For the library that has How To Rap, adding How To Rap 2 is a natural and worthwhile purchase.  How To Rap 2 is a technical manual for the aspiring rapper.  Author Paul Edwards details out rhythm and vocal techniques as well as rhyming techniques.  Precise examples from real rappers clarify what can’t be explained in words or reinforce what is said.  Interwoven into every page are items of advice, information, and inspiration from rappers around the world.  The rapper just looking for ideas and “how-tos” will gloss over these parts and the reader who can’t get enough of the world of rap will soak in each idea. For the lay person who knows nothing of rap, the words of wisdom from specific artists will get ignored but they could make their way through Edwards technical explanations, much like one does with most college textbooks — it’s that technical.  As said, if How To Rap is checked out by patrons already, this will be a further lesson in the art of rap to enjoy.  High school audiences and above.

This installment in Abdo Publishing’s Contemporary Lives Series, Pink, is an easy to read, fun pick for students in grades 6 and up.  Rowell’s writing is formulaic, but with Pink as the center of attention, the content is still very interesting.  Even the chapter titles amuse a reader:  “Glitter in the Air”, “A Yummy Life”, and “Channeling Heartbreak”.  From this biography, a reader will learn that Alecia Beth Moore was born into a home that was “World War III” every day.  She spent time with kids who were considered druggies and punks.  At 13, her focus on music and natural instinct landed her jobs in clubs singing and being further exposed to drugs.  All of this, as well as dropping out of school, shaped the hard core, intense artist she became.  The 3rd chapter and beyond catalog the climb Pink would make between 2000 and 2013.  Chalked full of glossy pictures, text boxes of quotations from Pink, asides from the author of interesting tidbits, decorative background imagery of reflective lights on every page and less than 200 words per page because of the larger font used, this is a visual feast for pop-culture fans.  Still, the depiction feels honestly representative of a woman who had made a huge impact on the music industry.  As Pink compares herself to Cher, the reader knows Alecia will be in the business for a very long time to come.  Student researchers will appreciate the timeline, data page, and selective bibliography in the back of the text, as well as the author’s note for writing about credibility in their annotations.  This reader will be looking at more books in this set, including Lil’ Wayne, Bruno Mars, and Rihanna.

Wonderfully illustrated with watercolor, appropriate to the topic, this is a story about a little girl who is attracted to but afraid of the water.  Maybe for humor, the parents make Heather wear arm floaties any time she is near water, including visiting a farm with water wells and going to an art museum with a water exhibit.  The arm floaties help create a fear of the water that the parent then have to fix.  To the author’s credit, the parents do get into the pool with her for swim lessons.  Heather soon realizes she wasn’t attracted to water out of fear but out of love.  Making a pact with it, she says she’ll learn to swim.  Progressing quickly, the older Heather even joins a competitive swim team.  When she wins, all of their cheering makes them fall into the water together.  This small amount of humor helps send the message that kids need to become accustomed to the water and that water is fun!  An additional purchase unless your library doesn’t already have something on the subject.

Trouper is a touching story of a black lab who is rescued from the pound.  Told from the dog’s point of view, readers learn that he ran with a pack of mutts until caught by an animal control worker.  The beautiful watercolor cover of this picture book gives hints of the emotional pull this story will have with readers, but the reason to make this a read aloud is to work with kids on the reading of the artwork.  The causal reader will be enjoying and predicting the storyline and then forced to re-read when they encounter the cover art’s page within the book 3/4 of the way through as the dog says “Before you found me, I thought all the kids were mean, though I dreamed each night I might find just one who didn’t mind so much my hairy stump, who liked the way I lean on those I love.”  The careful reader will have seen in the artwork that Trouper is missing a back leg, but this reader did not!  And first I went back to read only the text.  I then realized that the picture is worth all those words too!  What a great reminder for kids.  Or maybe they do this naturally and I am the one who needed the lesson.  Regardless, E.B. Lewis’s brushwork is extraordinary and deserves just as much attention as the text by Meg Kearney.  Trouper is a worthy addition to any library.

