August/September 2018

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: This book is about a mama lion and her son Tigey. They are going to try and win a car race but who will win the trophy? The race starts and there off they are in first place in the beginning but they have a little accident. the adventure they go on is very interesting, fun, challenging and they end up doing the right thing. Verdict: this book is very cute and it teaches kids a lesson on how to be kind and do the right thing. I also liked the illustrations.

Curricular Use: N/A

Reviewer: Heidi Bradley, Library Para, Robert Gray

Words and your heart

Author: Neal, Jane Kate

Illustrator: Kate Jane Neal

Feiwel and Friends, 2017

ISBN: 9781250168726

$$16.99

Grades 1 - 3: This book is about how words can affect your heart. they can make you feel happy, silly, and amazing. words can make your heart feel joy. Words can also hurt your heart and make you feel things you don't want to feel. Verdict: this is a teachable book on how words can change your heart. the illustrations aren't that great but it's still a great book.

Curricular Use: N/A

Reviewer: Heidi Bradley, Library Para, Robert Gray

Heather has two Mommies

Author: Newman, Leslea

Illustrator: Laura Cornell

Candlewick Press, 1989, 2000, 2009, 2015

ISBN: 9780763690427

$6.99

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: This book was written after a lesbian mother had talked to writer and poet Leslea Newman and asked about resources for lesbian parents. None existed in 1989. Leslea Newman decided to write the book Heather has two Mommies.

Beautiful water colors accompany this sensitive story about a girl named Heather, who starts preschool. Heather has two mothers. The mothers are depicted as a doctor and a carpenter spending one-on-one time with Heather, engaging in pretend doctor play and building a tree house and all three spend time together as a family. Heather gets to pick two special items to take to school with her. During circle time, one of the boys asks Heather what her Daddy does and Heather becomes self-conscious and wonders if she is the only one without a Dad. The teacher lets everyone draw a picture of their families and highlights that each family is unique. The script sensitively addresses the different make-up of families. The teacher says: “It doesn’t matter how many mommies or how many daddies your family has...” “Each family is special. The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other.” I love this message.

This book first came out in 1989 when it stirred up a lot of controversy and was banned by Congress. I found the following article on-line: https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/living/feat-heather-has-two-mommies-leslea-newman/index.html.

Verdict: The book addresses lesbian parents, different family structures and can help families talk about a child’s first day of school. Some Math is introduced at the beginning of the book letting the reader know that Heather’s favorite number is 2.

Curricular Use:

Reviewer: Sonja Sample, Child and Family Liaison, Lower Columbia College Head Start

This is my Book!

Author: Pett, Mark

Illustrator: Mark Pett

Alfred A. Knopf, 2016

ISBN: 9781101937907

$17.99

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: This book defines what an author and illustrator does. The person character in the book tries to make the rules, but Percy “the Perfectly Polite Panda”, created by the illustrator, breaks them.

It is quite humorous to watch the author/illustrator getting angry as Percy adds his own touch to the pages. The story gets funnier and funnier when the person gets madder and madder as Panda adds flaps and pull-tabs to the book that the author/illustrator absolutely does not like to have in his book. The author/illustrator wants to have control over the project. But Panda adds more and more of his creativity. After having a tantrum the author/illustrator character, calms downs and starts to listen to Panda and finally admits that he doesn’t have to be in charge of everything. Then, the main characters and the characters Panda create illustrate the rest of the book together.

The end of the book has a pocket that includes a book that children can write and illustrate themselves.

This book invites adults and children to talk about how to take care of books.

Verdict: This is a unique book that shows the reader how a book is written and illustrated. Emotions can be explored and cooperation can be discussed.

Curricular Use:

Reviewer: Sonja Sample, Child and Family Liaison, Lower Columbia College Head Start

Sturgeon

Author: Statts, Leo

Illustrator: NA

Launch! (ABDO), 2019

ISBN: 9781532122910

$18.95

P - 2: Part of the Freshwater Fish series. This nonfiction book introduces young readers to an interesting fish, the sturgeon. It provides basic information about its physical characteristics, habitat and sizes of different species. The book's smaller, square size is just right for little hands. Verdict: Young children will be interested in learning about his unusual fish. It will also work for older students needing a lower reading level.

