Geo Librarian

DEEP WATER Simon True #1 by Katherine Nichols Simon Pulse, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4814-8107-6 YA Nonfiction (True Crime) Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Real stories. Real teens. Real crimes. A group of teens traffic drugs between Mexico and California in this start to the brand-new Simon True series. It’s 1971 in Coronado, a small southern California beach town. For seventeen year-old Eddie Otero, a skilled waterman and avid surfer, life is simple. Then a buddy makes him an offer: Swim an illicit package across the border from Mexico. The intense workout is dangerous. Thrilling. Lucrative. And the beginning of a small business. When the young entrepreneurs involve their former high school Spanish teacher, the smuggling adventure grows into a $100 million dollar global operation. Soon they become fugitives. Living on the edge, they vow to return to their normal lives — right after one last run… REVIEW I'...

REAL FRIENDS by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham First Second, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-62672-416-7 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK When best friends are not forever . . . Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen's #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others. Now every day is like a roller coaster for Shannon. Will she and Adrienne stay friends? Can she stand up for herself? And is she in The Group—or out? Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends—and why it's worth the journey. REVIEW Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors....

100 THINGS TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP by Lisa M. Gerry National Geographic Kids, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4263-2711-7 Source: Media Masters Publicity/publisher Ages 9-12 Middle grade nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Who says adults can't have fun? This book explores 100 of the coolest, wackiest, and most amazing jobs and careers out there, from astronaut to zookeeper, ice cream taster to game maker. Jam-packed with inspiration, hands-on projects, advice from National Geographic explorers, interviews with experts, weird-but-true facts, and more, this new book in the popular -100 Things- series is a great way to get kids thinking creatively about career paths and excited about their futures! REVIEW What an utterly delightful book!  I loved the way that the author presented each of the 100 careers in this book.  With National Geographic's typical gorgeous photographs and bright, fun, appealing design, each of 100 different careers ...

DUCK AND HIPPO, LOST AND FOUND by Jonathan London, illustrated by Andrew Joyner two lions, 2017 ISBN: 978-1542045629 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 3-6 Picture Book All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Duck and Hippo have a picnic and a new adventure! Duck and Hippo invite their friends Turtle, Elephant, and Pig to a picnic at their favorite pond. Yippee! It’s time to dance and sing, swim and eat. Everyone brings goodies to share…except Hippo. He didn’t bring ANYTHING. So Hippo sets off into the forest to find some berries. But he is gone a long time, and Duck begins to worry that Hippo is lost. What should his friends do to find him? Join Duck and Hippo on another fun adventure! ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Jonathan London has written more than one hundred children’s books, including the bestselling Froggy series, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. He is the author of the popular Duck and Hippo series, illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Many of ...

THE WORLD'S GREATEST ADVENTURE MACHINE by Frank L. Cole Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2017 ISBN: 9780399552823 Middle grade adventure/speculative (fantasy) 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 father is pushing him to be the next Internet sensation. Nika's wealthy grandfather isn't too pleased about her participation. And Cameron, he'll be the first to tell you, is a certified genius. The whole world is watching. But as the k...

DUCK, DUCK, PORCUPINE! by Salina Yoon Bloomsbury, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-61963-723-8 Source: purchased Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Big Duck likes to boss around her younger brother, Little Duck, and she fancies herself the leader of their trio--when joined by their gentle friend Porcupine. Little Duck doesn't speak yet, but through his expressions and his actions, he shows that he has a better grasp on any situation than his older sister. Told entirely through dialogue and visual storytelling with subtle humor throughout, Little Duck ends up getting the trio out of whatever jam they are in. REVIEW Every since I discovered the Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems, I've been keeping my eyes open for books with similar qualities.  Qualities such as delightful, expressive illustrations, short, funny stories, and great characters.  I'm delighted to say that I have found such a series in this new series by Salina Yoon. ...

THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA by Pablo Cartaya Viking, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-101-99723-9 Source: Follett Summer R & R Program Middle grade contemporary Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela's restaurant. Maybe. But this summer also includes Carmen, a cute poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo's apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn't notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it. Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poet...

FERGUS AND ZEKE by Kate Messner, illustrated by Heather Ross Candlewick Press, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-7636-7846-3 Source: purchased Ages 6-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet Fergus and Zeke a lovable classroom mouse and his streetwise buddy in a brand-new series perfect for early readers. Fergus loves being the class pet in Miss Maxwell s classroom. He does everything the students do, until the teacher plans a field trip to the museum without Fergus! He doesn t want to miss the fun, so he stows away in a backpack and sets off for an adventure. When he arrives at the museum, Fergus finds it a little overwhelming huge and full of exciting things to see. Luckily, he meets a new friend, Zeke, who knows the ropes, and together they explore everything from moon rocks to butterflies to a giant dinosaur skeleton ("A playground!" says Zeke). But when the time comes for the bus to leave, Fergus is worried that he ll be left behind. Will he mak...

A BABYSITTER'S GUIDE TO MONSTER HUNTING by Joe Ballarini Katherine Tegen Books, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-243783-9 Source: publisher/author for review Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative/fantasy All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The Last Kids on Earth meets Goosebumps in this hilarious new series about a secret society of babysitters who protect kids from the monsters that really do live under their beds! When middle schooler Kelly Ferguson’s Halloween plans switch from party-going to babysitting, she thinks the scariest part of her night will be the death of her social life. But then Baby Jacob gets kidnapped by the Boogeyman’s minions and Kelly learns there’s a whole lot more to childcare than free snacks and Netflix. Like chasing shadow monsters, drop-kicking Toadies, and mastering monster-fighting moves like the Naptime Headlock and Playground Punch. Now, with the help of an ancient handbook and a secret society of butt-kicking babysitter...

With the growth of the Common Core and the increased focus on the reading of nonfiction, it's become more important than ever for good nonfiction for children to be available.  And I have been delighted to see that such nonfiction is becoming more and more common.  One thing I've been looking for is chapter book nonfiction.  So much nonfiction for elementary age readers is less than 100 pages.  For young nonfiction readers this can make it hard to keep up with class requirements.  So I'm delighted to share my reviews of these two fabulous narrative nonfiction chapter books for upper elementary readers. LOST IN THE PACIFIC, 1942 by Tod Olson Scholastic, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-545-92811-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK World War II, October 21, 1942. A B-17 bomber drones high over the Pacific Ocean, sending a desperate SOS into the air. The crew is carrying America'...

STRONG AS SANDOW How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth by Don Tate Charlesbridge, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-58089-628-3 Picture book biography Ages 4-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Little Friedrich Muller was a puny weakling who longed to be athletic and strong like the ancient Roman gladiators. He exercised and exercised. But he to no avail. As a young man, he found himself under the tutelage of a professional body builder. Friedrich worked and worked. He changed his name to Eugen Sandow and he got bigger and stronger. Everyone wanted to become "as strong as Sandow." Inspired by his own experiences body-building, Don Tate tells the story of how Eugen Sandow changed the way people think about strength and exercise and made it a part of everyday life. Backmatter includes more information about Sandow, suggestions for exercise, an author's note, and a bibliography. REVIEW One of the chall...