Tuesday, November 11, 2014

New Books - 11/10/14


Computer Graphics: From Concept to Consumer
by Kevin Cunningham

Series: Calling All Innovators

New York: Children's Press, 2014.
64 p.

Explores the computer graphics industry and what it takes to be a computer graphic designer.



The Hunt for Bin Laden
by Josh Gregory

Series: Cornerstornes of Freedom


New York: Children's Press, 2014

64 p.

Presents the events that lead to the death of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, discussing why it was important to find him, how he had originally escaped the United States military, and more.



Jason and the Golden Fleece
by Susan K. Baumann

Series: Jr. Graphic Myths: Greek Heroes


New York: PowerKids Press, 2014

24 p.

In graphic novel format, relates the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.




Unicorns
by Megan Atwood

Series: Creatures of Legend


Minneapolis: Core Library, 2014

48 p.

Describes unicorn legends from around the world.

All About the Weather
by Edward Close

Series: Discovery Education: Earth and Space Science

New York: PowerKids Press, 2014
32 p.

Provides an overview of weather, covering wind, clouds, storms, weather forecasting, and more.



Extreme Weather
by Edward Close

Series: Discovery Education: Earth and Space Science

New York: PowerKids Press, 2014
32 p.

Looks at dangerous types of storms and other storm-related disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and lightning.


Cells
by Shirley Duke

Series: Science of Life

Minneapolis: Core Library, 2014
48 p.

Explains the discovery of cells, what cells are, the kinds of cells, cell reproduction, and more.


Animal Classification
by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst

Series: Science of Life

Minneapolis: Core Library, 2014
48 p.

Explains that scientists use an organizing system called taxonomy to study animals, and introduces phyla, chordates, and more.


Roller Coasters: From Concept to Consumer
by Kevin Cunningham

Series: Calling All Innovators, A Career for You

New York: Children's Press, 2013
64 p.





You Wouldn't Want to Explore with Lewis and Clark! : An Epic Journey You'd Rather Not Make
by Jacqueline Morley

New York: Franklin Watts, 2013
32 p.

Cartoons and facts combine to provide an overview of what it was like to travel with Lewis and Clark.



The Attack on Pearl Harbor
by Peter Benoit

Series: Cornerstones of Freedom

New York: Children's Press, 2013
64 p.

Describes the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941 that drew the United States into World War II, and covers why United States leaders hesitated to join the war, why Japan decided to attack the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, and how the attack affected attitudes in the United States toward Japanese Americans.

Tank Man : How a Photograph Defined China's Protest Movement
by Michael Burgan

Series: Captured History

North Mankato, MN: Compass Point Books, 2014
64 p.

Discusses the iconic photo of a lone protester, Tank Man, stopping a row of tanks near Tiananmen Square during protests in 1989.


The Vietnam War
by Peter Benoit

Series: Cornerstones of Freedom

New York: Children's Press, 2013
64 p.

Presents a history of the Vietnam War that took place from 1954 until 1975, discussing how the war began, why United States forces found it difficult to fight the Viet Cong, and why immigration has become a controversial issue for both the United States and Vietnam.

African Americans in the Thirteen Colonies
by Michael Burgan

Series: Cornerstones of Freedom

New York: Children's Press, 2013
64 p.

Discusses the lives of the African Americans of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.


You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist! : A Settlement You'd Rather Not Start
by Jacqueline Morley

Series: You Wouldn't Want To--

New York: Franklin Watts, 2013
32 p.

Cartoons and facts combine to explain what it was like to be an American colonist in the seventeenth century, discussing the realities of the voyage from England, dealing with Indians, and struggling for survival in the new world.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier! : A War You'd Rather Not Fight
by Thomas Ratliff

Series: You Wouldn't Want To--

New York: Franklin Watts, 2013
32 p.

Brief text, sidebars, labeled illustrations, and humorous cartoons depict life and events during the four years of the Civil War.

The Great Depression
by Melissa McDaniel

Series: Cornerstones of Freedom

New York: Children's Press, 2013
64 p.

Presents an introduction to the Great Depression of the 1930s discussing the economic boom of the 1920s to the depressions conclusion during World War II, how Americans survived after losing their jobs and what the United States government did to combat the effects of the depression.





Monday, November 10, 2014

Most Popular Books - 11/10/14


Most Popular:

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.



Second Place:

The Compound
by S. A. Bodeen

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.



Third Place:

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover
by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston and the two escape a kidnappers' plot using their espionage skills, and when Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other friends use their spy training as part of the security team.



Fourth Place:

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
edited by Kazu Kibuishi

An anthology of short graphic works by such artists as Kazu Kibuishi, Dave Roman, and Raina Telgemeier, all on the theme of a mysterious box and the marvels, or mayhem, inside.




Fifth Place:

Found
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.




