Children's
Core Collection

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Fiction

 

 

Middle & Junior
High Core
Collection

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Nonfiction

 

 

Senior
High Core
Collection

 
Home The Editor's Pick

 

Middle & Junior High Core Collection

Current Picks for October 2007

 
 
Title:   The astonishing adventures of Fanboy
 & Goth Girl
Personal Author:    Lyga, Barry
Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:    2006
Pages:   311
ISBN:   0-618-72392-7, $16.95
Abstract(s):   A fifteen-year-old "geek" who keeps a list of the high school jocks and others who torment him, and pours his energy into creating a great graphic novel, encounters Kyra, Goth Girl, who helps change his outlook on almost everything, including himself.
"This engaging first novel has good characterization with genuine voices. . . . The book is compulsively readable." (Voice Youth Advocates)
Subject(s):   Cartoons and comics/Fiction; School stories; Friendship/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10 11 12

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Perceval: King Arthur's Knight of the Holy Grail
Personal Author:   Perkins, John; Spirin, Gennadii, il
Publisher:    Marshall Cavendish
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   36
ISBN:   978-0-7614-5339-0, $16.99
Abstract:   Retells the Arthurian legend of Perceval, a foolish and impatient boy who realizes his dream of becoming a great knight, but meets with misfortune when he forgets to pray and serve God.
"Younger readers will need help navigating the more oblique parts of the story . . . but there are still plenty of straightforward heroics to keep the pages turning. Spirin's intricate full-color paintings, done in the gesso technique used by medieval and Renaissance painters, display a range of passions and action." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Perceval (Legendary character); Arthurian romances
Dewey Decimal Classification:   398.2
Reading Level:   5 6 7 8

 

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Rover
Personal Author:   French, Jackie
Publisher:   HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   283
ISBN:   978-0-06-085078-4, $16.99
0-06-085078-7
978-0-06-085079-1 (lib bdg), $17.89
0-06-085079-5 (lib bdg)
Abstract:   Captured by Vikings, young Hekja is taken as a slave to Greenland by the daughter of Erik the Red, and accompanied by no one from her homeland but her loyal dog, shares adventures with her new mistress.
"In French's accessible, historically accurate telling, Hekja both suffers and profits from her experiences. . . . French has created compelling, fully realized characters." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Vikings/Fiction; Slavery/Fiction; Dogs/Fiction; Sex role/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 6 7 8

 

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   The rising star of Rusty Nail. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Blume, Lesley M. M.
Publisher:   Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   270
ISBN:   978-0-375-83524-7, $15.99
978-0-375-93524-4 (libbdg), $18.99
Abstract:    In the small town of Rusty Nail, Minnesota, in the early 1950s, musically talented ten-year-old Franny wants to take advanced piano lessons from newcomer Olga Malenkov, a famous Russian musician suspected of being a communist spy by gossipy members of the community.
"Blume has skillfully combined humor, history, and music to create an enjoyable novel that builds to a surprising crescendo." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Pianists/Fiction; Musicians/Fiction; Russian Americans/Fiction; Minnesota/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:    Fic
Reading Level:   4 5 6

 

 

Previous Picks

 
  Core Collection
Title:   Does my head look big in this?. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Publisher:   Orchard Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   360
ISBN:   978-0-439-91947-0, $16.99
0-439-91947-9
Abstract:   Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith - without losing her identity or sense of style.
"While the novel deals with a number of serious issues, it is extremely funny and entertaining." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Muslims/Fiction; Clothing and dress/Fiction; School stories; Australia/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10 11 12

 

 

  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   The invention of Hugo Cabret: a novel in words and pictures
Personal Author:   Selznick, Brian
Publisher:   Scholastic Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   533
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-439-81378-6, $22.95
Abstract:   When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
"With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Robots/Fiction; Orphans/Fiction; Motion pictures/Fiction; Paris (France)/Fiction; Melies, Georges, 1861-1938/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   4 5 6 7
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 9/10 (Jan. 1-15 2007). Mattson, Jennifer, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 10 (Mar. 11 2007). Schwartz, John, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 8 (Apr. 2007). Spisak, April, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 99 no. 83 (Mar. 27 2007). Sawyer, Jenny, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Horn Book v. 83 no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 2007). Sutton, Roger, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   The Horn Book v. 83 no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 2007). Sutton, Roger, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   Kimchi & calamari
Personal Author:   Kent, Rose
Publisher:   HarperCollinsPublishers
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   220
ISBN:   978-0-06-083769-3, $15.99
0-06-083769-1
9780060837709 (lib bdg), $16.89
0-06-083770-5 (lib bdg)
Abstract:   "Fourteen-year-old Korean adoptee Joseph Calderaro is stumped when his social studies teacher assigns an ancestry essay. . . . Kent's debut novel humorously captures the feelings of a young teen who thoroughly enjoys his Italian-American family but still wonders about his birth parents." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Korean Americans/Fiction; Italian Americans/Fiction; Adoption/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   4 5 6 7
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 12 (Feb. 15 2007). Weisman, Kay, reviewer
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 10 (June 2007). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   The middle of somewhere. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Cheaney, J. B.
Publisher:   Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   218
ISBN:   978-0-375-83790-6, $15.99
978-0-375-93790-3 (lib bdg), $18.99
Abstract:   Twelve-year-old Ronnie loves organization, especially because her brother has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but traveling with their grandfather who is investigating wind power in Kansas brings some pleasant, if chaotic, surprises.
"The main characters are particularly well drawn and believable, and readers will root for both children as they attempt to overcome the obstacles placed in front of them." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Automobile travel/Fiction; Siblings/Fiction; Attention deficit disorder/Fiction; Grandfathers/Fiction; Kansas/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 6 7 8

