Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

Uma has a brand-new pair of very nice red shoes and a very big question: what is infinity? She knows that it's big, but how big is it? It makes her feel small to even think about it. Her friend calls it a number that keeps growing forever. Another friend says that the infinity symbol is like an eight that never ends. Different people tell her different things, but nothing helps her to feel like she understands infinity... and no one is noticing her new shoes. This is turning into a very confusing day!

This picture book so smartly captures that moment when a child first starts thinking about a big question. When did I first learn about infinity? I know that I can't remember. There was the common retort of "blah blah blah times infinity" followed by "blah blah blah times infinity plus one," which someone always points out is the same as infinity. That's still pretty mind-bending: how can infinity and infinity + one be the same thing?! Uma's quest for truth and the answers that she gets from the people around her all ring pretty true, and nestled underneath this mathematic exploration is the warm relationship between a girl and her grandmother. A quick search of my library catalog shows a definite lack of books that deal with the concept of infinity, so any book on the topic would be a welcome addition. This book, though, with its truly accessible story and lovely and unusual illustrations can easily stand on its own merits; even without a collection development need, this is a book that children's libraries should be looking at.

Check out Kate Hosford's website.  Also check out Gabi Swiatkowska's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Carolrhoda Books/Lerner.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
The Cat in Numberland by I. Ekeland
Summertime Waltz by Nina Payne

Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Coming back to her hometown of Winston hasn't been the happy homecoming that Clare had hoped it would be. Her father has moved on with a new life, her mother and her grandmother barely talk, and her old best friend Rachel seems to have changed in different ways. The town is also gripped by the threat of a serial killer: two years ago a boy was killed, one year ago a girl disappeared. The anniversary of that date is coming up, and no one knows what might happen. Clare also has a secret gift - the ability to touch a piece of clothing and relive the memories and experiences of the wearer. A torn and bloodied jacket has recently come into her possession...could it be a clue to solving the mystery?

I quite enjoyed this story. There was a wonderful old-school Lois Duncan vibe to it while being thoroughly modern at the same time. Clare is a likeable heroine who deals with things both down to earth (trying to get her mom and grandmother into the same room) and otherworldly (figuring out how to deal with her psychic gift). She does some questionable things (particularly when she's around the missing girl's old boyfriend, a suspect in her disappearance) and rarely thinks of her own safety, but in a way that makes sense for a teenager who is slowly becoming overwhelmed by her circumstances. I could see this book being an excellent pilot for a series and it would have fit in perfectly among the psychic/special talent crime solvers who had TV shows not that long ago. A solid pick for mystery fans who like a bit of the supernatural (but not vampires or werewolves).

Check out Sophie Littlefield's website. 

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
A Bad Day for Mercy by Sophie Littlefield
Vintage Veronica by Erica Perl

The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule by Kashmira Sheth illustrated by Carl Pearce

Ishan wants a dog. He really, really wants a dog. But his mom has a rule: no dogs allowed. So Ishan comes up with a plan. If he's very, very helpful around the house, maybe his mom will see that he's responsible enough for a dog! But whatever he does, nothing seems to go exactly the way he planned. Will his mom ever see how much he wants a dog?

This story is sure to resonate with kids who really, really want something that their parents won't let them get (like a dog). A lot of kids want dogs. I never really wanted a dog (and the only pets I ever had growing up were pets), so I didn't relate personally to that, but I can still identify with wanting something really badly and being told no. Anyway - all that aside, I think that young readers will find lots to like in this book. Ishan is a sympathetic character; he doesn't invite trouble, it just sort of finds him. The action in this story (dealing with a sibling and your parents, neighbourhood bullies, inadvertently creating disasters, the unfairness of being young) is relatable across cultures. Don't be surprised if we see more stories about Ishan and his family in the future.


Check out Kashmira Sheth's website as well as Carl Pearce's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Albert Whitman & Co.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Ten Kids, No Pets by Ann M. Martin
Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth
I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emily Dodd
The Boxcar Children Beginnings by Patricia McLaughlan

Dino-Football by Lisa Wheeler illustrated by Barry Gott

On any given Sunday you can find two Dino-teams fighting for football glory out on the grid-iron. But in the Mega-Bowl, it's down to two teams: The Redscales vs. the Greenblade Snackers. As the fans cheer from the packed stands, the Redscales get out to an early lead, but the game is far from over. Who will be the winners at the end of the day?

