Geo Librarian

VIOLET AND VICTOR WRITE THE BEST-EVER BOOKWORM BOOK written by Alice Kuipers, illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia Little, Brown and Company, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-316-21200-7 Source: purchased Grades: PreK and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Violet and Victor Small are twins on a mission: to write the best book in the whole, entire world--together! Victor is reluctant, but Violet is determined, and soon the ideas can't come quickly enough. They begin to write a story about a hungry Bookworm who is eating all the books in the library. Thanks to Victor's brilliant ideas, Violet is able to save the day (and the library). This delightful story-within-a-story is filled with good-natured sibling rivalry, and focuses on the spirit of cooperation, the satisfaction of a job well-done, and the magic of storytelling. REVIEW Kuipers provides a cute look at the process of writing a story, from a child's point of view.  Not only is the ...

DEMON'S HEART by Emily Hall Bates Cedar Fort, 2014 ISBN: 9781462115150 YA Fantasy Source: eARC from publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Young ruffian Rustav is determined to escape his abusive uncle and hated homeland, even if it means braving the demon-infested forest. His escape is halted, however, when a race of legendary beings reveal him to be the country’s fabled heir. As the people rally around him, Rustav teeters precariously between raising his people from the dust—or destroying them from the inside. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily H. Bates grew up in Northern California, where she spent much of her young life happily closeted away with a book. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in German Linguistics, married a dashing young man from her study abroad in Germany, and now writes novels in English. She currently resides in Washington with her husband and her very busy daughter. REVIEW...

WHERE'S MOMMY? by Beverly Donofrio & Barbara McClintock Schwartz & Wade Books, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-375-84423-2 Picture Book Grades K and up Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this companion to acclaimed Mary and the Mouse , the Mouse and Mary, Maria (Mary's daughter) and Mouse Mouse (Mouse's daughter) are looking for their mothers. They're not in their bedrooms, their car and cart are still in the driveway, and they are not in the gazebo or under the mushroom! Where could they be? Well, turns out Mary and the Mouse are great friends—just like Maria and Mouse Mouse—and soon the new generation is in on the old generation's secret, and vice versa. Sparingly told and beautifully illustrated, this book is every bit as charming as its predecessor. Kids will pore over the minute details of a mouse's parallel world. REVIEW I found this a delightfully fun book with the detailed illustrations and ...

AN UNCOMMON BLUE by R.C. Hancock Sweetwater Books, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1488-7 YA Fantasy Grades 9 and up Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In a society where the color of a person’s palm determines their social class, Bruno goes from favored to fugitive when he kills a Royal Guard to save a boy’s life. If he wants to survive, Bruno has to learn to accept the lower colors. A thrilling blend of fantasy and adventure perfect for readers everywhere. ABOUT THE AUTHOR RC (Really Cool) Hancock began his writing career with a story about a dead cat which his second grade teacher thought was brilliant. Convincing others of his literary genius has taken longer than expected, but along the road he has acquired a lovely wife, four entertaining ankle-biters (who, thankfully, look more like their mother), and a degree from BYU in Recreational Management & Youth Leadership (which means he’s really good at ha...

TWENTY-TWO CENTS: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Jamel Akib Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2014 ISBN: 978-1-60060-658-8 Picture Book Nonfiction Source: publisher for review (THANKS!) Grades 2 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From a young age, Muhammad Yunus was drawn to helping those in need.  As a Boy Scout, he raised money for the poor.  As a young man, he studied economics so he could teach people to manage their money.  As a university professor in Bangladesh, he moved his classes outside to learn how poor villagers managed to survive.  It was there that Yunus met a young craftswoman who needed just twenty-two cents to buy materials and feed her family.  Ignored by local banks and in debt to moneylenders, she existed in a cycle of poverty. With a dream of a world in which no one goes hungry, Yunus launched Grameen Bank in 1977.  The bank was based on the idea of microcre...

ALL DIFFERENT NOW Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-689-87376-8 Picture Book Grades 1 and up Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. Through the eyes of one little girl,  All Different Now  tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. This stunning picture book includes notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline of important dates, and a glossary of relevant terms. Told in Angela Johnson's signature melodic style and brought to life by E.B. Lewis's striking paintings,  All Different Now...

SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-4197-1054-4 Picture Book Nonfiction Grades 1 and up Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Almost 10 years before  Brown vs. Board of Education , Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California. REVIEW I appreciated the fact that this book addresses an historical event that is not very well known.  We need more books that look at the experiences of a variety of different backgrounds.  This boo...

THE MAP TO EVERYWHERE by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis Little, Brown and Company, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-316-24077-2 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 4 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Wherever you need to go--the Map to Everywhere can take you there. To Master Thief Fin, an orphan from the murky pirate world of the Khaznot Quay, the Map is the key to finding his mother. To suburban schoolgirl Marrill, it's her only way home after getting stranded on the Pirate Stream, the magical waterway that connects every world in creation. With the help of a bumbling wizard and his crew, they must scour the many worlds of the Pirate Stream to gather the pieces of the Map to Everywhere--but they aren't the only ones looking. A sinister figure is hot on their tail, and if they can't beat his ghostly ship to find the Map, it could mean the destruction of everything they hold dear! In Carrie Ryan and John Parke...

THIS IS THE GREATEST PLACE! The Forbidden City and the World of Small Animals written by Brian Tse, translation by Ben Wang illustrations by Alice Mak China Institute in America, 2014 ISBN: 9780989377621 Picture Book Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Rabbit is eating breakfast with his friends Baby Squirrel, Young Porcupine, and Little Brother Panda when an unexpected visitor arrives. He is a master builder, searching for inspiration to design a great palace for the Emperor of China. Together, Uncle Builder and the little animals explore how nature supplies us with the wonders that enrich our lives. Created by internationally renowned children's book artists Brian Tse and Alice Mak, this book teaches children about Chinese architecture, how nature's influence can be seen around us, and how people and animals can live together in harmony. The illustrations capture both the majesty of the natur...

THE NIGHT BEFORE HANUKKAH by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer Grosset & Dunlap, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-448-48140-1 Picture Book Source: author for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The newest title in the bestselling Night Before series is the perfect gift for every girl and boy who celebrates Hanukkah! It's the night before the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah begins, and everyone is excited! Each evening, the family gathers to light the candles and share holiday traditions such as playing dreidel, eating latkes, and exchanging gifts. The seventeenth title in Natasha Wing's bestselling series, The Night Before Hanukkah captures all the joy and love in one of the most wonderful times of the year! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Natasha Wing has published 22 children's books, with more in the works.  She is best known for her paperback series based on the popular story, The Night Before Christmas .  The stories are about families...

HI, KOO! A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth Scholastic Press, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-545-16668-3 Picture Book Grades K and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Caldecott Honoree and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author/artist Jon J Muth takes a fresh and exciting new look at the four seasons! Eating warm cookies on a cold day is easy water catches every thrown stone skip skip splash With a featherlight touch and disarming charm, Jon J Muth--and his delightful little panda bear, Koo--challenge readers to stretch their minds and imaginations with twenty-six haikus about the four seasons. REVIEW A beautifully written and illustrated book that highlights some fun and unique aspects of each season.  Some of the poems addressed things that I expected such as the weather or seasonal actions such as falling leaves. But some of the poems looked at things I didn't expect such as throwing snowballs at a stop sign, a cat disappearing in the...

DON'T JUDGE A LIZARD BY HIS SCALES The Principle Gang #1 by Dan Dugi, Jr., M.D. & Bli Marston Dugi, MPA-C Illustrated by Andrea Vitali Dugi Group, LLC, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-9898362-0-3 Picture Book Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Everyone knows that lizards eat flies, but Bli the Fly and Danny the Wizard Lizard are willing to put their differences aside to become the best of friends. Danny the Wizard Lizard goes on a fly-free diet as he sets out to prove that he is not like all the other lizards. During their quest for friendship, Danny the Wizard Lizard and Bli the Fly encounter the Lousy Lizard Gang, a no-good group of bullies. Danny the Wizard Lizard gives the first glimpse into why he is a Wizard Lizard by exhibiting special powers to stop the bullying that goes on at the movie theater. Witnessing his heroic act, Bli the Fly’s mother, Mrs. Fly, realizes that she misjudged this lizard, and Bli the Fly g...