 

   

Previous Picks

 

   
Title:   The falconer's knot: a story of friars, flirtation and foul play
Personal Author:   Hoffman, Mary
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Children's Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   297
ISBN:   978-1-59990-056-8, $16.95
1-59990-056-4
Abstract:   Silvano and Chiara, teens sent to live in a friary and a nunnery in Renaissance Italy, are drawn to one another and dream of a future together, but when murders are committed in the friary, they must discover who is behind the crimes before they can realize their love.
"Hoffman creates utterly engaging characters and vivid settings, and she skillfully turns up the suspense, wrapping her varied plot threads into a satisfying whole." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Religious life/Fiction; Love stories; Renaissance/Fiction; Italy/History/0-1559/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10

 

 

   
Title:   On my journey now: looking at African-American history through the spirituals. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Giovanni, Nikki
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   116
ISBN:   978-0-7636-2885-7, $18.99
0-7636-2885-9
Abstract:   "Personal and passionate, Giovanni's short narrative talks about the sacred songs first sung by slaves, tracing how the people in bondage created the great spirituals to tell their stories, and what the songs still mean to us today." (Booklist)
Note(s):   "Complete lyrics for the spirituals included."
Subject(s):   Spirituals (Songs); African Americans/History
Dewey Decimal Classification:   782.25
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Rochman, Hazel, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Peak
Responsibility:   [by] Roland Smith
Publisher:   Harcourt
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   246
ISBN:   978-0-15-202417-8, $17
Abstract:   After fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he is sent to live with his long-lost father, who wants him to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit.
"This is a thrilling, multifaceted adventure story. Smith includes plenty of mountaineering facts told in vivid detail. . . . But he also explores other issues, such as the selfishness that nearly always accompanies the intensely single-minded." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Mountaineering/Fiction; Father-son relationship/Fiction; Mount Everest (China and Nepal)/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10

 

 

   
Title:   Rachel Carson: a twentieth-century life
Personal Author:   Levine, Ellen
Publisher:   Viking
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   224
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-670-06220-1, $15.99
Abstract:   A biography of the environmental scientist.
"Direct, eloquent, and precise. . . . A balanced, thoroughly researched introduction to an original scientist whose work remains of urgent importance today." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Series:   Up close
Subject(s):   Women scientists
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   6 7 8 9
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 12 (Feb. 15 2007). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   The hero revealed. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Boniface, William; Gilpin, Stephen, il
Publisher:   HarperCollins Pub.
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   294
ISBN:   978-0-06-077464-6
0-06-077464-9, $15.99
978-0-06-077465-3 (lib bdg)
0-06-077465-7 (lib bdg), $16.89
Abstract:   Ordinary Boy, the only resident of Superopolis without a superpower, uncovers and foils a sinister plot to destroy the town.
"This first book in a new series is great fun. . . . Boniface wields a cynical, but definitely kid-friendly, sense of humor, and Gilpin's illustrations are sharp and witty." (SLJ)
Series:   The extraordinary adventures of Ordinary Boy
Subject(s):   Superheroes/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   4 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 19/20 (June 1-15 2006). Sullivan, Ed, reviewer
Review:   School Library Journal v. 52 no. 6 (June 2006). Minkel, Walter, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   Deadly invaders: virus outbreaks around the world, from Marburg fever to avian flu
Personal Author:   Grady, Denise
Publisher:   Kingfisher
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   128
ISBN:   978-0-7534-5995-9
0-7534-5995-7, $16.95
Abstract:   "In the first half of the book . . . Grady discusses the Marburg virus, the incurable disease it causes, and its effects on individuals and communities, as seen through the lens of her personal experiences in Angola. . . . Next she offers a short . . . chapter on each of seven deadly diseases: Marburg fever, avian flu, HIV/AIDS, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, West Nile disease, SARS, and monkeypox." (Booklist)
The "writing is informative and compelling. . . . The layout is appealing and includes good-quality, full-color, relevant photographs on almost every spread. . . . A fast-paced, timely, and important book." (SLJ)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
A New York Times book
Subject(s):   Communicable diseases; Marburg virus
Dewey Decimal Classification:   614.4
Reading Level:   7 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 3 (Oct. 1 2006). Phelan, Carolyn, reviewer
Review:   School Library Journal v. 52 no. 12 (Dec. 2006). Ostergard, Maren, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   Leonardo's shadow: or, my astonishing life as Leonardo da Vinci's servant
Personal Author:   Grey, Christopher
Publisher:   Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   400
ISBN:   1-4169-0543-X, $16.95
Abstract:   Fifteen-year-old Giacomo--servant to Leonardo da Vinci--helps his procrastinating master finish painting "The Last Supper" while also trying to find clues to his parentage and pursue his own career as an artist in late fifteenth-century Milan.
"Grey seamlessly blends fact and research about the inventor/artist with imagination. . . . Easily readable, this novel incorporates adventure and mystery with history." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Household employees/Fiction; Artists/Fiction; Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   6 7 8 9
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 22 (Aug. 2006). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Quest for the tree kangaroo: an expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea
Personal Author:   Montgomery, Sy; Bishop, Nic, il
Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   79
ISBN:   0-618-49641-6, $18
Abstract:   "The writer and photographer of this exemplary description of science field work accompanied researcher Lisa Dabek on an expedition high in New Guinea's mountains to study tree kangaroos and promote the conservation of this elusive and endangered species. . . . Montgomery . . . paces her narrative well . . . keeping the reader engaged and concerned. . . . Bishop's photographs . . . are beautifully reproduced." (Publ Wkly)
Series:   Scientists in the field
Subject(s):   Tree kangaroos; New Guinea; Dabek, Lisa
Dewey Decimal Classification:   599.2
Reading Level:   5 and up
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 7 (Dec. 1 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer
Review:   The Horn Book v. 83 no. 1 (Jan./Feb. 2007). Ford, Danielle J., reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