I knew vaguely about the Dino-sports series but hadn't read any until I started Dino-Football. I can see how the concept can easily sustain a series. The rhyming text keeps the story moving, and the illustrations are incredibly detailed (for one example of this, check out the spread that has the list of players' names). The pictures play with size and perspective and really dominate the story. I'm not really in the book's dino-loving, sports-enthusiast preschooler demographic, so about 3/4 of the way through the book even though I was enjoying it I was also ready for it to be ending. I think that those in the aforementioned demographic, though, will happily follow the action from end zone to end zone. There's lots of action, the dinosaurs have lots of expression, and the energy pops off the page. For the Dino-Sports series, it's the book equivalent of a touchdown.

Check out Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott's websites.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Lerner.

Find it at Amazon. 

Read it with:
Dino-Soccer by Lisa Wheeler
Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler
Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

The Stone Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Sethie (her preferred abbreviation for Sarah Beth) has everything under control. She knows exactly what she needs to do to keep her grades up. She knows exactly what she needs to do to get into a good school. She knows exactly what she needs to do to be with the boy she likes. She also knows exactly what she needs to do to keep her weight going in the right direction: down. But despite all of her efforts, is Sethie close to losing it all?

The book begins with a letter from the author that details why she wrote this book. She talks about her own body issues and how they have shaped her life. The book is at times to hard to read because it goes into some very dark places; Sethie spends a lot of time in darkness. I was glad that the book was written in third person; this put a bit of space between me and Sethie's mind but not enough to distance me from the story. I particularly liked the parts of this book that explored Sethie's relationships with the people around her: her mom, her friends, her boyfriend. How does her illness shape how she sees people? Are her interpretations of situations reliable? If they were describing the same situation, what would they say about it? As Alyssa B. Sheinmel notes in her introduction, there is no shortage of books that look at teen girls struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and body image, but for those who are looking for an issue-based novel The Stone Girl paints a dark and complex portrait of a girl who is struggling to keep everything together.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Clean by Amy Lynn Reed
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

A Daring Life: A Biography of Eudora Welty by Carolyn J. Brown

Eudora Alice Welty was born in a small Southern town in 1909. After spending time at school, as a photographer, and exploring other paths, she started gaining recognition for her writing and later became a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. In many ways, she lived a daring life - a life that spanned most of a century. Learn more about this woman, her life, and her writing in this new biography published by the University Press of Mississippi.

For many years I have been meaning to explore the works of Eudora Welty. I don't think that I've actually read any of her writing, although I do have a photograph of her library hanging in my living room. When I saw this new biography, I jumped at the chance to read it. It's concise and direct and informative; it provides not only a great introduction to the life of Welty but also the world in which she lived. There are lots of photographs to illustrate her family, her homes, and her work, and in particular her work as a photographer. I did briefly pause to think of who this book would appeal to; it's positioned as a biography for young adults, but how many young adults have read Eudora Welty? Is she on school reading lists? Is there a demand for a book like this? But then I decided that there is always a demand for well-written and well-researched biographies of accomplished women. It might take some handselling from librarians and booksellers to help people to be aware of this book, but it would be well worth including this in a non-fiction collection to have on hand for the right reader.

Check out Carolyn J. Brown's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of University Press of Mississippi.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef
The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
Eudora Welty: A Biography by Suzanne Marrs

Deep-Sea Duel by John Sazaklis and Art Baltazar

The Aquafamily is ready for an awesome under-sea family reunion - but the evil Ocean Master is determined to spoil the day. It's up to Aqualad and the Superpets to save everyone. It's going to be tough, but if they work together they just might be able to stop Ocean Master in his tracks.

Young fans of superheroes have a fun book to explore in Deep-Sea Duel. I don't know very much about Aquaman or the Aquafamily, but you don't need to have a lot of background knowledge to enjoy this book. Characters are explained at the beginning and end (names as well as where they fit into the Superhero/Superpet world). Illustrations are integrated well with the text, and the amount of white-space around the large words make this a solid choice for independent readers. I can see this being a hit with both young readers who like action and young readers who like animals; if you know a reader who likes both things, try to get this book into their hands.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Cat Crime Club by Steve Korte
Midway Monkey Madness by Sarah Hines Stephens
The Fantastic Flexy Frog by Michael Dahl
The Fastest Pet on Earth by J.E. Bright

The Incredible Rockhead: Rock Paper Scissorlegz by Scott Nickel and C.S. Jennings

Chip Stone was having an ordinary day until a strange nurse injects him with a secret substance. Whenever he's in danger, his head turns into a giant rock. Before long he's warding off dangerous enemies like Dozer and Papercut and trying to figure out how to take down the evil General. It's a good thing that he has friends like his sidekick-slash-best friend Spencer along for backup!

