Good morning, and welcome to this week's edition of Encompass Live. I am your guest host, Michael Sowers, the Technology Innovation Librarian here at the Nebraska Library Commission. Krista Burns is heading off to New York, and might actually be in the air as we speak. Either that or they're in Chicago. What in the end? Hopefully they're in the air. This week we have Sally Snyder here from the Library Commission to do her best books of 2011 talk, best youth books of 2011 talk. So I'm going to, I know she's got a lot to talk about, so I'm just going to hand it right over to her as we go. Thank you, Michael. And I just want to tell you right now we're going to go longer than an hour in order for me to get through my list. And I just had so many I thought were great for different reasons, but that's what happened. And I want to tell you before we start on our slide that we have there that you can access my list from the Library Commission's webpage, so I'm going to pop that up first. And if you see our homepage, and we've already typed here in the search button over here, typed in the word handouts. And you click on that, and then the top, so far it's the top thing that comes up on the list that says the Nebraska Library Commission handouts. Click on that, and then you come to this page, which so far is all about me, but other people could use it if they want to. Then maybe someday somebody else will have some lists up here, but it's mine for now. Okay, and then right under here, whoops, sorry, that's NLA NEMA 2011 conference handouts, Best Youth Books PDF. So click on that, and there's my PDF. And you'll see that this is my list with the order information you might need, plus you get my blurb right there on the page, and that's why it's 31 pages. Which, you know, because I'm very verbose, I guess. But I wanted you to know where that was. So instead of writing frantically, you can jot down, like, the title or something else to remind you. And then you can go find this page and get all of the other information you might want to have. And we will provide a link to that in the show notes also for anybody who's listening to the recording. Good point. Okay, so I should have made that go smaller, shouldn't I? Yeah, there we go. Okay, so here's the list. And these are books that I have encountered either the, now a number of publishers send us review books, but not everybody. So if your favorite publisher is underrepresented, it's because they're not sending me anything or very much. I do go to the library. I read in the library journals for titles and information. So I try to be inclusive, but their best bet is to send me titles. And with this list, I do start with the older teens and work down to preschool. So we'll start with fiction for older teens and I apologize for this. This is a compact disc that I checked out of, oh, I forgot to tell you the other thing, I'm sorry, backing up. I forgot to update my date there on that starting screen and I apologize for that. Okay, White Cat by Holly Black is the first book in the Curse Workers series. In a society where curse workers or magic workers are outlawed, organized crime is in control of all who can wield the power. Castle 17 is the only member of his family with no curse power. He feels disconnected but still loyal to them. He works hard to blend into normal society, but recent events have him rethinking his place there. And the sequel is Red Glove also by Holly Black, so this is book two. Castle Sharp thought he had no magical power, but he learned he was wrong in White Cat, uh-oh, sorry, I gave that away. Now he is trying to decide what to do, join the Zakharov family or mobster types and use his curse working skills for them or try to find some way to be normal. Wolfmark by Joseph Bruschach, Luke who's 17 has learned a lot of things from his father and uncle, martial arts, tracking, survival skills. And now he may need every skill he has learned. His father has been kidnapped and Luke plans to rescue him. Along the way, he learned something more, that he, Luke, is a skin walker, like his father. That means he can take on the form of a wolf, in his case. Bruschach blends native stories, European stories, danger, evil, and what it means to be human in his latest title. Payback time by Carl Duker. Senior Mitch True has been the investigative reporter for the school paper, but this year he has assigned the sports beat. It isn't long before he is wondering what the coach is up to. Why is the obviously talented new player pretending to be average? He makes key plays when needed to win the game, but the rest of the time he stumbles along or sits on the bench. Soon, Mitch and his sports photographer, Kimmy, are investigating. Promen Prejudice by Elizabeth Uelberg. As a scholarship student at an elite boarding school, coming in for the first time as a junior, Lizzie Bennett is made to feel unworthy of attention by all the students except her roommate Jane, one of the nicest people she knows. In advance, Jane is smitten by Charles Bingley and Lizzie suffers the snobbery of Will Darcy. Does this begin to sound familiar? A modernized version of Promen Prejudice is sure to appeal to younger readers. And it is well done, maintains a lot of the plot with, of course, updates. This is the first book in a new series, The Secret Journey of Jack London. This title is The Wild by Christopher Golden and Tim Levin. Jack is 17 and turns 18 in the book. He travels to the Yukon to seek gold, and he soon joins up with two friendly guys he met on the trail. At first, their adventures are all wilderness related and they're pretty harrowing just to survive. But soon they turn supernatural. Alone, Jack runs from the Wendigo and he encounters a siren-like young woman who cares for him as he heals. Escaping her may be harder than facing the Wendigo. It's a good look at the trials of facing such a wilderness with the added supernatural aspects of the story, which will probably appeal to teen readers. And I know those authors from, from adult fiction and, and they're both wonderful authors. Excellent. Blank Confession by Pete Hopman. Shane Blank walks into the police station and calmly confesses to murder. The detective on duty, George Rawls, listened as Shane tells what happened. An unusual and compelling story, this is also the 2012-2013 one book for Nebraska teens. Skatefade by Juan Felipe Herrera has lots of white space, which will appeal to reluctant readers. However, this is not a quick read. Told all in poetry, Lucky Z is reconnecting to the world and celebrating life after an accident that left him in a wheelchair. The Odyssey, re-imagined by Gareth Hines. A graphic novel version of the tale, what Hines accomplished with Beowulf, he now does with the Odyssey. A wonderful adaptation with color art, this will appeal to many. And it's a good place to start for teens who have not yet read Homer's version. Or really don't want to, I didn't see it. I read Homer's version. Five Flavors of Dumb by Anthony John. Piper is 18 and almost accidentally is offered the job of manager for classmates popular rock band called Dumb. This is a rather unusual job for someone who was deaf. Now if only she can keep them together and actually play music. Mercy by Rebecca Lim.  All she knows is that she wakes up in someone else's body, stays there for a time, days or weeks, it is never the same. And then moves on, remembering very little of what happened before. This time she is in Carmen, who's probably 16, a member of a high school choir group. The choir is staying in another town for two weeks. Carmen is staying in the room of a girl who disappeared two years ago. The parents have given up and are trying to return to normal, but her twin brother, Ryan, who's about 18, is certain that she is still alive. For the first time, Mercy sees she can do something and make a difference. And soon, Ryan and Carmen, or Mercy as Carmen, are working together to find Lauren. A modern retelling of Jane Eyre, Jane takes a nanny job after having to drop out of college. She is working for the famous rock star, Nico Rathburn. It's well done and my sister, who is a died in the world Jane Eyre fan, thoroughly enjoyed this version. So if she approves of it, I approve of it. Hot House by Chris Lidge. DJ and Russell, teens and sons of firefighters, work through the grief and the glory bestowed on them when their fathers died fighting the same fire. But soon, some rumors of wrongdoing begin to surface. And suddenly, DJ and Russell are no longer the honored sons of the town. We wait with DJ to find out what the final verdict will be about what happened that night. Okay, another modernization, this is happening more and more. Michelle Ray has written, falling for Hamlet. Modern day Denmark, Hamlet is Prince, attending college not too far away. And Ophelia, a high school senior is the daughter of the king's top advisor and PR person, and a long time friend of Hamlet. Told from Ophelia's point of view, the text occasionally includes excerpts from a police interview of her and periodic excerpts from an Oprah like TV interview. These blend well into the story, believe it or not. The author follows Shakespeare's story with only one or two huge differences. The first one being, Ophelia lives. And the second one is that the final confrontation happens during a lacrosse game instead of a sword fight. The main characters retain their names, Horatio, Leia, Teis, etc., while minor characters do not. So again, if you're looking for another way of experiencing Hamlet, this might be fun. Oh, Ocean of Blood by Darren Shane. This is book two of the Saga of Lartin Crepsley series. And it's going to be four books all together. They are prequels to the Cirque du Freak series. In this book, Lartin is tired of older vampires telling him how to behave. So along with his blood brother, Wester, he goes out into the world and falls full tilt into the joys of being a vampire. So think lots of killing and other things. His enemies are waiting for the right moment. Natalie Standiford has written Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters. Told in three parts, we hear the confessions of Nori, Jane, and Sassy, for the affront their grandmother has suffered. Called Almighty, their grandmother has demanded a confession from the one who perpetrated the unnamed act. No one is certain what got Almighty so upset, but since their family is dependent on her, all three girls confess their secrets. Numbers by Rachel Ward is said in London. Jem, who is 15, can see the date of the day someone will die if she looks in their eyes, so she rarely does that. She knows the date her best friend, Spider, will die. They are both in line for a ride on the London Eye when she realizes that everyone else in line has today's date in their eyes. As she and Spider run away, a bomb explodes. Afraid they will be accused, they ended, afraid to explain why they ran, they leave town together on the run. Spider doesn't know his day is coming soon, and Jem isn't sure what they should do next. Can she find a way to keep Spider alive? The Chaos by Rachel Ward is book two in the number series. Adam is 15, and he is the son of Jem from book one. Since he can remember, he can see the date a person will die if he looks in his or her eyes, like his mother could. But more than that, he can also feel what kind of death it will be. Peaceful or painful by knife or by catastrophe. He and his great grandmother just moved back to London, and he is appalled at how many people have the date January 1st, 2027 has their date. What will happen in six months, and can he do anything about it? The third book, and conclusion to the trilogy, Infinity is due out May 1st of 2012. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney, a junior at the boarding school, Themis Academy, Alex Patrick has trouble remembering how she ended up in Carter Hutchinson's bed. Over the next few days, she begins to remember bits and pieces of that night, and finally realizes that she was date-raped. Themis Academy faculty are so proud of all their students who are top students. They have no procedure in place to handle any kind of complaint like this. So the students have set up their own justice system, and they call it the Mockingbirds. Some teen nonfiction include Sugar Changed the World, A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science by Mark Aronson and Marina Butos. This is exactly what it says, the history of sugar and its effects on religion, politics, and humanity. And also, it's sugar's several sources and forms. And I believe this is on the list for the five Morris Award. Is it Morris Award? Or I think so. I should have checked that, sorry. This is fascinating, How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg. A look at the deaths of 19 famous people from King Tut to Albert Einstein, the people are listed chronologically. Six to eight pages are given to each person with a two page spread ad for each that explains one or two or three things about them or things that were of their time. It's great for browsing. I think particularly reluctant readers will be involved with all the information available in this book. Sky Sailor's True Stories of the Balloon Era is by David Bristow. He's a Nebraska author, and this is the 2011 Nebraska Center for the Book Young Adult Nonfiction Award winner. It's excellent nonfiction that reads like a story. Readers will learn about the experimentation and dangers of the balloon era, something teens may not have encountered before. Illustrated with numerous photos and handbills of the time, it also includes notes and a bibliography. The Bat Scientist by Mary Kay Carlson is another excellent title in the scientists in the field series. And the lore of bats should make this title popular and those vampire bats on the cover, oh yeah, that'll grab them. Science Fair Season by Judy Denton is actually an adult book but I think it's something that could really appeal to teen readers. It's a fascinating look at six of the contestants for the 2009 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, ISEF, as well as some of the winners from previous years. Each chapter is dedicated to one amazing student telling how they became interested in their subject, what their project is about, and how they progress from local to regional to the international competition. The author has an easygoing style that is appealing and does an admirable job of explaining some of the more intricate scientific issues surrounding the projects, because even I understood them, so thumbs up to her. This is a wonderful book for casual science readers, as well as an inspiration for future Science Fair competitors. Sir Charlie Chaplin, the funniest man in the world by Sid Fleischman. This is the author's last book he passed away in March of 2010. This gives the reader a look at Charlie Chaplin from childhood poverty in London to his fame in silent movies. Fleischman does not ignore some of Chaplin's faults, both personal and professional. He also includes some details about early moviemaking while keeping the reader engaged. Sparky, the life and art of Charles Schultz by Beverly Gurman, a positive biography of the funny pages artists. She doesn't really mention anything negative about his life or art, and this may inspire future generations to give it a try if they've heard of him. Father Abraham, Lincoln and His Sons by Harold Holzer, a biography of Lincoln and his family focusing, of course, on Lincoln's relationship with his sons. Numerous illustrations and photographs from the time break up the text and add interest. As Booklist noted, this look at Lincoln's family also gives the reader insight into Lincoln's personality, and it's an excellent look at life in the 1800s. The Dark Game, True Spy Stories by Paul Genesco. Written in an appealing way, this title blends intriguing facts with some well-known and some not so well-known spies in history. Beginning with the American Revolutionary War, the author identifies some of the spies that saved our revolution and notes some of their methods. He moves on to the American Civil War, World War I and II and the Cold War, concluding with two cases of U.S. agents turning over secrets to others. Very fascinating, and teens are often fascinated by spies. Okay, I hopped on to Built to Last by David McCauley. This combines three previously published books in one volume. Castle, Cathedral and Mosque are included with some updates, and now they are also in full color, sure to attract browsers. So if you have had the others but now are missing some, you could buy that to get all three. I love his books. They're great, aren't they? The Crossing by Jim Murphy, How George Washington Saved the American Revolution, is an excellent book at Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. The author gives good background before presenting the event. How and why Washington was chosen to command the Continental Army, early battles and skirmishes, Washington's plans for the crossing, and why, after such a victory, he decided on a night march to Princeton. Another excellent book by an award-winning author. Okay, Fiction for Younger Teens. Forge by Lori Hoff Anderson is the sequel to Chains, and book two in the Seeds of America trilogy. Curzon, abandoned by Isabel, stumbles into a battle and becomes one of General George Washington's troops. You could pair this with the previous book, non-fiction book, if you wanted to do that. The author's descriptions of the lives of revolutionary soldiers at Valley Forge give a sense of the terrible conditions there. Curzon makes friends and enemies, there's being called a runaway slave, because he is, and wonders about the future. When he encounters Isabel again, he is determined that they should both run fast and far. And book three is on the way. King of Ithaca by Tracy Barrett. Odysseus has been gone for years, 16 years, since he left his son Telemachus as almost a man. Things are getting more tense in Ithaca, so Telemachus heats the advice of a visiting sea captain and sails off searching for news of his father. His voyage to visit Pylos and Sparta guide him to be a better man and a better future king. This story is a bit different from the one we have heard before, because Odysseus doesn't come off quite so well in this one, but it has action and adventure and a little intrigue. Around the World in a Hundred Days by Gary Blackwood. Twenty years after Philias Fogg went around the world at 80 days, his son Harry is caught in a similar situation. This time Harry was expounding on motor cars and how they will take over from horses and buggies, and he insisted that the model he and a friend have developed is far superior to any other. Now he must drive all the way, except when crossing water, in 100 days or lose the bet he can afford. Great fun, some danger, and of course some trouble. Uncommon Trimmels by Allie Carter is a sequel to Heist Society. Cat Catarina is 15, and she has chosen to lead the family business, stealing art and tools, etc. for profit, and she is now stealing art in order to return it to their proper owners. Then she is asked to steal the Cleopatra emerald. The biggest problem with this is she cannot use any of her regular cons, and the emerald is cursed. Matched by Allie Condi is reminiscent of the giver. Cassia lives in a well-ordered society without fear, poverty, or uncertainty. When she is matched with her friend Sandra at the match banquet, she is certain her match is perfect, but a computer glitch shows her the face of someone else, which is why an aberration who is not allowed to match. This begins her discovery of the flaws of the society. Book 2 of the trilogy crossed is now out and is also excellent. The Scorched Trials by James Dashner is the sequel to Maze Runner. The survivors of the maze are told they have two weeks to walk 100 miles straight north to the safe haven. If they get there, they will receive an antidote to the disease, the flare, and maybe their trials will be over. 100 miles of desolation except for the city, which houses the cranks, people who are afflicted with the flare and are going crazy and are extremely dangerous. It's a compelling story, and the death cure came out in October, so I haven't read that one yet, but fascinating. Joseph Delaney has written Rage of the Fallen. This is a continuation in the Last Apprentice series. War