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: Occupational Outlook Handbook

The OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK (OOH) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is an online reference resource containing career information about hundreds of occupations.

The entry page contains a list of occupations organized into groups such as healthcare and legal. Users can also select occupations by median pay, entry-level education, on-the-job training, number of new jobs projected, and growth rather projection. In addition, options are provided to browse the A-Z index and explore occupations by highest paying, fastest growing, and most new jobs. Finally, users can explore FAQs, the glossary, a teacher’s guide, and career outlook.

The “Occupation Finder” provides a master list of 580 entries with tools to narrow the search by education, training, projected new jobs, projected growth, and median pay. A key word search is also available.

Each career profile contains a summary, what they do, work environment, how to become one, pay, job outlook, similar occupations, and more information.

This easy-to-use website is a great resource for informational reading activities. It’s also a excellent way to jumpstart a career exploration project. A Teachers Guide provides ideas for how the website might be used. It also links to other websites with career information.

Most libraries have a print copy of the OOH in their reference section, however the website provides an effective resource for a whole-class experience.

To learn more, go to the website at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.