Provo Library Children's Book Blog

It might surprise some people to know that Fred Astaire was never expected to be much of an entertainer or a dancer. His family focused on his older sister Adele as the "natural born dancer". Fred went along when they took Adele to New York for dancing school. He also took lessons at the school and quite enjoyed them. The teacher wanted to put the siblings in a show. He dressed them as bride and groom and they tap-danced on wooden wedding cakes. The act was a huge hit and they began their career on the Vaudeville circuit. The children traveled extensively throughout the country with their act. The going wasn't always easy. Fred was a stickler for perfection and Adele was rather lazy. Eventually Adele married and Fred was free to choose exactly what he wanted . . . to make his way in Hollywood! While not an in-depth biography, Footwork gives us a glimpse into the path Fred Astaire forged to make such a big name for himself in entertainment history.

THE SNOW BABY: THE ARCTIC CHILDHOOD OF ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY'S DARING DAUGHTER ; Katherine Kirkpatrick; New York: Holiday House, 2007; 47pgs. Biography Most of us learned in elementary school about Commodore Robert E. Peary's attempts to reach the North Pole, and, in later years, about whether or not he actually was the first to arrive. What one may not know about is Robert and Josephine Peary's daughter Marie Ahnighito, born in Greenland and raised, for many years of her young life, in the Arctic regions. The hero of this fascinating book is not Commodore Peary after all, but Marie's mother Josephine, who melded Victorian sensibilities with an expansive view of the world and of her Inuit neighbors in raising her daughter. As a child, Marie dressed in skins and fur, played happily indoors during the long Arctic night, and outdoors with her Inuit friends Koodlooktoo and Billy Bah, and their sled dogs. Marie's story is extraordinary, as is her mother Josephine's...

THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLY WHUPPIE AND OTHER APPALACHIAN FOLKTALES ; Anne Shelby; Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2007; 88 pgs. Nonfiction/Folktales Anne Shelby, a writer and professional storyteller, has got the voice just right in her collection of Southern Mountain tales about Molly, Jack, and an assortment of silly and fantastical creatures. Combining a character from the British tradition (Molly Whuppie) with crafty Jack of the South, she tells laugh out loud stories based on folk traditions of the region. Molly is a redoubtable young woman, not afraid of anything, and always willing to help. She is rewarded for her kindness with grand adventures and treasure to share. In other stories, the Gingerbread Man is transformed into a Pone of Cornbread, who runs away from Teddy Mouse, Taddy Mouse, and Little Redheaded Thing. Silly, but always instructive The Adventures of Molly Whuppie . . . are a read-aloud treasure.

THE BEARSKINNER: A TALE OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM ; retold (beautifully) by Laura Amy Schlitz (this year's Newbery winner), and illustrated by Max Grafe; Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007; unpaged. A soldier back from the wars with no work to do and nowhere to go, meets the devil in a dark wood. Satan offers him an unending supply of gold if he will enter into this bargain: shoot and kill a bear, skin him, wear the pelt for seven years without praying, washing, cutting his nails, or killing himself, because suicide would deliver his soul to the devil. At first the soldier fares well enough, but as the years wear on, he wishes to die and comes to the brink of throwing himself into a river, but sees a mother and child in need, and discovers a reason to live--giving his gold to feed the poor. Laura Amy Schlitz's retelling is spare and piercing; Max Grafe's pictures are filled with the darkness of evil choices and despair, and the golden light of redemption. Lovely!

Life-Size Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures is a fascinating and captivating book. Sharks are the main topic of discussion but many other water creatures are discussed. Although the text is interesting, the pictures are what make this book great. The pictures include life-sized shark’s teeth, krill, goblin shark, jellyfish, sea creatures and more! There are also fold out pictures of a shark’s mouth! This is a book worth checking out. Also check out Life-Size Dinosaurs, Life-Size Killer Creatures, Life-Size Reptiles, and Life-Size Dragons.

SCIENCE DETECTIVES: HOW SCIENTISTS SOLVED SIX REAL-LIFE MYSTERIES ; Editors of Yes magazine; Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2007, 48pp. Non-Fiction What a great book for budding scientists. Not only does it show, step by step, how scientists solved some of the great puzzles of the natural world, but gives kids projects to do, and explanations of the scientific method used in each case--the hunt for diamonds in the Northwest Territories; the Case of Typhoid Mary; the sudden and near-catastrophic deaths of hordes of vultures; finding proof that the Vikings reached America. Accessible prose and a funky layout ensure that young scientists will find pleasure in these pages.

