Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Secret Coders By Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes First Second, 2015. Comics. 88 p. Written by Gene Luen Yang of American Born Chinese fame, this graphic novel begins with Hopper arriving at her new school after moving to a new area. The school is old and strange looking with peculiar-looking birds everywhere and the number “9” plastered all over it. After a rocky introduction, Hopper becomes friends with Eni, an intelligent boy who is very good at basketball. Things get exciting for her when, due to her number “7” earrings, she and Eni discover that all of the birds are robots and respond to binary. Eni teaches Hopper basic concepts of computer coding and the two learn the combination for the lock on the mysteriously chained up shed. Thus begins the coding adventures for Hopper and Eni. Secret Coders is a fun beginning to a new series that combines computer skills, sports, and friendship with a little science fiction and mystery. It also possesses some interactive elements a...

Switch (Savvy #3) By Ingrid Law Dial Books, 2015. Fiction. 356 p. In this third story of the Beaumont family, Gypsy, the second to youngest, is wrestling with her new savvy (think special magical power) that each of her family members receive on their 13th birthday. Gypsy's savvy is the power to see into people's futures. When she looks into her own future, she sees herself watch her grandmother fall from a tall clock tower.  Soon after she has this premonition, her family experiences a savvy switch.  They each have new savvies, totally different from before. Still reeling from the switch, her family travels to Denver to bring their grandmother, who suffers from dementia, home.  While there, Gypsy's main goal is to keep her grandmother far away from clock towers, but she finds that it is much harder than she could have ever imagined. The first book in this series, ( Savvy, 2008) received a well deserved Newbery Honor medal.  The second and third a...

Nomad (Ambassador, Book 2) by William Alexander Margaret K McElderry Books, 2015. Fiction. 264 p. Gabriel Fuentes is the 12-year-old ambassador for the planet Earth to the Universe, chosen because of his skills in diplomacy and his ability to understand other people.  In this second adventure he is in a race against time to stop the evil Outlasts from destroying even more inhabited planets in our galaxy. He teams up with the ambassador from the the nomadic people, the Kaen, and a previous ambassador from Earth, Nadia, in a daring attempt to find out more about the Outlasts. Too late he discovers that by trying to communicate with them, he has made Earth their next target. This is a smart and action packed new science fiction series for middle grade readers.  Alexander's world building is fresh and interesting. Readers who are tired of the hack and slash tactics of many fantasy/sci fi novels, with be pleased to find out that Gabe and his allies use observation, wits an...

Job Wanted By Teresa Bateman Holiday House, 2015. Picture book. An old dog arrives at a farm looking for work, but the farmer declares he has no use for a dog, since dogs don’t earn their keep like the other farm animals. Undeterred, the dog asks if there is an opening for a cow, and on being told yes, declares that he will start work the next day. In the morning the cows are all lined up, ready and waiting for the farmer to milk them, thanks to the dog’s efforts. The farmer has to admit it is convenient, but still, a dog is not a cow and there’s no opening for a dog. The dog then tries out to be a horse and a chicken, failing at both but still managing to make the farmer’s work go twice as smoothly. Will the old dog be able to make a place for himself? A great read-aloud story with gentle humor and some nice themes about the payoffs of perseverance, creativity, and hard work.

The Numberlys by William Joyce and Christina Ellis Atheum Books for Young Readers, 2014. Picture Book. The Numberlys are little creatures who live in a utilitarian world of  black, white, and grey. Their civilization is based on numbers and numbers alone. Five little Numberlys decided they are tired of this boring same old same old. They set about creating something completely new--the alphabet. And once you have an alphabet that can form words--well--anything is possible. The Numberlys is a work of art that is joy to behold. Most of the book's layout is in a vertical format so that the pictures make everything in the Numberly world look tall and larger than life. By the time color is introduced into the pages, you will never want to leave this world of whimsy. A not to be missed treat.

Husky By Justin Sayre Grosset & Dunlap, 2015. Fiction. 267 p. Davis is about to start high school in a few weeks and he is realizing that things are not going to be the same as middle school. His best friend since he was little, Sophie, has become pretty and getting attention from the popular kids. She also wants to do just girl things and not hang out with him. His other friend Ellen has said that in high school, everyone is assigned an adjective that will define them for the next four years; Davis is worried his word is going to be “Husky” for his big build. Things are changing at home, too. His single mother is working more and his larger than life grandmother is becoming more embarrassing (such as how she still calls him Ducks, just because he waddled as a baby—a prime example how one word can define your life). But there is one place he can find solace and escape to: by listening to opera. There the world makes sense and from it he can find the courage to face his own ...

