BLINKY UNDER PRESSURE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Spires, Ashley
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Kids Can Press /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
1dt-3rd
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Blinky a black and white space cat has gotten too comfortable at his assigned space station. When Grace, an orange striped tabby, shows up his world is turned upside down. Upon learning she is there to evaluate him Blinky makes lots of mistakes until his space station is invaded by alien bees. They are forced to work together to save his humans and his space station. Will Blinky pass the test?

This book is a cute story written like a graphic novel. It's sure to have children laughing with the silly antics Blinky plays to find out if Grace is an alien. This would be a good book to be read for story time. The illustrations are funny and aid in telling the story. It is also written like a graphic novel. There is an AR test available for this book too. 

 

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State University's Moffett Library) 

AVALANCHE FREESTYLE

Author (last name first):
Ciencin, Scott
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Stone Arch Books /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
4th-8th
Classification: 
Fiction  

"Avalanche Freestyle"  is a graphic novel about a 15 year-old boy, Tony Jay, whose father owns a ski resort and is hosting a ski boarding tournament for the prize "Troublemaker" the ultimate ski board. Tony (aka the rich kid) thinks he has the competition in the bag until his dad's maintenance man's son Jack Hewlitt shows him he's just as good as him. 
Tony struggles with knowing his friends only like him for his dad's money and can get from him. His thoughts are confirmed when he and his friends go to a remote spot that no knows about to practice for the tournament. Jack and Tony face off in a battle of show boarding to see once and for all who is best. When an avalanche. nearly kills the boys, Tony's friends take off with all the aid supplies, leaving him to the deep snow. Jack turned back to help Tony and another avalanche threatens to take their lives again. The boy's realize they both have been acting foolish by stereotyping each other. Will the boy's make it home alive? And who will win the ultimate ski board?
This book is very entertaining for children who like graphic novels and sports. The back of the book tells about the author, illustrator, has a glossary, and a web site to find more books like this one. There is an AR test available for this book too.

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State University's Moffett Library)

THE BOOK THAT ATE MY BROTHER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Author (last name first):
Dahl, Micheal
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Stone Arch Books /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
3rd-5th
Classification: 
Fiction 

This book is a chilling tale of an old book unlike any other. A young boy named Tyler who finds an old book while looking for his dog, Buck, who went missing the night before. He takes the old book home to his room. When he hears a growling noise after trying to open the book, he throws  the it into his closet and tries to tell his big brother Jack, who dismisses his ranting as a joke. When Tyler goes missing the next day their parents think he's run away, but Jack knows his brother has been eaten by the book. While he was looking for his brother, Jack looked into the closet and saw his brothers shoes and a big slimy mouth in the book as well as hearing Tyler's voice calling for help from deep inside the ugly mouth. He ran to his room knowing the book was not far behind, and emailed "The Librarian," a man who has been looking for the seven evil books. By the end of Jacks email the old slimy book ate Jack too. 

For months the book lays dormant while waiting for its next victim. At an outdoor library sale a young girl named Iris buys the book thinking that its her favorite book with a misspelled title. When Iris arrives home she hears a growl coming from the book and throws it. Her little brother, Berry, finds it and is eaten. Will Iris be able to help her little brother in time or will she be the old books next victim?

The Illustrations help to demonstrate the story's visual effects. They show how scary the man eating book becomes. Older children who like scary stories will like this book. Use your own discretion because younger children may be alarmed by the cover and the  graphic pictures. There is a glossary, an excerpt about the author and the illustrator. There are details about the  heroes and villains in this book, as well as web sites children can go to enjoy more books like this one. There is an AR test available for this book too.

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State Universities Moffett Library)

THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING

Author (last name first):
Valente, Catherynne M.
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Feiwel and Friends /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
4th-8th
Classification: 
Fiction  

September does not like washing the same pink and yellow teacups and matching gravy boats every day but it was this task she was currently undertaking when the Green Wind came with his leopard and invited her to Fairyland. 

Fairyland is in turmoil with the disappearance of the great queen Maude and the appearance of the Marquess who is cruel. As September  travels, she meets Fairylander's who need her help and she believes she should help them. As September travels, she loses her shadow and becomes best friends with a Wyvern named A-Through- L and a Marid named Saturday. 

Everywhere she turns she is confronted by the Marquess or her minions. As she gets out to find her friends she learns the truth about the Marquess and discovers just how brave and strong she really is. 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student) 

DON'T STOP NOW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Halpern, Julie
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Feiwel and Friends /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
9th-12th
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

 Lillian and Josh have been best friends almost their whole lives but Lillian wishes for more. Then Lillian gets a vague message from her friend Penny say only "I did it" and thus begins the wild road trip to find Penny. She can clear up the little men she left behind that goes so far as to involve the FBI!

