Geo Librarian

THE BEACH BOOK loads to do at lakes, rivers and the seaside by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield Frances Lincoln Limited, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7112-3577-9 Activity book for families Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The Beach Book presents a whole host of activities and adventures to be enjoyed on the water's edge by the sea, lakes and rivers. REVIEW The summer time means going to the beach for a lot of people, including myself. And while just hanging out can be a fun activity there are so many other options for making the outdoors and especially the beach not only a fun place to be but a learning place to be.  The beach book provides a whole bunch of different types of activities that can be planned and executed on a beach.  That beach can be located near a river, a stream, a lake or the ocean.  There is sure to be something here for most people, especially children.  The activities are divided up int...

Coming Fall 2015 from Shadow Mountain A new Steampunk series from the author of the Zombie Kid series and Far World series! FIRES OF INVENTION Mysteries of Cove #1 by J. Scott Savage Shadow Mountain, 2015 ABOUT THE BOOK STEAMPUNK! Plus Dragons! Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and "invention" is a curse word. Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion-an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity. Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlike anything they've ever seen before. They soon discover that w...

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2016 by National Geographic Kids National Geographic, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-4263-1921-1 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating articles about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include a special section on animal friends; an updated "Fun and Games" chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; a new "Dino Myths Busted" feature; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special "15 Facts" feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more! And, this is the only kids' almanac with mobile media features that allow kids to access National Geographic videos, photo galleries, and games. ABOUT THE AUTHOR With more than 600 titles—including the popular Weird But True franchise and t...

THANK YOU, JACKSON How one little boy makes a BIG difference by Niki and Jude Daly Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-84780-484-6 Picture book Ages 4-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Jackson the donkey works very hard, carrying loads of mielies, carrots and potatoes up the hill to market every week, from the little farm where he lives with the farmer, his wife Beauty and his son Goodwill. But one day Jackson just stops, halfway up the hill. The farmer pushes him, pulls him, shouts at him. But Jackson WILL NOT BUDGE. Just as the farmer is about to beat his donkey, little Goodwill comes running up the hill. Quickly he whispers something in the donkey's ear - and, straightaway, the old donkey gets to his feet. The farmer is astonished. What could be the secret of the boy's message? "Well," says Goodwill, "Mama told me it's the little things like saying please and than...

FLY A JET FIGHTER You Do The Math by Hilary Koll and Steve Mills QEB Publishing, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-60992-731-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Take to the skies on a mission to be the best fighter pilot! Follow each stage of the mission and complete the math exercises to create your squadron of jet fighter aces! From addition and decimals to line graphs and pie charts, these books have different challenges to be solved with a varying range of difficulty. REVIEW Math is a subject that a lot of children struggle with and so they often complain about why they have to learn it at all.  They just don't see the point of learning it.  This book takes an exciting, interesting career and demonstrates the use of math within that career.  Flying a jet sounds exciting to many young readers yet they don't realize that a solid education especially math is required.  Not only is this book full of information ab...

MY LIFE IN DIORAMAS by Tara Altebrando Running Press Kids, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7624-5681-9 Middle Grade Contemporary Source: ARC from publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Kate Marino thinks she is a real mastermind. At least when it comes to hatching a plan to dissuade potential buyers from purchasing Big Red, the old farmhouse that has been the only home Kate has ever known, and which her parents must sell in order to downsize. Kate has not even moved yet, and already her life is changing in unwelcome ways. Every moment and memory seems fleeting. Making dioramas of the people she loves in the places that she holds dear gives Kate a sense of calm. But there’s no way Kate is going to move now, when her dance troupe is finally going to compete at Dance Nation, and her best friend is starting to replace her with her enemy, Megan. It may take several bags of stink, the help of her friends, and a few fake dogs in orde...

MY RULES FOR BEING A PRETTY PRINCESS by Heath McKensie Sourcebook Jabberwocky, 2015 ISBN: 9781492615200 Ages 2-6 Source: ARC for review from publisher All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Rules are meant to be broken in this laugh-out-loud picture book about staying true to yourself. One little girl gets her greatest wish of becoming a princess – only to discover that the rules of royalty are no fun. She has to have perfect hair and eat daintily and dance gracefully — boring! So, she decides to make up her own rules... A delightfully subversive picture book that teaches girls to be themselves — clumsy dancing, crazy scribbling and all. REVIEW There are certain rules that must be followed in order for one to be a princess, and the little girl in this book is thrilled when a real princess shows up to tell her what those rules are.  However, her enthusiasm dampens when she discovers that eating daintily and wearing a perfect dress, and wa...

THE INCREDIBLE THREE AND A HALF SUPERHEROES by Frank Schmeiber , translated by David Wilson Little Gestalten, 2014 ISBN: 978-3-89955-740-4 Ages 9-12 Source: Media Masters Publicity All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The top secret, totally true adventures of the child superhero team, the Incredible Three and a Half. Most superheroes hide behind masks as they battle against injustice in the world and, for their own protection, their true identities are kept top secret. But for reasons beyond his control, incorrigible sixth grader Sebastian Appleby-Krumble is forced to write down his exploits as part of the superhero team the Incredible Three and a Half. The Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes is a humorous, behind-the-scenes tale of the action-packed adventures of Sebastian, otherwise known as the Brain, and his friends Barbara "Action Barbie" Bakewell, Martin "The Chameleon" Koslowski, and Martin's imaginary friend ...

CROOKED HOUSE An Erica Coleman Mystery by Marlene Bateman Covenant Communications, 2015 ISBN: 9781621085218 Culinary Mystery Source: eARC from publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Someone is trying to kill Liz Johnson and it’s up to quirky private investigator, Erica Coleman, to find out who. Erica is no stranger to murder and mystery, which is why her best friend’s daughter, Megan, turns to her when unaccountable and potentially fatal “accidents” threaten her roommate’s life. Once Erica arrives at the ramshackle old mansion known as Crooked House, matters go from disturbing to deadly as it becomes clear someone is trying to kill Liz.   As Erica begins to unearth secrets, she discovers a twisted web of love, money, greed, and deception. Although the police and friends sometimes find Erica’s OCD annoying, its those very traits that help her sift through evidence and see clues that others miss. Erica must draw upon he...