Geo Librarian

THE AMELIA SIX by Kristin L. Gray Paula Wiseman Books, 2020 ISBN : 9781534418851 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade whodunit. Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford—Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address. Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her lu...

PREMEDITATED MYRTLE A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #1 by Elizabeth C. Bunce Algonquin Young Readers, 2020 To be released in October 2020 Source: ARC from publisher for review (Thank you!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor. REVIEW Myrtle Hardcastle...

INTO THE CLOUDS The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain by Todd Olson Scholastic FOCUS, 2020 ISBN: 9781338207361 Source: ARC from Blue Slip Media Ages 9-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A tale of survival and brotherhood atop one of the deadliest mountains on Earth. This fast-paced, three-part narrative takes readers on three expeditions over 15 years to K2, one of the deadliest mountains on Earth. Roped together, these teams of men face perilously high altitudes and battering storms in hopes of reaching the summit. As each expedition sets out, they carve new paths along icy slopes and unforgiving rock, creating camps on ledges so narrow they fear turning over in their sleep. But disaster strikes -- in 1939, four men never make it down the mountain. Fourteen years later, a man develops blood clots in his legs at 25,000 feet, leaving his team with no safe path off the mountain. Into the Clouds tells the stories of the men whose que...

THE DISASTER DAYS by Rebecca Behrens Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-4926-7331-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. It's a little disconnected from the outside world, but she's always felt completely safe there. Which is why when she's asked one day to babysit after school, she thinks it's no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class that she's pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn't even worried that she left her inhaler at home. Then the shaking begins. The terrifying earthquake only lasts four minutes but it changes everything, damaging the house, knocking out the power, and making cell service nonexistent. Even worse, the ferry and the bridge connecting the kids to help―and their parents―are both blocked. Which means they're stranded and alone... With Hannah in ...

INV ESTIGATO RS by John Patrick Green First Second, 2020 ISBN: 9781250219954 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK MANGO and BRASH are the INVESTIGATORS: sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T.* and scourge of supervillains everywhere! With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks—or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp? *Special Undercover Investigation Teams REVIEW In this amusing tale of mystery and mayhem, two alligators investigate the disappearance of a famous chef.  In the process they stumble across another crime involving the theft of a mysterious device called the Thingamabob.  Using secret passages through toilets and mustache disguises, Mango and Brash ...

DO N' T CHECK OUT THIS BOOK! by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise Algonquin Young Readers, 2020 ISBN: 9781616209766 Source: purchased A ges 9-12 All opinions expressed are s olely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal? Consider the facts: Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.) Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her. Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection. The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop. Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal. Don't miss this seedy saga from the creators of the award-winning Thre...

FIRE IN THE STAR The Unicorn Quest #3 by Kamilla Benko Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020 ISBN: 9781681192499 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK After a lifetime of being the younger sister--of letting Sophie fight her battles, of following her on countless Experiences and through a fireplace into a magical land--it's finally Claire Martinson's turn to lead. And she'll do anything to keep her big sister safe: resist the wraiths' cold shadows, experiment with new and dangerous magic, become a thief in disguise. When Claire discovers that "only a queen can defeat a queen," she knows she must steal and reforge the ancient Crown of Arden to stand a chance against the darkness that threatens the world and her family. Because Queen Estelle d'Astora, desperate to reclaim her power, will stop at nothing to gain the support of the four guilds--even if it means kill...

HOUNDSLEY AND CATINA AT THE LIBRARY by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay Candlewick Press, 2020 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9662-7 Source: purchased Ages 5-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's Saturday, and Houndsley, Catina, and their friend Bert are looking forward to their weekly visit to the library. But when the trio arrives, they find that Trixie, the librarian, seems different. She doesn't tell a joke or recommend a book like she always does. That's when the friends find out the news -- the library is closing! With Trixie retiring and enrolled in circus school, there's no one to take her place as head librarian . . . or is there? James Howe and Marie-Louise Gay have created another engaging tale about what it means to be a supportive friend and how it's never too late to learn something new. REVIEW In this delightful early reader about friendship and libraries, Houndsley, Catina, and Bert set off for the...

BREAKING THROUGH How Female Athletes Shattered Stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties by Sue Macy National Geographic Kids, 2020 ISBN: 9781426336768 Source: Media Masters Publicity Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Macy offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the journey of women's rights through the lens of women in sports during the pivotal decade of the 1920s. With elegant prose, poignant wit, and fascinating primary sources, Macy explores the many hurdles presented to female athletes as they stormed the field, stepped up to bat, and won the right to compete in sports. Featuring bold and talented heroines, this book documents how the social issues and morals of the decade--from politics to segregation to the media--helped shape the changing narratives around women and alter the course of history entirely. It is a fascinating window into a rich and seldom explored history, and also a topical reminder of the many disc...

FOX & RABBIT by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Gergely Dudas Amulet Books, 2020 ISBN: 9781419740770 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A graphic-novel series for emerging readers about the simple magic of true friendship Easy-going Fox and anxious Rabbit seem like total opposites. But, somehow, they make the perfect pair! Whether searching for hidden treasure or planting a garden in their own backyard, Fox and Rabbit find everyday magic at every turn. On this first adventure, the pair will discover some new favorite things like sunsets, dandelions, and cotton candy. And they’ll face new fears like heights, swimming, and (poisonous!) frogs. Thankfully, there’s nothing Fox and Rabbit can’t do together! REVIEW Fox and Rabbit enjoy doing many things together, such as looking at cloud shapes.  When one of those shapes turns out to be a chunk of cotton candy, it leads them to the local fair.  This begins ...