Abrams/Amulet. Mar. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0536-6. Gr 4-6

JENKINS, Emily. The Whoopie Pie War. illus. by Harry Bliss. 160p. (Invisible Inkling Series). HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Aug. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-180226-3. Gr 2-4

JOBLING, Curtis. Nest of Serpents. Bk. 4. 494p. (Wereworld Series). Viking. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-78457-8. Gr 6-8

KLISE, Kate. Hollywood, Dead Ahead. Bk. 5. illus. by M. Sarah Klise. 144p. (43 Old Cemetery Road Series). Harcourt. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-85283-6. Gr 4-6

LOOK, Lenore. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night. illus. by LeUyen Pham. 192p. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87033-0; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97033-7; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98889-9. LC 2012011455. Gr 2-4

MALONE, Marianne. The Pirate’s Coin. Bk. 3. illus. by Greg Call. 210p. (A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure). Random. May 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97717-5; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97718-2. LC 2012017540. Gr 4-6

MATT AND DAVE. Yuck’s Pet Worm. illus. by Nigel Baines. 112p. S & S. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8150-3; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8149-7; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-81�51-0. Gr 3-4

MYRACLE, Lauren. Awesome Blossom. 384p. (A Flower Power Book). Abrams/Amulet. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0405-5. LC 2012035668. Gr 3-6

NELSON, Peter. AeroStar and the 3 1/2-Point Plan of Vengeance. Bk. 3. illus. by Rohitash Rao. 348p. (Herbert’s Wormhole Series). HarperCollins/Harper. May 2013. Tr $10.99. ISBN 978-0-06-201220-3. Gr 3-7 .

O’RYAN, Ellie. The Case of the Digital Deception. Bk. 5. 160p. (Club CSI Series). S & S/Simon Spotlight. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-7258-7; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-7257-0. Gr 4-7

PEIRCE, Lincoln. Big Nate Flips Out. illus. by author. 224p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199663-4; PLB $14.89. ISBN 978-0-06-199664-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210759-6. Gr 2-4

RIVERS, Nathan. Phoebe. Giving Up the Ghost. 160p. (Saranormal Series). S & S/Simon Spotlight. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6616-6; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6617-3; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6618-0. LC 2012938943. Gr 4-7

ROBBINS, Trina. The Bark in Space. Bk. 5. illus. by Tyler Page. 64p. (The Chicagoland Detective Agency Series). Lerner/Graphic Universe. May 2013. PLB $29.27. ISBN 978-0-7613-8166-2; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0725-1; ebook $21.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0972-9. Gr 4-7

RYLANDER, Chris. The Fourth Stall Part III. 294p. HarperCollins/Walden Pond Pr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212005-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212007-6. Gr 4-7

SALISBURY, Graham. Extra Famous. illus. by Jacqueline Rogers. 176p. (Calvin Coconut Series). Random/Wendy Lamb Bks. Apr. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74220-7; PLB $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99047-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97427-3. Gr 3-4

SIMNER, Janni Lee. Faerie After. Bk. 3. 272p. (Bones of Faerie Trilogy). Random. May 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87069-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97069-6; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97455-6. Gr 5-7

High School

CARTER, Aimée. The Goddess Inheritance. 312p. (A Goddess Test Novel). Harlequin Teen. Mar. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-373-21067-1. Gr 7 Up

DE LA CRUZ, Melissa. Gates of Paradise. 355p. (A Blue Bloods Novel). Hyperion/Disney. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5741-0. LC 2012032358. Gr 9 Up

DIVER, Lucienne. Fangtabulous. Bk. 4. 276p. (Vamped Series). Flux. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7387-3150-6. Gr 8 Up

GILL, David Macinnis. Shadow on the Sun. 424p. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207335-8. LC 2011002841. Gr 9 Up

GRANT, Michael. Light. Bk. 7. 409p. (A Gone Novel). HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Apr. 2013. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-06-144918-5; PLB $19.89. ISBN 978-0-06-144919-2. Gr 7 Up

