VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2 • DECEMBER 2008 jlgmonthly

Books that Draw a Crowd

When I was a member of the Storytelling Center of New York, I told stories in parks and other public spaces around New York City. It was deeply satisfying to draw a crowd of passersby and keep their attention. Th at’s how it often went—but Susan Marston, not always. Once, a colleague who was usually a gifted JLG Editorial Director storyteller was telling “Jack and the Beanstalk.” As Jack went up the very tall beanstalk, my colleague acted out the exhausting climb, repeating, “and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed. . . .” One little girl stood up, stomped her foot, declared, “Th ere’s too much climbing in this story,” and walked away in a huff . My own children have expressed their lack of interest in particular stories and books in slightly less dramatic ways—by playing with a toy, closing the book, or talking while I read. When we select books for JLG, we try to weed out those that readers will stomp away from, close without fi nishing, or talk over, in favor of riveting stories and engaging nonfi ction. During a recent weekend with my family, I took out one of our December selections, Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. My four-year-old son, who had seen it before, demanded that I read it to him again. As I did, my nine-year-old nephews drew close, along with my seven-year-old son and niece, and my fourteen-year-old niece. Each turn of the page was met with enthusiasm, even glee. We were all caught up in Dinosaur’s triumphs and (spoiler alert!) Dinosaur’s single defeat. Our other December selections will also draw crowds. For young readers we have laugh-out-loud Arthurian tales in Th e Adventures of Sir Givret the Short and for older readers the much darker Here Lies Arthur,

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Inside this issue:

December Books ...... 3 JLG News & Notes ...... 31 January 2009 Forthcoming Titles ...... 32

Junior Library Guild 7858 Industrial Parkway www.juniorlibraryguild.com • 866-205-0570 Plain City, OH 43064 JLG Monthly provides Junior Library Guild members with a detailed and incisive guide to the upcoming month’s selected books.

. . . continued from page 1

The Junior Library Guild an enthralling Carnegie Medal winner that proposes that the has provided school and King Arthur legend was intentionally created to promote a public libraries with a selection ruthless “real” Arthur. You’ll fi nd exciting graphic novels that of the very best in children’s vividly recreate the worlds of the pteranodon and tyrannosaurus. and young adult literature since 1929. JLG’s collection We have an involving adventure, Th e Other Side of the Island. development service helps Th ere’s the new Octavian Nothing (it’s amazing!), Fun with thousands of libraries across Roman Numerals, which is as fun as it is informative, the country put the very best and a riveting memoir, Th e Year We Disappeared. new-release hard-cover Th e following pages describe these and other great books on their shelves. Each year, JLG’s editors books in detail. We’d love to hear your reactions to read and review over 3,000 how they are presented, to our new Web site, to books prior to publication JLG Monthly overall, or to anything else that is on to identify the very best your mind at [email protected] for inclusion in one of Junior Library Guild’s 28 Reading Levels (ranging from Pre-K through YA). With each season’s books, we strive to build on a tradition of editorial excellence and integrity that stretches back to 1929. Over the years, more than nine out of ten JLG selections have gone on to win additional awards or earn starred or favorable reviews from respected review journals. For more information about JLG’s collection development service, to become a member, Tyrannosaurus: The Tyrant Lizard or for information about by Rob Shone • illustrated by James Field how to submit upcoming See page 10 books for consideration, visit www.juniorlibraryguild.com or call toll free 866-205-0570. [email protected]

© 2008 Media Source Incorporated. All rights reserved. Contact Information: Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, Subscriptions/Sales/Service: 866-205-0570 in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of [email protected] Media Source. JLG Monthly is published ten times each year (monthly except September and March) by Media Source JLG Monthly, 7858 Industrial Parkway, Plain City, Ohio 43064 Incorporated, 7858 Industrial Parkway, Plain City, Ohio 43064.

2 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES K–3 • PRIMARY SPANISH PS

Marco Flamingo / Marco Flamenco

written and illustrated by Sheila Jarkins

Raven Tree • ISBN: 9780979446252 • Dewey: E • 32 pp • 9" x 11" Scheduled Month: December

Marco Flamenco is happy to see the snowbirds arrive at his tropical home, as they do every year. He is curious about why they fl y south every winter, but there’s one question he can’t get an answer to: what is snow? “No quieras saber,” they tell him, “You don’t want to know.” So Marco decides to fl y north to fi nd out for himself. Th ere Marco discovers many fun winter activities—and also runs into an old friend. Full-color illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Th is quirky and engaging book does more than introduce a unique character and give readers the opportunity to read Spanish and English side by side. It also shows what a joy it can be to explore a new place. Marco’s excitement at seeing his garrulous friends from the north and his curiosity about them make him stand out among the other fl amingos, who lament the end of their peace and quiet. For their part, the snowbirds are happy to be back in warm waters. “Ay, fl amenco,” Goose says to Marco, “esto es el paraísio.” But their reticence about snow stimulates Marco’s curiosity, and after doing some research, he heads north. Th ere, in a mostly wordless sequence, Marco tries everything from snowboarding to ice fi shing. Sheila Jarkins’s illustrations delightfully juxtapose the sparse and forbidding winter landscape with pink, exuberant Marco trying new things and enjoying himself. Readers will love this curious, adventurous bird and will learn an important lesson about feeling at home in a foreign place.

Sheila Jarkins has worked as a science illustrator, musical theater performer, and art educator. Marco Flamingo / Marco Flamenco is her fi rst published picture book. Ms. Jarkins says, “Since Marco entered my life, I see pink everywhere.” In her free time, Ms. Jarkins enjoys yoga, nature walks, antique shows, garage sales, and taking art classes. She also enjoys trips to visit her children and grandchildren. Ms. Jarkins lives with her husband in Rochester, New York.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Bilingual picture book. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Fiction. Classroom units: Animal migration. Seasons. Journeys. New experiences. Main characters: Marco, a fl amingo who wonders about the North. Topics: Migratory birds. Seasons. Snow. Curiosity. New experiences. Setting: In the warm South; in the snowy North. Winter sports. Postcards. Varying tastes. Summary: Every year the snowbirds come south for the winter. Whenever Comprehension skills: Author’s purpose. Compare and contrast. Marco asks about snow, his snowbird friends tell him, “You don’t want to Sensitive areas: None. know.” But Marco does want to know, so he fl ies to the snowy North—and loves it. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 3 K KINDERGARTEN • GRADES PreK–K DECEMBER

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime

written and illustrated by Bob Shea

Hyperion • ISBN: 9781423113355 • Dewey: E • 40 pp • 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

“ROAR! I’M A DINOSAUR! ROAR! NOTHING CAN STOP ME!” A young dinosaur takes on a pile of leaves . . . a big slide . . . a bowl of spaghetti . . . and “wins” every time. Even grown-ups stop talking and run away when Dinosaur comes along! Dinosaur displays a comically terrifying set of teeth at each new challenge and accepts each triumph with a bashful bow. Th en Dinosaur faces the toughest challenge of all: bedtime. Full-color illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Even without reading the author’s dedication to “Ryan, my little dinosaur,” one would know that Bob Shea is familiar with the sensibilities of young children. Dinosaur is Bob Shea is serious about making reading fun for a perfect stand-in for an energetic kid: loud, rambunctious, a little overwhelming to children. He created a PBS grown-ups, but cute, too—especially at bedtime, when the child gives in to sleep. KIDS spot with a pig that With the word “Roar!” repeated in the book nearly ninety times (including on the runs around and eats things cover and endpapers) this is not a quiet, before-bedtime story. Th e simple pattern of that start with the letter p the book begins with “Dinosaur versus . . .” on the right-hand page, requiring a page and helped PBS develop a national literacy campaign. He has also done turn to reveal the leaves, slide, or other challenge. Dinosaur approaches and conquers animation and graphics work for Nick Jr. said obstacle, then another page turn reveals the exclamation “Dinosaur wins!” in and NOGGIN. When Mr. Shea isn’t working varying celebratory fonts. on projects for television, he writes and Th is exuberant book invites dramatic readings and will get kids laughing and illustrates books. Titles include New Socks and Big Plans, which was illustrated by Lane Smith. shouting along as Dinosaur triumphs again and again. Th ey’ll also enjoy the reversal Mr. Shea lives in Connecticut with his wife, when the “roars” turn to “snores” and “Bedtime wins!” Th e Dinosaur versus/Dinosaur Colleen, and their son, Ryan. wins pattern off ers immediate opportunities for motivating young children by using the child’s name “versus” a task such as washing hands before a snack or cleaning up Bob Shea photo by Colleen Shea after an art project. Dinosaur vs. Bedtime is a winner. Get ready for repeated requests to read it aloud.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Picture book. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Simple pattern. Classroom units: Competition. Winning. Bedtime. Main characters: A confi dent dinosaur that likes to take on challenges. Topics: Dinosaurs. Roaring. Leaves. Slides. Spaghetti. Grown-ups. Bath Setting: In play areas; in the house; during the day and at bedtime. time. Toothbrushing. Triumphs. Bedtime. Summary: Nothing can stop Dinosaur: not a pile a leaves, a big slide, a Comprehension skills: Recognize patterns. bowl of spaghetti, talking grown-ups, bath time, or toothbrushing. But Sensitive areas: None. bedtime is one thing Dinosaur can’t roar away.

4 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES K–1 • PRIMARY P

Too Many Toys

written and illustrated by David Shannon

Scholastic • ISBN: 9780439490290 • Dewey: E • 32 pp • 8 1/2" x 10" Scheduled Month: December

Spencer has hundreds of toys: big toys, little toys, electronic toys, pull-toys. He has so many toys that he can arrange them into a parade stretching “from one corner of the house to the other and back again.” But one day, Spencer’s mother decides that Spencer has too many toys. “Pick out which toys you don’t want,” she orders, “and put them in this box.” But how can Spencer bear to part with Mr. Fluff ers, or Alien Space Ninja, or Johnny Choo-choo? Full-color art.

JLG REVIEW In the book’s opening spread, Spencer’s bedroom looks like a toy store following an David Shannon got the earthquake; readers might not even notice Spencer among the mess. Wearing his space idea for Too Many Toys when he informed his alien helmet, he looks like just one more toy with big eyes and plastic parts. David nine-year-old daughter Shannon’s saturated colors add to the visual frenzy; readers’ eyes are likely to bounce that there were too many around the page as if they’re tracking a high-speed game of pinball. toys in the house. “When I tried to get rid of Th is sensory overload is, of course, the point. Spencer has too many toys, and his a few of them,” he says, “I was met by a wave mother’s demand that he get rid of some is overdue, to say the least. But while the of resistance that was equal parts twisted logic, cold negotiation, and emotional situation in Too Many Toys is exaggerated for blackmail.” comic eff ect, it also contains real insight into kid After the crisis was solved, Mr. Shannon psychology. For every toy his mother suggests realized that “too many toys” was a great title tossing out, Spencer provides a back-story to for a story and the problem was not unique to his household. He recalls, “When I was in justify keeping it. (“Not Mr. Fluff ers! Mom, art school I used to collect the little toys that how could you!” His mother picks up came in those plastic bubbles at the grocery another doll: “Th is one then.” “Th at’s store. They were very weird. Some of them Mr. Fluff ers’ best friend!”) Singling out made no sense at all, like someone had a a toy only makes Spencer fi xate on it. big pile of leftover toy parts that they just started sticking together.” Mr. Shannon used In the end, that capacity for this idea to create the art for Too Many Toys. attachment goes both ways. “I had a lot of fun making up my own goofy Spencer doesn’t need many toys if bunch of toys,” he says, “although in the he can fi nd a world of possibility end there defi nitely were too many. It took forever to paint them all!” in every toy he plays with. Mr. Shannon is the author and illustrator But if every toy is a world of Good Boy, Fergus! and the Caldecott of possibility, it makes sense Honor winning No, David! He lives in that he’s reluctant to give any Southern California with his wife, Heidi, their toys away. Th e ending of Too daughter, Emma, and their West Highland terrier, Fergus. Many Toys demonstrates this contradiction perfectly and will have both adults and children laughing in recognition.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Picture book. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Fiction. Classroom units: Choices. Humor. Main characters: Spencer, a boy with too many toys; Spencer’s mother. Topics: Toys. Excess. Relatives. Clutter. Choices. Negotiations. Finishing a Setting: Spencer’s house. job. Humor. Summary: Spencer has toys all over the house, and his mother decides Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. there are just too many, so Spencer and his mother negotiate over which Sensitive areas: None. toys must go.

www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 5 P+ PRIMARY • GRADES K–1 DECEMBER

Santa Duck

written and illustrated by David Milgrim

Putnam’s • ISBN: 9780399250187 • Dewey: E • 32 pp • 8" x 10" Scheduled Month: December

It’s Christmas Eve, and Nicholas Duck doesn’t understand why everyone’s chasing him down to recite their (long! very long!) Christmas wish lists. Could it have anything to do with the “genuine, offi cial Santa hat” which mysteriously appeared on his doorstep that morning? Just in case, Nicholas takes off his new hat, but animals still call him “Santa Duck.” Finally, Nicholas makes a run for it—and runs right into Santa. Full-color art, in digital ink and digital oil pastel.

JLG REVIEW Santa Duck is a cheerful tale about the benefi ts of giving as well as receiving. What really makes it shine, however, are the animals’ distinct personalities and the ways their various wish lists will play on young readers’ expectations. A turtle gleefully requests a “really, really fast race car that goes really, really fast, and a helmet with goggles and fl ames painted on the side!” All a rabbit wants is “a carrot cake . . . Th e size of a football fi eld . . . Don’t forget the frosting.” David Milgrim pairs his story with bright, boldly outlined drawings that feel as festive as the giving season this book celebrates. Contemporary phrases like “No way!” “Way.” add to the fun and make this a book children will be eager to revisit year-round.

