Geo Librarian

THE LEGEND OF OLD BEFANA An Italian Christmas story  retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4814-7763-5 Ages 6-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this beloved classic picture book, Tomie dePaola retells and illustrates an Italian Christmas folk tale, breathing warmth and humanity into the character of the lonely Old Befana and her endless search for the Christ Child. Every morning and every afternoon, Old Befana sweeps with her broom. “Cranky old lady,” the children say. “She is always sweeping !” Sweep, sweep, sweep. But when a brilliant star glows in the eastern sky one night, and Old Befana encounters the glorious procession of three kings on their way to Bethlehem, her little world will never be the same. REVIEW Interestingly, I heard a different version of this story shortly before I picked up this picture book.  Naturally, ...

ALICE PAUL AND THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS by Deborah Kops Calkins Creek, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-62979-323-8 Source: purchased Age 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Here is the story of leader Alice Paul, from the women's suffrage movement—the long struggle for votes for women—to the “second wave,” when women demanded full equality with men. Paul made a significant impact on both. She reignited the sleepy suffrage moment with dramatic demonstrations and provocative banners. After women won the right to vote in 1920, Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would make all the laws that discriminated against women unconstitutional. Passage of the ERA became the rallying cry of a new movement of young women in the 1960s and ’70s. Paul saw another chance to advance women’s rights when the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 began moving through Congress. She set in motion the “sex amendment,” which remains a crucial le...

SANTA CALLS By William Joyce Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1993 (reprint) Ages 4 and up Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Art Atchinson Aimesworth -- inventor, crime fighter, and allaround whiz kid-journeys north with his sister, Esther, and his pal, Spaulding, by special invitation from Santa himself. But why did Santa call? Now available in a new hardcover edition, this truly Joyce-ian crusade features villains and swashbuckling adventure, concluding with a most spectacular and touching Christmas celebration. A holiday extravaganza like no other, by the creator of Rolie Polie Olie, Snowie Rolie, Sleepy Time Olie, Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures wirh the Family Lazardo, and George Shrinks. REVIEW One thing I always enjoy about William Joyce's books is the creativity that shines through, especially in the illustrations.  Here is a Santa story, similar in tone to the beloved The Polar Express , and ye...

THE WHYDAH A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked & Found by Martin W. Sandler Candlewick Press, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8033-6 Ages 12 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The exciting true story of the captaincy, wreck, and discovery of the Whydah the only pirate ship ever found and the incredible mysteries it revealed.   The 1650s to the 1730s marked the golden age of piracy, when fearsome pirates like Blackbeard ruled the waves, seeking not only treasure but also large and fast ships to carry it. The Whydah was just such a ship, built to ply the Triangular Trade route, which it did until one of the greediest pirates of all, Black Sam Bellamy, commandeered it. Filling the ship to capacity with treasure, Bellamy hoped to retire with his bounty but in 1717 the ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod. For more than two hundred years, the wreck of the Whydah (and the riches that went down with it) eluded treasure see...

A CHRISTMAS FOR BEAR by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton Candlewick Press, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-7636-4923-4 Ages 5-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bear's minimalist holiday celebration has an eager Mouse feeling a bit anxious in this humorous and heartwarming story about the unlikely, lovable pair. One frosty night, Bear hears a tap, tap, tapping on his front door. "Merry Christmas!" cries Mouse. Mouse is there for a Christmas party, and Bear has never had one before, but he's certain that pickles (preferably from France) must be an essential component, along with the reading of a long and difficult poem. The problem is, whenever Bear comes back from the kitchen with more treats, Mouse has vanished -- only to be found, small and gray and guilty-eyed, scurrying under the bed or rifling through the closet. Will there be even a tiny present involved? "Hogwash!" sc...

My school was lucky enough to have Frank Cole come speak to us a couple of weeks ago.  He turned out to be a very entertaining presenter.  His stories were hilarious and his advice about becoming an author, fabulous. So I am happy to be able to highlight a couple of his books. THE WORLD'S GREATEST ADVENTURE MACHINE by Frank L. Cole Delecorte Press, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-399-55282-3 Middle grade adventure Ages 9-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An adventure novel about four lucky kids and a mysterious, but thrilling ride for fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Jurassic Park! CastleCorp and the famous Castleton brothers are unveiling the World's Greatest Adventure Machine! The roller coaster is an experience like no other, and four lucky kids have won the chance to be the first to ride it. There's Trevor, whose latest stunt got him in trouble at school again. There's Devin, whose fat...

SPIRIT HUNTERS by Ellen Oh Harper, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-243008-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative (fantasy/horror) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh returns with Spirit Hunters , a high-stakes middle grade mystery series about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother. A riveting ghost story and captivating adventure, this tale will have you guessing at every turn! Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensa...

HOW DARE THE SUN RISE Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Abigail Pesta Katherine Tegen Books, 2017 ISBN: 9780062470164 Source: public library e-book collection Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped. Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to fa...

SURVIVOR'S CLUB: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz by Michael Bornstein & Debbie Bornstein Holinstat Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-374-30571-0 Source: public library Grades 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In 1945, in a now-famous piece of archival footage, four-year-old Michael Bornstein was filmed by Soviet soldiers as he was carried out of Auschwitz in his grandmother’s arms. Survivors Club tells the unforgettable story of how a father’s courageous wit, a mother’s fierce love, and one perfectly timed illness saved Michael’s life, and how others in his family from Zarki, Poland, dodged death at the hands of the Nazis time and again with incredible deftness. Working from his own recollections as well as extensive interviews with relatives and survivors who knew the family, Michael relates his inspirational story with the help of his daughter, Debbie Bornstein Holinst...

KING & KAYLA AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING DOG TREATS written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers Peachtree Publishing, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-145-877-6 Ages 6-9 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Kayla made peanut butter treats for Jillian's new puppy, Thor. But now the treats are missing.  What does Kayla know? There are three treats missing. King was in the kitchen. King's breath doesn't smell like peanut butter.  What does King know? There's an intruder in the house.  How will they solve the mystery? REVIEW I'm always on the lookout for fun early chapter books.  These books need to be fast moving with short, easy to read sentences for children just learning to read.  But the stories and illustrations are important as well.  In this first of a new series, King wants to eat the peanut butter treats that Kayla has made.  And when some of the treats go missing, ...

BERTHA TAKES A DRIVE How the Benz Automobile Changed the World by Jan Adkins Charlesbridge, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-58089-696-2 Ages 6-9 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's 1888 and Bertha Benz's husband, Karl, has invented the prototype Benz motorwagen. But the German government declares the vehicle illegal, and the church calls it the devil's work. Unbeknownst to her husband, Bertha steals away with her two sons and drives nearly one hundred miles to prove just how amazing the motorwagen is. Bertha's mechanical savvy gets the boys to Grandma's house safely, and the remarkable mother/son road trip reduces global concern about moving vehicles. REVIEW I'm a big fan of books that highlight the actions of brave, clever women.  Jan Adkins has done an admirable job of telling one story from the life of one such women.  I had to laugh at the determination of this woman, Bertha Benz, to prove...