Geo Librarian

RISE OF THE LIONESS Restoring a Habitat and its Pride on the Liuwa Plains by Bradley Hague National Geographic, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-4263-2532-8 Middle grade nonfiction Ages 9-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Poaching and war damaged an isolated wilderness in West Zambia, reducing its lion population to just one: Lady, the last lioness. Witness Lady's fight for survival in this evocative narrative on the decline, fall, and rebirth of the Liuwa Plains. Follow Lady as she grapples with a landscape altered by human hands and discover how both Lady and humankind restore balance to the environment. More than a story about one brave lion, The Lioness offers a great introduction to life science by looking at the workings of an ecosystem, the methods of scientists and environmentalists, and explaining the interconnection between the plant, animal, and human systems. REVIEW National Geographic and Bradley Hague h...

THE CRAYONS' BOOK OF COLORS by Drew Daywalt, illustrated Oliver Jeffers Grosset & Dunlap, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-451-53404-0 Ages 0-3 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The crayons are back and brighter than ever in this board book of colors from the creators of the #1 "New York Times" Best Sellers, "The Day the Crayons Quit" and "The Day the Crayons Came Home." It's Duncan's birthday, and all the crayons want to make him a card! With their fun and quirky illustrations of firetrucks, dragons, and (dare we say?) wheat, these creative crayons each have something different to contribute. When they come together, they can make something truly spectacular to celebrate Duncan's birthday! From the creative minds behind the "The Day the Crayons Quit" and "The Day the Crayons Came Home," comes a fun board book introducing young readers to colors. REVIEW Using parts of...

PAPER WISHES by Lois Sepahban Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-374-30216-0 Middle Grade historical fiction Ages 9-12 Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A moving debut novel about a girl whose family is relocated to a Japanese internment camp during World War II--and the dog she has to leave behind. Ten-year-old Manami did not realize how peaceful her family's life on Bainbridge Island was until the day it all changed. It's 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Manami and her family are Japanese American, which means that the government says they must leave their home by the sea and join other Japanese Americans at a prison camp in the desert. Manami is sad to go, but even worse is that they are going to have to give her dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat, but she is caught and forced to abandon him. She is devastated but clings to the hope t...

Welcome to Day #5 of the Impyrium Blog Tour! To celebrate the release of Imyprium  by Henry H. Neff (10/4/16), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Henry and 10 chances to win a SIGNED copy of Impyrium, as well as a  Grand Prize Giveaway ! From Ashes to Empire: Building IMPYRIUM by Henry H. Neff IMPYRIUM is a fantasy story set 3,000 years in the future, after an event called the Cataclysm fractured major landmasses and ushered in a new age. The world changed, and not just physically. The Cataclysm coincided with a war in which mankind fought for its survival, and I was curious how things might play out over time. What kind of civilization would emerge from the ashes of this great conflict? Fortunately, I had some tools to help me organize my thoughts and lay the groundwork for what would become IMPYRIUM. When I was a history teacher, I came across a term called S.P.R.I.T.E., which was a helpful way of thinking about a civilization or people ...

GNAWING AROUND Super Happy Party Bears #1 by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Steve James Imprint, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-250-09807-8 Early chapter book Ages 6-9 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The first book in a funny chapter book series filled with full color illustrations and adorable animals! To the Super Happy Party Bears, everything is a good thing. Their entire attitude can be summed up in one word: YAY! They love doughnuts, dancing, and above all else—a good party. Not so for the rest of the animals living in the Grumpy Woods. They find the bears terribly annoying. When a few beavers come to town, the Grumpy Woods are even grumpier than usual. These beavers are drying up their river with their dam . . . the beavers are ruining everything! They must leave—it is decreed! But the Super Happy Party Bears just love the beavers! As the Grumpy Woods scheme to unwelcome them, the Super Happy Party Bears throw them a housewa...

ATLAS OF ANIMAL ADVENTURES A collection of nature's most unmissable events, epic migrations, and extraordinary behaviors illustrated by Lucy Letherland, written by Rachel Williams and Emily Hawkins Wide Eyed Editions, 2016 ISBN: 9781847808417 Ages 9-12 Middle grade nonfiction Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the team behind the best-selling Atlas of Adventures. Head off on a journey of discovery, with this book that collects together nature’s most unmissable events from between the two poles, including epic migrations, extraordinary behaviors, and Herculean habits. Find hundreds of things to spot and learn new facts about every animal. REVIEW Wide-Eyed Editions has created a rather delightful atlas that works well for reading straight through or for just browsing.  Not only is the book crammed with fascinating information about various animals around the world, but the illustrator ...

RIP VAN WINKLE AND THE PUMPKIN LANTERN by Seth Adam Smith Self-published, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-9975111-6-1 Middle grade speculative (fantasy) Ages 9-12 Source: author for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Chased by a vengeful witch, hunted by an undead corpse, and guided by a secretive preacher, a boy must protect a magical lantern that can either save Boston . . . or destroy it. In October of 1730, young Rip Van Winkle sneaks into a graveyard and comes face-to-face with the ghost of William Blaxton, the first settler of Boston. Warning Rip that the city is in danger, Blaxton gives him a mysterious gift: a pumpkin lantern with power over life and death. Before fading into midnight, the ghost tells Rip to take the lantern to Feathertop, a mythical pumpkin-headed scarecrow. Pursued by Mistress Hibbins, a witch of terrifying power, and hunted by the nightmarish Midnight Minister, young Rip must rely on the aid of Jonathan Edwards, a stern a...

STANLEY'S COLORS by William Bee Peachtree Petite, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-56145-948-3 Ages 0-3 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Its another busy day for Stanley and friends. Stanley and Little Woo are learning about colors and vehicles. There's a red car, a yellow motorbike, and even a pink balloon! REVIEW Stanley is an adorable little hamster who actively travels around in his variously colored vehicles.  The colors are bright and appealing and sure to catch a youngster's eye.  The variety of vehicles provides another fun part of the story.  Stanley fixes his red car, delivers a flower in his orange truck, and loves riding his yellow motorcycle among other things.  There is much to talk about here with a young child providing an enjoyable reading experience that also helps children learn to start thinking and talking about what they read.  I loved the last page which shows all the di...

TOOK by Mary Downing Hahn Clarion Books, 2015 ISBN: 9780544551534 Middle grade horror/speculative (fantasy) Ages 9-12 Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK “Folks say Old Auntie takes a girl and keeps her fifty years—then lets her go and takes another one.”      Thirteen-year-old Daniel Anderson doesn’t believe Brody Mason’s crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster’s Hill with Bloody Bones, her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody’s probably just trying to scare him since he’s the new kid . . . a “stuck-up snot” from Connecticut. But Daniel’s seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong. Did the witch strike? Has Erica been “took”? REVIEW Mary Downing Hahn has become one of my go to authors for middle grade scary books.  I've found her books fit int...

  THE WISHING WORLD by Todd Fahnestock Starscape, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-7653-8588-8 Middle Grade Speculative (Fantasy) Ages 9-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In the Wishing World , dreams are real. You can transform into your own hero, find wild and whimsical friends, and wield power as great as your imagination. But Lorelei doesn't know about any of that. All she knows is that a monster took her family. It happened during a camping trip one year ago. Hiding inside the tent, she saw shadows, tentacles and a strange creature. By the time she got up the courage to crawl outside, the monster--and Lorelei's mom, dad, and brother--were gone. Lorelei is determined to find her family. When she accidentally breaks into the Wishing World, she discovers a way. It's a land more wonderful than she could have imagined, a land of talking griffons, water princesses, and cities made of sand, where Lorelei is a Doo...