On this trip Lillian reveals her true feelings for Josh who at first does not want to mess up their friendship. Josh, who has a rich father, had never done a responsible thing in his life and is reluctant to be responsible for Lillian's heart. 

As they travel in search of Penny, Josh and Lillian begin to discover who they really are around each other. By the end of the trip, when they leave the car, you can be sure they have found the answers.

 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student)

SASS & SERENDIPITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Ziengler, Jennifer
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Delacort Press /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
6th and Up
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Daphne lives in a fantasy world were everything is romantic and perfect. Gabby, however, lives too much in the real world and its made her too bitter at too young an age. Their mother's no help. She's a good mother but since the divorce, she's been using Gabby as her sounding board which has a serious impact on how both of her daughters view the world. 

Then Daphne meets Luke and he not only falls for her, but she confesses her love for him in what turns out to be the most embarrassing moment of her life. 

Daphne meets Prentiss who stirs memories she has tried so hard to forget. She thinks Prentiss killed Sonny, who was the first boy she connected with. She ran from him and now she feels Prentiss has stolen their future. 

The world is not how Gabby thinks it is and she soon learns that Prentiss is not her enemy. Daphne, having come to the same realization about her life, realizes that Mirle, her sister's best friend understands her and accepts her for who she really is. In the end everyone is happy with the life chosen for him or her. 

 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student)  

THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Odyssey,Shawn Thomas
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Edmont /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
4th-8th
Classification: 
Fiction   

 

Oona due of magical accident, no longer wants to use magic. Instead she wants to be a detective, a logical profession. So Oona gives up her apprenticeship as the Dark Street magician. Before her uncle can decide on a new apprentice, he is attacked and disappears. 

The silly detective claims Oona's uncle is dead and as he owes money to a company owned by Red Martin, the awful man Haims Pendulum's house as his own, leaving Oona destitute. 

Oona's investigation leads her to places she has never been and causes her to uncover some of Dark Street's oldest secrets. As she saves her Uncle and Pendulum's House, she realizes two important things. Magic is her past and an important part of her, but only she can decide her future and whether magic can be a part of it. 

 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Student at Midwestern State University)

 

 

EVERLASTING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Frazier, Angie
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Scholastic  Press /2010
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
6th and Up
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Seventeen year-old Camille Rowen has always enjoyed the freedom of sailing with her father aboard his ship, but for a young lady of society in San Francisco in 1855 she was considered odd and was the talk of the town. When Camille was introduced to the most eligible bachelor in San Francisco, Randall fell madly in love with her and asked her to marry him. Camille is confused about her feelings for Randall, she doesn't feel the spark she hopes to feel for the man she loves. On her final voyage before her wedding, the stormy Tasman Sea sinks the ship they were sailing and claims her father's life. Camille soon finds out that her father was hiding the truth about her mother who she thought died giving birth to her. She is determined to go to Australia to see her mother and find a magical stone that will bring back her father. On the voyage she realizes that her father's first mate Oscar stirs feelings inside her that she can't deny. Oscar and a colorful companion Ira help Camille get her mother's legendary map that leads to the stone, possibly bringing her father back to life. 

There are many twists and turns in Angie Frazier's adventure story that keep you fascinated throughout the book. She also leaves the story open so that she may write a sequel someday. 

There is an AR test available for this book. 

 

 

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State University's Moffett Library) 

EXPOSED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Marcus, Kimberly
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Random House /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
9th-12th
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Liz has been forever best friends with Kate until one faithful night when Liz, at one of their sleepovers pushed Kate too far with her honesty. Liz is so angry that she leaves Liz downstairs. When she apologizes, Kate accepts but continues to avoid her until Liz forces Kate to tell her the truth. Kate accuses Liz's brother Mike of raping her. Liz is shocked and does not know who to believe. She confronts Mike who tries to talk to Kate. This is when the truth comes out and Kate's family presses charges. 

Liz tries her hardest to support her family to the point where she begins to lose herself and her joy and love for photography. A picture says a thousand words and the picture that comes up in her mind when she thinks of what happened that night is a total betrayal of everything she believes in. This book is written in a series of scenes like snapshots.

 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student) 

THE QUEEN'S DAUGHTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Coventry, Susan
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Henry Holt and Company /2010
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
9th and Up
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Joan of England is the daughter of King Henry II, one of the most famous military leaders of the 1100's, and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Joan is forced to choose between her parents and becomes a political pawn in their war against each other. King Henry II throws her mother in prison when he believes she and their sons are involved in plots against him. One night the King allows her brother Richard to visit her. Joan is asked to find out were King Henry II hid their mother, but she is caught and taken to her mother's prison. As the years go on Joan began to lose faith that her father would ever forgive her. 

