Rapid City Public Library Story Time

Library Programming.  Like many public libraries, Rapid City, South Dakota has created a YouTube channel to share their storytime and other programming offerings.  One great feature of their videos is that they tape actual events; viewers can see how librarians interact with children and other patrons.  This is extremely valuable for developing librarians who may want to build knowledge of storytime activities, while still learning about the interactive element of a public librarian's job.  For those who simply want to watch at home, the patrons can be loud and distracting, so those viewers may prefer to see the librarians presenting activities and stories for the camera audience alone.  Rapid City story time blends songs and movements with the stories, and it is great to see how librarians tell stories, and how much joy the young patrons take in singing the songs.  Rapid City is a good resource for young librarians, though may be distracting to patrons themselves.  Recommended, ***

Khan Academy

Recommended grades 6-12.  Khan Academy is an online tutoring website for students in upper grades.  Focused primarily on math, but with sections for science and humanities, Khan Academy starts with video "lectures," a teacher working out problems and then offers practice problems for students to work on.  This is a valuable tool as a re-teach, or as homework help.  If teachers and students create free accounts, they can work together to pick goals to work towards through the "coach feature."  Students can save their work and teachers can track and guide their progress.  This site has great potential for remediation, and for enrichment for students who want to go beyond classwork.  The site is very easy to navigate, and users can integrate their accounts with existing Google or Facebook accounts.  Highly recommended, *****

ALSC

Professional Blog.  The Association for Library Service to Children, or ALSC, blog offers great resources for information professionals working with children.  Whether at a school library, public library, or something else altogether, ALSC bloggers share great, concrete strategies and ideas for planning and carrying out programs.  Chock full of full program plans, book recommendations, and personal experiences of librarians "on the ground," ALSC is a great place to browse when looking for new ideas.  The blog is relatively easy to navigate; tags show topics as well as blog authors, and readers can peruse full articles without having to click on to separate pages.  Authors post pictures with program plans so that readers can get a better idea of program outcomes.  The ALSC blog also offers posts for librarians who want to stretch themselves professionally; a recent post was dedicated to learning about students with disabilities.  It not only featured the authors personal experiences, but also children's books that address different disabilities.  The ALSC blog is an excellent resource for those who want to stay connected with the professional organization and grow as professionals in between conference.  Highly recommended, ****.

Ticket to Ride

Recommended grades 6 and up.  Ticket to Ride is a German-style board game that allows players to earn points by building train-routes across the country.  Players need to strategize by building routes before their opponents can.  Ticket to Ride can be adapted to the middle school level because the rules are simple, and unlike other strategy games like Risk, a single game can be played relatively quickly.  As users' skills increase, the game becomes more challenging.  Playing this game can build geography skills as well as critical thinking.  The original game board is a map of the United States, though other versions are available, including Europe, Germany, and Asia.  The game does include lots of little pieces which can be easily lost.  Highly recommended, ****

Brainpop

Recommended grades K-12.  Brainpop contains educational videos on a wide variety of topics featuring two lovable characters, Tim & Moby.  Tim is your average knowledgeable guy and Moby is his curious and mischievous, fact-loving robot.  Together they explore the major academic content areas, from history to math to science.  Tim & Moby make complex topics seem shockingly simple, and their videos will be great introductions to students that are new to topics. Videos come with interactive quizzes and worksheets to complete while watching the videos.  Brainpop Jr. leaves Tim behind for Annie, a younger guide with videos meant for a K-3 audience.  Brainpop comes with a hefty price tag, but could be useful in a variety of settings, from independent research, to whole class lessons.  Information in the videos is high quality and very engaging, even to the most reluctant learners.  Brainpop does provide rotating material for free.  Recommended, ****

Starfall

Recommended grades K-3.  Starfall is an interactive read-aloud site for emerging readers.  Young users can easily access four levels of digital material through the webpage.  Much of the material is free to access, though some pages require paid accounts.  Books can be read-aloud to users all the way through or by clicking on individual words, an excellent feature for readers trying to practice their own fluency and accuracy.  Another great benefit is that stories are broken into specific sounds, so they complement reading instruction in the early grades.  This is an excellent resource for teachers working on guided practice and read alouds to build confidence on specific sounds.  Recommended, ***

Storyline Online

Recommended grades K-3.  Storyline Online is a wonderful effort put forward by the Screen Actor's Guild to promote reading.  The site features videos well-known actors reading their favorite kids books.  All videos have captions, so that readers can follow along as the camera zooms along the picture.  One of the best videos is Jason Alexander reading his own story, Dad, Are You the Tooth Fairy?  In addition to reading the book, Alexander describes how he came up with the idea for the story by listening to the questions they asked about the tooth fairy.  This book comes with a disclaimer and an opt-out for those young readers who haven't had the "tooth fairy talk yet."  The site is easy to navigate, colored in bright red and yellow, almost like a 1940s Superman Comic (and the fonts match the motif!).  One risk this site runs by using celebrities is aging; it is already starting to show some wrinkles with its video options for dial-up internet and lesser-known celebrities who have already faded (sorry, Caitlin Wachs!)  Overall a fun opportunity to see celebrities get in touch with their inner child, and hear some great stories while you're at it.  Recommended, ***.

