Geo Librarian

GROOVY JOE Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin, art by Tom Lichtenheld Orchard Books, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-545-88378-8 Ages 4-8 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Groovy Joe was living the dream. He had a spoon and tub of doggy ice cream. And he started to sing: Love my doggy ice cream! Love my doggy ice cream! Eric Litwin, author of the bestselling and beloved Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, and bestselling artist Tom Lichtenheld, illustrator of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, have created a captivating new canine character who will groove his way into readers' hearts and have them grooving and giggling all the while. In his debut adventure, Groovy Joe faces three roaring dinosaurs hungry for his doggy ice cream! Oh no! But Joe knows just what to do and soon enough he has them all sharing while moving and singing along. Signature rhyme, repetition, and musical writing style, combined with wild and witt...

GUYS READ: TERRIFYING TALES edited by Jon Scieszka Walden Pond Press, 2015 ISBN13: 9780062385581 Middle grade horror (speculative/fantasy) Ages 10-14 Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Be afraid, be very afraid of  Terrifying Tales , the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading. Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off. Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka,  Guys Read: Terrifying Tales  is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).  REVIEW This book reminds me why I'm ...

FREDDIE RAMOS STOMPS THE SNOW Zapato Power #5 by Jacqueline Jules, art by Miguel Benitez Albert Whitman & Company, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8075-9487-2 Source: purchased Early chapter contemporary/diverse Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK When a freak spring blizzard buries Starwood Park, Freddie works with Mr. Vaslov to clear the sidewalks using a new invention--Zapato Power snowshoes! But not even the snow can stop a thief from causing trouble in the neighborhood. Can Freddie solve the case, even if it means helping Erika, the Starwood Park bully? REVIEW Freddie Ramos has the coolest pair of shoes ever!  They allow him to run fast (faster than a speeding train) as well as bounce really high.  The shoes even shoot smoke to hide him when he is using his superpowers.  But what will happen when a blizzard hits?  Will his shoes still work?  Soon enough Freddie has other things on his plate, such as snuggling...

TO BURP OR NOT TO BURP: A Guide to Your Body in Space by Dr. Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti, art by Theo Krynauw Annick Press, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-55451-853-1 Middle Grade Nonfiction Ages 8-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Of all the questions astronauts are asked by kids, the most frequent one is “How do you go to the toilet in space?” This book not only answers that question, but many others about the effect of zero gravity on the human body: How do you brush your hair in space? What happens when you sweat? What does food taste like? The best thing is that the answers are provided by Dr. Dave Williams, a NASA astronaut who speaks from first-hand experience. Written for kids ages 7 to 10, this book uses age-appropriate language to explain the different phenomena that astronauts encounter during a mission. The bright, colorful pages, short blocks of text accompanied by photos and humorous illustrations ...

JACKABY by William Ritter Algonquin, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-61620-353-5 YA Speculative (Historical fantasy mystery) Ages 12 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.” Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an...

THE PREHISTORIC MASTERS OF LITERATURE Jurassic Classics by Saskia Lacey Walter Foster, Jr., 2016 ISBN13: 9781633220980 Ages 9-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Read classic literature from the eyes of the dinosaurs, and learn about the literary greats through humorous, prehistoric mashups and fun, dinosaur-themed facts. Jurassic Classics: The Prehistoric Masters of Literature mixes prehistoric dinosaur humor with some of the great names of literary history to teach the classics in a fun and inviting way for children of all ages. The first book in a new series, The Prehistoric Masters of Literature, features an assortment of well-known, classic authors, such as the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and William Shakespeare, all under the guise of favorite dinosaur mashups (i.e. the "Brontesaurus" sisters). The Prehistoric Masters of Literature features a brief "dino" biography of each aut...

THE LATE JURASSIC Ancient Earth Journal Notes, Drawings, and Observations from Prehistory by Juan Carlos Alonso & Gregory S. Paul Walter Foster Jr., 2016 ISBN: 978-1-63322-108-6 Ages 8 and up Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Through detailed illustrations and descriptive narrative, readers will experience a thrilling, thoroughly enjoyable ride through the most popular time period of prehistory. What would it be like to see a living, breathing dinosaur? Following in the footsteps of Ancient Earth Journal: The Early Cretaceous, this next installment, The Late Jurassic, will take readers further back in time to a period when giants ruled the land and early mammals began to secure their place alongside the dinosaurs. The Late Jurassic period was home to many species of our favorite dinosaurs, such as Apatosaurus (or Brontosaurus), Allosaurus, and Stegosaurus, to name a few. The Late Jurassic includes the latest...