Geo Librarian

THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY WHISKERS by Gigi Priebe, illustrated by Daniel Duncan Aladdin, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4814-6574-8 Middle grade animal fantasy (speculative) Ages 9-12 Source: Blue Slip Media All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Henry Whiskers must face his fears and rescue his little sister from the scary Rat Alley in this fun, fast-paced debut chapter book set in Queen Mary’s historical dollhouse at Windsor Castle. Twenty-five generations of Whiskers have lived in Windsor Castle’s most famous exhibit: Queen Mary’s Dollhouse. For young, book-loving Henry Whiskers and his family, this is the perfect place to call home. But when the dollhouse undergoes unexpected repairs and Henry’s youngest sister, Isabel, goes missing, he risks everything in a whisker-whipping race against time to save her. His rescue mission will take him to the murky and scary world of Rat Alley, and Henry will have to dig deep and find the courage he never knew he had in orde...

UNFILTERED: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me by Lily Collins Harper, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-247301-1 Source: public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this groundbreaking debut essay collection, featuring never-before-seen photos, actress Lily Collins—star of Mortal Instruments and the upcoming Rules Don’t Apply —is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with: body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and so much more. For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something...

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A PIG IN A WIG by Emma J. Virjan Harper, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-06-232724-6 Ages 3-6 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK What this story needs is a pig in a wig, on a boat in a moat with a frog, a dog, and a goat on a log. . . . As a panda in a blouse, a skunk on a trunk, and more hop on board, it becomes clear that what this story really needs is a bigger boat! Join Pig on an exciting boat ride as she discovers that life is more fun with friends in this fantastic funny read-aloud with cumulative text from author-illustrator Emma J. Virján. REVIEW  "What this story needs is a pig.  A pig in a wig, on a boat..." And so begins this ode to the joys and chaos of friendship.  But beyond the obvious themes is something that makes this book perfect for librarians like myself to use in teaching lessons about story elements.  As the story begins, a main character is presented (the pig in a ...

GIRLING UP How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular by Mayim Bialik, PhD Philomel Books, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-399-54860-4 Source: public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory , puts her Ph.D. to work as she talks to teens about the science of growing up and getting ahead. A must-have book for all teenage girls. Growing up as a girl in today's world is no easy task. Juggling family, friends, romantic relationships, social interests and school sometimes it feels like you might need to be a superhero to get through it all! But really, all you need is little information. Want to know why your stomach does a flip-flop when you run into your crush in the hallway? Or how the food you put in your body now will affect you in the future? What about the best ways to stop freaking out about your next math test? Using scientific facts, personal anecdotes, and wisdom gained from the worl...

BONAPARTE FALLS APART by Margery Cuyler, illustrations by Will Terry Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017 ISBN:978-1-101-93768-6 Ages 4-8 Source:purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bonaparte is having a tough time. It's hard for this young skeleton to just hang loose when he can't keep hold of himself.  When he plays catch, his throwing arm literally takes a flyer. Eating lunch can be a real jaw-dropping occasion. How can he start school when he has so many screws loose? Luckily, Bonaparte hit the bone-anza when it came to his friends. Franky Stein, Black Widow, and Mummicula all have some boneheaded ideas to help pull him together. But will it be enough to boost his confidence and get him ready for the first day of school? REVIEW Bonaparte fears going to school when he is constantly losing body parts.  A valid fear when you are a skeleton.  Bonaparte's friends try to help him come up with a solution, but their...

A PROPERLY UNHAUNTED PLACE by William Alexander Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4814-6915-9 Middle grade speculative (fantasy) Ages 9-12 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Rosa Ramona Díaz has just moved to the small, un-haunted town of Ingot—the only ghost-free town in the world. She doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t understand how her mother—a librarian who specializes in ghost-appeasement—could possibly want to live in a place with no ghosts. Frankly, she doesn’t understand why anyone would. Jasper Chevalier has always lived in Ingot. His father plays a knight at the local Renaissance Festival, and his mother plays the queen. Jasper has never seen a ghost, and can’t imagine his un-haunted town any other way. Then an apparition thunders into the festival grounds and turns the quiet town upside down. Something otherworldly is about to be unleashed, and Rosa will need all her ghost appea...

THE LOST KINGDOM OF BAMARRE by Gail Carson Levine HarperCollins, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-207467-6 Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative (fantasy) Source: ARC from publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this compelling and thought-provoking fantasy set in the world of The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Newbery Honor-winning author Gail Carson Levine introduces a spirited heroine who must overcome deeply rooted prejudice—including her own—to heal her broken country. Peregrine strives to live up to the ideal of her people, the Latki—and to impress her parents: affectionate Lord Tove, who despises only the Bamarre, and stern Lady Klausine. Perry runs the fastest, speaks her mind, and doesn’t give much thought to the castle’s Bamarre servants, whom she knows to be weak and cowardly. But just as she’s about to join her father on the front lines, she is visited by the fairy Halina, who reveals that Perry isn’t Latki-born. She is Bamarre. ...

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE The Courageous Life of the Legendary Nurse by Catherine Reef Clarion Books, 2017 ISBN: 978-0-544-53580-0 Source: purchased Ages 12 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Most people know Florence Nightingale was a compassionate and legendary nurse, but they don’t know her full story. This riveting biography explores the exceptional life of a woman who defied the stifling conventions of Victorian society to pursue what was considered an undesirable vocation. She is best known for her work during the Crimean War, when she vastly improved gruesome and deadly conditions and made nightly rounds to visit patients, becoming known around the world as the Lady with the Lamp. Her tireless and inspiring work continued after the war, and her modern methods in nursing became the defining standards still used today. Includes notes, bibliography, and index . REVIEW  One of the things that I've always admired about biog...

INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS by Dusti Bowling Sterling Children's Books, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4549-2345-9 Middle grade contemporary Ages 9-12 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again. Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even w...

CREEPY PAIR OF UNDERWEAR by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017 ISBN: 9781442402980 Source: publisher for review Ages 5-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear . But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy . Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back! REVIEW There are some words that automatically elicit giggles from young children.  Underwear happens to be one of those words.  If you take a giggle-inducing word and combine it glow-in-the-dark green and a young rabbit who refuses to be 'little' ...