The Wonders Inside: The Human Body - ESSENTIAL

The Wonders Inside: The Human Body, 90 p. Silver Dolphin (National Geographic), 2009. $20 

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Once you show this fabulous book to any teacher of science, you will hard pressed to get it back. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t a multimedia, interactive, spectacle. The detail and brilliance of the technical drawings inside our bodies is endlessly fascinating. Each page is large enough for a class to see the detail – and if your teacher has a document camera, then so much the better. Be careful – because you made need to order more than one. Straight forward looks at the body educate without any titillation. Be confident of putting this on your shelf. And at this price – you can afford more than one!

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Night of the Moon by Hena Khan - ADVISABLE

Khan, Hena Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story, illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Chronicle Books, 2008.

EL - ESSENTIAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE

Yasmeen, a Pakastani-American girl, is too young to fast during Ramadan herself, but that doesn't stop her from sharing the holiday with her school friends and participating in her family's celebration.

The bright illustrations are a perfect compliment to the text in this picture book. While Yasmeen is a little girl, she still gives a good look at this Muslim holy month. Even high school geography teachers could read this to their students as a quick ways to explain how Ramadan works.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio - ESSENTIAL

D'Aluisio, Faith What the World Eats, photographed by Peter Menzel, 160 p. Tricycle Press, 2008.

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

From the creators of Material World and Hungry Planet comes this knockout book about what25 families around the world grow, make and buy to feed themselves for a week. Each family is photographed with all of the makings for their weekly meals. Full of details about nutrition and lifestyle without ever being boring. This book is utterly fascinating and I really want posters of all of the family portraits and the ingredient lists for a fabulous display! I hope that Tricycle comes up with some related materials for this must-have title!

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Charlie Bone and the Shadow by Jenny Nimmo - ESSENTIAL

Nimmo, Jenny Charlie Bone and the Shadow, 464pgs. Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2008.

Language: G, Sexual Content: G, Violence: PG

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Count Harken will stop at nothing to get Charlie Bone for what he did to him. One day, Charlie's grandmother brings home a mysterious painting. Having his endowment, he was tempted to just have one look at the painting. One look and that was all it took to drag him into a land he didn't want to be in.

This in one of my favorite series. If you read Harry Potter, you should read these books. I love Nimmo's books. They mystify you and make you tense until you realise it is the end. I can't wait for the next book! Seventh in the series.

Student Reviewer: CW

Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter - ESSENTIAL

Winter, Jeanette Wangari's Trees of Peace: a true story from Africa. Harcourt, 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

By the time that Wangari returns from her college education in America, most of the trees of Kenya had been cut down to make room for modernization. Now she saw that the women of the villages suffered in poverty, due in part to the loss of those trees. Starting with her own back yard and her own village, Wangri plants one sapling at a time and encourages others to join. After thirty years, thirty million trees have been planted, returning a canopy of green to Kenya. In 2004, Wangair was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.

Buy this book now and give to every science teacher you have! Its message is laid out so simply that the power of its truth has a chance to reach every student.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan - ESSENTIAL

Riordan, Rick Battle of the Labyrinth, 368 pgs. Hyperion.

Language~G, Sexual Content~G; Violence~PG-13;

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Percy and his friends are back! Camp Half-blood is in Kronos’ sights and the entire camp is in danger. If the enemy can find its way through the Labyrinth, they will be able to bypass the secure borders of Camp Half-blood. Percy and his friends must prevent this. They begin a quest into the Labyrinth and many dangers await them.

Riordan has created yet another exciting volume in his Olympian saga, but this is not the end. Fans will eagerly await his next book.

Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Librarian

Twenty-Odd Ducks by Lynne Truss - ESSENTIAL

Truss, Lynne Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why Every Punctuation Mark Counts, illustrated by Bonnie Timmons. Putnam (Penguin), 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Truss and Timmons score another home run with another companion to the Eats, Shoots and Leaves book. This time all punctuation marks are involved in this wonderful new book. English teachers at levels need this book right now!


Cindy, Library-Teacher

Billy Bones by Christopher Lincoln - ESSENTIAL

Lincoln, Christopher Billy Bones: Tales from the Secrets Closet, 284 pages. Little Brown and Co.

Content - G

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

This book starts out with a silly "Guide to the Afterlife" which starts the chuckles off right away. The main story is about a skeleton named Billy Bones, his parents, one Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI, Miss Primly, Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI niece, Millicent, a kind old lady, and a ghost and the Grim Reaper. A cute little story a lot like Tim Burton's claymations.

I think any one could read this book and be thoroughly entertained. The characters are ones you could love or hate (depending on the character) and the story has a good moral.

Student Reviewer: RH

The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy - ESSENTIAL

Kennedy, James The Order of Odd-Fish, 403 pages. Delacorte Press (Random).

Language-G, Sexual Content-G, Violence-PG.

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Jo Larouche has lived 13 years with her Aunt Lily since she was found as a baby in her Aunt's laundry room with this note pinned to her blanket:
This is Jo. Please take care of her.
But beware.
This is a DANGEROUS baby.

Up to this point Jo has been as Aunt Lily says "as dangerous as a glass of milk," but that all changes at Aunt Lily's annual Christmas costume party when several strange things happen: a boy in a hedgehog costume shoots an elderly Russian Colonel, a talking cockroach is found tied in the basement moaning about how this will play in the tabloid press and a box falls from the sky addressed to Jo from the order of Order of Odd-Fish.

This book is like Monty Python and Roald Dahl mixed together. It's extremely funny and had me laughing out loud.

Student Reviewer: RH

The King and Fire Chanter by Arrand Wend - ESSENTIAL

Wend, Arrand The King and the Fire Chanter (Book One of The Runes of Medarya). 373 pages. Antiquity Publishing

Content - G

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Shane and Mia flee for their lives to another planet and discover their mysterious connection to a royal king of the past and his vision to reestablish the lost kingdom. It's up to them to decipher riddles left by an evil mage long dead who set a bomb to kill them even after he died.

A great story with lots of humor and action. I loved it.

Student Reviewer: RH

From what I can tell, this book is hard to get ahold of. Amazon seems to be the best bet.