The Great Migration

As you may have noticed, our posts here have been few and far between lately. A large reason for that has been issues with Blogger. Miss Ami actually has two blogs she manages, this one and a more eclectic one titled A Mom's Spare Time . For some reason, Blogger is not letting people log in and out of different blogs for large stretches of time, and since Miss Ami was logged into the other blog on her computer, she can only access this one from random public computers. Not conducive to late-night-everyone-is-finally-asleep posting.

For that and other reasons, we have decided to combine the two blogs, and move everything over to A Mom's Spare Time. We the turtles are going into semi-retirement, but may pop in for an occasional comment. You can still find us here under the sun lamp at the Library, soaking up the rays, and listening to stories read by our faithful younger patrons. If you are one of our regular followers, we encourage you to become a follower of A Mom's Spare Time, and thank you for your readership and your great comments over the past couple years here. We'll see you on the other side!

Where in Town is This?

As part of our Summer Reading Program, Miss Ami zipped around town taking pictures of things you probably pass by every day - so often, in fact, that you probably don't 'see' them any more! We'll have a different shot or two posted at the Library, as well as on our blog, each week. If you recognize one, go ahead and name it in the comments!

To start us off, we have an easy one (we think) and a harder one:

Of course, if you're not from around here, neither of these will look familiar. Fear not - some of our future shots include buildings commonly seen across the country:)

My Boyfriend is a Monster - Graphic Novel series from Lerner



by Evanne Tsang and Janina Gorrisen
Graphic Universe (Lerner Publishing)
978- 0-7613-6004-9

by Paul Storrie and Eldon Cowgur
Graphic Universe (Lerner Publishing)
978-0-7613-5601-1

You may have noticed that we don't review many graphic novels. As in, we never review graphic novels. There's a reason for that: we don't generally read graphic novels. But who can resist a title like My Boyfriend is a Monster: I Love Him to Pieces, featuring a story line with a zombie apocalypse? And lines like: "There's a difference between a zombie and a high school boy? Well, when you get a zombie's attention, you know that it'll stick with you, at least until it can eat your brains. Regular guys are more fickle."

Definitely one for guys or girls, nerds or jocks (or turtles). It's campy, of course, and moves too quickly to flesh out the plotline much, but - it's a graphic novel! The dialogue and the artwork are the key elements of a book like this, and both work very well in this case. We will be handing this to the first reluctant reader we spot. We would also love to see Tsang try his hand at some non-graphic YA fiction.

The second in the series, Made for Each Other, follows a Frankenstein theme. Not quite as funny as the first, it still has enough of the same characteristics to hold a reader's attention - although it does seem a little more girl-oriented. At any rate, the entire series has promise of being a big hit among middle and high schoolers. We give both books a

4 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: The Best Dogs Ever series by Elaine Landau

978-07613-60780

978-07613-60834

978-07613-60797
all from Lerner, who provided review copies

Have we mentioned how much we absolutely love this series? Yes? Can we say it one more time, then?

There are tons of dog books out there for kids, and plenty of series with breed-specific volumes, but most of those tend to be a little fuzzy on the specific characteristics and needs of each breed. Definitely not so with these! In addition to the individual history of a dog breed, we find out about energy level, personality, and pros and cons of owning each type (mastiffs=slobber). We even read about things like legislation issues, for example in the case of Pit Bulls.

Ah, pitties. We are definitely big dog lovers, and the three featured above are among our favorites. Mastiffs have such sweet big lugs, and the Great Dane on the cover of his book looks just like Miss Ami's "Dude" - who considers himself the mother of every orphaned kitten that comes along. We have a special soft spot for pits, though. Yes, we know, many pits make the news in bad ways, and we don't necessarily want to debate that whole issue. We do want to point out two things:

When Miss Ami was little, German Shepherds were the 'evil' dogs. No responsible parent would let one near their child. Then it was Dobermans, then Dalmatians, etc., etc. In a couple years, we'll be seeing news stories about those dangerous Malteses.

Two patrons JUST had a conversation in front of us (really, as we were typing!) about a problem pit that turned out not to even be a pit. Check out this web site and see if you can do better than us (we never get it right on the first try).

