Dinosaurs?! by Lila Prap. (NorthSouth) 2010.

Informational book --a great one--for the youngest dinosaur fans-- lots of color with warm illustrations and a child friendly layout-- sidebars filled with information can be read -- for older kids or just ignored in favor of the fabulous illustrations that take center stage. An international children's book, translated from the Danish.

Old Black Fly by Jim Alylesworth. (Henry Holt) 1999.

we follow the an old black fly as he buzzes through the alphabet, -in verse no less--until he finally meets his end SPLATT!!
Lots of repetition and a great refrain-- fun to read and fun to play - this is a great auditory read a loud. A big hit with the preschool crowd -- after they got over the initial shock of old black flies untimely demise-- they loved it.
Steve Gammell's illustrations are, as always, bright and powerful.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier. (GRAPHIX) 2010, 224 pages.

I love a graphic memoir! Raina Telgemeier's (graphic artist of The Babysitter's Club fame) memoir of her middleschool years-- memories forever intertwined with braces and other dental issues-- that the dental stuff becomes a metaphor for the middle school period itself. Telgemeier clearly remembers what it is like to be in a teenager--family, acne, friends, hormones, boys, friends, teeth, appearance, friends, shyness, mean girls, friends-- add in lots of pain and surgery--and in the end, of couse, Raina overcomes it -- as we all do. A perfect choice of a positive "it gets better" coming of age story--and we always need more of these! SMILE was a pleasant surprise-- a quiet little graphic memoir about a girl i never heard of before but who i liked and felt for. the story pulled me in and will resonate with girls 11+-- and their mothers.
highly recommend

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. HarperCollins, 1990. 176 pages

Nine year old Beezus has a four year old sister named Ramona who drives her crazy. Beezus cannot enjoy anything on her own because Ramona wants to tag along and always ruins everything. She throws temper tantrums, doesn't listen or do what she is told and-- worst of all-- is cute and clever and full of imagination. It seems to Beezus that in the end, Ramona always gets her way. It is so unfair! AAAAh-- an older but goodie--the original was written in 1955 and some details are a little dated-- the theme sounds like something from shakespeare! Cleary is the master once again with this classic tale of sibling rivalry and the subtlety of family relations. This is the only Huggins/Quimby story told from big sister Beezus' point of view and as a big sister myself, i can sympathize. The littler ones are always cuter and there's no glory in keeping an eye on your little sister. (of course, Ramona thinks her sister gets to do everything!) This is a quiet tale the unwraps slowley-- Beezus takes her sister to the library where Ramona insists that the book she borrowed is hers. Ramona writes her name on every page to prove it is hers and Ramona has to pay for it. The sisters are very different-- Beezus the thoughtful and responsible older sister while Ramona is the carefree one full of bad behavior and imagination-- personality traits that are mirrored in the mother and aunt---something the reader does not fully realize until the birthday party at the end. A classic, gentle tale from a master storyteller.

Crash by Jerry Spinelli. Random House Children's Books, 1996. 162 pages.

Newbery Medalist author Jerry Spinelli's love of sports come through again with this entertaining and thought provoking, realistic, hopeful and very readable book for middle readers. When we first meet Crash Coogan he is sports crazy and obsessed with living up to his questionable reputation-- he crashing into everyone he comes across-- his friends, his sister, his family, his problems. When you have no feelings, nothing can bother you. But as the years and the story progress, Crash has some choices to make-- about strength and courage and bullying and pain and family and friends. A great coming of age novel especially, but not exclusively for boys. Think Blubber for boys. upper elementary/early middle school reading lists.

Babe Ruth (Before They Were Famous) by Vito Delsante. Andres Vera Martinez, illustrator. Aladdin, 2009. 128 pages

Very basic graphic story of Babe Ruth's early life. Tough neighborhood, Babe ran wild in the streets with other boys-- truant, petty crime, etc. Parents sent him away to catholic priest run reform school where he learned to play baseball. No Borstal Boy though. Very basic, not a lot here. Even the illustrations are mediocre. I would not read another.

Dark Tide; The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. Beacon Press, 2003. 273 pages.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor; A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster. Harper, 2003. 296 pages.

Literary Criticism for the rest of us! Every journey is a quest. Every meal is communion. Vampires are highly sexual. Fairy Tales still rule---Cinderella story anyone? And who know so many storylines are adaptations from either the Bible or Shakespeare. Or both. I especially liked the well annotated recommended reading list for adults at the back.

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor. Puffin Books, 1990, 62 pages.