To anyone who thinks writing for children is "easy", let them try to match Vulture View in content, simplicity, rhyme, and rich vocabulary. April Pulley Sayre has done a masterful job of incorporating all these elements into this book which is beautifully brought to life by Steve Jenkins' paper-cut collage illustrations. Even though each page contains a limited amount of text, Sayre manages to teach a lot about turkey vultures; what they eat, what they don't eat, how they find their food, when they look for it, and how they clean up after eating. And vocabulary! How often does a K-2nd grade child hear the words reek, tilt, seek, fragrant, and preen ? The rhyme and gentle rhythm of the text make this book a great read-aloud. A big thumbs up for Vulture View!

I recently discovered a fascinating gem in the nonfiction book, Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry . Scott Reynolds Nelson tells of his quest to find out if John Henry (of the tall tale legend) was once a real person. This is not so much a story about a man who died working on the railroad back in the eighteen hundreds as it is about Mr. Reynold’s amazing detective work in finding clues to a historical mystery. All the intriguing information, gorgeous photographs and artwork, made this book a quick read. I would recommend this book to any reader, old or young, who loves discovering obscure mysteries in history. Did Nelson find the real John Henry? Read this book and find out!

Mitten is just a left without her right mitten. Sock is neither right nor left, but he too is alone. The two halves of very different pairs stumble upon each other on a city sidewalk. They join forces to search for their other halves. A bicycle, a garbage can, the subway, some stray dogs and even the laundromat try to interfere in their quest. Through it all they stay by each others side, helping one another recover from their various ordeals. Eventually they realize that they make the perfect pair. They hug, "and from then on they were . . . SMITTEN "!

LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN ; Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales; New York: Henry Holt, 2007; unpaged. Picture Book. Why review a book about Halloween in January? Because Montes and Morales came close to sweeping the Pura Belpre awards for Hispanic children's books in American Library Association's recent competition, in both the illustration and authorial categories. Rightly so. Montes' clever Halloween rhymes combine Spanish and English words perfectly so Anglo children will learn, from context, the Spanish words. Also, combined with Morales' luscious Day of the Dead-like illustrations, the text is spooky enough to raise a chill for daring kids--and their chicken-lipped parents.

When I first saw the title for this book I new I had to read it. My grandfather always told us that his favorite color was sky blue pink. My sisters and I always argued with him that there was no such color but he insisted that there was and it was definitely his favorite color! Seeing Sky*Blue Pink is a good realistic fiction book for the intermediate reader. Maddie is a shy eight-year-old who has a lot of adjusting to do. She has a new step-father and has moved into his house in the country. She is used to city life and isn’t too sure of the remoteness of her new location. She enjoyed “perfect days” in the city with her mom when they would do their shopping and finish off with an ice cream sundae at their favorite diner. Her mother and step-father are very patient with her through this adjustment period and eventually she realizes that she can still have perfect days even though she is in a different place with different people.

Sam and Belle have always wanted a child. Their wish finally is granted by a tiny woman whom they saved from a vicious attack by a giant pigeon. When Arietta is born, the tiny magical woman, Sylvia, is named her godmother. On her tenth birthday, Arietta receives a magic cloak from Silvia and it promptly lifts her into a crazy adventure. She ends up being held captive by a lonely old magician in an ancient castle. Her family and friends join forces with cats, squirrels and some pigeons to free Arietta from the castle. This is not a spectacular novel, but a fun and magical tale for middle readers. It will most likely appeal more to girls due to the cover and the main character. However, there are also interesting boy characters that play vital parts in the story.

NIC BISHOP FROGS; Nic Bishop; New York: Scholastic, 2008; 48 pgs. Non-Fiction Nic Bishop is a premier nature photographer and this new book will be a dream to any child interested in the natural world. Frogs ranging from the bullfrogs of his native Michigan to the strawberry dart poison frog of Central America, fill these pages with splendid pictures alongside accessible and interesting information. Did you know that African bullfrogs can weigh as much as a newborn, and that frogs can be partially frozen and live through the winter because of an anti-freeze like substance in their blood?