This The Incredible Rockhead: Rock, Paper, Scissorlegz collection brings together four previously released Incredible Rockhead books into one massive mega-volume. I like the idea of having it as a collection, though, because it keeps the story flowing so that someone can sit down and read the whole adventure from beginning to end (I am an impatient reader, and I suspect that some young kids are, too), and at around 130-ish pages, the collected story isn't that long. I also liked the comic-book touches of advertisements for various products interspersed within the action. The art is colourful, the story is action-based, and the writing is funny. If you've ever dreamed of what Rock, Paper, Scissors would be like in a real-life supervillian-fuled version, this is definitely the book for you.


Find it at IndieBound.

I received a copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Read it with:
Teen Boat by Dave Roman and John Green
Zinc Alloy by Donald Lemke and Douglas Holgate
The Incredible Rockhead by Scott Nickel

Scott Pilgrilm Volume 1: Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim's life is pretty uncomplicated. At 23 he lives in a tiny apartment with his gay roommate Wallace, he plays in a band called Sex Bob-omb, and he's dating a high school student (which sounds like it could be complicated, but since they've barely ever even hugged, it's a pretty laid-back relationship). Then he starts dreaming of a strange girl with roller-blades and awesome hair. Who is she? How did she end up in his head? When the girl - Ramona Flowers - materializes in his real life, he has to make sure he's not dreaming... then he has to find a way to make her want to spend time with her. He keeps hearing something about her evil exes, but that's can't be too bad, right? Right?

This is the first time that I've written about a book for a second time, but I think that a full-colour edition with extra behind-the-scenes content warrants talking about this book again. I originally picked up the Scott Pilgrim series because of the then-upcoming movie with Michael Cera; I've since seen the movie, so it's almost like I can never un-see it through that lens. But this re-read let me focus on the details: the way that the backgrounds really looked like Toronto areas, the casual awesomeness of Kim Pine, the easy blend of real life and video game fantasy. If you've never read the series, now is the time to pick it up and check it out in full-colour glory, and if you have read the series I guarantee you haven't seen it like this before.

Check out Scott Pilgrim online and Bryan Lee O'Malley's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Oni Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley 

Daisy's Perfect Word by Sandra V. Feder illustrated by Susan Mitchell

Daisy loves words. She loves the way they sound and the way that her mouth moves as she says them. She loves saying them and reading them and hearing them. Daisy likes other things, too, like her friends, her family, and her teacher, Miss Goldner. Miss Goldner has just announced that she is getting married and moving away. Daisy is happy for her (engaged is a wonderful-sounding word) but also sad that she won't be able to see Miss Goldner around school anymore. Daisy knows what the perfect present for her teacher would be: the perfect word. Now all she has to do is find it!

Talking about words is almost like a sneaky way of talking about reading where you're not necessarily talking about reading at all; even kids who aren't strong readers can have favourite words, and talking about words and playing with words is a great way to make literacy fun. There was a nice building of suspense as Daisy was trying to find the perfect word for her teacher. What would it be? How could any word be perfect? Daisy is a great character; she loves words and thinks about them a lot, but she's also does regular kid stuff like eating chocolate treats and getting excited over a sleepover. I think Daisy's love of books, reading, and words will resonate with kids who also love books and reading, and they will be rewarded with rich words and clever passages. (I particularly liked the description of Daisy's neighbour Samantha as a girl who liked the words 'stop' and 'mine.') A quick look at Sandra V. Feder's website confirms that more Daisy books are on the way; look for the next one in Spring 2013.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Kids Can Press.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Fancy Nancy: Splendid Speller by Jane O'Connor
13 Words by Lemony Snicket
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Kylie Jean, Spelling Queen by Marci Peschke

Toppling by Sally Murphy with illustrations by Rhian Nest James

John loves dominoes. He can spend hours lining them up, making a pattern, and then sending them toppling. It's so satisfying when everything goes exactly the way that it's supposed to. Sometimes John's best friend Dom sets up the dominoes with him; John really likes spending time with Dom and they get along really well. Then Dom gets sick and stop coming to school. What can John do to help make things feel right again?

