Geo Librarian

Thanks for joining me today as I welcome Laurel Snyder to my blog for an interview. Laurel recently won a Sydney Taylor Gold Medal for her book, THE LONGEST NIGHT: A Passover Story . The Sydney Taylor Award is defined as follows by the Association of Jewish Libraries: The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals are presented in three categories:Younger Readers, Older Readers, and Teen Readers. Honor Books are awarded silver medals, and Notable Books are named in each category. THE LONGEST NIGHT:  A Passover Story by Laurel Snyder,  2013 ISBN: 9780375869426 Picture Boo k ABOUT THE BOOK Here's a picture book for all Jewish families to read while celebrating Passover. Unlike other Passover picture ...

BAD DAD by Derek Munson Cannonball Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-9898-4883-1 Picture Book Grades PreK-3 Source: Author for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Depicting a positive, engaged relationship between two kids and their fun-loving dad, this endearing story shows how Dad always seems to be in trouble. The library books are overdue, the kids are late for school, and the last cookie is missing from the cookie jar. Dad is always in the middle of it all, but is he really that bad? He also helps with homework, tells lots of jokes, and banishes Brussels sprouts from the house forever. Kids and their dads alike will both love how the things that make Dad bad are suddenly revealed to show that Dad is actually pretty cool. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Derek Munson works as a writer, speaker, and all-around daydreamer. His current hobbies include playing with his kids, avoiding his household responsibilities, and crashing on his mountain bike. He lives in...

THE CASE OF THE TIME-CAPSULE BANDIT Randi Rhoades, Ninja Detective #1 by Octavia Spencer Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013 ISBN13: 9781442476813 Middle Grade Mystery Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased e-book. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet Randi Rhodes, the world's first ninja detective! Mystery abounds in this delightful new middle grade series from Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer. Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of their Founder's Day Festival. But the festival's main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town's treasure, has gone missing. Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee-inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating in a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect. They have three days to find the treasure; the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able...

ABOUT THE BOOK Title: Zoe & Zak and the Yogi's Curse (Zoe & Zak Series, Book #2) Author: Lars Guignard Publishers: Fantastic Press Publication Date: September 9, 2013 Pages: 340 Recommended Age: 8+ SUMMARY Zoe and Zak are back in India. Again. And this time they're attending Moonstock Himalayan Boarding School, which might seem fun except for the fact that the school itself is a little strange. Students ride elephants instead of school buses, snarling monkeys work as security guards, and angry parrots monitor the halls. And even when they manage to get used to the wildlife, the food is absolutely terrible. But living with a bunch of other kids their age can be a lot of fun, too, or at least it seems that way until Zoe's roommate goes missing. Following the directions written on a steamy bathroom mirror, Zoe and Zak fly through the clouds on their magic carpet to learn that the two of them have been chosen yet again. This time they've been aske...

Tour Schedule TIME TRAPPED by Richard Ungar Putnam Juvenile, 2013 ISBN: 9780399254864 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Grades 5-8 Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The high-octane sequel to Time Snatchers. Caleb thought he'd escaped Uncle's clutches and could have a normal life in 1968, but no such luck. After being forcibly returned to Timeless Treasures and his old job of stealing valuable objects from the past, he learns that things have gotten even more sinister. Training the new kidnapped recruits doesn't seem very important to Frank, Uncle's evil lackey, even though a few of these kids have amazing thieving skills and genius for new technology. But then Caleb figures out it's because Frank doesn't plan on keeping them around very long - or keeping them alive. Stakes are high for all of the time snatchers. If only Caleb can convince the new ones ...

THE GREAT TROUBLE A Mystery of London, The Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-375-84818-6 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Grades 4-8 Reviewed from copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. ABOUT THE BOOK Eel has troubles of his own: As an orphan and a "mudlark," he spends his days in the filthy River Thames, searching for bits of things to sell. He's being hunted by Fisheye Bill Tyler, and a nastier man never walked the streets of London. And he's got a secret that costs him four precious shillings a week to keep safe. But even for Eel, things aren't so bad until that fateful August day in 1854—the day the Great Trouble begins. Mr. Griggs, the tailor, is the first to get sick, and soon it's clear that the deadly cholera—the "blue death"—has come to Broad Street. Everyone believes that cholera is spread through poisonous air. But one man, Dr. John Snow, has a diffe...

COUNTING BY 7S by Holly Goldberg Sloan Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3855-3 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 5-8 Reviewed from library copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In the tradition of  Out of My Mind ,  Wonder,  and  Mockingbird,  this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family.  Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.   Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is  not  a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, bu...

THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher HarperCollins Children's Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-06-211050-3 Middle Grade Contemporary Mystery Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Best friends and seventh graders Sophie Young and Grace Yang have made a game out of spying on their neighbors. On one of their midnight stakeouts, they witness a terrifying, bloody scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counselor, Dr. Charlotte Agford (aka Dr. Awkward). At least, they think they do. The truth is that Dr. Agford was only making her famous pickled beets! But when Dr. Agford begins acting even weirder than usual, Sophie and Grace become convinced that she’s hiding something—and they’re determined to find out what it is. Soon the girls are breaking secret codes, being followed by a strange blue car, and tailing strangers with unibrows and Texas accents. But as their investigation heats up, Sophie and Grace s...

BO AT BALLARD CREEK by Kirkpatrick Hill, illustrations by LeUyen Pham Henry Holt and Company, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8050-9351-3 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Grades 2-5 Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village. Bo learns Eskimo along with English, helps in the cookshack, learns to polka, and rides along with Big Annie and her dog team. There's always some kind of excitement: Bo sees her first airplane, has a run-in with a bear, and meets a mysterious lost little boy. Here is an unforgettable story of a little girl growing up in the exhilarating time after the big Alaska gold rushes. REVIEW Five-year-old Bo lives with Jack, an African American cook and Arvid, the mine blacksmith who adopted her when h...

EVERY DAY AFTER by Laura Golden Delacorte Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-385-74326-6 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's been two months since Lizzie's daddy disappeared due to the awful Depression. Lizzie's praying he'll return to Bittersweet, Alabama, for her birthday. It won't feel special without him, what with Lizzie's Mama being so sad she won't even talk and the bank nipping at their heels for a mortgage payment. Daddy expected her to be the best at any cost. But Lizzie claims "that cost me my top grades and my best friend. It's dumped 'em both square into Erin's hands. She's gone batty if she thinks she's gonna get me carted off to the orphanage." While Lizzie waits, she gets comfort writing in her journal. As time passes, she can only picture her daddy's face by opening her locket. If others can get by, why...

THE WEIGHT OF WATER by Sarah Crossan Bloomsbury, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-59990-967-7 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 5-8 Reviewed from library copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother head for England. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother's heart is breaking and at school friends are scarce. But when someone special swims into her life, Kasienka learns that there might be more than one way for her to stay afloat. The Weight of Water is a startlingly original piece of fiction; most simply a brilliant coming of age story, it also tackles the alienation experienced by many young immigrants. Moving, unsentimental and utterly page-turning, we meet and share the experiences of a remarkable girl who shows us how quiet courage prevails. REVIEW Kasienka and her mother arrive in England prepared to search for her father who left them behind in Pola...

GABY, LOST AND FOUND by Angela Cervantes Scholastic, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-545-62434-3 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 4-8 Reviewed from library copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Wanted: One amazing forever home for one amazing sixth grader. "My name is Gaby, and I'm looking for a home where I can invite my best friend over and have a warm breakfast a couple of times a week. Having the newest cell phone or fancy clothes isn't important, but I'd like to have a cat that I can talk to when I'm home alone." Gaby Ramirez Howard loves volunteering at the local animal shelter. She plays with the kittens, helps to obedience train the dogs, and writes adoption advertisements so that the strays who live there can find their forever homes: places where they'll be loved and cared for, no matter what. Gaby has been feeling like a bit of a stray herself, lately. Her mother has recently been deported to Honduras and Gaby is s...

AL CAPONE DOES MY HOMEWORK A Tale from Alcatraz by Gennifer Choldenko Dial, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3472-2 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Grades 4-8 Reviewed from library copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Alcatraz Island in the 1930s isn't the most normal place to grow up, but it's home for Moose Flanagan, his autistic sister, Natalie, and all the families of the guards. When Moose's dad gets promoted to Associate Warden, despite being an unlikely candidate, it's a big deal. But the cons have a point system for targeting prison employees, and his dad is now in serious danger. After a fire starts in the Flanagan's apartment, Natalie is blamed, and Moose bands with the other kids to track down the possible arsonist. Then Moose gets a cryptic note from the notorious Al Capone himself. Is Capone trying to protect Moose's dad too? If Moose can't figure out what Capone's note means, it may be too late. REVIEW I put off reading this series becaus...

ROAD TRIP by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen Wendy Lamb Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-385-74191-0 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 5-8 Reviewed from library copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Dad and Ben haven't been getting along recently and Dad hopes a road trip to rescue a border collie will help them reconnect. But Ben is on to Dad's plan and invites  Ben's thuggish buddy, Theo. The family dog, Atticus, comes along too and the story is told by Ben and Atticus. When their truck breaks down, they commandeer an old school bus, along with its mechanic, Gus. Next, they pick up Mia, a waitress escaping a tense situation. Only sharp-eyed Atticus realizes that Theo is on the run—and someone is following them. REVIEW I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book.  In some ways I really enjoyed it, the dog's commentary for example was quite amusing.  The relationships between the characters were interesting even though the sudd...