October 2008

The Indianhead Federated Library System presents

Starred Reviews

New and Notable Books for Young People

October 2008 * Eau Claire, WI

The books in this newsletter were given starred reviews by the following periodicals: School Library Journal (SLJ), Publisher’s Weekly (PW), Booklist (BL), and Criticas (CR). Library binding prices and ISBNs are noted. Quotations have been taken directly from the reviews. This selection tool has been created to assist IFLS library staff wade through the 5,000-5,500 children’s and young adult titles published each year. Librarians should consider which of the following books best fit their collection and clientele.

Ahlberg, Allan. The Baby in the Hat. Illus. by Andrè Amstutz. Candlewick, $16.99 (978-0-763-639-587)

(K-gr.2) “…text and pictures…go together perfectly…delightful offering. Set in colonial times…curly blonde baby falls from a window into a young fellow’s blue hat…wild and woolly journey…adventures through passing years…cumulative tale…fights with pirates…Home at last…walks down the street where he caught the baby. Now a beautiful blonde woman peeks from the window…earnest tale is in counterpoint to…fun and fabulously detailed spreads…Made for many readings.” (BL)

Alexander, Claire. Lucy and the Bully: A Concept Book. Albert Whitman, $16.99 (978-0-807-547-861)

(PreS-gr.2) “…especially thoughtful and a pleasure to look at…relationship between a sweet lamb and a belligerent little bull. Lucy loves school, but she’d love it more if Tommy wasn’t in her class…Mrs. Goosie is oblivious, even as Tommy becomes more brutal toward Lucy’s artwork…instead of telling her mother, Lucy…says nothing…gets worse…Lucy must confide in her mother…who calls the teacher…who calls Tommy’s mom. The next day a chagrined Tommy looks sad and alone; Lucy takes it upon herself to notice the excellent porcupine he’s drawing…some may object to parents actually solving the problem, but that’s the way it often works in real life…child-friendly watercolors beautifully convey a range of emotions…” (BL)

Gravett, Emily. Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears. S & S, $17.99 (978-1-4050-8948-7)

(K-gr.4) “A tiny mouse and his gigantic fears collide…encourages the fainthearted to conquer their fright through writing, drawing and collage. Spare text and delightful illustrations…striking mixed-media art captures the humorous adventures of the white mouse and his red pencil…scariest and most exotic phobias…nuanced facial expressions…his actualization reveals a delightful conclusion…” (SLJ)

Khan, Hena. Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. Chronicle, $16.99 (978-0-811-860-628)

(K-gr.2) “…Muslim holiday of Ramadan gets a vibrant, visually exciting treatment…Yasmeen, a seven-year-old Pakistani American girl…moon’s first crescent …Mom explains how in the Islamic calendar the months follow the lunar cycle…In school, she shares with her classmates details of the holiday…holiday moves week by week…author’s note explains the origins of Ramadan…celebratory aspects…upbeat town…matched by …lively, jewel-like art…” (PW)

Marty, Kelley. Twelve Terrible Things. Tricycle, $15.99 (78-1-58246-229-5)

(gr. 1-4) “This book begins with a letter to readers: ‘I’m warning you. If you turn the page, you are going to see some terrible things.’…dozen situations…range from unpleasant to downright awful…Realistic, double-page watercolor illustrations…render readers the victims of horrors such as a cheek-pinching lady, an over-the-top birthday clown…Minimal text and detailed artwork combine to convey a macabre humor that is bound to ensnare event he most hesitant readers.” (SLJ)

Milgrim, David. Santa Duck. Putnam, $16.99 (978-0-399-25018-7)

(PreS-gr.1) “On December 24, Nicholas Duck rushes out to find Santa to tell him what he wants for Christmas and is surprised to find a red coat and ‘a genuine, official Santa hat.’…overwhelmed when all of the animals he meets corner him and rattle off their wish lists…runs into Santa, at last…relays the animals’ requests, forgetting to ask anything for himself…silliness and frustration will appeal…” (SLJ)

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation. Illus. by Brian Pinkney. Greenwillow/Aminstad, $17.89 (978-0-06-082119-7)

