Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New Kid's Books August 31st

Big Wig: A Little History of Hair  by Kathleen Krull

History is one hair-raising subject.  And there's no more 
hair-brained historian than Kathleen Krull to tease out the funniest highlights 
from the dawn of time to the present day.
Meet centuries of women with hair issues in these pages,
from the first blonde cave woman to the bearded queens
of Egypt.  From the ladies of the court of Queen Marie Antoinette
(whose hairstyles involved the weaving in of items such as a
birdcage with live birds, or a wooden ship), to the 1960's
girl groups like the Supremes with their elevated beehives.
From the ill-fated locks of Joan of Arc to the infamous
unibrow of Frida Kahlo.
And in case you thought men didn't have their own hair stuff to
deal with:Did you know that the philosopher Aristotle rubbed goat 
pee on his head to cure his baldness? Or that Hippocrates preferred
a mixture of wine, olive oil, horseradish, and pigeon poop? (Julius
Caesar had his own method too, but Cleopatra taught him a new one;
read on to find out what!)
It's gross, it's fashion, it's outrageous, it's history, it's...hair!

Fabulous! : A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen

You might recognize Andy Warhol's famous paintings of
Campbell's Soup cans and Coke bottles.  But do you know
about the artist who created these images?
Andy Warhol was often sick as a child, yet found comfort
in reading comic books and most especially in drawing.
Starting with his early days in Pittsburgh in the 1930s and progressing
to the height of his glory in the 1060s when he blurred the line
between commercial art and fine art, this book chronicles
an artist's remarkable path to becoming a renowned Pop Art icon.

Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann

With the ocean her home, an ochre sea star hunts for her
morning meal.  She folds over her rays and grips the rocky
shore with sticky feet as she feasts on shellfish.  When
she takes too long, the tide flows back without her, and Sea Star
becomes easy prey for a seagull.  But she is built to survive and
returns to the sea, although with one less ray.
Through inspiring words and stunning pictures, the
fascinating world of a small but mighty sea creature in brought to light.

Manners Mash-Up 

Should you eat nachos at the opera? What about
wearing your birthday suit to a birthday party? And
just where do you put that napkin?  These etiquette questions have
been puzzling kids for ages. Now, fourteen hilarious and well-loved 
illustrators show you all the answers and many, many more, right inside this book!


Thursday, August 18, 2011

New Kid's Books August 18th

School! Adventures at the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School by Kate  McMullan

Welcome to the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School.
Meet Ron Faster and his tippy-toppy friends: Adam Up,
Viola Fuss, Sid Down, ChuckieUpkins, the principal, 
Miss Ingashoe, and the school secretary, Miss Celia
Seeyalater.  Join them as they go through adventures on a
hotsy-totsy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday at a most unusual school.

The Unseen World of Poppy Malone  by Suzanne Harper


Evidence: 1. A snicker: soft but clear. 2. The mess.
3. White teeth gleaming in the shadows.  
Possibilities: 1. Vampires. 2 Ghosts. 3. Goblins. 
4. Werewolves. 5 Fairies.
To do: 1. Record evidence in logbook. 2. Do not tell
Mom and Dad! 3. Read (again!) The Little People:
A comprehensive History of Hobgoblins, Pixies, Brownies, and Sprites.
4. Set a trap. 5. Set up motion-sensor camera. 6. Ask Will and Franny
for help? 

Ellie McDoodle: Have pen will travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw

Ellie McDougal (better known to her friends as Ellie McDoodle because she loves to draw)
 is a nearly-twelve-year-old prisoner . . . of her aunt, uncle,
 three annoying cousins, and her baby brother, Ben-Ben. 
Sentenced to a week-long camping trip with them while her parents
 are out of town, Ellie is absolutely, positively determined 
to hate every single minute of the experience. 
Thank goodness she at least has her sketch journal,
 in which she records all the excruciating (and okay, very funny) details.
 Mosquito bites and trips to the Fred Moose museum she can handle.
 But how will she keep her journal from falling into Er-ick the Enemy's hands? 
And what will happen when--gasp--she actually starts having fun?
 Part graphic novel, part confessional journal, 
part wilderness survival guide, 
Ellie's story is a treat for young campers,
 vacationers, or anyone looking for a great summer read. 

