Reviews
The Freak Observer
“A unique, disturbing, creative story.” —School Library Journal View →
“Evil mastermind Vordak the Incomprehensible shares his ‘evilosity’ with aspiring supervillains in this hilarious spoof on superheroes.” —School Library Journal View →
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day
“Splattered with pink and hearts, the cartoon art is joyful and energetic while the landscapes have a Seuss-like quality. . . . This good-natured story shows what really matters during holidays: spending time with people you love.” —School Library Journal View →
Raised by Wolves
“Barnes weaves a fantastic story line full of great plot twists and turns with a little romance sprinkled in…..[A] great read and a must-have for libraries with fans of the supernatural. " —School Library Journal View →
"Washing Adam's Jeans" and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing Social Studies Facts
“In the introduction, Cleary defines ‘mnemonic’ and gives a few examples. Using songs, captions, sentences, poems, and numbers to aid in memorizing are all demonstrated.” —School Library Journal View →
Lost Sight: True Survival Stories
“These narratives read like information from the Discovery Health channel, for kids: part fascinating science, part human interest story, and part ‘Eew, gross!’” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Battling Malaria: On the Front Lines against a Global Killer
“This title offers students an eye-opening view of what life is like in other parts of the world and the dangers faced by people in developing countries.” —School Library Journal View →
What Holds Us to Earth?: A Look at Gravity
“Jellybean-bright backgrounds, large photographs, and brief texts will draw readers to this series. The use of questions and image choices help to make the topics relevant and interesting.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Why Did the Pilgrims Come to the New World?: And Other Questions about the Plymouth Colony
“The question-and-answer format will help readers identify and understand each topic’s most salient aspects and will sharpen their nonfiction reading skills, making the books attractive options.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
The Drained Brains Caper: Book 1
“Though it is full of sophisticated references, this inventive, playful story should appeal to tween readers. Diverse characters and assured, accessible cartoon-style illustrations make it a promising start to a new series.” —School Library Journal View →
The Night Sky
“These small volumes pair one short, declarative statement per page (‘You see the first light from the sun at dawn’) with color photos of outdoor scenes, city skylines, animals, or children.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Anorexia and Bulimia
“This series mimics USA Today in its readability, though the books’ length and breadth render them more suited to fact-finding than to pleasure reading. The language is straightforward and objective.” —School Library Journal, Series… View →
Formula One Race Cars on the Move
“These titles not only offer big, high-energy color photos of various sorts of vehicles at work or play, but also informative glimpses of car and truck controls, engines, and interiors.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed
“All of Walker’s impressive writing talents are on display in this book on the frozen continent. . . . With its superb design and Walker’s gripping prose, this book will draw readers in and keep them involved.” —School Library Journal View →
The Hispanic American Experience
“These well-written and informative titles highlight the cultural contributions of America’s largest ethnic groups. . . . This series will help students understand how various groups contribute to modern America’s cultural mosaic.” —School Library… View →
A Hubbub: Book 2
“The watercolor illustrations help set the mood and provide a great deal of depth to each panel. Each strip depicts Ginger’s feelings and makes the text come alive. A good choice for the youngest graphic-novel fans.” —School Library Journal View →
Is the Saxophone for You?
“Landau covers all the bases so that prospective musicians have the information they need to confidently answer each title’s question. . . . Kids thinking about taking up an instrument will find the books helpful in their decision-making process.” —School… View →
Open the Jail Doors — We Want to Enter: The Defiance Campaign against Apartheid Laws, South Africa, 1952
“These volumes are a treasure trove of information about the fight for civil rights across time and the globe. . . . The cruelty with which humans can treat one another is unflinchingly presented but the extraordinary grace exhibited in the face of it rises to the top.”… View →
Ruth and the Green Book
“The realistic illustrations are done in oil wash on board, a self-described ‘subtractive process.’ The picture is painted, then erased to ‘paint’ the final product. Overall, there is a sepialike quality to the art, giving the impression of gazing at old… View →
Draw the Dark
“Bick has created a likable teen protagonist whose unique ability is completely believable in the author’s skilled hands. The novel brilliantly strikes a compelling balance between fantasy and contemporary fiction. Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting to find… View →
Pasta, Fried Rice, and Matzoh Balls: Immigrant Cooking in America
“A multi-hued crew of cartoon cats presents the various food groups and the practices of a healthy lifestyle. Each book reports which foods are in the titled group and provides simple explanations of how they affect the body. Cleary’s consistent reminders to children to help… View →
Journey into the Deep: Discovering New Ocean Creatures
“This engaging volume is fun for browsing, useful for assignments, and inspiring for budding marine scientists.” —School Library Journal View →
That's Not Funny!
“Children will love the large, colorful illustrations that clearly show each animal’s pain and anger in a fun and cartoony way. The text placement is fairly interactive with the pictures, and there are plenty of onomatopoeic words (‘Bink!’ ‘Ker-rang!’… View →
Sneaky Sheep
“Monroe’s pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are entertaining: kids will enjoy following Rocky and Blossom’s antics both in and out of panels. And who knew that sheep eyes, simply circles and dots, could say so much? Even though they can’t be trusted to stay View →