(gr. 3-6) “…extraordinary…Rosa Parks’s efforts to take down Jim Crow. Text and illustration work in perfect sync…rhythm of the blues as cadence for the guitar strumming hound-dog narrator…evocative text is bolstered…swirling black mass, colored ink on clay board, to simulate a menacing bird—Jim Crow—that ‘pecks, pecks, pecks’…ever-present dog keeps belting out inspiring words…artwork rivets the eye…uplifting and memorable…will read aloud well, mesmerizing listeners.” (SLJ) (BL)

Rylant, Cynthia. Snow. Illus. by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt, $17 (978-0-152-053-031)

(PreS-gr.2) “…grace and exuberance…lovely collaboration…evocative words and …entrancing paintings…artwork…is full of joy…” (BL)

Sabuda, Robert. Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up. S&S/Little Simon, $29.99 (978-0-689-85364-7)

(all ages) “…enhances the already powerful enchantments…astonishing paper engineering…hybrid of period styles…Pop-up story booklets are tucked to the side of imposing pop-ups that dominate a full spread…As the book continues…becomes more surprising…Not to be missed.” (PW)

Schwarz, Viviane. There Are Cats in This Book. Candlewick, $16.99 (978-0-7636-9323-5)

(PreS-up) “Interactive pages colored with ink, paint and photo collage…jokester mood…Flaps, the first of them multi-layered and cat-shaped…die-cut pages….felines plunge with wild abandon into a tableau of sumptuous yarn…whirlwind of pure kinetic energy ensures that readers are wholly part of the impenitent kitty world…” (PW)

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. One Boy. Roaring Brook/A Neal Porter Bk., $14.95 (978-1-59643-274-1)

(PreS-gr.2) “…transform everyday words and objects into an amazing concept book…die-cut pages…vocabulary that is designed to show words inside other words…tribute to wordplay that is unmatched…On readers’ first trip through the text, it will appear that the 10 objects are loosely linked only by their spelling patterns…As the story concludes…it becomes clear that all of the art was painted by the ‘one boy’ who started it all…preschoolers will enjoy…children who are beginning to develop their sight vocabulary…will most appreciate Seeger’s efforts…” (SLJ) (BL)

Wheeler, Lisa. Boogie Knights. Illus. by Mark Siegel. Atheneum, $16.99 (978-0-689-876-394)

(K-gr.3) “Mosters galore show up at a spooky castle for a whimsical Madcap Monster Ball…seven knights with unusual names are awakened at various times and join in the fun…young prince investigates…wild and crazy time is had by all…cartoon illustrations perfectly catch all of the high-flying whimsy…surreal and chaotic…amusing details…”(BL)

Ziefert, Harriet. Snow Party. Illus. by Mark Jones. Blue Apple (Chronicle dist.), $16.95 (978-1-934706-28-2)

(PreS-gr.3) “When the first snow of the year coincides with winter solstice…magical convergence…snow people come from far and wide to celebrate….by the time the last page is turned, even kids in the Sunbelt will be cheering…illustrations… emotional and fantasy counterpoint to the quiet intensity of…reportorial text…plenty of detail…” (PW)

Juvenile Fiction

Emerson, Kevin. Carlos Is Gonna Get It. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $16.99 (978-0-439-935-258)

(gr. 4-7) “…middle school peer pressure…seventh-graders in Boston who gang up on their troubled classmate, Carlos…Trina…does not want to hurt Carlos, but she cannot stand up to her friends who bully him…partner in a science project…learns his secrets…perfectly captures the classroom power struggles of friends and enemies…terror of being an outsider…dialogue is right on…exciting climax…” (BL)

Golding, Julia. Cat among the Pigeons. Roaring Brook, $16.95 (978-1-596-433-526)

(gr. 6-9) “Cat is back for another dramatic adventure at London’s Royal Theatre on Drury Lane…desperately trying to protect Pedro Hawkins, a young former slave… outstanding actor. Pedro’s ex-master, the villainous Kingston Hawkins, will stop at nothing to try to capture his ‘property’…Cat engages the whole theater company, along with the theatergoing public, in rallying to Pedro’s defense…1790s…ensemble of colorful characters, death-defying adventures, witty dialogue and narration, and lively action…outstanding…” (BL)

Kuhlman, Evan. The Last Invisible Boy. Illus. by J.P. Coovert. Atheneum/Seo, $16.99 (978-1-4169-5797-3)

