Geo Librarian

GOBLIN SECRETS by William Alexander Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4424-2726-6 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 3-6 Reviewed from copy received in publisher giveaway. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around—much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared. Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan—because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river. This accessible, atmospheric fantasy ...

ZOMBIE KID Case File 13 Volume 1 by J. Scott Savage HarperCollins, 2012 ISBN: 780062133250 Middle Grade Fantasy Reviewed from purchased copy.  ABOUT THE BOOK You hold in your hands a very dangerous record. I have collected every side of the story and every piece of evidence on case number 13. Now, in this file, you will find all you need to follow the dark adventures of Nick, Carter, and Angelo, three boys who possess an unhealthy obsession with monsters, in a town so grisly, so horrific— Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're telling it all wrong, dude. You make it sound like it's a scary story. Ahem. Well, Nick, it is a scary story. In this volume alone, there are voodoo queens, graveyards—even the dreaded Zombie King himself. Yeah, but there's also the part where Angie gets mashed potatoes all in her face, and the part where I use my cool zombie powers to— All right, point taken. Now, if you don't mind . . . You hold in your hands a very dangerous, very funny re...

THE DOGS OF WINTER by Bobbie Pyron Arther A. Levine Books, 2012 ISBN: 9780545399302 Middle Grade Adventure Grades 3 and up Print copy received as part of blog tour in return for honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A small boy, a cruel city, and the incredible dogs who save him. Based on a true story! When Ivan's mother disappears, he's abandoned on the streets of Moscow, with little chance to make it through the harsh winter. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become more than just his street companions: They become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living in one, as he and his pack roam the city and countryside, using their wits to find food and shelter, dodging danger, begging for coins. But Ivan can’t stay hidden from the world of people forever. When help is finally offered to him, will he be able to accep...

BINKY TAKES CHARGE by Ashley Spires Kids Can Press, 2012 ISBN: 9781554537686 Graphic Novel Grades 2-5 Digital copy provided by publisher through NetGalley. ABOUT THE BOOK Binky the space cat has been promoted to lieutenant. He's now in charge of training the next generation of space cadets. But then he meets the new space kitten -- who isn't a kitten at all! Is someone trying to pull the fur over his eyes? Binky and Captain Gracie need to figure out the new cadet before the next alien attack. REVIEW Binky, the Space Cat, has a new assignment.  He is in charge of training a new recruit to the F.U.R.S.T. (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) organization.  And he thinks he is prepared, until the new recruit shows up and he discovers that F.U.R.S.T has become P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) and the recruit is a dog! What's Binky to do? How can he train a DOG!  He doesn't know but he gives it a try, but the dog is terri...

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate Harper, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4 MG Animal Fantasy Grades 3-6 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-pers...

GRAVEDIGGERS: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin Katherine Tegan Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-207740-0 Middle Grade Horror Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest. Kendra and PJ followed him. They all hoped to return to the hiking trail before anyone noticed they were gone. However, the mountain had other plans for them: dark, sinister plans that only nightmares are made of. The Goonies meets The Evil Dead in this series about three kids who become separated from their backpacking group in the Montana wilderness and discover they are stranded in the heart of zombie country. Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest. (His motto: Act first, think later.) Kendra didn't want to become separated from the other sixth graders, but she followed Ian anyway, despite what her analytical mind told her. PJ followed him, too. Even though he was scared, he figured he might catc...

THE GIFTED ONES: THE FAIRYTALE by P.G. Shriver Gean Penny Books, 2012 ISBN: 9780615600734 YA Fantasy Adventure Grades 7 and up E-copy provided for honest review/blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Thrown together by the cruelties of a modern day world in which genuine compassion is rare, evil abounds, and goodness is often tainted by the fight to survive, two unusually gifted teenagers discover they are linked by a fairytale told them repeatedly throughout their youth by their late mothers. Destiny awaits them, but first they must locate the others, as the fairytale foretells, to defeat the evil monster who waits and change the lonely world in which they live. Only then will they find peace… and family. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born in California, and raised in Minnesota and Texas, P.G. spent her early years writing poetry and winning poetry contests, while escaping the drama in her own childhood by reading great bo...

UNGIFTED by Gordon Korman Balzer + Bray, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-174266-8 Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK The word "gifted" has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like "Don't try this at home." So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students. It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But af...