Okay, off the soap box. All dogs, particularly big and strong dogs, do need plenty of exercise and training, and these books are very clear about that. They also give other books and web sites to check out if your readers want more information, as well as basic advice about selecting a new puppy and welcoming it into your home. Be warned about previewing these, though - once you hit the pages of puppy pictures, you are going to want every single one of these dogs! Same great Lerner quality with binding and illustration, they get a

5 out of 5.

More more reviews of nonfiction books for children, check out today's post on Simply Science

Picture Book Mini-Reviews

Believe it or not, there are some books we like that other people (or turtles) don't, and vice versa. Something every library employee needs to keep in the forefront of their mind is that libraries are for everyone, and just because something doesn't suit our taste/opinions/politics/beliefs, that doesn't make it any less worth putting in the collection.

The same applies to reviewers. The following books were some we just couldn't get behind ourselves, but we can see that they are of good quality, and could be appealing to a different audience. In fact, they have both received good reviews elsewhere. As the selectors of books for the library, however, we like to see a mix of reviews before we make ordering decisions. So:

by Mark Sperring
Andersen Press
9780761374862
Review copy from publisher.

The pictures were very cute, but the message was a bit heavy-handed. A little knight wants a sword "to whoosh and swoosh in the air" and to fight dragons with, but his mother gives him a sunflower instead. Of course, he ends up making friends with a dragon because of it, and soon all the grown-up knights follow suit. Some parents will be thrilled with the pacifist theme, while others will roll their eyes at the lack of subtlety.

by Elise Primavera
Random House
9780375844812
Review copy from publisher

A cute book, but we weren't sure if this was for children, or for thumb-sucking adults. The whole format would be familiar to any six-year-old...who has attended a few AA meetings. From the beginning confession in front of a group ("Hello. My name is Lulu and I'm a thumb sucker,") through the twelve step program she develops, and even the manipulations of the thumb ("I don't even know who you are anymore,") the audience seems a bit beyond the preschool crowd.

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond, Illustrated by Diane deGroat

by Ree Drummond
HarperCollins
978-006-1996559
Review copy from publisher

There's a reason most dogs have big brown eyes. Brown eyes just look sadder, more soulful than any other color, and dogs (kinda like toddlers) often have need of an especially soulful look to either a) get themselves out of trouble, or b) get what they want. Members of the hound dog family have the added advantage of that little droop, and when you add long, floppy ears - well, just look at this cover and tell us who could resist that face!

This is the first of what is expected to be a series of stories about Charlie, a real dog living on a real ranch in Oklahoma. Like everyone else on a ranch, Charlie works very hard from sunup to sundown (with an occasional assist from his friend Suzie). Kids of all ages will enjoy following Charlie through his day, spending extra time looking at all the detail in Diane DeGroat's illustrations. Miss Ami's 5-year-old had fun finding the smiling chipmunk on every page, and pointed out things Miss Ami had missed - like Drummond's sillhouette in the upstairs window.

This book comes with lots of extras, including a lasagna recipe (Drummond is also known as the author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and her blog, The Pioneer Woman).

On her blog, you can read about the process she went through to get the book published - kids (and adults) may be fascinated by the many steps the illustrations go through, as well as the back-and-forth betweeen author/illustrator/editor. A great tool to use with those reluctant to edit their first drafts!

Finally, Barnes and Noble has a video of Drummond reading the story, so you can either preview it that way or let your kids follow along with their own copy. While some of the extras, particularly the latter, are obviously ways for the publisher to promote the book and attract a wide audience, they work to complement it rather than seeming gimmicky. This is a series sure to have many fans, and we are looking forward to the next installment. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: On the Move with Trains, Motorcycles and Ambulances!

by Lee Sullivan Hill
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-3921-2

by Laura Hamilton Waxman
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-3922-9

by Lee Sullivan Hill
Lerner Publications
978-0761360261

Review copies from publisher

We reviewed Big Rigs and Fire Trucks On the Move back in November, and loved them - as have our patrons. We were happy to receive review copies of these three books in the series, and plan to fill in the ones we are missing as soon as the cumbersome end-of-fiscal-year-budget-process will allow us to order things again!

We don't really have a lot to add to our previous review of this series (we shouldn't say that, because now they won't send us any more). Same quality binding and great format, with exciting fonts, easy text, and big attractive pictures.

