New Books

October 2009

This is only a partial list of some of our new favorites. Check the catalog for more.

Sent: Haddix, Margaret Peterson; ISBN: 9781416954224; Call Number: *J HADD; 2009; Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and Alex suddenly find themselves in 1483 at the Tower of London, where they discover that Chip and Alex are Prince Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, imprisoned by their uncle, King Richard III, but trying to repair history without knowing what is supposed to happen proves challenging. Author's note includes historical facts about the princes and king.
Thumb and the Bad Guys: Roberts, Ken; ISBN: 9780888999160; Call Number: *J ROBE; 2009; In the isolated Canadian fishing village, New Auckland where best friends Thumb and Susan live, mystery abounds. How did an eighteenth-century cannonball wash ashore? Why does the new schoolteacher wear a wig and pancake make-up? And why, when the village's lone "bad guy" sneaks off into the woods at night, do eerie screaming noises follow?
Leo and the Lesser Lion: Forrester, Sandra; ISBN: 9780375856167; Call Number: *J FORR; 2009; In Depression-era Alabama, twelve-year-old Mary Bayliss Pettigrew struggles to understand why her beloved older brother, Leo, died and whether she, miraculously, survived for some special purpose.
Is This Normal?: Girls' Questions: ISBN: 9781593694838; Call Number: *J 613.04242 IS; 2009; Provides answers to letters from real girls with concerns about their changing bodies, plus tips to help readers talk with their parents about puberty and other touchy topics.
The History of Hip Hop: Cornish, Melanie J.; ISBN: 9780778738206; Call Number: *J 782.421649 CORN; 2009; Prepare yourself for a fascinating venture into the glamorous world of hip hop music! Learn all about your favorite rap music stars and how they made their way to the top of the charts.
Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life: Reef, Catherine; ISBN: 9780618987054; Call Number: *J 921 HEMINGWAY; 2009; An introduction to the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, one of the most significant and notorious American writers of the 20th century.
Game On!: Steinberg, David; ISBN: 9780448447001; Call Number: J GRAPHIC NOVEL STEI; 2009; When Old Fogey escapes from prison and creates a video game that physically sucks the players into the game, it is up to Daniel, aka Loud Boy, and his friends to call upon their superpowers to rescue the captured players. Book three in the Loud Boy series.
The 3-2-3 Detective Agency in The Disappearance of Dave Warthog: Robinson, Fiona; ISBN: 9780810984899; 2009; On the 3:23 Express to Whiska City, five unlikely friends meet and decide to form a detective agency. There is Jenny the wise donkey, Roger the gourmet dung beetle, Priscilla the theatrical penguin, Slingshot the hyperactive sloth, and Bluebell, the shy but brave rat. With little training but a lot of pluck, they set up shop in Whiska City and soon tackle their first mystery: a rash of disappearances linked to a pink poodle's beauty salon.

