Archive for 2015

Alpha

Written and Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

While you might not have heard of the NATO Phonetic alphabet or the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet you have probably heard someone use it. The military members use it, as do emergency workers, airline pilots and sometimes even confused sales people on the other end of the phone.

C stands for Charlie and Z is Zulu. But it isn’t that easy to figure out in this book. On each left side page grade three readers will find one word with the first letter a different color than the rest of the word. The different colored letters help keep the alphabet in order and offer clues to the reader.

Some of the clues will still leave readers without much help due to their age. However, this does provide an introduction to a code used by emergency responders to clarify communication over radios and walkie-talkies of the past.

Librarians and teachers will want to use this book to fill a niche left open in the past. Normally, this alphabet is taught on a need to know basis for adults. But it is good for students to become familiar with something they will hear from time to time.

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  • AlphaTitle: Alpha
  • Author/Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 64 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7852-4
  • Genre: Non-Fiction
  • Grade level: 3 Up
  • Extras: The author’s note at the end of the book explains this emergency code.

Frank Einstein and the Brain Turbo

Written by Jon Scieszka
Illustrated by Brian Biggs

 

The third book in the Frank Einstein series is just as silly and just as wonderful as the first two. The names alone make the book worth reading, but the great illustrations also add to the mood. Lots of robots with interesting parts and diagrams of human body systems.

Frank Einstein, kid-genius, is flanked by robots Klink and Klank as he invents a machine to boost brain power for pitcher Janegoodall and the rest of the team, including Watson. Meanwhile, T. Edison and Mr. Chimp hatch an evil plot to foil them

Of course, the science should be taken with a grain of salt and used only as a jumping off place. The science of the plot sort of falls apart with the mind control aspect. And there are a few minor errors in the real science. (The muscles are biceps and triceps. These are singular words.) Kids may be inspired to work with the real science, though. The extras at the end add to the fun. Fourth graders, particularly, will strengthen their literacy skills with this hilarious gem.

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  • Frank EinsteinTitle: Frank Einstein and the Brain Turbo
  • Author: Jon Scieszka
  • Illustrator: Brian Biggs
  • Published: Amulet Books/Abrams, August 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, Science
  • ISBN: 978-1-4197-1643-0
  • Extras: Frank Einstein’s Human-Body Notes, Pitching with Janegoodall, Watson’s Inventor’s Corner, Bob and Mary Einstein’s Travelallovertheplace.com Travel Hot Spot, Klank’s Turing Test (jokes), Mr. Chimp’s Word Search, Mr. Chimp’s Alphabet (American Sign Language)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

In light of the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many books on the civil rights movement are being published. This book gives a personal face to the movement like no other. Set squarely in the events of the twentieth century, this is the story of one woman who had a profound effect on the world. The timeline is very helpful in letting the reader know what else is going on.

Fannie Lou Townsend was born to poor Mississippi sharecroppers in 1917, the last of twenty children. To say she had a rough childhood would be a severe understatement. She picked cotton alongside her family after suffering through polio. After her marriage to Pap Hamer, her doctor forced her sterilization, but she adopted two daughters. Partnering with white Freedom Riders, she learned of her right to vote and eventually ran for Congress. She was jailed and beaten into lingering injury. Any time she found herself at odds with a group seeking to give her limited help, she moved on to a more helpful group. The Democrats would not seat her group at convention, so she helped form a separate party. She also worked for women’s rights and for early education.

Weatherford’s use of language is striking, lyrical, and completely appropriate for the topic. Holmes’ use of collage for the backdrop adds immeasurably to the feel of the text and often lets the reader know about many of the events happening around Fannie Lou. Fourth graders will learn about literature, civil rights, history, and the biography of an individual. Parents and teachers may want to consider reading the text aloud to facilitate discussion.

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  • Fannie Lou HamerTitle: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
  • Illustrator: Ekua Holmes
  • Published: Candlewick Press, August 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 56 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 7
  • Genre: Nonfiction, History, Civil rights
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6531-9
  • Extras: Author’s note, detailed timeline, source notes, selected bibliography, copyright acknowledgements

Stella by Starlight

Written by Sharon M. Draper

Inspired by her grandmother’s diary, Draper relates the realistic tale of Southern black family during the Depression. The author dives right in with a cross being burned near Stella’s home on page one. The eleven-year-old does well in school, except for a continuing struggle with her writing. She has great ideas. She just can’t seem to get them on paper. So she goes to the barn at night to practice. When the Klan becomes more active and the weather turns colder, her parents plead with her to stay indoors. The year is 1932, and Stella’s father is determined to vote in the general election. He takes Stella with him when he registers to vote, and she sees the bravery he and two other men must show in order to get registered. The family faces many other battles as Stella’s brother suffers through the flu and Stella’s mother is bitten by a poisonous snake. The black doctor is unavailable and the white doctor refuses to treat her. The Klan burns the house of one of the men who also registered to vote. A man with thirteen children. Stella is a heroine when she finds the hiding place of one of the younger children, frightened by the fire. She also witnesses white men beat up her friend for no reason and saves the life of the daughter of the white doctor.

