Children's Books
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Sparse lyrical text is used in this biography about Harriet Tubman's work bringing slaves out of the South into freedom during the 1850's. The picture book tells of her spiritual journey as she hears God's voice tell her that she is meant to be free. God continues to guide her as she escapes her master and never leaves her side as she returns south 19 times to rescue 300 more slaves. Throughtout, Harriet and God have a back-and-forth conversation that gives her strength to do what she must do. The text is accompanied by beautiful artwork by Kadir Nelson who just won a 2007 Caldecott Honor Book award as well as a 2007 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award for his illustrations in this book. This is a stunning book suitable for children ages 5 and up. Even adults will appreciate this masterful telling of one woman's bravery. 
Author, Sy Montgomery and photographer, Nic Bishop accompany an expedition into the cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive Matschie's tree kangaroo. The activities of the research team led by Lisa Dabek, show clearly the meticulous planning which must precede a scientific endeavor, the patient techniques used to locate the subjects of the study and the careful record-keeping which accompanies examination of the tree kangaroos. In lively language, Montgomery's narrative highlights the varied contributions of both native guides and team members recruited from other countries. Beautifully augmented by excellent photographs of the cloud forest and the plants and animals found there, this easily read, non-fiction award winner (a Sibert Honor book) will be appreciated by young people interested in wildlife and the conservation of rare and endangered species. 
Meet Phineas L. MacGuire, aka Mac. Being a scientific expert, Mac is very interested in things that implode and/or explode, erupt, and stink. The Fourth Grade Science Fair, basically the best thing ever, has a damper put on it when his partner and best friend moves away. When Mac gets paired with the new kid, Mac R., life is basically over. Seriously, this kid is obnoxious. But, everyone has their talents, and first, second, and even third impressions can be changed. Mac discovers how cool Mac R. really is and everything takes a twist towards a fabulous Science Fair experiment. "Phineas L. MacGuire... Erupts" by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a very funny novel for 8 to 12 year olds. It even has three really cool do-it-at-home experiments for readers to try. 
This is the second book in the Clemency Pogue series. When Clemency calls Chaphesmeeso back, he brings along with him a 7-year-old boy named Kennethurchin. They are on a quest to find the proxy, the clay-baby exchanged at birth by Goblins. A tiny glass jar filled with purple black liquid called Leviathan Ink had been placed inside the changeling before he was exchanged and is needed by Kennethurchin, now a half-hob, in order for him to sign his name in the Forgetting Book and ultimately become a full Hobgoblin. This continues to be very clever and entertaining suitable for children in grades 4-6. I hope there will be more in this series coming. 
This is the first book in a new series that I absolutely fell in love with! 10-year-old Clemency Pogue accidentally kills 7 fairies as she fights off the Fairy of Frequent and Painful Pointless Antagonism (Fairies are only known by their position since names are highly guarded)as she proclaims her disbelief of fairies in the manner of Peter Pan. The Hobgoblin who appears calling her a murderer reveals that she must learn their names in order to bring them back to life. She inadvertently learns his name, Chaphesmeeso, binding him to her, and together they find each murdered fairy around the world in an attempt to reanimate them all. Very clever wordplay is used throughout, along with some difficult vocabulary making this more appropriate for older readers grades 4 - 6. Adults may enjoy reading this aloud to children though. Black and white illustrations also accompany the text. 
This is a very delightful beginning chapter book. In this story, the toys do go out. There is a little girl who owns all of these toys, but we never know her name. In the first chapter, she puts all of her toys in a backpack. Lumphy, the buffalo, Stingray, a stingray, and Plastic (who isn't sure as to what she is) are all nervous and excited. It turns out that the toys have been brought to show and tell, because they are the best friends of the Little Girl, and she loves them very much. This is the beginning of the story. As the story continues on, we discover that Plastic is a bouncing ball, that Lumphy really doesn't want to sleep on the big bed with the Little Girl, and Stingray realizes that he can not float like a real stingray at the beach. The toys have some very interesting conversations, and they have hopes and fears and dreams, the way that young children do. One such fear is of the washing machine. Lumphy has to be washed because he has peanut butter on him. At first, he is scared, but then he becomes friends with the washing machine, whose name is Frank, and they carry on a nice conversation together. This story is slightly reminiscent of other stories where toys come to life, such as "The Velveteen Rabbit," or "Rageddy Ann," or "Corduroy." These stories make it easy to imagine that toys do have a life of their own, when children are not around. This story is beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Award winner Paul O. Zelinsky. The illustrations perfectly capture the innocence and childish attributes of the toys. This is sure to be a popular book among our youngest chapter book readers. Recommended for Kingergarten- Grade 3. 