still rages in the county, so Tom, the spook, and Alice must travel to Ireland, where they could end up facing the morrigan or even the fiend, also known as the devil. Irish mages are trying to connect with Pam, who is not interested, and a witch may also be after Tom, so they've got plenty of danger and excitement with the few scary for me because I am a wimp in the scary department. A few scary scenes. Brain Jack by Brian Faulkner. Sam Wilson is 17, and he is a hacker who was caught by Homeland Security. He is now working for them, helping to catch potential hackers who threaten the security of the nation. The newest thing are neuro headsets which connect to the brain. Sam can move much faster through the internet with one, but maybe they are not such a good idea. Cloaked by Alex Flynn, Finn, sorry. The character's name is Flynn. The author's name is Finn. No, reverse that. I have it wrong on my page. Alex Flynn is the author of Cloaked. The character's name is Finn, and he is 17 and a cobbler as his father and grandfather before him. He wants to go and see the world, but he stays to help his mother because his father has disappeared many years ago. His best friend works in the restaurant of the Grand Hotel that houses his mother's shop. One day the beautiful Princess Victoria of Eloria secretly asks him to find her brother who has been turned into a frog by a witch. This is the beginning of the blending of several fairy tales that is full of adventure, intrigue, and some humor. Bell Boy, a sister in the rebel ranks by Ann Fuller, is a Nebraska author. Samantha, now called Sam, has joined the Confederate ranks disguised as a boy as she tries to find her brother, listed as missing after a battle. And this is kind of unique because most of the time when you read about a woman or a girl who disguises herself, it's for the union side, and this is in the Confederate side. Reckless by Cornelia Funke. Jacob Reckless has been visiting the land through the mirror in his father's office, and his job there is to find fairy tale items for customers in that land he calls Mirror World. His father disappeared years ago, and just this trip his younger brother Will has followed him into Mirror World. Just in time to be bitten by a goyle. Now Will begins to change from flesh to a stony skin. He is becoming jade, and Jacob is desperate to help him. I think there's going to be another book about these characters. Okay, if you're still into vampires, here we go. Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson is the first book in the Alex Van Helsing series. Alex is 14, and he's been sent to an academy near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and all his life he's been told that his last name has nothing to do with that guy in the stories years ago. All yet it does, he is the great, great, great grandson of the Van Helsing, and he is about to get in the middle of an ongoing fight against evil. Plenty of action in this book that makes a great start to a new series for those who are interested in vampires. Red Cell by John Kalkowski is also a Nebraska author. Major League Baseball Action adds to the story of terrorists and the fight against them. Will Conlan in middle school unintentionally discovers a connection between a commercial on television and the terrorist's target. Who will believe him, and who can he tell off? Excalibur, the legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee is told in graphic novel format, and this version of the well-known tale will appeal to reluctant readers and King Arthur fans. It's very well done, and I have an approval by a graphic novel reader for this one, so it's always nice when other people verify your opinions. The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee is the second book in the Mary Quinn mystery series. In Victoria London, Mary is now 18, and her second assignment for the secret detective agency, which happens to be all women, is to disguise herself as a boy and work at the construction site of the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower as an errand boy to try to discover any information concerning one man's death and the perpetual delays in the construction. Given some insight into the plight of an everyday worker of the time, especially young boys, it's an interesting mystery about a strong, capable woman with a little touch of romance, because we always like that, we women readers. The Power of Six by Pitekis Lore is the second book in the Lorian Legacy series. John Smith of the first book, I Am Number Four, is on the run with Number Six and his best friend, Sam. Alternating chapters tell their story and the story of Marina, who is Number Seven, was her mentor in a Spanish convent. From Lorian, another planet, they have been hidden on Earth until they come into their powers. Their powers have begun to appear, and the first three have been killed by the Mogadorians. They believe that there's nine who made it to Earth, but maybe there's ten. And then if you count the three who have been killed already, there's going to be at least one more title in this series, and it's really appealing and leaves you on edge, of course. Trash by Andy Mulligan is about three boys who live on a huge trash pile, and some of the many people who sit through what is there to find what can be sold or made use of. One day they find a bag with some paper and a key in it. Now begins their search for what the key unlocks and what might be inside. Their lives are in danger, since the police showed up to ask all the dwellers to look for the bag. This could be their jackpot or their downfall. The author notes that he based the dump in the book and visited while he was living in Manila, because I never had a sense of where exactly they were, and I think he did that on purpose. This is the second book in a new series, The Cruisers. They are Xander, Cambui, La Sonda, and Bobby. Oh, sorry, this title is Checkmate by Walter Dean Myers. They all attend the Da Vinci Academy in Harlem. The assistant principal has asked The Cruisers to be friend Sidney Orlowski and find out why he has been picked up for drug use. He really didn't use it, he was just asking where to buy some. He's a school star chess player and drugs don't fit with who he is. Book three center stage is on the way. Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman work together to write this book titled Kick. Myers tells us about Kevin Johnson, 13, who was accused of stealing a car and wrecking it on a light pole, told from alternating viewpoints that of Kevin and that of police sergeant Jerry Brown, he found out what really happened. It's a compelling story and the alternate chapters are written by the two different authors. Yummy, The Last Days of a South Side Shorty by G. Neary. This graphic novel with black and white art is a blending of fiction and non-fiction and is based on a Chicago event from 1994. The author noted several sources he used and tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who became both a perpetrator and a victim of violence as a member of a gang. It's a chilling and powerful story. Three-quarters Dead by Richard Peck tells of Carrie, who's a sophomore. She is stunned and thrilled when three of the most popular seniors invite her to join them in their gang or their group. They hang out together, but one day, the three older girls are killed in a car accident. Carrie was supposed to be with them, but she wasn't on time. Then a while later, the Queen B. calls Carrie on the phone and asks her to come into the city and join the three of them. This ghost story with the additional appeal of joining the in-crowd may appeal to more than the ghost story fans of young adult fiction. Myrolls by Kathy Reichs is the first young adult worked by the author, and this is a new series. Tori Brennan is knees to temperance Brennan of Reich's adult series and TV show Bones. She lives with her father, a marine biologist. She and her friends, all boys, are accidentally exposed to a manufactured strain of Parbovirus, which has profound effect on their systems. They become embroiled in an old murder and a new mystery about who is behind it all. It's compelling with lots of action, but maybe a little bit too much description there because it's a pretty thick book, but the idea of certain powers coming into place is always appealing to teen readers. There was just a second one, wasn't there? A second one has come out, but I haven't read it yet. I can't even think of the title. Check that out. Thank you. Followed by Bettina Restrepo. Nora is 14, and she and her mother and grandmother live in Sedula, Mexico, and they are trying to keep their orchard going. Papa has been gone three years north to Houston to work on construction. When the money stopped coming, Nora insisted that she and her mother go to Houston to find her father. The 10-hour trip in the back of a mango truck and their arrival in Houston was no idea how to find her father and how to live, so the gritty side of life for those who are here illegally. Nora finds she must take the lead, try to find work, and not give up, and includes a glossary of Spanish words. Seizure. Seizure is the second book in this series by Kathy Reichs. Thank you. Miss Peregrine's Home for Petroleum Children by Ransom Riggs is an interesting and fascinating book. After his grandfather's death, Jacob, 16, travels with his father to an isolated island near Wales. There he finds the ruins of the orphanage his grandfather was sent to during World War II. Jacob accidentally finds a way to the past and learns that the children at the orphanage have unique and unusual abilities and now are in terrible danger. It's illustrated with occasional, unusual, actual photographs from the past, like the one on the cover. And the mystery and action will certainly appeal to reluctant readers, and you know there's going to be another. It's got to be another book after this one. Oh, you thought the 39 clues were done? Well, they're not. The first series is done. Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan is listed as 39 Clues Book 11, and this is kind of a transition book to the new series. And this begins with Gideon Cahill in 1507, moves to Madeleine Cahill in 1526, on to Grace Heykill in 1942, and then up to Amy and Dan Cahill in present day as it shows who the Vespers are and what they're after. The Vespers want the formula that everybody was looking for in the first 10 books. And now we know that the Cahills vs. Vespers series of 39 Clues is starting with the Medusa plot by Gordon Corman. One or more Cahills from each of the five branches have been kidnapped. The Vespers want the formula and demand one step at a time toward the goal within a designated time limit, or one of them will die.  It is a bit strange to have the other Cahill families helping instead of hindering them, but Amy and Dan both know the world is at stake if the Vespers end up with the formula. The second book is out now. It's titled A King's Ransom by Jude Watson. Oh, I love this book. Okay, for now Gary Schmidt. It's a sequel to The Wednesday Worse. This book has several levels of action throughout. Doug Swayatek in eighth grade and his family must move to a small town where his father has a new job. Adjusting to a new place, no friends, and a Saturday job for himself is a lot to handle. He stops at the library which is open only on Saturdays and he is soon learning about art as he protests that he doesn't like to draw, but he's drawing.  Doug has a lot to handle, but he is beginning to step into his own. Alexander Gordon-Smith has written Solitary. This is the sequel to Lockdown. Yes, thank you, Lockdown. Alex Sawyer is 14. He was a thief in a bully, but he was not a murderer. Still, he was sent to Furnace, the ultimate prison for murdering his friend. This is Book 2 and Alex Z and Gary Owens believe they have escaped at the end of Book 1, but it is not true. Alex and Z are sent to Solitary and something even worse is happening to Gary Owens. It's an extremely bleak and life-threatening place in Solitary, but the boy Simon, who is somehow loose on his own, finds him and his confidence in Alex's ability to find a way out gives him all hope. Maybe they can escape Furnace, but Book 3 is Death's Sims and no, they didn't get out of Furnace. Alex struggles to remember his name as he is slowly changed into a monster. He feels the strength and power the special formula puts into him and all he wants to do is kill and destroy. But one reminder of his name from a boy begins to pull him back from the monster. And Book 4, titled The Fugitives is due out in early 2012. The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud is a prequel to the Bartamius trilogy. This title gives us another chance to spend time with the wisecracking footnote writing genie Bartamius. It is still an alternate world, magicians use imps and genies as slaves. Bartamius was summoned by one of King Solomon's magicians and is forced to do his bidding. The Queen of Sheba sends her most trusted guard young Esmeral to Jerusalem to kill King Solomon and steal his powerful ring. The fun really begins when Esmeral and Bartamius meet up. Secrets are uncovered and surprises are seen in the story. Bad Island by Doug Tinnapel This is a Bad Island. It is a graphic novel by the author illustrator of Gostopolis. A bad storm strands a family of four on an unusual island. Strange plants, creatures and human-like beings reveal how bad it really is. An alternating story about beings in another part of space is interspersed with the story of mom, dad, teen wreaths and preteen genie which is a full-color art and that brings the creepy, scary, bizarre and sometimes cute creatures to life. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Van Veld has eight short story parodies of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. As she did with the Rumpelstiltskin problem, Van Veld stars by noting some issues with the story such as why would people name a child after clothing. Apparently she has an issue with that. I've met Vivian. She includes humor and different main characters in the story to add to the fun and interest of the twists. Small acts of amazing courage by Gloria Whelan India of 1919. Rosalind, 15, lives with her mother and has had quite a bit of freedom while her father was away in the British military during World War I and after. She takes a couple of risks to help someone as she struggles with the idea of a class system and why some people have so much and others have so little. She has found out and sent home to England where she's never been to live with aunts she doesn't know. Gandhi and the possible freedom of India intrigue her. The book gives a good sense of the time and place and also gives readers some food for thought. Warp Speed by Lisa Yee as one of the members of the AD club those students keep the equipment running Marley in seventh grade is also a Star Trek fan. His best friend is a Star Wars fanatic and they get along just fine but they are very very judgmental of people who don't know the difference as they should be. Marley is regularly chased by bullies and he is able to outrun them if the way is clear. The track coach keeps asking him to try out for the team but it is his friends in the AD club who trick him into doing so. Now everything could change if he becomes a jock. Can a jock be in the AD club? Fitching for grades two to five or somewhere around there. By the way, my divisions are kind of nebulous because we all know that different kids are ready for different books at different times. These are just general categories. Tom Engelberger has written The Strange Case of Origami Yoda I love this book. It's a collection of stories about advice and Origami Yoda gives to students in the sixth grade at Macquarie Middle School. The stories are collected by Tommy who is friends with the kind of weird kid who made Origami Yoda and walks around with it on his finger. Okay, can you imagine walking around middle school with an Origami Yoda on your finger all the time? Tommy is collecting information because he wants to know if he should trust Origami Yoda with a very important question about a girl and he has puzzled that Origami Yoda gives such good advice when drawing white is rather clueless. There are instructions in the back on how to make it for Origami Yoda and Darth paper strikes back. Tom Engelberger has brought us a sequel. Now in seventh grade Tommy finds it necessary to put together another notebook about Origami Yoda. This time it is in defense of Dwight who may be sent to reform school. Harvey has created a Darth Vader paper puppet and he is determined to force Dwight to admit Origami Yoda is only paper also. What gets Dwight in trouble is when Origami Yoda tells Jen zero hour comes. I can't do for Yoda language. Oh Yoda, sorry. Zero hour comes. Prepare to meet your doom. This was interpreted by the principal as threatening speech and bullying. Another entertaining story with lots of doodles on the edges of the pages and that's in the first book too. It also has instructions on how to make an emergency five fold Origami Yoda which I could do and a bit more complicated Darth paper which I didn't try. I wanted to stay with my success. Ivy and Bean, what's the big idea by any borrows? This is book seven about Ivy and Bean. The second grade class is going to the school science fair with ideas to help alleviate global warming. Ivy and Bean are enthusiastic. They just can't come up with an idea. The Chihuahua chase by A.E. Cannon. Addy is in fourth grade and she wonders why Teddy Krebs picks on her so much. But when his Chihuahua phantom disappears she teams up with him to try to find the dog. Two or maybe three possible candidates for dog nappers will keep the readers guessing. It's a good early chapter book choice and frequent illustrations break up the text. Magic at the Bed and Biscuit by Joan Karas is a sequel to two other books in this series about the bed and biscuit. Grandpa is a vet and he has some livestock but he also boards peps on his place. And the animals you see in this book in the foreground, they are all his helpers and they're the ones that tell the story. A magician leaves militia his silky phantom and part of his act to get some rest. Mostly she gets bored and plays tricks on the other animals. Ernest, the pig there, still continues to uphold grandpa's philosophy of treating their guests with kindness and understanding while trying to come up with a way to give them militia her comeuppance. It's good fun and perfect for readers just past the beginning reader level and I like the way Ernest came up with an idea that puts her in her place without being mean and that's tricky thing. This is the first book in a graphic novel series by Scott Chandler, Tower of Treasure and the series is called The Three Thieves. Dessa is 14 and she's an acrobat with a traveling troop and always looking for her twin brother. She is taught into helping her two fellow performers topper and fist to rob the queen's treasury. They almost succeed but instead are on the run. This is a good introduction to the characters in the plot with more adventure on the way because book two is The Sign of the Black Rock also by Scott Chandler. Dessa, topper and fist are on the run and the queen's top men, the dragons are after them. They find a place to wait out the rain when the tavern keeper's wife hides them in the barn. Then the number of queen's men arrive for shelter and it seems the fugitives are bound to be caught and I don't have any clue as to how many books might be coming in this series but there's very interesting so far. A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole.  She is bullied by two rats who often steal her food but one day she encounters a young guest who enjoys her company and keeps her in his pocket. He is the apprentice to Mr. Ottoman who is there to collect specimens for his project. Celeste has a wonderful and some scary adventures and makes some friends. Oh, I love this series. Doreen Cronin has written her first novel, The Trouble with Chickens. This is a J.J. Telling Mystery Book 1. J.J. is a retired rescue dog and it was not his idea to retire.  Two of her chicks are missing. J.J. takes the case for a hamburger, a cheeseburger, excuse me.  