Reviews

In honor of National Poetry Month, children's poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis picks his favorite collections for kids.

Reviews of recent encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, and atlases.

“National Geographic: People, Animals, and the World” is part of the National Geographic Virtual Library. The database allows access to full-text books on travel, science and technology, history, the environment, animals, photography, and peoples and cultures. Also included are full-text articles from National Geographic Traveler magazine from 2010 to the present, 325 videos, 655 full color maps and atlases, and 600 downloadable images.

The children’s music CD Got a Minute? features Milkshake’s outstanding vocal and instrumental performances. Be sure to read the starred review.

Stories of resistance, rescue, courage, ingenuity, and survival are beacons of light amid the dark horrors of the Holocaust. These titles document the events, help to promote understanding, and inspire a new generation of readers.

Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston. Candlewick Press. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: “I’m Valkyrie White. I’m fifteen. Your government killed my family.” Valley has been bathed, so that she doesn’t smell of wood smoke and instead smells like other teen girls. Valley has been dressed, in jeans and a T-shirt and a hoodie, [...]

We have had our discussion of the graphic history of the atomic bomb, Trinity, and now we’re suggesting more for your nonfiction graphic novel junkies. Curious about science, politics, history, and genius? Check out these titles. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón Why? For those who enjoyed the [...]

For readers seeking a thrill of adventure from the safety of the nearest comfortable chair, the following new books are just the ticket. From historical intrigue to high stakes suspense, eager and reluctant readers alike will be drawn into these stories.

Teens from the Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy review new entries from YA author standbys Sarah Dessen and Frances Lia Block, and Aussie writer Jaclyn Moriarty's quirky new novel.