MARTINA THE BEAUTIFUL COCKROACH: A CUBAN FOLKTALE; Retold by Carmen Deedy;Illustrated by Michael Austin; Atlanta: Peachtree, 2007; unpaged. Picture book. Martina really is a beautiful cockroach, and when she decides to wed, many suitors come calling. Her grandmother gives her good advice on how to separate the wheat from the chaff: spill coffee on his shoes and see how he reacts. Although skeptical, Martina does as her grandmother suggests. The rooster, Don Gallo, reacts with anger and promises to teach her better manners when she is his wife; the pig, Don Cerdo, promises that she must not only clean up the coffee, but many other things when she becomes his wife. At last she meets the mouse of her dreams, and the coffee test seals the deal in a surprise ending. Deedy's lyrical and syncopated prose tell Martina's story in a pleasingly rhythmic Cuban fashion. Michael Austin's sumptuous illustrations are a rich complement to the text, and the reader, believe it or not, become...

ELIJAH OF BUXTON ; Christopher Paul Curtis; New York: Scholastic, 2007; 341pp. Fiction Elijah, first freeborn child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton, is best known for urping up on Frederick Douglass when he made an historic visit to the home of escaped former slaves, and for being a bit fra-gile--scared of snakes especially. As Elijah and his friend Cooter go about their business in Buxton--going to Mr. Travis' school class, riding ol' Flapjack, chunking rocks at the fish in the pond--weighty matters swirl around them. Escaped slaves are welcomed into the community; Mrs. Holton's husband John is beaten to death back in the States; Mr. Leroy sees a chance to buy his family out of slavery, but in his anxiety to proceed, he gives his money to the wrong man, and takes Elijah back into Detroit to help him find the Preacher and save the cash. As is true of all Christopher Paul Curtis' books, Elijah of Buxton , is laugh-aloud funny, filled with tenderness and a rich human...

AIRMAN ; Eoin Colfer; New York: Hyperion, 2008, 412 pp. Juvenile/Young Adult fiction Conor Broekhart was not only born to fly, he was born flying, coming prematurely to mortality as his parents fought to survive a hot-air balloon crash. He and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland, enjoying a fine life under the benevolent reign of King Nicholas, until Conor is set up to take the fall when the king is killed, and shipped off to the terrible prison of Little Saltee. His parents and best friend, Princess Isabella, think him dead; he thinks they have chosen to believe the false charges against him and have abandoned him. Conor changes much during his imprisonment, hardening himself against the pleasant memories of his former life, and using his intelligence and determination to plan an escape that incorporates his aeronautical acumen. Airman is a straightforward, ripping yarn about wickedness in high places and courage and compassion among the young and...

The Peabody’s are very orderly people and like to have everything JUST SO! This means, “No dust, no mess, and absolutely, positively NO BUGS!” Maybelle, a lovely and sensible cockroach, lives happily underneath the refrigerator. She survives by obeying The Rules: When it’s light, stay out of sight; if you’re spied, better hide; and most importantly never meet with human feet! Maybelle gets tired of eating crumbs and wishes that she could eat off a plate just once. Her best friend Henry (the flea that lives very comfortably on Ramona, the Peabody’s cat) does his best to discourage her. But alas, The Rules are broken and Mrs. Peabody discovers Maybelle in the Soup! Chaos and confusion follow leading to a dream (nightmare?) vacation for the entire household.

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS ; Douglas Florian; New York: Harcourt, 2007; 47pp. Poetry/Picture Book As is usual, Douglas Florian's new book is filled with linguistic and artistic riches. Poems about the solar system and beyond are beautifully illustrated with gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on brown paper bags: a trident and mosaic of the Roman god ride the planet Neptune; swift feet and a car surround and decorate Mercury; everything in the vicinity circles the drain of a small but very black hole. Pluto's sad fate is memorialized: "Pluto was a planet./But now it doesn't pass./Pluto was a planet./They say it's lacking mass./Pluto was a planet./ Pluto was admired./ Pluto was a planet./Till one day it got fired." A perfect book for kids who like astronomy and think they don't like poetry. Or, for adults.

AT GLEASON'S GYM ; Ted Lewin; New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press, 2007; unpaged Picture Book Too many people will miss this remarkable picture book because they dislike the subject matter, which is boxing. But Ted Lewins' watercolors seem to perfectly capture the sounds, sights, and even smells of New York's Gleason's Gym, "just a left hook away from the Brooklyn Bridge." Whether or not you can reconcile yourself to the art, science, and sport of boxing, this is a book that perfectly recreates the atmosphere in which athletes, young and old, work so very hard to improve and to shine.

