Geo Librarian

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries. Mission: Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries. “MCCBD team hopes to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a bo...

HUBER HILL AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF CORONADO by B.K. Bostick Sweetwater Books, 2012 ISBN: 9781599559810 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from copy provided by publisher through NetGalley. The Dead Man's Treasure has been stolen! Now it's up to Huber and his gang to find it. But solving a mystery this big will mean traveling across the world and learning to trust some new friends, including a mysterious stranger. With humor, action, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this is one book you won't want to put down. About the Author B. K. Bostick resides among the magnificent Rocky Mountains. In addition to writing, he has spent his career in education. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Utah and his master's in psychology from Utah State University. He has worked as a teacher, after school program coordinator, junior high school counselor, and most recently as a teacher mentor for a university. He loves spending time with his lovely w...

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...

THEY STOOD ALONE: 25 MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE by Sandra McLeod Humphrey Prometheus Books, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-61614-485-2 Grades 3 and up Copy provided by author for review. Synopsis from Amazon.com. Imagine this: For centuries everyone has believed that the sun and all the planets revolve around the earth. But by studying the old books and observing the heavens, you have concluded that the earth and all the other planets revolve around the sun. Your theory is so radical that you are hesitant to tell others about it. Your name is Nicolaus Copernicus. Although at first your beliefs are denounced and ridiculed, your observations are eventually proved correct. In time, you come to be called the founding father of modern astronomy. Or imagine this: It's the early 19th century and women have few legal rights. Married women can't own property, their wages belong to their husbands, and they don't even have the right of guardianship over their childr...

VIKRAM AND THE ENCHANTED SEALS by Sanjiv Behera Richshaw Books, 2010 ISBN: 9780983104216 Grades 4 and up Copy sent by author for review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. Vikram, an apathetic kid from California, doesn’t want to be in India. But a death in the family leaves him no other choice. So he finds himself in a rural village, at his ancestral home where he meets his imposing grandfather. A special bond forms between them, and the old man gives Vikram an enchanted seal – a mystical relic from India's earliest civilization. It turns out that the seal is one of only a handful that combine to form the Dharma Cube, the most powerful weapon against evil the world has ever seen. Before Vikram can fully grasp the seal's profound significance, Grandpa is taken by Rakshasas – evil giants from the epic Ramayana – who are intent on destroying the Cube once and for all. Vikram enlists the help of younger brother Jai, and Manu, the family’s loyal servant,...

ZAPATO POWER: FREDDIE RAMOS MAKES A SPLASH by Jacqueline Jules, art by Miguel Benitez Albert Whitman & Company, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8075-9485-8 Grades K-2 Reviewed from e-book provided by publisher through NetGalley. Freddie Ramos's adventures continue Thanks to his superpowered zapatos, Freddie is the neighborhood superhero. However his summer's off to an iffy start. Freddie's learning to swim at camp, but he hasn't even put his face in the water yet. When a bully shows up at Starwood Park, Freddie's shoes go missing. Is the bully to blame? And how can Freddie investigate without his zapatos' super speed? How many of us have imagined what it would be like to have a super power? Many of us, judging by the popularity of superhero movies. Freddie Ramos has such a superpower, it's contained in his purple sneakers.  He can outrun a train and out jump a kangaroo.  But Freddie is facing a challenge that no superpower can help him with, swimming l...

Oops. I didn't realize I signed up for two blog tour posts on the same day.  Oh, well.  They are both great books so I hope you take a look at both. This blog tour is being sponsored by Pump Up Your Book . Jake, a 14-year-old gadget whiz, didn’t plan on a summer full of treasure, thieves, and danger. He just got lucky. While in Ireland on a class trip, Jake stumbles upon the first clue to a treasure missing from the Spanish Armada. Jake sees the riches as his chance to buy back the family sailboat and restore a piece of the life he enjoyed before his father was critically injured in an accident. Desperate to find the treasure, Jake teams up with Zach, his nemesis and class bully, and two girls in a clue-hunting chase across the Dingle Peninsula. Dodging would-be thieves, exchanging wisecracks with Zach, and concocting ingenious devices to get them out of scrapes, Jake leads the team as they connect piece after piece to the 400-year-old mystery. ABOUT SEAN VOGEL ...

IF YOU LIVED HERE: Houses of the World written and illustrated by Giles Laroche Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-547-23892-0 Grades 2 and up Reviewed from personal copy. Step into unique homes from around the world and discover the many fascinating ways in which people live and have lived. If you lived in the mountains of southern Spain, your bedroom might be carved out of a mountain. If you lived in a village in South Africa, the outside of your house might tell the story of your family. And if you lived in a floating green house in the Netherlands, you could rotate your house to watch both the sunrise and sunset. With intricate bas-relief collages, Giles Laroche uncovers the reason why each home was constructed the way in which it was, then lets us imagine what it would be like to live in homes so different from our own. Showing the tremendous variety of dwellings worldwide—log cabins, houses on stilts, cave dwellings, boathouses, and yurts—...

SAME, SAME, BUT DIFFERENT written and illustrated by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw Henry Holt and Company, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-8050-8946-2 32 p. Grades PreK-2 Reviewed from personal copy. BLURB : Elliot lives in America, and Kailash lives in India. They are pen pals. By exchanging letters and pictures, they learn that they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school. Their worlds might look different, but they are actually similar. Same, same. But different! Through an inviting point-of-view and colorful, vivid illustrations, this story shows how two boys living oceans apart can be the best of friends. I enjoyed reading and sharing this book. Not only is the language simple and straightforward, but the illustrations compliment the writing perfectly. The illustrations are bright and colorful and highlight the similarities and differences between the two boys.  I've really come to love collage as an art form and this book demonstrates the characteristics that make co...