When I Crossed No-Bob by Margaret McMullan

Set in post Civil-War Mississippi, twelve year old Addy O'Donnell is deserted by her mother. She is "taken in" by Frank Russell and his new wife despite the O'Donnell reputation of being "lazy, mean good-for-nothings." Addy helps around the house and even goes to school before she is drug back into the O'Donnell squalor by her pa, who suddenly appears after years of absence. While playing with a friend in the woods, Addy is an innocent witness to a very ugly Klu Klux Klan scene. This experience propels her into quickly gaining new maturity, insight, and courage. Later, a resulting court room situation will test her to the very core and change her life forever. McMullan stays true to the language and spirit of the time. The reader is constantly privy to Addy's sensitive observations and wisdom. "The world is a powerful place, but then again, so are we." Her grit and determination against
great odds will land this title on the "Strong Girls" bibliography. I'm sure the
2008 Newbery Committee members are looking at this one.

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Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

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