Reviews
Swish: The Quest for Basketball's Perfect Shot
“This book explores basketball’s shooting stars and the development of hoop shots from the two-handed set shot to the dunk. The text also explains how the twenty-four-second rule transformed a largely defensive sport into a fast-paced, high-scoring offensive game. Especially… 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 →
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah
“With its ‘little engine that could’ vibe and comic book-style illustrations, Maccabee! is sure to entertain young readers as well as inform them on the origins of Hanukkah. Harrington’s bold art creates a sense of energy and determination while… View →
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day
“The story is as warm as the fire over which people are roasting marshmallows at the book’s conclusion. Avril’s ink-and-and-watercolor pictures, highlighted with pinks and reds, go for both tenderness and giggles and get readers into the spirit of this special… View →
“An interesting approach, this provides a way into history for classrooms.” —Booklist View →
The Hispanic American Experience
“This series offers an introductory overview of various cultures, including famous people, recipes, religion, and their impact in America. The content includes text, photographs, and excerpts such as graphs and stories from USA Today. These would be useful 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 →
Ferrets and Ferreting Out: Book 2
“This trilogy exudes shelf appeal…. The anime-inspired art will grab attention. Alta Donna and its fashion-forward citizens are crisply rendered in pastel hues…. These titles are visual standouts.” —School Library Journal 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 →
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 →
John Greenwood's Journey to Bunker Hill
“These very readable stories personalize important events and give children a feel for the times they take place. Easier to approach than historical novels, these books will appeal to children encountering the great events of American history for the first time…. These books… 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 →
Open the Jail Doors — We Want to Enter: The Defiance Campaign against Apartheid Laws, South Africa, 1952
“Presenting an in-depth view of groundbreaking events and movements in world history, these volumes are loaded with archival quality photos, quotes from key players, and eyewitness accounts. details historical background information is provided so that students understand the… View →
Lightning, Hurricanes, and Blizzards: The Science of Storms
“This series would be attractive to students interested in weather and would work well for reports. It would be a nice addition to any library collection that is lacking up to date information about weather.” —Library Media Connection View →
Brooklyn, Burning
“A gritty but nuanced story of two years in the life of a street kid whose world veers from dream to nightmare and back again. Like Brooklyn in the summer, Brezenoff’s book is hot and intense.” —Ellen Wittlinger View →
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day
“[Ruby’s] enthusiasm and generosity are infectious.” —Publishers Weekly View →
The Ancient Formula: A Mystery with Fractions
“For the middle school student embarking on the exploration of multiplication and division, the book is a nice read…. Readers who are just learning about multiplication and division or who have recently learned these topics could begin to understand the usefulness of… View →
The Absolute Value of -1
“The Absolute Value of –1 begins with Suzanne Fisher viewing the audience at her father’s memorial service. In front is her high school sophomore brother, Simon; his girlfriend, Lily, to whom he is indifferent; and best friend for lack of any other, Noah. In three… View →
Ruth and the Green Book
“Cooper’s soft, stippled illustrations capture both the pathos of the bigotry and the warmth of the support the family encounters, and a substantial closing note on the Green Book itself invites the audience to explore it further online. This will be a fascinating addition to View →
Open the Jail Doors — We Want to Enter: The Defiance Campaign against Apartheid Laws, South Africa, 1952
“These titles are notable for the level of care in both their content and production.” —VOYA View →
Notes from the Blender
“[T]his light-hearted novel will prove popular.” —starred, VOYA View →