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Sturgeon

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

The Sloth who slowed us down

Author: Wild, Margaret

Illustrator: Vivienne To

Abrams, 2018

ISBN: 9781419731952

$$16.99

Grades 6 - 8: On the one hand, this is definitely a text/resource book. On the other hand it is a fun approach to the bard's writing and how his works have influenced contemporary literature, poetry, movies, and music. It introduces four of his plays and compares them to specific modern day creations. Ms. Diehn also brings up many even earlier examples of stories which stimulated Shakespeare's own writing. Filled with lovely little factoids, questions to ponder, and activities to challenge the student, this is a very contemporary and worthwhile book to use for any class that introduces Shakespeare, his plays and even his sonnets. Verdict: Shakespeare is a delightful approach to learn about and understand the writings of William Shakespeare.

Curricular Use: This book is obviously made for the middle school classroom. If you are teaching Shakespeare, it can easily serve as the textbook.

Reviewer: Mars Datura, Guest Reviewer, Cathlamet Public Library

Voices From the Second World War: Stories of Was As Told to Children of Today

Author: First News

Illustrator: NA

Candlewick Press, 2016

ISBN: 9780763694920

$24.99

Grades 6 - 8, Grades 9 - 12: his is a book filled with first-hand stories from survivors who were children during WWII. What I most loved about these compelling memories is that they were collected by children themselves. The foreword explains that many of the children who heard these stories were part of a “project” call First News. So the reporters are children, listening to grandparents, neighbors, friends and new acquaintances who tell them what it was like to be a child. Pictures and short bios introduce us to the reporters, then the book is divided into sections that represent the stages of the war experience: the outbreak of the war, fleeing the Nazis, women at war, the resistance, etc. It is a history book, complete with indexes and a glossary, but it is a “read aloud” as well. The stories are short and colloquial and could be used in any age classroom to augment lessons of the war. Great black and white photographs add much to the text and the simple orange/red title boxes tie the entire book together. Verdict: Accessible history stories. Good for read aloud and examples of reporting by children.

Curricular Use: Good examples for memoir writing, as well as first-hand sources for history study.

Reviewer: Lisa Sudar, Teacher Librarian, Mark Morris High School

Rogue One: Volume 2

Author: Houser, Jody

Illustrator: Emilio Laiso & Rachelle Rosenberg

Spotlight (ABDO), 2019

ISBN: 9781532141690

$17.95

Grades 5 - 8: Star Wars: Rogue One, volume 2. This is a graphic novel based on the Star Wars movie, Rogue One. In this installment, Jyn and Captain Andor are trying to meet Saw Gerrerra in hopes of receiving a message from Jyn's father. The message is supposed to tell them how to destroy the Death Star. She receives the message and now must race to the rebel camp with the information. Verdict: True to the movie, fans of Rogue One will certainly want to read the entire set!

Curricular Use: Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Star Wars

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

All Summer Long

Author: Larson, Hope

Illustrator: Larson, Hope

Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018

ISBN: 9780374304850

$21.99

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: It’s the summer before eighth grade and the first one neighbors Bina and Austin won’t be spending together earning points toward their Summer Fun Index. Austin is headed to soccer camp, and even if he wasn’t, he says, they’re too old for that stuff now. Bina is, of course, super bummed. She spends her first week binging a tv show called “British Teen Private Eye” before her mother cuts off her streaming privileges. The novel is broken into sections week by week exploring Bina’s friendships, her family, and her love of music.

"All Summer Long" is a really nice slice of life comic about being thirteen in suburban L.A. Bina’s family is diverse. She appears to be multiracial; her mother has darker skin and her father is pale (their ethnicities are never noted in the text.) One of her older brothers and his husband are adopting a baby, and the scene where Bina meets her new nephew is brief but sweetly demonstrates much of her growth through the summer. The illustrations are drawn in a similar style to what Larson used in her graphic adaptation of "A Wrinkle in Time." The coloring is done in black and white with shades of yellow-orange, which is an interesting choice. Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson will surely flock to this graphic novel. Verdict: A great choice for upper elementary and middle school.