ABOUT AVERAGE by Andrew Clements Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4169-9724-5 Grades 3-5 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Jordan Johnston is average. Not short, not tall. Not plump, not slim. Not blonde, not brunette.  Not gifted, not flunking out.  Even her shoe size is average.  She's ordinary for her school, for her town, for even the whole wide world, it seems. But everyone else her age--on TV, in movies, in her sixth-grade class--is remarkable.  Tremendously talented. Stunningly beautiful. Jordan feels doomed to a life wallowing around somewhere in that vast, soggy middle. So she makes a goal: By the end of the year, she will discover her great talent in life.  By the end of the year, she will no longer be average. She will find a way to become extraordinary, and everyone will know about it! REVIEW Andrew Clements is so good at creating likeable characters of all kinds, kids who seem so real, with real concerns...

THE ROAD TO MERCY by Kathy Harris Abingdon Press, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4267-4193-7 Adult Christian Fiction Copy received from publisher for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Josh Harrison, a contemporary Christian singer, and his wife Bethany face a difficult decision that also tests their faith. A rupture in Beth's carotid artery leaves her on the brink of death even as she's pregnant with their first child. While Dr. Ben Abrams urges her to terminate the pregnancy to save her own life, she and Josh step out on faith and decide to carry the baby to full term. During the next few months, Josh struggles with his faith, Beth hides a secret that may destroy their marriage. She also discovers a decades-old connection to Dr. Abrams that could change his life forever. ABOUT THE AUTHOR   Kathy Harris is an author by way of a “divine detour” into the Nashville entertainment business. After graduating with a Communications degre...

HUBER HILL AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF CORONADO by B.K. Bostick Sweetwater Books, 2012 ISBN: 9781599559810 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from copy provided by publisher through NetGalley. The Dead Man's Treasure has been stolen! Now it's up to Huber and his gang to find it. But solving a mystery this big will mean traveling across the world and learning to trust some new friends, including a mysterious stranger. With humor, action, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this is one book you won't want to put down. About the Author B. K. Bostick resides among the magnificent Rocky Mountains. In addition to writing, he has spent his career in education. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Utah and his master's in psychology from Utah State University. He has worked as a teacher, after school program coordinator, junior high school counselor, and most recently as a teacher mentor for a university. He loves spending time with his lovely w...

STELLA BATTS NEEDS A NEW NAME by Courtney Sheinmel, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell Sleeping Bear Press, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-58536-183-0 Grades 2-4 Reviewed from purchased copy. Meet Stella Batts. She is eight years old and she loves to write. She loves to write lists; like her favorite things and kids in her class. And she's writing her autobiography ('That means it's all about me'). Stella favorite color is yellow and she LOVES fudge. As a matter of fact, there is a special fudge counter at her family's candy store because fudge is one of her favorite things to eat But Stella has just one problem---her name. A boy from her class keeps calling her 'Smella' after she trips on their class nature walk ('I don't even want to say what I landed in, it was too gross, so I'm going to leave that part out.'). So Stella decides there's really only one thing to do; she has to change her name. After all, how hard can it be to pick a n...

GIANTS BEWARE by Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre First Second, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-59643-582-7 Grades 1-5 Reviewed from personal copy. Make way for Claudette the giant slayer in this delightful, fantastical adventure! Claudette’s fondest wish is to slay a giant. But her village is so safe and quiet! What’s a future giant slayer to do? With her best friend Marie (an aspiring princess), and her brother Gaston (a pastry-chef-to-be), Claudette embarks on a super-secret quest to find a giant—without parental permission. Can they find and defeat the giant before their parents find them and drag them back home? Giants Beware! offers up a wondrous, self-contained world in the tradition of the very best of Pixar. Claudette and her friends will have you laughing out loud from page one.   Graphic novels are by far the most popular genre of books in my school library.  They come and go on a daily basis, so I'm always on the lookout for new ones to add.  While there...

ASHES ASHES THE TWINS FALL DOWN, TWIN TOWERS, 9/11 by Pauline L. Hawkins Anole Publishing, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-578-10530-7 Grades 9 and up Reviewed from copy received as part of blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Where were you on 9/11? That question has become part of the fabric of our lives as Americans. On that bright, sunny day, none of us had any idea what was in store and how it would change our lives. Depending on what part of the country you lived in, you may not have known anything was going on until several hours after the first plane struck. You may not have heard the news until you got to work, turned on your car radio, or received a call from a loved one asking if you had seen or heard the news. Ashes Ashes the Twins Fall Down is a look at the events of 9/11 from personal and informational perspectives. Author, Pauline Hawkins, who lived in Texas at the time of the attacks, shares her experience of 9/11, and its repercussions for he...