(gr. 5-9) “Were…Wimpy Kid to be suddenly bereaved, his next diary might approximate this painful but often funny novel…Keeping a notebook, 12-year-old Finn Garrett…father died unexpectedly…and Finn’s black hair and pink complexion are gradually turning white…remembers perfect moments with his father…attitudes about death…pediatrician…school psychologist…” (PW)

Nuzum, K.A. The Leanin’ Dog. HarperCollins/Joana Cotler Bks., $16.89 (978-0-06-113935-2)

(gr. 4-7) “Dessa Dean, 11, was a powerless witness as her diabetic mother froze to death when they were caught in an early-winter storm…father…going out daily to check the traps while she stays behind to do the schoolwork he prepares…frequently relives the horror of her mother’s death…unable to make herself venture beyond the steps of their isolated Colorado cabin…injured dog…Dessa Dean is caught between her growing feelings for the animal and her father’s concern over their basic survival…could have been maudlin, but…spare, poetic narrative create something quite wonderful… beautiful…friendship and the power of being needed trump despair.” (SLJ)

Payne, C.C. Something to Sing About. Eeerdmans, paper, $8.50 (978-0-802-853-448)

(gr. 4-6) “Jamie Jo Morgan, a 10-year-old…afraid of bees. So afraid she doesn’t leave the house without her mother, making sure Mama is brandishing a flyswatter…new girl, Rafi, moves across the street…Rafi puts out a Puppies for Sale sign…having a puppy is a deeply held dream, but how can she care for one if she can’t take it out for a walk?...harkens back to…perennial favorites…familiar storyline about childhood fears and adds a Christian bent…explosion at the church…ponder the mysterious ways of the Lord…adults are fully fleshed-out characters…The word wholesome sometimes gets a bad rap, but here it’s leavened by gentle humor and considerable insight…” (BL)

Non-fiction

Beccia, Carlyn. The Raucous Royals. Houghton Mifflin, $17 (978-0-618-89130-6)

(gr. 4-7) “…exploding myths about European royals…stylish mélange of witty illustrations…interactive text demands reader participation…presents statements as true-or-false quizzes, then theorizes why a rumor might have come to exist…achieves that fine line between appealing to kids and condescending to them…book runs heavy on Henry VIII, his wives and daughters…allows…demonstrate a closer interpretation of specific events and to show how subjective history can be.” (PW)

Brown, Don. Let It Begin Here! Roaring Brook/Flash Point, $17.95 (978-1-596-4322-1-5)

(gr. 2-4) “…distills the fairly complex story of the beginning of the American Revolution in a manner that deftly balances information and intrigue…breezes through some of the underlying issues…neither too dense to be approachable, nor too simplified to be helpful…blow-by-blow account of the first day of fighting…quotes from various officers and regulars…compositions…dramatically…whimsically intersect with the text…bibliography…no source notes for the abundant quotes…rousing, accessible…” (BL)

Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks., $28.99 (978-0-375-93618-0)

(gr. 6 and up) “…scrapbook approach…gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln…insightful portrait…personal and concrete…Mary’s early life…ambitions for her husband, and her role as ‘first lady.’…Large and small details are juxtaposed with specifics about Lincoln…follows Mary’s story to the end…insane asylum…wide variety of graphics, including written and visual primary documents…hard to imagine a more engaging or well-told biography of the Lincolns.” (SLJ)

Frisch, Aaron. Dark Fiddler: The Life and Legend of Nicolo Paganini. Illus. by Gary Kelley. Creative Editions, $17.95 (978-1-568-462-004)

(gr. 3-6) “…after one look at the dramatic cover, with the spectral violinist staring back, a slight smile on his lips, they will want to find out more…includes all sorts of mysterious stories…Incidents that might sound made up are true….folksy tone of the narrative will draw kids close…breathtaking, chalklike art that resembles the work of Toulouse-Lautrec…endnote firms up the facts…” (BL)

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond. Roaring Brook/Flash Point, $19.95 (978-1-596-4307-16)

(gr. 6-9) In 2005, the dull gray of a New York City winter…Christo…Jeanne-Claude, brought Central Park brilliantly to life with their outdoor work the Gates. Bright streams of saffron fabric panels…followed 23 miles of walkways…thoughtful, eye-opening, and meticulous as the work it celebrates…original research…strive to explain why the artists would spend millions of dollars and years of time on artistic explosions that only last a matter of weeks…beautifully released photographs…chronicles other grand projects…Solid back matter…can’t help excite readers about art.” (BL)

