Reviews
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Fortunately, Unfortunately
“A fresh and welcome alternative to a perennial crowd pleaser that has become a period piece.” —Kirkus Reviews 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 →
Fortunately, Unfortunately
“The repeated use of the two title words . . . creates a seesaw effect that encourages chiming in, and the jaunty art adds laughs.” —Publishers Weekly View →
I Want to Do It Myself!
“With gestural strokes, Ross’s ink and watercolor illustrations play up the princess’s impudence; readers should relate, while recognizing that a little assistance never hurts.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Elmer and the Rainbow
“Elmer will continue to brighten his friends’ lives.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Journey into the Deep: Discovering New Ocean Creatures
“Explore the vast ocean alongside scientists from around the world, navigating the various zones and discovering fascinating and often never-before-seen ocean creatures in this appealing title about the research of the Census of Marine Life. Readers will accompany researchers as… View →
“Krensky creates a multilayered recounting of a seminal moment in the history of baseball and America. He incorporates background information while carefully and accurately describing the play-by-play details of that first game, and he also manages to capture the mood of the… View →
It's Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories From Around the World
“Lively illustrations combine the particulars of each child’s experience with the universal themes of leaving home and finding a place in the classroom.” —Book Links View →
The Sunflower Sword
“What’s a little boy to do when he wants a sword to fight dragons with, and his mother says he may not have one? Instead, she gives him a sunflower, which whooshes and swooshes surprisingly well. Off he goes, to the top of Dragon Hill, where he slays three imaginary dragons… View →
Notes from the Blender
“This well developed story gives readers an opportunity to see teens ‘taking the high road’ as they deal with both peers and parents in a novel teens will not want to put down.” —Library Media Connection View →
Draw the Dark
“The breathtaking conclusion ties up most of the loose ends but leaves just enough unanswered questions to make the reader still vaguely suspicious of Winter and its residents.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Touchdown: The Power and Precision of Football's Perfect Play
“There are lots of facts for fans to play with in this straightforward look at football’s top-scoring play. After a brief history, the book describes spectacular touchdowns, famous footballers who scored with special flair, and unforgettable fumbles and wrong-way runs. The… View →