February 2007

The Indianhead Federated Library System presents

Starred Reviews

New and Notable Books for Young People

February 2007 * 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.

Content:

Picture Books

Juvenile Fiction

Non-fiction

YA Fiction

Graphic Novels

Audio

Reference

Books in Spanish

Picture Books

Bunting, Eve. Hurry! Hurry! Illus. by Jeff Mack. Harcourt, $16 (978-0-152-054-106)

(PreS-K) “ ‘Hurry! Hurry!’ shouts a joyful rooster…Across the barnyard, the message spreads: ‘Coming! Coming!’ shouts the goat…crowd of eager animals gathers in the barn…new chick emerging…In just a few power-packed words…skillfully ramps up the energy…high-spirited pictures…deceptively simple, joyous offering…” (BL)

Burningham, John. Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World. Knopf/Borzoi, $19.99 (978-0-375-94053-8)

(PreS-gr.3) “A thinly disguised discourse on the dangers of a discouraging word…labels. Edwardo…healthy, energetic…making noise and messes, eschewing soap and water…negative grown-ups…assert that he is the noisiest, nastiest…Edwardo turns terrible…Can a kind word from a thoughtful adult nurture what’s nice…witty, winsome pictures…full of animation and expression…” (SLJ)

Graham, Bob. Dimity Dumpty: The Story of Humpty Dumpty’s Little Sister. Candlewick, $15.99 (978-0-7636-3078-2)

(PreS-up) “…hilarious picture-book profile of the whole Dumpty family… members of a traveling circus…As the Tumbling Dumpties…little sister Dimity much prefers playing her flute…Part fractured nursery rhyme and all sweet-natured fun…completely believable egg’s-eye-view…” (PW)

Harrington, Janice N. The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County. Illus. by Shelley Jackson. Farrar/Melanie Kroupa, $16 (9780374312510)

(PreS-gr.2) “… ‘I’m the Chicken-Chasing queen of Lamar County,’ announces a young African American girl…can’t restrain herself…elusive Miss Hen is her ultimate prize…finally manages to sneak up on Miss Hen…surrounded by chicks…instantly reforms…rollickikng, well-told delight…words are both colloquial and poetic… exceptional collages of cut paper, fabric, and paint magnify…action…and…emotions… A first-rate read-aloud.” (BL)

Henderson, Kathy. Look at You! A Baby Body Book. Illus. by Paul Howard. Candlewick, $15.99 (9780763627454)

(PreS) “Adorable toddlers…doing all sorts of things young viewers will respond to…idea book for sharing…sheer exuberance of these children will make everyone, young and old, smile…totally interactive.”(BL)

Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box. Illus. by Kadir Nelson. Scholastic, $16.99 (9780439777339)

(gr. 1-3) “…Henry Brown…staggering decision he made to achieve freedom…family is sold…with nothing left to lose, he asks a white abolitionist to pack him in a crate so he can be mailed to freedom…fraught with danger…27 hours later, he reaches Philadelphia…brief author’s note confirms the details…dramatic artwork… transcending technique is the humanity …” (BL)

Melling, David. The Scallywags. Barron’s, $14.99 (9780764159916)

(PreS-gr.2) “The animals in the neighborhood are disgusted by the Wolf family, known collectively as the Scallywags…spoil things…they smell…sent packing…learn some manners…aren’t recognized…fun on every page…text with its sly asides…turns cartoon-style art…into an art form…Handsomely designed…” (BL)

Morales, Yuyi. Little Night. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.95 (9781596430884)

(PreS-gr.2) “Mother Sky appears to be preparing a child, Little Night, for bedtime…sumptuous feast of metaphors…equally splendid illustrations…heighten the comfort and serenity inspired by the text…quietness is carefully balanced by rambunctious art…” (BL)

Riggs, Shannon. Not in Room 204. Illus. by Jaime Zollars. Albert Whitman, $15.95 (97808077557648)

