Set in a questions answer format, this book asks a question about the animal on one page and then on the next page spread answers the question and gives more facts about that animal. Some of the animals included in the book are the hammerhead shark, colossal squid, sea anemone, and moray eel. The back includes a two page spread of “other awesome ocean animals.”

Here is a story of unconditional love. When a little boy’s puppy does not learn to sit or stay and continuously gets out of the yard, the boy’s parents finally decide to give the dog away. Seeing his sad little boy, the sad little puppy once again runs away. “I run away. The sky is black. A drop of rain. A thundercrack! I run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run.  I don’t come back.” The puppy would like to come back, but he is lost after running so hard after the thunder. In the end, the parents drive around looking for puppy until he is found. The parents let the boy keep the puppy.

I grew up seeing THE FLINTSTONES as they premiered, yet my own sons know about them from the Cartoon Channel on TV. The Flintstones are still popular. This first book in The Oodlethunks series brought back so many memories of The Flintstones.

It is set in the paleo era. The mother has a job at an advertising agency while her husband is a stay at home father who loves to cook and try out new recipes. The children go to school were they practice ‘Intimidation Tactics’, ‘Grunts and Bellows’,  have  ‘Show and Yell’, Tall Tales, and art class.

Oona finds a gigantic orphan egg on her way home. How will it survive? Oona has a plan, because she wants a pet. He parents will let her keep the egg until it hatches and then will decide if Oona will be able to keep it. “Dad warned…’what you can’t eat might eat you.’ ” (16 ) Oona and her friend Erma make a nest habitat for the egg. Oona’s younger brother, Bonk, wants to take it to school for Show and Yell, but Oona says no. While Oona is away with dad at the Valley Market, Bonk trades the egg for Bruce Brutes’ bracelet, so he’ll have something to show at school. Oona  forces Bonk to help her get the egg back from Bruce in the middle of the night. They find Bruce in the middle of his family’s pastures. The egg begins to hatch a baby stegosaurus.

” ‘This is crazy! Stegs are extinct around here!’ yelped Bruce. ‘Aren’t they?’

‘Dinosaurs haven’t been seen on Mount Urp since olden days,’ said Bonk.

‘We’re seeing one now. Guess this dinosaur is from new-en days,’ I said. ‘And she’s mine.’

‘Correction. She’s mine,’ said Bruce. ‘Cave law, remember. Speckles was born on my property.’ ” (122-123)

Soon both sets of parents arrive and suggest Oona and Bruce each call the baby steg. The person the steg comes to, keeps it. Oona wins.

Readers will enjoy the contrasting mix ups of modern with the old, sending humor throughout the book. Illustrator Mike Wu’s sepia toned illustrations give the book yet another feeling of olden days. Mike Wu has worked for both Walt Disney and “Pixar, where he animated such Oscar winners as The Incredibles and Toy Story 3 …”

Includes seven pages from book #2.

This is Claire Freedman’s and Ben Cort’s fourth or fifth book in this series where cute little space aliens and colorful smiling dinosaurs love underpants which do not initially belong to them.

The pants loving aliens crash on Earth. Following their beeping ‘pants-tracker’ they soon discover a huge ‘stash of … gigantic undies…” The dinosaurs, who own the undies (this time) , won’t let the aliens have their undies. The aliens build a trailer for their spaceship and invite the dinosaurs and their pants back to their home planet. Problem solved.

The rhyme scheme does not always flow well due to an over abundance of words.  The words often get in the way of the bright, silly, colorful illustrations. ALIENS LOVE DINOPANTS is a mediocre sequel.

The primary school dinosaurs are all getting ready for their school’s class picture day by wearing their favorite outfits. Teddy- Tyrannosaurus is in his favorite shirt with the circle of stars on it. As the class lines up, in rushes Tina Triceratops, who spills her juice all over Teddy’s shirt. “Teddy is mad. Teddy is sad. He starts to roar and cry at the same time.” Quick thinking Tina makes a large paper star to cover the stain on Teddy’s shirt saving the day!

There are two or three large font sentences on each page. The smiling little dinosaurs in their t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes and pinafores with their expressive eyes will win you over just like proud grandparents at a elementary school play performance.

Haley and her pony, Wings, enter a prestigious competition in this seventh book in a contemporary middle grade series in the tradition of Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague.
Haley has been focused on one goal with her pony Wings: entering an upcoming competition in the fall and winning. She’s so busy trying to make that happen that her grades drop and her family is worried. And then, when the big day finally arrives, Haley falls off Wings and is eliminated! It’s the worst thing she can imagine after all her hard work and sacrifice. Can she get back on her horse and regain her self-confidence? An easy read that will entertain young girls who enjoy horse stories.

