Reviews
“McNish (Angel) has his horror movie–ready details and twists down pat, but he’s most interested in his monsters—the story’s most complex and intriguing characters—from the Horror, gruesome yet childlike, to the Ocrassa, which has used the animal kingdom like a… View →
Yuvi's Candy Tree
“Though neither the story nor the author’s note explicitly state why the refugees are fleeing Ethiopia (mostly famine), readers should finish the book with a strong sense of their strength, faith, and determination.” —Publishers Weekly View →
“Mayan Death Lords, a deadline to find a precious stone to stave off the end of the world, and lots of Mayan lore make this a fact-packed, thrilling ride. Rick Riordan fans will love it.” —Booklist View →
Fortunately, Unfortunately
“Such a convoluted chain of events could easily be weighed down by visually cluttered illustrations, but Foreman employs a light touch with his bright watercolors, and the eye follows exactly where it needs to go.” —School Library Journal View →
The Sunflower Sword
“The cheerful patchwork illustrations painted in bright, springtime colors add touches of humor to the story…. Children will appreciate the idea that fighting is not the best alternative and that an enemy can become a friend.” —School Library Journal View →
Seven Wonders beyond the Solar System
“Both newly starstruck readers and confirmed students of the heavens will find plenty to marvel over in these volumes.” —School Library Journal View →
“The real treat here is the Dodger-blue-and-graphite kineticism of Morse’s stylized, limber figures and dynamic layouts. Consider this book as a leadoff hitter to set the table for the slugger, Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship (2008).” —Booklist View →
I Want to Do It Myself!
“The charming pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations and clever play between words and pictures help set the tone to keep the story fun. Fans of the series will be pleased to have another installment.” —School Library Journal View →
Cool! Whoa! Ah and Oh!: What Is an Interjection?
“The level of Cleary’s inventive verbal humor is greatly magnified by Gable’s madcap drawings of dressed animals dramatizing the sentences with cartoon-style exaggeration. . . . Language-arts teachers will appreciate the variety of examples, while children will enjoy… View →
Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
“Attractive, painterly renditions of the treacherous sea as well as the emotional features on the faces of the animals will draw children into the suspenseful tale.” —School Library Journal View →
Fortunately, Unfortunately
“A fresh and welcome alternative to a perennial crowd pleaser that has become a period piece.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
The Talent Show
“From the crooning moose to the singing hippo in a boa, the illustrations don’t miss a beat of humor. Read this aloud with soft but bouncy jazz in the background, and your crowd will cheer as well.” —School Library Journal View →
Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
“Brown’s elegant pictures (no one does cats quite like her) suggest, in the best possible way, Classics Illustrated comics, and her story is similarly robust and interesting.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
The Talent Show
“Hodgkinson’s light verse bounces along, and her illustrations are a riot of color; her four predatory instrumentalists look cute and harmless (if initially ungracious). A breezy nudge for the nascent little music maker.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
What Can't Wait
“First-time author Pérez fills a hole in YA lit by giving Marisa an authentic voice that smoothly blends Spanish phrases into dialogue and captures the pressures of both Latina life and being caught between two cultures…. Un magnífico debut.” —Kirkus… View →
The Lost Saint
“The Lost Saint is a welcome addition to any large young adult collection. If the provocative dust jacket does not lure the reader in, the tale will consume them.” —VOYA View →
I, Emma Freke
“A well-paced story told with heart and humor.” —School Library Journal View →
The Freak Observer
“Loa’s voice is the story’s strength. She’s wry, observant, and honest in her narration. . . . This melancholic contemporary novel has many stellar moments that will appeal to issue-driven novel readers, but will need to be handsold through booktalking to reach a… View →
Michael Jackson: Ultimate Music Legend
“Krohn has a knack for honing in on kid-friendly details . . . a snappy read with some fine back matter, too.” —Booklist View →
Blood on My Hands
“A great deal of dialogue, short chapters, and straightforward diction will make this a quick read for students who enjoy murder mysteries.” —VOYA View →
Brooklyn, Burning
“Steve Brezenoff’s gorgeous, sad and hopeful Brooklyn, Burning will make you want to walk out the door and fall in love right now. It will also remind you that it’s totally possible. It’s a love letter to Brooklyn, a love letter to music booming from the… View →
“Morse’s dramatically grained, exaggerated artwork plays up the intensity of the era’s racial tensions and the dynamism of the game, while Krensky adeptly moves between the action on Ebbets Field and Matty’s conversations with his father. An intimate and powerful… View →