Sandler, Martin W. Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Non-fiction. Candlewick, 09/2015. 212p. $22.99. 978-0-7636-6527-2. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-12. An expansive, dramatic photo-filled book design [continue reading]
Review
George
Gino, Alex. George. Fiction. Scholastic, 09/2015. 240p. $16.99. 978-0-545-81254-2. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 3-6. A 10-year-old, white, transgender girl, George (or Melissa as she names herself later in the novel), takes first steps toward introducing her true [continue reading]
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
Brown, Don. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. Don Brown, Illus. Graphic Novel. Houghton, 2015. 96p. $18.99. 978-0-544-15777-4. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 4-8. The onslaught and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating destruction of New Orleans is [continue reading]
What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig
Virjan, Emma J. What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig. Emma J. Virjan, Illus. Easy Reader. HarperCollins, 05/2015. [34]p. $9.99. 978-0-06-232724-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES TODDLER-2. What this circular story needs is a reader, [continue reading]
The Way Home Looks Now Review
Shang, Wendy Wan-Long. The Way Home Looks Now. Fiction. Scholastic, 04/2015. 272p. $16.99. 978-0-545-60956-2. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 4-7. Twelve-year-old Peter recalls life before his older brother died in an automobile accident, before his mother became despondent, [continue reading]
Pool Review
Lee, JiHyeon. Pool. Lee JiHyeon, Illus. Picture Book. Chronicle Books, 06/2015. [50]p. PLB $16.99. 978-1-4521-4294-4. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-5. In this wordless picture book, JiHyeon Lee’s delicate colored pencil drawings show a boy who is preparing [continue reading]
The Jumbies Review
Baptiste, Tracey. The Jumbies. Fiction. Algonquin, 04/2015. 240p. $15.95. 978-1-616-20414-3. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 3-5. The Jumbies is a modern take on Haitian folktales about the strange creatures who inhabit the forest. Eleven-year-old Afro Caribbean Corrine attracts [continue reading]
Roller Girl Review
Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. Victoria Jamieson, Illus. Graphic Novel. Dial, 03/2015. 240p. $20.99. 978-0-525-542967-8. PLB $12.99. 978-0-8037-4016-7. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 4-7. Astrid is struggling with the growing void of shared interests with her best friend, Nicole, [continue reading]