Geo Librarian

  THE FIRELIGHT APPRENTICE      written & illustrated by Bree Paulsen Quill Tree Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-06-326659-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK In a city powered by magic and still recovering from a bloody war, Ada is concerned about her younger sister Safi’s developing powers. She understands that Safi could learn how to control her magic under the apprenticeship of a king's magician. But with the memories of war still fresh, Ada is conflicted by this prospect—despite her knowing that she can’t keep Safi safely at home with the threat of deadly, power-thieving liches prowling the kingdom. When a traveling group of magicians comes to the city to perform, they immediately recognize Safi’s talents and offer to take her on as an apprentice. Safi is thrilled about her new adventure—even if that means leaving behind Ada and the...

FOREVER FRIENDS Drag and Rex #1 written by Susan Lubner, illustrated by Blythe Russo Pixel & Ink, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-64595-115-5 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Drag (a dragon) and Rex (a T-rex) are roommates and best friends. As in many such early reader series, the book consists of three stories about the two friends and their adventures. Each story is divided into three short chapters. The two friends are, as one would expect, quite different but those differences make the stories feel fresh and the relationship more realistic. The delightful illustrations highlight the characters and the action and break up the text nicely. The first story follows Rex's efforts to make breakfast followed by making a cake for his friend Lilly Pop. Drag attempts to help but causes problems when he can't resist his appetite. The second story finds Drag and Rex playing in the snow. But mis...

  POETRY COMICS words and pictures by Grant Snider Chronicle Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-7972-1965-3 Source: purchased Ages 9 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From the cloud-gazing hours of early spring to the lost bicycles of late autumn, Grant Snider’s brilliantly illustrated Poetry Comics will take you climbing, floating, swimming, and tumbling through all the year’s ups, downs, and in-betweens. He proves that absolutely everything, momentous or minuscule, is worthy of attention, whether snail shells, building blocks, the lamented late bus, or the rare joy of unscuffed shoes. These poems explore everything you never thought to write a poem about, and they’re so fun to read you’ll want to write one yourself. Not to worry, there’s a poem for that, too! FOR COMIC BOOK These poems for kids are brightly illustrated in graphic novel-style panels, adding a delightful new element to appr...

MY ANTARCTICA: True Adventures in the land of mummified seals, space robots, and so much more written by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin Candlewick Press, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-2332-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary are provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Antarctica is a land of extremes—the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest place on the planet. It’s a world where the sun stays hidden half of the year and where visitors must undergo a week of special training before it’s safe to go outside (watch out for lava bombs!). It’s also a place of stark beauty, history, and endless scientific research. Join beloved author G. Neri on his long-dreamed-of voyage to the ice, where he taps into his inner child and encounters sea angels, mummified seals, space robots, inquisitive penguins, and so much more. Abundant full-color photographs (many by the author) and annotated comics and illustrations fr...

  ALMOST UNDERWEAR:     How a Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty Hawk to the Moon and Mars written & illustrated by Jonathan Roth Christy Ottaviano Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-316-52554-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK One day in 1903 the Wright brothers entered a department store in Ohio to buy a bolt of fabric. The plain muslin cloth was most often used to make underwear. As it happens, the Wright brothers were about to wrap the simple cloth around the ribs of a mechanical ‘wing’ and dramatically change the world. Sixty-six years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrong took a big leap onto the moon. With him was a swatch of the exact fabric the bicycle mechanics had purchased in 1903. Fifty-two years after that, in 2021, a remote-controlled car-sized explorer landed on Mars. Attached to the underside of a cable was a tiny piece of very old cloth—cloth t...

VOLCANOES written by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock Orchard Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-338-87467-9 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The team behind the acclaimed book Caves returns with an enticing exploration of one of the most explosive wonders on the planet -- Volcanoes! A rumble. A tremble. A grumble. Growing, growling, getting hot. When will it... POP?! Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman leads children on an adventure through the radioactive wonders that are volcanoes. From deep down on the ocean floor to extraterrestrial volcanoes, Beckerman guides readers with dramatic, poetic language. Nonfiction text on every page allows for deeper understanding of the topic. Illustrator Kalen Chock's stunning illustrations have been praised as "atmospheric" and "striking," and readers will be delighted as each new page...

  THE MONSTER AND THE MAZE Monkey King and the World of Myths #1 written and illustrated by Maple Lam G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-52463-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Percy Jackson meets Dragonball in the first book of this adorable, funny, and action-packed graphic novel series! Follow along as the legendary Monkey King tries to save the world from a mysterious new threat—and smashes his way through the world of ancient Greek mythology in the process! A long-forgotten evil has reemerged, determined to transform everyone—humans, beasts, and gods alike—into monsters. And there’s only one being who can stop it, or at least that’s what he thinks. Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, is said to be the mightiest of all beasts, and he’s made a deal with the gods. They will grant him his greatest wish and make him a god too. All he has to do is battle ...

  ASH'S CABIN written and illustrated by Jen Wang First Second, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-250-75406-6 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life. But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants ...