Romeo Blue is the continuation of the story of Felicity Budwig and her intuitive mind, as first introduced in The Romeo and Juliet Code.  Fliss, as she is nicknamed, is a very smart young girl, probably much like her parents who are spies for America in World War II.  Now a year later, Fliss is set to learn even more about her quirky relatives, including how she has two dads.  Throw in there Nazi spies and the budding pre-teen romance between her and her best friend Derek, and this becomes a light-hearted read full of historical references that could serve to reinforce lessons on WWII and twists that are unexpected.  Definitely upper elementary/middle school material because of historical references and she’s got a teddy bear she still considers to be a companion.  At times it feels a bit old fashioned and may not sit well with students in this digital age.  Given the right framing or book talking, students could pick this up as a stand alone or will be happy to continue the story if they liked The Romeo and Juliet Code.  Recommended for elementary and middle school libraries.

Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the professional wrestling world will find Larry Matysik’s  “Definitive Shoot” on the world’s greatest wrestlers to be an educational experience, even while knowing it is totally opinion based.  Matysik’s analysis of the best wrestlers comes across with such an honest tone that even  Vince McMahon should find it a fair assessment with sound arguments based on valid reasoning, despite the fact that McMahon published his own list of the fifty greatest based only on the 50 most popular TV WWE  athletes–WWE being McMahon’s company of course.  Matysik’s list includes wrestlers who did well with their natural ability rather than the scripted acting the WWE portrays today (reviewers personal reflection here).  And his list is not a popularity contest, that McMahon’s  surely is.  Matysik’s categories for evaluation included: working ability, charisma, mic work, drawing ability, legacy, and  the most important — being real.  “Reality.  Legitimacy.  Believability.  The real deal.  A true tough guy.  A wrestler who can wrestle.”  My only critique is that it took 106 pages of explaining his rational before the countdown began. For fans of professional wrestlers, as well as students who find a way to do a research paper on this subject, Larry Matysik’s has the history and the argument that makes for an appreciative read.  Recommended.

In giving voice to memorable teenager Loa Lindgren, Blythe Woolston offers us a penetrating look into the heart of a wounded but marvelously unique soul working her way through the pain of losing loved ones to death, overcoming nightmares in which death (The Bony Guy) haunts and menaces her, coping with seemingly merciless parents, loving a little brother, retrieving her own hope, and making us care as she does.

This voice is not a common one. Loa, assigned to explain “The Freak Observer” by her Physics teacher, laces her experiences together with dreams and physics questions as she works her way through them. Compounded by confusion about Corey, her friend/lover, and his enigmatic, seemingly threatening postcards from Europe, Loa’s life appears bleak and unpromising.

Then change happens just when it should, and it is not, thank the stars, all up to her anymore. As her understanding shifts, there is starlight where before there was a universe of regret, and, as so often in life, new friends and art pave the way for hope, self-love, and fulfillment.

“The Freak Observer” is a conscious entity that pops into being in its own universe because there may be other universes to observe. So, in a sweet dream that comes at last, Loa finds she is able to breathe underwater in a world astonishingly beautiful and new, realizing “this is only another universe. And I’m its observer.”

Well-written and absorbing, this book is a fine path through the brain of a tender young person well on her way. Highly recommended.

Joy in Mudville by Bob Rackza illustrates how anyone can do things unexpectedly, in a unique manner, and succeed wildly at it.  The baseball game is near the end with a score of one to zero when a rookie pitcher (a girl, if you can believe that) takes over and surprises them with different ways of pitching in the forms of different sports.   The illustrations accurately depict the written word and it is easy to picture these pitches and the scenery in your head.  This book stands out because it overcomes stereotypes and is creative in its approach.  Although this is a picture book, it is not one that would read easily aloud due to changes in the cadence and words that don’t quite rhyme.  It is a book that would especially appeal to athletic children of either gender as well as to baseball fans.  It is a follow-up to the famous “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer which is printed in entirety at the end of the book.  In fact, this might be a good comparison piece for students to really look at the difference in word choices, finding evidence of this and practicing some common core skills, even at the upper elementary.  This book is recommend for those who enjoy sports or just breaking the mold.