Ah, but Lerner, beware the eagle eye and sharp memory of a four-year-old! Miss Ami was test-driving Ambulances on the Move with her young son, and he suddenly jumped up and ran to his bookshelf. He returned with this book from Scholastic:



and showed her that the photo on page 9 of that book was the exact same photo as that on page 19 of Waxman's. Nothing wrong with two books using the same stock photos, but THEY WILL KNOW. It's all good, though - he was still excited about the book, and he is, of course, and exceptionally perceptive child.

Another 5 out of 5 for this series, perfect for preschool/beginning readers. For more reviews of great nonfiction books for kids, check out today's post at Shelf-Employed (love that blog name!)

True (...Sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

Every once in a while there is a character that you, as the reader, 'get' immediately. Unfortunately, nobody else in the boko seems to. Other characters see the outward actions, put their own assumptions on what was behind them, and judge accordingly. And usually wrongly. You want to reach in and grab up that character and wrap your arms around her, comforting her and protecting her from all those condemning adults (and kids) in her fictional world.*

*Note from the turtles: Miss Ami, our typist, is 97 months pregnant and feeling hormonal and maternal, and that may be rubbing off on us just a bit.

At any rate, Hannigan has deftly created just such a character in Delly. Her problems are summed up in this exchange with her younger brother:

Then RB was shouting, "Just quit getting in trouble. Just quit it!"
"I'm not trying to get in trouble!" she shouted back.
RB knew that was true. "What ARE you trying to do?" he asked.
She thought about it. "Have fun. Do something good. Except when I fight."
He said it quiety, so she wouldn't slug him too hard: "Maybe you should try something different."
She didn't smack him. Instead, she rasped, "I don't know how to be...not me."

(pg. 73 HC)

Sometimes it seems the harder you try to improve your character, the more the world seems to conspire against you. Delly wants to "be good", she wants to make her mother proud, she wants to stay out of trouble, but...

Delly is not the only vivid character in the book. With just a few words, we feel we know many of the other characters as if we'd been watching them for years. Hannigan is adept at showing us rather than telling us about someone, whether by their actions, their thoughts, or their conversations. We would love to share an exchange between Delly and her mother as an example, but it might be too much of a spoiler - just nod and agree with us when you get to page 237 of the hardcover!

We loved Ida B (Hannigan's first, bestselling work), and think this one is ten times better. No pressure on the author, but we can't wait to see what comes next!

I Want to Do It Myself! by Tony Ross

by Tony Ross
Andersen Press USA
978-0-7613-7412-1
Review copy from publisher

This is a familiar refrain to any parent, and will resonate with every child. The second children are born, they seem to be trying to grow up faster than we are ready for them to, and the Little Princess is no exception. She is a big girl, and she can go camping without any help from the big people in her life!

She packs her bags and sets off, never noticing the scores of grown-ups following her along the way. Young readers, of course, will easily spot the maid in the tree and the chef in the bushes, long before they pop out in turns to rescue the blissfully unaware young princess. A gentle acknowledgement of the quest for independence, with the security of knowing someone is there to fall back on.

The illustrations as always are charming and fun - and can we say one more time how much we appreciate her not having golden ringlets and perfect gowns? Pick up a copy soon for your classroom, or for your own little princess.

A Short Note (Becoming a Long Note) from Miss Ami

This...



by Ree Drummond
William Morrow
978-0-06-199716-7
Copy borrowed from Library after those pesky patrons FINALLY checked it back in.

...may be one of the funniest things I have ever read. And I haven't even finished reading it.

It is also a great romance (and I don't particularly like romances), a wonderful illustration of personal development, a candid look at what happens when you mesh two very different lives, and - oh, heck, it's just a fantastic read!

It doesn't hurt that I am married to my own denim-wearing, shotgun-toting, Sam Elliot look-alike. And there just MIGHT have been some parking in a diesel-powered pick-up truck involved in our courtship as well. And a grass fire. But I never had to stick anything up a cow's...

Anyways. You don't have to be married to or lusting after a cowboy to enjoy this one (although female readers may find that Old Spice guy starting to look awfully effeminate.) My husband wants to read it next (yes, that's right ladies, equally comfortable with a chainsaw OR a good book in his hands - those guys do exist!), then my mother, then half a dozen people at the park who heard me giggling and stopped to hear a paragraph or two.

But they'll have to wait for me to finish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go take a very extended lunch break. If you need me, I will be in the staff room, laughing uncontrollably.