David Milgrim has always been a little confused by the saying, “It is better to give than receive.” He writes: “This was always a diffi cult concept for me as a kid. Getting seemed so much more exciting than giving. I now realize that it’s best to do both, and that’s what Santa Duck comes to realize, too. “Santa Duck started with a silly song I was singing with my son and his stuff ed duck. I sketched up the idea and it sat in my fi le for a couple of years. I don’t think I showed it to anyone. Later, I came across it and thought it was funny. So did my agent and my editor.” Mr. Milgrim lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Picture book. genuine Santa hat. Nicholas likes the hat, but now all the animals who see Genre: Fiction. Nicholas give him their Christmas lists. Main characters: Nicholas Duck, whose new Santa hat makes everyone Curriculum areas: Language arts. think he is Santa Duck. Classroom units: Holidays. Christmas stories. Setting: All around an indeterminate farm landscape. Topics: Christmas. Christmas lists. Santa Claus. Mistaken identity. Problem Summary: Nicholas Duck, who wants something other than underwear solving. Helping others. Rewards. and socks for Christmas this year, is on his way to look for Santa. On Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Fantasy and reality. the way out the door, Nicholas fi nds a present: a warm, red coat and a Sensitive areas: None.

6 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 1–3 • EASY READING E

A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole

written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee

Houghton Miffl in • ISBN: 9780618966769 • Dewey: E • 48 pp • 6" x 8" Scheduled Month: December

One “brand-new day” Mole gets dressed only to discover a hole in his pants . . . and his shirt . . . and his extra shirts and pants. “Ratty-rat-rat!” Moths have ruined all his clothes. Th e holes remind Mole’s friend Mouse of Swiss cheese and make her giggle, but she agrees to help Mole shop for new clothes. In the store, Mouse picks out lovely purple tops and plaid pants, but Mole seems reluctant to try something new. Full-color pictures in litho pencil and gouache.

JLG REVIEW Mole and Mouse are small, but they don’t have bottle-cap tables or framed postage stamps on their walls. Everything in their world is proportional to their size—even trees. It is a reality made more convincing by the believable actions and interactions of the characters. Mole seems vulnerable in the store named “What’s New Is IN!”, and the clerk makes fun of the scarf Mole wears to cover the embarrassing holes in his pants. Luckily, Mole fi nds his usual drab clothes on clearance. “Oh, boy!” he cries. “Brown pants!” But because it’s a “brand-new day,” Mole decides to try something new—a patterned shirt with buttons. Mouse, who is much more fashion conscious, isn’t entirely satisfi ed with this baby step. She is impressed, however, when Mole replaces the buttons on his shirt with “groovy” acorn caps. Th e two friends display very human qualities but also act in ways true to their animal natures. While fi shing, they can’t help but snack on the bait: “[Mole] stuck a worm on his hook. He popped another in his mouth. . . . Mouse nibbled. Mouse gnawed. Th e big block [of cheese] turned into a small ball. She stuck it on the tip of the hook. Mouse cast her line into the pond: plip!” References to previous scenes (the apparel store window puts a mannequin on display with a scarf around the waist and a sign reading “too cool”) bring closure and repeat vocabulary. With plentiful spot illustrations that convey the factual and emotional details, this gentle, humorous easy-reader captures the essence of friendship.

Wong Herbert Yee says, “I always go back and reread the previous stories when starting a new Mouse and Mole adventure. In doing so, I noticed that Mole is always wearing the same drab olive shirt and brown pants, whereas Mouse’s wardrobe is quite colorful and diverse. I thought, ‘Aha! Another diff erence between these two best friends for me to mess with!’ “Writing and illustrating picture books is what I love to do, unless it’s sunny and warm outside. Then it’s time for a bike ride. I try to keep life simple by focusing on the three Rs: reading, ’riting, and riding. It all adds up to adventure. And hopefully between the covers of a new picture book.” Mr. Yee lives with his wife and daughter in Troy, Michigan.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: First chapter book. In “Nibbles and Bites,” Mouse and Mole go fi shing, catch only an old tire, Genre: Fiction. and play in the pond. In “What’s Old Is New!”, Mouse patches the holes in Mole’s clothes while Mole makes a tire swing for Mouse. Main characters: Mole, who discovers that his clothes are moth eaten; Mouse, who likes to help her good friend, Mole. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Setting: In Mole’s home under the oak tree; at a diner; at a clothing store; Classroom units: Friendship. Kindness. at a pond; at Mouse’s home in the oak tree. Topics: Clothes. Holes. Friends. Moths. Food. Stores. Fashion. Trying Summary: In “Holes,” Mole discovers that moths have eaten holes in his something new. Fishing. Swimming. Helping others. clothes. In “What’s New Is IN!”, Mole and Mouse get a bite to eat, then Comprehension skills: Compare and contrast. shop for clothes—but it’s hard for Mole to get used to the new fashions. Sensitive areas: None. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 7 E+ EASY READING • GRADES 1–3 DECEMBER

Dodsworth in Paris

written and illustrated by Tim Egan

Houghton Miffl in • ISBN: 9780618980628 • Dewey: E • 48 pp • 6" x 9" Scheduled Month: December

When Dodsworth and the duck arrive in Paris, Dodsworth explains his one rule: “You can’t cause any trouble here.” “I wouldn’t dream of it,” the duck replies. But on the second day, the duck decides to fi nd out how far a paper airplane can fl y from the top of the Eiff el Tower. He uses paper from Dodsworth’s bag that—oops—turns out to be money! Neither a job delivering bread nor Dodsworth’s plan to paint and sell a picture solves their money woes. Can the duck get them out of the trouble he got them into? Full-color ink and watercolor illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Tim Egan started drawing Dodsworth a few years ago, but he had no idea that Th ings don’t always go smoothly for Dodsworth and his mischievous companion, but Dodsworth would be the star of his own their eventful visit to a Paris populated by animals off ers a playful look at traveling series. “I developed a picture book, called abroad. The Pink Refrigerator, which featured Dodsworth in his debut,” Mr. Egan says. Th e two friends have some of the amazing, one-of-a-kind experiences travel aff ords, “At that time, my publisher suggested I try such as when the duck rings the bells at Notre Dame (the “bent-over fellow” doesn’t writing an early-reader book. I struggled mind taking a break) and when they ride through the cobblestone streets on their bike with many stories, but none of them worked and fi nd they “were never happier.” Th ey also suff er some real lows, such as the time until I brought Dodsworth in. I paired him up with a crazy duck from my book, Friday their bike crashes (during the Tour de France) and Dodsworth thinks the duck has been Night at Hodges’ Café, and off they went in injured, or when they spend a night on a park bench because they are broke. search of adventure. Dodsworth in New York Dodsworth is forgiving even after the duck throws their money off the Eiff el Tower: ended with the two characters traveling on “Everyone makes mistakes,” he says. “Don’t cry.” Th e duck, who wasn’t really crying a boat to Paris. We entitled the second book but “just had something in his eye for a minute,” seems prickly at times, but his Dodsworth in Paris. This story ends with the pair headed for London, so you can only behavior provides both funny and touching moments. After all the galleries turn down guess what the third book will be called. . . .” Dodsworth’s painting, the duck comforts his friend, saying, “Th ey just don’t know Over the years, Mr. Egan has written many what’s good.” Th e duck also tries to earn money as a street performer, and though he books for children. His humorous tales and fails, he inadvertently makes Dodsworth’s painting saleable, off ering a lovely reminder unusual animal illustrations have become trademarks of his work. “My writing process that some mistakes can have good outcomes. consists of sitting in an overstuff ed chair and staring at a notebook hoping something will happen,” he says. “When it doesn’t, I get more coff ee. When it does, I write.” Mr. Egan lives in Southern California with his wife, Ann, and their two sons.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: First chapter book. the Louvre, Dodsworth paints a picture, Genre: Easy fi ction. and the duck becomes a street performer. Main characters: Dodsworth and his friend, the duck. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Setting: All around Paris. Classroom units: Friendship. Money. Adventures. Summary: In “Bonjour,” Dodsworth and the duck arrive in Paris and have Topics: Paris, France. Street performers. Artists. Speaking French. Money. a meal. In “The City of Lights,” the duck rings the bells of Notre Dame Notre Dame Cathedral. Bells. Bicycles. The Eiff el Tower. Mistakes. Anger. and the two lose their money at the Eiff el Tower. In “An Afternoon Ride,” Apologies. Forgiveness. Jobs. The Tour de France. The Louvre. The Mona Dodsworth and the duck become delivery drivers and wind up in the Lisa. Hot air balloons. middle of the Tour de France. In “A Lasting Impression,” the two go to Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Fantasy and reality. Sensitive areas: None.

8 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 2–4 • INDEPENDENT READERS I

Pteranodon The Giant of the Sky

by David West • illustrated by Terry Riley and Geoff Ball

Rosen • ISBN: 9781404238954 • Dewey: 567.918 • 32 pp • 9" x 11" Scheduled Month: December

Sixty-nine million years ago: a baby pteranodon is born. Its mother hunts for fi sh to feed it and the other hatchlings while its father fi ghts off predators. As the baby pteranodon grows and learns to fl y, it learns to fend for itself, narrowly avoiding hungry elasmosaurs that stretch up from the water. Having survived into adulthood, the pteranodon must avoid even greater dangers, including lightning storms, a T. rex, and an active volcano. Graphic-novel format. Additional information on pteranodons and fossils. Size comparison of dinosaurs and other animals that appear in the story. Glossary. Index. Full-color illustrations.

David West has been designing JLG REVIEW informational books for children since Pteranodon’s graphic-novel format is a captivating he left college. “I have probably designed way for children to experience the sights and over a thousand books,” he says, “and I sounds of the Cretaceous period. Even kids who now enjoy writing many titles, too. I have illustrated several books, although more are already obsessed with prehistoric animals will often I commission other artists to illustrate fi nd that this book provides a fresh take on life in in diff erent styles to suit the age of the reader this fascinating time period. and the subject.” Following one pteranodon from birth to After working on several graphic- adulthood, Pteranodon employs a cinematic information books, Mr. West was excited to create a series about dinosaurs. “Young approach to immerse the reader in the readers are always fascinated by prehistoric animal’s world, avoiding heavy-handed creatures, and pteranodon is a particular anthropomorphism or overly dry descriptions. favourite of mine. The Natural History When the pteranodon barely escapes the ravenous Museum in London supplies great inspiration for books such as this one, and it is just down elasmosaurs’ jaws, this moment isn’t simply an the road from where I live.” action sequence; the text and art show that the Mr. West lives in London, England, with his fragile young pteranodon is able to fl y away wife, two sons, a cat, and “the best dog in the because it instinctively rises on a thermal, a gust of wind. world,” Smudge, a Boston terrier. As the pteranodon grows, its wings carry it far and wide, allowing for an expansive, bird’s-eye view of a prehistoric landscape. Across beaches, forests, and the sea, the pteranodon encounters various prey and predators. Th e dynamic text informs readers of each animal’s name and its interaction with the pteranodon. For a description and review of Tyrannosaurus: The Tyrant Lizard, another title in the Graphic Dinosaurs series, see page 10 of this issue.

Terry Riley worked in design and marketing for many years. However, when Geoff Ball has illustrated several his fi rst children’s book was published and expanded into a series, illustration books, and his work has been became a major part of his life. “I began to write and illustrate my own wildlife featured in magazines. He enjoys titles and illustrate books for other authors,” he says. “I have always worked converting artwork into a digital across a broad spectrum of subjects from cartoons to wildlife and enjoyed the challenges of format and working with line, creating for many diff erent mediums. One of the most signifi cant moments in my career was coloring, and layout. being described in the press as a ‘talented natural history illustrator.’” Mr. Ball lives in England. Mr. Riley lives in England, with his wife and two daughters.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Graphic-novel–style picture book. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Science. Genre: Narrative nonfi ction. Classroom units: Dinosaurs. Prehistoric animals. Fossils. Biology. Main characters: The only surviving hatchling in a pteranodon nest. Topics: Pteranodon. Nests. Predators. Flight. Feeding behaviors. Escapes. Setting: Eighty-fi ve to sixty-fi ve million years ago, during the Cretaceous Volcanic eruptions. Breeding grounds. Fossils. period. Comprehension skills: Main idea and details. Classify and categorize. Summary: The life of a pteranodon, from hatchling to adulthood. Sensitive areas: None. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 9 I + INDEPENDENT READERS • GRADES 2–4 DECEMBER

Tyrannosaurus The Tyrant Lizard

by Rob Shone • illustrated by James Field

Rosen • ISBN: 9781404238978 • Dewey: 567.912/9 • 32 pp • 9" x 11" Scheduled Month: December

Th e Cretaceous period, seventy million years ago: a tyrannosaurus hatches from his egg. He joins his siblings, living and hunting with them as a pack until nearly grown. Th en the tyrannosaurus wins his fi rst fi ght and claims his own territory. But what will he do when a fi re threatens to destroy his terrain—and him? Graphic-novel format. Includes additional tyrannosaurus information and fossil evidence, as well as a comparative size chart of dinosaurs and other animals that appear in the book. Glossary. Index. Full-color illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Th e subject of this action-packed title, one of the world’s most infamous and beloved dinosaurs, is well-suited to its graphic-novel treatment. Th e dynamic illustrations immerse the reader in a lush and dangerous world and provide interesting and varied perspectives, including close-ups and aerial views. Images frequently break out of their frames, imparting immediacy and drama. Close reading will reveal such details as an atrociraptor’s retractable front claw pictured in a foreground image, or a scene in which birds are cleaning insects off the tyrannosaurus’s scaly skin. Spare text advances the action, and such dinosaur noises as Brouaarr!! and Grahh! are fi tting prehistoric equivalents of comic book mainstays Oof! and Eek! Th e book also contains fascinating information: tyrannosaurus teeth, which were the size and shape of a banana, “often fell out . . . but were replaced with new ones throughout their lives.” Similarly amazing is that from ages fourteen to about nineteen, a tyrannosaurus For a description and review of gained 4.4 pounds a day, packing on approximately four tons in fi ve years. Pteranodon: The Giant of the Sky, Dinosaur fans undoubtedly will be drawn to this book and will repeatedly pore over its another title in the Graphic Dinosaurs pages. Readers who like action and those who gravitate toward the graphic-novel format series, see page 9 of this issue. also will fi nd Tyrannosaurus to be completely absorbing.

