BookPushinCats

Abbott, Tony. Summer Of Owen Todd.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 02:02:00 +0000

Abbott, Tony. Summer Of Owen Todd. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss 2017 217p $17.99 ISBN 978-0-374-30550-5 elem/ms Realistic Fiction VG-BN

Owen and Sean have been best friends forever and are looking forward to the end of their sixth-grade year and a summer of freedom. But Sean’s mother hires a twenty-something-year-old EMT and church friend named Paul to be Sean’s baby-sitter for the summer because Sean is a diabetic. When Sean confides in Owen that Paul has been doing things to him that just don’t feel right and are sexual in nature, he makes Owen promise not to tell another soul.

This well-written novel describes the abuse of an adolescent by an adult. While the plot is unsettling and includes painful themes, it is handled in a sensitive and delicate manner. While the scenes are not at all graphic, they are disturbing.

Despite the difficult content of the novel, Tony Abbott has interwoven the themes of friendship, the beautiful Cape Cod setting, family, and friends throughout it. Additionally, the story is told from the perspective of the friend and not the victim, and (spoiler alert), a true friend doing the right thing as a true friend should. The pain and fear that Owen experiences are also convincingly described from the point of view of a child that age.

Responsibly, Abbott has also supplied resources for readers experiencing abuse or those who may know someone in that situation. He advises adolescents with questions to seek advice from parents and counselors as well as other recommended resources. However, this information is provided in the author’s note, and maybe it would have been better if it had been included directly at the end of the story.

The novel is recommended for any upper-elementary or middle-school library. It describes the unfortunate abuse of a child in an empathetic manner, and is a story that demands discussion.

Summary: Owen and Sean have been best friends forever, and when Sean tells Owen, and no one else, what his baby-sitter is doing to him, he makes Owen promise not to tell anyone else. The baby-sitter is a twenty-something-year-old hired by his mother because Sean is a diabetic.

Child abuse - Fiction --Virginia McGarvey

Anderson, M.T. Landscape With Invisible Hand.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 02:01:00 +0000

Anderson, M.T. Landscape With Invisible Hand. Candlewick Press 2017 149p $16.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-8789-2 hs Science Fiction E

Adam Costello has come up with a plan to survive the alien invasion. The vuvv, an advanced, uber-capitalistic civilization that has landed on Earth, has allied itself with Earth’s wealthiest citizens, who live in luscious and luxurious sky homes. Meanwhile, back on the ground, technology and automation have created a planet where jobs are scarce, diseases run rampant, and the environment has been severely compromised.

When Adam’s father runs away, his mother, unable to find work, rents part of their home to boarders, and thus begins the romance between teens Adam and Chloe. The vuvv has a weakness for old-school American art, customs, and culture, including 1950’s TV. Adam and Chloe become reality TV stars by allowing the vuvv to watch their relationship 24/7, a relationship based on '50’s-style customs and dating. Adam and Chloe are a huge financial hit, but they grow to hate one another, and are sued for breach of contract and fraud.

Adam’s next plan involves his art. He is extraordinarily talented, and he enters a contest that could bring him fame and fortune, or at least a bit of financial security. But, while the vuvv adore his landscapes of a long-ago Earth, he prefers his works that realistically portray the actual hideousness of his world. Should he be true to his art, or to the vuvv?

M. T. Anderson is the master of satire involving technology, automation, and those left behind. His humor is wry and his hero is the perfect foil for this cautionary tale, which will result in both laughter and reflection.

Short science-fiction books are hard to come by. Yet, despite its brevity, this novel requires of the reader a certain level of sophistication and appreciation of satire in order to be enjoyed.

Summary: In the future, an alien race, the vuvv, colonizes Earth, promising an end to drudgery and disease. Yet for Adam Costello and most humans, the reality brings sickness, joblessness, and poverty.

Aliens-Fiction --Lisa Teixeira

Bartok, Mira. Wonderling.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:59:00 +0000

Bartok, Mira. Wonderling. Candlewick Press 2017 450p $21.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9121-9 ms/hs Fantasy VG-BN

Number 13 is a groundling, part human, part animal, and an inhabitant of Miss Carbunkle’s Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an orphanage that houses those who have nowhere else to live. The groundlings are forced to work in the classroom learning only what suits Miss Carbunkle, and then in the factory, making widgets for hours. It is not until the fox-like Number 13 saves a newcomer, a bird named Trinket, that he gets what he desperately lacks, a friend and a name of his own. Now known as Arthur, he and Trinket manage to escape into the wider world and search for Arthur’s true gift, that of family and song. This book is a combination of the travails of David Copperfield and a tale of magic. It is an engaging suspenseful, well-written fantasy with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot. This solidly written fantasy will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end.

