Reviews
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
“Eye-opening….This book will capture readers’ interest from the first pages and they will find themselves still thinking about it weeks later.” —VOYA View →
Job Smarts: How to Find Work or Start a Business, Manage Earnings, and More
“While there are many books out there on teenage employment, the eye-pleasing graphic layout, the length, and the supplemental charts and graphs from USA TODAY will make young adult readers more likely to pull Job… View →
Friend Me!: 600 Years of Social Networking in America
“Informative, interesting, and socially relevant—you will want to add this to your collection.” —VOYA View →
Death of a Dreamer: The Assassination of John Lennon
“An excellent introduction to an era of history through the lens of John Lennon.” —VOYA View →
Alien Investigation: Searching for the Truth about UFOs and Aliens
“A balanced presentation of the topic. Numerous eyewitness accounts, plus interviews with scientists, keep the text objective without losing the high-interest appeal.” —VOYA View →
Meltdown!: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future
“The recounting of the disaster in Japan is a compelling opening for adiscussion of available energy sources. The step-by-step sequence of events, from earthquake to tsunami to nuclear emergency, leads into the power choices to be made now and in the future, with benefits and… View →
“Audio quality is excellent. Teachers will like using the series to enrich student understanding of letter sounds, and listeners will enjoy it for the story as well.” —School Library Journal View →
What to Expect When You're Expecting Hatchlings: A Guide for Crocodilian Parents (and Curious Kids)
“Heos’s humorous, chatty introduction to what crocodilian parents do to protect their eggs and hatchlings until the offspring are able to take on their own predatory roles is evenly orchestrated through Jorisch’s hilarious line drawing and watercolors….The information… View →
“You’ve changed over your crockery, your food cupboards – what about your children’s bookshelves? And I am not talking about removing the remnants of squashed bagel, ‘posted’ between them several weeks ago in a moment of toddler experimentation. Well, yes – you need to View →
Guitar Notes
“Amato, also a Washington, D.C.–area songwriter, weaves in convincing musical detail and advice that will appeal especially to readers experimenting with an instrument themselves. This one will resonate.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Oopsy, Teacher!
“The clever format leaves the last rhyming word to the page-turn, allowing kids who are listening to shout out the answer…Yoshikawa’s energetic artwork plays up the action of the text with bright colors and blurry lines that denote motion.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
The White Zone
“Marsden’s knack for getting deeply into a culture and creating realistic, believable characters proves effective once again; this is an accessible and engaging window into a specific time and place that will have current relevance to many young readers and units of… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“In this delightful rhyming tale, Izzy invents a cleaning machine to help his mother in the ritual house cleaning before the start of Passover. Mom takes a rest and leaves Izzy in charge. Think Dr. Seuss meets robot vacuum cleaner: ‘Izzy pressed the red button,… View →
Anxiety Disorders
“Hyman and Pedrick’s book is a valuable and informative resource for young adults in identifying specific disorders….This book offers a strong message of hope and mastery for those suffering from brain-based anxiety, as the brain can undo what it created.”… View →
Meltdown!: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future
“Overall this is a well written presentation of a very difficult and complex topic….Meltdown would be a welcome addition to any school or public library.”—Science Books & Films View →
Hannah's Way
“After Hannah’s father loses his job during the Depression, the family moves to a rural town in northern Minnesota where he will work in his brother’s general store. Hannah is not only the new girl in her class; she’s also the only Jewish child in the whole school. When the teacher View →
“During the week of Passover, Jodie’s cousin Zach visits Jodie and her family. The siblings all want to spend time with Zach and argue about who is to entertain him. Jodie succeeds in persuading Zach, who is initially fearful, to accompany her on an archeological adventure to… View →
It's Tot Shabbat!
“It’s Tot Shabbat is part of a Kar-Ben series showing children celebrating Jewish holidays around the year. Here we follow a group of appealing preschoolers attending a synagogue youth program on Shabbat morning while their parents pray in the adjacent sanctuary. The… View →
Dinosaur Goes to Israel
“This is Dinosaur’s fourth adventure, having celebrated Jewish holidays and Shabbat in Dinosaur on Passover, Dinosaur on Hanukkah, and Dinosaur on Shabbat. This one takes him to Israel as a tourist. He digs in the sand on the beautiful beach in Tel… View →
Grandma Rose's Magic
“A group of four- and five-year olds loved this magical story of a special Grandma who adds a little extra something to whatever she sews. When she sews the bank teller’s wedding dress, Grandma Rose surprises her by adding a lacy bridal veil. She adds beautiful pink and red buttons View →
Queen Latifah: From Jersey Girl to Superstar
“Sparkling graphics, stylish layout, and engaging writing will attract young readers, especially those needing one-hundred-plus-page biographies for assignments….Admirable.” —VOYA View →
Guitar Notes
“While the story is notably ‘clean’…the characters’ chemistry will have readers’ hearts racing.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy is an inventor. To help his mother clean the house for Passover, Izzy invents a machine called Passover McClean which swallows rooms of soiled furniture and spits out the furniture completely clean for Passover. There is a glitch in the machine which Izzy repairs. Thanks to… View →
The Apple Tree's Discovery
“Storytellers Schram and Davis team up to tell a tale about how unfulfilled wishes can make one dissatisfied with one’s lot in life. Way down on the forest floor, a little apple tree looks up at the night sky and sees stars which, from its viewpoint, seem to be hanging… View →