Archive for 2012

Dinosaurs

Written by Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris

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This is the kind of non-fiction book that boys (and girls) love. Lots of pictures, lots of facts in small bites, and all about a kid’s favorite subject: dinosaurs. Incorporating the latest scientific discoveries, this book attempts to organize the hundreds of known dinosaurs and what scientists have concluded about them. There is attention paid to recreating the time period in which the different species lived. Not only are there illustrations showing the plants and animals from the same time period, there are some prey/predator scenarios presented as well. » Read more

Miss Sally Anne and the Panther

Written by Bobbie Miller
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd

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Miss Sally Ann can rope a hurricane and tie it to her spinning wheel. She can knit in one hand and bake buttermilk bread with the other. But her biggest challenge is to face Fireeyes, a huge panther determined to have Miss Sally Ann’s bear skin coat for his aching shoulders. While she gathers onions for her stew, he comes eye to eye with her. » Read more

Escape From Mercy Hall

Written by Garth Edwards
Illustrated by Max Stasyuk

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The world behind the hedge is a strange one and three friends must adapt quickly to save themselves from kidnapping or worse. When Milly decides to run away from Mercy Hall, an abusive orphanage, George and Sam know they must help her. As they meet next to the hedge, it opens and three figures in hooded, orange robes grab her and drag her through the opening. George and Sam surprise the kidnappers and fight them off. Before they can go back, the hedge closes. » Read more

Bruno Mars

Written by Amie Jane Leavitt

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Songwriters often stay in the background, but Bruno Mars is becoming a celebrity on the strength of his performances, as well as his songwriting. His style is a blend of 50s and 60s ballad-storytelling with an up-to-date sound. Many artists love his songs and perform them. More and more, however, Bruno and his band record and premiere his songs, especially now that he has won numerous awards including a Grammy and a People’s Choice award. This biography shows that his rise to fame hasn’t been easy. » Read more

Bugs

Written by Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris

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Vivid and detailed close ups of bugs are part of the fascination for this creative look at the life of bugs. This is a great way to observe without having to gather the actual bugs and a good way to desensitize the squeamish. Many of the photos are at least one hundred times as large as the real creature, so the reader comes face to face – literally – with bug after bug. Several collections of many, many bugs within a group highlight the contrasts within the group. The authors first explore classification of invertebrates, the relative populations of those classifications, and the physical attributes of invertebrates. » Read more

Animal Helpers: Wildlife Rehabilitators

By Jennifer Keats Curtis

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The animal pictures in this book will win hearts, but the message is the important thing here. Most people try to help animals when they are hurt, but many cause more harm than good. If you find yourself in the company of an animal in need, call in the experts. Wildlife rehabilitators know how to best help hurt or abandoned animals and they can teach others the right way to do it, too. This photo-essay shows animal rehabilitators doing a variety of jobs: feeding orphan babies, helping animals that are trapped or tangled, even performing surgery. They train others to have the skills and knowledge to do the right things to help animals in need. The emphasis is on returning animals to the wild whenever possible, but animals living in zoos or education centers are mentioned. » Read more

Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities

Written by Mike Jung

Illustrated by Mike Maihack

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Welcome to Copperplate City, a world where superheroes are in every city and an alert system sends out city-wide texts when their local hero, Captain Stupendous, is on the job.Vincent Wu and his friends have organized the only serious Captain Stupendous fan club in town.  They have, like, an archive of material on him and all the other fan clubs are lame.  So they know something is wrong when Captain Stupendous is tricked by the latest super villain, Professor Mayhem and his indestructible robot. » Read more

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Written by Fay Robinson

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A visually stimulating guide to Chinese New Year that explains the history and the symbols of the holiday. The dragon parade is an important part of the celebration and many towns and cities have parades, but New York, Chicago and San Francisco are highlighted because their parades are quite large. Dragons symbolize good luck. The Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar calendar, celebrating the end of one planting season and the beginning of another. » Read more

Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy

Written by Bill Wise

Illustrated by Adam Gustavson

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I am a pushover for books about people who overcome challenges to achieve greatness. I also really love baseball. So I was intrigued to read Silent Star, which tells the story of a deaf major league baseball player named William “Dummy” Hoy. I found the book to be a fascinating glimpse at a little-known baseball player whose achievements will still impress today. » Read more

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