HAMILTON, Kersten. When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears. Bk. 3. 390p. (The Goblin Wars Series). Clarion. June 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-73964-9. Gr 8 Up

HAND, Cynthia. Boundless. 434p. (An Unearthly Novel). HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199620-7. Gr 7-10

HARTINGER, Brent. The Elephant of Sur prise. Bk. 4. 226p. (Russel Middlebrook Series). Buddha Kitty Bks. 2013. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-9846794-5-4. Gr 10 Up

KESSLER, Jackie Morse. Breath. Bk. 4. 322p. (Riders of the Apocalypse Series). Houghton/Graphia. Apr. 2013. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-547-97043-1. Gr 8 Up

KITTREDGE, Caitlin. The Mirrored Shard. Bk. 3. 294p. (The Iron Codex Series). Delacorte. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73833-0. LC 2012020816. Gr 7 Up

KUNZE, Lauren with Rina Onur. Scandal. Bk. 4. 324p. (The Ivy Series). HarperCollins/Greenwillow. Mar. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-196051-2. LC 2012022602. Gr 9 Up

LONDON, J. A. Blood-Kissed Sky. 338p. (A Darkness Before Dawn Novel). HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202066-6. Gr 7 Up

MAHONEY, Karen. The Stone Demon. 336p. (The Iron Witch Series). Flux. Apr. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7387-3340-1. LC 2012035619. Gr 8 Up

MAYHALL, Robin. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Bk. 7. illus. by Kristen Cella. ISBN 978-0-7613-6005-6; ISBN 978-0-7613-8548-6; ISBN 978-0-7613-8738-1.

ROBBINS, Tring. A Match Made in Heaven. Bk. 8. illus. by Xian Nu Studio. ISBN 978-0-7613-6857-1; ISBN 978-1-4677-0732-9; ISBN 978-1-4677-0978-1.

ea vol: 128p. (My Boyfriend Is a Monster Series). Lerner/Graphic Universe. May 2013. PLB $29.27; pap. $9.95; ebook $21.95. Gr 7 Up

SHEPARD, Sara. Cross My Heart, Hope to Die. 322p. (A Lying Game Novel). HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212819-5. Gr 9 Up

SHIRVINGTON, Jessica. Emblaze. 448p. Sourcebooks/Fire. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-6846-5. Gr 9 Up The continuation of the series that began with Embrace and Entice .

STOLARZ, Laurie Faria. Deadly Little Lessons. 336p. (A Touch Novel). Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-3162-5. LC 2012013991. Gr 8-11

Photograph by David Paul Morris
(Getty Images for SLJ)

In 1993 a certain New York Times article caught author Katherine Applegate’s eye. The piece, called “A Gorilla Sulks in Mall as His Future Is Debated,” focused on the B & I Shopping Mall in Tacoma, WA, where a 500-pound gorilla languished while the humans around him determined his fate. Something about this ape named Ivan lodged itself deep into the crevices of Ms. Applegate’s brain. It wasn’t until more than a decade had passed that she returned to it. During that time, she’d written a pair of Harlequin romance novels, the enormously popular “Animorphs” series (Scholastic), a multitude of books for children, and the verse novel Home of the Brave (Feiwel & Friends, 2007). After agreeing to write two novels for HarperCollins, she rediscovered Ivan’s tale. “I found it so tragic and so compelling, but honestly, I was not sure it would work as a book,” she says. “I really had my doubts.”

Now the newest winner of the Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan has brought new attention to an author who has worked tirelessly on books for children for decades. At 56, she and her husband, fellow novelist Michael Grant, live with their two children (Jake, age 15, and Julia, 13), a cat named Lightning McQueen, and a dog named Stan (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Bob, the dog in her Newbery winner) in Tiburon, CA. Says Applegate, we “can see San Francisco, Alcatraz, and Angel Island from our porch, unless it’s foggy.”

Funny and modest to a fault regarding her recent Newbery victory, Applegate spoke with me less than a week after her historic win.