Though the cover does consent that this is the Unofficial Story of Drake’s musical career, author Dalton Higgins definitely knows the rap scene and provides infinite details about the handsome Canadian rapper Drake.  Born to a father who himself was a musician, Drake was primarily raise by his mother after a divorce when he was 5.  Keeping Drake involved in activities and off the streets of Toronto was a priority and Drake participated in a variety of the arts.  At first, theater rose to the top of his successes.  His break into stardom comes during 8th grade with a TV show titled Degrassi: The Next Generation and from there the ball begins to roll.  His life as as a TV star kept rapping as a chance for release.  But Drake did record and release music starting in the early 2000’s.  Those in the rap scene were skeptical at first but quickly rose to respect his lyrics and style.  The clean cut edge and being from Canada made him different too.  And according to this biographer, Drake had a knack for connecting with the right people and the right time.

This biography is chalk full of minute details.  For the hard core rap fan who know the names and places in the history of rap, it will be an interesting read.  While the overarching structure is chronological, Higgins jumps back and forth throughout a chapter, making reference to events in 2010, 2011, or 2012 and then jumping back to the early or mid 2000’s.  This reviewers head was spinning at times and could only read a few pages in each sitting.  For this reason, Far From Over is an additional purchase for most libraries.

The Campaign by Elizabeth Karre is part of The Opportunity Series of books targeting young adult, reluctant readers.  Using the premise of a teenager getting their “dream job”, the series has ordinary teens in real career situations. “The Campaign” involves the dilemma that arises for Destiny, a senior in high school with financial concerns  limiting her hopes to attend college.  During her summer job as an intern reporter, she discovers false video tapes are being made to discredit a mayoral candidate.  Is Destiny being  paid to be a reporter, paid to uncover political shenanigans or paid to keep quiet?  With a surprising twist at the end, the expected plot is thought provoking  and  realistic..  By using hip language, realistic social situations, teenage romantic crushes, responsibility for younger siblings and money problems, the book is honest.  It could be a recommended read for a reluctant reader that is that is also facing “real” life after high school.

Seven Billion and Counting is intriguing  from the cover with the sub text of “the Crisis in Global Population Growth” to the final page with discussion of possibilities for a sustainable future.  The use of colorful photographs,  charts  and graphs show the hugeness of population numbers in the billions.  A grasp of this many humans on the planet is then discussed in the needs of these people as individuals.  For the planet to provide the basic, life sustaining  requirements, such as adequate food, water and shelter , decisions must be made beyond the boundaries of separate countries, regions or nationalities.  This book gives a clear, graphic presentation of viewing the planet as a whole organism to be nurtured and sustained in order to provide for a magnitude of human beings. Real solutions are recommended through education, public awareness, population control  and  sustainable farming.  This is a pressing problem that needs discussion and action on many different fronts.  Additional purchase for middle and high school libraries.

Andrew Jenks as a young boy felt awkward, shy and out of place. Observing life from behind a camera lens became how he could participate in life yet not have to “do anything”.  Growing up around the world, from Nepal to Belgium to New York City, he clung to family, basketball and a video camera for stability.  After making a short, humorous film to celebrate the graduation of his high school basketball team, Jenks decided that filmmaking was his passion and dream career.  This autobiographical book chronicles his journey  from boredom and depression in college to frustration with the rejection of his first  off-beat, early film projects to the realization of his dream when he is hired by MTV.  Jenks’ goals stay true to his early desire “to do something right for the world”.  His films want to deal with the real stuff that is happening to his generation: homelessness, mental illness, aging and loneliness, poverty, abuse, addiction.  As he states it: “My plan was to tell engaging and substantive stories about important issues, masked as entertainment.”  Using photos, graphics and decorative text, the message that art is a powerful medium to inform and enlighten society is reinforced.  This is an excellent book on many levels.  Highly recommended for all high school and public libraries.

The book offers primary readers an opportunity to accompany a variety of animals to the local fair which culminates in a monster truck show.  The monster truck show features one of their friends driving his own monster truck in the finale.  This cast decides they have some time to kill before the big show and set off to explore the fair and all its rides.  When the time arrives for the big monster truck show, Franco ( the large dog assigned to drive the truck) breaks his glasses.  The crisis is averted when the hamster and friendly mice step in and drive for Franco.