September 2009

Rattling Chains and Other Stories for Children: García, Nasario; ISBN: 9781558855441; Call Number: SPANISH J GARC; 2009; A collection of scary stories based on the lore of New Mexico, in English and in Spanish. Includes both Spanish and English versions published together in a reversible-book format.
Closed for the Season: a Mystery Story: Hahn, Mary Downing; ISBN: 9780547084510; Call Number: *J HAHN; 9780547084510; When thirteen-year-old Logan and his family move into a run-down old house in rural Virginia, he discovers that a woman was murdered there and becomes involved with his neighbor Arthur in a dangerous investigation to try to uncover the killer.
Wild River: Petersen, P. J.; ISBN: 9780385906562; Call Number: *J PETE; 2009; Considered lazy and unathletic, twelve-year-old Ryan discovers a heroic side of himself when a kayak trip with his older brother goes horribly awry.
The Little Secret: Saunders, Kate; ISBN: 9780312369613; Call Number: *J SAUN; 2009; When she is invited to her new friend's home for summer vacation, eleven-year-old Jane discovers that Staffa and her family are not what they seem to be.
Professor Tuesday's Awesome Adventures in History. Book One: Chief Pontiac's War: Schatzer, Jeffery L.; ISBN: 9781587265518; Call Number: J SCHA; 2009; When an eccentric history professor takes the students from Miss Pepper's class back in time to visit Native American peoples of the Woodland tribes, he and one of the students get stuck during Chief Pontiac's uprising in 1763, and the rest of the students must try to rescue them.
Extraordinary People of the Civil Rights Movement: Hardy, Sheila Jackson; ISBN: 0516254618; Call Number: RJ 323.092 HARD; 2007; A look at the lives of some courageous Americans who worked hard for civil rights in America. Each book in the Extraordinary People series brings together sixty to eighty stories of struggle, achievement, victory, and sometimes, loss. By examining the lives of extraordinary achievers through the centuries, a unique history comes alive for the ethnic, professional, or social group covered in each book. This title is shelved in the Central Branch Library Children's Room Referenece Section. You may find a circulating copy in the Teens' section.
Skateboarding Science: Becker, Helaine; ISBN: 9780778745532; Call Number: J 796.22 BECK; 2009; This book explores the science behind the stunts. Learn how skateboarding has evolved into one of the most exhilarating sports today.
Obama: The Historic Journey: Abramson, Jill; ISBN: 9780670012084; Call Number: *J 921 OBAMA; 2009; Including his inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, this beautifully designed book tells the extraordinary story of Barack Obama's life and rise to power in both words and photographs. The young readers hardcover edition is specifically written and designed to appeal to and inspire the 8-12 age group, with age-appropriate text and a different selection of photographs and illustrations. 96 pages, with 200 full-color photographs.
Barbarians!: Kroll, Steven; ISBN: 9780525479581; Call Number: *J 940.1 KROL; 2009; Kroll introduces four notable groups referred to by their enemies as barbarians: the Goths, the Huns, the Vikings, and the Mongols. In each case, he looks at the lives of common people within the group, their religious beliefs, their leaders, their history, and the results of their attacks on other civilizations.

