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Children's Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Freddy And The French Fries
David Baldacci
Little, Brown
1271 Ave. of America, NY, NY 10020
0316159980 $12.99 www.lb-kids.com
Kids ages 8-12 will find an easy - and attractive - reader in David Baldacci's latest Freddy story,
Freddy And The French Fries: Fries Alive!. Here a plan to win new business for the family Burgle
castle results in a secret invention gone awry when Freddy's crazy creations wreck havoc. Another
enthusiastically recommended Freddy story that presents zany easy reading adventures for
children.
That Crazy Eddie And The Science Project Of Doom
Judy Cox
Holiday House
425 Madison, New York NY 10017
0823419312 $15.95 holidayhouse.com
Blanche Sims provides the funny drawings for Judy Cox's latest chapter book, That Crazy Eddie
And The Science Project Of Doom, telling of a third grader who will do anything to win first place
at the school science fair - even if it means losing his best friend. Black and white drawings
throughout illustrate Eddie's genius and downfall.
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
www.candlewick.com
Susan Wojciechowski's Beany And The Meany (0763626309, $15.99) is peppered with black and
white drawings by Susanna Natti as it tells of a science project which sticks Beany with the class
bully Kevin. How can Beany save her project and work with the meanest boy in school? A realistic
dilemma will attract readers in elementary grades 3-5. Megan McDonald's Judy Moody Declares
Independence (0763623-61X, $15.99) tells of a heroine rebelling against parental restrictions and a
pesky little brother. Her plain to declare independence with all the pomp of patriotism brings her
special challenges. More fun stories of the zany Judy emerge.
Color, Color, Where Are You, Color?
Mary Koski
Trellis Publishing
PO Box 16141, Duluth, MN 66816
1930650345 $7.95 1-800-513-0115
Mary Koski's Color, Color, Where Are You, Color? looks like a typical easy-reader board book but
holds so much more, in the way of vivid color drawings by Janeen Mason and five-line rhyming
verse lending well to read-alouds and early reader attention. The theme, of course, is color: verses
relate color to the natural world and pages are packed with vivid animal drawings. Quite a lovely
board book which will reach readers and parents beyond the usual board book age range!
Knopf/Random House
1745 Broadway, NY, NY 10019
Wendelin Van Draanen's new Shredderman title #4, Enemy Spy (0375823549, $12.95) tells of the
cyber-hero's struggle to protect his secret identity. Nolan's parents think he should lie low, but he's in
pursuit of a real spy ring, and can't hide from the reporters. Roald Dahl's Charlie And The Chocolate
Factory (0375834-605, 14.95) holds a centerfold of color photos from the movie as it appears in a
sparkling new edition to reflect the motion picture's release. When Charlie finds the last of Mr. Willy
Wonka's tickets inside his chocolate bar, he's won a fabulous key to a rare treat in this classic tale.
Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse #4: Season Of The Sandstorms (0375830316, $11.95)
presents an adventure in which Jack and Annie go back 1,200 years to the Golden Age of Baghdad,
where a desert mission to protect a strange box results in a struggle for survival. History, mystery
and thrills evolve. Marion Dane Bauer's The Blue Ghost (0375831797, $11.95) tells of a mysterious
voice which calls Liz's name in the middle of the night. Who is the blue ghost, and can Liz discover
what's haunting her? A satisfying ghost tale of a girl who discovers her family history while
investigating a mystery.
Wacky Word Problems
Lynette Long
John Wiley & Sons
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0471210617 $12.95 www.amazon.com
Part of the outstanding "Magical Math" series from John Wiley & Sons, Wacky Word Problems:
Games And Activities That Make Math Easy And Fun by Lynette Long is specifically designed and
presented to appeal to children ages 8 to 12 and provide them with a fun and engaging way to grasp
the basics of standard word problems. Kids will learn how to answer computation problems,
percentile problems, distance problems, and so much more through dozens of age-appropriate
activities and entertaining examples. Wacky Word Problems is especially recommended as a
homeschool curriculum supplement, and would be an appropriate acquisition for traditional grade
school math curriculums and library reference collections as well.
Kane/Miller Book Publishers
PO Box 8515, La Jolla, CA 92038-8515
1-800-968-1930 www.kanemiller.com
Kane/Miller's "The Little Princess" series of 28-page paperback books by Tony Ross is written and
illustrated for preschoolers ages 18 months to 4 years and features an imperious little girl who wants
things her own way! In I Want My Pacifier (1929-132654, $4.95) we find that the Royal pacifier has
mysteriously disappeared --again! It always turns up in some very strange places. Will the Little
Princess ever give it up? I Don't Want To Go To Bed (192913-2662, $4.95) finds that the Little
Princess is having trouble accepting a bedtime curfew, but the King and Queen know best, despite
spiders, monsters, and the need for still another glass of water! I Want My Potty (0916291146,
$6.95) is also available as in a boardbook format (1929132-123, $7.95), while Wash Your Hands!
(1929132018, $6.95 is ideal for helping children ages 2 to 6 to understand the importance of
washing their hands after playing and before eating. Clever, entertaining, and "kid friendly", "The
Little Princess" series is ideal for family, preschool, daycare, nursery school, kindergarten, and
community library collections.
The Picturebook Shelf
Look Both Ways: A Cautionary Tale
Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander
Bloomsbury
175 -5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
1582349681 $15.95 bloomsbury.com
Filbert the squirrel loves to play soccer with his friends, and he likes to run around the neighborhood
on errands, too. In fact, he's having so much fun he forgets to look both ways when dashing across
the street. Rollicking rhymes and fun drawings liven up and lighten up this "cautionary tale".
Ellie: The Perfect Dress for Me!