Rob Shone is the author of James Field began his professional career making models numerous graphic-nonfi ction for museums. Over the years, he has illustrated books about titles, including Muhammad military, Celtic, and medieval history, as well as books on Ali: The Life of a Boxing Hero and Samurai warriors and dinosaurs. In addition to illustrating, Earthquakes, both illustrated by Mr. Field is interested in the Great Western Railway. He drove Nik Spender. and fi red a GWR locomotive for his fortieth birthday. Mr. Field lives in West Wales, UK, with his wife and son.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Graphic-novel–style picture book. Classroom units: Dinosaurs. Fossils. Biology. Genre: Narrative nonfi ction. Topics: Tyrannosaurus. Nests. Juvenile tyrannosaurus behavior. Pack Main characters: The last hatchling in a tyrannosaurus nest. hunting. Predator and prey. Territorial behavior. Tyrannosaurus diet. Forest fi res. Fossils. Setting: Seventy to sixty-fi ve million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. Comprehension skills: Main idea and details. Classify and categorize. Summary: The life of a tyrannosaurus, from egg to adulthood. Sensitive areas: None. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Science.

10 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 3–5 • INTERMEDIATE A

The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short The Knights’ Tales

by Gerald Morris • illustrated by Aaron Renier

Houghton Miffl in • ISBN: 9780618777150 • Dewey: F • 96 pp • 5 1/4" x 7 3/8" Scheduled Month: December

Givret, a member of King Arthur’s court, is so short that people often don’t take him seriously. His braininess more than makes up for his small stature, however. Using riddles, disguises, and other schemes, Givret stops knights from engaging in pointless duels, tricks an enemy army, and patches up a friend’s marriage. Givret’s clever ploys fi nally earn him a knighthood and respect: “. . . his advice was sought out by all and treasured when received.” Black-and-white brush and ink illustrations. Gerald Morris discovered Givret the Short in the Arthurian romance Erec and Enide JLG REVIEW by French poet Chrétien de Troyes. “He was a minor character in the tale, but what As readers follow Givret on his adventures, they will a wonderful name,” Mr. Morris says. “As I thought further, I decided that any knight come to regard the diminutive courtier with aff ection. who was comfortable with that name Givret is perpetually overlooked due to his size, yet is must be a very confi dent person. Using the much wiser than he’s given credit for. Children will name and my imagined strong, self-assured see themselves in the character and cheer when he character, I wrote my story. The events of the fi nally gains the recognition he deserves. tale are basically taken from Erec and Enide, but the story revolves around my quick- In addition to a sympathetic main character, Th e Adventures of Sir Givret the Short thinking, modest hero. I hope that Givret’s boasts plenty of giggle-inducing writing. “All the knights of [King Arthur’s] court vowed story is encouraging to others who are always to defend the defenseless. Among them were famous knights—like Sir Lancelot the looking up to their classmates. When I was in Great, Sir Kay the Loyal, and Sir Gawain the True—as well as others, like Sir Pellinore school, I was the shortest person in my class. I would have loved having a book about a hero the Absentminded, Sir Grifl et the Tidy, and Sir Caranos the Usually Washed.” named Givret the Short.” Gerald Morris’s fast-paced plot is enhanced by Aaron Renier’s whimsical illustrations, Mr. Morris lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, with which humorously depict underdog Givret and the ridiculous situations in which he his family. fi nds himself. Givret’s common sense and geniality are the perfect antidotes to the other knights’ (hilarious) rashness and cockiness, which in other accounts of the Round Table would be portrayed as bravery. Th e lighthearted world that Morris has created in Givret provides a refreshing take on the King Arthur legends.

Aaron Renier was working on a proposal to illustrate an adult novel when he accidentally fell into illustrating The Knights’ Tales series. “I was asked to create some drawings that put a comic twist on the etchings in an old Charles Dickens book,” he says. “I did the drawings, but they ended up looking a little too goofy. Houghton Miffl in saw them and thought they would be a great fi t for the series. The drawings were a slightly silly take on something slightly serious . . . very similar to Gerald Morris’s text. “I was thrilled with the idea of drawing knights! Really, what grown-up boy wouldn’t want to draw sword fi ghts and dragons and horses and all sorts of castles and armor? To be honest, I liked illustrating Givret the best. I’m better at drawing horses, and I’m using a smaller pen for fi ner details. The books are a very fun challenge.” Mr. Renier lives in Brooklyn, New York.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Chapter book. Arthur, his knights, and their ladies; rescues Lady Enide; defeats Count Genre: Fiction. Oringle; and acts as matchmaker for Erec and Enide. Main characters: Givret, who is short and relies on wits to win the day; Curriculum areas: Language arts. Arthur’s dim-witted knight Sir Erec of Wales; beautiful Lady Enide, who Classroom units: Knights. Cleverness. Adventures. Humor. cannot stop talking; Count Oringle, an evil usurper who wishes to marry Topics: King Arthur. Knights. Hunting. Beauty. Warnings. Stature. Enide. Cleverness. Peddlers. Forks. Heralds. Usurpers. Disguises. Sorcerers. The Setting: In Camelot and Scotland in the days of King Arthur. idea of Happily Ever After. Gossip. Bandits. Armies. Tricks. Fake funerals. Summary: At fi rst, Arthur’s knights laugh at Givret’s small stature. But Grief. Restoring order. time and again Givret proves that size isn’t everything. Using his quick Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Author’s purpose. wits, Givret punishes a blustering knight; preserves peace between Sensitive areas: None. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 11 A+ INTERMEDIATE • GRADES 3–5 DECEMBER

The Runaway Dolls

by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin • illustrated by Brian Selznick

Hyperion • ISBN: 9780786855841 • Dewey: F • 352 pp • 6" x 9" Scheduled Month: December

Doll friends Annabelle and Tiff any discover that there’s a teensy voice coming from the mysterious package that has arrived at the Palmers’ house. Annabelle is sure that the voice belongs to her long-lost little sister, but her parents don’t believe her. So Annabelle runs away with her newfound sister, Tilly, and Tiff any decides to go with them. Th ey soon realize, however, that leaving the Palmers’ house was a big mistake. By then, they are far away and thoroughly lost. Plus, their brothers Bobby and Bailey have followed them! How will the dolls fi nd their way home? Black-and-white illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Ann M. Martin [at right in photo] has Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin convincingly present the enjoyed collaborating with Laura Godwin on the Doll People books. “When Laura and world from a doll’s point of view. “Grass was soft, Annabelle I worked together,” she said in an interview discovered. So were fl ower petals. Tree bark was rough. And posted on the Scholastic Web site, “it was a sunshine was very bright when you were actually standing good experience for each other because both of us were trying something in it.” Th e authors also sprinkle their story with interesting we would have never done if we were writing on our own.” details and gentle humor. Bobby Doll, for example, is able to Laura Godwin [at left in photo] , who is also known as Nola Buck, is the off er numerous survival tips because he listened carefully to author of many picture books for children. The Runaway Dolls is the third his owner, Kate Palmer, talk about her nature unit at school. book that she and Ann M. Martin have collaborated on. And because Tilly was trapped in a box, her knowledge is based solely on what she has overheard over the years. She knows how to count backward from ten (because of a New Year’s countdown), recognizes the sound of a barn owl (from hearing birdcall tapes), and sings Rosemary Clooney lyrics. Everything else is a mystery to her, and she entertainingly asks “what’s that?” at every turn. Brian Selznick’s drawings greatly enhance the story. Th e fi rst twenty pages of the book show a clever series of illustrations in which Tilly is packaged in 1898, piled in a stack of boxes waiting to be mailed, then lost and forgotten for over a century. Th e Runaway Dolls, which follows Th e Doll People and Th e Meanest Doll in the World in the series, also stands well on its own. Fans of books such as Th e Borrowers and Stuart Little will enjoy this lively adventure.

Brian Selznick graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with the intention of becoming a set designer for the theater. He spent three years selling books and painting windows at a book store in Manhattan, where he found himself immersed in the world of children’s literature. In this rich environment, Brian was inspired to start writing and illustrating for children. He won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Mr. Selznick lives in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. easy; getting back home—and doing so without making humans Genre: Fantasy. suspicious—is much harder. Main characters: Annabelle Doll, an antique porcelain doll belonging Curriculum areas: Language arts. to Kate Palmer; Annabelle’s best friend, Tiff any Funcraft, a plastic doll; Classroom units: Risks and consequences. Family. Adventures. Journeys. Matilda May (Tilly) Doll, Annabelle’s newfound little sister; Bobby Doll, Problem solving. Annabelle’s younger brother; Bailey Funcraft, Tiff any’s younger brother. Topics: Misplaced packages. Dolls. Living dolls. Babies. Parents. Unfair Setting: The Palmers’ house; a downtown park; McGinite’s Department decisions. Disobeying your parents. Running away. Hiding. Getting store; all in Reade, Connecticut. separated. Rescues. Being afraid. Survival situations. Getting lost. Making Summary: A toymaker misplaces a box. One hundred years later, it shelter. Camping. Department stores. Discovery. Toy departments. New is found and mailed to the Palmers’ address. Inside the box is Tilly, friends. Sales clerks. Disappearances. Posses. Spoiled children. Broken Annabelle’s little sister. Afraid the Palmers will send the package toys. Hospitals. Bad memories. Enemies. Bullies. Escape plans. Search back without opening it, Annabelle and Tiff any decide to retrieve Tilly parties. Reunions. Doing the right thing. and run away from home; Bobby and Bailey secretly follow. Leaving is Comprehension skills: Fantasy and reality. Cause and eff ect. Sensitive areas: None.

12 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 2–6 • BIOGRAPHY ELEMENTARY BE

A River of Words The Story of William Carlos Williams

written by Jen Bryant • illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Eerdmans • ISBN: 9780802853028 • Dewey: 811.’52 • 34 pp • 9" x 10" Scheduled Month: December

“Th ere is a bird in the poplars! / It is the sun! / Th e leaves are little yellow fi sh / swimming in the river.” William Carlos Williams grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, and later became a family doctor in his hometown. “Willie” discovered his love of poetry in high school. At fi rst, he imitated the formality of traditional verse, but he gradually developed a distinctive style that let “each poem fi nd its own special shape on the page.” Includes poems and excerpts. Time line. Author’s and illustrator’s notes. Further reading. Black-and-white photograph of poet. Full-color watercolor, collage, and mixed- Jen Bryant has always enjoyed media illustrations. the poetry of William Carlos Williams. “Even as a young person, I admired his keen JLG REVIEW sense of observation, his love of language, and his reverence for common people and everyday objects,” she says. “His Gorgeous only begins to describe this carefully researched poems are lyrical and frequently fun, but they and thoughtfully crafted book. An opening portrait of also do what all good poetry should, and that William Carlos Williams appears opposite an epigraph is to get you, the reader, to see things in a excerpted from his poem, “Pastoral”: “When I was younger / new and diff erent way. “ it was plain to me / I must make something of myself.” It is For more about this author visit www.jenbryant.com the perfect introduction to Williams, who managed to write forty-eight books of poetry and prose while maintaining a Melissa Sweet fi nds that family practice for more than forty years. each book she illustrates Jen Bryant describes Williams as a boy who loved to play calls for something baseball and wander in the woods, as a busy high school diff erent. “I spend a lot of time trying to fi gure out student who discovered that he “did not feel hurried” when exactly how I’m going his teacher read poetry aloud, and as a poet who found that to do my art and what focusing on everyday experiences and developing his own materials I’m going to use,” writing style let him feel “. . . as free as the Passaic River as it she says. “Even after working on all sorts of projects, I still fi nd it’s the designing, research, rushed to the falls.” and experimenting that are the most exciting In keeping with the title, words fl ow through nearly every parts of making children’s books.“ one of Melissa Sweet’s illustrations in a mix of hand-lettered, For more about this illustrator visit typewritten, and printed forms. A page describing how www.melissasweet.net Dr. Williams “delivered babies, healed hurts and bruises, set broken bones, and wrote prescriptions,” is illustrated with Jen Bryant photo by www.visual-technology.com paintings of the doctor and his patients on a background of old medical textbook pages and a ledger. Th e phrase “so much depends upon” from Williams’s “Th e Red Wheelbarrow” emerges from the typewriter on his desk, and a variation is tucked into the corner of the collage. Th e opposite page displays multiple typed versions of the entire poem, each with diff erent line breaks and cross-outs, simulating the writer experimenting with an idea and revising his poem. Th e ingenious presentation of this and other poems creates connections between the man and his work and allows readers to feel as though they’re witnesses to the creative process. Th is is an exquisite look at an important American poet.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Picture book. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Biography. Classroom units: Art and artists. Biography. Poetry. Main characters: American poet William Carlos Williams. Topics: William Carlos Williams (1883–1963). Rutherford, New Jersey. The Setting: Rutherford, New Jersey. Passaic River. Poetry. Inspiration. Poetic innovation. Medical careers. Summary: A picture-book biography of William Carlos Williams, with Comprehension skills: Organize textual elements. Figurative language. emphasis on the development of his poetic style and on his career as Sensitive areas: None. a pediatrician. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 13 ME MYSTERY/ADVENTURE ELEMENTARY • GRADES 2–6 DECEMBER

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective Graphic Novel #14 Sleight of Dan

by Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney • illustrated by Sho Murase

Papercutz • ISBN: 9781597071420 • Dewey: F • 112 pp • 5" x 7 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

