Wednesday, April 25, 2012

New non-fiction for kids!

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

Beetles squeak and beetles glow.
Beetles stink, beetles sprint, beetles walk on water.
With legs, antennae, horns, beautiful shells, knobs, and other oddities—what’s not
to like about beetles?
The beetle world is vast: one out of every four living things on earth is a beetle.
There are over 350,000 different species named so far and scientists suspect there may
be as many as a million.
From the goliath beetle that weighs one fourth of a pound to the nine inch long
titan beetle, award-winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins presents a fascinating array
of these intriguing insects and the many amazing adaptations they have made to
survive.

North by Nick Dowson

At the top of our world is a huge wild place called the Arctic.

In the winter, it is a cold and barren land, where few animals can survive. But when spring comes, it brings with it animals from every corner of the earth. Gray whales, white cranes, wolves, and caribou begin their migrations as the snow melts, gradually making the long journey north. Once they reach their destination, they will raise their young, feast on the lush Arctic tundra, and bask in the sunlight that lasts all summer. Still, this season too must pass, and by the time winter grips the Arctic once again, the visitors have gone--only to return the following year. This lushly illustrated picture book celebrates the cyclical nature of the seasons, showcasing the barren and beautiful landscapes of the Arctic Circle and reminding the reader of the hardships and harmony of life in the wild.

The Great Molasses Flood by Deborah Kops

January 15, 1919, was an unseasonably warm day in Boston,
Massachusetts.  The waterfront was busy with children playing,
workers having lunch, firemen at the ready, and businessmen
making deliveries.
Bang! Suddenly the North End neighborhood was transformed into
a sea of dark, flowing  molasses.  A large tank holding the molasses
had exploded, sending shards of metal hundreds of feet away,
collapsing buildings, and coating the harbor front community with 
a thick layer of sticky-sweet sludge.
What happened?  Why did the tank explode? And most important
for the victims and their families, who was to blame?

Life in the Ocean by Claire A. Nivola

Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she’s designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls “the blue heart of the planet.” With stunningly detailed pictures of the wonders of the sea,Life in the Ocean tells the story of Sylvia’s growing passion and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world. This picture book biography also includes an informative author’s note that will motivate young environmentalists.




Thursday, April 19, 2012

New Fiction for Kids

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle.  His father is the unpredictable one.

When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out.

They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .

It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival". . . 

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

There was no day that dumplings couldn't make better.

Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration. Pacy's parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she's excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be--she looks like everyone else but can't speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher's instructions, and it's difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious...

As the month passes by, Pacy eats chicken feet (by accident!), gets blessed by a fortune teller, searches for her true identity, and grows closer to those who matter most.

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger

It is a dark time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. After suffering several Origami Yoda–related humiliations, Harvey manages to get Dwight suspended from school for being a “troublemaker.” Origami Yoda pleads with Tommy and Kellen to save Dwight by making a new case file—one that will show how Dwight’s presence benefits McQuarrie. With the help of their friends, Tommy and Kellen record cases such as “Origami Yoda and the Pre-eaten Wiener,” “Origami Yoda and the Exploding Pizza Bagels,” and “Origami Yoda and Wonderland: The Musical.” But Harvey and his Darth Paper puppet have a secret plan that could make Dwight’s suspension permanent . . .

King of the Mound by Wes Tooke

Nick was going to be a star baseball player, no doubt about it. People for miles around talked about the twelve-year-old boy with the golden arm. And then Nick is diagnosed with polio—a life-threatening disease in the 1930s. Everyone is devastated, especially Nick’s father, who copes by closing off from his son. When Nick finally leaves the hospital he wants nothing more than to get back in the game, but he seems to be the only one who thinks it’s possible. But after he begins working for Mr. Churchill, the owner of a minor league team, Nick meets Satchel Paige, arguably the best player in baseball. Satchel faces obstacles of his own—his skin color prevents him from joining the major leagues—and he encourages Nick to overcome the odds and step out of the dugout.


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Brand new picture books for kids!

Blue Sky by Audrey Wood

What do you see when you look up at the sky?
Is it sunny today? Are birds flying? Is it raining?
And after the glow of sunset, is the sky decorated with
stars, planets, and the moon?
All day long and into the night, we look around us and
beside us, but sometimes we forget to notice what is happening
in the sky above.

Me Want Pet! by Tammi Sauer

Cave Boy had lots of things.  Rocks. Sticks. A club. But
no pet. Will Cave Boy ever find a pet the whole family can agree on?

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

How many kinds of green are there? There's the lush green of
a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime,
the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea.

One Special Day by Lola M. Schaefer

Does having a new brother or sister make you into more than
you already are?  Spencer is about to find out.  He is
as strong as a bear, as funny as a monkey, and as wild as a tiger.
But on one special day, everything changes.  Now Spencer
is strong, funny, wild, brave, free...and gentle too.


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Check out these seasonable kid's books!

Miriam's Cup by Fran Manushkin

It's Passover at the Pinsky home.  And amidst the flurry of
preparation for the Seder, Mama stops everything to tell a very
important story to her children.  She recounts the story of Passover,
of how God helped Moses lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom.
But this time Mama includes another part of the story - the part about a 
prophet named Miriam, whose faith and spirit also helped the Jewish people to survive.

Celebrate Passover by Deborah Heiligman

The most celebrated holiday in the Jewish year, Passover commemorates the Exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt to freedom over 3,500 years ago. This colorful book explores the many forms that this weeklong celebration takes worldwide. Deborah Heiligman's rich text details the long lavish meals called seders, at which Exodus is recalled in ritual, prayer, song, and story. 

Easter by Jan Pienkowski

"In the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, many
went up to Jerusalem for the Passover.  And Jesus took the twelve disciples and came...
Thus begins the most important story in the Christian religion, illustrated here by Jan
Pienkowski with awesome beauty.

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith

With an enchantingly simple perspective, Wildsmith offers a splendid vision of the greatest story ever told.