The sequel is Legend of Diamond Lill. I think it's out but I haven't seen a copy of it yet. Vivian French has written The Flight of Dragons. This is the fourth tale of the Five Kingdoms. The evil twins, Conducta and Gobula are forced out of their home to find work but they have no intention of working. Instead, they team up with their exiled father, the horrible villain, the old malignancy who is hoping to take over the Five Kingdoms. There is also a rumor of a dragon egg that is ready to hatch and everyone wants it. The true heart, Gracie Gillipott and her friend Prince Marcus once again team up with some helpful bats and a friendly troll, Gobble, to straighten everything out. Adventure in Magic, these stories we like fairy tales and it's illustrated with occasional line drawings. A Tale Dark and Grim by Adam Kidwitz takes some of the lesser known original Grim fairy tales and cleverly winds Hansel and Gretel through them. It starts with their adapted story.  He has them continue through their Kingdom beyond, sometimes separately to encounter the various troubles of the other fairy tales. The author occasionally addresses the reader throughout the book at first mostly to request that all young children leave the room for he tells the bloody gruesome original versions of the stories and to warn as on page 16. This is where things start to get, well, awesome, but in a terrible, bloody kind of horrible way. It sounds awful but it is a wonderful reworking of the fairy tales and kids will be fascinated by the story. Sophie Simon solves them all by Lisa Grath. Sophie is in the third grade and she is quite smart and loves to read big heavy books on difficult topics, like calculus. Her parents are quite a pair. They worry that she has no friends and call her names and escalate from Sugar Plum to My Darling Lettuce Wedge. They want only the best for her. Three students in her class each have a problem and they confide in her and Sophie may have the solutions and their readers will love how she blends all these together and kind of stirs it up and it also is great to see that it is not bad to be smart. The Call by Mark Michael Grant is the first book in the Magnificent 12 series. When a boy, when a 3,000 year old man appears to Mack McAvoy who is 12 and in the seventh grade in the boys room at school he is startled when he is told he is one of the Magnificent 12 and his task is to find the other 11 and save the world before it is taken over by the pale queen and her daughter. Mack has numerous phobias and is not your typical hero. Stefan, 15, also in seventh grade is the ultimate bully, but he suddenly decides to help Mack with this task after Mack saved his life. The book contains adventure and humor, the series is off to a great start and both two in the series is titled The Trap. Mack, his friends Stefan and Jara, the second of the 12, fly from Australia to seek the nine dragons of Daeku and the rest of the Magnificent 12. Mack is concerned because he thinks the last thing Grimlock said was beware of trap. Humor, adventure and magic and more are in store for Mack and his friends and again I'm not sure how many books are expected in this series but it's also great fun so far. I guess 12. Good, but they already picked up more people. Oh, okay. Sorry, Almost Zero by Nikki Grimes and Daniel. Diamond makes a big mistake in telling her mother she wants a brand new pair of red tennis shoes and it is her mother's job to provide what she wants, no, provide what she needs. The terminology is important. The next day after school, Diamond comes home to find that she has no other clothes or shoes. Her mom says that she is providing what Diamond needs but nothing more. She has a bed, she has a chair, that's all. Diamond is mad and sad until his family loses everything in a fire. Then Diamond gets busy helping. Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gottman is the first book in the Genius Files. Lots of action, danger and humor twins Coke and Pepsi who are almost 13 are traveling across the country in an RV with their parents. They must avoid assassins, solve puzzles and save the world without their parents finding out. And my only complaint about this book was about halfway through they're deciding whether they should go to Carhenge or Kansas. The big ball of twine in Kansas. Carhenge? They go to Kansas. Good for Kansas, sad for me. It's great fun, of course, Dan Gottman. The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Haan will surely be popular because it's a ghost story by a well-known author. Florence is 12 and has been an orphan for several years when she has been called to Crutchfield Hall to live with her great uncle and her cousin James since his older sister Sophia's death six months ago. It isn't long until Sophia is materializing and influencing Florence to do things. How can James and Florence send Sophia away? It's another good ghost story set outside London in the 1800s. Zapato Power by Jacqueline Jules This is great fun. Freddie finds a box addressed to him at his apartment door with no return address. It contains a pair of purple shoes with wings on the side and note that says Zapato Power for Freddie Ramos. No clue who gave them to him. He tries out the shoes and he can outrun the train. Now his dreams of becoming a superhero can become reality but he is at school all day. How can a superhero be heroic at school? Well, he does find some small ways to be heroic because he knows he has to keep his identity secret. A sequel is in the way. I don't know if it's out yet. Freddie Ramos brings into action. So, great fun. Dua Spark by Kate Cleese is book three in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. A large stock follows Seymour home from the library and he wants to keep it. Ignatius, a children's book author and Olive, a ghost and his adoptive parents are not enthusiastic. It turns out the dog had belonged to Noah Breath who recently passed away. Soon Noah's son and daughter arrive and they are looking for his millions. Told in their usual style of no narrative just letters, newspaper articles, magazines and notes, readers will either love the format or want nothing to do with it. I happen to love the format myself so I think it's fun. Framed by Gordon Corman is a sequel to Swindle and Zoo Break. Griffin Bing, the man with the plan, is accused of stealing the Super Bowl ring from the school display case. Evidence supports the accusation but Griffin didn't do it. Can the team prove him innocent before he is sent to JVJL? Action, great planning and lots of humor The Unicorn's Tale by R.L. LaFevers is book four of the Nathaniel fled beastologist series. The short chapters and frequent illustrations will appeal to readers. Natus Tannant is an illustrating him in the family business of beastology which is working to protect and save and keep secret numerous mythological creatures. In this episode they are have to go help a unicorn who is ill and the situation becomes dire. All that Nathaniel can think about are that maybe his parents are not dead but simply missing. Wingding by Kevin Markey is book three in the Super Slugger series. The all-star game will be played on the Rambletown field this year except that an enormous quart of grasshoppers blew in on the gusty wind and proceeded to eat all the grass. The wind continues to blow hard, the teams crack shorts off as the yips. Lots of sports action with some occasional film noir language. It's great fun and along with sports action. Steven McCrainy has written Mal and Chad the biggest, bestest time ever. Graphic novel format in black and white cartoon like our now a fourth grade genius keeps his knowledge and brains to himself. He knows if anyone finds out he will end up in college immediately and he wants to continue to enjoy being a kid. He's pretty smart. His dog Chad can talk with him and they have many adventures together. Now loves inventing things and that includes a time machine which they use to travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. Of course there are several difficulties about getting back and there's a sequel out I haven't seen yet so I have to keep an eye out for that one. Lucy the Bad or Good by Marianne Musgrove. Lucy has been having some bad days as Cynthia at school is always picking on her but the teacher never catches her and she sometimes makes bad decisions. Her great aunt from Holland comes to visit and things get harder for Lucy. Maybe she really is a bad kid. A blending of cultures, Lucy lives in Australia and Tante Bepp is from Holland with her own ideas as to how things are or should be. But Tante Bepp does have a soft side too. Rescue on Tankium 3 by Jake Parker is the second book in the Missile Mouse series. This graphic novel continues the adventures of the Galactic Security Agency's Best Agent Missile Mouse. It does tend to blow things up and get in trouble with his boss though. In this adventure Missile Mouse must take a team of security bots and a robotic assistant with him and he is against the use of robots for this duty. They travel to the planet Tankium 3 where the local inhabitants minds are being controlled so they will look at slave labor in the mines. This is a job for Missile Mouse and Robot 44. Big Nate in a class by himself and Big Nate strikes again by Lincoln Pierce. Nate who is in sixth grade is younger to me. He is a bit of a troublemaker. He is not fond of school and in Big Nate in a class by himself his fortune cookie tells him he will surpass all others. Nate spends a day trying to do that but all he does is get detention over and over again. Lots of humor, cartoon like drawings reminiscent of Lumpy Kid and interesting characters. The character Nate Wright and his companions began as a comic strip and now they are in book format. Big Nate strikes again. Nate is paired with a famous American. They both feel this is a tragedy. Nate because she is so know-it-all and she is sure her grade point average will suffer. As funny and appealing as the first book and there are also two companion books that are all the comic strips or most of the comic strips in them and a third book just came out that I haven't seen yet. Oh wait. There it is. There is a fourth book. This is Big Nate on a Roll. Archer has joined Nate's Timber