This exciting book will give fourth graders a good feel for both the Depression and the consequences of discrimination. Stella is a wonderful, though not perfect, child who everyone will identify with. Highly recommended.

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  • StellaTitle: Stella by Starlight
  • Author: Sharon M. Draper
  • Published: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 8
  • Genre: Fiction, History, Civil rights
  • ISBN: 978-1-4424-9497-8

 

The Way to Stay in Destiny

Written by Augusta Scattergood

When Theo and Uncle Raymond arrive in Destiny, Florida, the sign says it is, The Town Time Forgot, and the weather is ridiculously hot. As they walk down the street looking for their rooming house, uncle has a big tool box and Theo has a lot of questions he keeps to himself. Only chapters later do we find out why they are together in this small town.

Theo was being raised by his grandparents after the death of his parents, but now the grandparents have died. An uncle Theo has never known is called home from his cabin in Alaska to raise the orphan.

Theo is a gifted pianist, but Uncle Raymond cannot tolerate the sound or thought of music. His attitude is a mystery for a long time, as are his nightmares. This is an interesting twist on the age-old story pattern of deceased parents.

The new friendships Theo makes both in school and the rooming house are really funny girls with very independent outlooks on life. They are great secondary characters.

The heroine of the story, though, is a surprise readers will enjoy. She brings humor, guidance and second chances for everyone. The story has a bit of a slow start, but the coming together of all the threads makes for a satisfying conclusion.

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  • Title: The Way to Stay in Destiny
  • Author:  Augusta Scattergood
  • Publisher: Scholastic, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 197 pages
  • ISBN: 0545538246
  • Genre: Fiction
  • Grade level: 4 to 6

The Madman of Piney Woods

Written by Christopher Paul Curtis

Piney Woods is the neighborhood of Elijah of Buxton, and it is wonderful to be invited back there again. The older folks in the town used tales of the madman of the woods to scare the children into behaving and staying out of the woods.

Then the same idea occurs to some of the older children. To make sure the little ones stay scared, they occasionally wear hoods over their heads and howl after dark. They just have to really careful to make sure the parents and grandparents don’t catch on to what they are up to, cause, boy oh boy that would be trouble.

Benji and Red have many adventures, and grow through them all. Christopher Paul Curtis continues to enthrall fifth grade readers as well as sixth grade readers and beyond with all the various things that can happen in the woods. Just as some are terribly terrifying, others are completely hilarious. Often within mere pages of each other.

While this is a historical fiction and will fulfill standards in literacy, it will also fulfill standards in history as it is a carefully researched novel that clearly portrays Irish immigration in Canada in early 1900. Librarians and teachers will want to include this companion novel in their collections right next to the Newberry Honor Book about Elijah of Buxton.

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  • Madman of Piney WoodsTitle: The Madman of Piney Woods
  • Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 364 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-545-15664-6
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Grade level: 4 to 6

 

A Handful of Stars

Written by Cynthia Lord

In this heartwarming and fun story, Lord’s characters ring true to life, informing development without hitting kids over the head with what they’re learning.

Lily lives in wild blueberry country, also known as Maine. She works hard, helping her Mémère and Pépère (grandmother and grandfather) run the only grocery in a small town. As the wild blueberry harvest progresses and the blueberry festival approach, Lily worries about her dog, who is going blind.  Two elements of blueberry growth that figure in the story are the migrants who work the harvest and the mason bees that pollinate the bushes. The new – very good – friend Lily makes is a migrant named Salma. Lily gets Salma started painting bee houses, the blocks of wood in whose holes the bees live. Lily plans to use the cash from selling the houses to help her dog. Meanwhile, Lily is dealing with her changing relationship with her best friend, Hannah, and with missing her dead mother. Hannah is the defending Blueberry Queen, Lily’s mother won the crown three years running, and Salma wants to enter the contest. So her emotions are extremely conflicted.

Lord packs a lot into this story. Fourth graders will find a lot to relate to regarding friendship and differences (and similarities) in culture. They will learn about the history of blueberries plus a bit about both Latino migrants and French Canadians. And they will also learn about helping their pets and mason bees. As with Rules, Lord handles all these issues with great sensitivity.