What was the first thing you ever published?
I really made my way up through the trenches, and the first thing I published were psychology quizzes in YM magazine—I think it was called Young Miss. It was kind of like Seventeen magazine. So I did a lot of that, and the first book I published was a Harlequin romance. I’m almost certain that I will be the first Newbery winner to have published two Harlequin romances.

That’s a scoop!
You know, I’ll tell you something. They are very hard to write. You follow the formula. It was a really steep learning curve. And after that, I did a bunch of ghosting. So again, I was learning to write to a specific formula. I did, I think, around 17 “Sweet Valley Twins” [books].

Was following a formula valuable?
I think it’s a little like basic training. It taught me the discipline part of the writing. The stuff you want to get away with and you can’t, the continuity errors, and the inconsistencies in characterization. I think for me, it was a very helpful tool. The one thing I never really learned well was how to meet a deadline.

Did it feel natural to you to write for a gorilla?
Well, I have to say, I’m fascinated by animals, and I’ve always been fascinated by animal communication and experiments with primate communication, but I’m not a gorilla person. I’m much more comfortable with your basic Labradors. [Gorillas are] not cute and cuddly, and I think they’re profoundly intimidating because of their size and their strength. And that pensive sort of impenetrable gaze of theirs.

So I went into it not knowing. I didn’t know a thing about gorillas. I had had a gorilla in “Animorphs” that we’d use occasionally as one of the characters. That was back in the day before the Internet, and oh, man, it would have been so much easier to write with Google around. So, I’m sure it was rife with inaccuracies, but I had this nonfiction library that Michael and I used to try to keep track of data bits about animals. But we were writing a book a month, and the time frame for doing a lot of research about any given animal was pretty limited.

Did you consider writing Ivan as a nonfiction book?
Well, I tried—my attempts at nonfiction have not been entirely successful. Once I attempted a book about elephants on the savanna, and I got maybe two chapters into it, and I realized I was starting to make things up. [Laughter]

I was grossly unqualified to be writing nonfiction. So I pretty much knew going into Ivan that there was no way I should go near nonfiction per se. But I could follow pretty precisely what actually happened, and I did go to the Tacoma Public Library archives—they were so helpful—with my kids in tow, and dug through old clippings about Ivan. It was fascinating. I went back to the strip mall where he had lived, and they have this semi-shrine there. Once a year, they open up his cage, I think, on his birthday and let people walk through, and there were tons of clippings and tons of touching pictures from little kids and that sort of thing. So I got a pretty good picture of what his life was like.

Why did you decide to write the story in a sort of prose poetry form? Was it just to give Ivan a believable voice, or was there another reason?
I am not entirely sure. I tend to look at structure before I look even at plot, which is probably why plot is a struggle for me. I think about what the book looks like and how it feels. Maybe that discipline is helpful for me in terms of finding the right words.

But when I look at big sprawly novels, sometimes… my husband just finished [writing] 500 pages. I marvel at it, because it’s so symphony and I’m so chamber music. I just don’t think that way, and it seemed really appropriate that since I was working with an animal voice that it would be small and poetic.

But that’s kind of how I write anyway, left to my own devices. That’s why I love Twitter. That 140-character thing I can deal with, but Facebook to me is like, “Oh, my God, that’s so much more work, I can’t go there.”

Do you see yourself writing another novel in the same style?
You know, I think that there’s a danger in writing the same thing. Home of the Brave was definitely free verse, and I’ve done a couple of picture books where—well, you know yourself, picture books by definition are poetry.

They’re the haiku of children’s literature, yes?
I think I lean in that direction, but I don’t want to be redundant. I’ll have to see how it evolves. Right now, the book I’m working on is in sort of choppy blocks… bigger than Ivan, but smaller than a typical middle grade [novel].

You chose to put this story in the first person, which has made all the difference, I think, for your readers. Did you also consider other ways of telling the story?
Oh, yeah, I tried everything. I definitely wrote it in third. It seemed too distant. I wrote it in different kinds of first-person voices. I wrote it in big blocky narrative pieces. That seemed like too much. Name another way I could have written it, and I bet you I did it.