Curricular Use:

Reviewer: Becky Standal, Youth Services Specialist, Longview Public Library

House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery

Author: Rosenberg, Liz

Illustrator: Morstad, Julie

Candlewick, 2018

ISBN: 9780763660574

$17.99

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8, Grades 9 - 12: "House of Dreams" is a narrative biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery that Liz Rosenberg has delightfully written in just the right style to be the perfect companion to Montgomery’s own books. Chapter one opens with a 30-year-old Maud writing the opening sentence to "Anne of Green Gables" in her grandmother’s kitchen before taking us back to Maud’s childhood and moving in a more chronological order through her life. Rosenberg notes in many instances how Montgomery took inspiration from her own life when writing her beloved characters Anne and Emily, and fans will notice many more. She also chronicles the darker parts of Maud’s life, most notably her struggles with mental illness and her unhappy marriage, that Montgomery recorded in her meticulous diaries but never fictionalized. Each chapter gets its own lovely line illustration by Julie Morstad. I like the illustrations and they really suit the design of the book, but I did wish while reading that the book had also included photographs, especially as several of them are described in the text. Verdict: I highly recommend this book as a companion to L.M. Montgomery’s novels, and I think it might be worth breaking filing rules to place this right on the shelf next to them.

Curricular Use:

Reviewer: Becky Standal, Youth Services Specialist, Longview Public Library

What the Night Sings

Author: Stamper, Vesper

Illustrator: Stamper, Vesper

Alfred A. Knopf, 2018

ISBN: 9781524700386

$19.99

Grades 6 - 8, Grades 9 - 12: "What the Night Sings" is an illustrated novel about Gerta, who is sixteen when the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp is liberated by allied troops. Gerta, who didn’t know she was Jewish until she and her father were captured by Nazis, survived the war by playing viola in camp orchestras that played to calm newly arriving prisoners. As Bergen-Belsen transitions into a displaced persons camp, Gerta befriends Lev, a fellow teen survivor and an Orthodox Jew who she can confide in about her fears for the future and her complex relationship with Judaism. She also has a brief fling with Michah, a member of the underground moving survivors to Palestine. Though she spends a great deal of the novel protesting the idea, Gerta very suddenly ends up deciding to accept Lev’s offer of marriage. After their wedding, the two make a brief trip to Lev’s hometown to see if any of his family survived and discover that a mob had murdered more than 40 Jews just the other day; the two are chased out of town. Back at Bergen-Belsen, Gerta and Lev enlist the help of Michah to get them to Palestine.

Though there are many holocaust novels for teens, I cannot think of another one that explores what happened to displaced people after the camps were liberated, and this book offers an interesting perspective. I wish it had dug deeper into Gerta’s character. Her relationship with Judaism in particular was a fascinating thread of her story that could have been explored in more depth. What it lacks in character development, though, the book makes up for in description, which is realistic but never sensationalized. The ink wash illustrations are beautiful and complement the story nicely. Stamper includes a very compelling author’s note as well as a glossary, map, and resource guide. Verdict: A recommended purchase for middle and high schools.

Curricular Use:

Reviewer: Becky Standal, Youth Services Specialist, Longview Public Library

The Mayflower Story

Author: Streissguth, Tom

Illustrator: Photographs and Illustrations (various)

ADBO Publishing, 2018

ISBN: 9781532113208

$25.95

Grades 6 - 10: The Mayflower Story was an interesting depiction of the when, the who, the why, and the where of the early transport of the Pilgrims to what is now Massachusetts, U.S.A. The whole business was started by a group of people called the Separatists who rebelled against the Church of England. Through a long, complicated process, some of the Separatists hired a ship to take them to the New World where they would set up another English colony. The book included some of the challenges of what was involved and the adventures they faced on their voyage across the Atlantic. It also told of why they settled by Cape Cod instead of the Hudson River where they were originally headed. I really enjoyed the accompanying photos and illustrations. Unfortunately the author often spoke of some item or process which really needed a diagram or illustration so the reader could better understand it. And the ship diagram was seriously lacking in clarity and information. Though at first glance the book targeted elementary kids, I found the complexity and the language of the writing more suitable to middle school or high school. Verdict: Though Mr. Streissguth's book appears to be written for the elementary level, it is more suitable for middle or high school kids. Overall an interesting history of the trip to the New World.

Curricular Use: The Mayflower Story can be used as supplemental reading for any class covering British expansion, early U.S. history, affects of western civilizations on North American Natives, religious persecution, or an interesting side trip into map making.