When Nancy Drew and her best friends Bess and George attend Dan Deville’s magic show, Nancy is bored, because she knows the secrets behind most magic tricks. Th e show does hold one surprise, though: Dan makes his assistant and fi ancée, Tina, disappear, but he never makes her reappear. Th e girls—and some reporters— question Dan about this unusual occurrence, and he claims it’s all a publicity stunt. Nancy, however, suspects that Dan is lying—and that he is desperate to discover Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney came up with not just a new mystery, Tina’s whereabouts. Graphic-novel format. Full-color illustrations. but also a new character to challenge their heroine. “When we created Dan, we were kidding about an JLG REVIEW impressively extreme illusionist with a powerful persona,” Stefan Petrucha Retaining elements of the original Nancy Drew books—an unusual setting, a says. “He would be a dark, rock star compelling mystery, and Nancy’s steadfast friends Bess, George, and Ned—Stefan type with his own TV show. But Petrucha and Sarah Kinney’s graphic-novel take on the girl detective does not though his theatrics have won him disappoint. legions of followers, this modern Houdini wouldn’t perform any tricks As daring as ever, Nancy risks her own well-being while searching Nancy Drew couldn’t explain. Part of the for Tina. Many of Nancy’s actions are brave and even admirable, challenge to Nancy is not to spoil the tricks but the authors also highlight the drawbacks of Nancy’s more for her pal George, who, it turns out, is a big audacious plans. Nancy runs the risk not only of physically fan of magic.” endangering herself, but also of being arrested and Mr. Petrucha and Ms. Kinney live in western Massachusetts with their two daughters, potentially alienating her friends. Maia and Margo. Nancy is a fully rounded character with both laudable and regrettable traits. “I didn’t exactly lie, but I didn’t exactly tell the truth either, which is pretty much what a magician does, I guess,” Nancy explains in a caption. Sho Murase grew up in Spain but also In Sleight of Dan, spent some time in Japan. She says her which is not an work has both manga and European adaptation but a brand- infl uences, which she believes is a perfect combination for the Nancy Drew new Nancy Drew story, graphic novels. “Nancy is a strong, yet characters use up-to-date feminine character,” Ms. Murase says. “In my work, I try to language and technology. portray the powerful femininity in all girls, and I try to create Th ese contemporary elements and the book’s vibrant, manga- them without barriers. I really enjoy doing the illustrations infl uenced artwork ensure that Petrucha and Kinney’s series will for this series.” appeal to modern readers.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Graphic novel. mystery unsolved, and in order to solve it she travels to the old Bensen Genre: Mystery. estate, where Dan is staying, and is confronted with one of Dan’s most dangerous tricks. Main characters: Nancy Drew, girl detective; the cousins Bess and George, Nancy’s best friends; magician Dan Deville; Dan’s assistant and Curriculum areas: Language arts. love interest, Tina; Nancy’s boyfriend, Ned. Classroom units: Mystery. Problem solving. Magic. The theater. Setting: In a theater; at the creepy old Bensen estate; at a fancy Topics: Graphic novels. Magic. Owing favors. Cell phones. The theater. restaurant. Explaining magic tricks. Lovers’ quarrels. Disappearances. Publicity. Scary Summary: Nancy’s friend George, a huge fan of Dan Deville’s, convinces places. Snakes. Teamwork. Solving mysteries. Working out diff erences. Nancy and Bess to attend one of his performances. During the Comprehension skills: Organize textual elements. Cause and eff ect. intermission, the girls hear Dan and Tina arguing. Later in the show, Dan Sensitive areas: None. makes Tina disappear—and she never reappears. Nancy can’t leave the

14 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 2-6 • NONFICTION ELEMENTARY NE

Fun with Roman Numerals

by David A. Adler • illustrated by Edward Miller III

Holiday House • ISBN: 9780823420605 • Dewey: 513.5 • 32 pp • 8 1/2" x 10" Scheduled Month: December

With many illustrations and examples, this book clearly explains how to use Roman numerals. It teaches readers when to add numerals together, as in the number VII, and when to subtract one from another, as in IX. Th is is contrasted with the way Arabic numerals work. Th e design helps reinforce the lessons; for example, each Roman numeral consistently appears in its own color. Fun with Roman Numerals also depicts many instances—from watch faces to the Super Bowl—where Roman numerals are used in everyday life. Conversion chart of Arabic and Roman numbers. Full-color illustrations. David A. Adler is the author of more than 200 JLG REVIEW fi ction and nonfi ction books for young readers. But Mr. Adler wasn’t While math can be notoriously diffi cult to learn from books, always a writer. He was this fun, straightforward introduction to Roman numerals is a a math teacher for many winning exception. It makes Roman numerals easy to understand years. “Math has always and will have readers excited about cracking the code and been fun for me, and I tried to make it fun for my students,” he says. “When I was a discovering a new way to write numbers. teacher, I decorated my classroom with huge Th e comparisons between how Arabic and Roman numbers discarded signs from grocery stores. Children work are particularly helpful. “In our number system, the same called my classroom ‘the supermarket room’ numeral can have diff erent meanings. Th e numeral 2 by itself and had fun fi nding the total cost of their means two. Th e numeral 2 in the number 26 means twenty. . . . imaginary shopping.” Mr. Adler and his wife, Renee, live in When the position of a numeral in our system changes, its value Woodmere, New York. changes. Roman numerals are used diff erently. Th e value of a For more about this author visit Roman numeral never changes. I always means 1, V always means www.davidaadler.com 5, X always means 10.” Th e illustrations employ such Roman themes as chariots and aqueducts, in a bold, modern style. And the exercise introduced toward the end of the book, which involves using pennies, nickels, and dimes to represent Roman numerals, will help readers put what they’ve learned into practice.

Edward Miller III has illustrated many books for young readers in his signature graphic style. “I always enjoyed drawing and painting. In fact, I still have the smock that my mother made me when I started school. My fi rst book was called Frederick Ferdinand Fox. The book started out as a project for a class, but it was published in 1987, shortly after I graduated from Parsons School of Design.” Mr. Miller lives in New York City. For more about this illustrator visit www.edmiller.com

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Picture book. Classroom units: Number systems. Expressing value. Genre: Nonfi ction. Topics: Arabic numerals. Roman numerals. Uses of Roman numerals. Main characters: Roman numerals. Number symbols. Addition. Subtraction. Value. Setting: n/a Comprehension skills: Recognize patterns. Summary: An explanation of how Roman numerals work. Sensitive areas: None. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Math. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 15 SE SPORTS ELEMENTARY • GRADES 2–6 DECEMBER

Football Double Threat

Matt Christopher

Little, Brown • ISBN: 9780316043021 • Dewey: F • 128 pp • 5" x 7 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

In a locker room accident, Rocky’s friend Bobby slips and breaks his leg. Rocky feels terrible—after all, if he had just let Bobby try his new MP3 player, Bobby wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Now Bobby is out for the entire football season, and Coach asks Rocky to take Bobby’s position on defense. As Rocky practices overtime to play his position and Bobby’s, Bobby plays on Rocky’s guilt; soon Rocky is selling Bobby’s fundraiser chocolate bars for him and managing Bobby’s campaign for school president. Rocky starts to lose sleep, miss practice, and wonder if he’s Bobby’s friend or his butler.

JLG REVIEW There was a strange whispering sound near his feet. He Th is novel taps into a concern that many kids and parents today share: looked around and saw his music player lying on the being overworked. Th ough Rocky takes on a hectic schedule largely fl oor. Music was piping from the earbuds. due to his guilt over what happened to Bobby, his frustrations will ring true with many young readers. Rocky picked up the player and stared at it without really seeing it. Instead, he saw his friend’s face, contorted with Th e core of the story, though, is Rocky and Bobby’s friendship. pain and as pale as snow. Th e boys’ lighthearted banter at the start of the novel devolves into passive aggression, and Rocky’s bewilderment at what their friendship It’s all my fault, he thought miserably. If I hadn’t been has become is aff ecting: “All the anger went out of him then, replaced such a selfi sh jerk, Bobby would be fi ne. instead with hurt. He slumped down on the bench. ‘Geez, Bobby, I —Football Double Threat thought you were supposed to be my friend.’” A side plot further illuminates the dynamics between Rocky and Bobby. Another player on the team, Jared, has been pressured into playing football by his stepfather, who is also the coach. Initially, Rocky is shocked that Jared continues to play football even though he hates it; when Rocky fi nally realizes that he has allowed guilt to trap him in a similar way, readers will be reminded how easy it can be to recognize someone else’s mistakes while ignoring one’s own.

Matt Christopher enjoyed all sports growing up, but baseball was his favorite. He was a star player in high school and eventually made it to a professional team for a short time, but he realized even then that what he really wanted to do was write. He sold stories to magazines and wrote adult mysteries, but 90 percent of his work was for children. “Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from children who write that they never cared about reading until they started reading my books,” he said in a 1992 interview that is posted on his Web site. “That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession.” Matt Christopher died on September 20, 1997, at the age of eighty. Little, Brown continues to publish stories that honor his legacy. For more about this author visit www.mattchristopher.com

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Chapter book. everything he can to make Rocky miss the extra practices, and Rocky can’t Genre: Sports fi ction. fi gure out why. Main characters: Twelve-year-old wide receiver Rocky Fletcher; Rocky’s Curriculum areas: Language arts. Physical education. best friend, Bobby, the team’s star safety; Jared, the team’s new place- Classroom units: Sports. Teams. Friendship. Competition. kicker. Topics: Football. Uniforms. Music players. Playing. Winning. Motivation. Setting: In the middle-school locker room; on the football fi eld; at Teasing. Accidents. Learning new skills. Anger. Guilt. Taking advantage. Bobby’s house; at school; at Rocky’s house. Candy sales. School elections. Geology. Being late. Trick plays. Political Summary: Bobby and Rocky both wonder why Jared has quit the soccer handbills. Stepparents. Understanding others. Standing up for yourself. team to join the football team, since he obviously dislikes football so Working out diff erences. much. When Bobby breaks his leg roughhousing in the locker room Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Deduce and infer. with Rocky, the coach asks Jared and Rocky to come to extra practices Sensitive areas: None. to learn to play safety, Bobby’s position. But Bobby seems to be doing

16 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 5–7 • UPPER ELEMENTARY & JUNIOR HIGH B

The Attack on Pearl Harbor An Interactive History Adventure

by Allison Lassieur

Capstone • ISBN: 9781429620109 • Dewey: 910.54/26693 • 112 pp • 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

Th e United States avoided fi ghting in World War II until December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In this interactive adventure, with more than fi fty choices and nineteen diff erent endings based on historical fact, three Pearl Harbor storylines unfold. Readers control their fates—as a Japanese fi ghter pilot, a U.S. Navy sailor, or an American military nurse. An introduction and conclusion provide context and additional information. Time line. Glossary. Bibliography. Further reading and Internet sites. Index. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs.

Allison Lassieur has JLG REVIEW written several You Choose books about History books can seem boring or dry to young readers. Th ere will be no such historical events. “I have complaints, however, about Th e Attack on Pearl Harbor. Its interactive approach— always been fascinated with history and stories of heroism,” she says. “I also like to fi nd similar to the long-popular Choose Your Own Adventure books—immerses readers in out about famous events from unusual or the action and makes history come alive. unexpected points of view. Looking at Pearl In separate chapters, each character’s storyline provides a diff erent point of view of Harbor from the Japanese perspective gave the same catastrophic event. Readers can choose to be one of the Japanese fi ghter pilots me insights into that famous battle that I did that bombed Pearl Harbor, learning the Japanese perspective in planning, training for, not have. I enjoy writing the You Choose titles because it allows me to step into the action and carrying out the attack. Or they can choose to experience the assault as a young and breathe life into past events.” U.S. sailor living on one of the Navy’s battleships that suff ered great casualties, or as a Ms. Lassieur lives in Trenton, Tennessee, nurse stationed in the area. A variety of scenarios and with her husband. In their spare time, they outcomes exist in each chapter, and as readers make are involved in historical reenactments in the area. their choices, they vicariously experience successes (hitting a target, escaping a burning ship, or helping the wounded) as well as defeats (missing a bomb’s target or being engulfed in fl ames). At the end of each story path, readers can return to the beginning of the book to choose a new path, or they can turn to the end of the book and learn what happened in the war after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Th e Attack on Pearl Harbor is an excellent resource for units on World War II. Th ere is a wealth of information for those interested in history, and the interactive format will appeal to reluctant readers. Another title in the Interactive History Adventure series, Mexican Immigrants in America, will be available in the March 2009 B+ group.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Nonfi ction. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Social studies. Genre: Interactive narrative. Classroom units: World War II. American history. Choices. Point of view. Main characters: A Japanese fi ghter pilot; a United States Navy sailor; a Topics: World War II. Pearl Harbor. Surprise attacks. Bomber pilots. Making United States Navy nurse. choices. Death. Success. Air defenses. USS Arizona. Helping the wounded. Setting: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; December 7, 1941. Obeying orders. Abandoning ship. Rescue. Survival. USS Solace. Hospitals. Declarations of war. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945). Fighting Summary: Taking an interactive approach to history, this book recreates in the Pacifi c. the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Readers can follow the action from the perspectives of a Japanese bomber pilot, a United States Navy sailor, Comprehension skills: Organize textual elements. Cause and eff ect. or a United States Navy nurse. At important points in the narrative, Sensitive areas: None. readers decide which story path to take, showing how the choices individuals made on that day aff ected their success and survival. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 17 B+ UPPER ELEMENTARY & JUNIOR HIGH • GRADES 5–7 DECEMBER

Hard Gold The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 A Tale of the Old West

by Avi

Hyperion • ISBN: 9781423105190 • Dewey: F • 224 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

1859: A drought has settled on the middle of the country, and crops aren’t growing. If fourteen-year-old Early Wittcomb’s family can’t pay the mortgage on their Iowa farm, the bank will take the land and sell it to the Chicago and North Western Railway. Uncle Jesse thinks the answer to their problems is gold—rumored to be plentiful in the Rocky Mountains—and heads west. Th en he writes that his life is in danger, and Early sets off on a perilous journey of his own. Glossary. Author’s Note. Bibliography. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Hard Gold is an accessible and involving work of historical fi ction as well as a suspenseful coming-of-age story. Avi keeps the pace brisk and readers hooked with cliff hanging chapter endings such as: “So it was that at last we reached Fort Kearny, a place meant to protect those that passed by. But it was there that Mr. Mawr tried to murder me.” Historical events and information are seamlessly worked into the narrative, giving readers a solid sense of the time period: a tattered fl ag has thirty-three stars; around the campfi re, men debate “the merits of the abolition of black slavery;” and Lizzy, the daughter of the family that Early travels with, rebels against the belief that “capability is unladylike.” Although Early is a fi ctional character, according to the author’s note, his story is largely based on letters and diaries of actual people. Th e narrative echoes this diary form with dated entries. Some are only a few sentences; others are longer, vividly describing aspects of the westward journey: a Avi writes in a letter to his readers, “I love to read buff alo stampede, the vastness of the plains, the monotonous good, strong stories with lots of adventure, action, routine of seemingly never-ending travel, and the unforeseen and emotion—and plenty of detail. No surprise it’s hardships of traversing unsettled land. Th e story also shows the kind of story I like to write, too. the harsh reality of settler life. Rather than the easy riches “That’s what this series, I Witness, is all about: exciting stories about fi ctional young people during real events in history. I Witness stories will promised in early proclamations, gold was often non-existent make you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action. The illustrations or diffi cult to fi nd. “[W]hat about those heaps of gold that you will show what things really looked like. could scoop up with a shovel such as Jesse had read about in “There have been many gold rushes in American history, but since I live the newspaper?” Early asks. “All we had to do was look about in Colorado, the one I’ve heard most about is the gold rush of 1859. . . . Hard and see there was nothing of the kind.” Gold is as true to what happened to those Fifty-Niners as I could make it. I don’t know if there actually was a teenager by the name of Early Wittcomb, Rich description, period illustrations and engravings, and but I am sure there were a good many like him.” plenty of tension combine to form an absorbing account of one boy’s “Pike’s Peak or Bust” experience.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. begins to understand that his uncle may have done some terrible things Genre: Historical fi ction. in his quest for gold. Main characters: Fourteen-year-old farm boy Early Wittcomb; Early’s Curriculum areas: Language arts. Social studies. nineteen-year-old uncle, Jesse; Fourteen-year-old fi rebrand Eliza (Lizzy) Classroom units: Coming of age. Journeys. Choices. Money. The American Bunderly; Mr. Fuslin, local banker and judge; Mr. Mawr, an associate of West. Mr. Fuslin. Topics: Mortgages. Railroads. Bankers. Family. Gold rushes. Bank Setting: Cass County, Iowa; on the Platte River Trail to Cherry Creek, robberies. Giving away secrets. Wagon trains. Running away. Meeting Kansas Territory; into the mountains of Nebraska Territory to Gold Hill; all girls. Illness. Ferries. Drownings. Native Americans. Buff alo. Stampedes. during the Pike’s Peak gold rush of 1858–1859. Attempted murder. Becoming sweethearts. Death. Grief. The Rocky Summary: Early hires himself out as an ox-driver with a wagon train in Mountains. Mining towns. Panning for gold. Reunions. Learning the truth. order to follow Uncle Jesse west to Cherry Creek. Along the way, Early Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Point of view. endures hardships and gains a sweetheart. As he searches for Jesse, Early Sensitive areas: None.