Was Anne Hoppe always your editor at HarperCollins?
Yeah, and you know Ivan would not be Ivan without Anne. Honestly, it was the most collaborative and fun adventure I’ve ever had with an editor. I was working on another animal fantasy, actually, and struggling with it. Anne finally looked at me, and she said, “You know, you really want to write that gorilla book, don’t you?” I said, “Yeah, I really do.”

I attempted to be very journalistic and follow the true story of the real Ivan, but it was a pretty passive story. There wasn’t a lot happening. When I had originally submitted the concept to her, I had envisioned a fictionalized element, and Anne said, “Look, why don’t you go back and try it, because right now it’s really short and I’m going to have a hard time selling a template.” So, I went back to my original idea, and it really fell into place. Anne loves words the same way I do, and so we could go back and forth for three days trying to get a sentence just right. I love that. She’d say, “No, that’s not quite right.” “OK, we’ll try again.” And when you have that experience with an editor, you just feel so lucky.

The real Ivan passed away on August 20, 2012. It must have been kind of bittersweet publishing Ivan the same year that he died. I know you didn’t get a chance to meet him, but you attended his memorial.
Oh, that was so touching! And I almost didn’t go because, you know, announcing to the family that I’m jumping on a plane to go to a gorilla funeral can be met with a certain amount of concern. But it was really amazing.

There were maybe 100 people. There were people from all over the country. His keeper was there and a primatologist who had been vital in getting him moved and people who just loved him. People came who had grown up seeing him in the malls when they were little kids going in every Sunday and seeing him, high-fiving the glass….

They had a big wall with letters of tribute, many from children. His photo was in the middle and people talked about their experiences with him. He was apparently quite a quirky guy. Ivan hated to get his feet wet. He did not like dampness, and when he went outside, one of his quirks was that he would take a burlap coffee bag, which were regularly supplied to the zoo by a local coffee supplier, and put it under his butt and under his hands. He would slide around on the ground and get around that way.

So hanging up was a burlap bag to signify his passing. It was lovely to see that a gorilla whose life had been so tragic in so many ways still had brought together all these humans.

I was looking at the villains in your novel and in this year’s Newbery Honor books, and I have to say, they’re usually very black-and-white. In Splendors and Glooms, the bad guy could not be more evil. In Three Times Lucky, the villain is pretty bad. And in Bomb, he’s Hitler. But Mack, who’s Ivan’s keeper, is the least black-and-white. He’s got the most gray. He’s the most human, I’d say, out of all the baddies. Where did he come from?
I really, really struggled with that, and thought about that a lot because I have not met the real live people who were involved with Ivan’s life. But I am convinced from what I’ve read that the feelings about him were very complex. It was a nuanced and complicated affair. I think they probably loved him very much in their own way.

I know that one of Ivan’s caretakers, who had worked there for quite a while, traveled to see Ivan when he was reacclimated at Zoo Atlanta because she was a figure that he knew. And, you know, I think kids are very capable of understanding nuance and of grasping that life is more gray than black-and-white. It was so important for me to get that across.

One of the things that I’ve heard about your book is that it’s an animal book for people who hate animal books. And Nina Lindsay, who blogs at SLJ ’s “Heavy Medal,” even went so far as to say of it, “the animal’s gestures feel true and vivid and consistent so that I believe in each character as the animal they are.” Did you turn to anything for animal inspiration? Did your pets sneak into the story in any way?
Well, Bob, a dog who is a small sarcastic sort of sidekick to Ivan, was inspired in part by my own little lap dog. I used to have big galumphy mutts around the house and this dog, who in my home is known as Stan, is a little Chihuahua mix with a deformed paw. And he’s kind of bratty and yappy—all the things you would expect from a little dog. He actually served as a wonderful inspiration for Bob.

