Book Review: Fuzzy Mud

FUZZY MUD by Louis Sachar is a fast-paced middle-grade ecological mystery exploring friendship, bullies, and a life-threatening biohazard.

A work of speculative fiction, the story revolves around three children who stumble upon a mutated microorganism with the potential to cause a global pandemic.

Sachar weaves together short, focused chapters with excerpts from Senate hearings to create a quick read for a broad audience. For such a short book, the author is able to create multi-dimensional characters and a believable plot.

Youth who enjoy the environmental mysteries of Carl Hiassen and Jean Craighead George will be drawn to this ecological thriller. While reluctant readers will enjoy this fast-paced, “skinny book”, it will also be popular with those who read school and friendship titles. The variety of themes make it a good choice for group discussions.

Librarians and teachers will find the timely environment issues to be good connections with STEM connections. Consider a display that includes medical and ecological mysteries along with works of nonfiction about the CDC and strange diseases.

Published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House on August 4, 2015.

Book Review: Bookopolis

BOOKOPOLIS is a website designed to ignite a passion for reading in children ages 7-12.

Intended to build a community of readers, this social network provides a safe environment for elementary and middle school youth to connect with other book lovers. Youth can find books to read as well as share their book reviews.

Students can explore new books, create a bookshelf, share with friends, and earn points. The website also offers book suggestions and features new releases.

In addition to being a resource for children, the website also provides resources for teachers and librarians including lesson ideas, book recommendations, and standards connections. Educators can sign up for a teacher account to set up classes.

To explore the website, go to https://www.bookopolis.com.

Book Review: Mechanica

MECHANICA by Betsy Cornwell is a high-powered steampunk fairytale with a 21st century ending.

Loosely based on the Cinderella story, this engaging steampunk fairytale tells the classic story with a twist. Nicolette longs to invent special, ash-powered machines like her mother did, but magic is now illegal and her wicked stepmother and stepsisters keep her busy as a servant. There’s no fairy godmother, just a hint of magic and Nicolette’s unending passion to become a working inventor.

Cornell provides a refreshing twist on the classic tale. While the book has the potential to draw both fairy tale and steampunk fans, traditionalists may be disappointed by the switch ending. However, many youth (and adults alike) will cheer for the strong heroine’s decision.

With all the recent fairytale retellings, librarians have the opportunity for lots of interesting displays and promotions.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.betsycornwell.com/.

Published by Clarion on August 25, 2015. ARC from Edelweiss.

Tech Review: Biodiversity Heritage Library

The BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY website contains an interesting digital collection as well as two games to help the website verify the accuracy of OCR scanning.

The digital library contains free access to biodiversity knowledge. With nearly 100,000 titles and over 160,000 volumes, it contains millions of pages of taxonomic literature. While many of the materials aren’t likely to be of interest to K-12 youth, there are some interesting items that could be woven into art and science classes.

The BHL Blog is a good place to go for specific items of interest to youth. For instance, a children’s librarian’s Taming the Wild post shared some cool social media posters made from images from the collection. The blog also hosts a podcast featuring key collections such as their SHARK WEEK collection. It’s available at iTunes.

A good place for youth to start is at the Flickr stream. When students find an image of interest they can learn more by exploring the entire report or book.

The website’s two purposeful games help the library verify the automated information mined when objects were digitized. The Smorball game asks users to type the words they see as quickly and accurately as possible to help coach their team to victory. The Beanstalk game involves users in typing the words presented to them correctly in order to grow their beanstalk.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a great way to introduce youth to digital collections in the sciences.

To explore the website, go to http://biodiversitylibrary.org.
Go to the Taming the Wild blogpost at http://blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/…/taming-wild-social-me….

Book Review: Lair of Dreams

LAIR OF DREAMS by Libba Bray is the second engaging suspense in The Diviners series.

Set in the 1920s, this paranormal thriller features an array of fascinating characters from the first novel including Evie, Sam, Jericho, and others. A sleeping sickness is spreading through New York City. Henry DuBois and Ling Chen are diviners who are able to walk in dreams. Will they be able to solve the mystery of this rapidly spreading illness or will they be trapped in the dreamworld? In addition to the dream theme, many subplots will keep readers connected with all the characters and prepare fans for more books to come.

Bray has become a master of blending historical fiction with supernatural fantasy elements. From speakeasies to racism, a wide range of political and social issues are seamlessly woven into the fabric of this haunting story.