C.M. Rubin
Gingham Dog Press/School Specialty
8720 Orion Place, Columbus, OH 43240
www.SchoolSpecialtyPublishing.com
0769632998 $15.95
You needn't be a fan of the prior Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, And Me to enjoy this whimsical
sequel returning Ellie and her family to old and new fans alike. Christopher Fowler's large, fun
cartoon-style drawings bring to life Rubin's story of a special occasion which calls for special
planning and the perfect dress. Ellie has a lot of help from her elders but decides to find her own
perfect dress for the occasion in a fun shopping expedition for kids ages 3-8.
Mark Of The Wagarl
Lorna Little & Janice Lyndon
Magabala Books/ISBS, dist.
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbscatalog.com
1875641971 $20.75 1-800-944-6190
Lorna Little's engaging tale is deftly combined with Janice Lyndon's artwork to tell the picturebook
story, Mark Of The Wagarl. Maadjit Wagarl is the sacred water snake and guardian spirit of all the
rivers and fresh waters of Nyoongar Country of Western Australia. One defiant young boy refused
to listen to his elders and dove in search of the Wagarl. His foolishness almost cost him his life, yet
instead of eating him, the Wagarl showed him mercy, and tasked him with a special punishment, a
mark, and a sacred responsibility to look after its snake brethren. The rich color illustrations bring an
ancient tale to vivid life, in this picturebook written especially to share and promote a better
understanding of Nyoongar culture. Highly recommended.
The Witch's Walking Stick
Susan Meddaugh
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
0618529489 $16.00 www.hmco.com
Margaret's days are all bad since her parents died and her siblings make her do all the work. When
things get bad she runs away into the forest and encounters an old lady stranded: her desire to help
may bring her into danger through a wily old witch's plans in the engaging picturebook The Witch's
Walking Stick.
Picturescape
Elisa Guttierrez
Simply Read Books
501-5525 West Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6M 3W6
www.simplyreadbooks.com
1894965248 $16.95 1-800-788-3123
Imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated by award-winning designer and artist Elisa
Guttierrez, Picturescape is the story of a young boy whose imagination leads him into the wonderful
and brilliant worlds of great 20th century paintings. Picturescape tells its story entirely through
images; no words distract from the vivid adventures of the mind, played out in a panoply of classic
settings. The unique, heavily shaded and abstract-leaning artistic style makes Picturescape a truly
unforgettable children's book.
Party Princess
Vanita Braver, M.D. & Cary Pillo
Child & Family Press
440 First Street, NW, 3rd floor, Washington, DC 20001-2085
www.cwla.org
1587600382 $8.95 1-800-407-6273
Writte specifically for children ages 4 to 8 by practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist Vania
Braver and enhanced with the lively and entertaining illustrations of Cary Pillo, Party Princess is the
newest addition to the "Teach Your Children Well" series from Child & Family Press. Party Princess
is the story of young Madison, who wants to look extra beautiful for her big birthday party. But an
accident with nail polish leaves terrible stains on her gorgeous dress! She feels terrible for a while,
then finds a way to make herself feel better - by sharing a treasured gift with her best friend. The
wisdom that she learns is "Beauty comes from the heart. You should feel good about yourself...
especially when you realize that real beauty is what's on the inside of a person, not the outside." A
positive and uplifting book with a meaningful and relevant moral, especially in today's appearance
and fashion-driven world.
Dear Principal Petunia
Judy Zocchi
Dingles & Company
PO Box 508, Sea Girt, NJ 08750
1891997645 $15.50 www.dingles.com
Part of the 'Click & Squeak's Computer Basics' course for kids, this coverage of word processing
computer use takes the form of a delightful picturebook tale of a big football game at school and
friends who find discrimination when they learn football players can get into the game for free, but
not cheerleaders. Nikolai Bird's whimsical and fun drawings enhance the story, which is used as an
introduction to how word processing is used in everyday language. Here a letter-writing campaign
of protest is produced by the mouse and her friends.
Something Special
Terri Cohlene & Doug Keith
Illumination Arts Publishing
PO Box 1865, Bellevue, WA 98009
www.illumin.com
0974019011 $15.95 1-888-210-8216
Marvelously illustrated by Doug Keith, Something Special is a picturebook book story by Terri
Cohlene that tells of a curious little frog who encounters a royal gift outside his home near a castle
moat. What is the gift? "It can say hello / and it can say goodbye / It can be small and silent / or big
and loud / It can come as a surprise / and warm you to your toes / It can be planted / or blown". The
gift is a simple kiss, but each descriptive phrase is vividly illustrated in a whimsical artwork; for
example, the phrase "it can be planted" is marvelously illustrated by a picture of huge beanstalk
spiraling toward the clouds, with the frog nestled on a leaf. A visually stunning book that is a joy to
share by reading aloud to the very young.
Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway, New York NY 10012
1-800-242-7737 www.scholastic.com
Want an unusual piece of cake for summer? Try Mark Sperring's The Fairytale Cake (0439683297,
$15.95), decorated by Jonathan Langley and telling of a group of fairytake characters who bake up a
special birthday cake. Very simple drawings and one-sentence pages lend to read-aloud enjoyment as
kids learn their birthday cakes may not be entirely of parents' making. Greg Tang's Math Potatoes:
Mind-stretching Brain Food (0439443903, $16.95) enjoys fun drawings by Harry Briggs as it cooks
up new riddles to make math fun. Each riddle embraces a problem and a hint: kids learn how to build
problem solving skills while enjoying the riddle format.
Dinosaurs Galore!
Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz
Tiger Tales
PO Box 411037, Kansas City, MO 64141
1589250443 $16.95 1-888-454-0097
Especially recommended for school and community library collections, Dinosaurs Galore! combines
the colorful and charming illustrations of David Wojtowycz with the rhythmic and rhyming text of
Giles Andreae to engage young readers ages 3 to 7 with a picturebook approach to the daily
lives of the great dinosaurs. As the sun lights the horizon,/and the mist begins to clear,/what shapes
do you begin to see;/what noises do you hear?//Perhaps you'll see a swishing tail,/huge footprints, or
a beak./I think I heard a distant roar.../and did you hear that shriek?//Some of them have huge long
necks,/and some have giant jaws./So let's go to the swampland,/and meet the dinosaurs!
Sammy The Elephant & Mr. Camel
Jayce C. Mills & Richard J. Crowley
American Psychological Association
750 First St., NE, Washington, DC 20002
www.apa.org/books
1591472474 $14.95 1-800-368-5777
Enhanced with the delightful illustrations by Marcy Ramsey and now in its second edition, Sammy
The Elephant & Mr. Camel is the collaboratively written picturebook story by Jayce C. Mills and
Richard J. Crowley specifically written to help young children to overcome the problem of bed
wetting. In the allegorical story, a young elephant named Sammy has difficulty holding and carrying
buckets of water. Mr. Camel offers him guidance: "You just have to trust you can do it. Some things
take a little more time to learn than others, Sammy. And you have time to learn that now." As
Sammy grows and practices, he learns new abilities that he can put to good use when a fire breaks
out and he has to carry and hold water, then use it at just the right spot to put the fire out. The final
pages of Sammy The Elephant & Mr. Camel offer detailed information for parents, by children's
author and psychologist Jane Annunziata, Psy.D., about when to recognize urinary incontinence as a
problem in children, and what can be done about it, including the importance of first ruling out
infections or similar problems. Very highly recommended.
Tooth Fairy's First Night
Anne Bowen & Jon Berkeley
CarolRhoda/Lerner Publishing Group
1251 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1036
www.lernerbooks.com
1575057530 $15.95 1-800-328-4929
Offered at a discount to school and community libraries ($11.96), Anne Bowen's Tooth Fairy's First
Night Out is the story of Sally and her longing to be a tooth fairy. As she sets off to retrieve her first
tooth she knows that the most important tooth fairy rule is to never waken a sleeping child in the
process. But when Sally arrives at her first house she encounters serious complications! Tooth
Fairy's First Night is charmingly enhanced with the impressive illustrations of Jon Berkeley and will
prove to be a very popular picturebook for young readers.
Penelope And The Monsters
Sheri Radford & Christine Tripp
Lobster Press
1620 Sherbrooke Street West, Stes. C&D, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3H 1C9
1894222946 $15.95 lobsterpress.com
Penelope refuses to go to sleep because she just knows that there are monsters lurking in the dark.
That's the only way to explain the dancing drawers, creaking closets, and bouncing bed! Even
though her own father won't believe, plucky Penelope takes on gnomes, trolls, and giants!
Imaginatively written by Sheri Radford, and featuring the lively illustrations of Christine Tripp,
Penelope And The Monsters is a charmingly delightful picturebook which is ideal for family, school,
and community library picturebook collections. Also very highly recommended is Radford and
Tripp's first title about this unusual and comic little heroine, Penelope And The Humongous Burp
(1894222830, $15.95).
Abrams
115 West 18th Street, NY, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com
Two fun new kids' titles offer bright illustrations and fun stories for young picturebook readers.
Carey Armstrong-Ellis' Seymour Slug Starts School (0810957795, $14.95) packs in the author's
zany drawings which help kids with visual subplots. Good reading skills will lend to this story of a
slug who still believes in the Fairy Slugmother and who learns to feel good about starting school.
But Slugmother is proving more of a problem than school itself! Beth Raisner Glass and Susan
Lubner's Noises At Night (0810957507, $15.95) presents a rhyming bedtime book teaching kids that
going to sleep can be fun. Bruce Whatley provides the whimsical drawings as a young boy, dog and
teddy bear by his side, uses his imagination to turn night noises into exciting new activities. An
inspirational nap-time book which also offers some unusual career options for kids to think
about.
The Sefer Torah Parade
Tzivia Adler & Ito Esther Perez
Hachai Publishing
156 Chester Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218
1929628269 $11.95 www.hachai.com
Written with a thoroughly "kid friendly" flair by Tzivia Adler and enhanced with the artwork of ito
Esther Perez, The Sefer Torah Parade is the story of a young Jewish girl who observes the
celebratory parade commemorating the completion of a new Torah scroll and its placement in its
home in the shul. After a rousing great celebration, the tired little girl is carried home. The
Impressionist-style full color illustrations capture the joy and festivity of this special day. The Sefer
Torah Parade spells out fascinating details of the new Torah's creation and journey in a warm and
friendly manner, and is a most welcome introduction to this aspect of Jewish tradition for little
folks.
Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa'
Evangeline Parsons Yazzie
Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
1254 West University Avenue, #130, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
www.salinabookshelf.com
1893354555 $17.95 1-877-5270070
Superbly illustrated by Irving Toddy, Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came
Home is a bilingual picturebook written in both Navajo and English by Northern Arizona University
professor Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon
the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land. Illness, famine, and earth that
cannot yield healthy crops causes much suffering and death among the people. Yet amid the
hardship, the young girl learns the steadfast significance of the clan system, the prayers and songs of
her brethren, and the importance of coming together in dark times to help one another. Though
many individuals would be lost and mourned, she and her people would survive the ordeal, and
through her courage she would earn the name the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home. The
realistic color illustrations make the story come alive, and the text is sufficiently involved to make
Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa' ideal for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from
picturebooks to chapter books.
No Haircut Today!
