Geo Librarian

CHUM by Adam Glendon Sidwell Future House Publishing, 2014 ISBN13: 9780989125338 Middle Grade Adventure Grades 4-8 Source: eARC for review from publisher All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Thirteen-year-old Levi Middleworth insists he's got a Destiny, even if half the internet's tried to bully it out of him with a viral video. When a Hollywood executive in a trim green suit invites Levi to star on a reality TV show aboard a hi-tech pirate ship, Levi thinks his Destiny's finally come a knockin' a bit of fame is exactly what he needs to finally make some friends his eighth grade year. But almost as soon as they set sail, the games aboard the ship turn savage, and he and his new bud Holly must do everything they can to find themselves some Chums little round-headed autonomous toys since failing to do so means getting thrown to the sharks. With the help of Levi's long-lost television hero and a tech-savvy pirate crew, Levi has to...

WILD SEA CREATURES:  Sharks, Whales, and Dolphins! by Martin Kratt and Chris Kratt Random House, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-553-49901-8 Early Reader Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK PBS’s successful animated show  Wild Kratts  joins the adventures of zoologists Chris and Martin Kratt as they travel to animal habitats around the globe. Along the way, they encounter incredible creatures while combining science education and fun. Boys and girls ages 4 to 6 will dive into this Step 2 Reader with the Kratt brothers as they activate their Creature Power Suits to swim with sharks, whales, and other wild sea creatures! REVIEW The Wild Kratts TV show is quite popular with many children and why not?  It's full of action and adventure, lots of cool animals, and the creature power suits that allow the brothers to become the animals they study.  This book and I'm assuming future books are based off these shows.  The...

MURPHY, GOLD RUSH DOG, 1900 Dog Chronicles by Alison Hart, illustrated by Michal G. Montgomery Peachtree Publishing, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-56145-769-4 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Grades 3-6 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An action-packed and heartwarming story of a dog in gold rush-era Alaska All Murphy wants is a home and a loving family. After escaping from his brutal and merciless owner, he is taken in by a young girl named Sally. She and her mother have just arrived in Nome, Alaska, intent on joining the other gold seekers and making a new life there, free from their wealthy but oppressive family in Seattle. Yet even with Murphy at their side, Sally and Mama find living in the mining town harsh and forbidding. When it seems they may have to give up and return to Seattle, Sally and Murphy decide to strike out on their own, hoping to find gold and make a permanent home. But dangers await them - n...

I AM ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8037-4083-9 Picture Book Biography Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this lively, collectible picture book biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it, Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to biography for his own kids, and for yours. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, those who aren’t quite ready for the Who Was series. Each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that role model heroic. For example, Abraham Lincoln always spoke up about fairness, and thus he led the country to abolish slavery. This book f...

CLAUDE ON THE SLOPES by Alex T. Smith Peachtree Publishing, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-56145-805-9 Early Reader Grades 1-3 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this latest adventure, on a winter's day, Claude goes from throwing snowballs and making snowmen to causing an all-out avalanche! In a stunning hardback edition for the first time. ABOUT THE AUTHOR After briefly considering careers in space travel, cookery, and being a rabbit, Alex T. Smith finally decided to become an illustrator. He graduated from Coventry University with a degree in illustration and won second place in the Macmillan Prize for Children's Illustration. He lives in England. You can visit Alex T. Smith’s website here . REVIEW Another cute story about a fun loving dog and his best friend, Sir Bobblysock (who is in fact an actual sock), Claude on the Slopes takes the reader to a mountain resort where Claude and Sir Bobblysock e...

Here are some great books about owls both fiction and nonfiction. I've been working on a unit about owls for one of my classes and her are some of the fabulous books I found. FICTION: Oola the Owl Who Lost her Hoot! by Tim Bugird, illustrated by Clare Fennell Make Believe Ideas, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-78065-487-4 Picture Book A delightful book about a young owl who lost her hoot after playing all night.  She goes out to find it and learns an important lesson about sharing.  The darling illustrations and cute writing make this ideal for reading out loud. LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT by Divya Srinivasan Viking, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-670-01295-4 Picture Book LITTLE OWL'S DAY by Divya Srinivasan Viking, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-670-01650-1 Picture Book These two books go hand in hand since the main character is the same.  In fact they work together fabulously for a compare and contrast activity. The stories revolve around Little Owl and his experiences exploring the wo...

UNSTOPPABLE OCTOBIA MAY by Sharon G. Flake Scholastic Press, 2014 ISBN; 978-0-545-60960-9 Middle Grade Mystery/Historical Fiction Grades 4 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bestselling and award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family. Octobia May is girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special - and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is non-traditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression ...

BZRK series by Michael Grant Ages 14 and up BZRK 978-1-60684-418-2 Trade Paperback 2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults ABOUT THE BOOK Set in the near future, BZRK is the story of a war for control of the human mind.  Charles and Benjamin Armstrong, conjoined twins and owners of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, have a goal:  to turn the world into their vision of utopia.  No wars, no conflict, no hunger.  And no free will.  Opposing them is a guerrilla group of teens, code name BZRK, who are fighting to protect the right to be messed up, to be human.  This is no ordinary war, though.  Weapons are deployed on the nano-level. The battleground is the human brain.  And there are no stalemates here:  It’s victory . . . or madness. BZRK unfolds with hurricane force around core themes of conspiracy and mystery, insanity and changing realities, engagement and empowerment, and the larger imp...