Later: This is becoming too bizarre. There are a million similarities between this story and mine that I just can't share without spoilers - if you know us personally, you will recognize them. That was 'bad' enough.

This afternoon I finished the book and finally allowed myself to visit her blog, where I saw more. Then I saw posts about a picture book she has out, through Harper Collins. I was JUST ABOUT to e-mail my contact there to request a review copy - and was posting my intention to do so on Drummond's comments section - when the mail came, with - you guessed it! Feeling a bit spooked now! But happy I won't have to wait to read it!

Nonfiction Monday: Built for Cold Arctic Animals series from Bearport Publishing

by Stephen Person
Bearport Publishing
978-1-61772-133-5
Review copy from publisher.

by Stephen Person
Bearport Publishing
978-1-61772-1342
Review copy from publisher.

This is another animal series that will probably NOT be including a turtle or tortoise of any kind - and we're okay with that! We do not do cold (have we mentioned our heat lamp? At least a hundred times?), but that doesn't mean we aren't interested in reading about places like the Arctic.

Any place that runs to extremes of one sort or another is bound to fascinate. For those of us living in a place like southern New Mexico, it is hard to imagine living somewhere with sub-zero temperatures and ice and snow as far as the eye can see. Animals such as Polar Bears and Arctic Wolves, however, are right at home!

This series is written for the upper-elementary range, and has immediate appeal for students with its attractive covers and bright, vivid pictures. The text is age-appropriate, and dramatic in places without damaging its usefulness for report writing. (Loved the story of Isobel, the blind sled dog! We were also happy to see Balto wasn't given credit for the entire race to bring medicine to Nome, as has happened in some children's books.) A note for teachers/parents, though: some of the material and images, while accurate and important, may be disturbing for younger children (walrus calves crushed in a stampede, sled dogs killed by elk, etc.)

As we have come to expect from Bearport's nonfiction, each book includes an index, glossary, extra facts, and a web link for more information. We appreciate the way Bearport puts up a page for each book or series, keeping the web sites up to date. Based on what we have seen, we give the series a

5 out of 5.

For more reviews of nonfiction for children, check out the other Nonfiction Monday posts at Jean Little Library

Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana: Lizard Lightning! by Natalie Lunis

by Natalie Lunis
Blink of an Eye: Superfast Animals series
Bearport Publishing
978-1-936087-91-4
Review copy from publisher.

Yes, okay, it has been a while. We took a small, unplanned break - of two weeks! In between out of town guests and birthdays and relatives in the hospital, we were still reading, but we devoted some time to series we needed to catch up on - the Eldest series is great, but the internet world really doesn't need one more review of them!

Now it's time to dive into some of the shiny new books that have been beckoning to us from the corners of our desk. This first one we found fascinating because, let's face it, turtles are not thought of as terribly fast. Oh, we can scoot along pretty quickly if we want to, on land or in water, but we prefer to take our time or just hang around under the heat lamp, not moving at all. At any rate, we will never be any match for a greyhound or a cheetah!

This entry in the series is at least another reptile - the fastest reptile in the world! Black spiny-tailed iguanas can run almost 22 miles an hour; faster than most people, and much faster than the alligators they are sometimes mistaken for. They are big guys, up to four feet long! They don't need to chase their food (plants), but they do need to run to escape their predators. Personally, we think anything that big and tough-looking should need to run from anyone.

Many other interesting facts are presented in a kid-friendly (think upper elementary) manner. Each two-page spread has a few paragraphs of information with smaller pictures/charts/graphs opposite a larger, close-up photo. The photographs are very clear and attractive. The back includes an illustrated glossary, an index, and an internet link to find more information.

These look like they will be a great addition to the shelves, and we plan to order the rest of the series.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery, by MaryRose Wood

978-006-179112-3
HarperCollins
Copy borrowed from library.

If you haven't read the first book in this series (The Mysterious Howling), stop right now and go find it. Some books in series can be read out of order, this is not one of them! In this case, that's a good thing - some series books are so determined to stand on their own, they spend the first several chapters boring you with back story. This book moves too quickly to bore anyone.