ORANGE PEAR APPLE BEAR ; Emily Gravett; New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007; unpaged Picture Book It is a shame that Emily Gravett is a Brit, because all her picture books could be in the front of the pack for the Caldecott award, if she were a Yank. Orange Pear Apple Bear is a model of economy of expression and illustration. Gravett uses only five words to tell her story (shades of Seuss!), permutations of the title: an apple sits atop a pear, next to an orange bear, etc. A work of genius, truly.

Richard Mason writes all about his boyhood mischief and pranks from the 1940s in El Dorado, Arkansas. Many of his adventures are reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Among the incidents, Richard and John Clayton steal a Christmas tree, but later redeem themselves as they give up personal wants to purchase reading glasses as a Christmas present for their friend Uncle Hugh, "just so he can read the Bible." All along Richard has had his heart set on purchasing a red Christmas scarf for his special Rosalie. The story of how he is able to finally give her the scarf is both touching and satisfying. The text is a bit repititious but seems to ring true to the period of time.

Bob is a rat who loves nothing more than reading a good book, except for cookies. One day he gets lost in a fabulous book while baking some delicious butter cookies. He is discovered by two cats who decide he will make a lovely afternoon snack. Bob delays their meal with some very clever storytelling, and some fresh-baked cookies of course. The stories are twisted versions of traditional fairy tales. The main characters are always rats, generally ancestors of Bob. Will Bob run out of stories before the cats change their minds about eating him? How to Save Your Tail: If You are a Rat Nabbed by Cats Who Really Like Stories About Magic Spoons, Wolves with Snout-warts, Big, Hairy Chimney Trolls . . . and Cookies Too is an entertaining parody of The Arabian Nights and a variety of fairy tales. The black and white illustrations throughout the book fit well with the story and add to the humor. At only 93 pages this will be a winner for the beginning chapter book crowd, but is a fun read for ...

GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE ; Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd; Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick, 2007; 85pgs. Nonfiction. This year's Newbery winner is a play comprised of a series of monologues and dialogues about medieval village life. Written as a play for students at Baltimore's Park School, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! gives children the opportunity to take the parts of a a plowboy, the knight's son, the tanner's apprentice, and the blacksmith's daughter, among many others. The voices are authentic, with explanations of archaic language and practice in edge notes along either side of the monologue. Ms. Schlitz writes truly and with a light heart, including her readers in her own feelings, as though she were talking to a school class. Robert Byrd's watercolor and ink illustrations and decorations perfectly complement the text.

Iggy Peck, Architect , dreams of building skyscrapers and bridges. From his infancy he builds fabulous structures out of dirty diapers, pancakes and chalk (not at the same time). Then Iggy enters the second grade, his teacher says, "'We do not talk of buildings in here!... Gothic or Romanesque, I couldn't care less about buildings - ancient or new. She said in her lecture about architecture that it had no place in grade two. ...You will not build in here. Is that perfectly clear?" Iggy was devastated, his dreams shattered and crushed. "With no chance to build, his interest was killed." Maybe something will happen on the class field trip to make Miss Greer understand not only the importance of architecture, but also the importance of a child's dreams and aspirations. The illustrations in this book are clever and unique. The writing at times seems a little forced. However, the message of this book stands out. All children should have the chance to dream ab...

Looking for a really good children's picture book? One that children themselves will actually enjoy? Check out Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root. It's rhythmic text and use of onomatopoeia (sound words) make this book a pleasure to read aloud as well as listen to. A group of children want to see a real moose, "a long-leggy moose- a branchy-antler, dinner-diving, bulgy-nose moose". They search through woods, swamp, bushes, and hillside. They get a little discouraged, but don't give up. Their efforts are rewarded in the end. Look sharp during their search, though. Some moose just don't want to be found until they're ready! Illustrator Randy Cecil has craftily hidden some moose (mooses?) throughout the book. A fun story, terrific oil illustrations!

No Biting, Louise is the latest from Margie Palatini, the author of several funny children's books. Louise is an alligator (it never states that specifically, she could be a crocodile, I suppose) who is in a "biting, gnawing, chomping" stage. Parents of "biters" are all too familiar with this stage in childhood development. Louise cannot resist biting other animals' hindsides and/or limbs when they come close. Even Grandmama Sadie gets her finger caught in Louise's sharp chompers. The turning point in the story, when Louise learns to stop biting, comes and goes. Just like that, she stops biting. I felt let down with this lack of resolve in the storyline. The author missed a golden opportunity to have Louise learn her lesson when, earlier at the beach, Louise grabs hold of one particular animal who gives Louise some little souvenirs as reminders to not bite him again. The best part of this book is the illustrations. Reinhart does a wonderful job bringing...