Nelson, Marilyn. The Freedom Business: Including a Narrative of the Life & Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa. Illus. by Deborah Dancy. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $18.95 (978-1-932-425-574)

(gr. 9-12) “…extraordinary slave narrative recorded in 1798, Venture Smith remembers his capture in Guinea as a child…horrific journey…30 years of hard labor…sold and separated from his wife…original, first-person account…appears opposite Nelson’s stirring poems, which are written in Smith’s voice…poems’ elemental metaphor is the horror of people as ‘business commodities,’…Never intrusive…sepia background art…includes ink lines that evoke chains and ropes and then broken bonds…crossover title to adults.” (BL)

Olson, Tod. How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush: An Adventurer’s Guide to the Fabulous Riches Discovered in 1848. Illus. by Scott Allred. National Geographic, $25.90 (978-1-426-303-166)
(gr. 4-8) “The first book in the How to Get Rich series deftly blends story with history…lighthearted and engaging entry point into frontier life…follows three young men as they decide to try their luck as prospectors out west…book really shines—showing how very few people actually got rich panning and mining for gold…vast number claimed shares of wealth by creating the various trades and services necessary…ledger on each page tracks the young men’s finances…adding a sly element of math to this well-conceived and compulsively appealing book…” (BL)

Rappaport, Doreen. Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. Illus. by Kadir Nelson. Hyperion, $16.99 (978-1-4231-0408-7)

(gr. 3-6) “…elegant and spare as that of its subject…Abe’s backwoods boyhood …first harrowing witnessing of slaver in New Orleans…Illinois legislature and the presidency…carefully chosen words are both accessible and effective… corresponding quotes from Lincoln appear in italics…Handsome, larger-than-life paintings…all libraries will want to have.” (SLJ)

Rappaport, Doreen. Eleanor, Quiet No More. Illus. by Gary Kelley. Hyperion, $16.99 (978-0-78685-1416)

(gr. 2-5) “…dramatic picture-book biography…Before the story begins, a double-page spread is offered with just the quote, ‘Do something every day that scares you.’…glimpses of Eleanor’s early life…moves swiftly through the important moments in Roosevelt’s life…shows the way Eleanor grew into herself. Crisp sentences… bolstered by quotes…text has a smart spareness…rich, beautifully crafted paintings…a few quibbles, but overall, this is an exciting introduction…” (BL)

Raschka, Chris, retell. Peter and the Wolf. S&S/Atheneum/A Richard Jackson Book, $17.99 (978-0-689-85652-5)

(PreS-gr. 5) “…employs color, shape, line and idiosyncratic language to distinguish each cast member…utterly beguiling...Characters appear one after the other on sequential versos to offer opening monologues…lyrical style inspired by e.e. cummings….bluebird twitters a jazzy scat on a path of cheerful yellow…Gentle readers and purists alike will appreciate Raschka’s solution to the duck’s fate…inventive, spirited interpretation…” (SLJ)

Ray, Deborah Kogan. Wanda Gàg: The Girl Who Lived to Draw. Viking, $16.99 (978-0-670-06292-8)

(gr. 1-3) “…well-conceived biography. Focusing on Gàg’s up-bringing in a German-speaking community in Minnesota…deftly interweaves her narrative with passages from Gàg’s childhood diaries….Illustrations loosely recall folk art…fine naturalistic and period detail. Readers will relate to the elements…exemplary integration of primary research in a compelling, visually exciting book.” (PW)

Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Illus. by Mustashrik. Abrams/Amulet, paper, $9.95 (978-0-810-970-724)

(gr. 8-12) “…high-quality Manga Shakespeare…reaches its pinnacle…tragedy of conspiracy, warfare, and bloody revenge. Abridged text…most dramatic scenes are given plenty of room to breathe…YA-friendly mixture of classical architecture and modern weapons of war…superlative visualization…stark white and inky black…spare but intense landscape that mirrors the emotions of the characters…raw, striking and powerful introduction to Shakespeare.”(BL)

War Is…Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk about War. Ed. by Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell. Candlewick, $17.99 (978-0-763-636-258)

