This month's features!
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WILLIE AND UNCLE BILL written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz Humor and affection abound in beloved author-illustrator Amy Schwartz’s newest picture book. Young Willie has such fun when Uncle Bill sits for him. When Willie's mother is gone, exciting things just seem to happen! In three separate adventures, the duo gets to try out a new look, cook up something fun, and rock out. "The three stories capture the sense of adventure, humor, and warmth an uncle (or aunt) can bring, and the gouache and pen-and-ink pictures reflect that same coziness."—The Horn Book "Emerging readers will appreciate the feel of a chapter book, but this dynamic duo will surely be adored (and envied) by all ages."—Kirkus Reviews PICTURE BOOK |
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Zoo Ah-Choooo by Peter Mandel Elwood Smith, Illustrator Watch out! A giant ZOO AH-CHOOOO is headed your way! Funny sound effects and wacky illustrations make this a laugh-out-loud favorite! Snow Leopard started it: Ah-choooo! Elephant passed it along: RRRrrr-eeeEEE-ahh-PHOOOO! Now twelve Seals are spreading it: Ka-FrrroooOOOOOOOOMMMMM! A geyser bursts, a mud volcano erupts, and chaos reigns! The zookeeper tries his best to minimize the mayhem, but he can't keep up! Finally, he calls in the animal doctor. At last all is again quiet at the zoo until . . . was that a YAAAAWN? PICTURE BOOK THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "Mandel's euphonious text is a pleasure to read aloud, and it would be easy to encourage audiences to participate by echoing each animal's unique sneeze. The amusing asides of the visitors, the crazy-sounding sneezes ("Kah-bah-UMppphhhHHHH!!!"" sneezes the Hippo), and the frequent situational humor will all get kids giggling as well."—The Bulletin |
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The Secret Chicken Society by Judy Cox Amanda Haley, Illustrator This warmhearted chapter book about an environmentally-conscious family will provide plenty of clucks and lots of chuckles for young readers. When Daniel's class hatches chicks as a science project, he adopts them. His eco-friendly family can't wait to raise their own eggs—until they discover that chickens can get into a surprising amount of trouble. In fact, Daniel finds out that his favorite bird, Peepers, isn't a hen but a rooster, and therefore illegal to keep in the city of Portland. The Secret Chicken Society is quickly formed to save Peepers. CHAPTER BOOK THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "A funny story with endearing characters both human and fowl, this is a great choice for readers just moving on to chapter books. . . . Accessible and rewarding."—School Library Journal "Lively vocabulary, a jaunty font, silly chicken clichés, entertaining black-and-white spot illustrations, and back-matter recommendations for at-home egg hatching support the success of this early chapter book."—Booklist Visit the author's official website. |
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The Exceptionals by Erin Cashman Born into a famous family of exceptionally talented people, fifteen-year-old Claire Walker has deliberately chosen to live an average life. But everything changes the night of the Spring Fling, when her parents decide it's high time she transferred to Cambial Academy-the prestigious boarding school that her great-grandfather founded for students with supernatural abilities. Despite her attempts to blend in, Claire stands out at Cambial simply because she is normal. But unbeknownst to her new friends, she has a powerful gift she considers too lame to admit. Suddenly, the most talented students in school-the Exceptionals-begin to disappear. In an attempt to find out what happened to them, Claire comes across a prophecy foretelling a mysterious girl who will use her ability to save Cambial students from a dire fate. Could she be that girl? Claire decides there is only one way to find out: she must embrace her ability once and for all. YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "Debut novelist Cashman delivers an engaging, exciting twist on the school story, introducing readers to a whole new set of supernatural skills and adventures."—School Library Journal "Cashman knows how to craft natural dialogue and empathetic characters."—Publishers Weekly Check out the press release. Visit the official website of YA author Erin Cashman for interviews, FAQs, book excerpt, and more. |
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Fighting for Dontae by Mike Castan Javier's life is going nowhere fast. He hates seventh grade, his pop is locked up, and his mom can't even afford to buy him shoes. At least she's sober . . . for now. Javier and his friends are in a gang, but he doesn't even know why he joined the Playaz in the first place, since hanging with them is like asking for trouble from the cops. When he is assigned to work with the special education class, Javier thinks that the one thing he had going for him in middle school-his social life-is over. Little by little, though, Javier realizes that he actually enjoys reading to Dontae, a severely disabled boy his age. When everything else around him is falling apart, working with Dontae becomes the one thing worth fighting for. YOUNG ADULT NOVEL THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "A solid choice, especially for reluctant readers."—School Library Journal "Reluctant teen readers will identify with Javier's efforts to negotiate a world with few positive options."—Kirkus Reviews Check out the discussion guide. |
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 Ladybugsby Gail Gibbons Gail Gibbons, Illustrator Most kids are familiar with the bright red, spotted ladybugs. But different kinds of ladybugs are all different colors, such as orange, yellow, or black. In her clear and kid-friendly style, nonfiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young scientists to these beautiful beetles: their life cycles, what they eat, how they protect themselves, and lots more. THE REVIEWS FOR LADYBUGS ARE STELLAR! ”This well-conceived introduction is one of Gibbons's most attractive and informative presentations to date. Her colorful, realistically painted watercolors, enhanced with black ink outline and detail and some crayon highlighting, fill every page with larger-than-life images, and they’re as much a source of information as the fact-filled text. . . . This simply written, clearly organized, thoroughly researched and exceptionally illustrated volume should be a first purchase for most libraries.”—School Library Journal ”Surprising facts (ladybugs play dead to discourage potential predators) underscore Gibbons’s educational but nondidactic approach.”—Publishers Weekly ”The book presents [this beetle’s] body parts, food, development, predators, defenses, and protection from cold weather. . . . Bright and informative.”—Booklist |
Check out this month's Classroom Picks here. |