Shark vs. Train By Chris Barton A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more. I'm a Shark By Bob Shea A boastful shark is not afraid of anything, which impresses his underwater friends until they ask about spiders. Clark the Shark  By Bruce Hale Clark finds everything about school fun and exciting, but his enthusiasm causes problems until he begins inventing rhymes to remind himself to stay cool at school. Flip & Fin: We Rule the School By Timothy Gill Flip, a sandshark, practices all week for Joke Day at school, but when the time comes and he faces a big crowd, Flip freezes until his twin brother, Fin, comes to the rescue. The Shark King By R. Kikuo Johnson In graphic novel format, retells the Hawaiian story of Nanaue, born of human mother and shark father, who struggles to find his place in a village of humans. The Ghastly McNastys: Raiders of the Lost Sha...

Friday Barnes Girl Detective By R.A. Spratt Illustrated by Phil Gosier Roaring Brook Press, 2016. 255 p. Friday Barnes is a smart girl. With her parents both being professors it is no surprise that she is smart; however, Friday isn’t just book smart. Friday also notices things. And she can determine the probability of what happened based on what she sees—which means, Friday is also a great detective. In fact, she was able to solve a difficult jewelry heist and earn quite a substantial reward. Friday used the reward to pay for a spot at a prestigious boarding school, where she ends up doing even more detective work. This is a clever story. Friday Barnes is a likable character (especially considering she could be an obnoxious know-it-all type). The solutions to the various mysteries are not obvious yet there are enough clues that readers will feel satisfied when they also figure out bits of the puzzle. This is a great edition to the mystery genre and would be a good book to gi...

Sunny Side Up By Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm Graphix, 2015. Comics. 217 p. Sunny is a fun-loving ten-year-old who is depressed to be spending the summer living with her grandpa in his retirement community in Florida. After receiving her mandatory guest pass, Sunny’s fears of a depressed and boring summer are quickly confirmed when she realizes that her grandpa’s idea of “big plans” is going to the post office or grocery store. Luckily, while visiting the golf course with her grandpa, Sunny meets Buzz, the son of Cuban immigrants, and the two quickly become friends. Buzz introduces Sunny to comic books and Sunny falls in love with the stories of Batman, Superman, Spider-man and Swamp Thing. Alternating between the time of her visit to Florida and flashback sequences of her time at home leading up to the trip, the story progresses by revealing more and more of the purpose behind Sunny being sent to spend the summer with her grandpa. Her brother, Dale, began spending tim...

The Clue at Black Creek Farm (Nancy Drew Diaries #9) by Carolyn Keene Aladdin, 2015. Fiction. 171 p. In this latest in the  Nancy Drew Diaries  series Nancy is introduced to organic farming.  Her new friend, Sam, has left a lucrative law practice to start his own organic farm, but someone doesn't want him to succeed.  At first his crops are contaminated with e-coli and then his farm is victimized by vandalism.  As Nancy gets closer to solving the mystery, she also gets deeper into danger.  Nancy, as always, is flanked by faithful friends, Bess and George, and ever loyal boyfriend, Ned, and all of them are true millennials, using emails, texts and an electron bug to solve the mystery. This solid little mystery will not disappoint a new generation (or 3rd or 4th generation) of Nancy Drew fans. (171 p.)

Weird But True Rocks By Carmen Bredeson Read about different types of rocks like lava bombs, geodes, hoodoos, and moon rocks. Diamonds By Eric Ethan Learn about diamonds and where they can be found. Smithsonian Handbooks: Gemstones By Cally Hall Designed for beginners and experienced collectors alike, these field guides make identification of individual specimens sure, simple and straightforward. Each entry has a full color illustration as well as color-coded bands that provide at-a-glance facts for quick reference. Easy to use and beautiful to look at, this series is an invaluable resource for every collector. Rocks and Fossils By Margaret Hynes Delve into the depths of the earth to explore the makeup of the world's fascinating outer layer. Readers will unravel the history of rock, identify the minerals that make them, and find out about their different uses, from building materials to pigments for paints and dyes. The formation of fossils is also explai...

