Geo Librarian

WHERE ARE THE EGGS? Storytelling Math by Grace Lin Charlesbridge, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-62354-346-4 Source: publisher for review Ages 2-5 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Where Are the Eggs ? introduces young children to the concept of spatial awareness using words such as, under, next to, and behind. A young girl looks for the eggs that her hens have laid around the yard. Not only is this a cute search and find book, but it does a nice job of introducing a basic math concept. Lin's illustrations provide an eye-catching, brightly-colored, appealing background. This would make a fun read between a parent and child.  It would be especially fun to ask the child to spot the eggs in each illustration. Tips from Angela Chan Turrou, PhD give parents ideas for encouraging their children's curiosity and learning. A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE FOR BIRDS Storytelling Math by Grace Lin Charlesbridge, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-62354-347-1 Source...

IN THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY by Jane Kuo Quill Tree Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-06-311898-0 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade historical history/novel-in-verse All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Anna looks forward to moving to 'the beautiful country', the Chinese name for America. After getting haircuts, she and her ma pack everything they can into six suitcases, leaving behind her pile of books, she can get new ones in 'the beautiful country'. But the happily ever after she's expecting turns into a rather miserable reality very quickly. She faces bullying at her new school, the new apartment is tiny and uncomfortable, and her parents' struggle to get their new business, a restaurant, off the ground. A foam mat for a bed, a black-and-white TV, and racist vandalism add to her families challenges.  This novel-in-verse tells Anna's story as she struggles to adapt to a place and circumstanc...

RAISING DON The True Story of a Spunky Baby Tapir by Georgeanne Irvine San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-943198-14-6 Source: Blue Slip Media/publisher Ages 7-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by Blue Slip Media. REVIEW Raising Don  tells the story of a Baird's tapir baby raised by the staff at the San Diego Zoo after his mother rejected him.  The adorable photographs really win the day in this book as the reader watches Don grow up under the tender care of the wildlife care specialists. They feed him, introduce him to water, encourage him to learn to swim, and introduce him to other animals in an effort to help the animals learn to get along.  I found it a fascinating glimpse into the work that goes on in zoos to protect and grow the populations of endangered animals. While this tale is told in picture book format, the amount of text makes it more appropriate for older readers, although anyone who loves animals is bound...

AN AMERICAN STORY by Kwame Alexander, art by Dare Coulter Little, Brown and Company, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-316-47312-5 Source: purchased Ages 9 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter have created a masterpiece with this book.  I think Alexander's dedication says it best, "This is for the ones who want to speak the truth, the ones doing the hard and sacred work of nurturing young minds into beautiful human beings...the teachers." Told from the perspective of a teacher teaching a class of students, slavery and it's ramifications are presented to readers. One of the most powerful aspects of using poetry to tell such a tale is that every word is carefully chosen and specifically placed making meaning oh so deliberately. The interweaving of the past and present makes the book even more influential. As the teacher strives to help her students understand the horrors of sl...

DEADLANDS: HUNTED by See Melki-Wegner Henry Holt & Co. (BYR), 2023 ISBN:   9781250827692 Source: eARC from publisher through NetGalley Middle grade animal fantasy Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Young readers who enjoy Erin Hunter's Warriors series are bound to be fans of this new series focused on dinosaurs. Based on the premise that the dinosaurs evolved intelligence and language after being exposed to the remnants of a fallen star. While many dinosaurs died after the star hit and devastated the landscape, some survived and changed. But a war over territory rages between the plains dinosaurs (triceratops, ankylosaurs) and the mountain dinosaurs (oryctodromeus, iguanodons, and stegoceras). Eleri, a young oryctodromeus, stumbles into a conspiracy just before being exiled for inadvertently saving an enemy soldier. Struggling to survive in the Deadlands, the area devastated by the fallen star, Eler...