Scout troop and Nate feels the pain as Archer is soon selling many more warm fuzzies and appears that he will win the first prize for sales which is a new skateboard. This volume maintains a humor fun and horrible circumstances of the first two books with lots of drawings. No such thing as Dragons by Phillip Reeve. Ansel Ten has been mute since his mother passed away three years ago. His father eagerly arranges for Ansel to serve Wilhelm Brock, a reasonably successful dragon hunter. Brock confines in Ansel that there really are no such thing as dragons but there is the fear of dragons so he always has work. This trip though he might be wrong. Very wrong. People and animals have disappeared and the town folk of the mountain village are desperate for help. More death is on the way. With the fourth stall by Chris Rylander sixth grader Mac helps the grade school kids with what they need. Trouble in some advice, Mac can help you for a reasonable fee. Vince is his right hand man keeping track of the money. Their office is in a never used bathroom. The fourth stall. But one day Mac finds out about a guy who is collecting gambling debts and putting pressure on the students. When Mac taints him on, Mac may end up squashed because Mac really is helping. He's not taking advantage of the kids. He's really helping them. I just want this cover because of the takeoff on the godfather. I just saw that. I just saw that. I'm like, that's the godfather. I forgot all about that. Haunted houses by Robert San Susie. This is Are You Scared Yet? series book 1. 10 stories of haunted houses some grim, some hopeful, written to scare and they mostly succeed. I did read all the scores stories and I survived. Some are pretty creepy. There's one illustration per story and it should be popular with readers who like the hair raised on the back of their necks. And if you're scared of spiders, don't read this book. Sidekicks by Dan Santat. Harry, also known as Captain Amazing, has two pets, a dog and a hamster. He hasn't had a sidekick since the claw, his cat, disappeared. Now he is beginning a search for a new sidekick and both the dog and hamster hope to be chosen and so does the chameleon Harry just brought home. And what about the claw? It's great fun. Spaceheads book 2 by John Cheska. Things are getting more complicated. Jennifer, Bob and Fluffy, the class hamster, are from another planet and are here to get 3.14 million in one earthlings to be spaceheads. Michael Caine seeing that they need more help to spread the word and protect Jennifer and Bob reveals the aliens to his friends T.J. and Venus. They soon are all working on some plans to get more heads. You can go to the website and sign up to be a spacehead if you want to. It's in the book. There's lots of illustrations and wacky goings on in this book and book 3 has come out. I haven't seen it yet either. I have to catch up. Aliens on Vacation by Pete Barrett Smith. David, nicknamed scrub, is sent from Florida where he had all kinds of plans with his best friend to Washington to stay with his grandmother for the summer before 7th grade. She has a bed and breakfast and he is certain a long boring summer of labor is ahead. He soon learns that his grandmother's reputation as a crazy lady is well founded for visitors are from other planets but nobody knows that except her. Soon scrub is helping the new arrivals touch up their disguises and trying to keep the prying sheriff who knows something is off with the place out of its grandmother's hair. Humor, sympathetic aliens and some tension about being discovered will keep readers involved. Stormrunners by Roland Smith is book 1 of a proposed trilogy. Chase Masters is 12 and he and his father have been traveling the country for a year helping people rebuild after disasters for a fee of course. Chase changes school so often it's hard to count. Now they are in Florida with a hurricane on the way. And while his dad thinks Chase is in a safe area the hurricane may end up right where he is. It's a great adventure. The first book does have a conclusion to one part of the story but a cliffhanger for the other and one of the things that readers will love is that Chase being in the situations with his father all this time has a backpack full of equipment that he might need at any time. He has a lot of knowledge that of course adults ignore and if only they listened to him they would have helped. Roland has also written the Surge which is book 2 the hurricane has passed but Chase, Nicole and Rashon are still in danger. Getting to the farm the winter home for a circuit seems like a good idea where Nicole is. But now they know a dangerous leopard is on the loose and other animals might be loose too. Great storytelling, adventure, survival again and having vital knowledge are all part of the series. Book 3, Eruption is out on March 1st of next year. Quest for the Spark by Tom Signov. Now I can't decide. It's a novel by Tom Signovsky it's also by Jeff Smith. I looked into this and they Jeff Smith did the original comics. Yes. So maybe they're giving him credit and then Tom wrote the novel version. That might be it. Thor and the Queen is gravely ill. Tom Elm and his raccoon friend Roderick should be helping his parents with the turnip crop. But before long he has encountered Percival Bone and his niece and nephew and they become embroiled in fighting the dark that is trying to take over the world. So this is obviously book 1 and I haven't seen the next book yet but I'm sure it'll be out soon. I love Dragon Breath because he is hilarious. Dragon Breath, Lair of the Bat Monster by Ursula Vernon. This is book 4 about Danny who's a dragon and his best friend Wendell and Iguana. They're in the local swimming pool when they find a small bat trapped in the pool filter. Danny's mom sends them on the mysterious bus to one of Danny's cousins in Mexico who is studying bats. A visit to the jungle Bat Poo the guano beetles that eat the poo and maybe a huge monster will definitely appeal to readers. They're all mostly in text with numerous black white green and occasional blue illustrations. Daisy Dawson at the beach by Steve Boak. This is the fourth book. School is out and Daisy is headed to the beach with her parents. There she makes several new friends. Two rabbits who want to serve. A crab who loves to dance and a dolphin. It helps that Daisy can talk to and understand the animals but she hasn't forgotten her animal friends at home. The Ball Hogs by Rich Wallace is the first book in the new series and whose fourth grade is on a new co-ed soccer team with Mark who breaks about his abilities and hogs the ball. Ben knows he should be a good team player but he hogs the ball sometimes himself because Mark has it so much and it hurts the team. Maybe everyone needs to develop more team spirit well written with action on the soccer field and in the four square court at school and books two and three are out now so you might want to look for those two. Bobby the Brave Sometimes by Lisa Yee is a sequel to Bobby versus girls accidentally. Bobby is in fourth grade and he isn't anything like his dad a former football pro or his older sister now quarterback for the high school team. He accidentally overheard his father saying so. Bobby has asthma and he tries not to draw attention to that fact. This story is about Bobby and his dad and also Bobby's good friends. If parents are looking for a book with involved parents this is a good choice. Nonfiction for the grades two to five. Nick Bishop has lizards, amazing photos as expected and clear, concise text introduced some of the world's lizards to the reader. One two page fold out shows the bacillus lizard running across water. The author photographer's comments at the back of the book about getting some of the difficulties of getting these photos is fascinating. Okay this doesn't show up very well but it's the worst case scenario survival media by David Borknick. In alphabetical order this volume gives advice on a variety of dangerous situations each covered in a two page spread. Good information and a surefire browser's choice as are many of the other survival things. I checked out surviving mountain lions because one was seen recently in Seward. Deserted islands, snake bite, electric eels you never know. Things might happen. I'm ready for the mountain lions though. Okay. Redbird sings by Jean Nick Capaldi and QL Pierce it's adapted from her autobiography. This title tells the story of Gertrude Simmons a suit girl born in 1876 in South Dakota and her journey through white schools and beyond to find herself, her talents and to speak for her people. Mathemagic number tricks by Linda Colgan has ten magic tricks that are offered and then explained. Each trick relates in some way to a mathematical principle. With details and illustrations they get clear how to do the trick and why it usually works but they don't always work. What to expect when you're expecting Joey's a guide for marsupial parents birth and development but not insemination in case you were worried about a number of several marsupials in question and answer format. Good information is conveyed and illustrations dominate the page. It's a companion title too. What to expect when you're expecting Larva. I'm sure they're going to write more. I can't wait. It's really fun. Kubla Khan Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Kroll another excellent biography by Kroll. She acknowledges in the book how difficult it is to write about Kubla Khan since a little about him was actually written down by trustworthy historians. Still she carefully fills in what she can about him and his time and the illustrations of course are also impressive. Silke and Venom searching for a dangerous spider by Catherine Lasky. After an introductory chapter of information about spiders we join Gretchen Binford on a research trip to try and find a particular spider in the Dominican Republic. Good information along the way as to her methods and techniques in the field and in the lab well written of course and includes a picture glossary, sources and index. Biomimicry inventions that inspired inventions inspired by nature by Dora Lee takes a look at how humans have