Geo Librarian

  ENSNARED IN THE WOLF'S LAIR Inside the 1944 Plot to Kill Hitler and the Ghost Children of His Revenge by Ann Bausum National Geographic, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-4263-3854-0 Source: Media Masters Publicity for review Ages 12 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK     "I've come on orders from Berlin to fetch the three children." --Gestapo agent, August 24, 1944 With those chilling words Christa von Hofacker and her younger siblings found themselves ensnared in a web of family punishment designed to please one man—Adolf Hitler. The furious dictator sought merciless revenge against not only Christa’s father and the other Germans who had just tried to overthrow his government. He wanted to torment their relatives, too, regardless of age or stature. All of them. Including every last child.   REVIEW   During World War II, as the war dragged on, a plot was hatched to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government.  This plan was...

  TOO SMALL TOLA by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1127-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   Tolu may be small, but she's very determined. Three delightful stories about Too Small Tola, a young girl who, though small, is very determined. Tola lives in a flat in Lagos with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. Tola proves to be stronger than she seems when she goes to market with Grandmommy and manages to carry home a basket full of yams and vegetables, chilli peppers and fish. When the taps in the flat don't work, it's Tola who brings water from the well, and it's Tola who saves the day when Mr Abdul, the tailor, needs his goods to be delivered quickly. Too Small Tola is a wonderful new character in the world of children's books by multi-award-winning children's writer and...

  UNLIKELY FRIENDS Beak & Ally #1 by Norm Feuti Harper Alley, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-302157-0 Source: purchased ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In the first book of a series by Norm Feuti, an outgoing bird is determined to befriend a reluctant alligator. Beak & Ally is a new early reader graphic novel series perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly. Ally the alligator is perfectly happy being alone . . . until one day a noisy bird named Beak lands on her snout. Much to Ally’s annoyance, this chatty bird likes to sing all the time and has chosen a nearby tree to build his new nest. Even worse, he insists that he and Ally will be best friends . In fact, he has all kinds of friendship goals in mind, and it seems nothing Ally says will convince him that she’d rather just be alone. Nothing beats peace and quiet . . . except for maybe a new best friend? Beak & Ally is a brand-new graphic novel series by Norm Feuti, perfect for emerging rea...

  NO BUDDY LIKE A BOOK by Allan Wolf, illustrated by Brianne Farley Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0307-3 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Calling readers and daydreamers, word mavens and lovers of adventure! This celebration of the power of books is a rallying cry for letting imaginations soar. We learn important stuff from books. We learn to speak and think. We learn why icebergs stay afloat… and why Titanics sink. Have you ever wanted to climb to the top of Everest with one hand behind your back? Kiss a crocodile all by yourself on the Nile River? How about learning how to bottle moonlight, or track a distant star? There are endless things to discover and whole universes to explore simply by reading a book. But books are only smears of ink without the reader’s mind to give their letters meaning and bring them to life. With a rollicking, rhyming text and delightful artwork, poet and storyteller Allan...

  STANLEY'S TOY BOX by William Bee Peachtree Publishing, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-68263-284-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK (From Amazon)   Everyone’s favorite hard-working hamster Stanley teams up with friends to introduce young readers to basic toys and their uses. Join Stanley at the park where he and his friends explore and play with all the toys in his toy box. They bounce balls, sail toy boats, and fly kites. What else is in Stanley’s toy box? An early introduction to the toy vocabulary and object identification, this board book will appeal to Stanley’s youngest fans. REVIEW Stanley and his friend Little Woo go to the park where they meet up with Betty!  Together the friends play with the toys that Stanley brought in his toy box.  A jump rope, bouncing balls, beach buckets, and bowling pins all get played with by the group of friends.  A mishap with the toy boats and wind-up submarine caus...

SYDNEY & TAYLOR  Explore the Whole Wide World by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Deborah Hocking Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-358-10631-9 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Best-selling author Jacqueline Davies tells the story of two unlikely friends: Sydney and Taylor, a skunk and a hedgehog who strike out to discover the great unknown, despite how afraid they are of it. Charming full-color illustrations and a laugh-out-loud story make this chapter book perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson and Owl Diaries series. Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney an...

  ULTIMATE EARTH : OCEANS AND SEAS by Miranda Baker, illustrated by Gareth Lucas 360 Degrees/Tiger Tales, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-944530-33-4 Source: Myrick Marketing Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   The Earth's oceans and seas are filled with all different kinds of creatures, from tiny krill to the enormous blue whale. Readers dive into the sea to meet such fascinating animals as the electric eel, puffer fish, giant clam, colossal squid, mimic octopus, and many others. Features fun facts and flaps to lift throughout.     REVIEW   With flaps and extended pages, this book introduces readers to some of the remarkable animals that live in the ocean.  Each double page spread focuses on one type of creature such as predators, speedy swimmers, disguise and display, and weird and wonderful.  The spreads alternate between flaps on one spread followed by an extended page on the next.  The text is broken up into sectio...

  SIMON AND CHESTER SUPER DETECTIVES! by Cale Atkinson tundra books, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-7352-6742-8 Source: purchased Ages 7-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Welcome to the world of Simon and Chester, ghost and boy duo extraordinaire. They like to kick butt and take names. They don't like chores. They are best friends. And they are about to solve the MYSTERY OF A LIFETIME. (Oh, and eat some snacks probably.) Join Simon and Chester in their first adventure, and fall in love with this hilarious odd couple by fan favorite author and illustrator Cale Atkinson.   REVIEW   Chester's boredom leads him to search through the boxes in his grandmother's attic.  When he discovers an old Sherlock Holmes hat and trench coat, he attracts Simon's attention.  The two decide they are going to be detectives.  After creating an office and dressing themselves appropriately they wait for a mystery to present itself.  They discuss different types ...

  BABY LOVES THE FIVE SENSE : HEARING! by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan Charlesbridge, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-62354-102-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Explores the science behind the sense of hearing, and technical advances that can help people with impaired hearing.   REVIEW   This educational board book presents the basic sound concepts of vibration, amplitude, and frequency.  An explanation and diagram of the ear are also included.  Using music as the introduction, young children are presented with information about sound.  Information about hearing aides and those who can't hear at all are included.  I haven't used this book with children so I can't say how effective it is, but the book is well put together and the diagrams and colorful illustrations are appealing and useful.  A great book for those who want to help their children understand the sense of hearing.    ...

STELLA by McCall Hoyle Shadow Mountain, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-62972-901-5 Source: ARC from publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   Even dogs deserve a second chance. Ever since she was a puppy, Stella was trained to use her powerful beagle nose to sniff out dangerous chemicals and help her handler keep people safe. But during a routine security inspection, Stella misses the scent of an explosive. The sound of the blast is loud and scary. Unable to go back to work because of her anxiety, Stella is retired as a working dog. When a young girl named Cloe wants to adopt Stella, the beagle knows this is her last chance to prove her worth. But how? When Stella smells a strange chemical inside Cloe’s body, a scent that surges just before the girl has a seizure, Stella’s nose makes the connection. But how can Stella warn her new family without them thinking she’s having an anxiety attack? How can she convince others t...