If you have read The Mysterious Howling, and you enjoyed its quirkiness, then you will definitely enjoy the sequel. The children are their same delightful combination of wolf pup and proper lady and gentleman, Penelope is still the perfect governess for them, and an easy heroine to root for. She is a bit innocent and naive, but smart enough that she catches on to clues not too long after the reader does. Is it always realistic and plausible? Of course not! Hello, the kids were raised by wolves! That's part of the fun of these stories, and we already can't wait for the next one. Recommended for upper elementary, middle or high school libraries - or for a fun family read-aloud (homeschoolers especially will find a plethora of lessons to spin off onto!)

We give this a 5 out of 5.

Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island, by Paul Adam

978-0061-863257
Walden Pond press
Review copy from publisher.

  
We hate to use the word 'formulaic', but we can't help feeling like we have read this before. In fact, as we neared the end, someone asked what we were reading and how it was. We answered by telling them we were about to get to the part where the hero does "x", finds out "y", but won't be able to "z" until the next book at least. Oh, and so-and-so will do such-and-such at the last minute, saving the day. We were right on all counts.

That said, this was well-written enough to appeal to teen and preteen boys looking for a good adventure series, and we do plan on purchasing the sequels. If you are looking for a fast-paced read and willing to contribute a healthy suspension of disbelief, this is a great series to pick up. We give this first title a

3 out of 5.

Max Cassidy can escape from anything

Only fourteen years old, Max is the world's foremost escape artist. Chained, handcuffed, locked in an airtight water tank, there's nothing he can't get himself out of. He learned the art from his father a man who just two years ago was murdered, and Max's mother went to jail for the crime.



Now a mysterious man has shown up backstage after one of Max's shows, telling Max that not only is his mother innocent, but his father is still alive. He can provide only one clue: a slip of paper with eight digits written on it. It is this clue that will lead Max from his home in London to the exotic and deadly Central American country of Santo Domingo and the impenetrable fortress on the sinister Isla de Sombra.


Max Cassidy can escape from anything–but given the chance to finally know the truth about what has torn his family apart, escape from Shadow Island is the last thing on his mind.

Guestbooking

As geocaching becomes more popular, we looked into having a cache hidden here at the library. We discovered, however, that we are too close to some other caches in town. Letterboxing is fun, but hiding a box of toys in the library could also turn out badly - or at the very least, require frequent maintaining.

Guestbooking, on the other hand, requires no special equipment or coordinates. You simply hide a guestbook of some sort at your location and disseminate a hint as to where to find it. When people do find it, they sign the book, perhaps adding a quote or picture of some sort. That, we can handle! As we 'speak', our guestbook is being made ready to hit the shelves. If you are familiar with the location of our library, we invite you to stop by and see if you can find it - and as a hint, just think about how you would find anything else in the library! (And no, we don't mean ask Miss Ami.)

Teen Cafe - T-Shirt Redesign (or) See, I Knew I Was Saving That for a Reason!

We don't usually blog about events before they happen, but we are hoping to snag a few more ideas from our brilliant readers:) Since Miss Ami is, as they used to say, in a delicate condition, and may or may not be around for the latter half of Summer Reading, we are trying to prepare as much as possible beforehand. This particular program is slated for the end of July - just don't ask us what's for supper tonight, 'kay?

The general plan is to provide ideas and supplies for teens to redecorate/redesign/repurpose old t-shirts. Because many of the regulars to Teen Cafe are also SRP Volunteers, and they have a whole stash of shirts from previous years, and because we also had a stash of SRP shirts that were never picked up last year, those are what you will see featured here. We are mostly looking for no-sew ideas, as the idea of supplying 30 or so sewing machines doesn't seem too feasible.

First, because Miss Ami was a child of the 80's, we have this one:

You can also fringe the sleeves.

Another very simple one - wear a different color tank under it. We may cut more slits around the collar. If you are better at cutting than we are (no opposable thumbs, remember!) you can try cutting shapes instead of just slits.

A necklace/scarf made by cutting horizontal stripes about 1" thick and then pulling them tight to make them roll up. We connected them with a strip cut from the bottom, but we're not sure how to describe the loop-and tuck method...you can just hot glue the ends if you like!

These two are made from the same shirt. For the necklace (or belt) we cut off the bottom hem, then cut around and around so we had one long continuous strand about 1" thick. We cut that into thirds and braided them, then added chunky wood beads that have been sitting around forever.

We didn't want to waste the top picture, so we used fabric glue to attach it to posterboard, then added jewels and glitter. This would be fun to do with a t-shirt that had a funny saying, or a favorite rock band on it. We are trying to find our scrap cork board to make a bulletin board this way.