observed nature and developed structures, tools, medicine and more that follow the shape and designs of nature. One example early bullet trains running up to 180 miles per hour cause booms when exiting tunnels due to the buildup of air. Looking at a kingfisher led the developers to decide the front of the train to be like the bird's long beak and is indisperse with all this kind of information. Very fascinating and a good browsing title. The case of the vanishing golden frogs by Sandra Markle this well respected author has produced another excellent title. Markle looks at the puzzle of why the golden frogs of Panama were getting sick and dying. Scientists from around the world communicated similar problems in their area and finally the problem and a temporary solution were found. Excellent photos enhance the text and I think that we don't have a permanent solution it's good to know that golden frog will be around for a while. Who was Rosa Parks by Yana Zeldis McDonough is a biography of Rosa Parks written in a conversational style. This series Who Was Whoever with the caricature has a new number of titles. Occasional insets tell other related topics on a single page or a two page spread and they cover items such as the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow laws Brown vs. the Board of Education as well as other civil rights leaders so if you need another biography this is in paperback you might look at that. Totally human, why do we look and act the way we do by Cynthia Pratt Nicholson? Information on questions kids will have why do we get hiccups? Why do we burpen fart? Oh yeah they're going to read that page. Goofy illustrations may add or detract from the information depending on your reader's point of view because they all affect the cover here. The answers often refer to evolution and genes. Ink blot by Margaret Pao it's a bit of history and then a how-to of ink blot art. The artist author shares methods of making ink blots and continues with how to draw within your ink blots. Numerous examples will help to inspire young artists and I think this book can be used for different kinds of age levels. Look at that building by Scott Richie just what it says, a good first look at how buildings are designed. The kids need to build a doghouse for Max so they go to the library, yes, gather information and we eavesdrop on what they learn. Tales of Famous Heroes by Peter and Connie Roup 18 figures of history or current they are covered in this title. Six pages are devoted to each person including Sacabuea, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Sonia Sotomayor and one group, the Tuskegee Airmen. All are positive biographies with readable text and caricature type image at the beginning of each entry. Henry Knox, bookseller, soldier, patriot by Anita Sylvie tells of this lesser known patriot and his skills at using artillery during the Revolutionary War as well as his almost impossible task of bringing the cannons from Port Ticongaroga to Boston. The trek of 300 miles with heavy equipment over lakes and mountains was amazing. Well written with wonderful illustrations. If the World War of Village a book about the world's people by David L. Smith this is a second edition and it's an update includes some new information as well as information that was in the first book. Path of the Pronghorn by Kat Erbigit is a good introduction to the Pronghorn and its life cycle including information for report writers. Excellent photos will draw in readers including a page noting that the Pronghorn almost became extinct and I had forgotten that. Weird but true three by National Geographic usually one, two, or three facts and sentences per page. It's a great browsing item. Every square inch of your skin hosts about 6 million bacteria. Did you want to know that? A British man ate 36 cockroaches in one minute. It doesn't say why. Why is it hard children and adults share words of wisdom. Ripple photographs highlight this collection of advice and wisdom from people of all ages. Some names we will recognize Jane Yolen, Tom Hanks. Some are kids from somewhere in the world. Lots to think about and discuss as a class, a family, and as friends. Picture books. Okay, yeah, I know. Time's gone by. Ten Little Puppies Diez Perritos by Alma Fourad Ada. As it says on the front cover this book is adapted from a traditional nursery rhyme in Spanish. Enjoyable fun as a girl counts 10 puppies down to one. Includes both English and Spanish versions in one text. The music is given at the back of the book along with a short paragraph of information on each of the dog breeds used in the book. The Three Little Dassies by Jan Brett is a retelling of the Three Little Pigs set in Southern Africa. Dassies are also called rock hyraxes. In this version the eagle is the predator they must out with. It's great fun and of course wonderful illustrations. Around Our Way on Neighbors Day by Tamika Friar-Brown A summer day spent celebrating companionship through the neighborhood block party. The vivid colors and action portrayed provide a sense of activity and belonging. Mama and Me by Arthur Doros is a follow up to his 2008 title Papa and Me. This title celebrates mothers and daughters. Spanish words and phrases are woven into the story and are understood by the context. It's another good purchase for your library.  You can download the song for free if you bought the book or have the kids sing it with you as you read. It's just what you think. The monsters will snort and growl smack their claws and more. It will sure be a noisy story time when you have this going. Fortunately, unfortunately, by Michael Forman is a series of events that occur when the monkey-like boy's mom asks him to take Granny's umbrella back to her. From whales to pirates to dinosaurs, the boy encounters alternately fortunate and unfortunate situations. The umbrella is key. It's a silly and fun imaginative adventure. Diary of a Baby Wombat by Jackie French is a follow up to her Diary of a Wombat. French gives us another humorous look at the lives and needs of Wombats. This time, of course, the Baby Wombat goes exploring every day, encounters a human baby, someone to play with and eventually goes into the house. This is great fun. Substitute Creature by Chris Gall Reminiscent of Miss Nelsonism when Substitute Teacher arrives promptly at 8 a.m. Mr. Creature warns them quote, if you're plotting some mystery mischief, please don't even try in the back of my head. You'll find more than one eye. He proceeds to let them know some of the stories of children he taught that misbehaved and suffered the consequences all told in rhyme. I spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs a round hole in the middle of the page gives a clue along with a text as to what might be on the following page. Kids will love figuring out the clues and guessing what the next animal might be.  Maybe it's an elephant. The chick saves the day several times prompting the other chickens to change their minds about what he is. An umbrella, a sweater and more. It's fun and silly. This is a great book, Perfect Square by Michael Hall wonderfully creative look at how to make something out of something else. A perfect square is perfectly happy with its four corners and equal sides and then it's cut into pieces and punched with holes on Monday. So it makes itself into a fountain as you go through the page to see all this happening. Each day of the week something different happens and the square makes a self into something else until Sunday when nothing happens and the square takes care of everything itself. It's great inspiration for art projects with torn cut and punched paper. Little White Rabbit by Kevin Hinkies The Little White Rabbit goes exploring and wonders things like what would it be like to be green or to be tall and the following illustration will illustrate what he's thinking. A fun adventure until he encounters a cat and hurries back to his mother and siblings. Miss Dorothy and her bookmobile by Gloria Houston is a quiet story about a girl who lent her books to the neighborhood kids knowing she would go up to be a librarian. There was no brick building for her. Instead, she ended up driving a bookmobile in the mountains of North Carolina. Dorothy took books around the area and shared her love of reading with everyone. The author's note at the back of the book tells us Dorothy was a real bookmobile librarian remembered promptly by men. The odious ogre by Norton Juster a horrible worst of all ogre is used to getting his way but when he encounters a young lady who has never heard of him and she offers him some tea he is flabbergasted. Why isn't she screaming collapsing on the ground? The ogre is at a loss as to how to deal with her. Stan Straight Allocate by Kate Cleese Born in 1872, Ella was just like any other baby but when she was 7 she began to grow much faster than any other child. This fictionalized story of a real person tells of her loving parents who kept her home to save her from the Thompson teasing of others. But at age 18 and at 8 feet tall she chose to go to Chicago to be featured at a museum. The back of the book fills in some more information about Ella Kate Cleese. Bats at the Ball Game by Brian Lies continues the series that started with Bats at the Beach. Get yourself a mothball or a box of cricket jacks. Find your seat and get ready for the game and please look for the young bat who is still wearing his water wings from that first book. Great Fund Me, Jane by Patrick McDonald is a tribute to not a biography of Jane Goodall. It also encourages children to realize their dreams which may come true someday. Bulldogs Big Day by Kate McMohen Bulldall leaves home to look for a job and sees many creatures hurrying to work. He tries firefighter, window washer and more but is not successful. He leaves a cookie he baked with each of the animals. At day's end he finds a line of animals at his door asking for more cookies.  