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  • Handful of StarsTitle: A Handful of Stars
  • Author: Cynthia Lord
  • Published: Scholastic Press, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, culture, friendship, pets
  • ISBN: 978-0-454-70029-0

 

 

Rescue on the Oregon Trail

Written by Kate Messner
Illustrated by Kelley McMorris

Dogs are always a great way to interest young readers in a story, maybe this dog can help interest them in history. In this new series by Kate Messner, Ranger is the dog who travels in time.  The first adventure takes Ranger and his readers on the Oregon Trail. Amid the dangers of rattlesnakes and flooding streams, readers also get an authentic feeling for the endless days of walking beside the wagon. It was hard to realize that friends, family and everything you have ever known is getting farther and farther behind you.  Meantime up ahead is land, weather and people you know nothing about. There is hope, but no sure things ahead nor on the trail.

The portal that allows for Ranger’s travel abilities is a metal first aid box that seems to hum and vibrate when a trip is about to begin. While a grown up reader might question the red cross on the metal box, young readers will suspend their disbelief and set off on the next adventure.

Full page illustrations are full of action as well as historically accurate.

Kate Messner makes the characters real. They feel like friends you have known for a long time before the story ends.

Historical fiction, even with a touch of time travel, can help teachers and librarians meet the standards of the core curriculum in geography, American history, cultural beliefs, literacy and math. This story includes a fascinating explanation of how people used to measure the distance traveled during a day on the wagon trail. Parents might want to read this book aloud to children before taking a vacation to a place related to the Oregon Trail, or just to enjoy a good story together chapter by chapter.

Readers will enjoy collecting this new series and taking other trips with Ranger. His next adventure will take him to ancient Rome.

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  • Rescue on the Oregon TrailTitle: Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail
  • Author: Kate Messner
  • Illustrator: Kelley McMorris
  • Publisher: Scholastic, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Paperback, 125 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-545-63914-9
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Grade level 4
  • Extras: An extensive author note that explains Kate Messner’s research, shows a picture of a diary written by a traveler on the Oregon Trail and describes how the author got some ideas for characters.  Further Reading list, Sources

Fluffy Bunnies 2: The Schoz of Doom

Written by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by Dan Santat

Evil bunnies from outer space attack Earth … again!  That pretty well sums it up. Of course, the bunnies can’t just run rampant, so there must be humans who try to stop them. But how?

As usual, Dan Santat captures the action of the Foofs (Fluffy, Obnoxious, Odoriferous Furballs) and of twins Kevin and Joules as they protect the world from the fluffies. This book is part graphic novel and part charts of the characteristics of Birds and Others (birds being anything – at all – that flies). With the help of the Lunch Lady, will the twins prevail?

The main themes of this tale are stink and goo, so fourth graders, especially boys, will love it from page one. It will hold their interest and further their literacy skills. Very silly and highly recommended.

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  • Fluffy BunniesTitle: Fluffy Bunnies 2: The Schnoz of Doom
  • Author: Andrea Beaty
  • Illustrator: Dan Santat
  • Publisher: Amulet Books/Abrams, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 6
  • Genre: Fiction, humor, fluffy bunnies
  • ISBN: 978-1-4197-1051-3

 

The Terrible Two

Written by Mac Barnett and Jory John
Illustrated by Kevin Cornell

When Miles Murphy has to move from his home to an area with a lot of cows, it almost seems like the end of the world. If it weren’t for his pranks, it would be even worse. Then he finds out his new school already has a resident prankster, Niles. Let the prank war begin! Of course, Miles needs to figure out who the other prankster is. And he needs to come to terms with the idea that he might have to work with someone else. Miles invents a whole person, Cody, and has the entire school convinced of his existence. Cody figures prominently in the biggest prank of all. As do cows. The principal and his son are just terrible enough to deserve whatever they get.

This fun and frolicking book will hold the attention of fourth graders, especially boys. The occasional cow facts should help increase comprehension and literacy. The clever pranks will have readers guessing what comes next and challenge them to make up their own endings. The book comes complete with a certificate from the International Order of Disorder and a Terrible Two mug in an oversized milk carton.

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  • Terrible TwoTitle: The Terrible Two
  • Author: Mac Barnett and Jory John
  • Illustrator: Kevin Cornell
  • Publisher: Amulet Books/Abrams, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
  • Genre: Humor, friendship, pranks, cows
  • ISBN: 978-1-4197-1491-7
  • Extras: Website at www.abramsbooks.com/theterribletwo
  • Release date: January 13, 2015
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