August 2009

Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence: Comerford, Lynda B.; ISBN: 9780545050586; Call Number: *J COME; 2009; Rissa Bartholomew didn't plan on declaring her independence from all of her friends at her own birthday party. But somehow, that's exactly what she did. Now she's entering sixth grade without a single friend, and she's determined to make new ones without simply following the herd.
The Unknowns: A Mystery: Carey, Benedict; ISBN: 9780810979918; Call Number: *J CARE; 2009; When people start vanishing from a trailer park next to the Folsom Energy Plant, two eleven-year-olds investigate using mathematical clues that were hastily planted by their friend Mrs. Clarke before she disappeared.
Winter Wood: Augarde, Steve; ISBN: 9780385750745; Call Number: *J AUGA; 2009; In Somerset, England, on her family's farm, Midge must find a lost artifact that will help the warring tribes of the Various--little people that only Midge can see-- return to their homeland, but in order to accomplish this, she must first find her great-great-aunt Celandine, who also spent time with the Various as a child.
Extreme Scientists: Exploring Nature's Mysteries from Perilous Places: Jackson, Donna M.; ISBN: 9780618777068; Call Number: *J 509.22 JACK; 2009; Extreme scientists battle some of the Earth's most intense conditions, from hurricanes to caves to the crowns of towering redwoods, in order to save lives, preserve species, and help us to better understand the way our planet works.
That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: a Book about Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things: Roth, Ruby; ISBN: 9781556437854; Call Number: *J 641.5636 ROTH; 2009; This nonfiction book makes the case sensitively for both vegetarianism and veganism with gorgeous artwork and a clear, firm stance about the needs of animals and the peril to the greater environment. A separate section entitled "What Else Can We Do?" suggests ways children can learn more about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.
The Name Game: A Look Behind the Labels: Jackson, Donna M.; ISBN: 9780670011971; Call Number: J 929.97 JACK; 2009; This illustrated investigation looks at how people get their names in various cultures and what some of those names mean. It also discusses unusual names, nicknames, the names of pets, companies, and hurricanes, and much more.
World War II: An Interactive History Adventure: Raum, Elizabeth; ISBN: 9781429623445; Call Number: *J 940.53 Raum; 2009; Describes the events of World War II and explains the significance of the war today. The reader's choices reveal the historical details from the perspective of a member of the Dutch resistance, a Canadian soldier, and an American soldier.
Graphic Novelty: A Comics Collection: Ogden, Charles; ISBN: 9781416950042; Call Number: J GRAPHIC NOVEL GRAP; 2009; COME ONE, COME ALL! Join us, Edgar and Ellen, and experience for yourself the thrills, chills, and inescapable ills of our first adventures in comics! Now with real word balloons! TREMBLE as we turn pirate and take over the Nod's Limbs Water Park! WONDER as you witness a bizarro Nod's Limbs called.... Glob's Glums! GASP as our manga doppelgangers show off their superior kung fu! When you're in the comics, the possibilities are endless! Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: Lin, Grace; ISBN: 9780316114271; Call Number: *J LIN; 2009; Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
From Somalia, With Love: Robert, Na'íma bint; ISBN: 9781845078324; Call Number: PBK *J ROBE; 2009; Safia Dirie is a teenage girl living in East London with her mother, Hoyo, and two older brothers, Ahmed and Abdullahi. Though she was born in Somalia, she doesn’t really remember it — Safia’s a London girl, through and through. But now, after 12 long years, her father, Abo, has returned to the family from war-torn Mogadishu. Safia knew things would change, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of dealing with Abo’s cultural expectations. Or that Ahmed, her favorite brother, would start to run wild. And she herself certainly didn’t expect to find her cousin Firdous’ party-girl lifestyle so tempting. Safia must come to terms with who she is — as a Muslim, as a teenager, as a poet, as a friend, but most of all, as a daughter to a father she’s never known. Rooted in Somali and Muslim life, this poignant and beautifully written novel about one girl’s quest to find her own place in the world strikes a chord with young readers everywhere.
Independent Dames: What You Never Knew about the Women and Girls of the American Revolution: Anderson, Laurie Halse; ISBN: 9780689858086; Call Number: J 973.3082 ANDE; 2008; Listen up! You've all heard about the great men who led and fought during the American Revolution; but did you know that the guys only make up part of the story? What about the women? The girls? The dames? Didn't they play a part? Of course they did, and with page after page of superbly researched information and thoughtfully detailed illustrations, acclaimed novelist and picture-book author Laurie Halse Anderson and charismatic illustrator Matt Faulkner prove the case in this entertaining, informative, and long overdue homage to those independent dames!
The Genie Scheme: Jones, Kimberly; ISBN: 9781416955542; Call Number: *J JONE; 2009; When twelve-year-old Janna, who lives in a small house with her single mother, helps a homeless woman who turns out to be a genie, she discovers how interconnected the world really is.
Adventures in Cartooning: Sturm, James; ISBN: 9781596433694; Call Number: J GRAPHIC NOVEL STUR; 2009; In this action-packed cartooning adventure, kids will have as much fun making comics as reading them!
Spyology: The Complete Book of Spycraft: Blake, Spencer; ISBN: 0763640484; Call Number: *J 327.12 BLAK; 2008; As British spy Agent K traverses the globe on an undercover mission to expose a deadly criminal organization, he records his secret techniques in a manual for new recruits, in a title which includes a magnifying jewel on the front cover and a codex on the inside back cover for creating and deciphering codes.
Find the Constellations: Rey, H. A.; ISBN: 9780547131405; Call Number: J 523.8 REY; 2008; This second edition of Find the Constellations contains star charts, a guide to the constellations, and details about seasons and the movement of the objects we see in the sky with planetary and solar system information in the latter part of the book. Facts and figures for each planet have been revised, and new scientific information has been added, such as Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet.
The Truth About Truman School: Butler, Dori; ISBN: 0807580953; When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be honest. They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the school newspaper would never say, and to give everyone a chance to say what they want to say, too. But given the chance, some people will say anything-anything to hurt someone else. And when rumors about one popular student escalate to cruel new levels, it's clear the truth about Truman School is more harrowing than anyone ever imagined.

New Books

October 2009

September 2009

August 2009

Tweens

See Also