This solidly written fantasy will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end.

Summary: Number 13 is a groundling, part human, part animal, and an inhabitant of Miss Carbunkle’s Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an orphanage that houses those poor beings who have nowhere else to live. This book is a combination of David Copperfield and a tale of magic.

Orphans-Fiction --Susan Ogintz

Berne, Emma Carlson. Face of Freedom: How the Photos of Frederick Douglass ...

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:58:00 +0000

Berne, Emma Carlson. Face of Freedom: How the Photos of Frederick Douglass ... Capstone Publishers 2018 64p $34.65 ISBN 978-0-7565-5617-4 ms Nonfiction Series: Captured History E-BNS

This is an excellent book for middle-school kids and older ones who are interested in the history of photography and the ways in which photography brings history alive. In the case of Frederick Douglass, one learns that he was the most photographed American of the 19th century ... more photographed than even President Lincoln! Douglass himself understood the important role that photography played in conveying the dignity and humanity of a person. Prior to the development of this technology, African Americans were only depicted in a caricatured fashion, in degrading cartoons and drawings. But with the advent of photography, a person’s full humanity could be easily conveyed in one picture. Douglass made sure that all his photographs were done to portray his dignity and intelligence, and he was very much aware of the role that they played in conveying his message of Black equality.

In addition to providing food for thought about the role of photography in the fight for abolition and equality, this title also teaches the reader a lot about the life and times of Douglass, and his strong personality and ambition as a leader.

The book is fairly easy to read but is appropriate for kids in grades 4 through high school, with wonderful photographs and plenty of white space, which is attractive to the eye. It includes a timeline, a good glossary, lists of additional resources, and an index. Recommended for public collections and those serving kids from fourth grade through high school.

Summary: This is an excellent book for middle-school kids and older ones who are interested in the history of photography and the ways in which photography brings history alive.

Slaves-Biography --Carol L. Kennedy

Best, Cari. In the Country of Queens.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:57:00 +0000

Best, Cari. In the Country of Queens. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss 2017 211p $16.99 ISBN 978-0-374-37052-7 elem/ms Realistic Fiction VG

Eleven-year-old Shirley has never been able to speak up for herself. Not to her mother, described as being such a force that Shirley calls her Hurricane Anna, nor to her teacher, who has falsely accused her of plagiarism. One day, Shirley finds out that her father is not really “in absentia” but dead. Since she has always been shy and sensitive, and Anna has always been so controlling, she understands why she hasn’t been told the truth, and she vows to change. With the help of her friends, grandmother, cousin Phillie, and her storybook heroine Pippi Longstocking, she finds the courage to use her voice.

This is a well-written coming-of-age novel that will appeal to adolescents, especially those who experience shyness. It is the story of Shirley’s self-discovery and determination to make changes. The plot is fun and engaging, and readers will root for Shirley on her quest to change herself. The story is set in the 1960’s, and it accurately references the items, culture, and events of that time period. This book is recommended for any elementary or middle-school library and will appeal to adolescents.

Summary: Eleven-year-old Shirley has never spoken up for herself -- to her mother Hurricane Anna, to her teacher, or to anyone -- about her dreams, and she decides over the summer before junior high to find her voice.

Coming of Age-Fiction --Virginia McGarvey

Brown, James. A World of Information.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:55:00 +0000

Brown, James. A World of Information. Candlewick Press 2017 63p $25.00 ISBN 978-0-7636-9348-0 all ages Nonfiction VG-BN

This is an oversized collection of useful facts and trivia. Each of thirty double-paged spreads presents a specific topic, including the anatomy of a bicycle, different types of knots, polygons, the Fibonacci Sequence, and musical notations, and the standardizations of paper sizes. Each section is displayed in a monochromatic color scheme, with eye-catching graphics and photographs and fascinating facts. The excellent page layout and choices of typefaces and colors enhance the offered information. While the book presents, by necessity, a cursory overview of fascinating information, it is sure to whet the interest of its readers for more material. Highly recommended for all libraries.