(gr. 10-12) “...gathering of reminiscences, interviews, letters, published articles, and literary works that brilliantly convey war’s terrible appeal…realities and lasting effects…Anyone considering enlistment will find these pieces…mesmerizing reading…uncommonly valuable source of hard information and perceptive insight.” (BL)

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Becoming Billie Holiday. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Boyds Mills/Wordson, $19.95 (978-1-59078-507-2)

(gr. 8 and up) “…fictionalized memoir…nearly 100 first-person narrative poems that detail Holiday’s life from birth until age 25…poems borrow their titles from Holiday’s songs…language is straightforward and accessible—almost conversational… captures…jazzy, candid voice…sepia-toned, nostalgic, mixed-media illustrations provide an emotional counterpoint to the text…make explicit the pain that Weatherford studiously avoids giving full voice to in her poems…Prostitution, rape, jail time and violence…but…ends on proverbial high note, before the singer’s drug use…” (SLJ)

Woog, Adam. YouTube. Norwood, $18.95 (978-1-599-531-984)

(gr. 4-6) “…interesting and informative and written in simple yet uncondescending prose that’s spot-on for the intended audience…brief history of video sharing on the Web…what getting the start-up off the ground entailed. Details of how the site works (and makes money) are explained…questions of copyright and censorship …recent ways YouTube has changed society, including its affect on the 2008 election… attractive design…glossary…list of sources…” (BL)

YA Fiction

Blundell, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied. Scholastic, $16.99 (978-0-439-90346-2)

(gr 7-up) “…1947…15-year-old Evie…sheds…innocence on a trip to Florida…stepfather Joe, back from the war in Europe…Evie falls in love with glamorous Peter, an army buddy whom Joe is none too happy to see…boating accident results in a suspicious death…Evie is forced to revisit her romance with Peter and her relationships with Joe and her mother…assumptions about all three may have been wrong…” (PW)

Booth, Coe. Kendra. Scholastic/PUSH, $16.99 (978-0-439-92536-5)

(gr. 9 and up) “Growing up with her grandmother in Bronxwood, 14-year-old Kendra…is waiting for Reneè, her 28-year-old mom, to finish school so they can get their own place…can’t help but feel abandoned when her mother gets her PhD…and then moves to a studio apartment in Harlem… emotional honesty…learns that, if she could change the past, she would not keep Kendra, the feelings of abandonment and betrayal radiate from the page…Adults…fully realized characters…Kendra’s quick acquiescence to anal sex seems to be too fast…neither graphic nor gratuitous…dynamic characters and an engaging story.” (SLJ)

Collins, B.R. The Traitor Game. Bloomsbury, $16.95 (978-1-599-902-616)

(gr. 9-12) “…compelling psychological drama…insecure and frightened Michael, horribly bullied in the past, makes a new friend in Francis…most important secret… Evgard, the fantasy world he created—and together they develop the world in remarkable detail. Michael receives a note proving that someone else knows about Evgard, he fears Francis has betrayed him…decides to play the cruel game…but Michael’s wounded paranoia blinds him to the truth. Reality is echoed in Evgard…Evgard storyline stands on its own… story has a hopeful conclusion…” (BL)

Goodman, Alison. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. Viking, $19.99 (978-0-670-06227-0)

(gr. 7 and up) “…fantasy with contemporary themes about gender identity and female power. Because women are forbidden to study Dragon magic, 16-year-old Eona disguises herself as Eon, a 12-year-old boy…compete to be an apprentice…Crippled years earlier, she is least likely to be chosen…Mirror Dragon…selects Eona…new friends…soldier eunuch…and a …transgender courtier…Eona must confront the corrupt Lord Ido and save the empire from his schemes…built-in appeal for fans of Tamora Pierce…plotting is elaborate, smart, and capable of taking the audience by surprise…” (PW)

Grant, K.M. Blue Flame. Walker, $16.99 (978-0-802-796-943)

(gr. 7-10) “…thirteenth-century Occitania…tangled religious and territorial conflicts…two young lovers, Raimon, son of a Cathar weaver and Yolanda, daughter to the Catholic Count Berenger…Cathars and Catholics live peacefully, but that changes once signs of the legendary Blue Flame appear…said to have been lit when Christ died…inquisitor…cleanse away the heretic Cathars…horrific betrayals…Characters are as complex as the moral issues they face…nuanced, thought-provoking…action suspense …romance…first book in the Perfect Fire trilogy.” (BL)