International Children's Library

Recommended grades K-6.  The International Children's Library is a digital collection of children's books available online, free of charge.  Though the main page is a little overwhelming with small, hard-to read links, by selecting a "simple search" young readers will find a kid friendly interface where they can search by age, character type, and even by cover color.  As an international site, the collection hosts digital books in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Arabic, and Tagalog.  Users can search, as well as read, in their native language, or a new language that they are trying to pick up.  For this reason, this could be a great resource for high school level language classes.  One great feature is that users can contribute to the translation process of books new to the collection; they can create and edit translations in the system.  The International Children's Library is an inspiring project, and already very useful!  Highly recommended, *****

Bronzeville Boys & Girls

Recommended grades 2-5.  In 1956, Gwendolyn Brooks created a collection of poetry about kids in the neighborhood she grew up in, Bronzeville, in Chicago's Southside.  Each poem is dedicated to a kid in the neighborhood.  The characters exist in the particulars of the Bronzeville community while still being universal.  Harlem native Faith Ringgold has decided to breathe new life to Brooks poems in this newly illustrated edition of the original collection.  Ringgold captures the unique architecture of Bronzeville, with its sprawling Victorian houses and busy sidewalks.  The painted characters are flat on the page, almost child-like.  With this collection, Ringgold hopes to show that Bronzeville is both unique and universal, just as Brooks' poetry captured.  Brooks touching, rhyming poetry will be an excellent edition to a poetry collection, and can be a great conversation starter. Recommended, ***.

The Anne Frank Case

Recommended grades 4-8.  Susan Goldman Rubin shares a biography of Simon Wiesenthal, the 'Nazi hunter,' on his quest to find the man who arrested Anne Frank and family in their Amsterdam hideaway.  The story begins after World War II as Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, is confronted by postwar Neo-Nazis and Holocaust denial.  Though a mature subject, Rubin manages to explain the Holocaust and neo-Nazism in a remarkably clear way.  The book explores Wiesenthal's own experience in concentration camps, and explains his unrelenting drive to find former Nazis and to bring them to trial.  Illustrator Bill Barsworth contributes dark paintings of Wiesenthal, the Holocaust violence, and the afterwar period.  Some of the images in are chilling in their detail; one portrait of Anne Frank, with warm eyes looking off in the distance as she sits writing in her diary, is particularly haunting.  The biography is clearly well-researched; Rubin includes detailed source notes, photographs of Wiesenthal, and a glossary for readers new to the subject.  Though a beautiful picture book, it is definitely meant for mature readers.  This could be a wonderful addition for classes studying the Holocaust using longer narratives, like Number the Stars, or the Diary of Anne Frank itself.  Overall, an incredible story, definitely one worth passing down and including in any class study of the Holocaust. Highly recommended, *****.

American Girl Magazine

Recommended grades 4-6.  American Girl magazine mimics women's magazines in style, though offers developmentally appropriate reading material for young girls.  Adult authors pack the glossy pages with crafts, life tips (like how to avoid stress), exercises to be enjoyed with friends, and complementary quizzes (where no answer is a wrong answer).  American Girl makes room for reader contributions featuring art and short stories submitted by readers, empowering girls to create and contribute.  Other than a couple plugs for the American Girl franchise, including their dolls and books, there are no advertisements in this magazine, which will be welcomed by parents.  For girls who want to start reading magazine, this is a good alternative to teen magazines, and celebrates tweens where they are, without pushing them to grow up, but still respecting their individuality.  Recommended, ***.

babybug magazine

Recommended Birth to age 4.  From the creators of Cricket Magazine, Baby Bug Magazine publishes short, illustrated stories for pre-developing readers.  The magazine, published nine times a year, features around six separate illustrated stories or poems in each issue.  Stories are illustrated in a variety of artists in different styles, including soft watercolors, and bold charcoals.  The magazine is small, a good size for a younger reader to hold, and printed on thicker paper than other magazines from the publisher.  A subscription to the magazine will bring fresh read-alouds, and gives adults access to parenting guides via the Cricket website.  As soon as children grow out of the level of magazine, it is free to transfer to the next level up; a great benefit with rapidly growing readers! Recommended, ***

Hippo Hurray!

Recommended birth to age 4.  Sandra Boynton's hilarious counting hippos book has been made into a board book surely to be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.  This new edition brings Boynton's fun, costumed, rolly-polly hippos along, against boldly colored backdrops.  One hippo all alone is quickly joined by an increasing number of hippo pals (and a monster!).  Once the party goes berserk, the hippos are forced to counting down again to one.  The new edition in sturdy cardboard will be able to withstand many hippo parties, or silly bedtimes, and will be ready to pass on to the next generation.  Highly recommended, ****.

YALSA Blog

Professional Blog.  The official blog of the Young Adult Library Services Association, YALSA provides quick tips and up-to-date news on techniques for reaching out and connecting with teen patrons.  The site lists over fifty authors from libraries all over the country, many of whom provide examples of what they are doing in their own libraries.  Authors clearly see new media as a way to reach out to adolescent users; to YALSA, it is not enough to build a teen room in your library and leave them to their own devices; young patrons need programs that will engage and stimulate them, and YALSA will connect librarians to many new ideas.  Navigation of the blog is simple, with tags to direct readers to specific topics like podcasts or social media.  Longer entries can be expanded to a full page, but readers have to navigate away from the main blog to do so.  YALSA is a great place to get new ideas, whether you are comfortable with new technologies or not, there is something to be learned from these passionate youth librarians.  Recommended, ****

Bananagrams

Recommended grades 3 and up.  Bananagrams (costs around $15.00) can be described simply as competitive, speed, solitaire Scrabble.  Players receive individual tiles and create their own connecting words.  The first user to use all of their tiles after several rounds wins.  Because players are in charge of their own words, the game works at any level; third graders can play within their working vocabulary, while seniors in high school can play within theirs.  Younger players may need more oversight and guidance in playing the game. One drawback is the little pieces, which can easily be lost, but the game can still be played with a few missing letters.  This is an excellent pick-up game that does not require much set-up and easily adapts itself to any players.  Educational, friendly, and competitive, this game will make an excellent edition to a board game collection.  Highly recommended, *****.