(gr. 1-3) “Quiet Regina feels comfortable in her classroom… teacher…saying that most often an adult who touches a child inappropriately is not a stranger but someone known to the child…assures her students… ‘I know exactly what to do to help’…next morning, Regina…confide her secret, which involves her father…ends on a hopeful note…forthrightness of its message and the sensitivity of its presentation…text and digitally enhanced artwork work together well to express the book’s message smoothly…will raise children’s awareness of sexual abuse without raising anxiety.” (BL)

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories. Roaring Brook/ Porter, $12.95 (978-1-59643-053-2)

(preS-gr.3) “…the three gentle stories in this inspired collection are utterly charming. Emerging readers will take to the rambunctious dachshund and winsome stuffed bear…easy to follow…conflict is satisfyingly resolved…uncluttered illustrations…work seamlessly with stories that rely on humor both child-centered and unexpected…” (PW)

Shulman, Lisa. The Moon Might Be Milk. Illus. by Will Hillenbrand. Dutton, $16.99 (0-525-47647-4)

(PreS-gr. 2) “Awakening before dawn, Rosie looks…to the moon…wonder what it’s made of. Cat replies…saucer of milk…Hen thinks that the moon is an egg… Butterfly…sugar, …arrive at Rosie’s grandmother’s house … make moon-shaped sugar cookies… strong, distinctive lines that define the characters…rich array of patterned surfaces …varied and vivid…even the shadows…contribute to the storytelling…” (BL)

Strauss, Rochelle. One Well: The Story of Water on Earth. Illus by Rosemary Woods. Kids Can, $17.95 (9781553376546)

(gr. 3-5) “…urgent conservation message…clear, handsome, oversize picture book…all water on Earth is connected…Each…spread tackles one broad topic…boxed insets adding information…detailed illustration…upbeat tone…warning about pollution …insight into causes…people affected…how people can conserve…” (BL)

Willard, Nancy. The Flying Bed. Illus. by John Thompson. Scholastic/Blue Sky, $16.99 (978-0-590-25610-0)

(PreS-gr.3) “…enchanting fairy tale…gloriously rendered Florence. Guido lacks the skill to be a great baker…so poor…sells their furniture—even the couple’s bed…finds a beautiful hand-carved bed…just as the couple is about to fall asleep, the bed… “sprang out of the window into the sky”…master baker hands Guido a small bag of yeast…timeless fable will appeal to all ages…” (PW)

Wong, Janet. The Dumpster Diver. Illus. by David Roberts. Candlewick, $16.99 (978076362807)

(gr. 1-3) “… ‘Our neighbor Steve the Electrician dives for buried treasure right smack here in our backstreet alley.’…children…dream up wild ways to reuse his finds…blender lava lamp…dry humor…screwball watercolors…capture the whimsy of the creations, gross-out fun…breathless energy…adults will find plenty to talk about with children…creative conservation…safe modeling of the depicted activities…” (BL)

Yaccarino, Dan. Every Friday. Holt, $16.95 (0-8050-7724-3)

(PreS-K) “…spare, stylish picture book…boy describes the route that he and his dad walk on their way to their weekly Friday breakfast…greet familiar faces…share pancakes…retro gouache paintings…1950s colors…and details…nostalgic tone… closeness between father and son…will speak most to kids…understated sweetness that’s not too sugary…” (BL)

Juvenile Fiction

Beck, Ian. The Secret History of Tom Trueheart. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $16.99 (978-0-06-115210-8)

(gr. 3-7) “…plots of many well-known fairy tales…Tom Trueheart is a timid boy, living in the shadow of his six brothers—all named Jack… ‘who had carried out all of the toughest, scariest, and most romantic and exciting adventures…in the Land of Stories.’ The “Story Bureau” gives each…a beginning…complete the tales through their adventures…fail to return home…sends Tom a letter…summoning him to find his siblings…quick read…”(PW)

Kadohata, Cynthia. Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $16.99 (1-4169-0637-1)

(gr. 6-9) “…stirring, realistic story of America’s war in Vietnam…alternating viewpoints of an army dog named Cracker and her 17-year-old handler…training…mean sergeant…close buddies…stalking the enemy…heartfelt tale…close bond of the scout-dog team…no background on the conflict…focus is on how Cracker uses her senses to help the team accomplish its goals…” (BL)