Mark of the Plague is physicist-turned-author Kevin Sands’ follow-up to the much-honored The Blackthorn Key, with its teen protagonists facing new dangers and struggling to solve new mysteries in 1665 London. The Black Death has returned to London, spreading disease and fear through town. A mysterious prophet predicts the city’s ultimate doom—until an unknown apothecary arrives with a cure that actually works. Christopher’s Blackthorn shop is chosen to prepare the remedy. But when an assassin threatens the apothecary’s life, Christopher and his faithful friend Tom are back to hunting down the truth, risking their lives to untangle the heart of a dark conspiracy. Who is this stranger who seems to be able to cure the bubonic plague that’s ravaging the city — and what’s in his medicine? As the plot unfolds against a backdrop of the black plague’s devastation, the teens suffer beatings, stabbings, poisonings, and more in their efforts to discover and unmask a murderer. Mark of the Plague delivers swashbuckling adventure, brain-teasing puzzles, several explosions, and assorted gun-brandishing and sword-wielding. Some characters die, and there are brief gory descriptions of injuries and plague symptoms as well as dead bodies. This installment has a strong moral compass, with frequent but non-preachy messages about friendship, loyalty, kindness, using your brain, and doing the right thing even when you’re being strongly pressured to do the wrong one.

It’s the middle of the 19th century, and Stephen and Josephine are accompanying their families on the Oregon Trail. During their 2000 mile trek, they see new landscapes and experience peaceful encounters with Native American tribes like the Shoshone. Their journey by horse and wagon lasts six months. Upon reaching their destination, the children promise to keep in touch—Josephine’s family will stay in town while Stephen’s plans to claim farmland.

Gregory uses accessible language to explain what life was like during this point in American history. The inclusion of historical snapshots effectively blends fact and fiction. At the back of the book, a simple illustration of the Oregon Trail provides readers a visual reference of Stephen and Josephine’s journey. There is also a timeline, a glossary of 5 key terms, and an index. Lluis Farre’s cartoonish illustrations add a playful touch.

A little fish is swimming through the ocean when he is spotted by an octopus. The octopus catches the little fish and plays catch with him, fishket ball, lost in a maze, and other games. Finally the octopus says that he looks so cute and probably tastes cute. He puts the little fish in his mouth only to discover that the little fish is a pufferfish and is left with a tongue full of spines.

With very few words on a page, this illustrations carry the story. The expression on the animals convey their feelings and the surprise ending will appeal to readers.

A young boy is so excited to go to the beach the next day, but that afternoon a storm blows in. His family prepares for the storm, but all the boy can think about is how upset he is to not go to the beach. That night he dreams that he sails on a ship with big propellers to blow away the storm. When he wakes the next morning, the sun is shining.

The charcoal drawings emphasize the feeling of darkness in he storm. The beginning of the book, the illustrations are lighter and as the storm approaches the pages are darker until the boy wakes up to sunlight streaming through his window. The last pages of the story have the only color, blue sky!

This book was originally published in Japan in 2009. English translation published in 2016.

Sam would like to earn twenty bucks a pop just like his older sister, but Sam is too young to mow lawns. How can Sam earn some money? He starts out by caring for his neighbor’s chickens while she is away and taking another neighbor for a walk to see the chickens. All of this leads to his desire to own his own chicken. Sam learns some financial lessons along the way.

This beginning chapter book includes sketches of his diverse classmates and neighbors throughout the story. It is a light-hearted story and the first in the Sam the Man series.

This fantasy book takes place is pseudo-New Orleans. It follows the story of teenager Yonie Watereye as she tries to find out the truth of her parents’ mysterious death. The magic in this novel is called Guile: Yonie’s cat, LaRue, has Guile along with other objects, i. e., a locket or a shield. Yonie revisits old and new family members and acquires friends along the way.

The character Yonie felt too much like a stereotyped teenage bookworm. However, LaRue was portrayed as an exciting cat that the reader would like to travel with. The mystery of the the novel was intriguing and the ending of the story was very satisfying. All in all, this book was a good read that would appeal to those who enjoy fantasy and mystery stories.

— Faith E.

Twelve year old Maisie’s grandmother owns a boarding house in Victorian London.  Maisie helps clean and views herself as an amateur detective.  In this 4th book of her adventures, a rare, feathered mask has disappeared from the collection of tenant Professor Tobin.  As Maisie begins to piece together clues, the astute reader can also identify the likely thief.  An interesting twist at the end tells why the mask is so valued.  These mystery stories contain enough twists and turns to captivate budding detectives and problem solvers.  These books do not need to be read in order.

Loula loves her Great Dane, Mister.  Mister is large, unruly, clumsy, messy, energetic, and always hungry.  One day, Loula overhears Mama saying, “I can’t live with that… that Monster any more!”  Loula believes she is talking about Mister and attempts to teach Mister some good manners before Mama “will throw you out like an old pair of shoes!”  Her efforts fall far short so she enlists the aid of Gilbert, the family chauffeur.  Not surprisingly, Mister happily continues being boisterous.  After a disasterous adventure with a squirrel and a museum, they reluctantly return home.  Mama wondered where they had been.  She then asked Loula to hold the door so she could throw out a plant – a monsterous Venus Fly Trap!  Terrific ink and watercolor illustrations are humorous and provide many comic details to the story.  This would make a great read-aloud.  There are many opportunities for discussions about manners and predictions.