Information --Susan Ogintz

Cameron, Sharon. The Knowing.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:52:00 +0000

Cameron, Sharon. The Knowing. Scholastic Press 2017 435p $18.99 ISBN 978-0-545-94524-0 ms/hs Science Fiction. E-BN

Sometimes the elements of storytelling come together in such a fashion that the reader is propelled forward through the pages of a novel. Sometimes the characters are charismatic and so well-developed that they are in control of a story, and the reader is just along for the ride. In this novel both of the above characteristics are present, and the reader will appreciate the journey taken by young Beckett to find the lost city of Canaan on a planet far from Earth. When he meets Samara, the two spark a relationship that is as unique as they come. Samara is one of the Knowing, a group of descendants of previous travelers into space who set themselves apart from others in the Underneath, keeping secret the trait that separates her from typical humans. Samara can scan her mind for memories, both painful and joyful, and can even remember information scanned from books. Samara has been climbing up to the Outside where she uses her skills to help wherever possible, since the Outsiders are not part of the Knowing, and it is there that she meets Beckett. Both Beckett and Samara grow to distrust people whom they previously trusted, and as the plot thickens, it becomes detrimental to both that they have broken the rules of their civilizations. Beckett interferes in a colony when he is supposedly there to learn. Samara interferes by choosing to forget, thus exposing her colony to dangers from the outside. The paradox? If Samara achieves her goal of forgetting events like the pain of her brother’s death and the role she played in her friend Nita’s death, will she also forget her love for Beckett? If Beckett achieves his goal of breaking into the Underneath with a potion that will make all of the Knowing forget, will the colony then be overrun by the commander of the space ship and her followers and returned to Earth, where they will be virtual slaves? The drama unfolds, the climax is exciting, and the falling action wraps up a nearly perfect book. Sharon Cameron shows herself to aptly provide fresh new voices in futuristic scenarios that are believable yet unbelievable at the same time. Her use of technology is remarkable, as are her imaginative ideas about what could happen in the future. Middle-school and high-school libraries have to stock copies of this novel, as well as its companion novel, The Forgetting. Stand-alone novels they are, yet readers who love Cameron’s writing style will want to dive into another quickly.

Summary: In a settlement called Canaan, Sam is one of the Knowing, a group who has moved underground, believing itself to be special because members never forget anything. She respects her skills but rebels. Beckett is on an expedition from Earth to find the lost colony established years earlier. He violates every rule about remaining uninvolved, and together, Sam and Beckett try to save the Knowing and the Outsiders.

Science Fiction --Martha Squaresky

Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:50:00 +0000

Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo. Candlewick Press 2017 421p $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9164-6 hs/adult Mysery/Suspense E-BN

Zara knows she is meant to be on stage. In her senior year of high school, she lands the leading role of Echo in the off-Broadway Greek tragedy Echo and Ariston. The writing is exquisitely filled with imagery of the theater, from the soft folds and smell of the curtain to the cluttered prop storage rooms, from the sparse costume design rooms to the dark spaces in the catwalks. Her first trip inside the theater finds her with a dead body on her hands and the curse of the Aurelia seems to be coming to life -- three deaths will occur before opening night. The lecherous director intimidates her, and the lead actor, a famous teen star portraying Ariston, is himself a puzzle. She finds herself falling in love, not with Ariston, but with Eli, the lighting director. Her confidence soon fades as she wonders if she is in over her head, with her life possibly in danger. The taut suspense waiting for the next death and the clues to the identity of the real killer will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last few pages. For any fan of theater, this book will have special appeal. Relationships among the actors and those behind the scenes complicate both the love story and the mystery. For any mystery or theater lover, this is a must read. Riveting reading.

A must-purchase for high-school libraries, especially where theater has a strong presence. For mystery lovers, the twists and turns will surprise even the most veteran sleuth of a reader.

Summary: Zara lands a leading part in an off-Broadway Greek tragedy and her confidence diminishes under the tutelage of a harsh lecher of a director. The curse of the Aurelia Theater comes to life as people die. Outstanding imagery, taut suspense. Gr 9+

Romance-Fiction, Theater-Fiction --Lois McNicol

Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Kristallnacht.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:48:00 +0000

Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Kristallnacht. Capstone/Compass Point 2018 112p $35.99 ISBN 978-0-7565-5583-2 ms Nonfiction VG-BNS series: Eyewitness To World War II

Middle-school students who are interested in learning more about Kristallnacht and the beginnings of the Holocaust will appreciate this new title in the Eyewitness to World War II series. The book is written in a story-like fashion with personal quotations and primary sources, and students will gain a better understanding of Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass". When German Jews were blamed for Germany’s problems, Hitler and the Nazi Party encouraged their private army, known as the Sturmabteilungen or SA, to destroy Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. Students read first-hand the devastation this event caused Jews, with more than 8,000 Jewish-owned homes, businesses, and schools destroyed by fire and total destruction and more than 30,000 Jews sent to concentration camps. The author provides readers with insights into Hitler and his power, as well as the conditions in the concentration camps -- the deaths, the discrimination against Jews, and what occurred in the aftermath of Kristallnacht. Students will empathize with Jews, as these death camps murdered more than six million Jews, or two-thirds of the Jews living in Europe in 1939.

