Geo Librarian

ALISTAIR GRIM'S ODDITORIUM by Gregory Funaro Disney-Hyperion, 2015 ISBN: 9781484700068 Middle Grade Fantasy Ages 9-12 Source: author for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Grubb, age twelve (or thereabouts), has never known anything beyond his miserable existence as a chimney sweep, paid only in insults and abuse by his cruel master. All of that changes the day he stows away in the coach belonging to a mysterious guest at the inn that he is tasked with cleaning. Grubb emerges from Alistair Grim's trunk and into the wondrous world of the Odditorium. Fueled by a glowing blue energy that Grubb can only begin to understand, the Odditorium is home to countless enchanted objects and an eccentric crew that embraces Grubb as one of their own. There's no time for Grubb to settle into his new role as apprentice to the strange, secretive Mr. Grim. When the Odditorium comes under attack, Grubb is whisked off on a perilous adven...

TILLIE & CLEMENTINE Zoo Switcheroo by Dan Killeen  Happy Fun Books, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-9898474-2-1 Picture Book Source: author for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Tillie and Clementine go with their parents to spend a fun day exploring the zoo. They happen to be there, however, on the same day a daddy gorilla and his baby daughter sneak out of their enclosure to do the same thing! At one point the two dads get distracted, accidentally grab the wrong daughter, and hoist them up for a piggyback ride. Soon Daddy is walking around with a baby gorilla on his back, and the big silverback gorilla is walking around with Clementine on his. How will the crazy Zoo Switcheroo get resolved? This richly illustrated, whimsical tale shows how parents and kids, whether gorilla or human, can be easily distracted with perilous yet funny consequences. Until near the end, no one in the story is aware of the monumental mix up that has occurred. Young ...

A PASSION FOR ELEPHANTS: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Holly Berry Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015 (will be released on September 29, 2015) ISBN: 978-0-8037-4090-7 Picture Book Nonfiction Source: F & G from author for review (Thanks, Toni!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A science and nature biography of Cynthia Moss, the elephant expert, by the author of Caldecott Honor book One Cool Friend Cynthia Moss was never afraid of BIG things. As a kid, she loved to ride through the countryside on her tall horse. She loved to visit faraway places. And she especially loved to learn about nature and the world around her. So when Cynthia traveled to Africa and met the world’s most ENORMOUS land animal, the African elephant, at Amboseli National Park in Kenya, she knew she had found her life’s work. Cynthia has spent years learning everything she can about elephants and sharing these fa...

Put Me In The Story , the #1 personalized book site in the U.S., has just released 3 new books starring some of your favorite children’s characters, just in time for back-to-school season! Create a fun and engaging reading experience with you personalize the books with your child’s name, photo, and a dedication message www.PutMeInTheStory.com . Let your child grown and learn alongside Elmo, Dora, and Hello Kitty just in time for school in: Sesame Street: Off to School! Dora Goes to School Let’s Go to School: Hello Kitty and Me Put Me In The Story is also hosting an Off to School with Elmo Sweepstakes! Enter via the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win: One Grand Prize:  Sesame Street Prize Pack ·        Off to School with Elmo personalized book ·        Sesame Street Hello Elmo Red Toddler Backpack ·        Sesame Street Elmo and Friends Red Lunch Bag ...

THE DEER WITH THE PURPLE NOSE by Wayne L. Brillhart Wan Lee Publishing, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-9858042-0-6 Picture book mystery Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Two English Setters, Rusty and Purdy, see a deer with a purple nose and ask her how her nose became purple. The deer denies having a purple nose. The dogs talk to 10 different backyard birds to solve the mystery. A chipmunk, ground hog and racoon help also. The book is all photographs on glossy pages so it is fun for all ages, but targeted for 2 yrs to 3rd grade. REVIEW When I heard about this book full of photographs that's a mystery I was definitely intrigued.  And now having read it, I still find it a remarkably clever idea.  First off, the photographs are beautiful and arranged in a way to tell the story.  It's amazing the way the author/photographer managed to take photographs that work so well.  The main characters are the dogs Purdy an...