Taylor states she got the idea for this short story from a story her father told of an event from his own childhood. 1930s-segregated south at the Mississippi River. Casual small town racism as seen through the eyes of a 10 year old white boy--a child afraid of and bullied by his own father--Taylor tells the facts mostly, without editorializing. She does not say how the young black girl felt being told she could not try on a hat in the store or why the black townsfolk spoke easily to each other but clammed up when the little white boy started hanging around. She leaves it to us to decide what to think. A well written and powerful short story.

Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2). Disney-Hyperion, 2006. 288 pages.

Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes. Chronicle Books, 2010. 224 pages.

With her mom working in Costa Rica for the summer and her father dead, 12 year old Izzy is visiting her nana and her mom's home village in New Mexico for the first time. Izzy hopes to find out more about her father----(her mom is secretive) and in the process she learns about herself-- her family and her heritage. Full of el sabor de la south west, Izzy visits her ancestral village, hears the folklore and sees the old ways, learns to cook, meets her nana- a seer and curandera, visits with her father's ghost, improves her relationship with her mom, and finds friendship and love. yes, the storyline is somewhat predictable but this is a sweet and gentle story appropriate for the 10-13 year olds-- a time when we all tried to figure out who we were, where we came from and how we would fit in. i really enjoyed this book and recommended it to two 6th grade girls (neither of whom are latino) who like to read and are curious about the world around them. They loved it too. **includes a glossary of common spanish words and an easy tortilla recipe.

What Can You Do With a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? by Carmen Tafolla. Tricycle Press, Bilingual Edition, 2009. 32 pages

Me Llamo Celia: the life of Celia Cruz by Monica Brown. Luna Rising-Bilingual Edition. 2004. 32 pages

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Ballentine Books, 1995.

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J Krosoczka. Alfred A Knopf, 2009. 100 pages

Welcome the new superheros--- Lunch Lady-- serving justice AND lunch-- this time she is fighting the evil librarians who are trying to rid the library of video games--AAAARRRGGGH!!! A new graphic for the elementary set-- clean lines and simple, humorous drawings with unsaturated light color create a lighter, simpler juvenile graphic than Secret Science Alliance-- while several of the themes remain the same-- set in a school with friends who must solve a mystery only they can see--in the end, the kids- and the Lunch Lady--overcome! The spare and uncluttered pages will appeal to both younger students as well as reluctant readers. And, of course, Lunch Ladies and Librarians.

Lone Wolf (Wolves of the Beyond) by Kathryn Laskey. Scholastic Press, 2009. 250 pages.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riodan. Disney-Hyperion, 2006. 400 pages

Very Harry Potteresque-- Young Percy Jackson learns at the age of 12 that he is really a demi-god-- his absent father is really Neptune, God of the Sea. For his own safety he must leave his mortal mother and his home in Manhattan and travel to Camp Half-Blood with his best friend who, it turns out, is not a boy at all, but a Satyr (goat feet). He learns the skills needed to survive the greek monsters and must go one a quest with Grover and new friend Annabeth. They must find who has stolen lightning from Zeus-- but before they do, lots of adventures and humor and learning about Greek mythology
Very Harry Potter-- if for a younger set who like the US setting, the fresh and sassy and smart alecky Percy and a lot more action-- less pages but still a healthy read. i enjoyed it. An 11 year old i am very friendly with Loved it and cannot wait to read them all--fancies himself a young Percy i have no doubt-- just waiting to be rescued and sent to live with his exciting new family...
A very good series-- i recommend it absolutely-- kids love it. it will not have the adult followers that HP did, but it is not as deep as HP-- still
i do not hesitate to recommend it and even put it on the city of boston's myths and legends summer book list for middle school grades 6-8.

The Three Stooges scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg. Citadel press, NJ. (1982)

Written by Moe's daughter, Joan Howard Maurer, The Three Stooges ScrapBook is a personal and very loving memoir of the iconic comedy team. While there is nothing new in the bio and filmography sections-- done quite a bit and found in many places, actually, because The Three Stooges Scapbook is written by Moe's daughter (and Shemp and Curley's niece) it is filled with personal photos and family memories and stories not available elsewhere. It is full of stories and personal remembrances that read like what they are-- old timers reminiscing about the old days. On the face of it, the work is nothing special, but to stooge fans and old timers and folks who like this sort of thing--(that would be folks like me)--the Scrapbook is an enjoyable trip down memory lane. It is the only Early Reviewer's book I ever recieved from LT where EVERYONE who saw it at my house said "Three Stooges" and opened it up to look. I enjoyed it.

Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac. HarperCollins 2007, 208 pages.