Reviewer: Mars Datura, Guest Reviewer, Cathlamet Public Library

A Reaper At the Gates

Author: Tahir, Sabaa

Illustrator: NA

Razorbill, 2018

ISBN: 9780448494500

$19.95

Grades 9 - 12: his is a must have for your fans of The Ember In the Ashes. We pick up all the stories of the Blood Shrike, Laia of Serra, and Elias. It is the crisis of the Empire and the Commandant is still weaving her intrigues and the Nightbringer is still seeking revenge. It is too hard to tell the story without too many spoilers, so I’ll just say this has all the elements to think that you’re going to see this epic wrapped up, but then, it isn’t finished! I had to go online to see if there would be a fourth book and was super relieved to find that there is one planned. The chapters alternate the characters’ points of view/narrative, of the star players of this story. War, greed, madness, revenge, loyalty, love….all the big themes abound in this book and I cannot wait for the next one! Verdict: A must have sequel for readers of The Ember in the Ashes books.

Curricular Use: Engaging extra-curricular reading and could be used for examples of literary devices such as "expletives" created within the world/text of the book, foreshadowing, parallels to Roman practices, etc.

Reviewer: Lisa Sudar, Teacher Librarian, Mark Morris High School

Rising Above: Inspiring Women in Sports

Author: Zuckerman; Gregory, Gabriel and Elijah

Illustrator: NA

Philomel Books, 2018

ISBN: 9780399547478

$17.99

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: Part of the Digital Photography series. This is a great "how to" guide for students interested in photography. While there is a lot of information presented, it is broken up into manageable segments. Readers will appreciate that the author gives the specific camera settings that were used in taking many of the photographs presented and he reassures readers that they can take great pictures with whatever camera they have. Photography buffs will be interested in the rest of the series as well. Verdict: Serious photography students will thoroughly enjoy this book!

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Photography

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Red Gerard

Author: Hansen, Grace

Illustrator: NA

ABDO Kids, 2019

ISBN: 9781532181450

$19.95

K - 2: Part of the Olympic Biographies series. This over sized nonfiction book is a perfect introduction to nonfiction for beginning readers. It focuses on the young Olympian, Red Gerard, and his snowboarding career. Includes "More Facts," glossary, index and online code. Verdict: A great addition for elementary libraries. It is also will appeal to a bit older reader who needs a lower reading level.

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Snowboarding

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Possum and the Summer Storm

Author: Hunter, Anne

Illustrator: Anne Hunter

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018

ISBN: 9780544898912

$17.99

P - 1: When a storm washes Possum's home away, several forest animals off to help build him and his children a new home. Several different ones are built until they create just the right one. Another storm hits as soon as the house is built and all the animals take shelter in it. The illustrations are colorful and engaging. Verdict: This is a fun story about working together that will be thoroughly enjoyed by young children.

Curricular Use: Picture Books, Working Together

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Dark Side of the Moon

Author: Kraatz, Jeramey

Illustrator: NA

Harper, 2018

ISBN: 9780062446008

$16.99

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: Space Runners book 2. Benny and the other scholarship kids are stranded in the Lunar Taj when the founder and leader, Elijah, disappears after an alien explosion. Earth is being sought as a new home by aliens, the Alpha Maraudi. Benny seeks out the help of Elijah's old partner, Dr. Bale, who lives somewhere on the dark side of the moon. All too soon they learn that Dr. Bale has been in contact with Earth all along and is hoping to completely destroy the Alpha Maraudi rather than trying to come to a peaceful resolution. Verdict: This is a action paced adventure that will keep space fans turning the pages.

Curricular Use: Pleasure reading, Science Fiction

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

New York Yankees

Author: Lajiness, Katie

Illustrator: NA

ABDO, 2019

ISBN: 9781532115189

$19.95

Grades 2 - 4: Part of the MLB's Greatest Teams series. This nonfiction book focuses on the New York Yankees and its success throughout the years. It provides historical information as well as modern highlights about the team and it's top players. The larger font will especially help younger readers enjoy this book. Verdict: A good addition to your baseball collection for young readers. Yankee fans will certainly love it!

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Baseball

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Ojibwe

Author: Lajiness, Katie

Illustrator: NA

Big Buddy Books (ABDO), 2019

ISBN: 9781532115103

$19.95

Grades 2 - 5: Part of the Native Americans series. This nonfiction book introduces the reader to the history and culture of Ojibwe tribe, one of the largest tribes in North America. Its over sized text is clear and interesting and the photographs help bring the text to life. Verdict: This is a good addition to your Native American selection. It also works well as a high-low for upper elementary or middle school students.