18 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 6–9 • ADVANCED READERS C

The Serial Garden The Complete Armitage Family Stories

by Joan Aiken

Small Beer Press • ISBN: 9781931520577 • Dewey: F • 320 pp • 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

For the fi rst time, all twenty-four of Joan Aiken’s stories about the Armitage family are assembled in one volume. Set in and around British suburbs, Aiken’s stories follow the escapades of young Harriet and Mark Armitage. Th e children, always engaged in high adventure, fi nd a unicorn in the garden, restrain disobedient robots, struggle with a cursed Egyptian mask, and more—much to their parents’ chagrin. Th is collection includes four previously unpublished stories as well as Aiken’s prelude to the series. Introductions by Lizza Aiken and Garth Nix. Black-and-white illustrations.

Joan Aiken (1924–2004) was born in Sussex, JLG REVIEW England, and was homeschooled until age Fans of the late Joan Aiken’s work and newcomers alike will twelve, after which she attended boarding delight in this collection. Each story is fi lled with gentle school. She began writing as a child and humor but also has an irreverent edge—often what delights sold her fi rst Armitage Family story, based Harriet and Mark about their adventures simultaneously on her own family, to the BBC in 1944. After fi nishing school and starting a family, Ms. frustrates Mr. and Mrs. Armitage. Th e juxtaposition of Aiken worked for a magazine and then at an the parents’ and children’s feelings creates sympathy for advertising agency, continuing to write on both sets of characters and also provides many laughs. the side. Another great source of comedy in Th e Serial Garden Many of the Armitage Family stories were written during this busy period in Ms. Aiken’s is Aiken’s matter-of-fact writing style, which she retains life. Lizza Aiken writes of her mother in the even when describing absurd events: “[O]n another introduction to The Serial Garden: “Although Monday two albatrosses nested on the roof, laid these stories might have to be written on three eggs, knocked off most of the tiles, and then trains, while feeding chickens or, as she said, deserted the nest; Agnes, the cook, made the eggs ‘while peeling potatoes with the other hand,’ she described how they always came almost into an omelet, but it tasted too strongly of fi sh to out of the blue, in a terrifi c and wonderful be considered a success.” urge to get themselves written.” Aiken’s work also includes plenty of spooky Ms. Aiken eventually devoted herself to scenarios. Like characters in the Grimms’ fairy tales, Harriet writing full time and had numerous books for both adults and children published, and Mark regularly encounter curses and witches that threaten including her much-lauded The Wolves of their safety. Th ese elements of danger add excitement to the Willoughby Chase. Before Ms. Aiken died stories as readers wonder how the Armitage children will in 2004, she completed four new stories navigate each perilous situation. about the Armitage family to include along Inventive plots, charmingly zany characters, and witty with all those from previous collections in The Serial Garden. writing are hallmarks of the stories in Th e Serial Garden, a book that will charm those who enjoy authors such as Joan Aiken photo by Rod Delroy Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Collected short stories. Topics: Magic. Rings. Wishes. Unicorns. Policemen. Money. Neighbors. Genre: Fantasy. Practical jokes. Spells. Choirs. Curses. Ghosts. Teachers. Witches. Fighter planes. Dragons. Fairies. Charity. Board meetings. Lifeboats. Lighthouses. Main characters: Mr. and Mrs. Armitage and their children, Mark and Eviction. House guests. Boarding school. Grandparents. Nursery rhymes. Harriet. Missing children. Birthdays. Looms. Inheritance. Thieves. The Furies. Setting: In a small English village. Cereal. Cereal boxes. Separated lovers. Classifi ed ads. Griffi ns. Fairs. Summary: The complete collection of Armitage Family short stories, Mirrors. Robots. Parties. Masks. Goblins. Music. Death. Grief. Solitaire. Dog- including four published for the fi rst time. Odd, magical things happen walking. Fish ponds. Breaking enchantments. Learning to speak. to the Armitages, generally on Mondays, making life in the Armitage Comprehension skills: Fantasy and reality. household anything but dull. Sensitive areas: Witchcraft. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Classroom units: Magic. Strange occurrences. Wordplay. Adventures. Fantasy. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 19 C+ ADVANCED READERS • GRADES 6–9 DECEMBER

Antsy Does Time

by Neal Shusterman

Dutton • ISBN: 9780525478256 • Dewey: F • 256 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

When Antsy learns that his friend Gunnar Ümlaut has only six months to live, he donates a month of his life to Gunnar as a goodwill gesture. “I tore the page out of the notebook, held it up, and read it aloud. ‘I hereby give one month of my life to Gunnar Ümlaut. Signed, Anthony Bonano.’ I handed it to him. ‘Th ere. Now you’ve got borrowed time.’” As word of Antsy’s good deed spreads, donations of time for Gunnar pour in. But Gunnar’s family doesn’t seem too concerned about his illness, and Antsy starts to wonder whether Gunnar is really dying—or just dying for attention.

JLG REVIEW Neal Shusterman’s novels span many genres, Th is stand-alone companion to Th e Schwa Was Here revolves around a truly original from humor to suspense thrillers to science fi ction. Antsy Does Time is a companion to idea—“trading time like stocks,” as Neal Shusterman puts it. Knowing this premise, The Schwa Was Here. “I consider myself very readers will immediately recognize that Antsy Does Time is not an ordinary coming-of- lucky to have a career doing what I love,” age story. he says. “Of course it’s a constant challenge While the book has more than its fair share of unusual and absurd situations, the to come up with stories that are original, meaningful, and capture the attention of characters’ interactions and emotions are very believable. Whether Antsy is jabbering readers. Antsy’s my favorite character. And to fi ll an uncomfortable silence, fi ghting with his father about being more responsible, when I came up with the idea of trading time or trying to cheer up perpetually gloomy Gunnar, readers will relate to him. Th e book’s like stocks, I knew Antsy had to tell the story.” themes—ranging from death to divorce to budding romance—are equally grounded in Neal Shusterman lives in Southern reality. California with his children, Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source Shusterman takes on serious subjects and writes about them skillfully, using of inspiration. straightforward language that never dismisses the characters’ pain. Th anks to generous For more about this author visit doses of humor, though, the writing avoids turning maudlin. “Giving Gunnar a month www.storyman.com of my life—that was inspired. . . . Th e problem with inspiration, though, is that it’s kind of like the fl u—once one person gets it, it spreads and spreads until pretty soon everyone’s all congested and It was all my idea. The stupid hawking up big wads of inspiration.” ones usually are. . . . Filled with unique, sympathetic characters, plenty I was just trying to help a of humor, and odd-yet-wise insights, Antsy Does Time friend. I never meant for it to will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers and may blow up like a giant Macy’s inspire them to consider the true value of their time Thanksgiving Day Parade on earth. balloon that gets taken away by the wind. —Antsy Does Time

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. Classroom units: Families. Illness. Kindness. School stories. Economics. Genre: Fiction. Topics: Parades. Balloons. Death. Fatal illnesses. Thanksgiving. Busing Main characters: Fourteen-year-old Anthony (Antsy) Bonano; Gunnar tables. The restaurant business. Workaholics. The Grapes of Wrath. Ümlaut, Antsy’s Swedish classmate; Kjersten, Gunnar’s beautiful sixteen- Tombstones. Donations. Contracts. The rumor mill. Kisses. Ex-girlfriends. year-old sister. The Dust Bowl. Family dynamics. Double dates. School principals. The law of supply and demand. Gambling. Echolocation. Annoying relatives. Setting: At Antsy’s house; at Gunnar’s house; at school; at the Paris, Internet scams. Repossession. Grouchy old men. Zip lines. Unpleasant Capiche? restaurant; all in Brooklyn, New York. customers. Losing one’s temper. Christmas gifts. Acting childish. School Summary: When Antsy learns that Gunnar has just six months to live, he assemblies. Heart attacks. Hospitals. Prayer. Interventions. Self-interest. donates to Gunnar a month of his life. Antsy’s gesture becomes infectious, Saying good-bye. and soon everyone is donating time to Gunnar, who remains suspiciously Comprehension skills: Cause and eff ect. Literary allusion. healthy. When Antsy begins dating Kjersten, he discovers that Gunnar’s health is the least of the Ümlaut family’s worries. Meanwhile, Antsy’s Sensitive areas: None. family is under tremendous stress from Mr. Bonano’s new restaurant. Curriculum areas: Language arts.

20 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 7–11 • FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL FM

Here Lies Arthur

by Philip Reeve

Scholastic • ISBN: 9780545093347 • Dewey: F • 320 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

When Gwyna’s village is burned, a bard named Myrddin takes her in. He immediately puts her to work helping him invent legends to legitimize the violent rule of his master. Myrddin serves the same brutish warlord who burned Gwyna’s village, and her fi rst job is to present the warlord, who is named Arthur, with a supposedly magical sword—by swimming underwater with the sword and holding it aloft in the middle of a lake. Gwyna enjoys her adventurous new life but soon grows uncomfortable with her role in enabling Arthur’s vicious reign.

JLG REVIEW Philip Reeve became interested in Arthurian Th e morning Myrddin enlists Gwyna It was the fi rst time I’d seen [Arthur] legends during his teens. “I saw John Boorman’s to play the role of the Lady of the Lake, without his helmet and fi sh-scale armor fi lm Excalibur when I was he explains to her that there is only one on. . . . His eyes were small and dark, set fi fteen,” he says. “It inspired diff erence between Arthur and any other deep, and they had a sleepy look, but me to charge off to my local library and read warlord. “Arthur has me to spin stories,” they could become sly and thoughtful all everything I could about King Arthur, from of a sudden, or twinkle with merriment modern retellings to medieval romances. Myrddin says. “You see, Gwyna, men do love a story. Th at’s what we’re going to give like a boy’s. I guessed they might narrow Over the years, I have often toyed with the easily with rage. A dangerous man, I idea of writing my own Arthur book, but it him this morning, you and I. A story they’ll thought. A bear of a man. was hard to fi nd an original approach to such remember all their lives and tell to their a well-known story. Then I came up with the children and their children’s children until —Here Lies Arthur character of Gwyna, and the idea for Here Lies Arthur was born.” the whole world knows how Arthur came Here Lies Arthur won the 2008 Carnegie by the sword of the other world.” Medal. Mr. Reeve lives in Dartmoor, England, Th e fact that many generations later we do know the story of Excalibur (“Caliburn” with wife, Sarah, and son, Sam. in the book) makes this bit of fi ction seem utterly convincing, and this is just one of the impressive accomplishments in this wonderful novel. Philip Reeves’s ancient England is a fully imagined, inhospitable landscape, peopled with complex characters whose desires are often in confl ict. Gwyna has an up-close view of the various battles for power, and no nuance is lost on this intelligent narrator. Readers will enjoy seeing how Gwyna moves from learning Myrddin’s tricks to playing some humorous tricks of her own. And they will sympathize with Gwyna’s increasing discomfort and ultimate rebellion as she realizes that Arthur’s conquests will never deliver the peace that Myrddin has promised. A thoughtful meditation on power and propaganda as well as a page-turning fantasy, this 2008 Carnegie Award-winning novel succeeds on many levels.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. weaving. It also necessitates that she assume a new identity, so she Genre: Reimagined legend. becomes the boy Gwyn, Myrddin’s servant. In her travels with Myrddin, and in a later guise as hand-maiden to Gwenhwyfar, Gwyna observes the Main characters: Gwyna, a serving-girl thrust into the events out of which details of Arthur’s inner circle and learns how legends are made. Arthur’s legend has emerged; Myrddin, the bard who notices and uses Gwyna for his own ends; Arthur, a ruffi an war-chief whom Myrddin hopes Curriculum areas: Language arts. to shape into Britain’s savior; Bedwyr, Gwyna’s friend, who grows into a Classroom units: Arthurian legends. Storytellers. Gender roles. Identity. very attractive young man; Gwenhwyfar, who becomes Arthur’s second Topics: King Arthur. Raids. Escapes. Magic. Kingmakers. Tricks. Stories. wife in a loveless, political marriage; Cei, Arthur’s loyal, brave half brother; Disguises. Girls dressing like boys. Gender roles. Alliances. Religion. The Peredur, a would-be warrior who has been raised as a woman. Legend of the Green Knight. Roman towns. Hot springs. Battles. Political Setting: Southwestern Britain around AD 500. marriages. Secrets. First menstruation. Heroes. Battle wounds. Love. Trysts. Summary: Having swum away from Arthur’s raid on her master’s lands, Betrayal. Jealousy. Suicide. Cowardice. Illness. Death. Gwyna is discovered by Myrddin, who conceives for her the role of Comprehension skills: Point of view. Compare and contrast. “lady of the lake,” the divine conferer of Arthur’s authority. This serves Sensitive areas: Language. Description of nudity. as Gwyna’s introduction to the truth behind the tales Myrddin has been www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 21 GM GRAPHIC NOVELS MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL • GRADES 7–11 DECEMBER