THE FROG WHO CROAKED Platypus Police Squad #1 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka Walden Pond Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-06-207164-4 Ages 9-12 Genre: Mystery (animal fantasy) Source: won in a giveaway All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the Files of the Platypus Police Squad Case #1138 Detectives of record: Rick Zengo and Corey O'Malley Case brief: A local schoolteacher is missing, and the only thing fishier than the circumstances surrounding his disappearance is the smell coming from the bag he left behind. All clues point to billionaire businessman Frank Pandini Jr.--but why would Pandini get his paws into the illegal fish trade? REVIEW Who but the creator of the Lunch Lady series could come up with a noir crime series staring platypuses.  I wasn't entirely sure going in how much I would like this series, but I ended up quite liking it.  This feels so much like one of those crime tv shows except appropriate for kids.  You have the...

WOLVES by Laura Marsh National Geographic, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4263-0913-7 Ages 6-8 Nonfiction Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK They run in packs, stalk their prey, and howl at the moon. And no matter where you are--they're always lurking somewhere nearby. Wolves, the predatory puppy dogs of the wild, are feared and loved by people everywhere. But are they misunderstood? In this fascinating level 2 reader, you'll learn that there's much more to being a wolf than most people could ever believe. Did you know that each pack has a pecking order? That wolves can "talk" to each other using body language? Or that they're actually not out to attack humans, they usually leave people well enough alone? Full of incredible photographs and interesting information,  NGR Wolves  will appeal to all kids.   REVIEW Wolves are a popular topic with children.  Young readers can't help but want to know everything the...

BIG TOP BURNING: The True Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and The Greatest Show on Earth by Laura A. Woollett Chicago Review Press, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-61373-114-7 MG/YA Nonfiction Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK On July 6, 1944, thousands of fans made their way to Barbour Street in Hartford, Connecticut, to see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performance. Not long after the show’s start, a fire broke out and spread rapidly as panicked circus-goers pushed and scrambled to escape. Within 10 minutes the entire big top had burned to the ground, and 167 people never went home. Big Top Burning  recounts the true story of one of the worst fire disasters in US history. It follows the tragic stories of the Cook family—including children Donald, Eleanor, and Edward, who were in the audience that day—and 15-year-old Robert Segee, a circus employee with an incendiary past. Drawing on primary sources and inter...

THE GIRL IN THE TORCH by Robert Sharenow Baltzer & Bray, 2015 ISBN: 9780062227973 Ages 9-12 Genre: Historical Fiction Source: publisher for review (ARC) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The Invention of Hugo Cabret meets True Grit in this heartfelt novel of resilience, hope, and discovering a family where you least expect it, from award-winning author Robert Sharenow. At the dawn of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants are arriving in the promised land of New York City. Twelve-year-old Sarah has always dreamed of America, a land of freedom and possibility. In her small village she stares at a postcard of the Statue of Liberty and imagines the Lady beckoning to her. When Sarah and her mother finally journey across the Atlantic, though, tragedy strikes—and Sarah finds herself being sent back before she even sets foot in the country. Yet just as Sarah is ushered onto the boat that will send her away from the land of her drea...

Top Secret Files Stephanie Bearce August 1, 2015 BOOK INFORMATION Title: Top Secret Files: The Cold War Author: Stephanie Bearce Release Date: August 1, 2015 Publisher: Prufrock Press SUMMARY Take a look if you dare, but be careful! Some secrets are meant to stay hidden… Poison dart umbrellas and cyanide guns were all a part of the arsenal of tools used by spies of the Soviet KGB, American CIA, and the British MI6, but you won’t learn that in your history books! Learn true stories of the Cold War and how spies used listening devices planted in live cats and wristwatch cameras. Discover how East Germans tried to ride zip lines to freedom, while the Cambridge Four infiltrated Britain and master spy catchers like Charles Elwell were celebrated. Then make your own secret codes and practice sending shoe messages. It’s all part of the true stories from  Top Secret Files: Cold War. Buy Links: Amazon-  http://ow.ly/PpgP4 Barnes & Noble-  ht...