Hijuelos, Oscar. Dark Dude. Atheneum, $16.99 (978-1-416-948-049)

(gr. 9-12) “…Rico, a Cuban American teen growing up in Harlem in the late 1960s … his parents threaten to send him to a military school in Florida, he runs away. Together with his best friend…hitchhikes to Wisconsin, where Gilberto, an older-brother figure from Harlem, has bought a farm that she shares with several hippie college students….unwavering, utterly believable voice…Frank, gritty, vibrant, and wholly absorbing…” (SLJ)

Levchuk, Lisa. Everything Beautiful in the World. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $16.95 (978-0-374-32238-0)

(gr. 9 and up) “Set in the ‘80s…smart, bold confessional…high school student’s affair with a married teacher. High school junior Edna feels particularly vulnerable… irrational fears…mother’s cancer…long-ago death of her six-year-old autistic brother… flirtations with art teacher…welcome distraction…mutual infatuation spins out of control …distinctive and memorable voice…hidden concerns and secrets come to make emotional sense…wit and wry candor…” (PW)

Michaelis, Antonia. Tiger Moon. Tr. by Anthea Bell. Abrams/Amulet, $18.95 (978-0-810-994-812)

(gr. 9-12) “Deftly interweaving Indian history, culture and mythology…richly layered tale, set in India at the beginning of the twentieth century…Having failed to escape a forced betrothal to a brutish merchant…Safia is now a captive in his palace…befriended by palace servant…tell him the story of a young thief; his talking, sacred tiger…quest to retrieve the fabled Bloodstone…themes of destiny and free will…compassion and humanity…absorbing epic with diverse characters…lyrical prose…vivid imagery with droll, sometimes pointed commentary…mature plot elements…sweeping, beguiling tale…” (BL)

Myracle, Lauren. Bliss. Abrams, $16.95 (978-0-810-970-717)

(gr. 9-12) “…summer of 1969, and Bliss has been unceremoniously dumped by her hippie parents into the custody of her grandmother…adjusting to life as a freshman at a fancy Atlanta school…drawn to Sandy, a gruff and unpopular girl with a long-standing grudge against … ice beauty of the freshman class…unsettling voice calling to Bliss from inside one of the school buildings…somehow related to strange blood rituals and long-ago suicide…agile teenage drama,…high-school horror…’60’s race relations…social commentary…conclusion is a bit awkward…lead up is unbearably tense…audacious plot twist…” (BL)

Naidoo, Beverley. Burn My Heart. HarperCollins/Amistad, $16.89 (978-0-061-432-989)

(gr. 7-12) “On a Kenyan farm in the early 1950s, Matthey, 11 and Mugo, 13, are friends but not equals…Matthew’s white grandfather sailed from England and ‘acquired’ 5,000 acres. Mugo’s Kikuyu grandfather lost his ancestral land…Mau Mau rebels are determined to reclaim land…fire on the farm…Mugo’s family is falsely accused of arson…politics are sharply personalized through the daily lives of young people…afterword fills in more historical background…plot is riveting…so is the setting…friendship story is haunting…” (BL)

Phillips, Suzanne. Burn. Little, Brown, $16.99 (978-0-316-00165-6)

(gr. 7 and up) “…downward spiral of an outcast…Cameron Grady…sorely bullied freshman…escapes by running, and by playing with fire…burning matches, his skin, and a large portion of the woods near his home…Cameron’s anger is searing…turning on…other target, a classmate with even fewer defenses than Cameron, and the consequences are fatal…author challenges readers to consider who is a criminal and who is a victim…thought-provoking, incisive…” (PW)

Ryan, Amy Kathleen. Vibes. Houghton Mifflin, $16 (978-0-618-99530-1).