A valuable addition to Holocaust literature is Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy. This fictionalized memoir, based on the recollections of Roy's Aunt Syvia (later called Sylvia) is written in easily read free verse, authentically using the gradually maturing language of a young child. It realistically reflects the reactions of a four-and-a-half year old who is puzzled and alarmed by the atrocities being committed all around her in the Jewish ghetto of Lodz, Poland. Organized into five sections, with each being introduced by an historical note and centering around a specific happening (such as Syvia's escapes from liquidations, once when her father conceals her in a shallow grave, or again when he hides her with other children in the cellar of a building supposedly housing workers.) Mesmerized by the contrast between her innocence and the cruelty of the Nazis, even the reader already familiar with the Holocaust is shocked once again. Out of a quarter of a million Jewish men, women, and children housed in the Lodz ghetto, only 800 (including just 12 children) survived to be liberated by the Russians in 1945. A volunteer now at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., Sylvia and others are determined that the world will never be allowed to forget the millions who were killed. In easily read format and language, Yellow Star is an appropriate introduction to the subject for children ages 10 and older 
This is the story continuing the adventures of two young fox sisters, Zelda and Ivy. This is a beginning reader chapter book and it is broken down into three separate adventures. "The Runaways," "The Time Capsule," and "The Secret Concotion." In the first story of "The Runaways," Zelda and Ivy run away to their own backyard because they no longer want to eat cucumber sandwiches. They feel like they have been waiting a long time for their parents to find them, so they put on their pajamas and play cards. Eventually, they are found and are served cucumber sandwiches! In the second chapter, Zelda and Ivy create a time capsule filled with precious treasures to leave to the children of the future. They put in their most favorite possessions, but soon they realize they do not want to give up their favorite toys. In the third chapter, Ivy and her friend, Eugene,create a secret concotion that helps Zelda write her haiku poem to Grandma. The "poem" turns out to be a picture. These are delightful stories sure to entertain the youngest reader. These stories are also very nicely illustrated by the author. This book is the winner of the 2007 Theodore Seuss Geisel Beginning Reader Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book. Readers may also enjoy "Zelda and Ivy," "Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door," and "Zelda and Ivy One Christmas." Children in Kindergarten-Grade 3 will enjoy these stories. 
A young, 10 year old boy named Seth Doan rises to his initiation of manhood and saves a community in its earliest days. In 1798 an outbreak of malaria has all the settlers of a small community on the brink of death. Miraculously, Seth does not yet get ill until others get well. Seth saves their lives including his own parents by carrying ground corn from a mill that involves a 4 mile hike each day. Seth loves to read. He has only one book, the Bible. Seth finds faith and courage that saved the community now known as Cleveland, Ohio. Although classified as a historical fiction book, it is based on true facts. Read and enjoy this inspirational story! Appropriate for 1st-3rd grade children. 
The 2007 Newbery Winner stars 10-year-old Lucky Trimble who lives with her French guardian Brigitte in the desert of Hard Pan, California. She works at the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center cleaning the porch following various 12-step programs, where she listens in hoping to find some clue where to find her own Higher Power. She worries that Brigitte will return to France causing her to go to an orphanage, but otherwise is a level-headed girl who collects insect specimens and understands the environment in which she lives that includes snakes, scorpions and cholla burrs. Full of quirky characters like pesty 5-year-old Miles who goes from home to home in searh of cookies while carrying his favorite book "Are You My Mother?", her friend Lincoln who is obsessed with knot-tying, and Short Sammy, a recovering alcoholic who prepares interesting meals trying to incorporate the U.S. Government Surplus foods. Full of atmosphere and a background story that helps to explain why the characters are the way they are, this book provides a surprise at the ending that please young readers. Most appropriate for children in grades 3-5 or for readers who enjoyed "Because of Winn Dixie". 
The Apollo 11 mission of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth is the subject of this fascinating book that has just won the 2007 Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational book for children. The photographs from the mission fill the pages, and quotes are included from the numerous people that worked during the 8 years it took to make this happen. Many problems and details needed to be worked out from designing an outfit that would keep a man alive while walking on the moon, to designing a vehicle that would be able to get the crew to the moon, land, and return safely to Earth, to figuring out how to capture images of the crew while walking on the Moon and transmit them back to to Earth. The vocabulary in this book is quite high making it better for middle grade readers, but it may easily be read aloud to younger children by parents. Adults will love this too! It is full of suspense as various problems pop-up endangering the mission, but the reader can't help but feel admiration for the many people who pulled together to make this a priority and to ensure a successful mission in every way. 
Curious George has a marvelous story behind his introduction into children's literature. The creators and authors of Curious George, H.A. and Margret Rey, have a life story that is now told to us in this beautiful, pictorial book. You must take a look at the lives of the authors of Curious George to appreciate the antics of a curious little monkey, first named "Fifi." Curious George and his authors, all survived through a timely escape one night from Paris, France. Being German born Jews, the Reys had to flee for safety in June of 1940 from Hitler's soldiers advancing toward Paris. In what the Rey's could carry, they included the precious manuscript of "The Adventures of Fifi." Fortunately, the Reys had a successful escape and in October of 1941, the children's book, "Curious George," was published in America. Read this book to discover many more details and look at the great photographs and illustrations! This book would be a terrific family read for children in elementary school and older. 
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