Fans will be standing in line for this exciting thriller. Consider a library event that includes period costumes and ghostly decorations.

To learn more about the author, go to https://libbabray.wordpress.com/.

Published by Little, Brown, an imprint of Hachette on August 25, 2015. ARC through Edelweiss.

Website Review: Teen Ink

TEEN INK is website that encourages youth to express themselves through poetry, essays, stories, reviews, art, and photography.

For more than 25 years, the nonprofit group The Young Authors Foundation has provided a website, magazine, and books all written by teens for teens. Aimed at young adults ages 13 through 19, the website works with English and Art teachers to encourage teens to submit their work for publication.

The website is divided into nine sections.

The Poetry section is organized into free verse, song lyrics, sonnets, haiku, limericks, and ballads. Users can view the works by today’s best, top voted, most discussed, or more recent.

The Fiction section includes action-adventure, fan fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, scripts/plays, and thriller/mystery.

The Nonfiction section is divided into types such as memoir, interviews, and essays. There’s also a hot issues section with topics such as bullying, environment, and health.

The Reviews section provides book, movie, music, TV, and video game reviews. Summer program and college reviews are also posted.

The Forums section provides two areas for youth to interact. There’s a writer’s workshop as well as regular forums.

The Art/Photo section posts artwork by medium and the Video section posts video work by theme.

The Summer Program section helps youth identify summer programs of interest across subject areas and the College Guide section features resources to help youth learn about college and university options.

In addition to the main sections, a Submit Work area provides guidelines and suggestions for youth wishing to submit their work, a Contests area features opportunities across writing and art genre, and the Other Teen Ink Goodies links provide many additional resources and opportunities.

Teen Ink also features a Library Advisory Board that serve as volunteer liaisons and advisors. This is a great way to get involved at the national level.

Finally, be sure to make use of the many social media features infused into the website including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Librarians may wish to suggest this website to youth seeking to get their work published. It’s also a great source for short creative and nonfiction works for reading activities.

To learn more, go to the website at http://www.teenink.com/.

Book Review: Baba Yaga's Assistant

BABA YAGA’s ASSISTANT by Marika McCoola is an engaging middle-grade graphic novel fantasy featuring a central character in Russian folklore.

Masha isn’t looking forward to a new stepmother and stepsister, so she decides to leave the family and apply for a job as Baba Yaga’s apprentice. She inherited a love of folklore and bit of magic from her grandmother, but that may not be enough to save her from this supernatural old woman who preys on children and flies around in a mortar wielding a pestle.

McCoola builds a convincing bridge between old folklore and modern society in this well-written, fast-paced graphic fantasy. Emily Carroll’s convincing illustrations draw readers into the plot. Of particular note are the beautifully bordered folktale sequences woven throughout the story.

This spooky, yet lighthearted tale will delight readers who enjoy fairy tales, but it will also be a hit with graphic novel fans. Librarians looking for age-appropriate graphic novels for middle grade children will be thrilled with this short, illustrated work. Teachers will enjoy the many curriculum connections related to folklore.

Published by Candlewick Press on August 4, 2015.

Website Review: Kidjutsu

KIDJUTSU is a useful website providing comics, webcomics, manga, and graphic novels for youth.

A kids comics directory, the website contains a kid-friendly collection of comics that can be read online for free. Each comic is carefully screened and marked with an age rating.

Users can browse comics by title, by age rating, or by genre. The results can be displayed by most popular, most voted, or most recent. Information is provided about each comic along with recommendations for related comics. Comics can be read using a full-screen reader window. Social media links are provided for sharing.

In addition to the free resource, the website also links to suggested graphic novels.

Librarians will find this to be a useful resource for youth seeking free web comics beyond those available in the library.

To get started browsing, go to http://www.kidjutsu.com.

Book Review: The Tea Party in the Woods

THE TEA PARTY IN THE WOODS by Akiko Miyakoshi is an amazing picture book story of a path, a party, a pie, and a parade through the snow.

Designed for ages 4-8, young Kikko sets out through the snow covered woods to catch up with her father who is on his way to Grandmother’s house. She’s carrying a pie for her grandma, but it’s smashed when she falls in the snow. Disoriented, she ended up at a large house and is invited to join a formally dressed party of animals for tea. All the forest animals contribute pieces to form a new pie she can take to grandmother’s house.

