Reviews
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Eager to help his overworked, stressed mother during the pre-Passover spring cleaning, a little boy invents a super vacuum-type machine that does more than a clean sweep. Wearing a baseball cap and circle-shaped glasses, the round-faced, google-eyed Izzy is a whiz at… View →
The White Zone
“Based on actual events, this novel is a realistic depiction of children caught up in hostilities they cannot fully understand…. Marsden’s detailed descriptions of everyday life make this culture come alive.” —School Library Journal View →
Meltdown!: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future
“This clear and wide-ranging introduction to essential energy issues has much to offer.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
The Knife and the Butterfly
“An uncompromising look at two characters most readers would otherwise look away from.” —Booklist View →
You Will Call Me Drog
“A thoughtful coming-of-age story.” —School Library Journal View →
“Little Marcel grows up in Strasbourg, on the border between France and Germany, fascinated with the silent film star Charlie Chaplin. He, too, wants to use only his gestures and the medium of silence to make people laugh and cry. But Hitler intervenes when the boy is 16, and… View →
Hannah's Way
“Sometimes the tiniest actions are the most heroic. In this book—based on a true story—the heroes are children. Illustrator Gustavson is very good at painting eyes. Even when the characters have their eyelids closed, it’s easy to read their expressions. Mostly they look View →
Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What Are Patterns?
“This book is a visual treat that could be used by teachers looking for ways to introduce the topic, and it will attract browsers as well. A first purchase.” —School Library Journal View →
Night of the Living Dogs: Book 3
“It may not sound like a compliment, but the talking dog isn’t nearly the oddest thing in this gloriously odd mystery book.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“A surprise snow storm and subsequent power outage make this Shabbat even more special for a little boy visiting his Nana and Papa in their Georgia home. Shabbat candles already lit, the evening meal of challah and blintzes is topped off with cherry snow cones and… View →
Tarantulas: Supersized Predators
“Valuable resources for both students and arachnophiles alike.” —School Library Journal View →
Jennifer Lawrence: Star of The Hunger Games
“Libraries can expect a good bit of demand over the next few years, as this phenomenally popular trilogy hits the big screen.” —Booklist View →
The Twelve-Fingered Boy
“John Hornor Jacobs’s The Twelve-Fingered Boy is a thrill ride. With candy. And polydactyl, reluctantly heroic kids who go up against all odds in a world of uncontrollable superpowers and unrelenting bad guys. Exciting, suspenseful, creepy, and fun—The… View →
The Twelve-Fingered Boy
“John Hornor Jacobs conjures dark magic with The Twelve-Fingered Boy. A powerful new voice whispering out of the dark. A brilliant first YA novel!” —Jonathan Maberry, author of the acclaimed Rot and Ruin, New York Times bestselling author of… View →
Hannah's Way
“After her family moves to Minnesota so her father can look for work during the Great Depression, Hannah is the only Jewish child in her class. She’s lonely. But the opportunity to go on a picnic and meet new friends brings on anxiety for the young girl, whose obervant family… View →
Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends)
“An entertaining, insightful, and thorough guide to events that, for better or worse, have riveted the nation.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“Shulimson’s first children’s book is a sweet story of a boy’s overnight visit to his grandparents’ house. It’s an unusual Friday in Georgia, for the lights go out and it snows. According to the rules of Shabbat, no light may be either turned on or off during the Sabbath, so Papa… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah is eager to fit into her new school. It’s the Depression, and her family has relocated from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota. She is the only Jewish girl in her class, and her family is the only Jewish family in the community. Glaser (Emma’s Poem) delves into the… View →
The Girl Who Owned a City: The Graphic Novel
“Just as ideologically unsettling—and patchwork—as ever, Nelson’s 1975 post-apocalyptic tale gets a noir graphic adaptation. Seeing the danger in trying to live apart after a virus kills off every adult and adolescent, Lisa organizes a growing crowd of the less-aggressive… View →
I Date Dead People: Book 5
“The easy-to-follow black-and-white panels are drawn with a loose, expressive realism that effectively captures the plot’s droll and eerie turns.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends)
“Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
A Leaf Can Be . . .
“Simple and pleasing, with classroom-discussion and read-aloud appeal.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Freedom!: Book 1
“A charming balance of cartoon and natural kitty-ness in full-color, eight-panel pages, this cat’s-eye view of life will induce purrs in feline fans everywhere.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Beep and Bah
“Beep’s relentless belief in his own heroism (which makes his indefatigable running commentary great fun to read aloud), combined with the comics-style framings and geeky-goofy supporting cast, should keep this story in heavy rotation.” —Publishers Weekly View →