Elivia Savadier
Roaring Brook Press
2 Old New Milford Road, Brookfield, CT 06804
159643046X $15.95 1-800-462-4703
Recommended for children ages 2 to 6, No Haircut Today! is an entertainingly written and
illustrated picturebook by Elivia Savadier, and tells the warm and charming story of a young,
scraggly-haired boy who does not like to get his hair cut. When Dominic sees scissors, he screams!
His mother is very upset. But she loves him, and even if he does not get a haircut today, he just
might tomorrow! The simple story and the striking, free-form illustrations make No Haircut Today!
a charming and memorable storybook for beginning readers.
Under Alaska's Midnight Sun
Deb Vanasse & Jeremiah Trammell
Paws IV/Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104-2555
www.sasquatchbooks.com
1570614512 $15.95 1-800-775-0817
Featuring a skillfully written text in the form of a kind of prose poetry by Deb Vanasse, which is
perfectly framed by the full color artwork of Jeremiah Trammell, Under Alaska's Midnight Sun is a
picturebook about a young girl living in Alaska who looks forward to the longest day of the year -
the solstice. During this time the sun never sets on Alaska, people and animals are reluctant to sleep,
and the midnight sun shines brightly. The playfully exuberant illustrations are the perfect
complement to this read-aloud storybook that will introduce young readers to how different day and
night can be at far northern latitudes.
Mouse In A Meadow
John Himmelman
Charlesbridge Publishing
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.charlesbridge.com
1570915210 $6.95 1-800-225-3214
Informatively written in a simple, accessible, "kid friendly" text, and with detailed nature
illustrations, Mouse In A Meadow by John Himmelman is a picturebook that gives young readers a
realistic look at what goes on in a meadow daily. Showing a mouse, a weasel, birds, insects, and
plants, and even an artist (only the hands of the artist are seen) capturing events on paper, Mouse In
A Meadow is unafraid to show predators hunting their daily meals, whether it's spiders or birds
trying to catch an insect or a weasel searching for the mouse in a meadow. The back of the book
includes pictures of individual animals, insects, and plants for young readers to spot amid the pages
of the story, and the final page offers some general information as to how meadows were created
and offers reference books from which curious younger and older readers can learn more. An
excellent book to stimulate young minds into thinking more about the natural world.
That's What Grandparents Are For
Arlene Uslander & Freddie Levin
Peel Productions, Inc.
PO Box 546, Columbus, NC 28722
0939217600 $15.95 www.peelbooks.com
Freddie Levin's excellent illustrations perfectly enhance Arlene Uslander's That's What Grandparents
Are For, a picturebook story celebrating the special bonds between grandparents and grandchildren.
Written by a grandparent and meant to be read aloud with a child, That's What Grandparents Are
For tells in rhyming verse about special days that grandparents and grandchildren treasure together.
"I visited your school one day, / when grandparents were invited. / I couldn't wait to see you - / I
was so excited. // You took me to the fish tank, / where I met your favorite guppy. / You read a
funny poem to me / about a talking puppy." The cheerful color illustrations add an endearing touch
to this joyful book meant to be treasured between generations.
Aunt Gussie And Grandfather Tree
Kay Brown Gustafson
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439
BeaversPondPress.com
1592981011 $19.95 1-952-829-8818
Based on a true story, Aunt Gussie And Grandfather Tree is a thoughtful picturebook narrated in
free-verse, about a very old tree, home to birds, that meant so much to the heart of a young woman
and many children that the people of a city came together and moved the tree to a new home, rather
than let it be destroyed when the time came to build a community center where the tree once stood.
Aunt Gussie And Grandfather Tree honors the "Wakan Cha Oyate", or "Spirit of the Tree Nation", a
Dakota philosophy that embraces the connections between every living thing on earth, plant and
animal alike. An environmentally conscious and emotionally moving picturebook, written to promote
appreciation for living things that have survived alongside generations of people.
Abuelita's Secret Matzahs
Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578601770 $9.99 emmisbooks.com
Jacobo's grandmother has a secret: she does things differently than his friends, never making his
favorite sopaipillas with honey during Holy Week and celebrating some holidays differently. "It's the
way of our family," she will only say when Jacobo asks her about the tortillas made without year -
until one day she shares a family secret about their real heritage. Good reading skills will lend
appreciation to this sensitive story.
The Fiction Shelf
Never Mind The Goldbergs
Matthue Roth
Push/Scholastic, dist.
577 Broadway, New York NY 10022
www.thispush.com
0439691885 $16.95 1-800-242-7737
Hava is an Orthodox Jew who lives a tough life at an isolated private school - but now she's heading
to Hollywood, where she'll be the only Jew on a TV show about a Jewish family. Her willful ways
will change her life and make for complicated friendships in this lively, unusual story of a very
modern punkish teen.
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
1-888-330-8477 www.fsgkids.com
Young adults have four striking summer reads from Farrar which are powerful, recommended picks.
Valerie Hobbs' Defiance (0374308470, $16.00) tells of a pre-teen who just wants to do normal fun
things for his vacation, but finds his cancer treatment shadows his efforts. His determination to keep
a new condition secret from his parents so he can enjoy a summer and his involvement with a spunky
farm woman helps him discover the meaning of living. Suzanne Fisher Staples' Under The
Persimmon Tree (0374380252, $17.00) comes from the author of the award-winning Shabanu and
tells of a young Afghan girl who finds her life changed when her father and older brother are
conscripted by the Taliban and her mother is killed in an air raid. A friend who is also on her own
joins with her an in effort to overcome tragedy in this realistic, moving story of Afghan culture and
life. Nina Bernstein's Magic By The Book (0374347182, $17.00) is more than just a tribute to books
and a powerful fantasy: it will remind readers of a more modern version of the classic Edward Eager
'magic' books which so thrilled a generation. Can a book cast a spell and make its readers travel
through time? A simple library book brings three kids to explore magic in the printed word. Polly
Horvath's Vacation (0374380708, $16.00) comes from a Newberry Honor-winning author and
presents another story of a family divided. Here Henry's parents are off to Africa, leaving him in care
of two aunts who decide to embark on their own dream vacation with Henry in tow. Before long
they're crossing the country just as Henry's mother is lost in the jungles of Africa. An intriguing story
of family connections from afar.
