Geo Librarian

SMALL SPACES by Katherine Arden G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-525-51502-9 Source: purchased Middle grade speculative/fantasy Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke H...

THE STORM RUNNER Rick Riordan Presents by J. C. Cervantes Disney Hyperion, 2018 ISBN: 978-136801634-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative/fantasy/myths All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He'd much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno — for his one good leg. What Zane doesn't know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy. A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he's destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in — unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all w...

THE PARKER INHERITANCE by Varian Johnson Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-545-94617-9 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary/historical All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It's waiting for Candice Miller. When Candice finds the letter, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forg...

THE GRAND ESCAPE: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century by Neal Bascomb Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-338-14034-7 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK At the height of World War I, as Allied and German forces battled in the trenches and in the air, any captured soldiers and pilots were sent to a web of German prisons. The most dangerous POWs, the ones most talented at escape, were sent to the camp of Holzminden--better known as "Hellminden." Protected by every barrier imaginable, its rules enforced with cruel precision, the prison was the pride of a ruthless commandant named Karl Niemeyer. This is the story of a group of ingenious and defiant Allied pilots and soldiers who dared to escape from Holzminden, right under Niemeyer's nose. Leading a team that tunneled underneath the prison and far beyond its walls, these breakout artists forged documents, smuggled in supplies, and b...

BONNIE AND CLYDE The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal Viking Children's Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-451-47122-2 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious--and celebrated--outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way. Bonnie and Clyde: we've been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why? REVIEW I found this book to be a compelling tale of two people who made some really bad decisions that lead eventually to their deaths.  I'd heard of Bonnie and Clyde before, who hasn't? But I kn...

THE FAITHFUL SPY A True Story! Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix Amulet Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2838-9 Source: purchased Ages 12 and up YA Graphic Nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Interweaving handwritten text and art, John Hendrix tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his fight against the oppression of the German people during World War II. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who was shocked to watch the German church embrace Hitler's agenda of hatred. He spoke out against the Nazi party and led a breakaway church that rebelled against racist and nationalist beliefs of the Third Reich. Struggling with how his faith interacted with his ethics, Bonhoeffer eventually became convinced that Hitler and the Nazi Party needed to be stopped--and he was willing to sacrifice anything and everything to do so. REVIEW Wow! Hendrix has really out done himself with ...

THE LAW OF FINDERS KEEPERS Mo & Dale Mystery #4 by Sheila Turnage Kathy Dawson Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3962-8 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade mystery/contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Pirates, family, and the truth about Mo's Upstream Mother collide in the conclusion to the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling Three Times Lucky. When the Colonel and Miss Lana share the clues about Mo's watery origins that they've been saving, it seems the time is finally right for the Desperado Detectives (aka Mo, Dale, and Harm) to tackle the mystery of Mo's Upstream Mother. It's the scariest case Mo's had by far. But before they can get started, Mayor Little's mean mother hires them to hunt in her attic for clues to Blackbeard's treasure, which could be buried right in Tupelo Landing. Turns out, the Desperados aren't the only ones looking. A prof...

DIET FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE Food for Thought by Christy Mihaly & Sue Heavenrich Twenty-First Century Books, 2018 ISBN: 9781512481211 Source: eBook from public library Ages 14 and up YA Nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The United Nations supports a compelling solution to world hunger: eat insects! Explore the vast world of unexpected foods that may help solve the global hunger crisis. Weeds, wild plants, invasive and feral species, and bugs are all food for thought. Learn about the nutritional value of various plant and animal species; visit a cricket farm; try a recipe for dandelion pancakes, kudzu salsa, or pickled purslane; and discover more about climate change, sustainability, green agriculture, indigenous foods, farm-to-table restaurants, and how to be an eco-friendly producer, consumer, and chef. Meet average folks and experts in the field who will help you stretch your culinary imagination! REVIEW This book was...

THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE SCIENCE FAIR SCARE by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8827-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-8 Early chapter book All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It’s mayhem at the science fair! A squishy goo monster is a challenge for the Princess in Black — but luckily some science-loving princesses are on hand to help. Princess Magnolia is excited. Excited and nervous. She’s going to the Interkingdom Science Fair today to present her poster about seeds and plants, and when she arrives, she sees that her friends are there too! Princess Honeysuckle made a mole habitat, Princess Sneezewort has built a blanket fort, and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that’s saying “EAAAAT!” Wait, what? A surprise goo monster makes this a job for the Princess in Black, and the Princess in Blankets is on the scene to lend a hand. But will two masked heroes be enough to save the scie...