Do the illustrations of Bob resemble Stan?
That was what was so remarkable, the sketches came back from Patricia Castelao, and I thought they were so wonderful! I loved the way she managed to make Ivan substantive and accessible and almost cute because, let’s face it, that was not an easy task. But when I saw the dog, I went, “Oh, my God, that is Stan!”

Had she seen pictures of him?
No, no. It was just a remarkable coincidence.

So, the story everyone wants to hear is the story of getting “the call” from the Newbery committee.
Well, I was in a Residence Inn in Richmond, Virginia. My sister had just turned 50, and we were celebrating. My daughter Julia was with me and she had a really lousy bug and a fever so I had decided to stay over another day. I was busy Googling Expedia, trying to figure out what I was going to do plane-wise, and I looked over and the phone rang. It was around 9:30. I saw Seattle, Washington, on my iPhone, and I thought, “Seattle?” And then it clicked and my heart sort of stopped, and I picked it up and when they said “Newbery Medal,” honestly I thought there must have been some clerical error. I think I said, “Are you sure?” I was just sort of stunned. I’m not sure how long I sat there silently just blinking in disbelief. But I finally said, “This is the coolest moment since I gave birth to my son and adopted my daughter,” and there was a long pause, and then I forgot that I hadn’t mentioned marrying my husband. I quickly added that. There was some laughter. Then they said, “Are you sure there aren’t any other life events you want to add?”

You weren’t even aware it was that day?
I hadn’t really—I think it was probably a nice thing to have been traveling and doing other things because it had sort of left my radar, which made it even more of a shock. I don’t think I’ve quite absorbed it. That it’s for real.

Actually Michael, I believe, tweeted after the announcement: “I am married to the 2013 Newbery winner who will now make me do dishes for the rest of 2013.” True or false?
You know, it’s funny, someone read that to me in an interview I was doing. I hadn’t seen it, but I was thrilled and delighted. And I have to tell you, I came home last night and did the dishes. So there you go.

Elizabeth Bird (fusenumber8@gmail.com) is a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library and blogs at “A Fuse #8 Production” on SLJ’s website.

FLOWERS , Arthur. I See the Promised Land: A Life of Martin Luther King Jr. illus. by Manu Chitrakar. 156p. notes. Groundwood/House of Anansi. 2012. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-55498-328-5.
Gr 7 Up–Who better to give Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life story the full mythopoeic treatment than the renowned African American novelist and performance poet. Flowers’s hyper-vernacular language, swinging rhythms, and conspiratorial first-person tone lend his words a vivacity that is nearly audible. He weaves the entire history of the enslavement of black Americans into King’s story, refers to unspecified gods taking an interest in affairs, and comments on King’s speeches with impressive insight. Brilliant and engaging, Flowers’s composition should be added to the MLK canon. The art is by a scroll painter from a small village in Bengal, India, who had never heard of Dr. King prior to this project. In some ways, this is a successful pairing. The vivid colors and bold forms of Patua are appropriately emphatic, and the naive style matches Flowers’s references to “hoodoo” and his chosen narrative persona, Rickydoc Trickmaster. However, the images are repetitive, and it can be difficult to distinguish individuals. People often appear to be wearing inappropriately peaceful expressions; this, readers are informed in the back matter, is a characteristic of Patua style but might be puzzling for young people. Design also plays an important role. Images are cut into pieces for emphasis, text is artfully placed in blocks that not only enhance readability but also reinforce the counterpoint between narrative and commentary. A colorful and passionate addition to the Martin Luther King, Jr., bookshelf, perhaps best suited to classroom use.–Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

O’CONNOR , George. Poseidon: Earth Shaker. Bk. 5. illus. by author. 76p. (Olympians Series). bibliog. charts. further reading. notes. websites. First Second. Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-828-6; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-738-8.
Gr 6 Up–O’Connor’s dramatic first-person interpretation of Poseidon’s story will both fascinate readers and generate some empathy for this god who was more feared than loved. The illustrations are colorful, eye-catching, and filled with life. The artist’s visual and stylistic choices in breaking up the panels to illustrate Theseus and the Minotaur inside the labyrinth are especially delightful. Poseidon’s tale is the story of a dysfunctional family with a large number of monstrous children, and this book will send readers scrambling for the closest copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology to read more about the other characters mentioned. Luckily, O’Connor includes an Olympian family tree and lists of recommended books and websites to help readers delve further into their stories. This is a compelling page-turner for readers unfamiliar with the myths as well as for kids who love mythology but would like to see it brought to life in a new way.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