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Native Americans

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Sleep Train

Author: London, Jonathan

Illustrator: Lauren Eldridge

Viking, 2018

ISBN: 9780451473035

$$17.99

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: This book is about a boy that is in a sleep car on a train and he is trying to sleep. He decides to count the ten sleepy cars instead of counting sheep. There is a tender, boxcar, tank car, cattle car, hopper car, gondola car, Flatbed car, coach car, and a dining car. As he counts he slowly falls asleep. Verdict: This is a cute bedtime book with great illustrations.

Curricular Use: N/A

Reviewer: Heidi Bradley, Library Para, Robert Gray

The Dinosaur Expert

Author: McNamara, Margaret

Illustrator: G. Brian Karas

Schwartz & Wade Books, 2018

ISBN: 9780553511437

$17.99

Grades 1 - 3: Kimmy is very excited when her class goes on a field trip to the local natural history museum. She knows a lot about dinosaurs and shares information with the class until a boy tells her that girls can't be scientists. Kimmy gets quiet and stops answering the teacher's questions, until Mr. Tiffin shows her a newly discovered dinosaur that was named for a female paleontologist. Then she regains her confidence. Verdict: A great picture book to teach self-confidence and that girls can be anything they want to be.

Curricular Use: Picture books, Self-confidence.

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

If Wendell had a Walrus

Author: Mortensen, Lori

Illustrator: Matt Phelan

Henry Holt, 2018

ISBN: 9781627796026

$$17.99

Grades 1 - 3: This book is about a boy named Wendell. Wendell was thinking about what life would be like if he had a walrus. He thought they could tell each other jokes to make each other laugh. They could ride bikes climb trees and do all kinds of fun things. there's only one problem walruses are hard to find. Looking for a walrus turns out to be its own adventure. Verdict: this is a cute story for kids. the illustrations are great as well.

Curricular Use: N/A

Reviewer: Heidi Bradley, Library Para, Robert Gray

TCU Horned Toads

Author: Moussavi, Sam

Illustrator: NA

SportsZone (ABDO), 2019

ISBN: 9781532114618

$22.95

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: Part of the Inside College Football series. This nonfiction book explores the history of the Texas Christian University's football program from its humble beginnings to the hard work that makes it a solid team today. TCU's victory over Oklahoma in 2014 helped bring national attention to their team. Action photos and pennant shaped inserted text boxes add further interest to the text. Also includes timeline, quick stats, quotes & anecdotes, glossary, bibliography and index. Verdict: While I wish the font size was a bit bigger, as less skilled readers may think the text will be more difficult than it is while thumbing through it, this is an interesting book on the topic. College football fans will enjoy this and look forward to reading other books in this series about popular college football teams.

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Football

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialit, Coweeman Middle School

Harley-Davidson

Author: Murray, Julie

Illustrator: NA

Abdo Zoom, 2019

ISBN: 9781532123030

$27.07

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: Non-fiction. Includes facts about the Harley Davidson motorcycle company, the people who started the company, and highlights motorcycles during various times. Great pictures, facts, and vocabulary such as: components, debuted, and rocker box. Also includes an index and online resources. Verdict: High interest. A must pick for the non-fiction section.

Curricular Use: A tool useful for teaching the parts of a non-fiction book and vocabulary. Also, can be an example for looking at how machines have evolved and compare the motorcycles to other machines like: automobiles, computers, etc.

Reviewer: Jodie Rodriguez, Elementary Librarian, CVG Elementary

International Space Station

Author: Murray, Julie

Illustrator: NA

Dash! (ABDO), 2019

ISBN: 9781532123115

$18.95

Grades 1 - 3: This is a cute book about two girls named Molly and Mae. When Molly and Mae meet at the train station, two journeys begin. A trip though the countryside will teach them about the highs and lows of friendship. Verdict: This is a good book and it teaches children how to build a bridge of kindness to make their friendships work. This book also has great illustrations.

Curricular Use: N/A

Reviewer: Heidi Bradley, Library Para, Robert Gray

Go to Sleep, Little Creep

Author: Quinn, David

Illustrator: Ashley Spires

Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018

ISBN: 9781101939444

$17.99

P - K: This picture book features all kinds of young ghouls, monsters, ghosts and the like who are not yet ready for bedtime and their parents who are working hard to get them to bed. This short rhyming story has beautiful illustrations that are not at all scary and is bound to become a favorite bedtime story. Verdict: This darling picture book is a perfect read aloud for the young child who is not quite ready to go to sleep.