Dahlmanac

Recommended grades 3-5.  Fans of Roald Dahl will be pleased with this ridiculous collection of Roald Dahl-related facts.  Compiled by Ky Woodward, the Dahlmanac 2 (Puffin, 2007) features rare Dahl material (including a missing chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as interesting biographical tidbits) and a gaggle of silly, Dahl related facts.  This odd assortment of trivia forms tangentially to Dahl's personality - his dislike for beards spawns a whole chapter on hairy world records, a discussion of excellent disguises, and explanation of the British Secret Service, and finally, a discussion of animal disguises.  The book is filled with funny facts fit for the Guinness Book of World Records; students who love sharing trivia will adore this book.  Woodward borrows the squiggly black and white illustrations of Quentin Blake, who illustrated the vast majority of Dahl's major work.  One word of warning - the Dahlmanac was originally printed in the United Kingdom, so all measurements and currency is written using British standards.  This might be fun for American readers to work out, but they may need a little extra assistance to make sense.  Overall a fun and entertaining collection of oddities.  Recommended, ***.

Dear Dumb Diary

Recommended grades 4-6.  Jamie Kelly has great taste in music, just ask her!  In Me, Just like You, Only Better (Scholastic, 2011), Jamie details the progression of her favorite bands, and her frustration when everyone in her class copies her style!  Jamie Kelly decides to trick them into liking horrible music to get back at them for being so unoriginal.  Author and illustrator Jim Benton seems to have true empathy for middle school girls.  Although Jamie Kelly is a little annoying, and very self-important, Benton has created a truly endearing character.  Gray-scale doodles accompany most pages, illustrating the exaggerated impressions Jamie has of the people around her.  She also includes hilarious asides and lists.  Like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the Dear Dumb Diary series will attract older elementary readers who understand what it's like to be a little different.  Benton includes more jokes for adults than Jeff Kinney, and though Jamie is a girl, both boys and girls will enjoy her sense of humor and obliviousness to the world around her.  Recommended, ***.

Graphic Novel, my dear Watson

Recommended grades 9-12.  The illustrious consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is back in action, or graphic!  Adapted by author Ian Edginton and artist I.N.J. Culbard, A Study in Scarlet (Sterling, 2010) chronicles Sherlock Holmes's first adventure with his mild-mannered partner, Dr. Watson.  Culbard's illustrations take readers from colonial Afghanistan to Victorian London to frontier Utah.  Characters are drawn in pulp comic style, with particular detail on facial features-- Holmes has the strong chin of a Superman, while Watson bares the round nose of a lovable oaf.  Scenes in Mormon Utah are colored in sepia, fitting with the flashback narrative, while the rest is illustrated in rich, though dark, colors.  Culbard maintains most of Conan Doyle's original language- reminding readers that although the story has been adapted in comic form, it is not necessarily an easy read.  The dialog is peppered with advanced medical terms, Victorian dialect, and, of course, the quick wit of Sherlock Holmes.  The language in the book is definitely better for more advanced reading.  The graphic novel captures much of the original, and Holmes aficionados will be overjoyed that so much has been maintained.  Recommended, ***.

Demigods Ride Again

Recommended grades 6-8.  Rick Riordan revives Camp Half-Blood, the boot camp for the mortal children of Greek gods featured in the best-selling Percy Jackson Series.  In The Lost Hero (Hyperion, 2010), Riordan introduces us to three new heroes destined to save the gods, and all of humanity.  Lovers of Percy Jackson will equally enjoy this new adventure, even though their favorite hero is missing for the adventure-packed 500+ pages.  Rick Riordan has a talent for bringing ancient myths to life- this time he introduces Medea, King Minos, and many other classic Greek characters.  Riordan stays true to the mythic characters, while having fun with his young demigods.  Highly recommended, ****.

Russian Vampires

Recommended grades 7-12.  Duchess Katerina of Oldenburg has a lot on her plate.  She wants nothing more than to become a doctor, but in the high society of Tsarist Russia, she is expected to marry a prince. Her prince turns out to be anything but charming, as he comes from an evil family of sorcery and blood-drinking.  Author Robin Bridges recreates an imperial magic filled with magic; good and evil.  Katerina must choose a side to protect everything she cares about.  The Gathering Storm (Delacorte, 2012) is Twilight meets Anna Karenina.  Fans of Twilight will definitely want to check this out, but Twilight nay-sayers should check it out too.  Bridges carefully researched Russia and writes artfully.  The characters are true flesh and blood (no pun intended!).  Highly recommended, ****

Secrets in the Shadows: Bluford High

Recommended grades 7-10.  Roylin Bailey doesn't have a perfect life, after his mother sent his father away for abusing the family, Roylin had to take a job to support his family.  He's a football player, but not a great one, and he can't seem to get his grades above a C, no matter how hard he tries.  All of this changes when Korie Archer shows up in his history class at Bluford High.  Roylin will do anything to impress her, even if it means destroying his whole life and following in the footsteps of his convict father. The third book in the Bluford High series, Secrets in the Shadows (Scholastic, 2002) deals with mature issues, including domestic violence and drug abuse, written at a level struggling readers can achieve.  Though the character development is not top priority to Anne Schraff, the Bluford series is a great way to motivate struggling readers in upper grades.  Additional Selection, ***.