Pinkwater, Daniel. The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization. Houghton, $16 (0-618-25444-2)

(gr. 5 and up) “..wonderfully silly book set in the late 1940s, young Neddie Wentworthstein mentions to his father that he wants to eat in…famous restaurant…in Los Angeles…Neddie’s eccentric father…packs up the family for a cross-country train ride to make California their new home…Neddie gets separated from the family in Flagstaff… meets a movie star’s son, a friendly ghost and a shaman…Police from outer space…creates secondary roles as interesting as the starring characters….highly entertaining road trip…” (PW)

Non-fiction

Allen, Thomas B. Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union during the Civil War. Illus. by Clara Bauer. National Geographic, $25.90 (978-0-7922-7890-0)

(gr. 5-8) “…fascinating…network of slaves and free blacks who advanced the Union cause during the Civil War….framed by the story of Harriet Tubman…her role as a spy…Elizabeth Van Lew, who devised a numerical code to transmit information… Using this code…the author includes several messages in the book… black-and-white reproductions and maps greatly enhance the presentation…” (SLJ)

Bolden, Tonya. M.L.K: Journey of a King. Abrams, $19.95 (978-0-8109-5476-2)

(gr. 5-8) “…looks past the public figure to bring the man…into focus…eloquent, handsomely designed…traces King’s life from birth to death…generous array of photos…passing quickly over his public triumphs…rich in personal feeling…direct…quotes…” (SLJ)

Crisler, Curtis. Tough Boy Sonatas. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $19.95 (9781932425772)

(gr. 10-12) “…potent, hard-hitting poems about growing up in Gary, Indiana… voices of young African-American males…evoke the grit and ash of crumbling, burned-out streets…realities of hardscrabble life…terrifying violence…struggles to claim a mature, male identity…skillful manipulation of sound, rhythm and form…sophisticated imagery and graphic words (including the “n” word)…illustrations extend…poems’ impact…mostly portraits of anguished young men…” (BL)

Floca, Brian. Lightship. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $16.99 (978-14-1692-4364)

(PreS-gr.2) “…floating lighthouses…uses simple words and repeated phrases to emphasize the vessel’s purpose and uniqueness…day-to-day operation…sensory tour…ink-and-watercolor illustrations offer close-ups of the crew at work…wide, double-page scenes of passing ships…informative note…handsome book respects both its subject and its audience.” (BL, PW)

Go!: The Whole World of Transportation. DK, $26.99 (978-0-7566-2224-4)

(gr. 5 and up) “…jam-packed compilation of facts and photos…divided into three chunky sections…Each section overflows with crisp, well-composed photos…captions swell with factual details…time line of historical developments…opens each section…short paragraphs surrounded by a plethora of photo captions…Fascinating foldout spreads…destined to fly off library shelves.” (SLJ)

Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry. Edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, Illus. by Polly Dunbar. Candlewick, $21.99 (978-0-7636-3141-3)

(6 mo.-5 years) “…61 little poems…provide a high-spirited, engaging introduction to poetry. Gleaned from various countries…four categories of high interest to youngsters: ‘Me, Myself and I,’ ‘Who Lives in My House?,’ ‘I Go Outside,” and ‘Time for Bed.’ …waggish nonsense verse, rambunctious action rhymes, quieter passages…cheery, mixed-media art injects new energy…elegant, oversize…There’s something for everyone here.” (PW)

Giovanni, Nikki. On My Journey Now. Candlewick, $18.99 (9780763628857)

(gr. 5-8) “…sacred songs first sung by slaves, tracing how the people in bondage created the great spirituals to tell their stories…addresses the horror…wonder of how they made songs about their work…analyzes the words for messages of defiance…tracks a tradition that runs from the spirituals all the way to rhythm and blues and then hip-hop and rap…focus is on her own favorites and what they have meant to her…extensive notes…intimate, unpretentious talk about familiar songs…” (BL)

Jordan, Anne Devereaux and Virginia Schomp. Slavery and Resistance. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark, $23.95 (9780761421788)

(gr. 5-8) “…standout…well done and well balanced…text…is as engaging as it is solidly written…information flows organically, detailing how African Americans came …how slavery spread and took hold…plenty of design elements to enliven…art…is compelling…” (BL)

Levine, Ellen. Rachel Carson. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-06220-1)

(gr. 7-10) “Direct, eloquent, and precise…Up Close series…intimate portrait of environmental pioneer Rachel Carson…astonishing career that helped make careful stewardship of the Earth a national issue…” (BL)

Levine, Gail Carson. Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly. HarperCollins, $16.99 (978-0-06-051961-2)

(gr. 5 and up) “…speaks directly to young writers, providing advice on all aspects of fiction creation…coming up with story ideas, developing characters and plot, finding opportunities for publication…friendly and direct…writing prompts…” (SLJ)

Neimark, Anne E. Johnny Cash. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-06215-4)

(gr. 6-9) “…deeply troubled and powerfully influential music legend is brought vividly to life…richly detailed biography…hardscrabble life…horrible death of his older brother…Cash is portrayed as a tortured soul…emerging as a self-educated, deeply spiritual, and compassionate man…frequently uses excerpts from Cash’s own songs to enrich his compelling life story…Sources are provided…” (BL)

Ruggiereo, Adriane. American Voices from Reconstruction. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark, lib.ed., $25.95 (9780761421689)

(gr. 8-11) “…does an excellent job of bringing the history close by combining a wide selection of documents (including speeches, letters…songs…)…with clear commentary, stirring photos and paintings, and questions to think about and discuss… connects each documented selection with the big issues…spacious design…very approachable…combination of voices and commentary…time line…glossary… bibliography.” (BL)

Shea, Pegi Deitz. Patience Wright: America’s First Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy. Illus. by Bethanne Andersen. Holt, $17.95 (0-8050-6770-1)

(gr.2-4) “As a child, Patience Wright enjoyed sculpting from clay…after the death of her husband…wax-modeling business, producing three-dimensional portraits, busts, and life-size replicas…huge success…After moving her business to London, she became privy to information about the Revolutionary War…picture of Ben Franklin’s wax head illustrates how Wright sent secret messages in sculptures she shipped to America…dynamic simplicity…seamlessly incorporates information about the war…” (BL)

St. George, Judith. Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt. Illus. by Britt Spencer. Philomel, $16.99 (978-0-399-24175-8)

(gr. 2-5) “…illustrated biography…explores the childhood life…influences that shaped Roosevelt’s life…stories that will delight young readers…spirited watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations bring to life the culture and background of this American icon…has great child appeal.” (SLJ)

YA Fiction

Carey, Janet Lee. Dragon’s Keep. Harcourt, $17 (978-0-1520-59262)

(gr. 7-10) “…stunning, lyrical prose…Rosalind, a twelfth century princess destined for greatness by a prophecy from Merlin…born with a finger that looks exactly like a dragon’s claw…plucked from the ground by a dragon and flown to its keep high in the mountains…to serve as nursemaid to its four motherless pips…telling is fresh…thoroughly compelling…” (BL)

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia. Knopf, $17.99 (9780375387999)

(gr. 9-12) “…ambitious portrait uses poetry to illuminate the facts…Sylvia Plath…classified as fiction…draws from numerous nonfiction sources…each poem is accompanied by footnotes grounding Hemphill’s imagined scenes within the facts…channels the voices of those who knew the poet…Plath’s own voice is evident in the poetic forms…intimate, comprehensive, imaginative…accomplished, creative story…” (BL)

Peet, Mal. Tamar. Candlewick, $17.99 (9780763634889)

(gr. 9-12) “It was her taciturn but beloved grandfather…who gave Tamar her strange name…when she was 15, he committed suicide…opens the box of World War II memorabilia… Tension mounts incrementally…intricate wrapping of wartime drama and secrecy…intense, sometimes brutal events in a small Dutch town in Nazi-occupied Holland…Most of the characters are adults…emotionally resonant characterizations and dramatic backdrop will pull readers forward, as will the secret that gradually unravels… outcome is …a stunner…”(BL)

