Geo Librarian

THE PORT CHICAGO 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin Roaring Brook Press, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-59643-796-8 MG/YA Nonfiction Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin. On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution. This is a fascinating story of the prejudice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in servic...

Blog Tour Schedule THE AWAKENING by Dorine White   Nightmares really do come true, and for fifteen-year-old Kyler Birkwood, they are just beginning. Raised on a farm by his Aunt Martha, Kyler has no clue about the magical heritage swimming through his blood. When he discovers evidence of a mythical creature, a terrifying beast thought only to exist in fairy tales, his safe world shatters. Left at a school of magic to hunt for clues, he is overwhelmed and disbelieved. As loved ones begin disappearing and Orcs roam the land, Kyler must undergo a journey that takes him from the High Courts of the King to the unknown forests of the East. His magic just awakening, Kyler is the lone hope for a world that will not listen. Purchase Your Copy Amazon Kindle * Amazon * Barnes & Noble Praise for The Awakening "Dorine White delivers twists and turns to the plot that will keep you turning the pages." ~ Melanie Mason, author of the YA historical, The Line That Di...

STRONGHEART The World's First Movie Star Dog by Emily Arnold McCully Henry Holt & Company, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-80-50-9448-0 Picture Book Grades K and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Strongheart may have been a movie star, but he wasn’t always famous. He started out as a police dog who could sniff out criminals and march like a soldier, but he didn’t know how to have fun. Larry Trimble was a Hollywood director who wanted to put Strongheart in his movies—not just as a pet but as the lead actor. Larry taught him to play with toys and walk like a regular dog. In his films, Strongheart brought audiences to tears. He was a sensation! But when Strongheart's military training led to trouble, was his career over? Set in the early days of silent movies, Emily Arnold McCully's extraordinary story about a real-life hero will capture the hearts of dog lovers and movie fans everywhere. REVIEW Mankind's love affai...

THE SWEETEST WITCH AROUND by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Harry Bliss Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-4424-7833-6 Picture Book Grades PreK-2 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A young witch's sweet tooth leads to Halloween mischief in this companion to the New York Times bestselling A Very Brave Witch , which School Library Journal called a humorous, not-scary-at-all read-aloud. It's Halloween night, and one very brave witch has decided to teach her little sister all about humans and what they enjoy, including some yucky stuff called candy. But when it seems the little Witchling thinks candy is yum, her big sister flies off to set her straight and then she gets stuck in a tree! Good thing the little Witchling isn't afraid to be brave! REVIEW This picture book makes for an entertaining look at Halloween from a different angle.  When I look for read-alouds I always look for somet...

UNSTOPPABLE OCTOBIA MAY by Sharon G. Flake Scholastic Press, 2014 ISBN; 978-0-545-60960-9 Middle Grade Mystery/Historical Fiction Grades 4 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bestselling and award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family. Octobia May is girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special - and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is non-traditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression ...

CAN I COME TOO? by Brian Patten and Nicola Bayley Peachtree Publishing, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-56145-796-0 Picture Book Grades PreK-2 Source: Publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Follow a small mouse's biggest adventure in this gentle, cumulative tale from a world renowned author and artist team.       A very small mouse decided it wanted to have a very big adventure. "I'll go and find the biggest creature in the world," it thought. Along the way it meets many different animals and when at last they find the biggest creature the little mouse feels a great sense of achievement. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Brian Patten is the author of The Big Snuggle-Up, as well as several poetry collections for children. He lives in England. You can visit Brian Patten’s website here . Nicola Bayley has illustrated many acclaimed picture books for children, including The Big Snuggle-Up and The Jungle Boo...

Books about ninjas are popular this year. I have four to share with you today, all of which kids are sure to enjoy.  This is a trend that I am happy to see considering the many requests I get from young boys for books on this very topic. So if like me you get regular requests for books about ninjas, here are some fun ones to share. NINJA RED RIDING HOOD by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-399-16354-8 Picture book Grades K and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Companion to the hit  The Three Ninja Pigs , this fractured fairy tale is a sure-fire storytime hit. Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal.  His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves. A little girl and her tiny g...

DREAMWOOD by Heather Mackey Putnam Juvenile, 2014 ISBN13: 9780399250675 Middle Grade Speculative (Fantasy) Grades 4-8 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Lucy Darrington has no choice but to run away from boarding school. Her father, an expert on the supernatural, has been away for too long while doing research in Saarthe, a remote territory in the Pacific Northwest populated by towering redwoods, timber barons, and the Lupine people. But upon arriving, she learns her father is missing: Rumor has it he’s gone in search of dreamwood, a rare tree with magical properties that just might hold the cure for the blight that’s ravaging the forests of Saarthe. Determined to find her father (and possibly save Saarthe), Lucy and her vexingly stubborn friend Pete follow William Darrington’s trail to the deadly woods on Devil’s Thumb. As they encounter Lupine princesses, giant sea serpents, and all manner of terrifying creatures, Lucy hasn...

BORIS ON THE MOVE BORIS GETS A LIZARD BORIS FOR THE WIN BORIS SEES THE LIGHT by Andrew Joyner Scholastic, 2011 Early Reader Grades K-2 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOKS BORIS ON THE MOVE Meet Boris! He lives with his mom and dad in Hogg Bay. Their home is a van that once traveled all over the world. Then one morning, Boris feels a jolt. Could it be? Is the van really moving? Is Boris on an adventure at last? But when Boris ends up on a trip to a wildlife refuge instead of the jungle safari he'd imagined, he ends up having an adventure he'll never forget. Because for this little warthog, life never quite turns out as he plans. BORIS GETS A LIZARD Boris loves pets! And he already has lots of them. All he's missing is his favorite animal, a Komodo dragon--the biggest lizard in the world! When Boris brags to the kids in his class that he's getting one, everyone wants to see it. Boris needs to come up...

TARGET PRACTICE Cleopatra in Space #1 Mike Maihack Graphix, 2014 ISBN13: 9780545528436 Middle Grade graphic novel (sci fi) Grades 3 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK When a young Cleopatra (yes, THAT Cleopatra) finds a mysterious tablet that zaps her to the far, REALLY far future, she learns of an ancient prophecy that says she is destined to save the galaxy from the tyrannical rule of the evil Xaius Octavian. She enrolls in Yasiro Academy, a high-tech school with classes like algebra, biology, and alien languages (which Cleo could do without), and combat training (which is more Cleo's style). With help from her teacher Khensu, Cleo learns what it takes to be a great leader, while trying to figure out how she's going to get her homework done, make friends, and avoid detention! REVIEW I can practically guarantee that this graphic novel is a winner.  It's perfect for elementary age students who like ...

A HITCH AT THE FAIRMONT by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Nick Bertozzi Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 9781442494473 Middle Grade Mystery Grades 4-8 Source: ARC from publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An intrepid boy teams up with Alfred Hitchcock himself in this rollicking mystery rife with action, adventure, intrigue, and all the flavor of film noir. After the mysterious death of his mother, eleven-year-old Jack Fair is whisked away to San Francisco's swanky Fairmont Hotel by his wicked Aunt Edith. There, he seems doomed to a life of fetching chocolates for his aunt and her pet chinchilla. Until one night, when Aunt Edith disappears, and the only clue is a ransom note written... in chocolate? Suddenly, Jack finds himself all alone on a quest to discover who kidnapped Aunt Edith and what happened to his mother. Alone, that is, until he meets an unlikely accomplice: Alfred Hitchcock himself! The two embar...