Like many kids, I suspect, I'm not entirely sure how to actually play dominoes, but I've definitely spent some time setting them up and knocking them over. I know that there must be books out there that explore what it means when your friend gets sick, but I think that well-crafted books for this young elementary school audience will always be welcome. John's world doesn't exactly fall apart, but it shifts and slips; he still goes to school, he still eats dinner with his family, he still hangs around with friends, but it's not the same because his best friend isn't there. The book also touches on how helpless people feel when something like another person's health is out of their hands; it also brings in the different ways that people react to serious news. The verse-novel style blends well with the illustrations, giving readers a glimpse both into and at John's world.

Check out Sally Murphy's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Candlewick Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
Jessi's Wish by Ann M. Martin
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy

Are You Sleeping, Little One? by Hans-Christian Schmidt and Cynthia Vance

Animals all over the world need to go sleep. Dogs, caterpillars, kangaroos - all of these little ones go to sleep with their parent watching over them carefully. As you read about these animals, it's the perfect opportunity to curl up as your own little one lays down his head and nods off to dreamland.

Animals are a popular choice for children's books; baby animals can be so cute. (I particularly liked the sloths). Each animal gets a page, and each page has two lines. The lines don't always have an exact rhyme, but there is a soft rhythm that can help to lull children to sleep. There's no shortage of bedtime books out there, but given that bedtime happens every day (and maybe even multiple times a day, if you include nap times), it's a market that can hold a lot of bedtime books. If you're looking for gentle, animal-based bedtime story, this could definitely be the book for you.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Abbeville Press.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Sleep on it! by Kevin Kelly
It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Eric Metaxes
A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
Good Night, Sleep Tight by Emma Quay

Intentions by Deborah Heiligman

The last thing that Rachel thought she would find in the sanctuary of her synagogue was the Rabbi having sex. But there he was, up on the bima, having sex...and with a woman who is not his wife. The foundation of Rachel's world starts to crack. Her parents are fighting more than ever. Her grandmother isn't always lucid (and doesn't always know who Rachel is). And now the Rabbi, the man who she respected and who guided her spiritual life, has been revealed to be a terrible sinner. How can she face him? How can she continue to listen to him talk about God and religion and faith? How can anything in her life be the same?

This was a new spin on the betrayal aspect for me; I don't think I've seen a storyline where a girl loses faith in her Rabbi and then acts out in frustration and anger. The cover, while attention-grabbing, doesn't quite match the book; I find it to hint at darker content (I'm not sure why...the model's eyes, perhaps?) than Intentions actually has. Rachel as a character is grown up in many ways and so young in others. Many of her ideas about sex and relationships are naive but she's also recognizing very adult desires in herself. Characters like that are intriguing to me because there's so much potential; they can go in almost any direction because their whole worlds are shifting. There are a lot of interesting ideas mixed in with the storyline: the intention behind your actions, putting good out into the world, fixing a broken world, taking responsibility for your actions, trusting people who have wronged you, and what it means to be a good person. I was a big fan of Deborah Heiligman's Charles and Emma and I really enjoyed reading a novel from her (and I hope there will be more - of both her fiction and non-fiction).

See more at Deborah Heiligman's website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman
Gravity by Leanne Lieberman
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett

Scarlett Dedd is dead. All her life she's had to deal with cracks and puns about her last name; being pale and thin didn't help, either. But now she really is dead due to a tragic mushroom mix-up. There are some cool things about being dead, but mostly she misses her friends, who are still very much alive. Scarlett gets a great idea: she can use her new invisibility and other supernatural gifts to cause some...accidents around her friends. At first her friends were intrigued by the idea of being haunted, but now they're starting to get scared. Will Scarlett go through with her plan?