The tale reinforces sizing, sequencing, and includes the young reader in a series of choices connected to the day at the fair.  Readers becomes another friend accompanying the animals to a day at the fair and monster truck event.  It stresses how things can be categorized, such as that rides that are fun, rides that are fast, rides that are both, and offers a variety of food that enables the reader to engage in more choices.  The illustrations reinforce the choices for both the reader and the characters.  Through the illustrator’s vision, primary children have a door that they can enter and spend a day at the fair and monster truck show.  The author and illustrator invite the young reader to accompany the animals on their journey through the fair.  Children are constantly included in making choices, problem solving, and what can be accomplished when all of us work together.  I would highly recommend this book for those working with pre-K and K age groups.

This well written and illustrated biography chronicles Joe Dimaggio’s legendary streak of hits in 1941.  Juxtaposing World War 1 and a world rapidly changing, America’s pastime and legendary Joe Dimaggio’s streak of hits comes alive for upper elementary readers.  The impressionist inspired illustrations transport the reader to this era and the writing weaves mere facts into a captivating story.

This  author highlights one man’s accomplishments in baseball.  In spite of the looming war and the loss and recovery of his favorite bat “Betsey Ann”,  Joe Dimaggio manages to set a record hitting streak that ended with a total of 56 games.  The writer brings history alive for the readers and what could be a list of dry facts becomes one man’s struggle to become the best baseball player he can for his team.  Figurative writing accompanies the dream-like drawings blending a tale that will capture a ten and eleven year old imagination.   Yet the author’s note, annotated source notes at the end  and quotations on the end pages remind a reader that this is in fact non-fiction and could be used as a source for a research report in elementary schools.  Recommended for school and public libraries.

From the Eye on Art series, this text accomplishes its goal of chronicling the history of comics in its many forms.  From being unrespected and then rising as an acclaimed and legitimate art, comics in cartoons, strips, comic book and webcomics are covered.  Of note was the attention given to female artists and the explanation about African American comics.  Colorful illustrations and sidebars break up the text and provide good balance.  A fine resource for students who want to view the beginnings from which superhero comics, graphic novels and webcomics of today evolved.  Resources, bibliographical references and an index are included.

This Hot Topics series title provides up-to-date and well referenced information on the enormously passionate issue of gun control.  Support for the “pro” and “con” stances are the usual, predictable rationales:  Gabby Gifford’s case in Arizona, a right to carry state; the “stand your ground” defense of George Zimmerman in Florida; stand and defend.  A surprise was to read of gun control as a form of racism since certain classes are prevented from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights due to the costs and fees of gun ownership.  Without the financial resources, many cannot access the ammunition nor even the weapon itself, whereas the well-to-do can.  Another concept that seemed novel was that bearing arms can be seen as an equalizer.  It evens the playing field for a woman versus a man or a small man versus a larger man or an individual versus a group.  Great layout with highlighting, text boxes and colorful illustrations.  For a thin book, it is thick on material.  Excellent bibliographical references, discussion questions for each chapter and additional resources provided.

James Whitman, teenage poet, confused, anxious but hopeful, creative soul, longs to understand the horror of living with parents whom he calls The Brute and The Banshee, and how they could kick his beloved, abused sister Jorie out of their home without regret or forgiveness. As James begins to question just what Jorie did to deserve such punishment, which also included expulsion from school her senior year, his quest to know her and himself better through ‘therapy’ with an imaginary dove named Dr. Bird, then a real and effective therapist named Dr Dora, is the pulse of this sweet debut book by Evan Roskos.

James, inspired by Walt Whitman, finds it is poetry and friendship that ultimately save him and bring him to reckon with the hard lessons of living. Jorie’s struggles become clear, too, as James makes his way past his own guilt and anxiety to build a healing relationship with her, out there on her own by choice, helping him carve out a way forward with parents whose inept parenting is nevertheless what he is stuck with. James’ ultimate celebration of all things life brings the book to its hopeful fulfillment. The poetry and prose move the plot forward with joy that never flags, even in the darkest of times for James.

