Geo Librarian

THE LONG HIKE The True Story of the First Appalachian Thru-Hike written & illustrated by Meghan McCarthy Beach Lane Books, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-4994-1 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 Award-winning nonfiction creator Meghan McCarthy tells the story of Earl Shaffer, the first person to thru-hike all 2,000-plus miles of the Appalachian Trail in one hiking season in this empowering picture book. While serving in World War II, Earl Shaffer lost his best friend in combat. After the war ended, he returned home and set off on a hiking adventure to walk off his troubles and find solace in the beauty and “power of nature,” as he put it in his diary. Earl didn’t use a tent, preferring to sleep under the stars. He survived the cold, harsh rain, mud, blisters, steep mountaintops, and a plethora of bugs. But among the challenges, Earl also discovered wildlife, beautifu...

  WHO HID THE STARS? How Light Pollution Changes Our World written by Valentina Gottardi, Maciej Michno, and Danio Miserocchi illustrated by Valentina Gottardi translated by Sylvia Notini Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5651-7 Source: 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 A richly illustrated picture book exploring light pollution and its surprising impact on nature and wildlife. When streetlights outshine the stars, what does that mean for plants, animals, and us? This absorbing nonfiction picture book investigates artificial light and its unexpected impact on our planet. Who Hid the Stars? explores fascinating topics including: How artificial light developed throughout history—from fire to LEDs How city lights interrupt bird migration patterns How streetlights gather insects—and their predators How turtles struggle to hatch without da...

  THE DREAM written by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Nik Henderson Clarion Books, 2026 ISBN: 978-0-06-335799-0 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 The Transformers meets The Lorax in this epic, wordless fantasy with timely environmental takeaways about how to make our world better for all those who live in it—including those who are furred, feathered, and finned. Perfect for Earth Day and every day! What happens when one girl, disheartened by the way we treat the earth, crosses paths with a mysterious wolf in the woods—who feels just as she does? With the help of countless beasts from land, sky, and sea, can they protect our plant and its inhabitants? Here’s a story for all the doers who believe that working together can make that dream come true. REVIEW This lengthy picture book is completely wordless. Which makes it interesting that it has both an author and ...

  JUST IN CASE : Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault written by Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese Charlesbridge, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-62354-480-5 Ages 6-10 Source: Blue Slip Media All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Psst . . . Guess what? 800 miles from the North Pole, buried deep in a mountain, the Svalbard Seed Vault holds priceless treasure. Seeds! Perfect for 5-8-year-old future conservationists, this is a fascinating glimpse into a unique conservation collection, highlighting the importance of natural resources and protecting planet Earth. On the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in Norway, polar bears roam and there are no gardens, forests, or fields. But buried deep underground, the Svalbard Seed Bank protects more than 580 million seeds with plenty of room for more. How and why was the vault built? What's it like inside? How does the vault protect the seeds? Lear...

  TO SEE AN OWL written & illustrated by Matthew Cordell Random House Studio, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-64989-3 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 endearing story about a girl’s efforts to spot an owl from the Caldecott Medal winning creator of Wolf in the Snow. This gorgeous picture book that encourages patience and perseverance will resonate with readers of all ages who have longed to see one of these elusive creatures in the natural world. When will I find you? Where could you be? What will it take? To see an owl. Silent and wide-eyed, owls are hidden creatures of the night. Janie has always dreamed of finding one. She searches everywhere for signs of an owl – on the open prairie for short-eared owls, on the beach for snowy owls, and for great horned owls in the woods near her home. But months go by, and she sees no owls. She wonders, what will it take to ...

TATE'S WILD RESCUE written by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated by Izzy Burton Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024 ISBN:978-0-593-56907--8 Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary & author/illustrator information provided through Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK A sweet, funny picture book about an animal-loving girl who invites wild animals to live in her house and be her best friend--with mixed results! Back matter also offers ideas for children on how they can help both wild and companion animals! Tate loves animals, but she worries about the ones who live in the wild—aren’t they cold? Hungry? Lonely? She is determined to help and comes up with the perfect she’ll offer one a better life and they will be best friends! To her surprise, none of the wild animals she invites to live with her are impressed with her offerings—Orca is not interested in the kiddie pool, and Tiger would rather hunt than settle for c...

MARY HAD A LITTLE PLAN by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton Union Square Kids, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-60582-260-0 Source: publisher for review (ARC) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, summary, & author/illustrator photos courtesy of the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Mary had a little plan that sprouted on the spot. It all began the day she passed a drab, abandoned lot.    Fashion-forward Mary is known for adding flair everywhere she goes. When she spots an abandoned lot in her neighborhood, Mary knows she can use her stylish talent to spruce it up. Soon she’s rallying neighborhood shops and calling on her friends to help. With Mary leading the way, this group carries out her little plan that has a big impact on her community! ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Tammi Sauer is the author of more than thirty picture books including Mary Had a Little Glam, Your Alien, and Lovebird Lou. She is a former teacher and library media specialist wh...

