Archive for Contemporary

Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities

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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

Posted in 2012, Contemporary, Fiction, Humor, Novels

Hidden in the Midden

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Written by Martha S. Campbell

Illustrated by Chad Wallace

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When I was in high school, a friend gave me a sticker that said, “Neat people never make the exciting kinds of discoveries I do.”She knew me well. In the book, Hidden in the Midden, author Martha S. Campbell helps readers get to know the real live pack rats of the animal world, too. » Read more

Posted in 2010, Contemporary, Nature, Nonfiction, Science

Celebrating Chinese New Year

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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

Posted in 2012, Contemporary, Nonfiction

Tides

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Written by Carolyn Ford

Illustrated by Marnie Webster

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Tides, by Carolyn Ford, is a simple, straightforward book about tides—what they are, what causes them, and what happens when all
that water rises and falls each day around the world. With seven pages of main text, the actual information provided is spare. However, Tides would be a good way to introduce readers in the fourth grade or younger to some of the basic concepts having to do with this powerful, important natural phenomenon. Using it as a read-aloud book would allow for discussion of questions about some of the concepts presented. » Read more

Posted in 2010, Contemporary, Nature, Nonfiction, Science

Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy

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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

Posted in 2012, Contemporary, Sports

Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals

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Written by Damien Laverdunt
Illustrated by Hélène Rajcak

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This is an enticing mix of mythology and science to tell the history of many animals world-wide that are now extinct. Some of the animals died because of the encroachment of man, but for others there may be many reasons for their extinction. Weather, food and predators all play a part in the life and death of these animals. The book is divided by continents, with a map spread out over two-pages showing exactly where the natural habitats of these animals were. There are basic facts about their size, what they probably ate, where they lived and approximately when they became extinct. » Read more

Posted in 2012, Contemporary, Fantasy, History, Nature, Science
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