Book-A-Day Almanac

Review Blog.  Creator Anita Silvey describes the Children's Book-A-Day Almanac as a "daily love letter to a book or author."  Every day, Silvey explores a classic book or a book on its way to being a classic.  Each review provides an in-depth summary and analysis of the book, addressing content and theme, as well as sample images from inside the book.  In addition to posting daily, she lets readers know what's coming up for the blog.  The website is beautifully designed and easy to navigate.  Readers can search and browse past entries by age group, subject, author/illustrator, book type, or date of entry.  Silvey's use of subject tags is simple and easy to navigate.  Readers can clearly see Silvey's passion for the books she writes about, and can gain a great overview and insight from her posts.  Book-A-Day just celebrated it's one year birthday, let's hope it survives to celebrate many more!  Highly recommended, *****

The Goddess of YA Literature

Review Blog.  Teri Lesesne, aka the Goddess of YA Literature, blogs book reviews daily from Sam Houston State College where she serves as a professor in Library Science.  The Goddess reviews mostly for younger readers- picture books and early chapter books fill most of her posts, though she also makes room for middle chapter books.  Her reviews often run no more than five sentences, and often are two or three.  Most reviews are made of a single sentence of summary, and one or two sentences of glowing review.  The Goddess seems to adore every book she encounters, which is not necessarily a bad thing but at times she seems like the little librarian who cried "excellent!"  One excellent feature of her blog is her grouping of books within themes.  This would be of great use to teachers and librarians for quick story time picks.  She also makes great use of a tagging system which facilitates easy navigation of seven year's worth of daily reviews.  This is a good blog to review for quick picks, but do not expect a critical understanding of contemporary books. Additional selection, **

Guys Lit Wire

Review Blog.  Guys Lit Wire pulls together books for boys, a notoriously hard group to find material for.  In near-daily posts, the group of bloggers behind Guys Lit Wire review books that will get guys excited about reading.  Most of the books reviewed are targeted at a middle school to high school range, though a few lower level books slip in here and there.  Most reviews are long and include passages, critiques, and the personal reflections of the bloggers.  Many of the writers include a short excerpt on the main page with a link for more material, so that readers can decide if they want to go through the full review or not.  The bloggers employ a system of tagging, though navigation is not always clear to the reader, with categories including, "Flying Cars and Lost Cities," and "So You Want to Rule the World."  Guys Lit Wire reviews a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction, contemporary and classic.  They push the edges of what boys would be interested in; they don't settle for flashy action books, but encourage the adults who influence boy readers to get into the classics too.  Definitely recommended for book lovers who work with teenage boys.  Recommended, ****

Walk Two Moons

Recommended grades 4-6.  Salamanca Tree Hiddle has heard the American Indian proverb, "Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins," so she, along with her grandma and grandpa, are walking in the moccasins of her mother, who left their family in their home of Bybanks of Kentucky and took a bus to Idaho.  Along the way, Salamanca shares the story of her friend, Phoebe, another girl left behind with no mother.  Walk Two Moons (Scholastic, 1994), is a story of friendship, forgiveness, and above all, family.  Sharon Creech brings to life an incredible cast of unforgettable characters; from Gram & Gramps Hiddle, who married because Gramps treated his beagle well, to Phoebe who frets about cholesterol and lunatics, and of course, Salamanca, who kisses trees to taste blackberries and find her mother's love.  Walk Two Moons is, and will remain, a timeless classic well worth its Newberry Medal and it's permanent place in library collections.  Highly recommended, *****.

Whole Story of Half a Girl

Recommended grades 5-7.  Sonia Nadhamuni is a girl of the 21st century-- half Indian, half Jewish, and completely conflicted.  The Whole Story of Half a Girl (Delacourt Books, 2012) is an excellent updated companion to Judy Bloom's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.  Like Margaret, Sonia inhabits the grey area between her parents' cultures.  When her father loses his job, Sonia must leave the comfort of her progressive private school to face public school.  There she is forced to choose a racial identify-- should she join the perky blond cheerleaders or align herself with the African-American students bussed from other neighborhoods?  Sonia is neither blond nor black, and is frustrated at having to identify as Jewish because her family is not religion.  Sonia faces the question that many young people face today-- with an over abundance of cultures, how can you pick and choose which to identify with?  Author Veera Hiranandani gives Sonia an eloquent and empathetic voice, and addresses sensitive issues with grace.  In addition to race and religion, Sonia reckons with her father's chronic depression, which tears him away from the family.  Overall an excellent, entertaining, intellectually stimulating YA novel that would complement any library collection. Highly recommended, ****.

Reading Raps

Professional Programming.  Rita Soltan explores a variety of family book club structures in Reading Raps: A Book Club Guide for Librarians, Kids, and Families (Libraries Unlimited, 2006).  Soltan describes four unique book club styles for young readers and their families; whole family book clubs, mother-daughter books clubs, father-son book clubs and 'Reading Raps, book clubs for young readers to participate in without their families.  For each type of club, Soltan recommends 25 appropriate books, including summaries, notes on theme, discussion questions, and a quick list of other books that share the theme.  Soltan emphasizes books that do not have alternate media tie-ins (i.e. movies or TV shows).  Soltan does not shy away from controversial books, on the contrary, she explains how family book clubs can be an excellent way for families to openly discuss tough subject.  This guide is an excellent source for books selection, however it is not enough to carry book club leaders through the whole discussion.  Highly recommended for public librarians who are interested in engaging families in new and interesting ways; especially those who want to create more family programming for readers in upper elementary and middle school for whom story time is not quite cutting it.  Recommended, ****

Jews in America

Recommended grades 10-12.  Illustrated histories are a great way for readers to access dense material.  In today's graphic novel market, there is an abundance of historical non fiction material.  Daniel Gantz contributes to this subgenre with Jews in America (The Jewish Publication Society, 2006).  Gantz covers a staggering amount of history in under 200 pages-- he traces Jews in diaspora starting in 1189 until Kofi Annan's 2005 speech about modern anti-semitism.  Though focused primarily on Jews living in America Gantz adds commentary about America's relationship with Jews outside the United States, primarily in Europe and Israel.  Gantz illustrates in dark sepia; his style mirrors political cartoonists like Thomas Nast.  Though told in "cartoon," Gantz's history is not watered down.  He uses a complex vocabulary and does not shy away from controversial topics. It is important to note that Gantz does not provide an entirely unbiased explanation of current events.  Gantz does a good job of creating a book about Jewish history not entirely shrouded in the horror of the Holocaust, which many library collections for young people lack.  Still, this volume would be best for more mature readers.  Additional Selection, ***.

