Winter Reading 2019 Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Sharks

Sam Wu has already proved that he is not afraid of ghosts in his first book, but now there is a new danger - sharks! When Sam's class goes to the aquarium he is startled when a shark seems intent on ramming its way through the glass. His flinching reaction is noted by some classmates who take delight in teasing him about it and reminding him about a regrettable incident on a past field trip.

The illustrations are hilarious and capture every expression and quiver. For instance, when the docent urges Sam to pet a stingray we can see his mouth open in a protesting gasp, his elbows shaking, and his wide-eyed stare at the tank. We also have the inner monologue of Sam's thoughts. "Who would want to touch a stingray? That's like asking, "Who wants to pet this spiky porcupine?" Sam thinks.  

Lucky for Sam, he has friends to help him deal with the teasing. There is Bernard who "loves to look things up.It is kind of his superpower." And his friend "Zoe's superpower is being super fast." But of course, Sam's superpower "is being SUPER BRAVE, obviously." 

This series is a good match for beginning chapter book readers who enjoy the heavily illustrated style that also gives them support with the text. Recommend it to readers who enjoy series like Katie Woo and Kylie Jean.

I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher. Release date is March 12.

Winter Reading 2019 Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands

I love the organization of this biography. Each chapter is named after a material that Maya has used in her work, and they trace her journey through her development as an artist as well as visiting many of her most famous works. The fact that she is able to work with so many different media (granite, water, celadon, etc.) is just one indication of her versatility as an artist.

The chapters, along with discussing her childhood and student years also talk about the various groups she has worked with to create museums, outdoor displays, and memorials. Most people know her as the designer behind the Vietnam Memorial Wall, but she has done much more than that. The large, full-page photos show details up close as well as the full view of each creation. 

Any readers interested in art and architecture should pick up a copy of this book. The text is engaging and descriptive and the images are equally alluring. I would love to take my students on a field trip to the Langston Hughes Library and Riggio-Lynch Chapel, since they are within easy driving distance of our school.

I was lucky enough to meet the author at NCTE last fall and get her to autograph a copy for our school library.

Winter Reading 2019 Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer

This well researched biography tells about the first computer programmer in the world, Ada Byron Lovelace. Ada was the daughter of Lord Byron, the famous poet, but her mother chose to raise her on science and mathematics to combat the influence of her father's heritage. The details of her course of study and relationship with her mother are covered, as well as her meeting with Charles Babbage and his ideas about a Difference Engine and an Analytical Engine. Combining the creativity of her father and her logical training, Ada developed the idea of cards to program the engines - even to do sequences and loops. 

Photos of the Difference Engine, portraits of Ada and her parents, even copies of pages from her school exercise books all add to the text. An appendix includes the notes Ada made as she translated the original article about Babbage's Difference Engine. A second appendix includes the notes from the British Association for the Advancement of Science as they debated whether to fund the construction of the Analytical Engine. There are also extensive source notes for all the quotes within the text, a glossary, and bibliography.

This is recommended for ages 10 -14. Details about Lovelace's gambling and laudanum use, among other facts, will be better understood by readers beyond the elementary grades. Publication date is set for March 12, 2019. I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher.

Winter Reading 2019 Check Out the Library and Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies

                       

Today only - a Weenies double feature! Check Out the Library Weenies was released September 4, 2018 and Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies in 2016, but I only picked up copies of them at a recent conference. David Lubar has a very vivid imagination and uses it to conjure up a wide variety of scenarios and characters. Whether it is vampire slaying, time machines, mummies, or nightmares coming to life, each story builds up the tension quickly and generally has a surprising ending.

These anthologies are perfect for reluctant readers, or those who prefer to read in short bursts rather then extended periods of time. Most of the stories are only a few pages long and have horror, humor, and plot twists to keep even the shortest attention spans entertained. The title stories are good examples of the wide range within the pages. The library weenies learn a valuable lesson about judging a book (or anyone else) by its cover, while the bleacher weenies get a quick trip to a Mayan ballgame to put Little League in perspective.

If you have enjoy unexpected developments and don't mind a bit of bathroom humor now and again, then you should try out this series.