LOUISIANA'S WAY HOME by Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9463-0 Source: purchased/ARC from publisher for review Middle grade historical fiction Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo comes a story of discovering who you are — and deciding who you want to be. When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like mini...

RESISTANCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic Press, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-338-14847-3 Middle grade historical fiction Ages 10-14 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people. Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis' supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya's network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even...

UNPUNISHED MURDER Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice by Lawrence Goldstone Scholastic Focus, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-338-23945-4 Source: purchased YA Nonfiction Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK On Easter Sunday of 1873, just eight years after the Civil War ended, a band of white supremacists marched into Grant Parish, Louisiana, and massacred over one hundred unarmed African Americans. The court case that followed reached the highest court in the land. Yet, following one of the most ghastly incidents of mass murder in American history, not one person was convicted. The opinion issued by the Supreme Court in US v. Cruikshank set in motion a process that would help create a society in which black Americans were oppressed and denied basic human rights -- legally, according to the courts. These injustices paved the way for Jim Crow and would last for the next hundred years. Many continue to exist to this day. In thi...

FLOAT by Laura Martin Harper, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-280376-4 Source: purchased Middle grade speculative (fantasy) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the critically acclaimed author of the Edge of Extinction series comes this fast-paced, action-packed, and heartfelt adventure about a group of kids with uncontrollable abilities, perfect for fans of Gordon Korman, Lisa McMann, and Dan Gutman! Emerson can float…he just can’t do it very well. His uncontrollable floating is his RISK factor, which means that he deals with Reoccurring Incidents of the Strange Kind. The last place Emerson wants to be is at a government-mandated summer camp for RISK kids like him, so he’s shocked when he actually starts having fun at camp—and he even makes some new friends. But it’s not all canoeing and capture the flag at Camp Outlier. The summer of fun takes a serious turn when Emerson and his friends discover that one of their own is hiding a ...

CAPTAIN SUPERLATIVE! by J.S. Puller Disney Hyperion, 2018 ISBN: 978-136800427-5 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK "Have no fear, citizens! Captain Superlative is here to make all troubles disappear!" Red mask, blue wig, silver swimsuit, rubber gloves, torn tights, high top sneakers and . . . a cape? Who would run through the halls of Deerwood Park Middle School dressed like this? And why? Janey-quick to stay in the shadows-can't resist the urge to uncover the truth behind the mask. The answer pulls invisible Janey into the spotlight and leads her to an unexpected friendship with a superhero like no other. Fearless even in the face of school bully extraordinaire, Dagmar Hagen, no good deed is too small for the incomparable Captain Superlative and her new sidekick, Janey. But superheroes hold secrets and Captain Superlative is no exception. When Janey unearths what...

THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL by Stacy McAnulty Random House, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-5247-6757-0 Source: purchased Ages 9-14 Middle grade contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test — middle school! Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation? A celebrat...

IMAGINE! by Raul Colon Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-4814-6273-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   A wordless picture book about a visit to the museum and the power of art and imagination. After passing a city museum many times, a boy finally decides to go in. He passes wall after wall of artwork until he sees a painting that makes him stop and ponder. Before long the painting comes to life and an afternoon of adventure and discovery changes how he sees the world ever after. REVIEW I love this book for several reasons.  I love the book because of the gorgeous art.  Colon has become one of my favorite illustrators for this reason.  The second thing I love about the book is the theme revolving around the power of imagination to help see and experience things we couldn't otherwise.  In the book which is wordless, a young boy leaves his hom...

THE KING OF BEES by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Jim LaMarche Peachtree Publishing, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-56145-953-7 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Henry can't wait until he can have a bee-suit of his own so he can help his Aunt Lilla with the sister bees. Day after day as Henry observes his Aunt Lilla work with the beehives on their Low country farm, he becomes fascinated with her bee suit and her ability to communicate with the bees. When he learns that the bees are getting ready to look for a new place to live, he tries to find a way to communicate with the sister bees to convince them to stay. REVIEW This story about the importance of bees resonates in this era of bee disappearances.  A young boy loves to watch his aunt work with the bees.  But she won't let him help until he's older.  Despite that he's fascinated by the suit and tools his aunt uses to communicate with the bee...