Unlike many forest tales that are filled with scary creatures, this story views the woods as an inviting place stocked with warm, caring animals and pie made of forest fruits and nuts.

The magical elements seems to rise naturally in this bridge between fantasy and reality. The soft charcoal drawings perfectly match the quiet story. The hint of color add to the appeal.

Librarians will find that both the illustrations and story will attract a wide range of children. The story’s focus on cooperation and problem solving will be particularly compelling for primary teachers.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to http://miyakoshiakiko.com/.

Published by Kids Can Press on August 1, 2015.

Website Review: The Story Starter

THE STORY STARTER is an easy-to-use website that randomly generates story starters.

Developed by Joel Heffner, the idea generator is appropriate for all ages for projects that range from short stories to novels.

Users simply press “CLICK HERE FOR A RANDOM STORY STARTER SENTENCE” and a sentence is displayed in a box on the screen. Users can then copy and paste the starter sentence into their favorite word processor.

For those interested in ideas specifically for children, go to the Story Starter for Kids area. This website generates short, interesting story starters for youth.

As an added feature, the website also contains a fun word game for all ages. The Scribble page randomly generates ten letters. Users then create as many words as they can using the ten letters.

Librarians can have lots of fun with this website. It’s an excellent way to help youth begin the writing process and the Scribble game is a great word activity for free time.

Go to the website at http://thestorystarter.com/.

Book Review: After the Red Rain

AFTER THE RED RAIN by Barry Lyga, Peter Facinelli, and Robert DeFranco is a post-apocalyptic YA adventure with a hint of romance.

While out scavenging, factory worker Deedra encounters a strange boy named Rose from beyond their territory. The dystopian story evolves into a murder mystery when the factory overseer is found dead and Rose is accused of the killing. Readers learn about the red rain and the true nature of Rose, but the book concludes with the promise of a sequel that will hopeful answer some other questions.

While some readers may find the science fiction aspects of the story absurd, others will find them fascinating. Although the characters lack the depth of many YA novels, the themes and adventure elements will keep readers interested.

This book seems to be stuck between the children’s and young adult levels. While some aspects such as the rape attempt and violence are clearly in the young adult realm, the simplistic world building and social control feel more like a children’s work of dystopian fiction.

Librarians will find many readers for this quirky, post-apocalyptic YA novel. Because it reads like a movie, fans of the recent dystopian wave will feel right at home.

On a personal level, it reminded me of cross between Soylent Green and City of Ember.

Published by Little, Brown on August 4, 2015. ARC NetGalley and Edelweiss.

Website Review: Writer's Workshop: Writer Resources

WRITERS WORKSHOP: WRITER RESOURCES website from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign contains comprehensive guides to grammar, citation styles, ESL resources, and writing tips.

The Center for Writing Studies has developed high quality resources for young adults that explain and illustrate important writing rules, guidelines, and tips. Although aimed at the college level, the materials are also practical for middle and high school students.

The Grammar Handbook provides a comprehensive and easy-to-understand resource to review Parts of Speech, Phrases, Clauses, Sentences and Sentence Elements, and Common Usage Problems. Each concept is carefully explained and illustrated with examples.

The Citation Styles section introduces and illustrates the American Psychological Association (APA) style and the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. It also addresses common questions about Chicago Style, citing social media, and other FAQs.

The ESL Resources provides links to useful websites focusing on English as a Second Language (ESL).

The Writing Tips area offers advice for students with specific needs related to the writing process. In addition to general ideas, tips are provided for specific genre and for taking essay exams.

From basic grammar questions to citation problems, librarians often assist students working on writing projects. This website provides an excellent quick reference to help address common questions.

To learn more, go to the website at http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/.

Book Review: Where's Walrus? and Penguin?

WHERE’S WALRUS? AND PENGUIN? by Stephen Savage is a follow-up to the popular Where’s Walrus (2011) picture book.

This charming, wordless story takes zoo escapees Walrus and Penguin on an adventure through the city. All goes well until a baseball game and a trip to the hospital. Despite the accident, children will cheer the happy ending.

Using simple shapes, basic colors, and interesting patterns, Savage is able to effectively hide Walrus and Penguin in plain sight. The pair use fascinating disguises to avoid detection by the zookeeper. Children will enjoy finding the animals on each two-spread.

Librarians will find a huge audience for this adorable series. It’s the perfect chance to bring out the flannel board and retell the story with other animals.

To learn about the author/illustrator, go to http://www.stephensavage.net/.

