Geo Librarian

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...

  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 ...

https://www.meetthewildthings.com/ Many thanks to HAYLEY & JOHN ROCCO for taking time out of their busy schedule to answer a few questions! INTERVIEW • Reading is ….one of the greatest ways to not only expand your mind, but your perspectives and viewpoints, as well. It’s an opportunity to see how others think and feel, which naturally inspires empathy. • I hope our books will ….Inspire empathy for these fascinating endangered animals in young readers, and if we’re so lucky, maybe even motivate them to take action or pursue a career in the conservation sector they’re excited about. • How did your series come about?  When I was young, I loved animals so much, I wanted to be Dr. Doolittle and Dr. Jane Goodall all in one. While I was researching for Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough, I really became aware of just how many of our beloved creatures were on the brink of extinction. I learned that the most trafficked animal in the world was the beloved pangolin, a...

  COOKIE TIME written and illustrated by Jessie Sima Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-6659-3674-3 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From the New York Times bestselling creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes a tasty picture book about two kids who get into time travel shenanigans while trying to skip waiting for cookies to bake!Kat and Ari love cookie time, their special tradition with Grandpa and his dog, Biscuit. It’s always fun and oh, so delicious! But waiting for the cookies to be ready is so hard. What better way to skip to the good part than a time machine? The two plan to jump a little into the future, to when the cookies are out of the oven, but they overshoot and go way too far ahead! And when Kat and Ari try to return, they still can’t get the timing right. They have fun meeting prehistoric dinosaurs, futuristic r...

  NARWHAL, UNICORN OF THE ARCTICE written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Deena So'Oteh A nne Schwartz books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-37778-9 Source: Blue Slip Media & publisher Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com & Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK Venture to the Arctic Ocean and discover real life underwater unicorns--narwhals--in this stunningly illustrated nonfiction picture book.You are a narwhal. Shy... Swift... Small... Humans call you unicorn of the Arctic.When winter ice covers the Arctic Ocean, a narwhal pokes his head through a patch of open water, his tusk--a six-foot long tooth--pointed to the sky.Join this mammal as he jousts with another narwhal, floats with his pod, and uses echolocation to find his prey. When warmer weather arrives, he will migrate towards summer ground. But he must be careful! Predators--orcas and polar bears--will be hungry and looking for a meal.... Ho...

  LEO'S FIRST VOTE written by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Isabel Roxas Alfred A. Knopf, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-64426-3 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 Get out the vote! In this kid-friendly picture book introduction to voting and elections, Leo's father teaches him about the importance of every single vote, and how to use their voices to uplift their community. Leo's dad is voting in his first election as a naturalized US citizen, and he promises to take Leo to the polls with him. Leo can't wait! But, after his cousin Ray casts doubt on the importance of a single vote, it'll take Leo's class mock election results, as well as a talk with his dad to convince him that each and every vote matters. This lively picture book shows us how citizens decide who will be in charge, hitting key moments in an election, from voter registration to...

LIFE AFTER WHALE The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall written by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin Neal Porter Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-8234-5228-6 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 Follow a blue whale’s enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish. All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond. Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin’s astonishing...

THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE KITTY CATASTROPHE written by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-3409-1 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The Princess in Black may know how to handle all kinds of monsters, but a kitten set on destruction? Me-OW! Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives' worth of problems. Eeeeek! It’s time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she’s about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper! In fact, each time Princess Magnolia leaves to help the Goat Avenger fight a very grouchy mon...

  THE BOY AND THE ELEPHANT written & illustrated by Freya Blackwood Random House Studio, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-70766-1 Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & illustrations & author/illustrator bio provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK The powerful new picture book from Greenaway Medallist and seven-time CBCA winner, Freya Blackwood The boy lives in a city, where everything is fast and loud. But amidst the bustle and the noise, the boy has a secret ... In the overgrown lot next to his apartment building, deep within the green, he has a friend. But one day progress arrives, bringing with it plans for something new, and the boy must find a way to save his friend before it's too late ... From award-winning illustrator and storyteller Freya Blackwood comes a magical and tender wordless picture book about the world we live in and our ability to change it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Freya Blackwood fell ...

  RISE OF THE SPIDER Web of the Spider #1 by Michael P. Spradlin Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024 ISBN: 9781665947206 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, author photo & bio, and book summary provided by the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK 1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he’s old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half of Germany is out of work, and a new political movement is taking hold that scares him. Every night, Rolf’s father and older brother, Romer, have increasingly heated arguments about politics at the dinner table. And when two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move to town as part of the Hitler Youth, Rolf is uneasy to see how enamored Romer is by their promises of bringing Germany to glory. Rolf doesn’t trust Hans and Nils for a moment. For all their talk of greatness, they act more like bullies, antagon...

  THE IGUANODON'S HORN: How Artists & Scientists put a Dinosaur back together again & again & again! written & illustrated by Sean Rubin Clarion Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-06-323921-0 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 Highlighting the role of artists in the scientific process, this crowd-pleasing look at dinosaurs explores how new discoveries deepen our understanding of the world. Ever since mysterious bones were found in 1822, scientists and artists have tried to figure out what the creature they came from looked like. But it seems that every time they’ve made up their minds, someone makes a new discovery, and they have to start all over. That’s only fair, though—after all, it’s how knowledge advances! With an inviting tone and detail-filled art, Sean Rubin traces the process of defining—and redefining—the dinosaur called Iguanodon . Entertainin...

  I WANT TO READ ALL THE BOOKS written & illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024 ISBN: 9781481416313 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, summary, author bio & interview, provided by the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction. But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes ther...