In 1179 in order to strengthen an alliance with Sicily, eleven-year-old Joan was told that she would marry the king of Sicily, a man ten years her senior. Joan was unable to conceive children. She soon finds out a dangerous secret that has to do with King William and his aunt Princess Constance that kills any hope she has of a romantic relationship with her husband. During her marriage to King William she feels alone and abandond. When her husband dies, she is sent to live with her brother Richard who became King of England eventually.When Joan refuses to marry Prince el-Adil, Richard condemns her to her room and treats her cruelly. After a trip from Egypt King Richard is thought to be dead; and Joan makes a life changing decision to seek refuge with her lost love Lord Raymond of Toulouse. While she is there, they rekindle feelings for each other. When Lord Raymond is suddenly betroth to another by his fathers orders all hope seems to be lost. Will Joan and Lord Raymond ever be together? 

 

There is a map that shows all the places Joan and her family travel through out the book. There is also an author's note stating what is fact and fiction about Joan's life. This book would be good to use during a lesson in English history. There is a AR test available for this book.

 

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State University's Moffett Library) 

WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Hilmo, Tess
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
F.S.C. /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
6th and Up
Classification: 
Fiction  

 

Olivene Love is the oldest daughter of the traveling Preacher, Reverend Everlasting Love. When they arrive in Binder, Arkansas, Ollie gets herself involved in the town's mystery. The town drunk is dead and everyone believes his wife Virginia killed him. Their son Jimmy is sure his mother is innocent. Ollie believes him as well and on her request the Love family decide to remain in Blinder to help Jimmy and his mother. 

As they go through the stories told by everyone involved, they realize the truth, and Ollie, in the process of her investigation, comes to some startling conclusions about herself. Sometimes, despite what you want in life, you have to make sacrifices for the betterment of the ones you love. Ollie learns to put her dreams aside, just for a little while, so their family can be happy.

 

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student) 

DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA: MAY

 Author (last name first):
Lasky, Kathryn
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Scholastic Press /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
6th- 12th
Classification: 
Fiction  

In  1898, 15-year-old May has always felt like she doesn't belong, She has grown up thinking she is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper who drinks a bit too much and his selfish and cruel wife. May has always wondered she can possibly be related to these people who seem so different than she is. Forced to stay home from school to nurse her mother's failing health, May feels a loneliness that threatens to swallow her whole. The sea seems to be calling her more strongly each day, even though her father has forbidden her from getting in the seawater. After her mother takes malicious delight in letting her know that she's actually adopted, May's lifelong feeling of being separate and disconnected suddenly starts to make sense. When she disobeys her parents' rules and takes her first moonlit swim in the waters off the coast, she discovers even more about herself i.e.May is a mermaid. 

She still has so many  questions that have gone unanswered: Where did she come from? Are there others like her? Her quest for answers takes her to the local library, a Harvard astronomer who's researching the Pleiades star formation. Hugh is so unlike the fishermen who flirt with May at town dances, he seems to come from a different world too. Will their love out last May's desire for the sea and all it's secrets?

Kathryn Lasky did a wonderful job tying her first daughters of the sea book (Hannah) into the story about May's life. However, I did feel the ending left too many unanswered questions and that the characters introduced in the middle of the book were forgotten. There is an AR test available for this book.

Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager at Midwestern State University)

MEET THE DOGS OF BEDLAM FARM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Katz, Jon
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Henry Holt & Co. /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
Kindergarten- 3rd
Classification: 
Non-Fiction  

 

This book starts by introducing the four dogs and telling the reader about each dog's job except for one. You have to read to discover her job. Throughout the telling about each dog and it's job, he repeatedly asks "What's Lenore's job?" There is a herder, a therapy dog, a guard dog and Lenore, but what is Lenore's job? 

In the end Lenore has what appears to be the least important job of all; however when explained in it's entirety,  she has the most important job of all. A heart warming book about the lives of four beautiful dogs.

 

Reviewed By: Pam Ward (Teacher/Dinsmore Elementary/Electra I.S.D.) 

TRUTH AND RUMORS: PIRATES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author (last name first):
Price, Sean Stewart
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Capstone Press /2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
3rd - 8th
Classification: 
Non-Fiction  

 

This is an interesting factual book about the pirate myths and legends. Each double page layout starts with a myth or fact. Then an example and some artwork (either from movies, old pirate books, or current illustrations) are included. The next page has a "verdict" that tells whether the myth/ legend could have been true and further explanation is given. Modern pirates are also addressed also. There is a glossary and index along with "for further information." There is an AR test for this book. It would be interesting to use with any treasure story or in world geography/history classes or even current events courses. 

 

Reviewed By: Nikki Byrd (E.J.H.S. Teacher 7/8 SS)