The author includes black-and-white period photographs, personal quotations, maps, primary sources, interesting sidebars, a timeline of events, a glossary of terms, a list of recommended books and websites, critical thinking questions, source notes, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index. The title would make an excellent addition to a middle-school collection for both reading and history reports.

Summary: “Recounts the events surrounding the November 1938 attacks in which Nazi troops in Germany and Austria destroyed more than eight thousand Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, beginning the Nazi's persecution of the Jews.”

Holocaust, World War II, Kristallnacht, 1938

--Charleen Forba-MacCain

Gourley, Catherine, ed. Journeys: Young Readers’ Letters to Authors Who Changed Their Lives.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:46:00 +0000

Gourley, Catherine, ed. Journeys: Young Readers’ Letters to Authors Who Changed Their Lives. Candlewick Press 2017 226p $9.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9578-1 ms/hs Letters E-BN

This fabulous book is a compilation of letters written by elementary, middle,and high-school students to authors, both living and deceased. The letters express the ways in which these individual authors’ books touched the students in a profound personal manner.

The book is divided into three parts: elementary, middle, and high-school literature and letters. The three parts are then further separated into chapters that each relate to one primary literary theme. Each letter is prefaced by a quotation by the author of the book being addressed in the letter, a brief description of the author’s intent in writing the book, and a brief summary. Each letter expresses the ways in which the student was profoundly affected by the book and the difference the book made in his or her life. The organization is consistent and effective. All genres of fiction are represented, as well as nonfiction literature including poetry and graphic nonfiction.

This book is appropriate for readers ten years of age and above, and it will appeal to readers for various reasons. It is truly an inspiration for those who love reading, as well as for reluctant readers. It is also recommended for teaching professionals and could definitely be used in lessons as a mentor text. It is highly recommended as a basic book for all libraries to own.

Literature, Letters --Virginia McGarvey

Hackett, Jennifer. Game Design (Behind the Scenes).

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:45:00 +0000

Hackett, Jennifer. Game Design (Behind the Scenes). Scholastic/ Childrens Press 2018 48p $31.00 ISBN 978-0-531-23503-4 elem Nonfiction VG-BNS series: A True Book.

Beginning with a timeline of game development and moving into the earliest of electronic games and controllers, the author goes on to discuss the different types of computer-based gaming, the process of designing a video game, and the changes that cutting-edge technology will bring to this industry. She describes the steps necessary to design a game: setting the scene, developing characters, making a storyboard, and creating a script. She then explains 3-D modeling and virtual-reality settings. The descriptive text is crisply written and enhanced by excellent, well-captioned photographs of both males and females, and it will appeal to young readers. It begins with a mini quiz and ends with a page of “true” statistics, a bibliography of books and web sites, a glossary, and an index. Highly recommended for elementary and middle-school libraries.

Summary: Beginning with a timeline of game development and moving into the earliest of electronic games and controllers, the author goes on to discuss the different types of computer-based gaming, the process of designing a video game, and the changes that cutting-edge technology will bring to this industry.

Computers, Game Design --Susan Ogintz

Hautman, Pete. Slider.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:43:00 +0000

Hautman, Pete. Slider. Candlewick Press 2017 278p $16.99 978-0-7636-9070-0 ms/jr Realistic Fiction E-BN

David Miller can eat. He’s an average kid, but has a special talent -- despite his small size, he can put away an entire pizza himself in less than four minutes. He is in awe of other food champions, which leads him to steal his mother’s credit card to purchase the half-eaten hot dog of one of his food-contest idols, Jooky Garafalo. But, he mixes up his decimal points, and ends up bidding $2,000 instead of $2 on his winning bid. Along with his sidekicks, Cyn and Heyman, he concocts a plan to earn back the money: he will follow in the footsteps of his heroes and enter food-eating contests.

David must train if he is to beat his competition, and so he eats heads of cabbages, entire pizzas, and bags full of hamburgers. His training is complicated by his caring for his brother Mal who is autistic, but for whom that label is forbidden in the Miller home, plus the normal problems confronting 12-year-old boys on the brink of adolescence.

Pete Hautman tells David's hilarious story in the first-person voice. Despite the larger-than-life characters and implausible plot, the story rings true because of David’s family, friendships, and voice. This is a hysterically funny book for middle-school and junior-high students.

Summary: After “borrowing” his mother’s credit card and making a $2,000 mistake, David Miller enters food-eating contests to earn back the money he owes her before she learns the truth.