Based on a true story, "Bayberry and Beau" begins with the happy homelife of Beau, a house cat. When the owner becomes allergic to cats, Beau is shipped off to the barn. Beau is actually afraid of mice and just wants some peace and quiet in his older cat years. Life in the barn gets interesting when Bayberry, an older race horse is also retired to the barn. Horse and cat soon become unlikely friends, with Beau taking naps on Bayberry's swayed back. An interesting aspect of the book, is the fact that this a true story and the first book written by seventy-five year old grandmother, Nita Choukas.

This is a book about everything THEY don’t want you to know about. Men in black, UFOs, what is really going on in the Bermuda Triangle—this book covers it all. Each colorful page is packed to bursting with pictures and information on tons of different mysterious occurrences, government secrets, and the just plain weird. The best part is, you can either read the book back to front or follow the notations at the bottom of the page which will lead you to other pages with similar topics. Either way this is one exciting read. Boys and reluctant readers won’t be able to resist this fantastic book! And if you like Do Not Open , make sure to check out Pick Me Up a very similar book filled with the most bizarre and fascinating facts you’ll ever read.

Whatever you do, don't read this book while you are eating, while you are thinking about eating, right after you have eaten or if you plan to eat anytime in the near future. There are many disgusting things in this book yet you will feel compelled to read it anyway. Some of the information you may have heard before, but most will open your eyes to other cultures and historical eras. Full of fascinating photos and illustrations, They Ate What?! The Weird History of Food is definitely not for everyone, but those who love gross things will simply devour it!

I recently discovered two very intriguing books by the author David A. Carter. Whoo? Whoo? is the first. On page one of this book you will find one large question mark on one side and random geometric shapes punched out of the other. When you turn the page, those shapes have been glued to a backdrop to make some sort of animal. The fun is in trying to guess what animal the shapes will make on the next page. This is, at times, almost impossible but lots of fun anyway. The second book is also by David Carter, this one is called Woof! Woof! It has the same set up as Whoo? Whoo? only each shape is a part of two dogs slowly being built over the course of the book. The reader must guess which part of the dogs the shape represents. (i.e. legs, bodies, ears etc.) The pictures are extremely simplistic but loads of fun when they are complete. Both books are good for children learning how all pictures are made up of basic shapes. They will leave any child wanting to try making their own paper ...

UPRISING ; Margaret Peterson Haddix; New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007; 346pp. Advanced sixth grade and Young Adult. Yetta, Bella, and Jane are three young women who come to know each other because of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, where the course of American history and labor relations changed after 146 people, most of them young women, died in a fire in 1911. Margaret Peterson Haddix's rich retelling of that story, through the eyes of these three young women: a Russian immigrant, an Italian immigrant, and the pampered daughter of a New York businessman, is fascinating and heartbreaking. The reader knows from the beginning that two of the three girls will die in the fire, so one's growing attachment to them is both suspenseful and poignant. Period details and social issues (labor unions, women's suffrage) entwine to flesh out the gripping narrative. It is a sad truth that young people (especially boys) have little interest in historical fiction, but this book, writte...

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.

This Is Just to Say is a book of poems of apology and forgiveness. Mrs. Merz and her sixth grade class wrote these poems for a school project. They enjoyed the project so much that they decided to create and publish a book of their poems. The poems are heart felt and touching. The children accurately portray their true emotions and feelings as only a young child truly can. Each poem is written to a specific individual whom the child is apologizing to. Many of the recipients of the poems also write responses to their poem that as are equally touching. I am not normally a fan of poetry, but this book captivated me and reminded of feelings I also had as a child. It is an excellent, fast read!

APE ; Martin Jenkins and Vicky White; Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007; 45 pgs. Non-fiction A beautifully illustrated discourse for young children about the five kinds of apes in the world: Orangutan, Chimp, Bonobo, Gorilla, and Human Being. The pencil and oil pictures are the highlight of this book which tells briefly the characteristics of the great apes--what they eat, where they sleep, how they care for their young. Human beings are, of course, revealed to be the jerks of the primate world since we kill the other apes and put them in zoos. But, we are beginning to do better, according to this spare but lovely little book.

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 "Stron...