WELCOME TO THE 'BURBS CatNinja #4 by Matthew Cody and Alejandra Arbona illustrated by Chad Thomas Derek Kaufman colors by Warren Wucinich Epic! Creations, Inc., 2022 ISBN: 9781524875855 Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Cat Ninja leaves the big city behind for the suburbs when he goes with Leon and Marcie to visit their father. Unfortunately for CatNinja, things in the 'burbs work differently than he's used to, so he returns to the city on patrol, but finds someone else saving the day. He returns to the 'burbs to discover that something isn't right. The goldfish given to the family by a neighbor turns out to have been genetically altered into a mob box called Goldfather who is running the neighborhood through blackmail and control of the sewer system. Unfortunately, Mr. Squeaks, the criminal genius hamster's been captured. Naturally it is up to Cat Ninja and Adonis, the robot dog, t...

  DARK ON LIGHT written by Dianne White, illustrated by Felicita Sala Beach Lane Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-8789-5 Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & sample book pages provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Dianne White is fond of lavender blooms and the way an orange moon hangs in the evening sky. She’s the author of several picture books, including the award-winning Blue on Blue, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Beth Krommes, and Green on Green, illustrated by Felicita Sala. Dianne lives with her family in Gilbert, Arizona, where many nights at twilight, the desert blazes rose on sapphire on dark on light. For more information and to download a free activity kit, visit diannewrites.com . Instagram: @diannewrites Facebook: Dianne White Twitter: @diannewrites Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator and painter. She has a degree in philosophy from the University of Western Australi...

THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOM CREAN Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic by Jennifer Thermes Viking, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-593-11772-9 Source: purchased Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW During his years as a sailor, Tom Crean served on the crews of three Antarctic expeditions. He survived hunger, freezing temperatures, bitter Antarctic storms, and the loss of animal companions. He saved the lives of other crew members on more than one occasion.  Thermes's book beautifully highlights some of the events that Crean experienced and the choices made by him and others.  Interestingly, much of the information about Crean's choices and heroics comes from his compatriots, since apparently he never shared much about his experiences himself. After a brief introduction, the book focuses on the three expeditions.  The text and illustrations blend beautifully into a marvelous account of the incredible challenges that sur...

BIG by Vashti Harrison Little, Brown and Company, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-316-35322-9 Source: F&G from publisher for review Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW A young black girl learns the power of words in this stunning picture book. When she's first born, the girl is encouraged to dream with words like caring, considerate, smart, creative, graceful, and nimble. As she gets older she starts to hear the word 'big' too often and not in a good way. A mishap at the playground leads to mean laughter and teasing; even the adults criticize her.  And as one would expect it hurts, the words are hard to forget.  The illustration showing the girl with the words showing on her skin as she looks in the mirror hit me hard.  As the story continues, the words take their toll on the girl's confidence, especially the so-called 'helpful' advice she gets that breaks her heart. The middle pages of the ...

ALIAS ANNA A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson Harper, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-06-308389-9 Source: purchased Ages 10 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Zhanna and Frina Arshanskaya grew up in an Ukraine under Russian control. Still, despite the family's poverty and Jewish heritage, the girls developed into piano prodigies, attending an elite music school, and even helping pay their family's way. When World War II arrived on their doorstep, everything changed as the Nazis put them under surveillance before arresting all the Jews in town and marching them away to be killed. Zhanna's daring nature helped feed her family during this difficult time. On the final march, her father bribes a guard into letting her escape telling her, "I don't care what you do. Just live." Later, Zhanna meets up with her sister, who somehow unknown to this day, managed to escape al...

  THE FLAMINGO by Guojing Random House Studio, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-593-12731-5 Source: purchased Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Once again, Guojing has produced a stunningly beautiful work of art in picture book form.  I've been a fan of Guojing's ever since I saw her first book, The Only Child , and even more of a fan after, Stormy .  It took about two seconds to click buy when I heard about this one.  And I was not disappointed in any way.  When a young girl visits her Lao Lao, she sees a feather kept in a cup by the door. Between the fun trips to the beach, picnics, and cooking in the kitchen, Lao Lao tells the girl the story of finding a flamingo egg and raising the bird to adulthood before watching it fly away. The minimal use of words allows the illustrations to do the heavy lifting which they do magnificently. The more neutral hues of the grandmother and her granddaughter...

