Geo Librarian

OVERBOARD! Survivor Diaries #1 by Terry Lynn Johnson Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-544-97010-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary/adventure/survival All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A high-stakes adventure series perfect for fans of the I Survived series and Hatchet. Eleven-year-old Travis and his family are on a whale watch off the coast of Washington when disaster strikes. The boat capsizes, throwing everyone into the ice-cold chaotic waves. Separated from their families and struggling to stay afloat, Travis and twelve-year-old Marina must use all of their grit and knowledge to survive. With seventeen years of hands-on experience and training in remote areas, survival expert Terry Lynn Johnson (Ice Dogs; Sled Dog School) creates on-the-edge-of-your-seat storytelling featuring the real skills that kids need to survive a disaster. This book includes Coast Guard-approved cold-water survival tips; you may ha...

ENDANGERED Ape Quartet #1 by Eliot Schrefer Scholastic Press, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-545-16576-1 MG/YA Contemporary (Diverse) Ages 12 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The compelling tale of a girl who must save a group of bonobos--and herself--from a violent coup. The Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good. When one girl has to follow her mother to her sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive. Eliot Schrefer asks readers what safety means, how one sacrifices to help others, and what it means to be human in this new compelling adventure. REVIEW Schrefer has crafted a story that is both eye-opening and touch...

FALL OF EDEN The Healing Crystal Trilogy by Michele Poague iUniverse, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4620-1306-7 Adult/YA Science Fiction Grades 9 and up Reviewed from copy received from author for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Myths are but shadows of a greater truth. What is the Healing Crystal and who is the rightful heir? Is it a religious object or a powerful weapon? Does it belong to a fallen line of kings or to the colonists of Survin? Should its fate be left in the hands of the young and inexperienced Kairma or to Narvin, the last descendent of a line of kings? Kairma holds the Crystal and believes she will become the next leader of Survin, while her younger sister Kinter, believes she, not Kairma, is the rightful heir. Narvin believes the Healing Crystal is the Star of Genesis, a powerful relic his ancestors have been seeking for centuries. Determined to possess the object that will return him to his glory, Narvin is un...

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...

FLUTTER: The story of four sisters and one incredible journey by Erin E. Moulton Philomel Books, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-399-25515-1 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from personal copy. Big things are about the happen at Maple's house. Mama's going to have a baby, which means now there will be four Rittle sisters instead of just three. But when baby Lily is born too early and can't come home from the hospital, Maple knows it's up to her to save her sister. So she and Dawn, armed with a map and some leftover dinner, head off down a river and up a mountain to find the Wise Woman who can grant miracles. Now it's not only Lily's survival that they have to worry about, but also their own. The dangers that Maple and Dawn encounter on their journey makes them realize a thing or two about miracles-and about each other. I have mixed feelings about this book.  I did enjoy it, but as a teacher, there were parts where I wanted to jump into the book and tell the girls not to ...

THE ONLY LIVING MAN WITH A HOLE IN HIS HEAD by Todd Colby Pliss S.B. Addison Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-0983868170 Reviewed from copy provided for book tour. Synopsis:   One man. One Tamping Iron. One medical marvel. Based on a true story, “The Only Living Man With A Hole in His Head” tells the tale of railroad foreman Phineas Gage, whom in 1848, had a three-foot long, inch-and-a-half in diameter, thirteen pound iron rod blast though his skull, taking out part of his brain, and the doctor who treated him and valiantly fought the medical establishment to prove the authenticity and merit of the case as Phineas Gage entered a journey into changed personality, the P.T. Barnum freak show and driving stage coaches in South America. It ended with medical science forever changed.   Topic: The Story Behind the Story (where the idea came from, research required, etc.) I have always been a history buff and possess my teaching credentials in the social sciences. ...

  Book Synopsis : Vesuvius is Awakening. Mira, a fifteen-year old slave who saw the coming death and destruction in a vision. Now it is time to fulfill the vow she made to the mother of the Roman child in her care. To do this, she must escape the watchful eye of the slave ordered to guard her, and the stubborn father who refuses to believe there is any danger. Before Mount Vesuvius erupts and buries the town, she has to convince her guard to go with her or suffer the fate of Herculaneum and all who have not yet fled to safety. Seeing his neighbours leave, her owner decides to join them, but first he will make sacrifices to the gods. To Mira’s dismay he takes them to the temple farthest from the best escape route. Mira thinks about killing the slave keeping watch on her, or even better the child’s father, then they can all run from the certain death she knows is on its way. But can she commit murder, even if to save the life of the child she loves? Review: I enjoyed th...

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 ...