It Gets Better

Grades 7-12.  When advice columnist Dan Savage and husband Terry Miller decided to share their story of coming out and overcoming bullying on YouTube they expected some response.  Dan Savage hoped that maybe 100 videos would be made to encourage LGBT youth to remain strong in their identity.  Instead more than 22,000 responses have been shared, including personal stories from notable American figures, including Ellen Degeneres, Tim Gunn, Perez Hilton, and David Sedaris, as well as words of encouragement from President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and many more.  In response to the overwhelming impact of the YouTube phenomenon, Savage and Miller have edited a print version of the project, given the same name.  It Gets Better (Dutton, 2011) includes more than 100 essays, some of which were transcribed from the original videos, on the subject of coming out, surviving adolescence, and living rich and full lives out of the closet.  Not only will this book appeal to those dealing with issues of sexuality and bullying, but it will also appeal to those who wish to serve as allies.  It also could appeal to those readers who enjoy the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series; the stories shared in It Gets Better are at once deeply personal, devastating, as well as touching and at times hysterical.    The book also includes curriculum guides for teachers, as well as information on other LGBT support projects, including the Trevor Project, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education network) and the ACLU LGBT Project.  One excellent feature of the book is found on the back cover; cut-out reference guides for young people who are ready to come out as well as resources for their parents.  This book is essential to those libraries that support a diverse population.  Highly recommended, ****

Adventures in Cartooning

Recommended grades 3-5.  Comic artists James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost break down the art of comic-making in Adventures in Cartooning (First Second, 2009).  Sturm and company instruct on the form through the Magic Cartooning Elf, who accompanies a knight on a comic adventure to defeat a dragon.  Throughout, the Elf plays with aspects of comics, including panels, speech bubbles, and ways to express emotion through drawings.  The illustrations are simple enough for children to imitate (there are even step-by-step directions at the end), though the coloring adds shade and depth.  The artists behind the book clearly care a lot about demystifying comics and encourage readers to use the lessons learned to create their own stories.  Excellent for students who are interested in art and comic books, and even those who aren't will enjoy the fun characters and creative story-telling.  Highly recommended, *****.

Why We Broke Up

Recommended grades 7-12.  Why We Broke Up is the story of a boy and of a girl.  Min and Ed were a match made in... Shakespeare.  He is a jock and she is "arty."    Unlike Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Min and Ed escape the relationship with their lives, if not their pride, and with a box full of artifacts.  In order to get past the heartbreak, Min undertakes the project of returning the artifacts to Ed, along with a 200+ page letter tracing the roots of their breakup.  Author Daniel Handler (the man behind Lemony Snicket and his Series of Unfortunate Events) brings intelligence and tragedy in the voice of Min.  Female readers in particular will be able to empathize with the thrill of her first love and the devastation of the fall out.  Artist Maria Kalman contributes color paintings of each item as it appears in the letter.  The paintings bring the stories into life and out of abstraction.  The marriage of the text and the images forms a sentimental, heart-wrenching tale that almost all readers, tween, teen, and adult can relate to.  Highly recommended, ****

A Doll's Life

Recommended grades 7-10.  Tanya Lee Stone dives into the life of American Sweetheart, Barbie with her unauthorized 'biography, ' The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us (Viking, 2011).  Stone covers a variety of aspects about the doll everyone loves to hate and hates to love, from the story of her creator, Ruth Handler, to her own development in the last fifty years.  Stone also approaches many of the criticisms Barbie has faced over the years, from her impossible-to-achieve figure, to her Euro-centric hair texture, Stone does not shy away from controversy.  Stone makes her voice quite clear as a researcher, openly explains her interpretations of her sources, and offers the final decision up to her readers; is Barbie to blame for anorexia or to celebrate for encouraging professional women?  In addition to her open tone, Stone includes a detailed list of source notes at the end of the text as well has a brimming bibliography.  The book is filled with black and white photos illustrating Stone's many points and showing Barbie over time.  Additionally, Stone includes a color insert of photos that benefit from full color.  This book is not only informative, it also serves as an excellent conversation starter and a model of good research.  Highly recommended, ****.

Retro Mystery- American Girl Style

Recommended grades 4-6.  The American Girls have gone far out with Julie, a girl living in San Francisco during the groovy 1960's and 70's.  In The Secret Guitar (American Girl Publishing, 2011), part of the Julie Mystery Series, Julie and her friends must find a stolen guitar that belonged to (fictional) rock star, Danny Kendricks.  The guitar is part of a charity auction for a recent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay that is devastating the marine life.  Author Kathryn Reiss drew her inspiration from her own childhood, though as a piece of historical fiction, it is unconvincing.  Reiss creates fictional versions of people and events (Jimi Hendrix, the Exxon oil spill) instead of using their real life counterparts.  This is confusing, and ultimately doesn't achieve what great historical fiction should do- teach readers about actual historical time periods using a combination of fact and fiction.  Reiss's words capture feeling and fiction, and she includes a quick historical afterword connecting the story to history.   Ultimately, the story would have been much more valuable to readers had she written within the true 1960s instead of creating a fictional parallel.  Additional Selection, **

Amelia Lost

Recommended Grades 6-9.  Candace Fleming brings us an eloquent and compassionate biography with Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart (Schwartz & Wade, 2011).  Narration of the infamous female aviator's life is broken up with small vignettes accounting her fateful crash on July 5, 1937.  Though the reader begins the story knowing what will happen, their heart will beat anyway with the beautifully executed narrative flow.  Meticulously researched and well-rounded, Fleming offers many perspectives and allows readers to question common myths about Amelia.  Fleming models historical best practice by openly analyzing her sources and questioning their intent for readers to consider.  She includes an in-depth bibliography and suggestions for further research.  The narrative is also broken up with contextual asides, which serve to inform the reader of technologies that existed in Amelia's time; from the planes she flew to the radio system that was ultimately her downfall.  Along with these contextual asides, Fleming includes captioned photographs of Amelia and the world she lived in--including an interesting look at advertising--so that readers can better understand the influences that surrounded Earhart. A new Amelia comes to light through Fleming's telling, and readers will walk away with a broader understanding of Amelia in her context.  Highly recommended, *****.