Fortune’s Folly By Deva Fagan Ever since her mother died and her father lost his shoemaking skills, Fortunata has survived by pretending to tell fortunes, but when she is tricked into telling the fortune of a handsome prince, she is faced with the impossible task of fulfilling her wild prophecy to save her father's life. Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd By Mame Farrell Hannah Billings hates being teased about marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd, the most unpopular and misunderstood boy in her sixth-grade class, until he reveals his true personality when her brother succumbs to muscular dystrophy. Boston Jane By Jennifer L. Holm Schooled in the lessons of etiquette for young ladies of 1854, Miss Jane Peck of Philadelphia finds little use for manners during her long sea voyage to the Pacific Northwest and while living among the American traders and Chinook Indians of Washington Territory. The Unsigned Valentine By Johanna Hurwitz In early twentieth-century Vermont, sixteen-year-ol...

Vicky the Vet Written by Felicity Brooks Illustrated by Jo Litchfield Usborne Publishing, 2006. Nonfiction.  A lovely little non-fiction book about a day in the life of a veterinarian as she goes about her job helping animals get well. The text is simple and presented as an engaging story which teaches children at the same time that it entertains. All the pictures are made up of fantastically detailed scenes recreated in miniatures made of clay. There are so many tiny little things for children to look at an examine on each and every page. Other titles in this informative series include, Tessa the Teacher and Fred the Firefighter .

Nooks & Crannies By Jessica Lawson Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015. Fiction. 316 p. Her parents having decided not to take her when they move overseas, Tabitha is going to be sent to a children’s home. Before she goes, though, she along with six other children is summoned to the wealthy estate of Countess Camilla DeMoss to discover the estate’s missing heir. The only problem is that the house has been rumored to be haunted—and when children start disappearing one by one, it seems there might be some truth behind the rumor. With the help of her trusty pet mouse Pemberley, Tabitha, along with the other children, tries to solve the mystery before it is too late. I picked this book up because it reminded me of Agatha Christies’s And Then There Were None —people invited to a wealthy private home with no idea why they have all been gathered—and I was not disappointed. A pleasant mystery, with a feel of Roald Dahl that will make it entertaining for children. S...

The Terrible Two Get Worse By Mac Barnett and Jory John  Illustrated by Kevin Cornell Abrams, Amulet Books, 2016. 214 p. The Terrible Two pranksters who came together in book one are at it again. They pull pranks left and right. They dare each other to spontaneously come up with pranks based on random objects. They are so good at pranking…that the former Principal Barkin takes notice. In fact, he convinces the school board to appoint him to be principal—again. This doesn’t make Principal Barkin (his son) all that happy…since he basically lost his job and now has nothing to do. And Miles and Niles are now trying to prank a principal who doesn’t acknowledge pranks. Which brings about the question, is it a prank if people don’t believe it is a prank? In this sequel Miles and Niles and their pranks get even better. But even with some pretty sweet practical jokes going on…it isn’t enough. They have to ask a third person to join their pranking duo. And the best part is that re...

Be a Friend Written and Illustrated by Salina Yoon Bloomsbury, 2016.  Picture Book. "Dennis was an ordinary boy...who expressed himself in extraordinary ways."  Little Dennis doesn't speak, but loves to act and mime.  However, he soon begins to feel invisible, separate, and lonely around other children.  That is, until he meets a friend named Joy.  Joy understands Dennis and has the ability to see the world as he does, resulting in a sweet friendship. This is a lovely book about feeling different, recognizing emotions, and embracing new friendships.  Yoon's beautiful digitally-colored pencil drawings add a whimsical yet tender depth to the story.  Be a Friend is a great read to help children who may feel shy or like they don't quite fit in, and encourages little ones along the path of self acceptance.