Pierce, Tamora. Terrier. (Beka Cooper Series, Book 1). Random, $20.99 (978-0-375-91468-3)

(gr. 7 and up) “Orphaned Beka Cooper, 16…trainee…in the Provost’s Guard…driven by the need to…see justice done…aided by her own gifts of magic…uncovers two serial killers…tells her story through journal entries…thoroughly engaging read…level of violence…rollicking adventure, appealing characters…will be in strong demand by Pierce’s fans…” (SLJ)

Graphic Novels

Abouet, Marguerite and Clement Oubrerie. Aya. Drawn & Quarterly, $19.95 (978-189493-7900)

(gr. 7 to adult) “Intelligent, practical, and kind older teen Aya…set in late 1970s Ivory Coast…accessible, engaging story…simple plot—smart girl frustrated by less-forward-thinking friends and family…delightfully thorough characterizations…emotional universality…straightforward but gently nuanced…” (BL)

Audio

The End: Book the Thirteenth. By Lemony Snicket. Read by Tim Curry. Recorded Books, CS, $39.75 (1-428-1213-82); CD, $49.75 (1-428-1214-39)

(gr. 5-8) “…harrowing indeed…final tale is pure delight…delightful British accent…infuses the droll tale with guile and tongue-in-cheek humor, making the preposterous story oddly believable and sheer fun…skill with voices…slightly sinister laugh…grand performance…music by the Gothic Archies is a perfect atmospheric touch…extra treat…disc that contains material accessible via computer…illustrations, sound effects, grainy photos…game…” (BL)

Reference

American Revolutionary War: A Student Encyclopedia. 5 volumes. Ed. by Gregory Freemond Barnes and Richard A. Ryerson. 1,500 pp. ABC-CLIO, $485 (978-185-109-8392)

(gr. 9-12) “…social, political, and military history of the American War for Independence…A-Z entries…prominent personalities, key battles, and significant cultural and political developments…black-and-white maps, mostly depicting battles and military campaigns…illustrations are liberally sprinkled…period pieces…comprehensive bibliography…glossary…contributors are an international mixture of history professors, independent scholars, and military historians…primary documents…should satisfy any scholar of the period…” (BL)

Books in Spanish

Montecino Aguirre, Sonia. Lucila se llama Gabriela. (Lucila is Called Gabriela) illus. by Luis San Vicente. Mexico: Ediciones Castillo, dist. by Holtzbrinck, pap. $12.95. (970-200-828-X).

(Gr 4-6) “The truly inspirational story of a Chilean country girl born into poverty … first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in literature…struggles of Gabriela Mistral…turned to teaching … relegated to schools in remote locales…Committed to working for social justice…Archival photos and snippets of her writing … includes some of her poems…” (CR)

Reiser, Lynn. My Way/A mi manera. tr. by Bárbara Mergen Alvarado, et al. illus. by author. Greenwillow Books: Harper Collins, $15.99 (978-0-06-084101-0).
(PreS-Gr 1) “…two spunky protagonists of this charming title have a lot in common…both like to do things their own way…sunny tale of independence and friendship … bright, open watercolor cartoon illustrations enhance the story and will engage the attention of young listeners…” (CR)

Krings, Antoon. Araña Maraña. (Sandra Spider) tr. by David Cáceres González. Spain/: Blume (Bichitos Curiosos), dist. by IPG, $5.95 (978-8498010831).

REVIEWED WITH:
Escarabajo Gustavo. (Sneedle Beetle)(978-8498010862)

Hormiga Edelmira. (Annie Ant) (978-8498010848).

Mosca Tosca. (Fanny Fly) (978-8498010435)

(PreS-K) “…intimate and endearing world…presents clever twists on traditional fables. …charming little protagonists… simple and funny …texts are simple, and the language fairly universal to the Spanish reading world. Children will gravitate toward these books.” (CR)