Live, we art and busy pages will appeal to you. Eddie gets ready for school by David Milgram. Eddie has apparently discovered checklists. The end papers contain a humorous assortment including sneak cookie, check, put cookie back, check, sneak brownie, check. Each two page spread has one or two checklist items plus checks in a text with an illustration of the checked item. Eddie is exuberant in getting ready for school although a few checklist items do not pass mom's approval. Watch cartoons, drink with beer. I did it. It's a great introduction to the idea of checklists and how they might be used. First grade jitters by Robert Quackenbush was originally published in 1982. This edition has new illustrations and the story still holds true. The boy is worried about first grade. Kindergarten was fine but first grade will be different and he doesn't know what to expect. His friends who have been gone all summer are the ones to help him with his jitters. Tiny little fly by Michael Rosen. Tiny fly teases the elephant, the hippo, and the tiger and each is sure they will catch him but off he goes. Exuberant art and the slight text makes the story shine. One two page spread fold out shows the three large animals unable to capture the fly. Where's walrus by Stephen Savage? A zookeeper is looking all over town for the missing walrus but can't find him anywhere. Can you? Young children will have fun with this since the walrus usually isn't too hard to spot but it's interesting how he can blend in with the scenery. A pet for petunia by Paul Schmidt. Petunia loves her toy skunk and makes all kinds of promises because she wants a real pet skunk. When her parents say no because they stink she has a fit and runs away. Then she meets a real skunk and realizes that they do stink. Maybe her toy skunk is the best until she sees a real white porcupine. Interrupting chicken by David Ezra Stein.  With Hansel and Gretel she says don't go in she's a witch! So Hansel and Gretel didn't the end. Kids will love it especially if they are already familiar with the tales Papa tries to read. This could create trouble for reading aloud if you're reading fairy tales at your story time but it's great fun. Press here by Herve Talay. It's fun also with colored spots on a white background. The text is simple. Press here and then turn the page. And when the yellow dot becomes two press again and dots in yellow blue and red appear tilting the book and more add to the fun. Colleen A.S. Venable has written and then there were gnomes and also the parents put. These are books two and three of the pet shot private eye series which is a graphic novel for very young leaders. Sass Path is the private eye in the sense that a hamster, a hamish and then there were gnomes must investigate the possibility of a ghost in the pet shop. Why else would there be strange spots of cool air? In the ferrets of foot Sass Path and Hamisher must solve the mystery of who is vandalizing the signs on the cages of the pets. Is your buffalo ready for kindergarten by Audrey Vernick? Kids will love the sight of a buffalo trying to use the scissors almost using the swings outside and getting ready for kindergarten. I don't know maybe your buffalo needs to get ready. I love Scaredy Squirrel, he's my guy. Scaredy Squirrel has a birthday party by Melanie Watt. Scaredy is up to his usual tricks. He does a great job of planning his own birthday party but he only invites himself since that is the safest thing to do. Then he decides to invite his friend Buddy the dog. Buddy shows up with a bunch of puppies and everyone has a good time. Scaredy falls back on his playing dead as his backup action for everything. Art and Max by Dave Weissner. Arthur is a skilled artist. Max is an enthusiastic newcomer. Max doesn't know what to paint and when art suggests Max paint him, Max takes him literally. This is just the beginning of the problems for art. Great fun, excellent illustrations and an opportunity for an interesting story. I'm going to go through the details and approaches. How one is not better than the other. Elsie is birthed by Jane New-Yolan. After her mother's death, Elsie and her father moved from Boston to the Nebraska prairie. Yes. Elsie finds the changes hard missing her mother in the city she knew. She stays inside their Saudi, not venturing outside at all until her mother gets involved with the prairie. Beginning readers Nick Bishop has a beginning reader about butterflies. Large colorful photographs highlight the text. It is unfortunate that it is not currently available in hardback but only paperback. A small cat is lost and as he walks along through the city and into the country, he cannot find any rest. Everyone keeps telling him to scat. He does not like them and at the bus stop promise encourage him to wear them. When some bullies call him names, he throws his glasses in his backpack but his friends have a creative solution to the problem. Little Bear and the Marco Polo by Elsie and Minerick. Little Bear and grandfather are in the attic when they open a trunk and find the old sea cap and hat and cold father grandfather used to go and ship the Marco Polo and where it could take them. Still, grandfather is quite happy at home with friends. Mr. Putty and Petter and Tabby clear the decks by Cynthia Ryland. Mr. Putty and Petter and Tabby are bored and hot. Mrs. T. Berry has an idea, a tour on an old boat. It is great fun except for Tabby. Tabby does not want to be on the boat but Zeke does not want to leave the boat and Mouse wants to play in the snow but Mole wants to stay warm in bed. Mouse skates and builds a snowman by herself but is lonely. When Mole sees the snowman on her sled, he thinks someone is following her so he gets dressed and run outside and soon they are both having fun in the snow. And of course, my name is Sheen's Road Rollers by Darin Zomo. Clear folk color photographs dominate the pages with usually two sentences and large text. It is bound to be popular. And the last category is Pika, Life in the Rocks by Tannis Bill. It is an introduction to the life of a pika living in the Rocky Mountains. Plenty of excellent photographs add to the brief text which contains one to five sentences per page and it includes some pika facts at the back of the book. Okay, I am not going to pronounce this. Brian P. Cleary has written Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes Another Tongue Twisters. It contains 24-tongued twisters with humorous colorful illustrations and the favorite part of this book is a page at the back which is Make Your Own Tongue Twisters and it gives everybody a way to design their own tongue twisters which would be a great challenge for readers and the patrons in your library. The Older Snow Leopard by Juliana Hekhov and others. The story of the rescue of Snow Leopard Cub found all alone in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan by a local man, a goat herder. The Cub story shows several organizations in the zoo to keep him safe and give him a home. Numerous excellent photographs enhance the story. How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page has lots of illustrations several two-page spreads highlight good information in this book on symbiosis. All animals are identified in the final pages of the book. There's No Place Like School, Classroom Poems by Jack Prolezky who is the editor of the book actually. Various poets provide 18 poems about school. For example, Why the Class Frog is Purple by Callie Duffles. We were painting a mural today. The frog got loose. What can I say? My favorite is the drinking fountain on page 15. Guy Koo, A Year of High Koo for Boys by Bob Raskin. Following the seasons and beginning with spring, this title offers 24 high-koo poems aimed at boys. The author covers bike riding, tree climbing, skipping stones and pondering in the night sky. Just One Bite by Lola Schaefer is a look at how much one animal bike can contain and how large or small their mouths are. The artwork carries the book. Kids will be fascinated by the illustration sizes. 12 animals from micro-organisms and worm to elephant and sperm whale are included. Brief information is listed at the back of each of the animals. And the last book by Frank Serafini is Looking Closely in the Rainforest. This is one of the Looking Closely series, which shows a series of photos. On the first page only the center of the page has a circle in it which shows part of the photo and the rest is black. And then when you turn the page, you guess what that's a picture of? Turn the page and find out if you're right or not. And kids love this kind of look and see book that I think it was Tana Holman who did this kind of thing that I remember. And thank you for listening to me far longer than usual. Really appreciate having the opportunity to talk about all these books. I've put a couple books up I wish. And we have a question. A question from Hailey who's 10. Oh, hello Hailey. She wants to know which ones are your favorites. Oh my goodness. A couple to pick from. Origami Yoda is one of my favorites by Tom Engelberger. And I do because I like fairy tales I do really like the Tales of the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French. And the one I talked about today was The Flight of Dragons. And it includes I like the helpful bass and the troll and the true heart Gracie Gilley-Party always struggles to come through to save the day for anything so being a fairy tale fan that's a popular one. And I do also love graphic novels so you know I can't stop now. Thank you for asking. Yeah, okay. And she says cool. So thank you. All right. Yeah, we've gone almost a full 90 minutes here. So you need to drink the water? Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much, Sally, for that. I know this is always a very popular show every year. We make you do it after conference. And you should see her bookshelves Yeah. My floor. Right, exactly. So thank you all for attending today. We have been recording this and that recording will go up shortly. We'll also create an audio podcast of this. And next week I know I'll be doing my tech talk. We'll be talking to the librarian in black, Sarah Houghton from the San Rafael County Public Library out in California. Great. So very different topic next week. Welcome to attend. And we're getting some merry Christmases and happy holidays coming through. So thank you all.  And thank you very much for attending. Bye.