Geo Librarian

BAYOU MAGIC by Jewell Parker Rhodes Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2015 ISBN; 978-0-316-22484-0 Source: ARC from publisher All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK If only Maddy sees the mermaid, can it be real? It's Maddy's turn to have a bayou summer. At first she misses life back home in the city, but soon she grows to love everything about her new surroundings -- the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only Maddy sees. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be only the sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? A coming-of-age tale rich with folk magic, set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Bayou Magic celebrates hope, friendship, and family, and captures the...

TOMMY, THE GUN THAT CHANGED AMERICA by Karen Blumenthal Roaring Brook Press, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-62672-084-8 YA Nonfiction Ages 14 and up Source: public library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK John Taliaferro Thompson had a mission: to develop a lightweight, fast-firing weapon that would help Americans win on the battlefield. His Thompson submachine gun could deliver a hundred bullets in a matter of seconds—but didn't find a market in the U.S. military. Instead, the Tommy gun became the weapon of choice for a generation of bootleggers and bank-robbing outlaws, and became a deadly American icon. Following a bloody decade—and eighty years before the mass shootings of our own time—Congress moved to take this weapon off the streets, igniting a national debate about gun control. Critically-acclaimed author Karen Blumenthal tells the fascinating story of this famous and deadly weapon—of the lives it changed, the debate it sparked, and the unpreced...

UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER by Kelly Jones, illustrations by Katie Kath Alfred A. Knopf, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-385-75552-8 Middle Grade Contemporary (magical realism)/speculative fiction Ages 9-12 Source: public library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse.... And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe. Told in ...

TROMBONE SHORTY by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015 ISBN:  978-1-4197-1465-8 Ages 6 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music. REVIEW Andrews and Collier's work comes together in beautiful ways to tell the story of Andrews adventures with a trombone.  Growing up in the Treme ...

THE ONLY CHILD by guojing schwartz & wade books, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-553-49704-5 source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Like Shaun Tan's The Arrival and Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, this gorgeous and imaginative 100-page graphic picture book is utterly transporting and original. A little girl—lost and alone—follows a mysterious stag deep into the woods, and, like Alice down the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange and wondrous world. But... home and family are very far away. How will she get back there? In this magnificently illustrated—and wordless—masterpiece, debut artist Guojing brilliantly captures the rich and deeply-felt emotional life of a child, filled with loneliness and longing as well as love and joy. REVIEW I really and truly loved this book and I'm sad as can be that it isn't eligible to win the Caldecott (author/illustrator is from China).  And I'm not sure what to call it either, pictu...

THE GINGERBREAD MAN LOOSE AT CHRISTMAS by Laura Murray, illustrated by Mike Lowery G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-399-16866-6 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK This Gingerbread Man was loose in the school and on the fire truck, and now he’s loose at holiday time! Everyone in class is busy practicing songs and making goodies for their trip to town to thank community helpers, and the Gingerbread Man has made a gift for someone extra sweet. But before he can deliver his gift, whipping wind and swirling snow come to town, too. Slushy sidewalks are no place for a cookie, but this Gingerbread Man won’t let a little bad weather stop him! “I’ll search on my own, as fast as I can! I’ll dash through this snow. I’m the Gingerbread Man!” With all the flavors of the season and generous dashes of kindness and gratitude, the Gingerbread Man’s newest adventure makes for a perfect read-aloud throughout the holidays. REVIEW Mur...

EVIE BROOKS IS MAROONED IN MANHATTAN by Sheila Agnew pajamapress, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-927485-87-3 Source: publisher for review Middle Grade Contemporary ABOUT THE BOOK After Evie Brooks’ mother dies, her American uncle Scott, whom Evie barely remembers, arrives in Dublin. Much to Evie’s dismay, she’ll have to go and live with Scott in New York City. Having never owned a pet more substantial than a goldfish, Evie is intrigued by her uncle’s NYC veterinary practice. Scott engages Evie as an assistant in the clinic. Thus begins a series of light-hearted adventures with lovable animals and their sometimes lovable owners. At the end of the summer, Evie has to make the choice of whether or not to return to live in Ireland with her godmother, Janet.. REVIEW Evie Brooks moves to New York to live with her Uncle Scott after her mother dies.  Having lived in Europe her whole life it is rather a bit of a shock and at first she is eager to return to live with her mother's ...