The Good Neighbors Book One, Kin

by Holly Black • illustrated by Ted Naifeh

Graphix • ISBN: 9780439855624 • Dewey: F • 144 pp • 6" x 9" Scheduled Month: December

Ever since Rue’s mother disappeared, Rue has been having strange visions of faeries. Th en her father is arrested both for the murder of one of his students and as a suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Sure that her father is innocent, Rue hopes the faeries might hold the key to the disappearance of her mother and to the student’s murder. Volume one of a trilogy. Black-and-white illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Holly Black, the author of The “I don’t worry that my mother’s been away for more Spiderwick Chronicles than three weeks,” Rue says to herself. “Or that my series, has always loved fantasy books. On her Web site she dad hasn’t gone to work since she left. Th at’s okay. says, “I think that I have an interest in faeries Sometimes we all need a little vacation from our lives. because more than any other supernatural No worries. I’m not worried.” Readers will relate to creature, they seem to have escaped Rue’s need to convince herself that things are all right the confi nes of morality. They embody and to her attempts to forget her concerns by hanging contradiction; their very nature is confl icted. They are both chaotic and bound by rules, out with friends who drink too much coff ee, then sensual and chaste, cruel and kind. I wanted break into abandoned buildings to take pictures of to have the opportunity to show the faeries themselves wearing Halloween masks. that I pictured when I read folklore—the Rue’s friends also do their best to support one another, so it is especially painful faeries that could inspire such fear in farmers that they would not even say the word ‘faerie.’ for Rue when problems at home and her burgeoning ability to see faeries alienate her Faerie ballads are terrifying.” from Dale, Justin, and Lucy. Rue is self-aware enough to narrate her diffi culties with Ms. Black lives in Massachusetts with directness and clarity. “For once, I’m not the only one pretending everything’s okay,” her husband, Theo, and an ever-expanding she says as she watches Dale performing onstage with his band. “I know the look. He’s collection of books. She spends a lot of her afraid. Of me.” time in cafés, drinking endless cups of coff ee and glaring at her laptop. Ted Naifeh’s black-and-white drawings are full of interesting details and eff ectively For more about this author visit portray both the psychological subtleties of the story and the more active sequences in www.blackholly.com which Rue works to exonerate her father. Th is engaging and atmospheric book presents a world both menacing and hopeful; it will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

Ted Naifeh has been working in comics and related fi elds for almost twenty years. He explains on his Web site that he has always been interested in creating his own comic series, but in the 1990s, with the comic book business in decline, he spent several years creating artwork for video games instead. One benefi t of that work was that he acquired the computer skills that allowed him to digitally letter and color his comics. Mr. Naifeh is now the author of many graphic novels, including Polly and the Pirates. Mr. Naifeh lives in San Francisco, California. For more about this illustrator visit www.tednaifeh.com

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Graphic novel. investigates the events, she comes to learn that her mother’s side of the Genre: Fantasy. family are all faeries and that they are not at all nice. Main characters: Rue, a high-schooler whose life is not what she thought Curriculum areas: Language arts. it was; Dale, Rue’s boyfriend; Justin and Lucy, Rue’s friends; Professor Classroom units: Graphic novels. Strange occurrences. The supernatural. Silver, Rue’s father; Amanda Valia, Professor Silver’s close friend; Aubrey, Death. Grief. Being diff erent. Rue’s maternal grandfather; Tam, Aubrey’s assistant. Topics: Disappearances. Worrying. Strange creatures. Warnings. Breaking Setting: Rue’s home; the campus of Benton College; all in West City. and entering. Arrests. Family friends. Murders. Faeries. Grandparents. Summary: Rue’s mother has been missing for three weeks—ever Changelings. Jealousy. Rock groups. Groupies. Kidnapping. Escape. since Professor Silver’s brief aff air. In that time Rue has begun to notice Controlling others. Aff airs. odd creatures appearing around her. Then Rue’s father is accused of Comprehension skills: Organize textual elements. Deduce and infer. murdering not only Rue’s mother, but one of his students as well. As Rue Sensitive areas: Nudity.

22 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 7–11 • MYSTERY/ADVENTURE MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL MM

The Other Side of the Island

by Allegra Goodman

Razorbill • ISBN: 9781595141958 • Dewey: F • 272 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

In the eighteenth glorious year of Enclosure, long after Th e Flood, a young girl named Honor and her parents are relocated to Island 365 in Th e Tranquil Sea. Life on the Island is Orderly and Predictable: the government writes (or rewrites) every book, Watchers patrol every neighborhood, and the Enclosure regulates the Island’s weather. But Honor’s parents are Unpredictable; they contradict the lessons Honor learns in school, regularly break curfew, and hide writing implements in their house. Honor pleads with them to be more like her, because she knows what happens to parents who don’t follow the rules: they disappear and don’t ever come back. Allegra Goodman resisted writing a book for her kids JLG REVIEW for years. “I told them no. I One day Mrs. Whyte said, “Honor, don’t care much for potions you lived in the North; tell us about and broomsticks and magic Distinct characters, realistic dialogue, and the leaves there.” spells. ‘I don’t do dragons,’ I declared. Then surprising plot twists make Th e Other Side of the one day I reread 1984. I recalled how I love Island a page-turner as well as a psychologically Then Honor thought Mrs. Whyte dystopias and satire. I looked around me, and perceptive tale about family life, adolescence, was asking her to tell the class about I thought: the world is so complex and scary. and political power. how leaves change color. “Every year The news and weather are terrifying. Then they turn red, yellow, brown,” Honor one summer in Boston we had a heat wave. Th e details with which Allegra Goodman told the class. One afternoon as I rushed home to my cool relays Honor’s post-apocalyptic world, ruled living room I moaned aloud, ‘Ah. What a relief. by a totalitarian government headed by the Mrs. Whyte shook her head and I wish the streets were air conditioned.’ Even benignly named Earth Mother, are memorable said, “Not anymore. Not anymore. as I said the words, I thought, how spoiled and chilling. Laundry detergent helps remove Not by any means. Do trees change we are, always seeking refuge from cold and color, class?” heat and rain and snow. We hardly want to stains as well as long-term memories, and books live in the world anymore. And then it came are rewritten to avoid any mention of “Old “No,” the class chorused. Some of the to me—a strange line, like the beginning Weather.” (Dorothy, for instance, now arrives in girls were covering their mouths with of a fairy tale. ‘All this happened many years Oz without the aid of a tornado.) their hands. They were laughing at ago, before the streets were air conditioned. Honor for saying otherwise. Children played outside then, and in many Earth Mother’s control is, in other words, places, the sky was still naturally blue.’ The pernicious and pervasive. And Honor’s struggle —The Other Side of the Island sentence came to me all in a piece. There is a to reconcile what she remembers with what book here, I said to myself. I just have to think her teachers and her parents tell her is, in turn, of the rest.” believable and moving. Goodman lays out this struggle in lean but atmospheric prose, focusing on moments of change and revelation: “Th en, deep inside of her, Honor remembered when her father had taken her down to the shore. Dimly she remembered what he had told her that night and how the water shone silver and the sand felt like warm honey on her hands. But she also remembered how dangerous his ideas were. Her father had thought she was afraid of the sea, but that was only part of it. She had been afraid because even as he spoke, she knew that she would lose him.” Th is is a hypnotic, subtle novel—a strong addition to the science fi ction genre that’s sure to appeal to readers of all ages.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. When the inevitable happens, Honor must risk her safety and her place in Genre: Science fi ction. society to try to rescue her parents. Main characters: Honor Greenspoon, a girl who wants to fi t in; Will and Curriculum areas: Language arts. Pamela Greenspoon, Honor’s rebellious parents; Helix Thompson, Honor’s Classroom units: Science fi ction. Repressive governments. Peer pressure. individualistic classmate; Quintilian, Honor’s baby brother; Miss Blessing, Identity. Coming of age. Family. Cultures. Orphans. School stories. director of the Old Colony School. Topics: Relocation. School exams. Forced labor. New schools. Repressive Setting: In the Colonies on Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea, several years societies. Memory. Education. Jobs. Storms. Questioning authority. after the complete melting of the polar ice caps. The ocean. Brothers. Family size. Libraries. Classic literature. Identity Summary: The Greenspoons have been tracked down and relocated onto cards. Fitting in. Names. Disappearances. Orphans. Learning the truth. Island 365, where they are expected to follow the rules of the Colonies. Censorship. Field trips. Secret messages. Archery. The forest. Reunions. Unlike her parents, Honor would like to fi t in, but she does not. Honor Fire. Searches. Disguises. Protests. knows that parents who do not follow the rules disappear, and she Comprehension skills: Deduce and infer. Author’s purpose. cannot understand why Will and Pamela continue to defy the system. Sensitive areas: None. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 23 NM NONFICTION MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL • GRADES 7–11 DECEMBER

Phenomena Secrets of the Senses

by Donna M. Jackson

Little, Brown • ISBN: 9780316166492 • Dewey: 152.1 • 176 pp • 7" x 9" Scheduled Month: December

Is it possible that dogs can be trained to smell cancer? What is synesthesia? How can soundscapes be used to help blind people “see”? Th ese and many other questions are answered in this fascinating investigation of the senses. Phenomena explores not only sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, but also balance, intuition, and a host of other ways that people and animals receive and process information about the world. Further reading. Glossary. Source notes. Index. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations.

JLG REVIEW Phenomena is fi lled with fascinating anecdotes and facts. Taking an unorthodox and interdisciplinary approach to the science of perception, this book investigates not only the senses themselves, but also how senses interact with one another. Take, for example, the story of Cheryl Schlitz, who suff ered damage to her vestibular system—the organs of the inner ear that help maintain balance. A device called a Tongue Display Unit off ered an unusual remedy. It consists of a helmet that sends spatial messages to a strip covered with electrodes, which was placed on Cheryl’s tongue. “If I drifted left or right, backwards or forwards, the [helmet] captured the sensations,” Cheryl says. “All I had to do was keep the sensation—or buzz—in the center of my tongue to ensure I was in balance.” In considering a panoply of questions that range from what a blind painter can teach us about creativity, to what purpose dreams might serve, to whether coincidences provide evidence of a deeper order to the universe, Phenomena broadens readers’ understanding of “the senses.” Th is book’s wide-ranging and clearly explained investigations consider the many ways that humans and animals receive information about the world around them.

Donna M. Jackson has always been fascinated by the mind-body connection. “One of my favorite books is The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. In it, Dr. Sacks shares incredible stories of patients dealing with mysterious neurological disorders. It’s this book and Dr. Sacks’s compassionate approach that inspired Phenomena and its narratives on a wide range of topics—from intuition and dreams to synthesis and phantom limbs. By sharing people’s fi rsthand experiences and talking with scientists around the globe, I strove to humanize the more abstract concepts in the book and introduce readers to some universal mysteries of the mind.” Ms. Jackson lives in Colorado with her husband, Charlie, and their two dogs, Sophie and Shadow. Her son, Chris, is a college student.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Nonfi ction. Topics: The senses. Perception. The human brain. Neurological disorders. Genre: Nonfi ction. Extrasensory perception. Prophecy. The scientifi c method. Animal senses. Earthquake predictions. Cancer screening. Intuition. Personality Main characters: Human and animal perceptions of reality; the scientists projectors. Prejudices. Coincidences. Synchronicity. Making connections. investigating these phenomena. Dreams. Dream analysis. Synesthesia. Centers of brain activity. Computer Setting: Various. technology. Visual reconstruction of sound images. Sensory integration. Summary: An investigation into how the brain processes information, Phantom limbs. Compensating for loss of a sense. The human tongue. especially perceptual information. Comprehension skills: Main idea and details. Classify and categorize. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Science. Sensitive areas: None. Classroom units: The senses. Perception and reality. Science.

