Geo Librarian

After listening to Kelly Milner Halls speak at a recent conference and being thoroughly intrigued by her and her 'weirdness' (her word not mine), I was inspired to read some of her works. TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist As investigates by Halls, Spears, & Young Millbrook Press, 2006 ISBN: 978-1-58196-049-5 MG/YA Nonfiction Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Everyone loves the stories of legendary creatures that just might really exist. This book relies on the latest information from cryptozoologists, experts who study these mysterious beings, and the counter-arguments are explored from experts who strongly believe they do no exist. Stories from eyewitnesses are recounted, as well. Included in the book are Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Loch Ness Monster, Mokele Mbembe (Africa), Kongamato, Shunka Warak'in, Mapinguan (South America), giant squids, mermaids, coelocanthes, and mo...

EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0390-4 Middle Grade Nonfiction (History) Grades 3 and up Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Published on the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln's order went into effect, this book offers readers a unique look at the events that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating details, it includes excerpts from historical sources, archival images, and new research that debunks myths about the Emancipation Proclamation and its causes. Complete with a timeline, glossary, and bibliography, "Emancipation Proclamation" is an engrossing new historical resource from award-winning children's book author Tonya Bolden. REVIEW This book is a beautiful example of the amazing things being done with books for children.  Everything about the book from the design to the writing i...

WOMEN EXPLORERS by Julie Cummins, illustrated by Cheryl Harness Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3713-6 Collective biography Grades 2-5 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet ten inspiring women whose passions for exploration made them push the boundaries Though most people have heard of explorers like Henry Hudson and Christopher Columbus, few have heard names like Nellie Cashman and Annie Smith Peck. Unfortunately, most of the brave women explorers have never made it into history books because they lived in times when it was taboo for women to go off on their own. Luckily, the daring women in this book didn't let those taboos slow them down as they climbed treacherous mountains, studied Aboriginal cultures, and lived with Pygmy tribes! With engaging text and bold illustrations, Women Explorers will finally properly introduce these adventurous women to the world. REVIEW I found it rather telling that I had never heard of any ...

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—...

EXPLORE TITANIC: Breathtaking New Pictures, Recreated with Digital Technology by Peter Chrisp, with illustrations by Somchith Vongprachanh Barron's, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4380-7159-6 Grades 3 and up Reviewed from purchased copy. Boys and girls will be enthralled by this dramatic pictorial history of the great ocean liner "R.M.S. Titanic, " and its fateful sinking in the North Atlantic. Approximately 125 photos and illustrations in color and black and white--including 12 astonishing 3D-rendered graphics--tell the "Titanic's " story, from its 1911 launching at the Belfast shipyard to its tragic destruction on April 15, 1912 during its maiden Atlantic crossing. Young readers will see faithful reproductions of both exterior and interior ship's details, from the Boiler Room and Engine Room far below decks to the luxury passengers' cabins and the ship's grand ballroom. Among the 3D-rendered artworks are two remarkable double-gatefold illu...

I've been thinking for awhile about how I wanted to celebrate my one year blogiversary.  It actually passed in February but with everything going on at work and personally I didn't have time to really celebrate.  I am still pretty busy, but I've come up with an idea for what I want to do to celebrate.  For the next two weeks I will be posting about my favorite books of all time. Then I will host a giveaway where I offer my readers the chance to win a copy of one of my favorites (your choice). Please keep in mind that these lists are not definitive.  There are many more books that I love and enjoy reading.  The books on these lists though are ones that I enjoy rereading when I have the time and that I love sharing or talking about. So, let's get started.  These books are in no particular order. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow   by Susan Bartoletti Scholastic, 2005  (ISBN: 0-439-35379-3 ) Bartoletti does a superb job of introduc...

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4169-7130-6 32 p. Grades K-2 Reviewed from personal copy.  Illustrations come from Amazon.com and are copyrighted material. BLURB : All the water in the world is all the water in the world. We are all connected by water, and this message is beautifully, lyrically delivered from poet-musician-author George Ella Lyon. Where does water come from? Where does water go? Find out in this exploration of oceans and waterways that highlights an important reality: Our water supply is limited, and it is up to us to protect it. Dynamic, fluid art paired with pitch-perfect verse makes for a wise and remarkable read-aloud that will resonate with any audience. This is a wonderful book, full of poetic language and gorgeous illustrations.  In fact, the book flows rather like its subject, water. I love the way the water cycle is introduc...