This nonfiction book on scorpions for emergent readers has fascinating photographs.  The text is large and well chosen to go with the detailed photos.  Young readers learn about behavior, appearance, and habitat of these incredibly adaptive arachnids.  This is an engaging book – a sure hit with those with a love for arachnids and insects.

Books in this series begin with true/false statements.  The answers are found within the pages and also in the back.  Camouflage simply means using a disguise to help a creature to hide from predators.  However, sometimes camouflage also helps animals sneak up on their prey.  Animals use mimicry, coloration, behavior, physical appearance, and shape as a means to hide.  Photos fill about half the page and are well chosen to illustrate the informative text.  Over 30 animals, insects, sea creatures, reptiles, birds, and even people, are depicted using camouflage.  Words in bold text are defined in context as well as in the glossary.  Additional facts, resources, an index, and a paragraph about the author are included.  This is a terrific resource for any collection.

Webster is a dog who has returned to the shelter after his third unsuccessful attempt at adoption.  He has decided to go the way of the free, independent cowboy: no friends, no attachments to people, no cozy home – a loner through and through.  He calls himself “Bad Hat”.  No matter how gruff Webster tries to be, the other animals in the shelter are friendly, encouraging, and hopeful that everyone will find a “forever family”.  Webster makes an escape one stormy night to continue his life as an outsider.  During his adventures, he rescues a drowning man, saves a toddler in traffic, defends a child from bullies, and brings a litter of kittens to the shelter.  “Bad Hat” is not the best name for this reluctant hero!  Throughout the book, there is mention on the importance of pet adoption and rescue groups.

Fourth grade Krystal is a psychic but only her friends, Claire and Billy, know of her ability.  After a collision with Billy, Krystal discovers she can now also hear what animals are saying!  The chapters are short and the sentences are simple.  This book is the 4th in the series but they do not need to be read in order.  Although Krystal is in the fourth grade, this book will be more enjoyed by younger readers.  Illustrations are cartoon-like in black and white.  In the back are horoscopes and instructions for making a paper fortune-teller.  Included is a website containing videos, contests, games, and puzzles.

In this fantasy/sci-fi novel, teenager Nadia is an outcast because she is the dyer’s daughter (one who dyes clothes). In the town of Canaan where Nadia lives, a wall surrounds the town; no one is allowed to venture past this wall, but Nadia climbs over the wall every night to find out what is really behind the structure. Every twelve years in the city of Canaan, everyone forgets everything about who they were and everything that has ever happened. The only way to remember is to record things in “your book” which is always on one’s person. Nadia is the only person in Canaan who can remember the past. Nadia knows that someone has replaced her book with a false one. Who replaced her book and why did they replaced it?!!

The pacing of the story was a bit slow, but the variety of characters keeps the story interesting. The story begins seemingly as a regular fantasy, but half-way through, the plot develops into a sci-fi story. When the sci-fi elements appear in the book, it answers a lot of misconceptions which gives the reader a new insight into the city and its residents. The concept of the book itself is very intriguing; the subject matter of memory is fascinating. Nadia is portrayed as a very strong protagonist. This book will appeal to teens who like fantasy, sci-fi and suspense.

–Charlotte H.

In this realistic fiction novel, seventeen-year-old Katie’s grandmother comes to live with her, her brother and her mom due to Alzheimer’s disease. A journey of self-discovery for all three women occurs as a result of her grandmother’s disease. During this process, Katie realizes that she is gay.

In this touching book, the three main characters are portrayed in a very realistic way and the reader can relate to them. The plot does not read in a straight timeline; it jumps back and forth from the present to the past. The author’s style of enthralling writing is clear and concise and easy to read. This novel would appeal to those struggling with parental relationships and those who are dealing with loved-ones with Alzheimer’s. This book will also be appreciated by those who are questioning their sexual identity. I highly suggest that everyone (teens and up) read this book.

— Faith E.

In this futuristic, yet realistic, novel, teenage Liberty goes to live with her grandmother after her mom is sent to prison. Liberty moves into a small impoverished town. In a very cliche high school, Liberty gets a boyfriend, makes enemies and friends. Also, the town has a company that is excavating the top of a mountain for coal. As Liberty settles into her new life, she discovers that the digging of the mountain and the air pollution that is created because of this digging is causing the towns folk to become sick. When her grandmother becomes sick, Liberty struggles to manage school, her grandmother’s health and the taking down of the excavation company.

This books deals with issues that are not usually found in a YA novel: cancer, poverty, and pollution. Liberty is portrayed as a very strong character; one that is trying to do it all. The reader will react compassionately to the events and resolutions of each of the main issues. The writing is thought-provoking; it connects the reader with different aspects of society compared to what a teen reader normally reads. Also, if the reader does live in a town such as Liberty, then he/she will feel that they are not alone. This compelling book will have the readers look at society in a different light.

— Natalie S.