  THE DEPTH OF THE LAKE AND THE HEIGHT OF THE SKY by Kim Jihyun Floris Books, 2022 ISBN: 9781782507420 Ages 4 and up Wordless picture book All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW The beautiful art in this book took my breath away. Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words. A young boy leaves the city with his parents to visit his grandparents in the countryside. While there he wanders down a path through the woods.  He stops to admire the tall trees and listen to the sounds of the forest. At the end of the path he finds a lake. He takes a dive into the water and swims down to the bottom where he admires the plants and fish he finds.  Based on an experience the author had one summer.  While this may be Kim Jihyun's first picture book, I sincerely hope it isn't her last. The beautiful lines and the serene peace to be found in the illustrations makes this a true work of art.  In fact, ...

  BELLY BUTTON BOOK! by Sandra Boynton Boynton Bookworks (Simon & Schuster), 2023 (reprint) ISBN: 978-1-6659-2505-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Sandra Boynton's books always bring a smile to my face. As Boynton demonstrates, there are certain words or phrases that naturally make children smile.  Belly button is one of those phrases. What makes this book even funnier is the baby hippo who can't pronounce belly button yet and so refers to that body part by saying "Bee Bo!" Hippos love belly b's apparently and love to show them off at the beach, specifically, Belly Button Beach. In fact they love their belly buttons so much they even have a song about them. Boynton's buoyant hippos are adorable as well as amusing.  This fun board book would make for a delightful read with a baby or toddler. PEEKABOO REX! by Sandra Boynton Boynton Bookworks (Simon...

  WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara Charlesbridge, 2021 ISBN: 9781623541453 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade realistic fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Ever since his mother's death, Collin manages his anxiety by keeping a notebook full of emergency preparedness advice. In tender free verse, Caprara allows Collin to tell of his heartache and frustration.  While he has two fabulous friends in prankster Liam, and outspoken Georgia, he doesn't dare tell them how life is deteriorating at home.  Collin's mother kept his father's hoarding tendencies under control before her death, but now that she's gone, the hoarding's taking over the house. On top of all that, a kid named Tyson continues to torment Collin, even after his companion in bullying moves. My heart broke for Collin as he struggles to keep his head above water, so to speak, being on the swim team help...

THIS PLANET ROCKS! Rover and Speck #1 by Jonathan Roth with color by Paulina Suarez Kids Can Press, 2022 ISBN: 9781525305665 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher from Goodreads.com. REVIEW Rover lands on a rocky planet only to discover that his antenna broke on the descent.  The explorer decides to begin its journey by examining the planet as it was designed to do.  As Rover looks for life, it finds many rocks and minerals. Only when it scans for 'not-life' and 'not-rocks' does it find something different.  The 'not-life' and 'not-rock' turns out to be another rover called Special Planet Explorer Class-K, shortened to SPECK. Speck, unfortunately, doesn't remember anything about its mission and after charging its solar batteries, joins Rover exploring the planet. For a robot, Speck does puppy dog eyes really well. Speck's enthusiasm and Rover's expertise make them a good team, e...

JESSIE, QUEEN OF THE ROAD by Lindsay Ward Two Lions, 2023 ISBN: 9781542034227 Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & other materials provided by Blue Slip Media. BOOK SUMMARY A story about being brave, believing in yourself, and breaking barriers—inspired by seven female motorcyclists. In the early twentieth century, a teenage Jessie races the streets of New York City—the only female motorcycle around. After being called unladylike too many times, she leaves and becomes the first female motorcycle to traverse America. But a few years later, when she tries to enlist during World War I, she’s turned down because she’s a woman. So she sets her own course, meeting other female motorcycles, working as a stunt rider, and eventually becoming a courier during World War II. Over the decades and after many achievements—and a few color changes—one thing is clear to Jessie: there’s always a new adventure just around ...

LIFE IN HOT WATER Wildlife at the Bottom of the Ocean written by Mary Batten, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez Peachtree, 2021 Source: purchased ISBN: 978-1-68263-152-2 Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW With illustrations so stunningly lifelike that they seem like photographs, Life in Hot Water  introduces readers to the the life surrounding hydrothermal vents.  These extreme environments full of toxic chemicals and gushing hot water manage to maintain a habitat in which some rather remarkable creatures manage to survive. Scientists theorized for years about the existence of such vents but it wasn't until the 1970s that the means existed to visit the bottom of the ocean to find out for sure.  Batten provides readers with an overview of vents and what scientists have learned about them over the years, including how they form, where they tend to be found, and some of the living organisms that...