Duck, Duck, Dinosaur Written by Kallie George Illustrated by Oriol Vidal HarperCollins Publishers, 2016. Picture Book.  Mama Duck has been caring for three eggs. One by one they begin to hatch. The first egg hatches and she names the little duckling Feather. The second egg hatches and she names the little duckling Flap. Then, while the two ducklings bicker over who is bigger, the third egg hatches and out comes a big dinosaur, who Mama Duck names Spike. The three siblings compete with each other to prove who is the sweetest and funniest. Finally, after they are all cold and wet they learn that “Under Mama’s wings, no one was bigger or sweeter, or funnier, or better.” Quirky and fun, this book will be a hit with little children, especially if they have siblings. Bright and cartoonish illustrations add to the humor and charm of Duck, Duck, Dinosaur . This fun little book proves that family members come in all shapes and sizes (and species!).

Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern Harper, 2016.  228 p  Fiction      Benny Barrows' mother has always told him that when he is having a hard time he should look for something who is having worse luck than he is, and try to help that person.  Trouble is, since his father had to have surgery for a burst aneurysm in his brain, Benny can't think of anyone who has had worse luck than his family. Adding to his unhappiness, his favorite teacher, Mr. Norris, has become depressed and distracted so nothing fun is happening at school. He has to leave class each day to go to Special Ed with a mostly-blind girl named Olga, and he never gets a footprint on the school's Pathway to Kindness, even though he is daily caring for his autistic brother George and in every way treating others with decency and respect. Fortunately, almost all Benny's "friends" that he thinks are being nice to him because they feel sorry for him turn out to be real friends who pull together at...

    Where the Mountain Meets the Moon By Grace Lin Little, Brown, and Company, 2009. Fiction. 278 p. Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River. Listen Slowly By Thanhha Lai Harper Collins, 2015. Fiction. 260 p. Assisting her grandmother's investigation of her grandfather's fate during the Vietnam War, Mai struggles to adapt to an unfamiliar culture while redefining her sense of family. Heart of a Samurai By Margi Preus Amulet Books, 2010 Fiction. 301 p. In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States. A Single Shard ...

Lilliput By Sam Gayton Peachtree Publishers, 2015. Fiction. 264p. Inspired by the classic novel Gulliver’s Travels, this middle grade book introduces Lily, a three-inch tall Lilliputian. She is kidnapped by Gulliver and taken far across the sea to 18th century London where he intends to use her as proof that the country of Lilliput exists. Kept in a birdcage while Gulliver works on his manuscript, she attempts to escape 33 times, but Gulliver catches her each time and punishes her by stuffing her in an itchy, smelly sock for days. Finally, however, Finn, a human boy apprenticed to an evil clockmaker, discovers Lily’s existence and helps her to escape. Now on their own in London and running from two pursuers, the new friends are in more danger than ever. This story is full of action and adventure, including exciting chases, clockwork devices, talking parrots, and a kindly giant of a chocolate-shop owner. Lily is a tough and determined heroine with her trusty needle-sword named ...

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber By Sue Macy Illustrated by C. F. Payne Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. Biography. Mary grew up loving sports—watching, playing, and reading about them. After college she set her sights on becoming a newspaper reporter but as a woman in the 1940,s her options were limited and she had to work as a society reporter. It wasn’t until WWII when many of the women took on jobs that were previously held by men that her dream came true; she became a sportswriter for The Sentinel. After the war ended her boss moved her to the news desk but a year later, she was back covering sports, and she stayed there for more than fifty years. Her determination broke down barriers for women reporters in gaining access to the locker room and press boxes. She also broke down racial barriers, covering any sport no matter who played. Her hard work was honored shortly before her death in 2008 as she was inducted into the H...

Mother/Daughter Book Club A Tale of Two Castles By Gail Carson Levine Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of studying acting but instead becomes apprentice to a dragon, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her to uncover who is poisoning the king. Mother/Son Book Club The Terrible Two By Jory John and Mac Barett Illustrated by Kevin Cornell When master prankster Miles Murphy moves to sleepy Yawnee Valley, he challenges the local mystery prankster in an epic battle of tricks, but soon the two join forces to pull off the biggest prank ever seen.

Safari by Dan Kainen Workman Publishing, 2012. Informational. Come along on a lively adventure--learning about different animals that you might see on an African safari. The most amazing thing about this fun but educational book is the animated pictures found on each page. Using a lenticular-based technology, the pictures  spring to life every time you turn a page. The animals in the photographs seem to run, walk, and move all on their own. Young readers will be mesmerized. Other books in this series include Ocean and Polar by the same author.