This is the one that started the whole project. Miss Ami (when she is not fat) and Miss Lisa both like 'skinny shirts', but the SRP shirts always come in 'boy cuts'. Just cut an inch or so off each side, make some slits, and voila! You can lace it or tie it - yes, both look kind of weird together, and the pretty ribbons don't exactly match the shark motif, but you get the idea. Wouldn't those bright yellow shirts for this year's theme look awesome with yellow and red ribbons?

We had seen ideas for shopping bags that required sewing the bottom, but then Karl from Tulsa sent us this idea - just fringe and tie the bottom. That looks even sturdier than sewing. Use strips from the sleeves as added handles. We left the hem on, but you can cut that off and add pony beads to the bottom. 

That gave us an idea for a pillow we wouldn't have to sew, either. We did 'cheat' and hot glue the neckline, but that would be pretty easy to hand sew. Again, we left the hems, but you could take those off and add beads.

Most of these only took a few minutes - the braiding took forever because we kept getting tangled! (Thumbs!!!) Thanks to everyone who sent ideas and web sites to check out - now, what else have you got for us???

A Note on Covers - Patricia Wrede

We finally had a chance to read Thirteenth Child, the first in Patricia Wrede's "Frontier Magic" series. For some books, the author's name is enough to sell it: Patricia Wrede = magic and adventure with great character development = automatic library buy. Still, we're not sure about the cover:

paperback

hardcover

It's nice, but a bit understated (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). For someone who is already a fan of Wrede, or who already likes the genre, it may be just right. We can't see it catching the eye of someone who is just browsing, though. The sequel, on the other hand:

coming this August

Ooh - we want this book! Fantastic colors, perfect font, and a girl-slash-woman who looks a little bit scary, a little bit scared, but definitely like someone you don't want to mess around with or underestimate. Yep, perfect cover, guys! Now for the dilemma...do we move the series to YA, or leave it in JF? That's the problem with series where the main character grows up on us. Wherever it lands, we get this one first!

Blog Links - Homeschooling Carnival



 We turtles are huge fans of both homeschooling and all things green, and wanted to pop in today just to point you towards this month's Carnival of Homeschooling round-up - the Green Edition! Quite an eclectic collection (say that six times fast) of ideas and tips and funny blog posts for homeschoolers, or just parents who want to do something extra to get everyone out of doors for a bit. Enjoy!

P.S. You can see our own little green (and brown. Mostly brown.) monster and his latest project here.

What Can(t) Wait, by Ashley Hope Perez

by Ashley Hope Perez
Carolrhoda LAB
978-0-7613-6155-8
Review copy from publisher.

"Another day finished, gracias a Dios."

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life - marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies - ought to be good enough for her.

Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible. On others, she's not even sure what she wants.

When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marise seeks comfort elsewhere - and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants - other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over.

We are seeing some great debut novels this year, and this one certainly ranks right up there. We picked it up to read during our lunch hour, and ended up sneaking time to read all afternoon until we had finished it. It wasn't next in line to get reviewed, but we can't wait to get it into our teens' hands!

There are so many situations in this book that we see lived out here every day - the cultural clashes, pregnant teens, and mostly the difficulty of breaking a family cycle. It can seem so easy to outsiders, who don't understand why young men and women keep making the 'wrong' choices. Perez shows us that things aren't as easy or as black and white as they seem. No preaching here, an authentic voice teens will appreciate, and a realistic but satisfying ending. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Picture Book Mini-Reviews

978-0-375-84576-5
Random House
Review copy from publisher.

Steve and Carl are ducks. Steve likes cans. Carl likes socks. And WE LOVE Steve and Carl! We want to live in their pond and be their best friends. We also want to read more about them, and soon! Give this one (and what we hope will be some companion books) to fans of Dunrea's Gossie and Gertie books, or Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie. Yes, they are just that cute!

Carolrhoda Books
978-0-7613-5212-9
Review copy from publisher.

Oops! Toss out all those theories about how dinosaurs became extinct - turns out they were just on an interstellar cruise! Now they are back, and you would not believe the laundry that has piled up. Things have changed a bit while they have been gone, though - fun to brainstorm with your little ones how a brontosaurus or two would fit back into your neighborhood!