Geo Librarian

  WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara Charlesbridge, 2021 ISBN: 9781623541453 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade realistic fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Ever since his mother's death, Collin manages his anxiety by keeping a notebook full of emergency preparedness advice. In tender free verse, Caprara allows Collin to tell of his heartache and frustration.  While he has two fabulous friends in prankster Liam, and outspoken Georgia, he doesn't dare tell them how life is deteriorating at home.  Collin's mother kept his father's hoarding tendencies under control before her death, but now that she's gone, the hoarding's taking over the house. On top of all that, a kid named Tyson continues to torment Collin, even after his companion in bullying moves. My heart broke for Collin as he struggles to keep his head above water, so to speak, being on the swim team help...

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE by Rajani LaRocca Quill Tree Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-304742-6 Source: my school library Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia. Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted—they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—but they are a universe apart. Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick. Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. S...

STARFISH by Lisa Fipps Nancy Paulsen Books: Penguin Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-9848-1450-0 Source: purchased Ages 10 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary provided by goodreads.com and publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new ...

AVEN GREEN SLEUTHING MACHINE by Dusti Bowling, illustrated by Gina Perry Sterling Children's Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-4549-4221-4 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image and book blurb obtained from Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a whole month—cracking such cases as The Mystery of the Cranky Mom. But can this perceptive detective solve two cases at the same time? First her teacher’s lunch bag disappears. Then Aven’s great-grandma’s dog goes missing. Fortunately, since Aven was born without arms, all the “arm” cells went to her super-powered brain instead. (That’s her theory.) This hilarious chapter book showcases a new side to Dusti Bowling’s unforgettable protagonist. REVIEW Dusti Bowling's heroine, Aven Green, won me over from the first moment I met her in Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus .  So it was with delight that I picked up Aven Green Sleuthing Machine .  In this...

LIGHT FOR ALL by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Raul Colon Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5344-5727-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image comes from Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A lyrical and unifying picture book that “will inspire young readers” and “magnificently showcases the immigrant experience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) in America from Newbery Honoree Margarita Engle and award-winning illustrator Raúl Colón. Discover the myriad contributions that all immigrants have made as they come to join family or start their own lives together in a new country they call home. Coming with their hopes, dreams, and determination, generations of immigrants have made the fabric of this country diverse, vivid, and welcoming. This vibrant and timely celebration demonstrates the thousands of immigrants who built America and the importance of having acceptance and light for everyone. REVIEW This lovely p...

INTERRUPTING CHICKEN: COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST by David Ezra Stein Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0778-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Wake up! The little red chicken is hungry--and sillier than ever--in her latest star turn since debuting in the Caldecott Honor Book Interrupting Chicken. It's bright and early on a Saturday morning, and the little red chicken wants cookies for breakfast. What better way to persuade Papa than by jarring him awake and gleefully interjecting cookies--and herself!--into every nursery rhyme they read together? Though the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe heartily endorses the little red chicken's plan, Papa has his own idea for a sweet breakfast for his determined daughter. Featuring the same riotous charm and bright, bold art as Interrupting Chicken and Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise, David Ezra Stein's third installment will have any fan with a sweet tooth an...

THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1552-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia. Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room? He's not a star athlete or a legendary ballet dancer. In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood...

  AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS by B.B. Alston Balzer & Bray, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-297516-4 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?  Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew. He’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding out what happened to him lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, yetis...

THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb by Candace Fleming Scholastic Focus, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-338-59661-8 Source: purchased Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within. During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings. His tomb was also said to be cursed. Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits -- a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist -- worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for ...

HELP MOM WORK FROM HOME! written by Diana Murray, illustrated by Cori Coerrfeld Little, Brown and Company, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-316-27365-7 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK For fans of Boss Baby and How to Babysit a Grandma comes an entertaining read aloud for parents working from home with their little ones.  Mom works at home all week long, and her little one is right by her side. After all, she's a natural boss at organizing, leading meetings, and making calls—or so it seems. But when Mom starts looking frazzled, her little helper knows just how to make it all better.  Diana Murray's rollicking rhyme paired with Cori Doerrfeld's energetic and adorable illustrations will bring parent and child together after a long work day. ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Diana Murray grew up in New York City and still lives close with her husband, two daughters, and bearded dragon. Some of Diana’s previous works include: City ...

THREADS OF PEACE How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World by Uma Krishnaswami Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-4814-1678-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 12 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Mohandas Gandhi and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. both shook and changed the world in their quest for peace among all people, but what threads connected these great activists together in their shared goal of social revolution? A lawyer and activist, tiny of stature with giant ideas, in British-ruled India at the beginning of the 20th century. A minister from Georgia with a thunderous voice and hopes for peace at the height of the civil rights movement in America. Born more than a half-century apart, with seemingly little in common except one shared wish, both would go on to be icons of peaceful resistance and human decency. Both preached love for all human beings, regardless of race or religion. Both believed that freedom ...

SOMETHING GOOD words by Marcy Campbell, pictures by Corinna Luyken Little, Brown and Company, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-7595-5742-0 Source: purchased Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. REVIEW This book places the title page and copyright page at the end of the book, something I've never seen done before.  This allows the book to begin on the back of the flyleaf.  Interestingly, the child telling the story is never identified among all the children in the book.  The story has both a personal and community feel to it.  The individual narrator tells of the 'bad-something' that an unknown person put on the girl's bathroom wall.  Despite efforts by the principal to discover the source of the 'bad-something', the culprit is never identified.  But the consequences of the act run deep.  The children in the narrator's class feel worried, confused, sad, or angry.  The mix of emotions leads to more unkindness.  The principal calls the school...

A SARI FOR AMMI story by Mamta Nainy, pictures by Sandhya Prabhat Amazon Kids Crossing, 2021 ISBN: 978-1542035071 Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Ammi weaves the most beautiful saris but never gets to wear any of them. Her two little daughters decide to do something about it—break their piggy bank! But when there isn’t enough money to buy Ammi a sari, the two girls must work together to find a solution. Will they be able to buy Ammi the gift she so deserves? With a text full of heart, and bright, cheerful artwork, this story brings readers into the home of a weaver’s family in Kaithoon, India, where the creation of saris is an art form. The book includes a glossary of Indian terms and a note about the saris made in this region. ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Mamta Nainy is a children's writer, editor, and translator based in New Delhi, India. She is the author of many children's books, including A B...