Geo Librarian

AMERICAN AS PANEER PIE by Supriya Kelkar Aladdin, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5344-3938-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An Indian-American girl who struggles to navigate her two very different lives: the one at home, where she can be herself, and the one at school, where she is teased for her culture. When a racist incident rocks her small town, she must decide to continue to remain silent or find her voice. REVIEW This book was eye-opening in a lot of ways.  The themes that permeate the book are so relevant to the world today.  The story revolves around Lekha Divekar, a young Indian American girl who wants so badly to belong with her classmates.  Her parents are immigrants from India and have kept many of their traditions.  Lekha enjoys many of these traditions but she dislikes having to always answer questions about her traditions and beliefs.  She's also been bullied and stereotyped by those around her....

GREAT WHITE SHARK ADVENTURE Fabien Cousteau Expeditions written by James O. Fraioli, illustrated by Joe St. Pierre Margaret K. McElderrry Books, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5344-2087-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Two young explorers join Fabien Cousteau and his team to get up close and personal with great white sharks in this start to a series of graphic adventure novels. Junior explorers Bella and Marcus join famed explorer Fabien Cousteau and his research team as they embark on an ocean journey off the coast of South Africa, where the world’s largest concentrations of great white sharks are found. Their mission is to investigate a sighting of a massive white shark, and tag it so they can track and protect it. Along the way, they’ll encounter whales, seals, dolphins, penguins, and a colorful array of other marine life. They’ll also enter a shark cage and come face to face with these powerful creatures.  Dramatic, graphic ill...

EXTREME OCEAN Amazing Animals, High-Tech Gear, Record-Breaking Depths, and Much More! by Sylvia A. Earle with Glen Phelan National Geographic Kids, 2020 ISBN: 9781426336850 Source: Media Masters Publicity Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Discover the most outrageous aspects of the deep blue---from record-breaking depths to towering tsunamis, underwater giants to tiny sea creatures--along with ocean conservation challenges and what you can do to help. Dive into a world of aquatic mystery in this action-packed combination of science and adventure. Famed National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle leads readers on an in-depth tour of life beneath the waves. Come face-to-face with whales and sharks, learn about the newest and most hi-tech ocean gear and gadgets, experiment with hands-on activities, and join Earle as she recounts her most daring dives. Packed with fascinating tidbits, animal profiles, and up-to-date science, each chapter combines stunning pho...

OUR WORLD A First Book of Geography words by Sue Lowell Gallion, pictures by Lisk Feng Phaidon, 2020 ISBN: 9781838660819 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A read-aloud introduction to geography for young children that, when opened and folded back, creates a freestanding globe Children are invited to identify and experience the Earth's amazing geography through rhyming verse and lush illustrations: from rivers, lakes, and oceans deep, to valleys, hills, and mountains steep. Secondary text offers more detailed, curriculum-focused facts and encourages readers to consider their own living environments, making the reading experience personal yet set within a global backdrop. This informative homage to Earth is sure to inspire readers to learn more about their planet – and to engage with the world around them. REVIEW The shape of this book catches the eye immediately.  The top two-thirds of the book is shaped like a ...

THE BULL SHARK Dragged From Under #1 by Joseph Monniger Scholastic, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-338-58766 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Barn Whimbril is a shark-obsessed sixth grader living in Florida. When a deadly shark attack happens in a canal near his home, he heads off to the scene. As he tries to figure out what has caused these bull sharks to become more aggressive, Barn will face several hazards both in and out of the water. REVIEW When a teenager is attacked by a shark in the local canal near his home in Florida, Barn Whimbril sets out to find out why.  After investigating the attack scene and saving a dog from a bull shark, Barn knows there's a serious problem with bull sharks in the canal.  With the help of his shark knowledge, his best friend, Finn's electronic genius, and cute Margaret Valley's good sense, Barn tries to figure out what has brought bull sharks up the canal.  Barn and his friends meet Jessup Sabine, ...

THE MAGNIFICENT MONSTERS OF CEDAR STREET by Lauren Oliver Harper, 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-234507-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Cordelia Clay loves the work she and her father do together: saving and healing the remarkable creatures around Boston at the end of the nineteenth century. Their home on Cedar Street is full to the brim with dragons, squelches, and diggles, and Cordelia loves every one of them. But their work must be kept secret—others aren’t welcoming to outsiders and immigrants, so what would the people of Boston do to the creatures they call “monsters”? One morning, Cordelia awakens to discover that her father has disappeared—along with nearly all the monsters. With only a handful of clues and a cryptic note to guide her, Cordelia must set off to find out what happened to her father, with the help of her new friend Gregory, Iggy the farting filch, a baby dragon, and a small zuppy (zombie puppy, that is). REVIEW Cordelia C...

OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG~The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo Alfred A. Knopf, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5247-6671-9 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Sometimes you make a friend,  and it feels like you have known that friend your entire life. . . . Hedgehog lives on a teeny-tiny island with only her stuffed dog, Mutty, for company. When a great storm carries Mutty away, she embarks on a quest to find her friend. Following the trail of clues Mutty left behind, brave Hedgehog meets a wiggly Mole, a wordy Owl, a curmudgeonly Beaver, a scatterbrained Hen and Chicks, and a girl who's new to the neighborhood, Annika May. With bravery and teamwork, there's nothing that can stop these seven from finding Mutty, but along the way they discover something even more important: each other. The first book in a new series from Caldecott Honor winner Lauren Castillo, Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us has the feel of a timeless classic, introducing an unforg...

WE ARE POWER How Nonviolent Activism Changes the World by Todd Hasak-Lowy Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-4197-4111-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK We Are Power brings to light the incredible individuals who have used nonviolent activism to change the world. The book explores questions such as what is nonviolent resistance and how does it work? In an age when armies are stronger than ever before, when guns seem to be everywhere, how can people confront their adversaries without resorting to violence themselves? Through key international movements as well as people such as Gandhi, Alice Paul, Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, and Václav Havel, this book discusses the components of nonviolent resistance. It answers the question “Why nonviolence?” by showing how nonviolent movements have succeeded again and again in a variety of ways, in all sorts of places, and always in the face of overwhelming odds. The...