Poor Scarlett. Her life didn't sound like much fun while she was alive (bratty brother, self-absorbed parents, second-hand clothes, self-involved friends), and then in death she still barely seems to catch a break. I did wonder why she would go to so much trouble to kill her friends, because, well...they didn't seem like good friends in the first place. Aside from Psycho, her not-really-boyfriend-even-though-they-had-mutual-crushes, no one seemed that affected by her death. But somehow Scarlett's internal logical made it make sense. Talking about the story is just one element of the book. It's format makes for quite a reading experience. It's not really a graphic novel; there's too many pages of prose for it to be considered that. But the book does have lots of illustrations and at times even the placement of the text becomes part of the art. I think the ideal reader for this would be someone who reads both graphic novels and 'word' novels; they might have an easier time getting into the flow. But don't let that scare you off from picking it up or suggesting it to readers who like funny supernatural stories (especially because there's not a lot of violence, not really, considering that it involves dead people and attempted murder). While the story wraps up nicely, there are also enough threads left that could be spun into more stories. I wouldn't be surprised if Scarlett makes another ghostly appearance someday!

Check out Cathy Brett's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Ember Fury by Cathy Brett

Where's Eddie? by Daniel Nunn and Steve Walker

Eddie loves playing hide and seek. Of course, he's an elephant, so that makes it difficult for him to hide anywhere. That's okay, though, because he loves playing anyway! He's ready to hide - are you ready to find him? Count to ten, get set, go!

There's something really great about elephants in children's books. I think it might have to do with size; in real life they're so big but in picture books they the proportions can be so varied. Sometimes they can expand right off the page; sometimes they will be tiny. In Where's Eddie? in particular, there's the very funny concept of an elephant playing Hide and Seek. The elephant is drawn in a cartoony way while the background is a true-to-life photograph.  Of course he has a hard time hiding, or rather, "hiding," but all the better for the young children reading this book. Because he's so easily findable kids can use their words to describe where he is. There are lots of hide and seek puzzle books out there; this isn't one of those books. This is a board book that will encourage children to develop and build their vocabularies while inspiring them to start their own game of Hide and Seek.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Near or Far: Where's Eddie? by Daniel Nunn
What's Up, Baby? by Kathleen Rizzi
Where's the Kitten? by Cheryl Christian
Elefante by Vanita Oelschlager

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Life is changing for Georges (that's pronounced George, with a silent s). He and his parents have just moved into a new apartment in Brooklyn. It's not far away from their old place, but just far enough so that things seem strange. Speaking of strange, not long after he moves in he sees a poster for a super secret spy club. Not sure what to expect, he goes and meets Safer, a homeschooled boy who lives in his building. As their friendship grows, Georges is forced to learn the difference between what's real and what's not and that the truth sometimes has many different shades.

You need to read this book. The writing in this book is beautiful, period, full stop. The characters, the pacing and plotting, the storyline - just outstanding. The book reached me emotionally but not manipulatively and not in a fake way; every reaction that I had to it was one that the book earned. I don't want to say too much about it, because I'm afraid that if I do I might spoil something by accident. I was a big fan of When You Reach Me and am so thrilled to be able to share this book with friends in the same way I shared When You Reach Me.

Check out Rebecca Stead's website.

 I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House/Wendy Lamb books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The Mount Rushmore Face that Couldn't See by Steve Brezenoff

Cat and her friends Egg, Gum, and Sam are on a field trip to see Mount Rushmore. It was a long, hot trip to get there, but once they see the presidential faces carved into the side of the mountain, it makes the journey all worthwhile. But then things start going wrong. Their tour guide is tied up - literally tied up - in his cabin, people start shouting about a ghost, and spooky stuff starts happening at night. Cat might only be in the sixth grade, but it's up to her to solve this mystery...before things get even worse!

This book, part of the Field Trip Mysteries series, combines a gentle mystery with lots of facts about Mount Rushmore. When I first saw a thumbnail of the cover, there was something about the girl's clothing (her longer skirt and hairstyle) as well as the lack of cars, buildings, or anything around that made me think that this book took place in a long ago time. It doesn't, though; it's firmly set in the modern day. The book includes a bit of very balanced information about why there might be controversy over Mount Rushmore; all of the information is at a very appropriate age level for the target audience. Cat and her friends are intrepid sleuths in the way that fictional children sometimes are (see everyone from Encyclopedia Brown to Theodore Boone to the Babysitters Club) and they don't really do anything that's too outlandish. Some parts of the mystery reminded me of elements of Murder, She Wrote episodes, but being the major MSW fan that I am, I mean that in the best way possible. A solid pick for school classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries to consider for their collections.

See more information about Steve Brezenoff at his website. 