24 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 7–11 • SPORTS MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL SM

Lay-ups and Long Shots An Anthology of Short Stories

by Joseph Bruchac, Lynea Bowdish, David Lubar, Terry Trueman, CS Perryess, Dorian Cirrone, Jamie McEwan, Max Elliot Anderson, and Peggy Duff y

Darby Creek • ISBN: 9781581960785 • Dewey: 863/.0108357 • 112 pp • 5 1/2" x 7 5/16" Scheduled Month: December

A fourth-string basketball player gets cut from the team but fi nds a new way to make his shots count; a selfi sh ping-pong enthusiast doesn’t want his friend to improve at the game, so he practices alone—and gets a fi tting comeuppance; a girl’s spunky dog helps her cross the fi nish line and fi nd new confi dence. In these and six other stories, kids fi nd unexpected challenges and rewards in sports. Includes authors’ notes about each story and author biographies. Joseph Bruchac, Lynea Bowdish, David Lubar, Terry Trueman, CS Perryess, Dorian Cirrone, Jamie McEwan, Max Elliot JLG REVIEW Anderson, and Peggy Duff y are all writers who have intriguing sports stories to tell: In a standout piece in Lay-ups and Long Shots, Joseph Bruchac describes his punishing experience trying to keep his spot on his high school basketball team even though he “SWISH: A Basketball Story” by Joseph Bruchac wasn’t very talented at the sport. When the coach, as gently as possible, cuts Bruchac from the team, Bruchac is hurt. But in an aff ecting scene, he recaptures some of his joy “Fat Girls Can’t Run” for the game, shooting hoops in his driveway and imagining that each shot he makes by Lynea Bowdish adds a year to his ailing grandfather’s life. Falling short of one’s aspirations is a universal “Bounce-Back” experience, and Bruchac’s disappointment and resilience are touching. by David Lubar Each story in the book has a resonant theme or fresh perspective. Particularly strong “H-O-R-S-E” contributions include David Lubar’s “Bounce-Back,” which is a smart and humorous by Terry Trueman twist on the standard practice-hard-and-you’ll-win sports story, and Jamie McEwan’s “Amazing Dirt Girl Rides Again” “Red Shorts, White Water,” another by CS Perryess autobiographical tale involving kayaks, “Riding the Wave” river rapids, a major crush, and serious Why did I want to play a game for by Dorian Cirrone embarrassment. which I had no natural ability? “Red Shorts, White Water” Using funny and poignant details, the I guess there’s only one word to by Jamie McEwan authors featured in this collection show how explain it. Swish! That’s the sound a ball makes when you shoot it from “Big Foot” sports can at once confront kids with their by Max Elliot Anderson greatest fears and inspire them to bravery ten or twenty or even thirty feet and compassion. away and it arcs up . . . and falls right “Song of Hope” through without touching the rim. by Peggy Duff y Swish! The sweet sound it makes as it ripples through the net. — Lay-ups and Long Shots, “SWISH: A Basketball Story” by Joseph Bruchac

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Anthology. fat. Sports ineptitude. Gym class. Rope climbing. Gymnastics. Running. Genre: Fiction. Finding your sport. Ping-Pong. Tournaments. Dreams. Defeat. Victory. Best friends. Dirt bikes. Hubsets. Imaginary friends. Surfi ng. Tanning. Brothers Main characters: Variable. and sisters. Handicaps. Shorts. Kayaking. Showing off . Risky behavior. Setting: Variable. Embarrassment. Moving to a new town. Bullies. Football. Place kicking. Summary: Nine short stories about children’s successes and failures in Tryouts. Soccer. Immigrants. Parents. English as a second language. sports. Television. Music. Disobedience. Communication. Priorities. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Physical education. Comprehension skills: Point of view. Compare and contrast. Classroom units: Sports. Competition. Identity/self-perception. Sensitive areas: None. Topics: Basketball. Practice. HORSE. Trick shots. Coaches. Teammates. Being cut from a team. Family. Medical emergencies. Superstition. Being www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 25 Y YOUNG ADULTS • GRADES 9 & UP DECEMBER

Larry and the Meaning of Life

by Janet Tashjian

Holt • ISBN: 9780805077363 • Dewey: F • 224 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

After losing a presidential campaign and his girlfriend, Josh Swensen (aka Larry) can’t seem to get off the couch. His usual overactive imagination and save-the-world mindset have all but vanished, and his best friend, Beth, is seriously worried. When Beth coaxes Josh into taking a walk at Walden Pond, he meets Gus Muldarian, a spiritual guru who encourages Josh to join his study group as a way to fi nd deeper meaning in life. Josh agrees, but what begins as a harmless Th oreau-esque search for meaning soon turns into Josh’s most chaotic and profound adventure yet. Black-and-white photographs.

JLG REVIEW Janet Tashjian got her inspiration for Larry and the Meaning of Life from one of her Readers familiar with Th e Gospel According to Larry and Vote for Larry already know favorite natural settings: Walden Pond. “The spirit of Henry David Thoreau fi lls The Gospel what to expect from Janet Tashjian’s wunderkind protagonist: a keen and restless According to Larry,” she says. intelligence, a steady stream of witty asides, and commentary on everything from land “It gives me such pleasure mines to TV Land. when readers of the fi rst two In Tashjian’s third Larry novel, Josh faces his toughest challenge yet: depression. books discover Thoreau’s Walden. For this new story, “It wasn’t so long ago that my life felt full of purpose,” Josh comments. “Th e purpose I wanted to pay further might have been twisted, like breaking into the principal’s offi ce and downloading the homage to Thoreau by setting theme from Jaws onto his MP3 player for the school awards assembly, but at least there the book at Walden Pond. It’s was a purpose.” Despite his depression, Josh’s pyrotechnic imagination and propensity one of my favorite places on for (high and low) cultural references still defi ne the book’s fi rst-person narration. the planet. All the Larry books are fun to write. But this one had me laughing out loud His ever-present footnotes continue to fl esh out subjects as diverse as Massachusetts’s at my desk.” utopian communities and his past Ms. Tashjian lives in Los Angeles, California, experiences with paint-by-number with her husband and her son. I remembered a quote from Joseph Campbell kits (“My mother never let me use For more about this author visit that I’d read in tenth grade: “I don’t believe the kits as given. She’d switch the www.janettashjian.com people are looking for the meaning of life as numbers on the lids of each tub of much as they are looking for the experience paint so every canvas I did came out of being alive.” The quotation summed up my psychedelic or just plain bad.”) feelings exactly. I didn’t care about the why For fans of Tashjian’s previous of life so much as I just wanted to partake in it Larry books, Larry and the Meaning of again—with full attention and participation. Life off ers the comfort of conversing I didn’t want to sleepwalk anymore; I wanted to be awake. I just had to fi nd a way to make with an old friend; for new readers, it it happen. off ers the thrill of making a new one. —Larry and the Meaning of Life

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Fiction. Classroom units: Identity. Scams. Reality and perception. Changing the Main characters: Eighteen-year-old Josh Swensen, aka Larry, burned world. out after his earlier adventures; Beth, Josh’s best friend and sometime Topics: Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Depression. Romantic girlfriend; Peter, Josh’s supportive stepfather; Gus Muldarian, a guru relationships. Walden Pond. Gurus. Grief. Cults. Geographic surveys. seemingly obsessed with Thoreau’s teachings; Janine, Josh’s ex-girlfriend, Organ transplants. Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948). Paint-by-numbers now Gus’s student; Tracy Hawthorne, aka betagold, Josh’s personal kits. Dogs. Park rangers. Jail. Enemies. Private detectives. Fathers. Paternity nemesis. tests. Surgery. Scams. Turducken. Land mines. The FBI. Loyalty. Payback. Setting: On Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Terrorism. Suicide bombers. Reality and perception. Elaborate pranks. Reality television. Saving a life. New beginnings. Summary: Josh’s earlier adventures (The Gospel According to Larry and Vote for Larry) have left him exhausted and depressed, staying on Peter’s Comprehension skills: Deduce and infer. Point of view. couch for months on end. Then Josh meets Gus, a charismatic guru who Sensitive areas: None. may be able to help Josh resimplify his life and rediscover his place in the world. All it will cost is two thousand dollars. And a kidney.

26 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 9 & UP • YOUNG ADULTS Y+

Lifeblood Darkside, Book 2

by Tom Becker

Orchard • ISBN: 9780545037426 • Dewey: F • 288 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

In Darkside, “a secret borough of London fi lled with evil creatures,” murder is an everyday occurrence. But the murder of Edwin Raff erty is diff erent. “Of all the hundreds of corpses I’ve seen, only one body has ever looked the way this one did,” a reporter tells Jonathan, a young man new to Darkside. “And that was James Arkel.” James Arkel was a Ripper, one of Jack the Ripper’s descendents and thus in line for Darkside’s throne. And Jonathan’s mother had been investigating Arkel’s murder when she disappeared. Can this new murder lead Jonathan to his mother before it leads the Tom Becker is now in his late twenties and says he murderer to him? is reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that His pulse started racing, and there was a he’s offi cially an adult. JLG REVIEW “I spend most of my time mooching around searing pain in his temple. He knew there my fl at, and I am still hopeful that someone Having recently moved to Darkside, were nasty side eff ects to crossing. The will suggest a new hobby for me to take up. Jonathan feels that “a part of his soul festering atmosphere of Darkside was as My favorite ways of putting off writing involve was being fed after years of starvation.” much poison to strangers as it was oxygen listening to music and watching re-runs of Readers craving original fi ction will feel a to its inhabitants. Being half-Darksider, The West Wing. similar sense of satisfaction upon entering Jonathan was supposed to cope better “I have always been a fan of nineteenth- than others, but even he was in pain. He century mystery stories. Lifeblood is my Tom Becker’s richly imagined alternate thought back to his dad, crossing all those attempt to write a murder mystery involving universe. In Lifeblood, Becker’s second years ago, and wondered: How much had the Rippers, the malevolent fi rst family of installment in the Darkside series, readers Darkside.” it hurt him? Mr. Becker lives in London, England. move into Darkside’s deepest recesses— learning its history and visiting its most —Lifeblood dangerous and popular haunts. Th ese include the Midnight Bar, “where patrons [down] mysterious drinks in complete darkness” and the Casino Sanguino, where card dealers wear butcher’s aprons to protect their suits from the games’ inevitable bloodshed. Carnegie, Jonathan’s detective-cum-wereman mentor, balances Jonathan’s (and the reader’s) wide-eyed reactions to Darkside’s sights and sounds with amusingly dry commentary. (“Th ey must really want to sell him candles,” Jonathan says of a man being “dragged by his heels” through the doorway of the Aurora Borealis Exotic Candle Shop. “Th at’s one way of looking at it,” Carnegie concedes. “Either that, or they really want to make him into candles.”) A fast-paced plot keeps the pages turning, and clues addressing the series’ larger mystery—why Jonathan’s mother disappeared—will leave readers anxiously awaiting their next round-trip ticket to Darkside.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Genre: Mystery/horror. Classroom units: Adventures. Mystery. Good versus evil. The supernatural. Main characters: Fourteen-year-old half-Darksider Jonathan Starling; Strange occurrences. Death. Identity/self-perception. Secrets. werewolf and detective Elias Carnegie; star reporter Arthur Blake; Topics: Blackmail. DNA testing. Gambling. Private detectives. Danger. teenager Harry Pierce, novice newspaperman; the Gentlemen. Ambushes. Murder. Werewolves. Newspapers. Politics. Rules for Setting: Darkside, a part of London reserved for the lowest and most evil succession. Pubs. Fire-eaters. Vampires. Disappearances. Private elements. clubs. Pursuit. Escape. Family history. Clandestine meetings. Exclusive restaurants. Bodyguards. Illegal entry. Prisons. Art exhibits. Secret Summary: Jonathan is convinced that the disappearance of his mother, identities. a former reporter for the Darkside Informer, is somehow connected to the murder many years ago of one of Darkside’s most prominent residents. Comprehension skills: Deduce and infer. Now someone is killing all who might shed light on the secret—and Sensitive areas: Violence. Jonathan seems to be on that list. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 27 HH HISTORY HIGH SCHOOL • GRADES 10 & UP DECEMBER

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II The Kingdom on the Waves

by M. T. Anderson

Candlewick • ISBN: 9780763629502 • Dewey: F • 592 pp • 6 1/2" x 9" Scheduled Month: December

When Octavian hears that Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, will free all slaves who join his “Ethiopian Regiment,” the recent runaway gladly signs up. Upon enlisting, Octavian is reunited with his friend Pro Bono. Th e two comrades, who once shared a master, are thrilled to meet again, but their joy quickly subsides. For weeks on end, Dunmore’s regiment sees little to no action. Th ey’re starving and stuck off shore in boats where many are horribly ill. Worse yet, it seems Dunmore may not emancipate the M. T. Anderson says, “The thing that really drove me to write this part of Octavian’s “Ethiopians” after all. Includes a summary of Volume I. Author’s note. story was the discovery that during the Revolutionary War, the British had issued several limited emancipation JLG REVIEW proclamations, almost a century before Lincoln. I’d never heard of Th is superb sequel to the National Book Award winner has many praiseworthy this. I was astounded. elements, but its ability to place readers in the scene is especially remarkable. One “Here’s what happened: In 1775, can practically smell the fetid air on the boat as Octavian and Pro Bono sit among Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor their pox-ridden companions. Feelings of terror and confusion are palpable when of Virginia, proclaimed that any slave who fl ed a rebel master and joined the Octavian and his regiment retreat from battle: “Bullets were fl ung among us—I saw King’s army would be automatically freed. Of men collapse before me—or grab a limb and topple—rise up—and stagger. I passed course, thousands fl ed by night to answer the dead upon the bridge—men prone with their arms hung over the river—Liberty to call. About eight hundred of them made it to Slaves on shirts of corpses—and a man fallen in the river who bobbed there, drowning, the governor’s side and fought with him as holding up a red hand. It was, I saw, not his own.” Lord Dunmore’s Royal Ethiopian Regiment. “Immediately, I felt swept up by this M. T. Anderson uses a variety of styles and formats to tell Octavian’s story—diary poignant, profoundly American story of entries, letters from soldiers, newspaper articles, and more—which adds immensely to struggle and heroism. Every one of the men, the novel by giving readers a wide range of perspectives on the events taking place. Each the women, and the children who fl ed to that point of view feels authentic thanks to illuminating historical details and a unique voice regiment had a story of fl ight, danger, and immeasurable bravery. Every one of them for each narrator or style of narration. Th e Kingdom on the Waves is so well-written and risked their lives for freedom. What could be researched that it feels like a personal scrapbook from the war; it’s sometimes hard to more American than that? believe that Octavian never actually lived. “I only hope that I can do their story justice. Th e novel’s themes are diverse, but most are related to power dynamics—between Their memory deserves it.” friends, between races, and between nations. Reading about Octavian’s struggle Mr. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. to overcome all forms of hegemony and be truly free is fascinating, inspiring, and thought-provoking.

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Social studies. African American studies. Genre: Historical fi ction. Classroom units: American history. The Revolutionary War. Racism and Main characters: Sixteen-year-old escaped slave Octavian Nothing; Dr. prejudice. Identity. Death. Coming of age. John Trefusis, Octavian’s mentor and tutor; escaped slave Private William Topics: Slavery. Escape. Mentors. Lodgings. Boston, Massachusetts. Williams, formerly called Pro Bono, who waited upon Octavian when The American Revolution. Music. Homosexual encounters. Literature. Octavian was a young boy; escaped slaves Pompey Lewis and Slant Croak. Memories. Guilt. Last words. Philosophy. Musical notation. Plays. John Setting: Boston, Massachusetts; Norfolk, Virginia; aboard the Crepuscule Murray, Earl of Dunmore (1730–1809). Names. Uniforms. Enslaved sloop of war; on Gwynn’s Island, Virginia; all in 1775 and 1776. Africans. Freedom. Battles. Defeats. Ships. Telling stories. Becoming a man. The burning of Norfolk. Hygiene. Raiding parties. Killing. Ancestry. Summary: Together with Dr. Trefusis, Octavian, recently escaped from Learning the truth. Smallpox. Forts. Funeral rites. Death. Grief. Marriage. Josiah Gitney, avoids rebel forces and makes his way to Boston, which is Ambushes. Betrayal. Masters. Putting one’s aff airs in order. Departures. in Loyalist hands. There Octavian learns that Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, is off ering freedom to all slaves who leave rebel masters to enlist Comprehension skills: Figurative language. Organize textual elements. in the Loyalist cause. As a private in the Ethiopian Regiment, Octavian Sensitive areas: Sexual themes. Graphic description of bodily fl uids and learns fi rsthand the horrors of war. There he also fi nds acceptance from the eff ects of illness. Strong language. Rape. his fellow soldiers, only to lose his friends to bullets, disease, and betrayal.