RESCUE AT LAKE WILD by Terry Lynn Johnson Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-358-33485-9 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this funny and moving animals-in-peril adventure, a twelve-year-old girl and her two best friends determine to rescue two orphaned beaver kits—and soon find themselves trying to solve a local environmental crisis.  Everyone knows that twelve-year-old Madison “Madi” Lewis is not allowed to bring home any more animals. After she's saved hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray tom cat that ended up destroying the front porch, Madi’s parents decide that if they find one more stray animal in the house, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall at an upcoming gala event. But when Madi and her two best friends, Aaron and Jack, rescue beaver kits whose mother was killed, they find themselves at the center of a local conspiracy that’s putting the beavers and their habitats in danger. As Madi an...

TOAD WEATHER written by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez Peachtree Publishing, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-56145-818-9 Picture book Ages 4-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK There's nothing to do on a rainy day, Ally thinks. But Mama says shes seen something amazing, so despite Ally's misgivings, she sets out with her mother and grandmother. On her journey, she sees all sorts of things: dripping awnings, splashing cars, storm drain geysers, and oil slick patterns. They turn the corner, just in time to see a big crowd. Whats happening? ABOUT THE AUTHOR   Sandra Markle is the author of more than two hundred children's books, which have won numerous awards, including Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book , IRA/CBC Children's Choice, NSTA/CBC Outstanding Trade Books for Children, NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended, and ALA Notable Books for Children. She lives in New Zealand. You can vi...

THE CAMPING TRIP THAT CHANGED AMERICA Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3710-5 Picture Book (historical fiction) Grades 1-3 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Caldecott medalist Mordicai Gerstein captures the majestic redwoods of Yosemite in this little-known but important story from our nation's history. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks. REVIEW While based on true events, the author explains that little is actually known about what was said and done by Roosevelt and Muir during their trip together through Yosemite.  So of necessity, some of this story is fictionalized.  But it ...

LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS by Ginny Rorby Carolrhoda LAB, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-7613-8498-4 Grades 7 and up Copy received from author during giveaway. Opinions expressed are solely my own. A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive. Lost in the River of Grass takes on the classic survival genre using one of the country's most unique wild places as a backdrop. In this tense, character-driven thriller, Sarah must overcome prejudice and the unforgiving wilderness in a struggle to...

This is my first Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post, but since I love middle grade as a genre, it will not be my last. WOLF STORM by Dee Garretson Harper, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-06-200032-3 Grades 4 and up Reviewed from copy received from author in giveaway. All opinions here expressed are solely my own. This is Stefan's big break.  He's on location in the mountains far from home for his first movie role, filming a blockbuster sci-fi adventure.  The props, the spaceships, and the trained wolves on set should add up to a dream job, but acting turns out to be much tougher than he ever imagined, and he feels like his inner loser is all that's showing through.  From the way his famously stuck-up co-star, Raine, treats him, he's pretty sure she thinks so too.  And worst of all, no one will believe his claim that there are wild wolves haunting the forest around the set. When a blizzard strikes, isolating the young co-stars and bringing hungry feral wolves into the ...

THE ORPHAN, THE SOULCATCHER, And the BLACK BLIZZARD by Kimberlee Ann Bastian Self-published, 2011 ISBN-13: 978-1105066337 Grades 8 and up Reviewed from copy provided by author. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.     Most of his life, Charlie Reese has been surrounded by a loving family and all the comforts of home. But when a house fire claims them, he and his cousin, Jimmy are sent to an orphanage in the heart of ‘Depression Era’ Chicago. A year later, Charlie’s life is shaken by yet another tragedy and with it comes the mysterious introduction of a secretive runaway, named Bartholomew. As Charlie begins to discover more about his new companion, he unknowingly becomes a participant in a two-hundred year old secret. Come the morning of the Black Blizzard, Charlie finds he must make a choice - flee the destiny laden at his feet or take on his responsibility and follow a path full of supernatural wonders. This book was quite a bit darker tha...

SUPER ZOMBIE JUICE MEGA BOMB by MJA Ware CG Press, LTD, 2011 ISBN: 9781466355019 Grades 4-8 Reviewed from copy provided by author. All opinions expressed are solely my own. Summary is from Goodreads. When life gives you lemons, kill zombies -- turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead. After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled--except a small horde of the living dead. The stress of flesh-eating zombies may be more than their already strained relationship can handle. Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, while avoiding the deadly zombie snot, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp. Their only shot is something with ...

Goodness, it's been a whole week since I've added a new post.  Mostly this is because last week was crazy at school.  Testing is starting and everyone is stressed out.  Plus I had a workshop to attend dealing with the new Common Core.  It was quite interesting, but more about that later.  This week I'm hoping to finish up my Top books lists and post a giveaway, offering one of my readers any three books from any of my top lists.  We'll see if it actually happens. Today, I'm posting about a couple of books by one of my favorite nonfiction writers for children.  My school was lucky enough to have a Skype visit with Sandra Markle a couple of weeks ago.  She did some really awesome science experiments that the students really enjoyed.  Unfortunately, I had trouble with the technology. ARGGGGHHH! Sigh. Such is life.  Anyway, here are a couple of books that would be great to use as supplements to units on the history of exploration. Animal...