December 1941: The Month That Changed America and Saved the World written by Craig Shirley Nelson, Thomas, Inc. 2011 ISBN13: 9781595554574 656 p. Grades 9 and up Reviewed from e-book copy provided by BookSneeze for free. All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book provided for honest review. BLURB : December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World traces, day-by-day, the most important 31 days in the history of America's participation in WWII, which snuffed out the lives of millions and changed history forever.        From December 1, 1941, until the morning of December 7, 1941, America was at peace and-with the exception of the stubborn and persistent high unemployment of the Great Depression-was a relatively happy country.  By the afternoon of the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, America was a radically changed country, forever. Its isolationist impulses evaporated, and both major political parties became more or...

H ow I Learned Geography written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz Farrar Straus Giroux, 2008 ISBN: 978-0-374-33499-4 unp. Grades 2-5 Reviewed from library copy. BLURB : Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy’s father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could. The award-winning artist’s most personal work to date is based on his childhood memories of World War II and features stunning illustrations that celebrate the power of imagination. An author’s note includes a brief description of his family’s experience, two of his early drawings, and the only survivi...

For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart written by Elizabeth Rusch paintings by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher Tricycle Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-58246-326-1 Grades 1 and up Reviewed from book borrowed from public library. Reviewed for Beehive Book Awards BLURB : By the time she was 12, she was considered one of the finest pianists in Europe, but today few people know her name. Maria Mozart, like her famous brother Wolfgang, was a musical prodigy. The talented siblings toured Europe, playing before kings and empresses, were showered with gifts and favors, and lived in a whirlwind life of music and travel. They were best friends, collaborators, and confidantes. As they grew older, Wolfgang was encouraged to pursue his musical ambitions, while Maria was told she must stop performing and, ultimately, marry. But she was determined to continue playing the piano every day, for the love of music . . . . I'll say up front that I loved this book, s...

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything written by Kathleen Kroll, illustrated by Robert Byrd Viking, 2010 ISBN: 978-0-670-01114-8 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from purchased copy. Loading... Loading... Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subject-a man who liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the greatest empire of the tim ...more BLURB : Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subjec...

Soar, Elinor! written by Tami Lewis Brown, pictures by Francois Roca Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010 ISBN: 978-0-374-37115-9 Grades 2-5 Reviewed from purchased copy for Beehive Book Awards. BLURB : Elinor Smith was six when she first went for a ride in a rickety "flying machine," and she was just sixteen when she earned her aviation license in 1928. But not everyone thought that girls should fly. When male pilots and newspapermen mocked her, Elinor decided to perform an aerial maneuver they thought was impossible: flying under all four bridges that span New York City's East River. Gorgeous sweeping illustrations by François Roca show how Elinor pulled off this risky feat skillfully and with style.  I really enjoyed this book.  The combination of gorgeous illustrations and great text pair nicely in this title.  I am also a big fan of books about people following their dreams and passions. I appreciated how Elinor's parents encouraged her in her d...

Miles to Go for Freedom: Segregation & Civil Rights in the Jim Crow Years written by Linda Barrett Osborne Published in associate with The Library of Congress Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2012 Grades 5 and up Reviewed from purchased copy. BLURB :  Told through unforgettable first-person accounts, photographs, and other primary sources, this book is an overview of racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in the United States from the 1890s to 1954, a period known as the Jim Crow years. Multiple perspectives are examined as the book looks at the impact of legal segregation and discrimination on the day-to-day life of black and white Americans across the country. Complete with a bibliography and an index, this book is an important addition to black history books for young readers. There are many books available for children and young adults about the Civil Rights Era, some are naturally better than others.  But in order for children and young ad...

I've found another fun challenge to join for 2012.  I have stacks of books sitting in my room waiting to be read.  Some of them have been waiting for years.  I am hoping to get some of these books read this year. I am going to go for the Grungy Level (20+ books).  Here are a few of the books I am considering for this challenge: Disasters: Natural and Man-Made Catastrophes Through the Centuries by Brenda Z. Guiberson The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville Keepers of the School: We the Children by Andrew Clements The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye by Nancy Springer Unraveling Freedom: The Battle for Democracy on the Home Front During World War I by Ann Bausum A Savage Thunder: Antietam and the Bloody Road to Freedom by Jim Murphy Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard Lowji Discovers America by Candace Fleming Syren (Septimus Heap) by Angie Sage The Boy Sherl...

Coral Reefs written and illustrated by Jason Chin Roaring Brook Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-59643-563-6 Grades K-5 Reviewed from personal copy. BLURB : During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there. This book is gorgeous, that pretty much covers it.  The illustrations take the reader on a journey over and around a coral reef.  Even without the words, I could easily follow the story.  I love the idea of a book taking the reader on a journey to somewhere they may never be able to go in real life.  This suits my lifestyle of armchair adventuring.  The text does add a great deal of information, a little too much for a read-a-loud I discovered, especially when the students kept interrupting to...