Secret Coders By Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes! Geek: Fantasy Novel By E. Archer Ralph is asked to spend the summer with his strange British relatives at their old manor house in order to set up their Wi-Fi network. And thus begins his strange adventure. Nerdy Dozen By Jeff Miller Recruited by the Air Force after hacking into a classified military training program, Neil Andertol and his video game buddies pilot what they believe to be an Air Force simulator to find a missing jet and rescue two endangered pilots. Nerd Camp By Elissa Brent Weissman For ten-year-old Gabe, the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment is all that he dreamed ...

Timeline: A Visual History of Our World by Peter Goes Gecko Press, 2015. Informational. History can be tricky. Young readers are awfully good at understanding isolated events or learning about individuals, but the full scope of our history can be (understandably) daunting. The most sweeping history books tend to be hulking, text-dense volumes that can leave a reader intimidated and discouraged. Timeline shatters those notions. This is a book that covers the span of earth's history from the Big Bang to the rise of ISIS, but its greatest strength is its accessibility. Goes dominates his pages with illustrated material, depicting his timeline as a sort-of road on which events, creatures, and people unfold. Each page focuses on a time period, and explanatory text and captions appear organically along the images, curving with them in a seamless experience. The book also remains objective in its telling of history, but it doesn't shy away from the past's more challengin...

Tales from Old Ireland By Malachy Doyle This enchanting collection of favorite Irish folk tales deserves to be read aloud at every hearth. Described by Malachy Doyle in captivating language, the larger-than-life characters, dramatic landscapes, and magical happenings of all the tales, including the famous legend of the bewitched Children of Lir, are also brought vividly to life by the luminous art of Niamh Sharkey, making this a book that will transport readers to another world for many happy hours. Fiona's Luck By Teresa Bateman The greedy Leprechaun King has locked away all the luck in Ireland and the whole country has fallen in to despair. Through clever charades, Fiona outwits the Leprechaun King and restores luck to the land. Luminous illustrations add to the magic and wonder of this original folktale. This is Ireland By Miroslav Sasek Like the other Sasek classics, This is Ireland is a facsimile edition of his original book from the 1960s and is still timely a...

The Night Gardener  By Terry Fan Illustrated by Eric Fan Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. 48 p. A young boy named William finds that overnight the tree outside his orphanage was transformed to look like an owl. Each night a different tree is turned into an animal topiary. With each new masterpiece by the mysterious night gardener, the trees and the people change on Grimloch Lane—especially William. This is a brilliant book. The subtle changes in the town and color palate come gradually at first…until by the end of the book readers will see how different the end feels from the beginning. This is a story of hope and wonder in small actions. William and his wonder mirror the wonder of the whole town along with the young readers who will enjoy this book. And that is what I like the most. Here is William, a young boy who lives at an orphanage. His excitement at the beginning of the book consists of drawing in the dirt with a stick. By the end of the book Wil...

Crown of Three (Crown of Three: Book 1) J. D. Rinehart Aladdin, 2015. Fiction. 407 p. Here is a new high fantasy series which starts, as many high fantasy do, with a prophecy.  A kingdom is ruled by a cruel and warmongering king.  The prophecy states that when this king has triplets, and the three children overthrow their father, then peace will return.  When the triplets are born the king plans to have them killed, but a kindly magician makes sure that they are well hidden and convinces the king that they have died.  The three, two boys and a girl, grow up in very different circumstances, but through the help of a secret organization, called Trident, eventually come to learn of their destiny and their own amazing powers. There is something for every fantasy lover here; cool special powers, princes/princess in disguise, ghosts and zombies, exciting battle scenes, faithful companions and evil villains.  The battle scenes are a little graphic so this is n...

Genius! : The Most Astonishing Inventions of All Time By Deborah Kespert Thames & Hudson, 2015. Nonfiction. 96p. This is a great attention-grabbing collection of the inventions that shaped our world. Divided into 5 sections – Pioneers, Communication, Technology, Transport, and Into Space – this nonfiction book highlights some of the world’s most important inventions starting with the Chinese, Muslim, and Greek inventors of antiquity up through the year 2014. Each invention has a quick summary at the beginning listing the what, who, where, when, how and why, as well as the fundamental challenge facing the inventors. This well-designed book is full of photos, diagrams, and fun retro poster reproductions. There are lots of sidebars, captions, and mini experiments mixed throughout the pages, letting the reader skip around with ease and read as much or as little as desired. Many of the explanations are simplified for easy readability, but the author doesn’t shy away from the co...