(gr. 7 and up) “Wearing skirts she’s made out of Mylar balloons or potato sacks…narrator Kristi marches to her alternative high school…she can read minds… Although Kristi is hostile to her mother, classmates and teachers, and genuinely nasty to total strangers, she makes herself vulnerable to readers…consistently funny in a cynical, teenage way…works in both a romance and a divorce, and reverses Kristi’s instinctive satirizing of people who care about her…with an abundance of wit.” (PW)

Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, $16.99 (978-1-416-969-938)

(gr. 10-12) “…emotionally wrenching…searing book. When Alice was 10, Ray abducted her from a class trip…After five years of horrifying sexual and emotional abuse, Alice believes no one will help her…Alice’s body is becoming too mature—and she knows Ray will kill her soon…matter-of-fact tone that magnifies the horror…. description …vivid, is not explicit…almost too painful to read…Events leading to the conclusion are too convenient, but the ending itself will leave readers gasping…” (BL)

Stiefvater, Maggie. Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception. Flux, $9.95 (978-0-7387-1370-0)

(gr. 7 and up) “…Despite her immense talent, teenage musician Deirdre fights nausea-inducing anxiety every time she plays her harp in public...handsome, romantic Luke…a stranger, he calms her before a major competition, performs a duet with her and together they win the grand prize. Deirdre can’t help falling in love…why does Deirdre’s grandmother instantly express an aversion to Luke?...ruthless faerie royalty…treacherous bargains…several layers of romance…Irish music…plot twists…Vibrant and potent…” (PW)

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash. Knopf, $18.99 (978-0-375-935-268)

(gr. 6-9) “…Sammy Keyes…sneaking up the fire escape to Gram’s apartment in a seniors-only complex, where Sammy illicitly resides, she surprises and old man sneaking down…has a heart attack…calls 911…mystery and moral quandary…generous helpings of raucous comedy…wonderfully cheeky first-person narrative…exceptionally good entry in an already remarkable series.” (BL)

Zemser, Amy Bronwen. Dear Julia. Greenwillow, $16.99 (978-0-06-029458-8)

(gr. 7 and up) “…hilarious—and surprisingly moving…Elaine Hamilton prepares French meals…writes letters to Julia Childs…Lucida Sans…occupies herself with ‘getting attention—and lots of it,’…After they meet…Lucida quickly convinces Elaine to join her schemes…kooky…over-the-top scenes…Readers will laugh throughout, but…never lose sight of Elaine’s frailties and hopes.” (PW)

Books in Spanish

Campanari, José. ¿Y yo qué puedo hacer? (What can I do?) illus. by Jesús Cisneros. Spain: OQO Editora, $17.95 (978-84-9871-048-9).
(Gr 3-6) “Señor Equis lives quietly … reading the morning paper…alarming stories … worry constantly… question wiggles its way into his consciousness: "¿Y yo qué puedo hacer?" (What Can I Do?)…while leaning out his window one morning, he asks it out loud … neighbor below asks him to go to the store…has injured her leg and cannot take the stairs. The next day… question pops out again…Through it all, he finds that he is less worried because he has learned that he can help people and thus make a difference. …softly colored mixed-media illustrations complements the rhythmic prose… gentle humor infuses the whole and saves it from being saccharine or didactic…” (CR)

Janisch, Heinz. Sombras (Shadows). tr. by Olga Martin. illus. by Artem. Colombia/U.S.: Norma, pap. $9.95 (978-958-45-1038-9).
(gr. 1-3) “On a summer day, everyone in Sergio’s family is sleeping, lulled by the heat. Sergio, however, decides to go for a walk around the city…he notices that the shadows of his snoozing family … are playing soccer! The shadows outside also look different from those who cast them…mesmerizing…acrylic cartoon illustrations… perfectly captures the mood of contemplative strangeness…”(CR)

Kipling, Rudyard. El libro de la selva: La historia de Mowgli. (The Jungle Book. Mowgli's Story) tr. by Anna Gasol Trullols. illus. by Nicola Bayley. Spain: Roca, $22.95 (978-84-96575-59-2).
(Gr 5-8) “Raised by wolves and sought by the ferocious Tiger Shere Khan, wild boy Mowgli knows the basic laws of the jungle like the back of his hand, and when he is old enough to defend himself, he engages in a heated confrontation with Shere Khan… includes three stories: Mowgli's Brothers, Kaa's Hunting, and Tiger! Tiger!...several… poems…divide the stories. Abundant artwork adds vibrant life to this beautifully accomplished translation…” (CR)