MCKAY , Sharon E. War Brothers: The Graphic Novel. illus. by Daniel Lafrance. 176p. Annick. 2013. PLB $27.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-489-2; pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-488-5.
Gr 9 Up–In this devastatingly realistic graphic novel, 14-year-old Jacob and his friends are just starting school at George Jones Seminary for Boys. The story tells of their subsequent kidnapping and near induction into the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Complete innocents at first, the boys endure near starvation, grueling conditions, and physical violence as they travel out of northern Uganda and into Sudan. Many of their experiences are difficult to read, including an incident involving Tony, Jacob’s best friend from his village, who is forced to kill an injured boy or face mutilation. Still, what went on in this part of this world in the early 2000s is an important global issue for people of all ages to be aware of, and these boys prove to be a good entry point into a difficult subject. Although War Brothers, adapted from the author’s prose novel Puffin, 2008), is fiction, it is based on interviews with survivors; “everything that happened in this book has happening, and is happening still.” With his first graphic novel, Lafrance’s watercolor artwork truly shines, depicting many close-ups that convey the deep emotions that the characters are going through, whether it be the naïve innocence of Jacob, the confliction of Tony, or the psychotic aggression of their LRA kidnappers. A truly important work that is well worth the read.–Ryan P. Donovan, New York Public Library

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Elementary and Middle School

BYRNE , Eugene. Darwin. illus. by Simon Gurr. 104p. bibliog. websites. Smithsonian. 2013. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-58834-352-9.

COSBY, Nate . Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse . illus. by Chris Eliopoulos. 96p. Archaia Entertainment. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-9363-9367-1.

GRINE , Chris. ChickenHare. illus. by author. 160p. Scholastic/Graphix. 2013. pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-0-545-48508-1. LC 2012936214.

HELFAND , Lewis. Abraham Lincoln. illus. by Manikandan. 108p. Campfire. 2013. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-93-80741-21-5.

KINNEY , Sarah & Stefan Petrucha. Small Volcanoes. Bk. 1. illus. by Stan Goldberg. 64p. (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Series). Papercutz. 2012. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-1-59707-354-7; Tr $10.99. ISBN 978-1-59707-355-4.

LINDGREN , Astrid. Pippi Moves In! tr. from Swedish by Tiina Nunnally. illus. by Ingrid Vang Nyman. 56p. Drawn & Quarterly. 2012. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-77046-099-7.

MCCRANIE , Stephen. Belly Flop! Bk. 3. illus. by author. 224p. (Mal and Chad Series). Philomel. 2012. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25658-5.

MUCHAMORE , Robert. The Recruit: The Graphic Novel. illus. by John Aggs. 176p. (CHERUB Series). Hodder, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Apr. 2013. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4449-0318-8.

SMILEY , Jess Smart. Upside Down: A Vampire Tale. Bk. 1. illus. by author. 144p. Top Shelf. 2012. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-60309-088-9.

TANEJA , Shweta. Krishna: Defender of Dharma. illus. by Rajesh Nagulakonda. 152p. Campfire. 2013. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-93-80741-12-3.

High School

SAKISAKA , Io. Strobe Edge. Bk. 1. illus. by author. 200p. Shojo Beat. 2012. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4215-5068-8.

SHAPIRO , Howard. The Stereotypical Freaks. illus. by Joe Pekar. 140p. Animal Media. 2012. pap. $11.95. ISBN 978-0-578-11217-6; ebook $4.95. ISBN 978-0-578-11218-3.

THUNG , Diana. August Moon. illus. by author. 320p. Top Shelf. 2012. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-60309-069-8.