Published by Scholastic on August 25, 2015.

App Review: DIY Nano

The DIY NANO app is a fun way to learn about the scale of atoms and molecules.

Developed by The Lawrence Hall of Science, the app involves youth in investigating nano science and how it’s changing our society.

The Activities section contains activities related to Size and Properties, Tools and Techniques, Nano and Nature, and Nano and Our Lives. Each activity begins with a question followed by a summary, materials, instructions, and explanation. High quality images accompany each activity. Related videos are also provided.

The Video area provides access to 1-10 minutes videos focusing on specific topics related to nano science.

The WhatIsNano link provides access to the WhatIsNano.org website. This website may be used without access to the app. It contains information about the annual NanoDays events each spring, nano exhibitions, and information for educators about nanotechnology. Many of the resources from the app are available online website as well as many additional resources.

Nano science is currently very popular in schools. Consider hosting a “nano” event in your library. Create your own exhibition that includes hands-on activities, book resources, and displays.

To access the website, go to http://whatisnano.org/.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/diy-nano/id520611568?mt=8.

Book Review: What You Left Behind

WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND by Jessica Verdi is an authentic and moving story about a teenager coming to terms with fatherhood.

The day Meg dies of cancer, he leaves boyfriend Ryden with a newborn daughter. Without time to grieve, Ryden is thrust into the world of infant care. In search of answers, he seeks out Meg’s journals and a father he’s never met. Will Ryden’s quest for answers help him let go of the past?

Verdi’s present-tense narrative seamlessly weaves in flashbacks and journal entries to help readers empathize with Ryden’s feelings of guilt and inadequacy. The fast-paced plot and well-defined characters combined with the author’s spot-on description of the harsh reality of teen fatherhood make for an outstanding work of realistic fiction for today’s young adult readers.

Librarians will find this YA novel to be an excellent addition to their small, but growing “teen fatherhood” collection. Both males and female teens will be hooked by the realistic portrayal of teen parenthood.

To learn more about Jessica Verdi, go to http://jessicaverdi.com/.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire on August 4, 2015. ARC from Edelweiss.

App Review: Plum's Photo Hunt

PLUM’S PHOTO HUNT is an engaging nature photo app for children from PBS Kids.

Part of the Plumb Landing environmental science PBS program, the app sends youth on missions outdoors to photograph interesting things in nature including weather, plants, and insects.

Aimed at children 6 through 9, app users are presented with three options: photo missions, photobombs, and field journal.

The Photo Missions area begins with instructions that are both text and read aloud. Youth choose from over a dozen missions such as looking for patterns and shadows in nature or seeking out animal habitats or unusual weather. The app activates the device camera allowing youth to take a photo of the requested nature element. Users can choose to save the photos.

The Photobombs section allows users to take photos with one of dozens of characters in the foreground. For instance, for a garden scene a child might select a character holding a watering can or if the student is photographing an insect a character holding a magnifying glass might be used. Youth can share their photos for possible use at the Plum Landing website.

The Field Journal allows children to save photos and text together to create an electronic field journal. Youth use photos they’ve taken within the program and add text. Additional pages can easily be added.

A parent button provides information for adults.

This easy-to-use app would be great for classroom science activities. However, keep in mind that separate user accounts aren’t generated so all the images are stored together on a single device.

To learn more about the PBS program, go to Plum Landing athttp://pbskids.org/plumlanding/.

To see the Plum Landing Picture Sharing areas, go tohttp://pbskids.org/plumlanding/pictures/.

To download the app, go to http://pbskids.org/apps/plums-photo-hunt.html.

Book Review: The Accident Season

THE ACCIDENT SEASON by Moïra Fowley-Doyle is an eerie paranormal suspense for young adults that feels like realistic fiction.

October is accident season, literally. Each Fall, Cara and her family are mysteriously struck by horrible injuries from bruises to broken bones. They don’t talk about how it started, it’s just a fact of life. When Cara begins to wonder about a mysterious friend’s connection to their family, the story really gets rolling.

Told through the eyes of 17-year-old Cara, the author skillfully weaves together a story thick with family secrets and tragedy, but with a hint of hope. Throughout the book, readers will search for clues to unravel the mystery and determine where reality ends and the supernatural begins. Themes involving injury, abuse, drinking, sex, relationships, friends, and family are all interconnected in this unusual YA novel.

Librarians will find a huge crowd for this paranormal thriller. The perfect book for an October reading club, young adults will be drawn to both the well-developed characters and the multi-layered story that will keep them guessing. Magic realism is hot with teens, so be prepared for this book to be a hit.

To learn more about this amazing new Irish author, follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/moirawithatrema or check out her Tumbler page at http://ecritureacreature.tumblr.com/.

Published by Kathy Dawson Books, an imprint of Penguin on August 18, 2015.

Website Review: Kids Health

KIDS HEALTH is an outstanding, informational website for kids, teens, parents, and educators.

This award-winning website is sponsored by the non-profit health organization The Nemours Foundation and contains limited ads. It’s available in both English and Spanish versions.

The Parent section contains information and advice for parents on topics including general health, growth, infections, diseases, pregnancy, nutrition, behavior, school, first aid, and other topics.

The Kids section is aimed at children including topics related to How the Body Works, Puberty & Growing Up, Staying Healthy, Recipes & Cooking, Staying Safe, Health Problem, Illnesses & Injuries, Health Problems of Grown Ups, People, Places & Things That Help, and Feelings. There are also areas containing Q&A, movies, quizzes, games, and a medical dictionary for kids. Most of the pages include attractive visuals and interactive elements to engage users. The reading level and focus are appropriate for elementary and middle grades.

The Teens area stresses topics of interest to young adults including Body, Mind, Sexual Health, Food & Fitness, Disease & Conditions, Infections, School & Jobs, Drugs & Alcohol, Staying Safe, and Recipes. In addition, the Q&A page focuses on FAQs. The “hot topics” pages feature issues of particular interest such as Lyme Disease, Depression, and Volunteering.

The Educator section provides health-related lesson plans across grade and subject areas including discussion questions, activities, handouts, and quizzes.

Librarians will appreciate the many informational reading pages that can easily be tied to the Common Core standards. Some of the pages contain a LISTEN button that reads the page aloud. This is particularly useful for reluctant readers and those with reading challenges.

To keep up-to-date on website updates, be sure to subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter.

Both mobile and desktop versions of the website are available. The mobile version works well with handheld-devices and tablets.

To learn more, go to http://kidshealth.org/.

To access the teacher section, go to http://classroom.kidshealth.org/.

Book Review: The Maloneys' Magical Weatherbox

THE MALONEYS’ MAGICAL WEATHERBOX by Nigel Quinlan is an unusual middle-grades fantasy adventure featuring wild weather, evildoers, and meteorological magic.

Ireland is stuck in Summer when the Weatherman’s special weatherbox is disconnected by a power hungry neighbor who wants control of the seasons. The Maloney family including children Neil, Liz, and Owen must fight and sacrifice in their battle with their evil competition and the angry elementals.

While the rural Irish setting is familiar, everything else about this unconventional tale is slightly out of kilter. From the mysterious tourist to the magical cat creature, Quinlan keeps readers guessing as they explore a weird world closely connected to our own. While some children will find this type of fantasy disorienting, others will enjoy suspending disbelief and immerse themselves in this fictional universe.

Librarians will find an audience for this strange story among children who enjoy magical situations, odd characters, and unusual weather phenomena. Those middle-grade youth with strong roots in reality and science may simply find the premise silly and nonsensical.

To learn more about Nigel Quinlan, go to http://nigelquinlan.tumblr.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook Press on July 28, 2015. ARC from Edelweiss.

Website Review: Author Jan Brett

JAN BRETT’s author website has been providing quality activities related to her books for nearly 20 years.

The Books section contains a complete booklist with high quality cover art. It also links to activities associated with each book.

The Activities area contains dozens of fun projects including bulletin board materials, bookmarks, certificates, alphabet resources, recipes, flashcards, and links to interactive games.

The Games pages including both computer games that can be played online and board games that can be created on paper.

The Coloring Pages provide thematic links to coloring pages that can be printed online or downloaded as PDF files.

The Murals section provides ideas and images that can be used to create murals for the library or classroom.

The videos page contains videos of Jan Brett drawing as well as her appearances and visits.

Users can use the email and printable cards pages to create communications. Or, listen to Jan Brett’s Hedge-a-Gram to hear directly from the author.

Keep up-to-date on what’s happening with Jan Brett on her blog. Participate in contests to win books and author visits. The Media and About pages provide information about the author.

This website contains endless ideas for library and classroom author and picture book activities.

Go to the website at http://www.janbrett.com/.