SCRAM Society of Creatures Real and Magical written and illustrated by Rory Lucey First Second, 2024 ISBN:   9781250851956 Source: purchased eBook Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Rockhurst is your average suburban town. It has everything you'd happy families, fun shops…and magical creatures! In the hopes of learning more about the local cryptids, three friends, Jenny, Emiko, and Brian, start the Society of Creatures Real and Magical―S.C.R.A.M.! Their first order of business? To meet a troll! As they venture into the unknown, our heroes learn valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the importance of keeping a fish head in an old boot. REVIEW One of the funniest books I've read in quite a while, S.C.R.A.M. finds Jenny, Emiko, and Brian on the hunt to find a real life troll. Using the information found in an old book in the library, the three friends start followin...

CALL ME IGGY written by Jorge Aguirre, art by Rafael Rosado, color by John Novak First Second, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-250-20415-8 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ignacio "Iggy" Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy's world is spun around. But Marisol as too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol to like him, his grandfather comes to the rescue. The thing is, not only is his abuelito dead, but he also gives terrible love advice. The worst. And so, with his ghost abuelito's meddling, Iggy's life begins to unravel as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery. Call me Iggy tells the story of Iggy searching for his place ...

  WINTER LIGHT written & illustrated by Aaron Becker Candlewick Studio, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-3646-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In a poetic ode to the importance of light during wintertime, Becker uses cut outs with jewellike backgrounds to to highlight the soft light that can offer comfort during a season that seems so dark and cold (depending on where you live). The book needs to be read with available natural sunlight to be fully appreciated. This is a book that adults especially can appreciate the beauty of and would be fun to discuss one on one with a child. It's especially fascinating the way the colors blend, lightening and darkening as the pages get turned. A book full of wonder and comfort perfect for sharing during a season where natural light can be greatly missed. COLD written by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki Simon & Schuster Boo...

SANTA POST written & illustrated by Emma Yarlett Kane Miller, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-68464-196-3 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An irresistible festive follow-up from award-winning author-illustrator Emma Yarlett, with hilarious letters and parcels to open. Santa receives post from children all over the world. But when Amy sends him a letter, he just can't work out what she wants as her gift. Will Santa manage to find Amy the right present in time for Christmas Eve? This joyous story sparkles with Emma Yarlett’s vibrant illustrations and quirky humor. REVIEW As a fan of novelty books with movable parts, Christmas stories, and Emma Yarlett, I was thrilled to find this book. Amy sends a letter to Santa but it's been singed and Santa can't read what Amy wants for Christmas. As it is Christmas Eve and he is tremendously busy, he seeks help finding the per...

  JUPITER NETTLE AND THE SEVEN SCHOOLS OF MAGIC written by Sangu Bandanna, illustrated by Pablo Ballesteros Viking, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-46449-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK When you've dreamed of getting into the Seven Schools of Magic your whole life, what do you do when it turns out to be the worst thing ever? This heartwarming graphic novel adventure is perfect for fans of Harry Potter, The Okay Witch, and City of Dragons! For all of her twelve years, Jupiter Nettle has wanted to attend one of the Seven Schools of Magic. When she finally gets the call to take the entrance exam, she shocks everyone with her magic skills . . . but not in the way she'd hoped. Failing spectacularly in one test after another, Jupiter goes home dejected and confused. What will she do now? That night, Jupiter gets an unexpected visitor and, amazingly, another chance at ...

LOST AT WINDY RIVER: A TRUE STORY OF SURVIVAL written by Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete, colored by Jillian Dolan Orca Book Publishers, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-4598-3226-8 Source: publisher for Cybils consideration Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK It takes courage and bravery to survive in the barrens. In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family's trapline in northern Canada. This is the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family. Ilse uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills and resilience to find her way home. This powerful ...

  THE HARROWING: A GRAPHIC NOVEL written by Kristen Kiesling, illustrated by Rye Hickman Harry N. Abrams, 2024 ISBN:   9781419760846 Source: eBook from the public library through Sora Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this YA graphic novel, a psychic teen hunts potential killers until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target Rowan Sterling should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether her best friend, Lucas, is maybe more than a friend. . . . Instead, she’s having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As the premonitions increase in number and intensity, Rowan seeks her father’s help, but instead finds herself drugged, kidnapped, and sent to a mysterious facility called Rosewood. It isn’t long before Rowan discovers Rosewood isn’t a boarding school or an it’s a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows. Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers be...

THE DEEP DARK written and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag Graphix, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-338-84000-1 Source: public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic. Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth. Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine make outs with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before. So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, brin...

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR AMYGDALA written by Anna Housley Juster, illustrated by Cynthia Cliff Free Spirit Publishing, 2024 ISBN: 978-8-88554-373-6 Source: Media Masters Publicity & publisher for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Your amygdala keeps you safe, but what about when it gets things wrong ? This amusing training guide helps children learn to calm their amygdala and control their fight-flight-freeze impulses.   The amygdala is the brain’s alarm system that alerts for danger, but sometimes it gets things wrong and needs help calming down. In this picture book, young readers receive kid-friendly information about the amygdala from the amygdala, how it can sometimes get confused, and simple ideas to calm and train it.   The amygdala in How to Train Your Amygdala makes complicated concepts accessible to children so they can understand their bodies, practice impu...