Curricular Use: Picture books, Pleasure reading

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Don't blink

Author: Rosenthal Krouse, Amy

Illustrator: David Roberts

Random House , 2018

ISBN: 9780385391870

$17.99

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: In this nonfiction title in the Scientists in the Field series, seven chapters cover how asteroids hitting earth can have major effects on our planet, and the efforts by scientists who study them seeking to prevent catastrophic collision events. Starting with the Chelyabinsk impact in 2013, the author explains about the protection afforded by the earth’s atmosphere from smaller asteroid fragments and the origin of the asteroid belt. Later chapters cover meteorite hunting scientists and how they identify the objects of their search, one studying the Flagstaff Meteor Crater, evidence for the destruction of dinosaurs (and almost everything else) in the prehistoric impact at the Yucatan Peninsula’s Chicxulub Crater, and the researchers surveying the night sky for asteroids in Near Earth and Potentially Hazardous Orbits, including from space-based telescopes using infrared cameras. A final chapter lists possible solutions scientists have proposed to the problem of deflecting larger asteroids on a collision course with earth. An appendix lists how the reader can help discover and track asteroids, report fireballs, and collect meteorites, followed by resources to learn more, a glossary, sources, and an index. Written at a 7th grade reading level. Verdict: Asteroid impacts are a high-interest subject, and this title features both male and female scientists using astronomy, geology and physics to interpret data and extrapolate into the future to save the world.

Curricular Use: Elementary and Middle School Science: astronomy, geology and physics, and careers.

Reviewer: Carol Blix, Town Librarian, Cathlamet Public Library

Space Robots

Author: Smibert, Angie

Illustrator: NA

ABDO, 2019

ISBN: 9781532114717

$22.95

Grades 4 - 5, Grades 6 - 8: Part of the Robot Innovations series. This nonfiction book introduces readers to a variety of robots used in space programs and the work that they do. The informative text is wrapped around colorful photographs and text boxes. Includes fast facts, stop and think, glossary, online resources and index. Verdict: An interesting read for students interested in space and/or robotics.

Curricular Use: Nonfiction, Space, Robots

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

The Best Mother

Author: Surrisi, C.M.

Illustrator: Diane Goode

Abrams, 2018

ISBN: 978141972531

$16.99

Grades 1 - 3: This story is about a girl who wants a new mother. After asking several mom's questions, she decided her mom was the best. This is an adorable book with a nice message. Verdict: I liked the story line, and emphasis on mothers.

Curricular Use:

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: Great illustrations. this book explains the moon and how it affects animals and their different climates. Verdict: Cute book. kids will love it, and it's educational

Curricular Use: N/A

P - 1: This vibrant picture book teaches young children what "in-between" means. The beautifully illustrated adventures of a dog and cat around their house have readers looking for things in-between through rhyming text. Verdict: This one will be a great read aloud for young children.

Curricular Use: Picture Books

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

You're Here for a Reason

Author: Tillman, Nancy

Illustrator: Nancy Tillman

Feiwel and Friends, 2018

ISBN: 9781250106506

$7.99

P - K, Grades 1 - 3: A book written in poem about the importance of each child. A positive message that every child is here for a reason, even when they have a bad day, they can have a positive impact on another. Verdict: This book is great for teaching children that they matter.

Curricular Use: This book can be used to help students work on the social skill of positive self image. Also, a great resource for teaching poetry.

Reviewer: Jodie Rodriguez, Elementary Librarian, CVG Elementary

Tom's Midnight Garden: A Graphic Adaptation of the Philippa Pearce Classic

Author: Edith

Illustrator: Edith

Greenwillow Books, 2018

ISBN: 9780062696571

$22.99

Grades 3 - 6: This hardcover, full color graphic novel is based on the original novel by Philippa Pearce. Tom is sent to live with his older aunt and uncle when his younger brother contracts the measles. Things are pretty drab until Tom discovers a magical garden that appears in the middle of the night when the clock strikes thirteen. There he meets a girl, Hatty, and the two become friends. Unfortunately, time doesn't move the same between the worlds and Hatty ages very quickly. Just as Tom is going home, he meets the old lady who owns the house where his aunt and uncle live and it turns out to be Hatty! Verdict: A fun graphic novel that brings this classic story to a new batch of readers.

Curricular Use: Graphic Novels

Reviewer: Debby Iverson, Library Media Specialist, Coweeman Middle School

Wide Awake Bear

Author: Zietlow Miller, Pat

Illustrator: Jean Kim

Harper, 2018

ISBN: 9780062356031

$&17.99