Ellie McDoodle: New kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw

Moving to a new house? Bad. Being the new kid? Worse!
When Ellis's family moves to a new town, she's sure she won't fit in.
Nobody else like to read as much as she does, the other kids at 
school play "new kid bingo" behind her back, and even the teachers
can't seem to remember her name.  But when the students need
someone to help them rally against long lunch lines (and bad food),
Ellie is on the case. And with shorter lines and better food in sight,
can friendship be far behind? For any kid who's ever felt like an
outsider looking in, Ellie's journal captures the frustration, the
nervousness, and, yes the occasional happy surprises of
making a fresh start.




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

New Kid's Books August 10th

Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa.  Amazing Africa.  She
loves singing to her two baby brothers, Double and Trouble.
But when she is chosen to sing for her school in front of
the president, her throat runs dry, and her bones turn to
stone.  Can Double and Trouble save her?

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch

Jack Blank doesn't know who he is or where he
comes from.  He doesn't even know his real last name.  All
Jack knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby's Home
for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten and Lost.
Everything changes one morning when Jack receives
two visitors.  The first is a deadly robot, straight out of one
of Jack's favorite comic books, that tries its best to blow
him up.  The second is an emissary from a secret country called
the Imagine Nation, where all the fantastic and unbelievable
things in our world originate-including Jack.  Jack soon
discovers that he has an amazing ability-one that could make 
him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond,
or the biggest threat they've ever faced.


The Immortals by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell


Nate Quarter is a lowly lamplighter in the
phrazmines of the Eastern Woods, until treachery
forces him to flee for his life- to the might city of
the Great Glade.
But these are turbulent times.  In Far-off Hive-the spectacular
city founded by the goblin tribes- the clan leaders are preparing for war.
And out beyond the dread Nightwoods, in the fabled gardens
of Riverrise, a one-eyed waif jealously guards the
life-giving waters of the mystical Riverrise spring...
Swept up in the maelstrom that follows, Nate and a small
band of intrepid friends must set off on an epic journey that
will lead them into terrible peril.
And all the while, from over the Edge cliff itself, a storm
unlike any every seen before is building-a storm that is
to roll across the land, bringing both echoes of the past and
the promise of a new beginning....

Real Princesses by Valerie Wilding


Can any girl become a princess?
Are all princesses rich?
Where do they get their dresses and jewelry?
Do all princesses become queen one day?
Discover the answers to these questions and many more
while reading about the privileged lives of princesses.
You'll get the scoop with real-life examples of what princesses'
lives are like, how they dress, what special events they attend,
where they go to school, and whether there are any downsides
to being royal.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

New Kid's Books August 3rd

Justin Case by Rachel Vail


It's the start of the school year, and nothing feels right
to Justin.  He didn't get the teacher he wanted, he's not
in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister,
Elizabeth, is starting kindergarten at his school.  Elizabeth
doesn't seem nervous at all.  Justin is very nervous about
third grade.  And to top it off, he's lost his favorite stuffed animal,
but he can't tell anyone, because technically, he's too old
to still have stuffed animals. Right?



Trading Faces by Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy

On the first day of seventh grade, twin sisters
 Payton and Emma have been assigned entirely different
schedules - for the first time ever.  Without telling anyone, the twins
switch places: Cool Payton goes incognito as quiet Emma, while mathlete 
Emma impersonates fashionista Payton.
No one - from their new teachers to
their clueless classmates - realizes they've made a switch.
The twins quickly find out that playing a different role in life
can be a lot of fun - and that no one is exactly the person
the rest of the world thinks they are.

Spot it again! by Delphine Chedru


Where are the creatures hiding? Look closer..little animals 
lurk on every bright and colorful page of this beautiful
seek-and-find treat.  Can you find each of the hidden
animals?

Energy Island by Allan Drummond



The island of Samso in Denmark was once a very
ordinary place, and the people who lived there were
ordinary, too.  In fact, the only thing that made Samso
unusual at all was that it was very, very windy.
Then the ordinary citizens of this ordinary island
decided to do something extraordinary: they drastically
reduced their carbon emissions and became almost
completely energy independent.  And they did it all
with the help of the wind!
This inspiring true story proves that, with a big
idea and a lot of hard work, anyone can make
a huge step toward energy conservation.