THE LUCK OF THE LOCH NESS MONSTER: A TALE OF PICKY EATING ; A. W. Flaherty and Scott Magoon; Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007; unpaged. Picture Book Back in the olden days, Katerina-Elizabeth boards an ocean liner for Scotland to visit her grandmother, only to discover to her horror that her parents have pre-ordered oatmeal for her breakfast every day of the trip. She throws it out the porthole. Full fathom five downward a tiny sea worm ("no bigger around than a thread and no longer than your thumbnail") gobbles up the oatmeal and grows larger. He follows the ocean liner eating Katerina-Elizabeth's discarded mush all the way upriver to Loch Ness, where he fears starvation until he discovers that Scottish children don't like oatmeal anymore than American children do. The author, a medical doctor, appends a commentary on how to tell if you are a "supertaster," which often makes for pickiness in eating, but the real charm is in the story itself, and its pictures....

Martine has just experienced the worst thing possible, her parents are killed in a fire, her home is destroyed and she has nowhere to go. Or does she? She finds out her guardian is her grandmother who lives on a wildlife reserve in South Africa. Martine didn't even know she had a grandmother, much less one who lived in Africa! Martine makes the journey from England unsure of what to expect. Her grandmother's letter hadn't sounded inviting, in fact it sounded like she didn't want Martine at all. As soon as she arrives, Martine hears the legend of a mythical animal living on the reserve, The White Giraffe . One stormy night she sees the supposed mythical being down by the watering hole. Martine's life is changed forever by her encounter with this beautiful creature. She gets mixed up with poacher's, a magic woman, and some cruel kids from school. A fast-paced adventure full of danger and mystery with a little magic to top it all off. Though the main character is ...

In a small village in Bangladesh, girls are only good for helping around the house. There is no way for them to help the family earn money. Naima's mother is always lamenting the fact that she has two girls and no sons. Her husband has to work long hours on his rickshaw just to make ends meet. Naima wishes girls were allowed to drive rickshaws so she could help her father. While practicing driving (without her parent's permission) there is an accident and her father's beautiful rickshaw is damaged. Naima is even more determined to stretch the accepted boundaries for women in her community and embarks on a new career path. Rickshaw Girl is beautifully illustrated by Jamie Hogan. Her black and white art gives an authentic cultural flair to the novel.

PICTURES FROM OUR VACATION ; Lynne Rae Perkins; New York: Greenwillow, 2007; unpaged. Picture Book Lynne Rae Perkins is such a genius. She wins the Newbery for Criss Cross and has had a couple of picture books in the running for Caldecott, the most recent of which is Pictures from our Vacation. Nominally about a family's two-day trip to vacation at the old farmstead, this book is most of all about ways of seeing. When the family arrives, the father sees happy memories everywhere; the kids see dust and cobwebs. The Shangri-La Motel where they stay on their way is small potatoes compared to the Blue Motel the young girl sees in her head, identical blue cottages on the outside, but inside filled with wonders: an aquarium room with a sandy floor; the room with a bed that glowed like the sun (though you could turn if off at night); and the jungle room, with a waterfall for a shower. Though each child has a camera to record the vacation, what they see at the farm and out the windows of ...

Imagine a boy who has no clue what the world is like being suddenly transplanted into middle school--it seems like an instant recipe for disaster! Capricorn Anderson has been raised on a farm commune by his grandmother, Rain, who has homeschooled him up in a very idealistic hippie style. He has no experience with the current world or even most modern conveniences. However, when Rain has a serious accident, Cap is forced to attend the local middle school until she recovers. His weird, hippie clothing, bushy hair, and complete lack of street smarts make him an immediate shoe-in as the nerdiest kid in school, which earns him the title of class president. Far from being an honor, this position targets the recipient with the worst attention possible. Read Schooled to find out how Cap's story ends! This is an excellent story that is quirky, tender, and downright hilarious. Although it might be likened to a male version of the book "Stargirl," I found "Schooled" to be...

WHO WAS FIRST? DISCOVERING THE AMERICAS ; Russell Freedman; New York: Clarion, 2007; 88pgs. Non-fiction. Russell Freedman has done it again with this elegant volume about the "discovery" of the New World. He begins with Christopher Columbus (clearly not the first) and works his way back through the Chinese admiral Zheng He (who gave us the Seven Voyages of Sinbad under his alternate name, Sin-Bao), to the Vikings, and to the Native Americans who are thought to have come across a land bridge from Asia, or by sea from Africa. Eye-catching photographs and drawings complement Freedman's typically readable, even fascinating, text. What might be of most value to history-minded youngsters is that much of the research in support of Chinese and Viking arrivals in America has been done by "obsessed amateurs," people who believed in earlier arrivals and searched out the evidence for themselves. It might have been helpful had Freedman explained to his readers that human lif...