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Ghost Who Haunted the Capitol by Steve Brezenoff
The Crook Who Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge by Steve Brezenoff
On the Bus, On the Case by Steve Brezenoff

Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello illustrated by Blasco Pisapia

Echo, a mystery-writing bat, likes living in a cemetery because of all of the peace and quiet. Then one night he hears something suspicious... and before he knows it he's flying for his life! That's how he meets his three best friends: Becca, Michael, and Tyler. These three siblings each have special talents and abilities that will help Echo figure out what is going on in the cemetery...and how to stop whoever is behind it.

A graveyard is a great setting for a story. It has a certain creepiness while still being a believable place for kids to be able to visit. The chapters are a good length - not too long so as to scare readers off, but not too short that getting through the chapters isn't an accomplishment. The full-colour illustrations, many of them full-pages, also provide the book with a cartoon-like energy. This looks like it will be a good series for young readers who like mysteries in the Scooby Doo vein; look for these meddling kids to thwart one mystery after another (with the help of their new bat friend).

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.


See more of Roberto Pavanello's work at his (Italian) website.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin
Fangs! by Alan MacDonald
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Midnight Witches by Robert Pavanello

Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote by Kerrie Logan Hollihan

There are many things today that women and girls take for granted: wearing pants, speaking in public, going to school, keeping their own last name when they get married. One of the biggest rights, though, has been the right to vote in elections. In the 1800s and early 1900s, women were viewed as belonging to their fathers or husbands; they were expected to dedicate their lives to their families. Many women, though, wanted more. They believed that they best way to achieve this was to push for social change - increased rights for women and ultimately the right to vote. These women included Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, and many others. In Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote, this history is presented so that the boys and girls of today can learn about the barriers that the women of the past overcame.

When I was younger I had very little exposure to books about women's history or feminist figures, so I'm always happy to see books about suffrage and women's rights aimed at a young age group. This book weaves together a narrative about the troubles and setbacks that these women faced and the accomplishments that they achieved alongside biographical sketches of the prominent figures and activities related to the text for kids to do on their own. The book illustrates how intertwined many different issues were and are; it's nearly impossible to discuss the rights of women without looking at American history in general but also the temperance movement, slavery, the Civil War, and religion. It's packed with information but also lots of great images and first-person accounts.   It was neat to discover the ties that things like The Wizard of Oz or "Mary Had a Little Lamb" had to the suffrage movement. The activities spread out throughout the book provide an interactive approach to understanding the life and times of the women depicted. It's hard to know how popular or practical these activities will be - some involve a stove or oven while others require a lot of materials that one might not have just laying around the house - but with the range of activities presented (twenty-one in total) there will likely be something that catches a reader's eye. I can also see teachers being interested in this for use in the classroom. It's a great title to have on the shelf for a school, classroom, or public library.

Check out Kerrie Logan Hollihan's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Chicago Review Press.

Find it at Indiebound.

Read it with:
Elizabeth I: The People's Queen by Kerrie Logan Hollihan
Wheels of Change by Sue Macy
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Suffragist! by Fiona Macdonald

Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin illustrated by Tammie Lyon

Katie Woo Rules the School combines four Katie Woo stories into one stylish package. In Katie and the Class Pet, Katie gets the thrill of taking care of the class guinea pig...and the scare of figuring out what to do once she loses him! No More Teasing has Katie trying to figure out how to deal with an annoying classmate, while The Big Lie shows Katie struggling to do what's right when it's not what she wants to do. In The Star of the Show, Katie deals with not getting the part in the school play that she wanted while still being supportive of her friend. No matter what's going on, Katie knows how important it is to be herself!


This was my first time reading a Katie Woo book, and I quite enjoyed it. Both she and the books have a Ramona Quimby vibe to them; Katie isn't perfect but she tries to do what's right, and the books look at tough issues (and real issues that kids face) without losing heart and warmth. The illustrations are gentle and colourful and it's great to see classes with children from so many different backgrounds. This looks like a great series for young readers and if, like me, you're new to the series, this collection of stories is a great way to get yourself introduced to Katie Woo's world.

Check out Fran Manushkin's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Kids.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo and Friends by Fran Manushkin
Junie B. Jones, First Grader (at last!) by Barbara Park
Katie Woo: A Happy Day by Fran Manushkin
Kylie Jean, Blueberry Queen by Marci Peschke