Reviews
I'm Sure I Saw a Dinosaur
“Willis’s rhymes are airtight, and Reynolds’s cloudy illustrations set an appropriately foggy cold-weather scene.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“Our young narrator tells of an unusual snowstorm in Georgia on a Friday night. He is spending the Jewish Sabbath at his grandparents’ when, after they light the Shabbat candles, the lights go out. They eat the delicious Shabbat dinner, ‘But the lights do not come… View →
"Miss Pell Would Never Misspell" and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing How to Spell and Use Wily Words
“Cleary uses mnemonics, rhymes, visualization, and other tricks to try to cement in readers’ memories the spelling of difficult words. It’s a good idea, but the examples are generally too convoluted (even for mnemonic devices) to be useful. Goggle-eyed characters… View →
Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter
“Glaser details the winter survival techniques of a dozen different insects. Short, rhythmic lines explain each insect’s adaptations (field cricket: ‘Safely hidden, you’d wait and wait’). Evocative paintings move from colorful fall to icy winter and finally… View →
The Shabbat Princess
“If your reading group includes pink-loving girls who are perennially clothed in princess dresses, this book will be an immediate winner. From its rose-colored cover to its costume box full of gowns, this book will instantly appeal to fans of Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella while… View →
Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist
“Sheet music, maps, and photographs are thoughtfully incorporated into the acrylic illustrations in this emotion-stirring biography.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color
“An inspiring launching point for art projects.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Ultraviolet
“Part psychological thriller and part paranormal mystery, Alison’s compelling story will draw readers in as it challenges them to question their perceptions of reality.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Forget the candle and the feather—here is a charming book for children that tackles the topic of chametz cleaning through a feat of magical engineering. It’s a funny, rhymed tale of a whiz kid, named Izzy, who wants to give his harried mother a break from Passover cleaning. He… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean (Kar-Ben, $7.95) is written for slightly older children, ages 3–8, but also has an infectious energy and sense of fun. Written in rhyme, it celebrates the ingenuity of Izzy, an amateur inventor, who creates a machine to clean the house… View →
A Leaf Can Be . . .
“Dabija, a Moldovan illustrator, saturates her pictures with lush color. Of course, there is lots of green but also dusty orange, misty lavender and deep mustard, in what is as much an exploration of the variation of color as it is of nature’s changeability. . . . Grown-up… View →
“Award-winning author Anna Levine and artist Ksenia Topazas, paired for the second time, bring ancient Jewish history alive in an adventure tale story featuring Jodie, a spunky Israeli girl who dreams of being an archeologist like her father. Jodie invites her visiting American… 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, McClean… View →
In Search of the Fog Zombie: A Mystery about Matter
“The frequent informational asides and suggested experiments (both in the story and in the addenda) should prove fun and fascinating for the curious. The art skillfully suggests enthusiasm through animated facial expressions, and its cartoon aesthetic imbues the story with a light… View →
The Girl Who Owned a City: The Graphic Novel
“The questions of leadership and might over right will resonate with contemporary teen readers as strongly as they did in the original 1975 novel.” —Booklist View →
Secret Diary: Book 1
“Neel’s bright and colorful art matches the mood of this humorous slice of life spiced with the possibility of romance for both daughter and mother.” —Booklist View →
Hannah's Way
“After Papa loses his job during the Great Depression, Hannah and her family move from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota, and suddenly she is the only Jewish student in her school. Hannah hopes that a weekend class picnic could be her opportunity to make friends, but her hopes are… View →
Body Decoration
“As body decoration—including nail art, hair fashion, piercings, makeup, and tattoos—continues to become more popular, readers can turn to this entry in the On the Radar: Street Style series for more information…. Bright colors and patterned backdrops are the perfect… View →
Friend Me!: 600 Years of Social Networking in America
“What this book does best is place current modes of social media and their impact in a historical context and encourage readers to think about social networking in a whole new way.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Secret Diary: Book 1
“This lighthearted charmer will leave readers enchantées.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
A Leaf Can Be . . .
“A great read-aloud choice for fall story hours and classroom units on leaves.” —Booklist View →