The Truth-Teller's Tale
Sharon Shinn
Viking Press
345 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0670060003 $16.99 www.penguin.com
Twin innkeeper's daughters Adele and Eldea find their special talents are mirrors: Adele is entrusted
with secrets while Eldea cannot tell a lie if asked a question. A handsome dancing master and his
apprentice come to stay at the inn evoking romance, mistaken identity, and many secrets in this
wonderful sequel to Sharon Shinn's The Safe-Keeper's Secret, which needs no prior introduction to
prove a satisfying stand-alone fantasy.
Worlds Apart
Kathleen Karr
Marshall Cavandish
99 White Plains Rd, Tarrytown NY 10591
www.marshallcavendish.us
0761451951 $15.95 1-800-821-9881
Worlds Apart is a deftly written novel about European colonists who crossed the dangerous Atlantic
to arrive in the strange new world of Carolina. Christopher West is the fifteen-year-old boy who
narrates this fascinating story about making friends with Asha-po, a young Native American of his
own age. Asha-po teaches Christopher how to hunt, and Christopher teaches Asha-po to play chess.
But while the two boys are fast becoming friends, their respective peoples are at increasing odds
with each other. Worlds Apart is a thoroughly entertaining and enthusiastically recommended
adventure novel for young readers ages 10 and older that author Kathleen Karr has based on records
from an actual colony and weaves a tale filled with marauding Spaniards, warring tribes, and colonial
family conflict.
Over And Over You
Amy McAuley
Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press
Media Masters Publicity
2 Old New Milford Road, Brookfield, CT 06804
1596430176 $16.95 1-800-462-4703
The engaging novel Over And Over You so deftly and imaginatively written by Amy McAuley is a
story of a seventeen-year-old girl, who can barely keep a boy's attention for a five-minute
conversation, and the experiences of her past lives haunting the present day. She remembers a
boyfriend she has had for a thousand years, in different incarnations - yet it was not only a thousand
years of love, but also a thousand years of betrayal and tragedy. Her best friend's life depends on
whether she can reshape the future with hope instead of an endless, cyclical repetition in this
involving novel that portrays past life regression as an ordinary, skeptical, yet overwhelmed and
bewildered teenager might see it.
Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
$9.95 Each www.simonandschuster.com
If it's spy stories and intrigue your pre-teen enjoys, the Max Remy 'Spy Force Mission' series by
Deborah abela is perfect: it tells of an 11-year-old 'superspy' involved with dangerous missions with
international spy agency Spy Force. In Search Of The Time And Space Machine (0689873573) tells
of a summer vacation gone awry when a visit to an aunt and uncle brings Max in contact with a time
and space machine which can take them anywhere. Should she embark on the adventure of a lifetime
- and risk getting lost forever? Spy Force Revealed (0689873-581) offers Max an invite to visit Spy
Force Headquarters to meet the world's top spies. Their undercover mission at a candy factor faces
them off with the evil Mr. Blue: will this end Max's new career? Both are packed with action.
Knopf/Delacorte/Random/Fickling Bks.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/kids
Random Publishing Group has a host of leisure summer titles which are perfect picks for young
adults who seek something different. Kathryn Kenny's Trixie Belden mystery series is being reprinted
with attractive new covers for new generation of readers, and Trixie Beldon #12: Mystery Of The
Blinking Eye (0375830-529, $6.99) is both affordable and good mystery reading. When a Mexican
fortune-seller slips a strange Spanish poem into her purse, Trixie's journey to New York City turns
into an encounter with villains and strange antiques. Why are thieves after Trixie? The idol holds the
clue. Ann Halam's Siberia (0385746504, $16.95) tells of Rosita, who lives in a prison camp in the
wilderness and shares a secret with her mother. Years later she's a hardened, cynical teen attending
prison school, her mother gone, and finds herself living her mother's dream of escape to bring a
treasure to the world which may prove its salvation. A gripping first-person story of an unusual
heroine's struggles. Two from David Fickling books offer older teens avid stories. Another new
Edge Chronicles addition by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel, Last Of The Sky Privates (0385750781,
$12.95) joins four other Edge stories and continues the tale of sewers underground which house a
bustling city, Edgeworld. Rook dreams of becoming a librarian knight sent to explore his world for
secrets - he'll even break the rules to set out on a journey on his own, facing mysteries and
adventures in the process. John Dickinson's The Widow And The King (0385750846, $18.95)
provides a winning sequel to The Cup Of The World: familiarity with the predecessor is
recommended for easy absorption of the ongoing saga. The daughter of a powerful widow and son
of a dead, hated king find their worlds controlled by a vengeful spirit and their fates drawn together
in the ongoing story of a journey to freedom. Katy Kelly's Lucy Rose: Big On Plans (03857-3204X,
$12.95) will appeal to younger teens, who will readily share Lucy Rose's big plans for the summer.
