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, ****

A River of Words

Recommended Grades 3-5.  Jen Bryant narrates the biography of poet William Carlos Williams in her picture book A River of Words (Eerdman's Books, 2008).  The reader follows young William as he explores the scenic country in his childhood home of Rutherford, New Jersey, goes to medical school in Pennsylvania with famous friends Ezra Pound, Hilda Doolittle, and Charles Demuth, and opens a his own office back in Rutherford.  All the while, Williams shapes the world and words around him into poetry.  The illustrations by Melissa Sweet are a high point of the book.  Sweet draws simple figures primarily in earth tones-- rough sketches so that you can still see her pencil line.  Each illustration is worked into a collage style that includes books from Williams' school days, torn pages from his notebooks with his most famous poems scribbled in different drafts and other artifacts from his developing life.  The pictures themselves show the compulsion of Williams' poetical outbursts- that although he was the "busiest man in the county" with his medical practice he could not quiet his mind against the poetic phrases coming in.  The illustrations also demonstrate how Williams broke out of the standard rules of poetry to produce his own free form style that has influenced generations of poets after him.  Both the author and illustrator express their deep love for Williams, and confess that they are members of those influenced by his work.  A River of Words is a Caldecott Honor Book for good reason.  The illustrations will inspire young readers and have the potential to inspire future artistic endeavors, just as William Carlos Williams was the inspiration for this book.  Highly Recommended, *****

Max Celebrates Ramadan

Recommended Grades K-2.  In Max Celebrates Ramadan (Picture Window Books, 2009) developing readers can go with Max, a young boy with a round and smiling face, to his friend Omar's house to join in Eid-Al-Fitr ("Celebration of the end of fasting") feast.  Omar and his extended family teach Max the traditions of the Islamic month of Ramadan and share their celebration with him.  Illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole in simple lines and bright hues, characters are represented with a variety of skin tones but with the commonality of round, laughing, smiling faces.  Author Adria F. Worsham works in new vocabulary having to do with the Islamic holiday within a repetitive structure designed for newly developing readers as part of their Read-it! Series.  This easy-reader is labeled under the Red Level, specially designed to "present familiar topics using common words and repeating sentence patterns," according to the Read-it! guide on the opening page.  Though sentences are simple and repeat in structure, struggling readers may trip over the non-familiar words that don't follow the phonetic structures they may be learning.  With the guidance of a mature reader, young readers can learn as much as Max about Islamic holidays and traditions.  Recommended, ***

The Hunger Games

Recommended Grades 6-9.  Katniss Everdeen charts her way through a dystopian world in Suzanne Collin's young adult novel, The Hunger Games (Scholastic 2008).  Katniss, a resident of District 12, a township in a post-apocolyptic North America is selected as a contestant in a nationally broadcast reality show in a ceremony ominously labeled the "Reaping."  Far from the emotional backstabbing of today's reality television challenges, the twenty-four teenage contestants of the "Hunger Games" must literally stab each other in the back, or kill them in some other way that will please audiences watching in the glittering Capitol.  With Katniss, Collins has created a brave and independent leading lady of emotional depth, and considerable skill.  In addition to fighting to survive, Katniss must also reckon with the forces many teenage girls can recognize; a dysfunctional family, a televised public image and a complicated love triangle.  In this way  The Hunger Games does what few YA books can do; it appeals to both boys and girls with heart-pounding adventure, breath-taking romance, and more than a hint of political subversion.  Highly recommended, ****.

Grandpa Green

Grades 2-3 Lane Smith brings us a warm, cross-generational tale with his picture book, Grandpa Green (Roaring Brook Press, 2011).  Our young narrator guides us through "Grandpa Green's" life story through vividly green sculpted bushes.  This story is ripe with historical and literary allusions, many of which come to life in the illustrations themselves.  Adult readers may find their own grandparents and parents within the pages, and could spark a fruitful conversation about older generations with children.  Lane sensitively captures Grandpa's old age, and memory loss in a way that children can understand and acknowledge.  Grandpa's story is on the forefront, in the text as well as in the illustration.  Our narrator is ever present, though his thinly outlined figure, especially in contrast to the lush green sculptures.  Smith creates a wonderful bridge between those who were born long ago ("before computers or cell phones or television"--imagine!) and the reader of today. Highly Recommended, *****