Prisoners in the Palace

Recommended Grades 8-12.  Queen Victoria is arguably one of the most well-known monarchs in Western Civilization.  She was the Queen of Great Britain when it was at it's peak of "the Sun Never Setting" and the longest ruling monarch in British history.  But what was her life like before she was the queen?  Michaela Macoll answers just this question in her well-researched historical fiction novel, Prisoners in the Palace (Chronicle Books, 2011).  It turns out, Victoria's life was shockingly similar to that of Cinderella's; she was greedily watched over by a vapid mother and evil stepfather (well, not truly stepfather, but her mother's consort), trapped in the palace doors, locked away from the rest of the world, in an attempt to influence and control her power.  Instead of singing mice and a fairy godmother, Victoria has Liza, the orphan of a knighted family down on her luck.  Liza, the true main character of the story, comes to terms with her dramatic fall from grace, while empowering the young princess to rise to her greatest heights.  Liza is fictional, though Macoll clearly put a great effort into making her, and the rest of the scenarios, as true to history as possible.  She includes excerpts from Victoria's diaries and letters, bringing to life a true teenage girl.  Overall, this is an entertaining, informative, and compassionate telling of British history.  Highly recommended, ****

Friends

Recommended Grades K-3.  It is a deep wish in the human imagination that animals develop the same emotions and relationships that humans do.  Though we know it is a "dog eat dog" world out there, we still desire compassion and connection from our animal friends.  Catherine Thimmesh makes this dream a reality in her narrated photo essay, Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships (Houghton Mifflin, 2011).  Thimmesh brings together a series of touching photographs of cross-species companions; an orangutan and her pet cat, a piglet and baby lion raised together in Namibia, among others.  The pictures are accompanied by a poem about friendship, using language accessible to younger readings.  Each picture is also accompanied by an in-depth paragraph giving the background of the photograph, meant to be shared with older readers.  Though Thimmesh shows us a variety of heartwarming animal alliances, she is very honest that some of these pals are not pals for life.  She does not sugarcoat the fact that some animals use each other for survival and nothing more, while showing how some animals have formed genuine attachments.  Recommended, ****

Forsythia & Me

Recommended Grades K-2.  Forsythia & Me (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011) is the touching and hilarious story of Chester and his best friend Forsythia.  'Best' is a title Forsythia wears proudly, as Chester explains to us her many accomplishments, including taming the zoo and bringing all of the animals to tea time!  Ultimately, Chester is the 'best' too, at supporting his friend and their friendship builds them both up to their best ability!  Author Vincent X. Kirsch provides playful illustrations in bright colors and incredible detail.  The colors pop, and the thin-lined characters seem more exaggerated for their minimalist features.  The reader can read this book over and over, finding something new to laugh at in the illustrations, which add depth and meaning to the words.  This book is an excellent and enjoyable lesson in friendship!  Highly recommended, ****

The Phantom Tollbooth

Recommended Grades 5-8.  The Phantom Tollbooth (Yearling, 1969), is an established classic, for good reason!  After fifty years, it remains as fresh, brilliant and relevant as ever.  Author Norton Juster takes us on a brilliant quest through a magical world with our hero Milo.  Milo starts as a boy quite jaded to the world around him.  He doesn't care for school, he doesn't care for play, he doesn't much care for anything.  One day he comes home from another humdrum day at school to find a magic Tollbooth beckoning him to Dictionopolis, a faraway land where thoughts and ideas literally come to life.  He must save the Princesses Rhyme and Reason to bring balance to the kingdom!  Milo himself is not the true hero, it is the embodiment of his curiosity and intelligence that overcome the greatest odds, freeing him to explore the world around him with passion and enthusiasm.  With humorous and descriptive pen-drawn illustrations by Jules Feiffer, Milo's quest becomes our own.  The reader gains a new appreciation for the worlds of thoughts, words, ideas, and equations that we have built around us.  This book is filled with countless jokes and plays-on-words, so it could pose a challenge for some but these young readers, with aid, can cherish the book all the more for overcoming the challenges, just as Milo did!  Highly recommended, *****

Rainbow Magic

Recommended grades 4-5.  Daisy Meadows brings us another Rainbow Magic story with Destiny the Rockstar Fairy (Scholastic, 2011).  The five authors who write under the pen name Daisy Meadows have written over one hundred books featuring best friends Rachel and Kirsty and their fairy pals.  In the series, Kirsty and Rachel team up with the a variety of fairies from the kingdom of Fairyland to defeat the evil Jack Frost and his mischievous goblin henchmen.  In this installment, Frost has stolen Destiny's magical objects that she uses to protect all of the rockstars in the world.  Rachel and Kirsty must help her recover the items before their favorite band takes the stage for a special Christmas performance!  Lovers of the series will appreciate the similar plot, the attention to details when it comes to the girls' fashion accessories, and the length-- Destiny the Rockstar Fairy is a special edition volume four times the length of the average fairy book.  The text is accompanied by ink sketches of the scenes that contribute to the goblin's comedic mayhem.  Though adults may not always understand the appeal, there seems to be a very soft spot in young readers' bookshelves.  The text is familiar enough to build young readers' confidence.  As the most one of the most borrowed books of 2010, it is sure to see a great deal of circulation.  Recommended, ***.

