Starred Reviews
Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football's Make-or-Break Moment
“The book builds a damning case against playing high-risk-of-concussion sports, though the narrative doesn’t preach….[T]horoughly researched and of-the-moment.” —starred, Publishers Weekly View →
Rifka Takes a Bow
“A memoir told with love and nostalgia….Unusual and unabashedly charming.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Sex & Violence
“This is a pitch-perfect, daring novel about how sex and violence fracture a life and the painstakingly realistic process of picking up the pieces….Utterly gripping.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
My Happy Life
“This simply written chapter book tenderly portrays the happiness of a child whose life is in balance, as well as the colossal, unremitting, inconsolable sorrow of one who is suffering loss. . . . The clarity and simplicity of the writing are balanced by the verve and finesse of… View →
The Saints
“Here’s our demand: deliver the conclusion yesterday.” —starred, Booklist View →
The Noisy Book
Combining the tidy trim size and young audience of a board book with the range of an encyclopedia, this celebration of sound is epic in its scope and delightful in its execution. Printed on thin but sturdy glossy paper, each spread pairs a simple declaratory sentence (“The monkey goes oo View →
Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball
“Coy understands the power of detail . . . and his tight focus on the game’s initial season is immediately engrossing. Spare, precise language reflects the game’s welcome sense of order as well as its athletic appeal. Morse’s kinetic paintings, at once dynamic and View →
My Happy Life
“The illustrations complement the narrative well, and will enable younger readers to feel a sense of accomplishment for tackling a lengthy chapter book….The difficult subjects are handled gracefully, allowing children to realize that happiness comes and goes, and that… View →
“The book is well presented and fascinating and could be used as part of a geography lesson or to teach about animals’ unusual lifestyles. The large print, simple, straightforward vocabulary, and appealing format make it a good choice for a report or a simple research project View →
My Happy Life
“The illustrations complement the narrative well, and will enable younger readers to feel a sense of accomplishment for tackling a lengthy chapter book….The difficult subjects are handled gracefully, allowing children to realize that happiness comes and goes, and that… View →
Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio
“Cooper’s soft-edged brown, amber and green illustrations lovingly depict the action and emotions called forth in the text. A loving tribute to Satchel Paige, who never looked back in anger.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
My Happy Life
“To understand the true meaning and value of resilience, look no further than the 20 brief chapters of this early reader…beautifully translated into spare, lyrical prose….As Eriksson’s emotionally astute and often endearingly funny pencil drawings show, Dani does… View →
My Happy Life
“To understand the true meaning and value of resilience, look no further than the 20 brief chapters of this early reader…beautifully translated into spare, lyrical prose….As Eriksson’s emotionally astute and often endearingly funny pencil drawings show, Dani does… View →
The Sin-Eater's Confession
“Bick (Drowning Instinct) crafts a powerful tale of bigotry and murder in small-town Wisconsin….a potent examination of teenage emotions and reactions to peer and parental pressures, and to the evil that people are capable of.” —starred, Publishers Weekly View →
The Sin-Eater's Confession
“Bick’s compelling tale manages to be a blistering confessional and a page-turning whodunit (or maybe what-really-happened) all in one… Readers won’t be able to look away even if they find they don’t much like—or trust—Ben.” —starred, Kirkus… View →
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
“This is a beautiful introduction to a China that few of us will ever understand.” —starred, Library Media Connection View →
Let's Make a Circle Graph
“This series is a wonderful addition to any primary classroom library…. [A] rarity in its field.” —starred, Library Media Connection View →
The Twelve-Fingered Boy
“Jacobs’ storytelling has the effortless velocity of early Dean Koontz, and his prose is textured with hard-boiled grit… An expertly spiced stew of attitude, humor, horror, and grief.” —starred, Booklist View →
“Distinctive and full of sly humor…. This is the kind of picture book that families fall in love with.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Food: The New Gold
“An informative, well documented resource on a timely topic.” —starred, Booklist View →
The Future We Left Behind
“Lancaster effortlessly incorporates into his whiz-bang plot big ideas of science versus religion….Fans of Human.4 didn’t see this giant leap forward coming—and that more than anything is the hallmark of great sf.” —starred, Booklist View →
Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead
“Scientific in its approach, this slender book gives children a look at scientific research in real time, and also shows how little we truly know in a less-than-lovely field.” —starred, School Library Journal View →
Four Secrets
“Low on visceral detail but rich in unique voices, Willey’s story masterfully teases out information until the final pages—and the ultimate revelations are well worth the torture.” —starred, Booklist View →
American R & B: Gospel Grooves, Funky Drummers, and Soul Power
“…a truly inviting format that’s sophisticated, yet accessible.” —starred, Booklist View →