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger Scholastic Press, 2014. 265p. Fiction Nola Sutton has been best friends with the three Swift boys who live next door as far back as she can remember. She's never really wanted any other friends besides them. But when tragedy strikes the Swift family--all three boys are deeply affected. Friendships become complicated and rocky and Nola's whole world feels like it is falling apart at the seams. Nothing will ever be the same--but Nola begins to see that doesn't mean she can't weather the storm by finding hope and strength within herself. A bitter but tenderly sweet tale of gracefully growing up and learning to deal with life's challenges. For readers who liked Wonder , Out of My Mind , and The Boy on Cinnamon Street .

The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game By Nancy Churnin Illustrated by Jez Tuya Albert Whitman & Company, 2016. Biography. Losing his hearing at a young age due to meningitis did not stop William from playing his favorite sport—baseball. When the local deaf team said he was too small to play, he didn’t let that deter him; he only practiced harder. As an adult, his skill didn’t go unnoticed and soon he was signed, to play professionally. Being deaf made it hard for him to understand the umpires’ calls. After a disastrous misunderstanding, he worked with the umpire to come up with hand signals, which influenced the way the game was umped from there on out. A great picture book to introduce children to a little known player who overcame obstacles from both the hearing and deaf world to pursue his dream, showing that with determination and grit goals can be achieved.

Ms. Spell by Ethan Long Holiday House, 2015, Picture Book Ms. Spell, a pink-haired zany teacher comparable to the beloved Ms. Frizzle, only instead of a magic bus, Ms. Spell teaches her lessons with a magic wand. Ms. Spell challenges her students to spell commonly misspelled words, such as their, there, and they're, after spelling the word correctly the students are allowed to create their own sentences using the word. When Ms. Spell uses her magic wand to make the first student's sentence about a giant cake a reality, the students quickly catch on with crazy sentences that turn the classroom into a chaotic mess. By working together the students and Ms. Spell are able to return the classroom into order just in time for their spelling test. Ethan Long brings us another great book with the added bonus of it being a great teaching and learning tool. The book even includes spelling guides "how to study spelling words", "some spelling rules" and "m...

Forest of Wonders  (Wing & Claw #1) By Linda Sue Park  Illustrations by James Madsen Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016. Fiction. 330 p. In this new series by Linda Sue Park (Newbery Medalist for A Single Shard) Raffa has a knack for making poultices and infusions taught to him by his apothecary parents. When Raffa makes a cure for an injured bat with a rare vine found in the Forest of Wonders, he not only cures the bat but also gives the bat special abilities—the bat is able to talk to Raffa. When necessity takes Raffa to the big city to find his cousin, Raffa realizes that what he has done has far-reaching consequences. This is a good book for those young readers who like animal/adventure books. Raffa’s friendship with Echo the bat is quite sweet. However, the fact that there is something darker and grander than Raffa understands (just what exactly is happening in the city?) throws in more suspense and adventure and questions about who to tru...

Bedtime Blastoff! Written by Luke Reynolds Illustrated by Mike Yamada Orchard Books, 2016. Picture Book. As a father tries to convince his son to go to sleep, the two imagine they are on adventures in a train, plane and other modes of transportation until eventually the child falls asleep. A cute picture book with very few words all expressed in simple declarative statements. The clean and clear illustrations by animation designer Yamada add to the simplicity and crisp tone of the book. A good choice for very young children, especially at bedtime!

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1) Rick Riordan Disney Hyperion, 2015. Fiction. 497 p. Here is the first book in a new series by Rick Riordan.   Magnus is a homeless teen.   He never knew his father, and his mother was killed in a disturbing and mysterious incident involving wolves some years before.   One day Magnus is discovered by his uncles and cousin (Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson books) and finds out that his father was actually one of the Norse Gods. Before he knows what is happening,   he is fighting monsters from Norse mythology and trying to prevent the release of the mythical wolf who is the harbinger of Ragnarok. Does this sound like a Norse version of Percy Jackson? Well, it is, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It has the same fast-paced, episodic fantasy action as Riordan's other books.   There is also a lot of pithy humor, sometimes at the expense of the Percy Jackson world.   Mag...