May B

Recommended grades 5-8.  Author Caroline Starr Rose cites her inspiration for her historical novel in verse, May B (Random House 2012) to a childhood of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Reading about Laura's schooldays made her wonder about Laura's contemporaries with learning disorders.  How were they taught?  What cultural assumptions were made about them?  To satisfy this thought experiment, Rose created May B, a twelve year old girl with dyslexia who dreams of becoming a teacher, if she could only read the poems her teacher places in front of her!  May B does not only have to overcome her teacher's disdainful comments, but also the natural elements of the prairie as she is deserted in a homestead alone after being pulled from school.  With a historical novel in verse, particularly about people living on the outskirts of American society, it is hard not to compare it to Karen Hesse's brilliant Out of the Dust.  Rose's verse does not stand alone as Hesse's does, but it still finds its place in May B's love and obsession with memorizing lines of poetry.  Rose creates a memorable leading character and brings readers a compelling narratives that captures both the loneliness of the prairie and of students living with learning disabilities.  Recommended, ***.

Mockingjay

Recommended grades 6-9.  Katniss Everdeen is back in the final installment of the Hunger Games series, written by Suzanne Collins.  In Mockingjay (Scholastic, 2010), Katniss is thrown into the most dangerous game of all, actual war with the Capitol that has tortured its people for so long and killed so many of her friends.  As always Katniss is not alone, but she still can't always know who to trust as some of her closest allies are turned against her.  Collins has an artful way of putting concepts of loyalty and authority into question in a more caustic way than other young adult authors (J.K. Rowling comes to mind) have.  Though Katniss always has many people on her side, she is never quite sure who, and why.  Mockingjay serves as a satisfying conclusion to the series, though the writing and flow is a bit choppier than previous books.  Collins has made such a rich and open world filled with battles of epic proportion, though she doesn't always know how to transition between ideas.  Readers may put Katniss and her world to sleep after reading this book, though many will be hungry for more of Collins's writing.  Highly recommended, ****

Eoin Colfer's Legend

Recommended Grades 3-5.  Eoin Colfer, best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series, reaches out to younger readers with his series of transitional chapter books about the "legendary" Woodman brothers.  In The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World (Hyperion, 2007), younger brother, Will Woodman is feeling neglected by his parents.  With four brothers much louder and whinier than himself, Will rarely gets his parents attention.  Will decides that he needs his own adult to complain to, and is lucky to have weekends alone with his grandfather in the lighthouse he takes care of.  Will and his grandfather swap and compare their worst stories.  Colfer gives Will a funny and smart voice that is enjoyable for both kids and adults.  Though his audience may not be as sophisticated as his YA fan base, Colfer does not hold back or dumb down the narration.  The text is high quality, and the characters are fully developed, empathetic even with their personal flaws.  Will's stories are complemented by hilarious black and white illustrations by cartoonist Glenn McCoy.  Colfer and McCoy collaborate to make the reader giggle along with Will and his grandfather, and empathize for all of the trouble his older brother, Marty, gets him in.  Ultimately, this is an enjoyable read with a heart-warming lesson.  Highly recommended, ****.

Judy Moody's Summer

Recommended grades 1-3.  Judy Moody has her heart on an exciting summer when she devises her Thrill-Point Race system in Judy Moody and the Thrill Points Race (Candlewick Press, 2011).  Instead of the humdrum summers of past, Judy initiates a summer-long competition with her friends to see who can have the most not bummer summer.  This transitional chapter book is not written by Judy Moody's creator, Megan McDonald, instead it is adapted from the recent Judy Moody film by Jamie Michalak.  Instead of illustrations, images are taken directly from scenes in the movie.  To this end, the story fell a little flat.  Judy's actions were captured but not the spirit of McDonald's books.  There were many valuable lessons for Judy to learn as she fell short of her expected summer, but Michalak failed to take these many opportunities.  The images from the movie will be fun for readers who have seen the film, but do not blend as well with the story as the drawn illustrations do in McDonald's stories.  As the movie fades from reader's minds, so will this book, leaving McDonald's books as longer-lasting library treasures.  Not recommended, **

The Magic Brocade

Recommended grades 2-4.  Aaron Shepard adapts a Chinese folktale in his picture book, The Magic Brocade (Edustar Press, 2011).  In the story, an old widow becomes enchanted by an image of a fairy palace far to the east of her Chinese Village that no mortal has ever traveled to.  She spends months weaving her own brocade of the scene, only to have it stolen by the fairies themselves.  Her devoted son, Chen, must face certain danger to return the brocade to his mother on her death bed.  Chen is a hero on a familiar journey, and he is rewarded for his bravery with a romance of his own.  Illustrations by Xiajun Li are done in a marbled watercolor that bleeds and exudes a dream-like quality.  It may have been helpful to young readers to have an illustration of the brocade itself to understand the content vocabulary of the book.  The author did not include much background information on the origin of the story, which leads readers wanting more.  This book could still be used to introduce students to classic elements in folk and fairy tales, including traditional heroes, magical beings, and the similarities in these stories across the world.  Recommended, ***