Highly recommended.

A happy central character with a life plan and the confidence to see it through: That’s Margo McKenna, high school musical theatre talent, promising musician, who usually gets what she wants. Enter Vicky, lackluster non-actress who gets the lead role Margo ought to have had, and Oliver, Vicky’s mysterious companion, and suddenly the known world is very odd indeed.  Why are people so blind to Vicky’s acting inability? Why do they dote on her? And who is Oliver really?

Lindsay Ribar’s first book is engaging, believable magical realism, brightly written and well developed. Oliver, a gentle genie, comes into Margo’s life summoned by the wishing ring Vicky has abandoned. As Margo begins to understand the power Oliver offers, she also begins to fall in love with him, leading to an ultimately surprising consequence when she defeats the dark genie that wants to end Oliver’s life, thus changing her own forever. The inevitable but unexpected ending promises sequels.

This easy to absorb novel creates a whole new world of genies and ‘masters’ for the modern world. It will be interesting to see what Ms Ribar has in store for Margo and Oliver is the next phase of their existences in this paranormal romance.  Recommended

Romance is the spark  that  ignites interest in this fantasy novel about spell seekers and curse casters by the husband and wife writing team of Cremer and Levithan. Each writer has individually authored popular Young Adult Fiction novels.   In Invisibility, they alternate each chapter between the voice of the invisible boy, Stephen, and the emotions and observations of his “ordinary” friend, Elizabeth,  the new girl in the next  apartment .  A lonely, awkward young woman from the mid-west, new to New York and happy to blend into anonymity of the big city of New York, Elizabeth is the only one who can see Stephen.   No surprises in the plot that the only person who can see the invisible boy may be the one who can break the curse put on him by a vengeful grandfather.  This is an easy read with the only memorable, serious note being the tender, insightful manner in which the sexual coming out  the younger brother is handled.  Recommended with limited enthusiasm.

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, enters realms of steampunk fantasy with the search of 18 year old Lena Mattacascar to learn more about her father, Saul, who left her and her mother for the strange land of Scree, wherein live those whose characteristics (wings, goblin features, dwarfism and the like) make them not only different but undesirables and victims of oppression. Lena’s inheritance of the deed to her father’s mine in Scree begins her journey north, leading her to engage with friends and foes as she deals with her own goblinesque, hands and feet and the realization of her father’s uncontrolled tendencies to violence.

Themes of self-acceptance, discernment, trust and determination infuse McQuerry’s alternate late-1800s steam-powered world. Infused with facts and historic figures, readers enter Lena’s experiences as she discovers whether she is indeed “a Peculiar” in the face of societal condemnation and shame.  In so doing, she finds a new life, acceptance, a worthwhile career and the promise of love.

The author, who lives and teaches in southeastern Washington, specializes in young adult fiction.  With The Peculiars, she has created a worthwhile and thought-provoking look into a world filled with gears, pulleys, steam-driven flying machines, committed characters, and an indomitable spirit of self-discovery. Recommended.

Perfect is for a baseball fan.  Anyone one who has played the game will “see” a game from the descriptions of the writer and enjoy reading about some of the games special moments. Each perfect game is its own chapter; alike in that the reader knows how it will end, but different in how the end comes about. What James Buckley Jr. also provides in this book is a historical timeline because descriptions of how the game was played in the beginning to how the rules changed to the game we know now give readers a real sense of the evolution of America’s pastime.

Of course nothing can be perfect.  The book does not include the perfect games played last year, most notably, by this Mariner’s fan, that by Felix Hernandez.

The author does reference other books written about perfect games, each book about a single game and its impact upon the game, the season, the player the team and the fans.  This is most likely an additional purchase for schools and public libraries.

With Adios Nirvana, Conrad Wesselhoeft takes readers into the chiaroscuro world of high school Junior Jonathan, writer/guitarist/seeker/mourner, whose twin brother has died after a skateboard accident. Deep grief and uncertainty about his own life and future places this lovable, warm, talented yet troubled youth on the path to either failure or success, and the unfolding of his journey captures, with a cast of interesting characters, the healing process that loving friends and music can provide when one deals with big themes like life and death. And there’s the Eddie Vedder Rickenbacker guitar, too.

