Geo Librarian

PECK, PECK, PECK by Lucy Cousins Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6621-7 Picture Book Grades Prek-1 Review copy purchased. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Comical and original, this vivacious picture book from the creator of Maisy features a lovable new character — and a novelty element that’s a hole lot of fun. Today my daddy said to me, "It’s time you learned to peck a tree." Little woodpecker has just learned to peck. Yippee! He’s having so much fun that he peck-peck-pecks right through a door and has a go at everything on the other side, from the hat to the mat, the racket to the jacket, the teddy bear to a book called Jane Eyre. Children will be drawn to the young bird’s exuberance at learning a new skill — and ready to snuggle along at day’s end for a night of sweet dreams. REVIEW Anyone who works or lives with young children will appreciate the humor of this book. When young children first learn to do something the...

WHEN EDGAR MET CECIL by Kevin Luthardt Peachtree Publishing, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-56145-706-9 Picture Book Grades K-3 Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK When Edgar's family moves to a new town, everything seems strange and scary. The kids look different. They dress weird. They listen to bizarre music. They eat strange food. And the biggest, weirdest looking kid keeps staring at Edgar. What does he want? REVIEW This is a cute book about a robot who moves to a place populated by aliens who struggles to find a friend. Edgar doesn't want to move and leave his best friend, Quincy behind. As he starts school in a new place he keeps pretty much to himself.  When one of the other students starts watching him it makes him nervous, until Cecil offers to help Edgar build his contraption. I enjoyed the story about friendship and creativity. However, some of the illustrations, while ador...

LION VS. RABBIT by Alex Latimer Peachtree Publisher, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-56145-709-0 Picture Book Grades K-3 Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Lion bullies all the other animals until finally they can't take it anymore. They post an ad, asking for help. One animal after another tries and fails to defeat Lion. Can no one stop him? Finally, a rabbit arrives. No one thinks that such a small animal will be brave enough or strong enough to defeat Lion. But perhaps this rabbit is smart enough? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Latimer lives near the border of a national park so when not writing or drawing, he spends his free time shooing baboons out of his lounge. The Boy Who Cried Ninja is his first book for children. He lives in South Africa. REVIEW Bullying has become a topic of great interest and as such has inspired many books about it.  I quite enjoyed this one because it is not only ...

GOD DOESN'T WRITE WITH A PEN A True Story of Undaunted Faith and Mighty Miracles by Christi Lynn Pauline Cedar Fort, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1173-2 Inspirational Nonfiction Review copy  provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, is war-torn and chaotic after the election of 1994. Joao Bernardo Vierra is elected president in spite of fierce opposition, magnifying the already tense political situation. As war ravages the country, pharmacy owner, Blema Fangamou and his wife, Fatoumatou, are separated from their children. For over twelve years, the couple is tested and tried with hardships, all the while wondering whether their children are alive. Through the Lord, Blema and Fatoumatou are strengthened, helping them to maintain love and hope. This true story of the Fangamou family’s journey through loss, recovery, and miracles helps us recognize the tender mercies given to ...

I REMEMBER MOMMY'S SMILE by Dina Wolfman Baker, illustrated by Rachel Nagelberg Baker's Dozen Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-615-44752-0 Picture Book Grades 1-5 Review copy provided by author in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to talk with a child about the illness or death of a parent. I Remember Mommy’s Smile offers parents and other caregivers an opportunity to open the door to dialogue. It also shows children that they are not alone or strange; others have gone through this type of sadness and loss, and they have ended up okay. As author Dina Wolfman Baker understands from her own experience, knowing you’re not alone can mean a great deal. These are her memoirs…written from her child self to other children, with the sensitivity, honesty and directness that can only come from having been there. REVIEW Death is a very personal, sensitive subject, especially for childre...

ERUPTION Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch, photographs by Tom Uhlman Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013 978-0-547-50350-9 MG/YA Nonfiction Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK “At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia. ABOUT THE AUTHOR ELIZABETH RUSCH is an award-winning children's book author and magazine writer. She ...

HEROES OF FAITH True Stories of Courage & Strength by Marlene Bateman Sullivan Cedar Fort, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1128-2 LDS Nonfiction Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Our fast-paced society loves adventure and it loves a hero—but what about Latter-day Saint heroes? Are there any? There are plenty! Heroes of Faith, True Stories of Faith and Courage , is a collection of twenty-four riveting stories about people who rose above difficulties and impossible odds to emerge triumphant. You’ll read about stalwart men and women who stood firm and valiant in the gospel in spite of dangerous mobs, flying bullets, physical handicaps, extreme hardships, and dictatorial regimes. It's fascinating to read about the exploits of real heroes and when that hero is acting in accordance with the principles of the gospel, the adventure is not only thrilling, but inspiring as well. In t...

CHICK-O-SAURUS REX by Lenore & Daniel Jennewein Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4424-5186-5 Picture Book Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A bullied little chicken discovers his inner strength along with some surprising dinosaur ancestry in this farmyard tale with huge heart.   Little Chick just wants to belong, but the bullies of the barnyard—Little Donkey, Little Pig, and Little Sheep—won’t let him play in their tree house because he is a chicken, and chickens are not strong and brave. Little Chick sees their point: What have chickens done besides invent the chicken dance and cross the road? But when his father shows Little Chick the family photo album, he learns something HUGE: He is related to the gigantic and ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex! Armed with this new knowledge, Little Chick returns to the tree house just in time to rescue the bullie...

STUDENT COUNCIL SMACKDOWN! The Classroom #2 directed by Robin Mellom, filmed by Stephen Gilpin Disney-Hyperion, 2013 ISBN: 978-142315064-0 Middle Grade Contemporary/Humor Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Libby Gardner and Cindy Applegate are smile-without-teeth friends, but they are fierce rivals when it comes to politics. Cindy owned the student council elections in fourth and sixth grades, while Libby came out on top in fifth. Now, they both hunger for the prestigious title of seventh grade class president. But middle school elections have their own rules...and pressures. When Trevor Jones is forced to join the presidential race, he devises a plan to make sure his best friend Libby wins. That all changes when he discovers that Libby has oh-so-sneakily gone behind his back by hiring Molly Decker to be her campaign manager. Now, he's in it to win it. And things are going to get...

Bruce Hale/Playing With Fire Twitter Chat Hashtag : #PlayingWithFire **All tweets in the chat should include this hashtag** Date/Time: Wednesday, August 14 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern Duration: 30 Minutes Participants : Bruce Hale - @storyguy1 Disney Hyperion - @DisneyHyperion (Moderator) Agenda  (times in Pacific): 1pm – Writing/Publishing ·           @DisneyHyperion will kick off the chat, introduce participants, congratulate Bruce, and intro the book ·           Bruce, bloggers, and fans will discuss the writing process/publishing in general ·           Fans will be encouraged (by @DisneyHyperion) to ask Bruce specific questions about being an author 1:15 – Playing With Fire ·           @DisneyHyperion will ask Bruce to summarize the book in a single...