Her determinatio to get rid of 78 squirrels eating up the apricot tree and her investigations into how
to stop her parents' separation make for realistic yet fun reading. Sue Stauffacher's Harry Sue
(0375832742, $15.95) tells of the only child of convicted felons who faces a host of zany challenges
before she can begin the life of crime which will reunite her with her mother. But before she can do
so, she must save a bunch of little kids from an evil grandmother Jeanne Birdsall's The
Penderwicks: A Summer Tale Of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, And A Very Interesting Boy
(037-5831436, $15.95) tells of four close systems and a doting father who head for a summer
holiday in a tumbledown cottage only to find a beautiful estate offers magic and discovery. Danger
and action permeate an involving story of a unique adventure. Michele Torrey's Voyage Of Plunder
(0375823832, $15.95) tells of Daniel, who finds his father's mysterious nighttime visitors are in
actuality pirates when his father is shot and orphaned Daniel is trapped and forced to join the pirate
crew. He wants to avenge his father's death, but finds pirate life has some unusual advantages and
kind men in this adventure of the high seas. J.B. Cheaney's My Friend The Enemy (0375814329,
$15.95) is set during World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and tells of one Hazel, who is
always on the lookout for enemies of the country. Instead, she discovers a lonely boy hiding from
the threat of an internment camp, and must decide if he's really the enemy or a friend. A moving
story of Japanese issues on American soil.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Oh, The Pets You Can Get!
Tish Rabe
Golden Books/Random House
1745 Broadway, NY, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/kids
037582278X $8.99 1-800-726-0600
New to the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library series is the zany coverage of animal friends, featuring
the Cat in Hat illustrations by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu and telling of the Cat in the Hat's visit
to a land of pets. Containing nonfiction information but reading with the drama and grace of fiction,
Oh, The Pets You Can Get: All About Our Animal Friends is a good picturebook introduction to the
world of pet ownership.
Salmon Creek
Annette LeBox & Karen Reczuch
Groundwood Books
720 Bathurst Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2R4
www.groundwoodsbooks.com
0888996446 $8.95 1-800-667-6902
Presenting accurate information about the life cycle of the wild Pacific salmon in the format of a
beautifully illustrated picturebook, young readers age 4 to 8 will enjoy author Annette LeBox's
eloquent and enthusiastically recommended story of Sumi, a coho salmon from her birth and trip
down river to the ocean, to her time as a fully mature fish swimming in the great seas, to her
determined return up river to her birthplace where she can spawn. Karen Reczuch's artwork is a
perfect visual aid in caring forward the informative text, which is enhanced with the inclusion of an
afterword presenting the factual basis for the picturebook story and the threats facing wild salmon
today. Especially recommended for school and community library collections, Salmon Creek is also
available in a hardcover edition (0888994583, $16.95).
Everything Horse
Marty Crisp
Northword Books for Young Readers
11571 K-Tel Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55343
1559719206 $10.95 tnkdsbooks.com
Also available in an inexpensive paperback edition (1559719214, $7.95) Everything Horse: What
Kids Really Want To Know About Horses by Mary Crisp is a superbly illustrated introduction for
young readers ages 8 to 11 about a horse's habitat, diet, life cycle, and history. The latest addition to
Northword's excellent "Kids FAQs" series, Everything Horse answers such fascinating questions as
"Do horses sleep standing up?", "Why do horses wear shoes?", "What was the Pony Express", and
more. Packed from cover to cover with useful information and fun trivia about horses, Everything
Horse is highly recommended for horse loving and curious youngsters, and would make an popular
addition to any school or community library's "Pets & Wildlife" collection.
The Audiobook Shelf
The High King
Lloyd Alexander
Listening Library
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.listeninglibrary.com
1400085608 $28.00 1-800-726-0600
James Langton's spirited reading of Alexander's The High King, the fifth and final book in his
Prydain Chronicles fantasy series is a recommended listen for teens on up who have prior familiarity
with the Prydain setting from previous novels in the series. The unabridged reading makes for a
powerful production as actor James brings drama to the concluding story of Taran, who helps lead
an army against a powerful lord. His final confrontation is filled with danger and a decision which
will affect the rest of his life in this vivid dramatization.
Full Cast Audio
618 Westcott Street, 1st Floor, Syracuse, NY 13210
www.fullcastaudio.com
Full Cast's outstanding audios are recommended picks for both adult and young adult listeners: by
offering a full cast reading of each story, the effects of a quality radio show drama are incorporated
into the listening experience. Some enjoy an extra treat, as in Wild Magic: The Immorals Book 1 by
Tamora Pierce (193207-6832, $39.00), where the author herself joins with the Full Cast dramatists
in telling of Daine, who carries a dark secret and a powerful magic which may be able to save her
new home from destruction; others, such as Robert Heinlein's The Rolling Stones (1932076808,
$39.00), can't enjoy author participation (Heinlein is long dead) and thus enjoys a lively rendition
(here, by David Baker and the Cast family of voice actors). Rolling Stones was written with a young
adult audience in mind: the story of twins who are trouble - even as they cross the solar system - is
fine adventure. Bruce Coville's The Weeping Werewolf (1932076867, $9.95) will reach ages 6-9
with a fun unabridged recording of another Moongobble and Edward adventure. The fantasy leads
them into the Forest of Night, to encounter a life-changing magic. Ryan Sparkes and the Full Cast
family narrate, accompanied by original music. Coville's The Evil Elves (1933322322, $15.00)
presents another strong Moongobble drama narrated by the same cast: here Moongobble is
challenged to retrieve "the Queens' Belly Button", an enchanted stone which has already turned an
entire village evil. Another powerful fantasy.