Honorable Mention:

 



Tuesday, November 4, 2014

New Books - 11/3/14

The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan

Series: Heroes of Olympus, Book 5
Los Angeles: Disney/Hyperion, 2014
516 p.

The Greek and Roman demigods must simultaneously prevent the earth mother, Gaea, from waking and stop war from breaking out at Camp Half-Blood.


The King's Dragon
by Scott Chantler

Series: Three Thieves, Book 4
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2014
112 p.

While waiting for Dessa, Topper, and Fisk to emerge from a healing community where he is sure they have taken shelter, Captain Drake remembers his early days as a member of the King's Dragons and the web of intrigue that his younger, more idealistic, self was drawn into, and wonders if the key to catching the three thieves could lie in his own dark past.

Arctic Thaw: Climate Change and the Global Race for Energy Resources
by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2015
64 p.

Examines the controversies arising from the opportunities being created for energy resources in the Arctic, due to global warming.




Colin Fischer
by Ashley Edward Miller & Zach Stentz

New York: Razorbill, 2012
228 p.

A boy with autism teams up with the high school bully to get to the bottom of a cafeteria crime.




The White House is Burning: August 24, 1814
by Jane Sutcliffe

Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014
120 p.

Describes the events of August 24, 1814, the day during the War of 1812 that British troops entered Washington, D.C., and proceeded to pillage and burn the nation's capital city, as reflected in first-hand accounts in diaries, journeys, letters, and other communications.


The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible--On Schindler's List : a Memoir
by Leon Leyson, with Marilyn J. Harran and Elisabeth B. Leyson

New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013
231 p.

Leon Leyson describes growing up in Poland, being forced from home to ghetto to concentration camps by the Nazis, and being saved by Oskar Schindler.

Most Popular Books - 11/3/14

The most popular book last week:

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan.

The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land--Greece itself--to find the Doors of Death.




Runner Up:

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school.




Third Place:

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.



Fourth Place:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.




Fifth Place:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.




Honorable Mention:


Monday, October 27, 2014

New Books - 10/27/14

Achilles and the Trojan War
by David L. Ferrell

Series: Jr. Graphic Myths: Greek Heroes
New York: Powerkids Press, 2014
24 p.

In graphic novel format, relates the Greek myth about Achilles and the Trojan War


The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Dark & Sinister
by Stefan Bachmann, Katherine Catmull, Claire Legrand, and Emma Trevayne

New York: Greenwillow Books, 2014

488 p.

Thirty-six eerie short tales, most of which were originally published on the blog of the same name, relate to an imaginary museum of creepy artifacts and are arranged into such thematic "drawers" as love, luck, song, and fairy tales.





The Captive Prince
by Scott Chantler

Series: Three Thieves, Book 3.
Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2012
116 p.

Dessa, Topper and Fisk, still searching for Dessa's missing twin brother, find themselves in a mess after Dessa accidently rescues a prince. 





 The Golden Twine
by Jo Rioux

Series: Cat's Cradle, Book 1
Tonawanda NY: Kids Can Press, 2012
111 p.

With monsters slipping through the mountains into the valley of Galatea, Suri, an orphan, dreams of becoming a monster tamer.





 Perseus and Medusa
by Lynne Weiss

Series: Jr. Graphic Myths: Greek Heroes
New York: Powerkids Press, 2014
24 p.

In graphic novel format, relates the Greek myth about Perseus, one of the god Zeus' human sons, and the slaying of Medusa, a Gorgon whose gaze turned men to stone.



World's Scariest Prisons
by Emma Carlson Berne

New York: Scholastic, 2014

108 p.

Examines twenty prisons from around the world and includes descriptions of living conditions, information on famous prisoners, and facts about when the prisons were in operation and what types of prisoners were held at each facility.


Most Popular Books - 10/27/14



So, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the most popular book again this week. This dark fantasy, one of my favorites from a couple of years ago, has a touch of a creepy feel to make it perfect reading close to Halloween.

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.






At the number two spot is Tenth Grade Bleeds, the third book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer. These books continue to circulate well based on the fabulous covers -- very eye catching!

Tenth grade does not bring any relief to Vlad who is finding it increasingly difficult to resist feeding on his classmates and to avoid the evil vampire D'Ablo who wants to drain his powers.





Next up is The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. It's a chilling story that captures the interest of many a reader early in the story. 

Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on sanity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.






Another book with a fabulous cover takes the number four spot this week. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter is a solid entry in the Gallagher Girl series.

Cammie Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston and the two escape a kidnappers' plot using their espionage skills, and when Macey goes on the campaign trail with her father, the vice-presidential nominee, Cammie and other friends use their spy training as part of the security team.








At number five, How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart is a humorous look at life in middle school. 

When eleven-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Penny, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.






Honorable Mention: