Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan

Eleven-year-old Jack Clark struggles with everyday obstacles while his family and community contend with the challenges brought on by the Dust Bowl in 1937 Kansas.

The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West

When eleven-year-old Olive and her distracted parents move into an old Victorian mansion, Olive finds herself ensnared in a dark plan involving some mysterious paintings, a trapped and angry nine-year-old boy and three talking cats.

Happenstance Found by P.W. Catanese

Twelve-year-old Happenstance wakes up in a cave with no idea how he got there, or who he is, but merchant and royal advisor Lord Umber helps Hap and his two friends escape from the caverns.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley


Thirteen-year-old Susy Clemens wants the world to know that her papa, Mark Twain, is more than just a humorist and sets out to write a comprehensive biography of the American icon.

The Case of the Mistaken Indentity by Mac Barnett

Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton, a fan of Bailey Brothers detective novels, is mistaken for a real detective and must elude librarians, police, and the mysterious Mr. E as he seeks a missing quilt containing coded information.

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler

While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, Buddy, the dog is adopted by another family and helps solve the mystery of their missing boy.

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson



Recounts how a childhood vision shaped the life of Black Elk, a Lakota-Oglala medicine man who was involved in the battles of Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee.

Balarama: A Royal Elephant by Ted and Betsy Lewin


World travelers Ted and Betsy Lewin recount how the trained elephants of southern India, in particular the one chosen to be the lead elephant in the Mysore Dasara, are raised, cared for, and prepared for performing in ceremonial processions. Includes background information and glossary.

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins



Presents illustrated poems focuing on universal emotions, as expressed by poets from diverse backgrounds, including Joseph Bruchac, Nikki Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopinks, Pat Mora and Janet S. Wong.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm


In 1935, when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida.

Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit by Joan Carris


Ernest the mini-pig does his best to help the other animals at Grandpa Benders boarding house get along and have fun. However, the arrival of a hyper Scottish terrier puppy who wants to be a fox disrupts life.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan


After being lead into the forest by their new stepmother and the man they believe to be their father, eleven-year-old Sol must recover his self-confidence if he and his eight-year old sister, Connie, are to escape the clutches of Hansel and Gretel's witch.

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Duchess of Whimsy: An Absolutely Delicious Fairy Tale by Randall de Seve

The Duchess of Whimsy has absolutely no interest in the Earl of Norm until he makes a sandwich that causes her to look at him in an entirely different way.

Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming

Enamored by history, young Imogene Tripp tries to save her town's historical site from being demolished in order to build a shoelace factory.

The Hallelujah Flight by Phil Bildner



In 1932 James Banning, along with his co-pilot Thomas Allen, made history by becoming the first African Americans to fly across the United States. Relying only on the generosity of people they meet in the towns along the way who help keep their "flying jalopy" going.