The Video/DVD Shelf
Rock 'N Learn
PO Box 3595, Conroe, TX 77305-3595
1-800-348-8445 www.rocknlearn.com
Rock 'N Learn is a premier source for educational videos and DVDs specifically designed for
children preschool through early grade school. Four new superbly produced releases are especially
appropriate and recommended for preschool and kindergarten aged children needing to acquire an
introductory grasp of the alphabet, preparing for school enrollment, and taking their first steps
towards literacy. In Alphabet Circus (DVD RL952, $19.99; VHS RL998, $14.99), kids ages 2
through 5 are taken on an exciting trip to the circus where Alphabet Al shows how easy it is to learn
about letters with the help of clowns, acrobats, dancing dogs and more. In Nursery Rhymes (DVD
RL982, $19.99; VHS RL994, $14.99) Mother Goose introduces children ages 2 through 7 to 43
favorite nursery rhymes in fun songs with the help of Brother and Sister Goose. The characters use
humor to teach lessons about safety, manners, and responsibility accompanied by a pop-style music
utilizing both traditional and new melodies. Getting Ready For Kindergarten (DVD RL952, $19.99;
VHS RL998, $14.99) has Joey and Jill getting ready to start kindergarten. Children ages 5 and 5 will
join them on a musical adventure as Joey and Jill learn about getting dressed, tying shoelaces,
sorting by colors and shapes, using scissors, counting, letters, listening skills, polite behavior,
left/right, and so much more! With Phonics Easy Readers (DVD RL954, $19.99) children ages 6
and up can teach themselves to read with a self-paced, "kid friendly" program that has twelve
entertaining stories that employ fun characters and build in sequence from the simple to the more
complex. Kids have time to read each screen before hearing a voice read the highlighted words. In
addition to community library children's multimedia collections, all four of these educational titles
are very highly recommended supplements for preschool, daycare, homeschooling, and traditional
curriculums.
Weston Woods Studios
143 Main Street, Norwalk, CT 06851
www.scholastic.com/westonwoods
Weston Woods Studios is a premier producer of multimedia adaptations of picturebooks for
children. Each of their selected titles are available as closed-captioned videos, DVDs, hardcover
books/cassette, and hardcover book/CD editions. Their latest offerings reviewed in their DVD
formats include Laurie Keller's Arnie The Doughnut (DVD666, $59.95, 17 minutes), an average
doughnut made by one of the best bakeries in town, and will be consumed by Mr. Bing unless Arnie
can persuade him that a doughnut can be more than just a snack! Ntozake Shange's Ellington
(DVD672, $59.95, 12 minutes) is based on the author's having grown up when many of the great
figures in 20th Century African-American history gathered in her family home to talk and share
ideas, and even sing. Karma Wilson's Bear Snores On (DVD666, $59.95, 8 minutes) has Bear
sleeping in his cozy cave in the woods. Surprise guests show up to brew tea and pop corn while
Bear snores on. When the smells and the fun finally disturb his slumber, Bear wakes up to find his
den full of celebrating critters! Jane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? (DVD651, $59.95,
8 minutes) is narrated by the author with animation by MaGik Studio has enormous sneezes to
gigantic wails, of mischievous but ailing dinosaurs carry on! The collaboration of authors Bill Martin
Jr. and Michael Sampson, enhanced with the illustrations of Lois Ehlert, Chicka Chicka 1-2-3
(DVD-669, $59.95, 6 minutes) has one hundred and one numbers racing each other up an apple
tree. As the numerals pile up, bad bumblebees come a-buzzing round. Which number will save the
day? Fun-filled music and vocals by Crystal Taliefero will have children singing about numbers long
after those bumblebees have gone! Mordicai Gerstein's The Man Who Walked Between The Towers
(DVD670, $59.95, 10 minutes) is inspired by the daredevil feat of French aerialist Philippe Petit's
1974 high wire walk between the World Trade Center towers. Jean Fritz's Will You Sign Here John
Hancock? (DVD480, $59.95, 20 minutes) introduces one of the ost famous signers of the
Declaration of Independence. These titles are excellent choices for any school or library
collection.
I Love Toy Trains: The Final Show
McComas/Stachler Production
TM Books & Video
PO Box 279, New Buffalo, MI 49117
www.tmbooks-video.com
1932291296 $14.95 1-800-892-2822
I Love Toy Trains: The Final Show is a superbly produced, 55 minute DVD showcase of live action
enhanced by the music of Jim Coffey as young viewers are taken on an informed and entertaining
tour of fabulous toy trains and their settings. I Love Toy Trains: The Final Show features Dick
Kughn's "Caraill, TM's studio layouts, a sensational Lego layout, and the original Freedom Train.
This highly recommended addition to any personal, school, or community library Video/DVD
collection for children is the latest addition to the acclaimed "I Love Toy Trains" series which now
boasts of 15 titles. If you and your kids enjoy the entertainment and excitement of toy trains, then
this is the video for you!
Schlessinger Media
7 East Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-0580
1-800-843-3620 www.schlessinger.com
"Weather for Children" is an informed and informative four volume DVD series designed and
produced specifically for children in grades K thru 4 and introduces young viewers to a variety of
basic weather concepts and terms. Each title is 23 minutes long and has a closed-captioned feature
for the hearing impaired. Additional features include English and Spanish language tracks, chapter
selects, as well as discussion questions and activities. A Teacher's Guide accompanies each title and
provides additional information including vocabulary words, and additional questions and activities
that can be used for assessment or class projects. The four ably produced titles ($29.95 each)
making up this outstanding and enthusiastically recommended series for school and community
library collections include: All About Climate & Seasons; All About Meteorology; All About Winds
& Clouds; and All About Rain, Snow, Sleet & Hail.
The Science Shelf
Tsunamis
Thomas K. Adamson
Bridgestone Books/Capstone Press
7825 Telegraph Road, Bloomington, MN 55438
www.capstonepress.com
0736852484 $21.26 1-800-747-4992
A very timely addition to any school or community library Earth Science collection for young
readers grades 2 to 5, Thomas Adamson's Tsunamis is an informative and "kid friendly" introduction
to the kind of tidal waves that inundated the coastal areas of the countries of the Indian Ocean.