28 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 DECEMBER GRADES 10 & UP • HIGH-INTEREST READING HIGH SCHOOL HI

The Year We Disappeared A Father-Daughter Memoir

by Cylin Busby and John Busby

Bloomsbury • ISBN: 9781599901411 • Dewey: 363.2092 B • 320 pp • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" Scheduled Month: December

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, her father, John, a policeman in the small town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, was shot and nearly killed. Under constant police protection, Cylin and her brothers became prisoners at home and outcasts at school. John suspected a local mobster of the murder attempt, but as the suspect remained at large, John began to plot revenge. In alternating chapters, Cylin and John Busby describe the harrowing events that changed their lives. Includes Where Are Th ey Now? and About the Authors sections. Cylin Busby grew up in Falmouth, Massachusetts. “My father, John, was a police offi cer, and my mom was a school JLG REVIEW teacher. In 1979, when I was nine years old, my dad was driving to work one night when his car was ambushed. He In Th e Year We Disappeared, Cylin and John Busby’s alternating narratives provide two was shot in the face with a shotgun, fascinating perspectives on one shocking experience. and though he survived his injuries, our Cylin Busby writes: “[My brothers and I] were just regular kids, suddenly thrust into lives changed forever. After living under a world of pity cookies and hugs from strangers. But with the small-town fame and all twenty-four hour police protection for the public pleasantries came an unfortunate reality: Someone wanted to kill our Dad, months, we relocated to an undisclosed location where we lived in hiding from his and maybe us, too.” As the necessary but overbearing police protection alienates Cylin’s assailants for years. friends and causes her to shrink further into herself, readers will sympathize with her “After college, I got my fi rst job in book and root for her family’s escape from Falmouth. publishing. I realized that my dad’s story John Busby’s anger is righteous as the police seem to bungle the investigation into his would make an amazing book, and I started asking him to write his memoirs. attempted murder, and his carefully constructed plans for revenge are simultaneously He fi nally sent me his journals to see if frightening and captivating. Ray Meyer, the book’s pseudonym for John’s would-be I could shape them into a book. With killer, is a real-life villain whose escape from justice is infuriating. each page I read, my own memories Th e Year We Disappeared is an insightful and highly suspenseful memoir. came fl oating back—the things that had happened to my brothers, my mom, and me. It was a side of the story my dad hadn’t seen, because he was in the hospital trying to survive his John Busby is retired and lives with his wife of injuries. I realized that it was worth more than forty years, Polly Busby. He continues to telling both sides of this story. Not fi ght for the extension of the statute of limitations just what the shooting did to my dad, on the assault of police offi cers. but what it did to us as a family.” For more about this author visit www.cylinbusby.com

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Memoir. Curriculum areas: Language arts. Social studies. Genre: Narrative nonfi ction. Classroom units: Crime. Bullies. Family. Anger. Small-town America. Main characters: Police offi cer John Busby, shot in the face at close range; Topics: Cadavers. Hospitals. Fund-raisers. Sympathy. The night shift. Cylin Busby, nine years old at the time her father is shot; Eric and Shawn The beach. Keeping children occupied. Car paint. Police work. Shootings. Busby, Cylin’s older brothers; Polly Busby, John’s wife, who somehow Fear. Escapes. Blood. Suspects. First responders. Neighbors. Cemeteries. manages to keep the family together; Ray Meyer, the man almost surely Danger. Hiding. Dying. Gangs. Court proceedings. Shotguns. Relatives. behind the attack. Clothes. Rookie cops. Children’s perceptions. Falmouth, Massachusetts. Setting: Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Boston General Hospital in Crime investigations. Cover-ups. Anger. Local politics. Arson. Organized Boston, Massachusetts; on August 31, 1979, and in the years following crime. Hospital visits. Murder. IV tubes. Chess. Bullies. Police protection. the shooting. New teachers. GI tubes. Acting out. Car accidents. Medications. Revenge. Hypnosis. Psychiatrists. Threats. Fences. Alarms. Intruders. Nightmares. Summary: On the night of August 31, 1979, John Busby was shot in the Guard dogs. Lying. Searching for normalcy. Assault and battery. Play face at close range. His recovery, including multiple surgeries to rebuild dates. Relocation. Reporters. Police physical tests. Rural towns. Heat. his jaw and cheeks, would have been diffi cult enough without the fear Making a home. Driver’s licenses. Vulnerability. that whoever had targeted John would probably return to fi nish the job. The alternating voices of John and Cylin Busby tell the same story from Comprehension skills: Sequence. Organize textual elements. Author’s two distinct points of view: that of an angry crime victim who knows purpose. the investigation is being mishandled, and that of an innocent, shy child Sensitive areas: Strong language. Graphic violence. Gore. whose world changes suddenly—and forever. www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 29 YM MATURE YOUNG ADULTS • GRADES 11 & UP DECEMBER

The Knife of Never Letting Go Chaos Walking, Book One

by Patrick Ness

Candlewick • ISBN: 9780763639310 • Dewey: F • 496 pp • 5 1/4" x 8 1/2" Scheduled Month: December

In a town of men, Todd Hewitt is the only boy. Everyone is waiting for him to turn thirteen; he knows because, like everyone else in Prentisstown, Todd hears Noise—the ubiquitous, audible thoughts of men and animals. Supposedly silence hasn’t existed since the alien attack that killed all women and infected all men with the Noise germ. But when Todd and his dog, Manchee, discover a patch of silence in the swamp outside town, all that Todd knows about his world suddenly seems false. Confronted with the townsmen’s malicious plans for his future, Todd fl ees through the swamp, where he “Quiet, Todd,” Manchee growls. fi nds something else that shouldn’t exist: a girl. “But what is it?” “Is quiet, Todd.” He lets out a little bark JLG REVIEW and it’s a real bark, a real dog bark that Th e Knife of Never Letting Go is one of the most thrilling young adult novels of the year. means nothing but “Bark!” and my body electricity goes up a bit, like charges are Th e premise of the story is original and raises a variety of captivating questions. going to start leaping outta my skin. Patrick Ness is masterful at the careful reveal, satisfactorily answering some questions “Listen,” he growls. while deepening the greater mysteries of the story. As Todd explores parts of New World he never knew existed, his awe is palpable. And so I listen. Todd’s voice is sophisticated and agile while endearingly and convincingly adolescent. And I listen. Th e sections in which Todd’s mind is overwhelmed by Noise are striking on the page, And I turn my head a little and I listen appearing as sentences artfully but chaotically handwritten over one another. some more. Th e supporting characters are strong as well. Aaron, the sinister preacher who stalks Todd, is a fi rst-rate villain. Manchee, Todd’s loyal dog who can speak as a result of There’s a hole in the Noise. Noise, is a memorable and hilarious best friend. And the enigmatic girl that Todd Which can’t be. discovers as he fl ees through the swamp is a formidable ally with a fascinating history. —The Knife of Never Letting Go An excellent fi rst volume in a promising new trilogy, Th e Knife of Never Letting Go will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Patrick Ness says he got the idea for The Knife of Never Letting Go when he realized that “the world was getting noisier and noisier, that with mobile phones and the Internet and instant messaging and on and on, you suddenly couldn’t get away from people demanding that you listen to their opinion. So I asked myself, what if you really couldn’t get away. What if your thoughts and everyone else’s were constantly broadcast night and day? And then what would you do if you found an area of silence? I’ll tell you what you’d do, you’d have to run. . . .” Patrick Ness was born in Virginia and currently lives in London, England. Patrick Ness photo by For more about this author visit www.patrickness.com Debbie Smyth

CURRICULUM INDICATIONS Book type: Novel. where he hopes he will fi nd protection from Aaron, Mayor and Davy Genre: Science fi ction. Prentiss, and others who are pursuing him from Prentisstown. Main characters: Todd Hewitt, whose manhood ceremony will occur in Curriculum areas: Language arts. less than a month; Manchee, Todd’s loyal but not overly bright dog; Viola, Classroom units: Science fi ction. Repressive governments. Coming of a girl Todd’s age who has only recently arrived on New World; Aaron, age. Journeys. War. Gender roles. Prentisstown’s preacher, who constantly harasses Todd; Ben Moore, Todd’s Topics: Dogs. Talking animals. Coming of age ceremonies. Extrasensory adoptive father; Mayor Prentiss, power-hungry mayor of Prentisstown; Mr. perception. Religion. Colonizing other worlds. Aliens. Chores. Orphans. Davy Prentiss Jr., who keeps close tabs on Todd. Running away. Local authorities. Knives. Predators. Medicine. Killing. Setting: En route between Prentisstown and Haven on the planet of New Cowardice. Spaceships. Crashes. Books. Maps. Bridges. Pursuers. War. World; at an unspecifi ed time in the future. Refuges. Space travel. Armies. Vengeance. Mimicry. Mantras. Hand-to- Summary: A germ causes the men and all the other creatures of hand fi ghts. Remorse. Stabbings. Loyalty. Tracking by scent. Warnings. Prentisstown—there are no women—to hear one another’s thoughts. Illness. Death. Grief. Doctors. Gender roles. Reunions. Collective guilt. Because Todd was born on New World, this is not new to him. What is new Hope. Waterfalls. Sacrifi ce. Martyrdom. Traps. to Todd is fi nding a hole in the Noise: a new settler, Viola, whose thoughts Comprehension skills: Deduce and infer. Cause and eff ect. are hers alone. As a result of his discovery, Todd must immediately fl ee Sensitive areas: Language. Prentisstown, although he does not know why. What little Todd does know directs him, together with Viola and Manchee, towards Haven,

30 jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008 866-205-0570 jlg news & notes

Junior Library Guild is an active supporter of academic conferences throughout the United States. We value these opportunities to meet you, our library clientele, and learn how we can better serve the library community. We invite you to come by to chat with us, browse the latest books, hear about what’s new or upcoming, and tell us how we’re doing. Look for us at the following conferences:

Kentucky Library Association/Kentucky School California School Library Association (CSLA) Media Association (KLA/KSMA) Sacramento, CA, November 20–23, 2008 Louisville, KY, October 1–4, 2008 American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Iowa Library Association Denver, CO, January 23–26, 2009 West Des Moines, IA, October 15–16, 2008 National Reading Recovery (RRCNA) Georgia Counsel of Media Organizations (COMO XX) Columbus, OH, February 7–10, 2009 Athens, GA, October 15–17, 2008 South Carolina Association of School Librarians Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) (SCASL) Columbus, OH, October 22–24, 2008 Greenville, SC, March 11–13, 2009

North Carolina School Library Media Association Texas Library Association (TLA) (NCSLMA) Houston, TX, March 30–April 4, 2009 Winston-Salem, NC, October 29–31, 2008 American Library Association (ALA) Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) National Conference Sturbridge, MA, November 2–3 Chicago, IL, July 11–14, 2009

Virginia Educational Media Association (VEMA) American Association of School Librarians Richmond, VA, November 6–8, 2008 14th National Conference Charlotte, NC, November 5–8, 2009 New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) East Brunswick, NJ, November 13–15, 2008 Public Library Association Portland, OR, March 24–26, 2010 Indiana Library Federation Indianapolis, IN, November 18–20, 2008

Tennessee Association of School Librarians (TASL) Franklin, TN, November 20–22, 2008

Corrections In the Curriculum Indications for Stolen on page 46 of the October/November 2008 Issue of JLG Monthly, a character was twice misidentifi ed as Trayne. The correct name is Frayne. JLG Monthly regrets the error.

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You can earn free books and help a colleague at the same time! While visiting our booth, simply fi ll out a referral form with the name of someone you know who might like our service. If that colleague becomes a JLG customer, you’ll get two free books as our thank-you gift. We’ll have plenty of forms, so grab a friend on your way over. And make sure you both get some JLG swag— free posters, free pens, and free bookmarks! www.juniorlibraryguild.com DECEMBER 2008 • jlgmonthly 31 FORTHCOMING TITLES • JANUARY 2009 NEXT MONTH FLIP B O

O K

Seasons of the Year / Las estaciones del año Whaam!: The Art & Life of Roy Lichtenstein FM Time’s Chariot by Ben Jeapes PS BE by Margaret Hall by Susan Goldman Rubin GM The Savage by David Almond K Who Made This Cake? by Chihiro Nakagawa The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer: ME MM The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman A John Bellairs Mystery featuring How to Make a Cherry Pie and See P Lewis Barnavelt by Brad Strickland NM Up Close: Ronald Reagan by James Sutherland the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman Name That Style: All about Isms in Art SM Out of Reach by V. M. Jones P+ Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin NE by Bob Raczka Y Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane E Seabiscuit: The Wonder Horse Katrina, Friendship, and Survival SE Y+ by Meghan McCarthy How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery The Devil on Trial: Witches, Anarchists, Magical Kids: The Smallest Girl Ever; HH Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and A E+ The Boy Who Could Fly by Sally Gardner Atheists, Communists, and Terrorists in His Cowboy Songs by Deborah Hopkinson America’s Courtrooms by Phillip Marguiles and Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls Maxine Rosaler Nikki & Deja: Birthday Blues A+ I by Lynne Jonell by Karen English HI The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman B All About Sleep from A to Zzzz by Elaine Scott I+ Mighty Monty by Johanna Hurwitz YM Dishes by Rich Wallace Wild Horses: Galloping Through Time B+ by Kelly Milner Halls Sword of Waters: The Shield, Sword, and Crown, C Book Two by Hilari Bell C+ The Freedom Business poems by Marilyn Nelson

Junior Library Guild 7858 Industrial Parkway Plain City, OH 43064 866-205-0570 • www.juniorlibraryguild.com jlgmonthly • DECEMBER 2008