A Blues Ensemble For the Birds

Recommended grades K-3.  Jan Huling brings us a New Orleans flavored fable with Ol' Bloo's Boogie Woogie Band and Blues Ensemble ( Peachtree, 2011).  Huling gives Grimms' Musicians of Bremin an American feel.   In this picture book, Ol' Bloo, a hard-working Donkey, narrowly escapes death when his owners threaten to "end his misery" after a lifetime of back-breaking service.  Instead of sitting by to face his demise, Ol' Bloo makes a run for it, planning on furthering his musical career in New Orleans.  Along the way, Ol' Bloo encounters other musically inclined animals with rough stories of their own, and just like Dorothy on her way down the Yellow Brick Road, Ol' Bloo invites these animals to share in his dreams.  Illustrations by Henri Sørensen contribute the the folk feel of the story, combining rich oil paintings in warm hues with black sillouhettes of the animals incorporated with the text.  The silhouette have the feel of shadow puppets onstage in a children's theater.  Ol' Bloo's story offers young readers a glimpse into the mythic South, and the reader can't help but root for his Boogie Woogie Band, though they would surely be ghastly to the human ear.  Recommended, ***

Catching Fire

Recommended grades 6-9.  In the sequel to her bestselling novel, Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins brings us back to Katniss Everdeen's home in dystopic District 12.  Though Katniss has survived the deathly reality show she was forced to participate in in the first book, she is not out of the woods yet.  The second installment of Katniss's journey is every bit as exciting as the first, with romance soaring higher than ever and political intrigue waiting around every deadly corner.  Katniss continues to be a character to admire, and though she does not always stay ahead of her opponents she uses her skills, intelligence, and allies to pull through.  The audiobook performed by Carolyn McCormick leaves something to be desired. McCormick reads Katniss's voice a little stiffly, and as a result it could be harder for readers to connect.  Overall, Collin's second contribution to the Hunger Games trilogy is at least as strong, if not stronger, than the first.  Highly recommended, ****

A Traditional Mother Moose Fairy Tale

Recommended grades 2-5.  Author Willy Claflin may be spending too much time out in the woods listening to Moose ramble, but I suppose they can offer entertaining tidbits.  In the fractured fairy tale Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs (August House, 2011), Claflin "translates" a classic "Mother Moose" tale as told to him by Maynard Moose.  This silly amalgamation of fairy tales includes unruly long hair, "eight or nine" seven dwarfs, a wicked witch, an obese prince, and of course, a noble white moose.  Claflin apologizes for his difficulty translating from the original moose language-- apparently they use words differently.  To mediate the language barrier, Claflin includes a glossary of Moose words, marked in the text with tiny hoof prints.  Additionally, the book includes an audio recording on CD of Maynard reading the book for himself.  Maynard sounds a bit like a Rick Moranis sketch, but it is a nice addition to the playful world Claflin has created.  With Claflin's non-standard use of both grammar and language, this book could be used to introduce young readers to the idea of dialect.  James Stinson's angular and cartoony illustrations have an air of computer animation.  The color pallet he uses, deep greens and browns, reflect the mysterious fairy tale elements of the dwarves' forrest.  Readers will have to be familiar with the original stories, but if they are they will surely take devious pleasure in the liberty Maynard Moose takes with the classics.   Recommended, ***

For the Love of Music

Recommended grades 2-5.  Much is known about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the child prodigy who has given the world much of our most beloved classical symphonies, but little is known about his sister, Maria, also considered a virtuoso in her time, and a great influence on Mozart's own composition.  Elizabeth Rusch brings the oft untold story of Maria in For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart (Tricycle Press, 2011).  Each movement in Maria's life is accompanied by a piece of the sonata structure - her childhood is labeled "The First Movement," her tour with Mozart called "Allegro" for it's fast pace.  Rusch's descriptions of the children are lively, many young readers may see some of their brothers and sisters in the text.  The characters and setting come to life with paintings and collages by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.  Figures are painted in paint so thick that you can see the texture of the brushstrokes, and the clothes they wear as well as the walls in their rooms are overlaid with period fabric.  Pianos and doors are made of handwritten musical notes on pages browned with age.  These techniques express the richness of the culture Maria Mozart inhabited.  This book would be a fabulous way to introduce young readers to classical music and musical composition.  Highly Recommended, ****.

Pinkalicious on Ice

Recommended grades K-2.  In Pinkalicious: Pink around the Rink (HarperCollins, 2010), Pinkalicious, the perky brunette who simply cannot get enough pink in her life, is slightly disappointed when her parents give her boring white ice skates.  Luckily, she knows just what to do!  She paints her shoes pink and creates quite the impression on the ice rink!  Creator Victoria Kann writes and illustrates her Pinkalicious series for HarperCollins I Can Read! Series for developing readers.  As a level 1 book, Pink around the Rink is specially written to include, "short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts for children eager to read on their own."  Though these books were designed for independent readers, adults will appreciate Kann's subtle humor in the characters of Pinkalicious' parents who try to encourage their daughter's unique stylistic preferences.  Kann's illustrations in bright shades of pink and orange capture Pinkalicious's ideal world, where she is most comfortable.  Kann leaves the "boring colors" (white) for places where Pinkalicious feels the least comfortable.  Kann based the character of Pinkalicious on her own daughters, and the book is genuinely tender while still conforming to the design of an easy reader.  Recommended, ***

Dog Loves Books

Recommended Grades K-2.  Dog Loves Books (Knopf, 2010) is the perfect picture book to introduce young students to your library!  Author Louise Yates introduce us to Dog, a book loving canine who adores books so much that he decides to open up his own bookstore.  Based on the scowling dogs in the illustration, we might guess that Dog will have a tough time of it.  At first his bookstore struggles to find the right customers, but as soon as Dog is able to guide his customers on his imaginative journeys through the literature he loves, he is able to find the perfect book for everyone!  Yates illustrates in pastel watercolors, pleasing and calming to the eye, and our friend Dog clearly expresses his very human, book-loving emotions in illustrations that are done in a sweet and clever way.  The language is clear and simple for early readers to engage with it independently.  Book lovers and dog lovers alike will be delighted with Dog's endeavors, and may come to wish that he would leave his bookstore for a school library near them.  Highly Recommended, ****