Mora, Pat. Abuelos. (Grandparents) trans. by Elena Iribarren. illus. by Amelia Lau Carling. Groundwood Books, $18.95 (978-0-88899-717-3).
(PreS-Gr 2) “… Amelia learns about the local legend of “Los abuelos,” her brother succeeds in using it to frighten her. The legend…says that each year, soot-covered old men come down from the mountains to see if the village children have behaved…however, a wonderful display of courage leads Amelia to discover the gentle truth behind the scary masks… fun, traditional celebration…Vibrant illustrations … abuelos’ ghostlike facemasks in a manner that should not frighten children…” (CR)

Velasco, José. Fernando el Temerario (Fernando the Rash). Spain: Editorial Bambú, dist by IPG, pap. $9.95 (978-84-8343-032-3).
(Gr 6-9) “In 12^th-century Spain, nine-year old Fernando desperately follows his father into a battle against the Moors, and reaches him just in time to hold him during his final moments. One of King Alfonso VIII’s knights witnesses the tragedy and decides to take the boy under his wing. …Fernando rapidly becomes one of the most important pages in the King’s court…sets his eyes on Inés, a noble girl… fascinating tale of hope, frustration, adventure, and young love…beautifully constructed …vivid descriptions written in the old Spanish style…” (CR)

Audio

Nueva York! CD, approx. 65 min. Festival Five Records, dist. by Big Kids Prods. #MA644-CD, $15.95.

(all ages) “Dan Zanes and Friends…18 family-oriented songs, all sung in Spanish…reflects the vibrant Latino heritage of the Big Apple…sights, sounds, experiences and people…styles vary…son jarocho, cumbia, Aguinaldo, bailecito…has topped the Billboard charts in both the children’s music and Latin pop music subsections…begs listeners to dance, clap and sing along…liner notes…origin…Spanish lyrics and excellent English translations…” (SLJ)

Story of a Girl (unabr.). Written and Read by Sara Zarr. 4 CDs/4:48 hours. Listening Library, $38 (978-0-7393-7133-6)

(gr. 9 and up) “…heart-wrenching, realistic…we are often defined by just one mistake…Deanna Lambert was 13, her father discovered her having sex in the backseat of a Buick with 17-year-old Tommy…she has never even kissed another boy, her reputation makes her the butt of jokes and harassment…well-rounded characters and themes of acceptance and forgiveness…Deanna’s voice rings true…” (SLJ)

We All Live Downstream. CD 45:29 minutes. Prod. By Slug Music/BMI. Dist. by Banana Slug String Band, $15.

(PreS-gr.3) “…celebration of all things water…variety of musical styles—country, rock, jazz, calypso, blues and soft shoe…environmental message…enthusiastic vocals and excellent musicianship…guitar, mandolin, dulcimer…bicycle horn, violin, cello…trombone…kazoo…superb youth choir joins in…catchy tunes…” (SLJ)

Video

16^th and 17^th Century Turning Points in U.S. History. 2 DVDs, approx. 2 hours (closed captioned), with teacher’s guide, quizzes…timeline on CD. Prod. By Centre Communications. Dist. by Ambrose Video. $79.99 set. Includes 1500-1585/1586-1619; 1619-1650/1651-1699.

(gr. 6 and up) “…chronicles the decisive events in the crucial colonial period that would lead to the founding of the United States of America…brief, high interest introductions to various events…initial European exploration and settlement of our country from Columbus’s first voyage…to the British establishment of the colonies…wide variety of presentation techniques…video re-creations, vintage artwork…contemporary footage…professional narration…captivating…” (SLJ)

Madam President. 9 minutes. Weston Woods, DVD, $59.95 (0-545-10644-3); CD with hardcover book, $29.95 (0-545-10688-5)

(gr. 1-4) “Lane Smith’s unique take on the presidency...will have children giggling and adults grinning…story follows a young girl through a typical day, viewed through presidential lenses……illustrations…have been cleverly animated…bouncy patriotic music abounds…interview with the author…” (SLJ)

Voyage to the Bunny Planet. 19 minutes. Weston Woods, DVD, $59.95 (978-0-454-09219-7), CD with hardcover book, $29.95 (978-0-545-09458-0)

(PreS-gr.2) “…three bunnies are having dreadful days in these three gentle stories by Rosemary Wells…Claire had a horrible day at school, Robert had a dismal visit to his aunt and uncle’s house, and Felix missed his good-night kiss…Bunny Planet’s queen…shows them the day that should have been…gently rhyming…Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal narrates in a gently flowing voice, accompanied by original background music…delightfully animated…” (SLJ)