13 year old Baron is a small for his age new kid at school. Both his parents are military personnel-- his father is MIA and his mother is active duty in Iraq, so Baron lives with his grandmother. Already a bully magnet, Baron keeps his Native American heritage to himself, until the class takes a school trip to an outward bound type camp in the Adirondacks. There he must call on his knowledge of Mohawk legends to help save his classmates from the Bearwalker.
I love Joseph Bruchac, but i was so disappointed in this story. It reads like a reluctant reader--not like the work of a master storyteller, and the storyline was so cliché-- i actually cringed when i read it. The professional reviewers gave it great reviews-- and school library journal called it a work for teens- 7 grade +-- and based on that-plus the fact that it is written by the a literary lion like Bruchac, i put it on the middle school myths and legends summer reading list. But i had not read it, and now i am so sorry. i would still recommend it to certain kids-- boy reluctant readers, or, even more likely-- younger boys who read well above level-- but that is about it.
disappointed overall-- will try Skeleton Man instead.

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood by Tony Lee. Candlewick Press. 2009.

True to the classic legend and very well done, Lee's graphic adaptation of the famous English classic adds just enough of a contemporary feel to be real and accessible to kids today. The illustrations and general feel is dark and brooding-- lots of shadows and "KERPOW" for action, sidebar celtic knots and medieval backdrops help keep the story real and compelling. it is a time of political turmoil in England. King Richard the Lionhearted is kidnapped and held for ransome on the way home from the Crusades. His brother John and his Norman cohorts are running England to the ground-- usurping the ancestral lands of "real" English Lords and handing them over to Norman invaders, who, in turn, are taxing the local peasantry into the ground and abusing the population. Robin of Loxley, Earl of Huntington, and ally of good King Richard, turns outlaw when the Sheriff of Nottingham (ally of Prince John and enforcer of brutal tax levies) steals his land. Robin robs from the Normans and English traitors and gives the money back to the peasants so they can pay their taxes--he fights for the forces of sweetness and light, gains all the respect of the peasantry and the good lords -- even King Richard himself-- and wins the heart of the brave and lovely Maid Marion to boot! A very well done classic adventure story done in graphic format. i loved it. great for all kids-- especially boys and anglophiles. lots of text for a graphic-- but very well done- and like all good graphics, each word is well chosen (much like poetry has to be) inorder to convey the core message in a small word bubble. Great for content knowledge and pleasure reading. Interesting backpage history of the legend included. Highly recommended. I put it on the middle school myths and legends summer reading list.

Bloodline by Kate Cary. Razorbill/Penguin, 2005. 324 pages.

Set in England during World War I and told entirely through journal entries and letters or the characters, Nurse Mary Seward reads the journal of Lt. John Shaw, a patient badly injured-- physically but especially emotionally--during fierce fighting in France. She becomes wary of Captain Harker, John's commanding officer. As Mary grows more suspicious, Harker gets close to John's only living relative, a young and naive sister Lily. Before Mary can convince John of the danger, Harker and Lily run off to Transylvania to marry and the shared bloodline to Dracula becomes known. John and Mary follow to try to save Lily, and the entire family from their fate.
I am especially fond of stories told in journal and letter form. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book--the journal entries brought trench life during the First World War to life. Cary knows something about the period, i suspect. The story was compelling and well written until about two thirds through, when i thought it felt hurried and got ridiculous. the entire vampire part bored me, honestly-- anyone could see it coming-- all the tension of a good creepy horror story was gone. Also, i did not much like the characters in the end, and so cared little for what happened to them.
So, a no for me personally, but vampire fans-- youngish, middle school aged ones-- will enjoy it fully.

Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold by James Rumford. Houghton-Mifflin, 2007. 48 pages.

A wonderful retelling of the Old English Classic-- Liner notes detail the research Rumford did into the legendary epic itself, as well as the linguistics behind the history of english that are very much a part of the modern student's study of the tale. The language is strong and dynamic, luscious and poetic, with- more amazingly- Rumford using only english words derived from anglo saxon-- (with the exception of 3 words from old norse). The dark and powerful retelling mirrors the language of a storyteller, and is enhanced by Rumford's own illustrations-- muted blues and green and grays that evoke misty, sunless lands of northern europe. Celtic knots and ancient symbols float in the people, clothing and landscape, ripped open by the occasional brilliant black, gold or red, where the curve of the dragon's tail mirrors the prow of a viking ship. Please understand, I never liked this poem as a highschool student who had to study it in english class. But this is different--a fabulous retelling of the ancient classic, full of action and power and made accessible to kids today. strong recommendation for upper elementary and older.