Tsunamis teaches young readers how tsunamis form, how they move and reach the store, the
damage they can create, warning systems used to alert people, and the aftermath of the terrible
devastation caused by the December 26, 2004 tsunami. The simple, clear language and the full-color
diagrams and photographs offer clear and readily grasped facts and science. Note that Tsunamis is
available to school and public libraries at the library rate ($15.95), and all proceeds from 2005 sales
are being donated to the United Nations Children's Fund to help children affected by the 2004
tsunami.
Books in Series
Ottn Publishing
16 Risler Street, Stockton, NJ 08559
1-866-356-6886 www.ottnpublishing.com
"Road to War: Causes of Conflict" is a new five volume series from Ottn Publishers that provides
young readers in grades four through six with an informed, informative, and thoroughly "kid
friendly" introduction into events that led up to the American Revolution, the American Civil War,
America's involvement in World Wars I and II, and our current participation in the on-going Iraqi
conflict. Each 64-page book is profusely illustrated with color photography, maps, and illustrations.
Available in either a hardcover ($22.95 each) or a paperback ($11.95) edition, each volume is
specifically and professionally written to engage even the most "reader reluctant" student as it
provides a focused survey and explanation of the underlying reasons for how each of these major
conflicts got started -- including the personalities and events associated with each specific military
conflict. Especially recommended for grade school and home schooling curriculum supplemental
American History reading lists for children, the five volumes comprising this outstanding series
include Causes Of The American Revolution (1595560017); Causes Of The Civil War
(1595560025); Causes Of World War I (1595560017); Causes Of World War II (1595560041); and
Causes Of The Iraq War (1595560092).
The Child's World
PO Box 326, Chanhassen, MN 55317
1-800-599-7323 www.childsworld.com
"Our Galaxy And Beyond" (1592961401, list price $270.70; library price $189.50) is a superbly
produced series of ten books focused on the planets of our solar system. These visually impressive
titles are superbly illustrated with astronomical photography illuminating a text featuring the most
recent information science has to offer. Young elementary school readers are provided with a history
of spaces as seen through the efforts of early astronomers, as well as the experiences of
contemporary NASA missions. A thoroughly "kid friendly" text nicely lays out current theories on
the formation of the solar system, the composition of the Sun, and identifying features of each of the
nine planets that comprise our astronomical neighborhood. The ten titles include Earth; Jupiter;
Mars; Mercury; Neptune; Pluto; Saturn; Uranus; Venus, and The Sun. Each of these 32-page titles
feature a reinforced library binding, a table of contents, informative sidebars, a glossary of key words
and phrases, an index, sources for further research (including websites) and "fast facts" for
reference. The "Our Galaxy And Beyond" series is an important, core addition to any school or
community library Science & Astronomy reference section -- and ideal as as curriculum supplement
material for homeschooling as well!
Lerner Publishing Group
1251 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1036
1-800-328-4929 www.lernerbooks.com
"On My Own Holidays" (1575050171, list price $335.02; library price $251.30) is a delightfully
presented, informative and entertaining fourteen book series for young readers that showcases
individual cultural and ethnic holidays around the world. The four newest additions to this
outstanding series which is ideal for both school and community library collections are Chinese New
Year (1575056534); Cinco De Mayo (1575056542); Easter Around The World (1575056550); and
Veterans Day (15750-56992). Each of these 48-page titles feature full color illustrations and are
enhanced for children with maps, a "New Words Section", recipes, a timeline, and a "Note to
Adults" section.
Picture Window Books
7825 Telegraph Road, Minneapolis, MN 55438
1-877-845-8392 picturewindowbooks.com
Children ages 4 to 9 will appreciate the lively storytelling which is expertly enhanced by the
inclusion of original, full-color illustrations in the new "Read-it! Readers: Folk Tales" series
(1040480999-6PF, $130.20 list price, $97.65 library price). This thoroughly enjoyable series of
seven, 32-page, hardcover books showcases the classic stories of Chicken Little, The Gingerbread
Man, How Many Spots Does A Leopard Have, How The Camel Got Its Hump, The Little Red Hen,
The Pied Piper, and Stone Soup (each individual title is available separately for $18.60 list price,
$13.95 library price). Ideal for the beginning reader, as well as for parent "read aloud" activities with
their children, the "Read-it! Readers: Folk Tales" series will prove to be popular additions to
preschool, day-care center, and community library "beginning reader" collections.
The World History Shelf
Inside The Beagle With Charles Darwin
Fiona Macdonald & Mark Bergin
Enchanted Lion Books
45 Main Street, #519, Brooklyn NY 11201
1592700411 $19.95 1-888-330-8477
This 48-page history of Charles Darwin's famous sea voyage that was to ultimately result in his
publishing a book introducing the concept of evolution to the general public is expertly told for
young readers by Mark Bergin and perfectly complemented by the outstanding full color artwork
and illustrations by Mark Bergin. Beginning with an informative and concise introduction of the life
of Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), Inside The Beagle With Charles Darwin presents the ship
"Beagle" being outfitted for the multi-year voyage, life on board ship, Darwin's exploration of the
rainforest, finding fossils, returning home after visiting New Zealand and Australia, and then how
Darwin arranged what he'd found, the deductions he made from his findings, and the basic concept
that became known as the theory of evolution. Enhanced with a timeline of the voyage, a
chronological list of Darwin's life and works, a glossary, and an index, Inside The Beagle With
Charles Darwin is a seminal and strongly recommended addition to all grade school and community
library Science History collections for children.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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