Humor-Fiction --Lisa Teixeira

Hinds, Gareth. Poe: Stories and Poems.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:42:00 +0000

Hinds, Gareth. Poe: Stories and Poems. Candlewick Press 2017 103p $14.00 ISBN 978-0-7636-9509-5 ms/hs Graphic Novel E-BN

This graphic novel perfectly captures the mood of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and poems. The art work is sometimes dark as befits the themes of Poe’s works, but it is interspersed with pages of bright, vibrant colors that reflect the setting and the human emotions of the characters perfectly. The four stories are "The Cask of Amontillado", "Masque of the Red Death", "The Pit and the Pendulum", and "The Tell-Tale Heart". There are three poems: "The Bells", "The Raven", and "Annabelle Lee". Addendum pages give a history of Poe’s work, a brief biography, and inspiration for the artist’s renditions of Poe’s work. This is a visual treat and a great introduction to Edgar Allan Poe. It is a first choice for libraries that need a visual representation of Edgar Allan Poe’s works.

Summary: Illustrations in this graphic novel perfectly capture the story/poem’s mood as well as human emotions in this vibrant presentation of four short stories and three poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Addendum includes inspiration for art. Gr. 6-12

Poe, Edgar Allen --Lois McNicol

Holbrook, Sara. The Enemy.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:41:00 +0000

Holbrook, Sara. The Enemy. Calkins Creek 2017 256p $17.95 ISBN 978-1-62979-498-3 ms/hs Historical Fiction E-BN

It is 1953, and Marjorie is a 12-year-old girl living in Detroit with her father, a shell-shocked veteran of World War Two, her college-educated mother, her little sister, and Frank, a teenager who lost his father in the war. At school, she experiences air-raid drills, hears talk about the Cold War, and learns from her girlfriends that all Germans are Nazis and that girls cannot become doctors. The era of the 50s is invoked on every page, and I found only two anachronisms: toward the end of the book, one girl says to another “It isn’t about you,” which nobody said back in the 1950s. The other anachronism is Marjorie’s mother telling her daughter “Breathe”. Nobody said that back in the 1950s either.

However, in general, the era is very faithfully portrayed, and the fear of the times is strongly invoked: fear of Communism, the Bomb, subversive literature, and independent thought.

Marjorie is a believable protagonist, as are the other characters. They are all flawed human beings, but in most cases they are doing their best to move on after the trauma of the war to make better lives for themselves. The author has extensive notes at the end of the book, describing her own childhood in Detroit and discussing her inspiration for the story.

This is a great realistic and historical novel for those readers who enjoy the genre. Recommended for middle- and high-school collections.

Summary: In this novel, which takes place in the early 1950s, Marjorie lives in Detroit with her family and struggles to make up her mind about all the things she sees around her ... censorship, McCarthyism, and xenophobia in the wake of the second world war.

Cold War-Fiction --Carol Kennedy

Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:39:00 +0000

Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me. Candlewick Press 2017 371p $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9162-2 ms/hs Fantasy VG-BN

Joe dies; Erin’s family moves into his home after his family sadly departs. When Erin finds Joe’s poetry written on his bedroom wall, Joe appears as a ghost and the two fall for each other. Olly, Joe’s brother, meets Erin and pursues her, much to Joe’s dismay. The twist? Olly does not know that Erin has a relationship with his dead brother. This book must be savored for many reasons. First, the relationship between Joe and Erin raises thought-provoking ideas for the reader about possibilities of life after death. When Joe returns to his home after his tragic death (the reader does not know how he died until the falling action), he discovers a new family has moved into his home. Erin, an equally tragic protagonist, accepts his attentions because she needs someone who needs her. She comes from tragedy herself, first, as a bullied young teen, and next, as a suicide survivor. She and Joe fall for one another. For a while, the plot becomes predictable, yet it is never boring! Yes, Erin meets Olly, Joe’s brother, at school and falls for him, all the while professing her love for Joe. Yes, Olly is looking for something unique because before Joe’s death, his larger-than-life personality and his extreme good looks only attracted girls who wanted him superficially. Now a changed man, he wants and needs depth. Erin is different, attractive and secretive, and Olly pursues her. Meanwhile, Erin is riding high with new friends at school, a ghost that she has fallen for, and the ghost’s brother, who is the only one who can provide some answers as to how Joe died. Joe remembers very little, only that he once had a wonderful family and that he wrote poetry under the wallpaper of his bedroom closet.

Love stories abound, but this one has the unusual twist of love between the living and the dead, without the vampire and without time travel or any other gimmick. Joe does not want Erin to see Olly, but she persists. Drama comes to a head near a cliff where Joe often wrote poetry, and the climax and falling action are quite original at this point. Book of note this selection is; it merits the honor because Erin’s character is as needy as Joe’s and Olly’s. Readers will be drawn into the conflicts. Teen readers beware; there is a spoiler alert. Do not read the flyleaf! One will not want to know that Erin does find true love.