Wesselhoeft paints Seattle perfectly from the weather to the streets, casting a mood that every Northwest inhabitant knows, moving Jonathan into the lives of people who need him, astound him, teach him, and ultimately lead him to find affirmation, a writing career, and the perfect musical moment.

It’s a great first book mixing music and magic with the everyday life of a kid seeing that every moment of light and dark is a miracle, despite evidence to the contrary.Life throws us curves.  To live through them, “The secret is to close your hand on jagged glass, then open it and find a butterfly.” Recommended.

A reader’s perception of the book The Warrior’s Heart with will probably shape their overall feeling for this account about Eric Greitens.  All in all this is the story of Eric coming of age.  The first 130 pages detail the post high school education of Greitens, one that includes much more than his Duke and Oxford diplomas would entail.  Upon entering Duke on a scholarship, Greitens wanted to study “public policy” but it became quite clear that the focus in his studies would mean much more than just that.  Independent study grant opportunities would take him to China, Rwanda, Zaire and Bolivia.  His account reveals the first hand experiences with war, poverty, disease and death that most “public  policy” experts never get.  Back at school he sought to box for fun, learning a heck of a lot about honor and courage as well as the physical fitness that would prove essential in his future.  In his senior year he applied and received the coveted Rhodes scholarship that gave him full tuition to Oxford for graduate school.  But even that wasn’t enough.

The second half of the book details Greitens entry into the Navy’s Officer Candidate School and the Navy Seal’s Basic Underwater Demolition team.  For readers who just want the story of this training, they will find the first half of the book a bit to slog through.  But Greitens title is clear that the purpose of the book is to show how he became the man that he is and this man is not just the tough guy who can survive the brutal training and work of Navy Seals.  The reader that stays along for the ride will thoroughly enjoy all the mental and physical details Greitens provides for the latter 130 pages.

This is a well written book.  Readers will like the 2nd person rhetorical vignettes that proceed major decision points in his life asking them “What would you do?”  It’s no surprise that this is popping up on all the current lists of popular teen fiction.  For teens who are exploring the idea of being in the military in the future, and for anyone who wants a picture of Navy Seal training, this is a strong recommendation.

Jim Murphy and Alison Blank have put forth a wonderful account of the history of Tuberculosis in Invisible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-ending Search for a Cure.  They begin with “This is the story of a small, harmless germ that has been infecting people for millions of years.”  But once a reader gets into the first chapters of the book, they will no longer look at TB as a harmless germ.  Through the author’s chronicling of its history — how people felt and lived with a germ they didn’t even know was causing their symptoms for thousands of years, to its mass spread largely due to living conditions in the industrial revolution, to the concoctions and treatments used to try to heal the sick — students could gain a large respect for the generations that died, sometimes in horrific ways, trying to solve the mystery of the germ and for the researchers who are still working to make sure TB outbreaks are rare.  A large amount of ground is covered with detail in the book’s 150 pages, but the text is so smoothly written and on spot for a middle school and high school audience with its tone of TB being such a medical mystery.  Images, both historical pictures and other drawings/graphs are scattered about to break up and enlighten the text.  This is also such a great source because the generations that witnessed the debilitating effects and epic death counts from this germ are themselves passing on.  The current generations need to be aware and vigilant to keep the disease at bay for as long as humanly possible.  Highly recommended for high school and public libraries, especially at its $18.99 price.

Superstar book authors on getting into Ivy league schools have pulled together great advice on hitting a grand slam with the Standford application essay in this book.  The first chapter gives 25 mistakes to avoid when writing the essay, most of which would apply to any college admission essay.  But then the fun starts where Tanabe interviews former Stanford admission officers for their personal advice on how to do well with specific questions on the essay.  The remaining 2/3 of the book are actual essays written by students with an analysis afterwards.  If Stanford is the goal for any particular student, then this is the book for them.  Highly recommended for any high school library or career center.