Winter Reading 2019 The Beat on Ruby's Street

For fans of historical fiction, the Beat Street Series is an option to explore for the scene in Greenwich Village in the late 1950s. Ruby's parents are Beat artists. Her father is a musician,  while her mother is a painter. Ruby and her brother Ray are home schooled along with some friends by another couple in the neighborhood. Ruby's greatest problems seem to be saving the money for a new leotard and a pair of earrings, and getting the chance to meet Jack Kerouac. But when she gets into a disagreement with a local shop owner, the police and social services get involved and it may be the end of Ruby's time in the Village.

Readers will be amazed at the details packed into the story - the sights, sounds, and even smells of the Village in 1958 fill Ruby's life and her poetry. From the carefully balanced apples and oranges on a fruit cart to the Italian restaurant that hosts Ruby's birthday party, the author carefully constructs the setting. The social worker who creates tension and change in Ruby's home life seems to be clueless about what her interference means to those involved, so bent on doing her job that she is blind to the chaos and potential heartache she creates. 

For teachers looking for books where the characters are creative and respond to what is happening in their lives through their art, Ruby and her poetry offer another possibility to share in class. Recommended for ages 10+. I read an e-book provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Winter Reading 2019 The Library of Ever

What is a girl to do when her parents are off on a trip to Europe and have left her in the care of a nanny who spends all her time visiting her own friends and dragging her charge along like excess luggage? Well, Lenora waits for the right moment and then makes a break for it. Being a smart girl our protagonist makes her move while they are at the library (so the nanny can check out a book to show off to her friends). As she searches for the children's section, Lenora encounters a strange arch that leads her to the ultimate library. When she is made the "fourth assistant apprentice librarian," her adventures really begin.

Between helping patrons from the future, rescuing stranded penguins, finding lost kittens, and other amazing help desk assignments, Lenora encounters menacing figures in bowler hats who seem intent on preventing patrons from using the library. The head librarian, Malachi, tells her these characters are the "Forces of Darkness" and have always been around. Holding to the belief that "Knowledge is Light," Lenora does her best to fight the insidious actions of the dark. As she tells two of the figures when they point out she is just a child, "I'm also a librarian. And I'm not going to hide the truth from anyone."  

Lenora's research into patron queries will have readers learning about Leap Day and Leap Years, the tallest mountain in the world, the ancient Egyptian goddess Bast, and tardigrades. They will also encounter robots, beluga whales, ant colonies, and various other wonders that will spark interest in new and exciting subjects to research for themselves.

This middle grade tale is a good match for fans of The Ninja Librarians by Jen Swann Downey, or readers who enjoy books about books such as Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library or The Book Scavenger.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Winter Reading 2019 The Last Second (A Brit in the FBI, #6)

Even when the members of the Covert Eyes group are on vacation, they can't seem to avoid trouble. Nicholas and Mike are supposed to be enjoying some time off and the beautiful Mediterranean area - but they hear about a downed yacht and spring into action. It is understandable that they would rush to the assistance of the yacht when one of their friends was known to be on board. But things are not as simple as a sinking ship, and would readers really expect anything so uncomplicated from these agents? 

As usual in the cases that the team takes on, there are multiple lines to follow and complicated plots to unravel. This time there are ancient shipwrecks, legends of the Holy Grail, satellite launches, stolen nuclear material, an EMP bomb, telescopes, the International Space Station, and aliens. So ... just an average day for the Covert Eyes. The search for answers has Adam hacking into networks best left unnamed, while Nicholas and Mike travel from Italy to Malaysia, Lyon, and Sri Lanka. Along the way there are shootouts, crashes, ambushes, and even an encounter with Al Qaeda and the CIA. Between Nicholas and his skills on the computer and Mike's weapons and hand-to-hand proficiency, they make a great field team even when the rest of their group is halfway around the globe. The continuous countdown shown at the beginning of each chapter heading increases the tension as readers wonder if it truly will take until the last second to find those responsible and stop them.

This series continues to deliver fast-paced action, humor to break the tension, intricate plots, and the sizzling attraction between the team's leaders. The relationship highlights the mutual respect for their abilities and the story line takes advantage of their faith in each other as well as their desire to keep each other safe. Highly recommended for fans of suspense thrillers.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.