Regardless of the somewhat predictable nature of this book (the bullying, the good-looking brother and the less popular brother, etc.), the book merits a spot in both middle- and high-school libraries. It is about possibilities, love, death, tragedy, emotions and the curative power of conversation. Teen girls, especially, will pore through it and cry.

Summary: Joe dies tragically; he returns to change some lives.

Ghost stories, Romance-Fiction --Martha Squaresky

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Nutcracker Mice.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:38:00 +0000

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Nutcracker Mice. Candlewick Press 2017 316p $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-8519-5 elem/ms Fantasy VG-BN

Taking the story of The Nutcracker in a new direction, this is a delightful story. Behind the walls of Saint Petersburg’s famous theater there lives a community of mice who perform the classic ballets while humans perform on stage. Young Esmeralda has finally earned the role of Clara in the ballet but is dismayed to learn that mice are portrayed as villains in the ballet. With help from her brother, she slightly rewrites the story, putting mice in a more favorable light. Another issue with the mice is that their audience is dwindling. Mice would rather watch the costumed humans than the bare mouse ballet. Esmeralda is befriended by Irina, daughter of the chief custodian and costume mother. Irina understands that the theater mice are special and lets Esmeralda use her doll costumes to outfit the mice cast and save the production.
This is an inventive way to tell the story of The Nutcracker to a middle-grade audience. This story involves friendship, compassion, adventure and excitement. Both boys and girls can enjoy this story because there are daring escapes, thrilling escapades, and suspense.

Summary: Story of The Nutcracker performed by mice living in the walls of the opera house in St. Petersburg in the 1800’s. Very cute story of mouse ballerinas and their passion for dance. Grades 3-7

Mice-Fiction, Ballet-Fiction --Joan Theal

Koch, Falynn. Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:36:00 +0000

Koch, Falynn. Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield. Macmillan/First Second 2018 122p $12.99 ISBN 978-1-62672-752-6 elem/ms Nonfiction VG-BN

This is a beautifully illustrated and tastefully formatted book in which readers will learn about the various organisms that underlie the complexities of infections, diseases, immunity, and the ability humans must have to contain and treat diseases. This well-written book would make an excellent addition to any elementary or middle-school library.

Summary: A great introduction to plagues and the worlds of disease and immunities in comic-book form. Readers will enjoy having a well-researched science book in graphic form.

Disease --Linda McNeil

Lehr, Dick. Trell.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:33:00 +0000

Lehr, Dick. Trell. Candlewick Press 2017 307p $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9275-9 ms/hs Mystery VG

Romero Taylor is imprisoned, but is it wrongful imprisonment? His daughter Trell believes it is. Rejected in the plea for a new trial, Trell continues her quest with a reporter. Together, they tackle the impossible, trying to find witnesses who have disappeared in gang-ridden neighborhoods of Boston. Author Dick Lehr, in his first attempt at the young-adult audience, has a solid plot, an interesting, fast-paced writing style, and well-developed characters. His protagonist is Trell, a young teen who is resourceful, resilient and resolved. Readers see this in her actions. She lives in a dangerous part of Boston, but that has not shaped her life. She has elevated herself by gaining acceptance into a prestigious private school with a scholarship. What establishes the plot is her desire for justice for her father, a former drug dealer accused and convicted of murder, and she doggedly pursues the people who can help. First? She elicits the help of a young lawyer, Nora Walsh. Nora shows Trell just how difficult the journey of proving one’s innocence can be, yet the pair forge ahead to file for a new trial. When that petition is denied, Trell next elicits the help of a reporter, a down-and-out former success who fell apart after the death of his child years before. Clemens Bittner comes aboard after first avoiding Trell, and the two become sleuths, interviewing witnesses who were coerced into testifying at Romero’s trial and searching out alibis who were with Romero when the murder of young Ruby Graham occurred. Gangs, drugs and poverty provide a dramatic backdrop for this powerful story. However, it is the story and principal characters that compel the reader forward. Lehr has not created a new genre of literature, fiction based on a real-life incident, but he establishes himself as a writer who knows how to tell a story that is exciting for younger readers. They will want to find out if Trell proves her father’s innocence. That is the sign of good writing. This novel is a good choice for middle-school and high-school readers who like a book they can tackle in a few sittings. The drama combines with the detective genre in just the right amounts to make this a worthwhile read. Good writing; very good plot.

Summary: Trell pairs up with a young lawyer to find evidence of her father’s innocence in the crime of murder.

Murder-Fiction --Martha Squaresky

Mara, Wil. Fire Breathing, Sword Swallowing, & Other Death Defying Circus Science.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:32:00 +0000

Mara, Wil. Fire Breathing, Sword Swallowing, & Other Death Defying Circus Science. Capstone Publishers 2018 32p $27.99 ISBN 978-1-5157-7283-5 elem/ms VG-BNS series: Circus Science (Capstone)

This book provides a unique blend of circus activities and science. Each activity is thoroughly explained, the science behind each is provided, and the dangers are enumerated. Safety chapters are presented at the end of the book. With a high interest level (for who doesn’t like danger?) and wonderful textual descriptions and photographs on each feat, this book offers much to readers of nonfiction. The text structures in place to facilitate reading include clarity in the organization of each event, photographs to support the text, vocabulary words defined on the page they first appear, extra side bar facts that highlight important information, and alternative activities that the reader can try at home (less dangerous, of course). The death-defying feats included in this volume are high-wire walking, human cannonballs, the trapeze, sword swallowing, fire breathing, glass walking, the globe of terror, knife throwing, the hair hang, and the wheel of death. The photographs that support each activity are chilling and thrilling. What makes this book special is its alignment to the science curriculum. With each activity, one studies the science behind its success. To name just a few of the concepts that students will study, one finds volume, pressure, force, projectiles, friction, and displacement. Alongside a science book that shows each new concept, one could use this book to offer real-life examples, thus adding validation to the lessons. This series will find fans in students who like to understand how things work. It will also appeal to students who want to explore extensions of learning on their own.

Books that explain the science behind real-life activities -- in this case, circus acts -- are invaluable for instruction. Elementary school and middle-school libraries will want multiple sets for the resourceful science teacher as well as for interested students.

Summary: This book provides a unique blend of circus activities and science.

Circus Arts, Science --Martha Squaresky

Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor. Pop-up Shakespeare.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:30:00 +0000

Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor. Pop-up Shakespeare. Candlewick Press 2017 unp $19.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9874-4 all ages Drama

E-BN

This pop-up compendium of the complete works of William Shakespeare is sure to entice a new generation. William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and innumerable other works. His words live on in the English language and are part of our daily lexicon. How can all of this be condensed into one pop-up book? The Reduced Shakespeare Company has managed it in spades (not Shakespeare.) Dividing the plays and sonnets into sections, the authors, armed with the amazing artwork of Jennie Maizels, offer a huge amount of information about the man and his works. While there are accurate summaries of the works, the wry tone is delightful and the text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes. The historical background and political climate of the time are accurate and offer some insight into the development of the plays. Altogether, this is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.

Summary: A new generation will be enticed into these fabulous writings. This is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.

Shakespeare, William --Susan Ogintz

Meyer, William. The Search for the Lost Prophecy (The Timekeepers, Book 2.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:29:00 +0000

Meyer, William. The Search for the Lost Prophecy (The Timekeepers, Book 2. Sleeping Bear Press 2018 205p $16.99 ISBN 978-1-58536-982-9 elem/ms Adventure VG-BN

This is the second title for Horace J. Edwards and the Time Keepers series. While cleaning out his grandparents’ house, Horace finds a journal kept by his grandfather. He also discovers that the portal for time travel, which he used in the first novel, has been destroyed. Back in town, Horace and his two friends accidentally find a new portal that leads them to Detroit in the 1920’s. They visit the Scarab Club, headquarters of the Time Keepers secret order. Horace is given a clue to the location of the mystic Benben Stone and is tasked with keeping it safe. Horace knows that enemies also want the location of the stone, and he tries to proceed alone. Failing in that, he seeks the help of his two friends. The stone is saved for now, but Horace receives the news that it is up to him to permanently return the stone to its source, which is a set-up for book 3.

This book encompasses time travel, adventure, and excitement that also stresses honoring the past and the value of friendship. Boys will love the adventure and suspense.

Summary: Horace discovers another portal. This time it leads to 1920’s Detroit. He is tasked to protect the Benben stone but he needs the help of his friends. Mystery and excitement with time travel. Grades 3-7.

Time Travel-Fiction, Fantasy --Joan Theal

Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:28:00 +0000

Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element. Holiday House 2017 228p $16.95 ISBN 978-0-8234-3781-8 elem/ms Historical Fiction E-BN

When Bobbie Lee becomes an orphan at age 13 in 1929, he decides that his future lies as a criminal working for a famous Chicago gang. His pickpocketing skills should allow him to be useful to mob leaders. He boards a steam-powered train and finds himself investigating a murder that happened in New Orleans, his hometown. Also traveling on the train are three men and a widow with her baby, all potential suspects in the widow’s husband’s death. Details on train travel in the early 20th century flow smoothly into the story, as do descriptions of the changing countryside between Louisiana and Chicago. Also incorporated into this historical novel are facts about Jim Crow laws and Prohibition and how these institutions affected daily life. A compelling mystery drives the story, which has an authentic feel and maintains consistent tension and danger within a framework of soulful contemplation about whether Bobbie Lee is suited to be a criminal or not. Believable supporting characters and some humorous moments as well as historical facts make this a perfect historical novel. A great book to accompany social studies units on race relations in the 1920s and the effects of the Jim Crow laws. An addendum explains the inspiration for the story as well as historical facts about race relations, jazz, and railroad life in the 1920s. Strongly recommended as an adjunct to teaching about Prohibition or Jim Crow laws and their impact on people.

Summary: Bobbie Lee, 13 years old, decides to travel to Chicago to become a criminal in a famous gang. His trip via railroad from New Orleans to Chicago is packed with action and mystery. The novel refers to the Jim Crow Laws and to facts about steam railroads. Grades 4-8.

Mystery-Fiction, Prohibition, Jim Crow-Fiction --Lois McNicol

Nicol, James. The Apprentice Witch.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:26:00 +0000

Nicol, James. The Apprentice Witch. Scholastic/Chicken House 2017 318p $16.99 ISBN 978-1-338-11858-2 ms Fantasy E-BN

Arianwyn has failed her witch’s assessment test and will not get her silver star. She is shuffled off to the distant town of Lull on the edge of the Great Wood to spend her life as an apprentice witch. However, things are not so quiet in Lull. All sorts of unusual creatures are showing up unexpectedly, and Arianwyn must discover the source of the mysterious occurrences. Her magical abilities are tested as never before and she also has to contend with trouble closer to hand in the shape of her archrival Gimma.

This exciting magical adventure written in a sprightly manner is utterly spellbinding. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful fiction in a well-paced plot and features engaging characters. The plot is full of surprises, the locations are beautifully rendered, and even the secondary characters are very three-dimensional. The author mixes adventure, political intrigue, and mystery into this very well done novel. Highly recommended for middle-school libraries.

Summary: Airanwyn has failed her assessment test and will always be an apprentice witch. She is sent to the small town of Lull on the edge of the Great Woods, where her magical abilities are truly tested.

Magic-Fiction, Witches-Fiction --Susan Ogintz

Orenstein, Denise Gosliner. Dirt.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:23:00 +0000

Orenstein, Denise Gosliner. Dirt. Scholastic Press 2017 212p $16.99 ISBN 978-0-545-92585-3 elem/ms Animal Stories VG-BN

Yonder is eleven. Her mother has died and her father is sunken in depression and she will not speak. She is teased at school and lonely. Her only friend is Dirt, the overweight Shetland pony belonging to her mean next-door neighbor. When a sign goes up offering Dirt for sale for horse meat, Yonder takes action. She cleans out her bedroom and brings Dirt into the house. However, social services get involved and Yonder is taken to a foster home. She runs away. Tracking down the buyer of Dirt, she discovers a failed zoo that is mistreating the animals. Yonder shows great courage and perseverance to rescue Dirt and the other animals. She has exciting adventures and learns how to trust again. The ending is hopeful.

Girls and animal lovers will gravitate to this title. The reader will want to cry, rail out at injustice and finally cheer for Yonder. A great read for grades 3-7.

Summary: Yonder has her troubles but moves a Shetland pony named Dirt into her house to prevent the sale of him for horse meat. Adventure ensues as she rescues Dirt and other animals.

Horse Stories --Joan Theal

Oxlade, Chris. History of Robots.

noreply@blogger.com (BookPushinTechie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 01:21:00 +0000

Oxlade, Chris. History of Robots. Capstone Publishers 2018 32p $27.32 ISBN 978-1-4846-4036-4 elem Nonfiction E series: History of Technology

Elementary students who enjoy learning about robots will appreciate this new title in The History of Technology series. Written in an easy-to-comprehend manner, the book provides students with an understanding of robots from the late 1950s to the present, with the robots continuing to change and become more advanced. From early ancient automatons in the 1700s to robot stories, games, films, industrial robots, robot explorers, walking robots, medical robots, robot games and sports, domestic working robots, drones, humanoids and androids, the author covers the changes in the use of robots with advanced technology. In the future, our everyday lives may involve humanoids and androids assisting us with tasks and household jobs.

The author includes color photographs, interesting facts, a glossary of terms, recommended books, a special code to use on FactHound, and an index.

For schools who participate in Accelerated Reader, an existing test is available for students to use (AR Quiz # 190808). The title would make a good addition to an elementary collection for casual reading and reports.

Summary: “Provides a history of robots, covering key inventions and inventors.”

Robots-History --Charleen Forba-MacCain