   
Title:   Beowulf
Personal Author:   Morpurgo, Michael; Foreman, Michael, il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   92
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-3206-9
0-7636-3206-6, $17.99
Abstract:   "Morpurgo retells the classic story of the courageous young warrior . . . who used his brute strength to save the neighboring Danes, then his own kinsmen, by slaying two horrible monsters, a sea serpent, and a massive dragon. . . . Many attractive full-page watercolor and pastel paintings illustrate important action-filled scenes. . . . This is a fine retelling." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Monsters/Folklore; Folklore/Europe; Beowulf
Dewey Decimal Classification:   398.2
Reading Level:   5 and up

 

 

   
Title:   Curse of the bane. 1st American ed.
Personal Author:   Delaney, Joseph; Arrasmith, Patrick, il
Publisher:   Greenwillow Books
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   455
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-06-076621-4
0-06-076621-2, $16.99
978-0-06-076622-1 (lib bdg)
0-06-076622-0 (lib bdg), $17.89
Abstract:   Now thirteen years old, Tom Ward continues his apprenticeship with the Spook as they confront a dangerous bane who can control people's thoughts.
"Despite the blood and gore, this tale is more than a well-crafted horror story. . . . Delaney also does an exceptional job of interweaving stories, with one plot point leading insistently to the next." (Booklist)
Note(s):   First published 2005 in the United Kingdom with title: Spook's curse
Sequel to The last apprentice: Revenge of the witch (2005)
Series:   The last apprentice
Subject(s):   Supernatural/Fiction; Witches/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 22 (Aug. 2006). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer
Review:   The Horn Book v. 82 no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2006). Sutton, Roger, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

   
Title:   Fairest
Personal Author:   Levine, Gail Carson
Publisher:   HarperCollins
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   326
ISBN:   978-0-06-073408-4
0-06-073408-6, $16.99
978-0-06-073409-1 (lib bdg)
0-06-073409-4 (lib bdg), $17.89
Abstract:   In a land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, Aza eventually comes to reconcile her unconventional appearance and her magical voice, and learns to accept herself for who she truly is.
"The plot is fast-paced, and Aza's growth and maturity are well crafted and believable." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Fairy tales; Singing/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   6 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 21 (July 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 46 (Nov. 12 2006). Wolf, Naomi, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Spisak, April, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   School Library Journal v. 52 no. 9 (Sept. 2006). Buron, Melissa Christy, reviewer
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 98 (Oct. 31 2006). Fisher, Enicia, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

   
Title:   I am the Great Horse
Personal Author:   Roberts, Katherine
Publisher:   Scholastic
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   401
ISBN:   0-439-82163-0, $16.99
Abstract:   The war horse Bucephalus recounts his adventures from 344-323 B.C. with Alexander the Great and his relationship with a groom who has prophetic dreams.
"This is a marvelous book, and much of its strength relates directly to its nonhuman narrator. . . . Roberts has clearly done her research. Her Alexander is complex, driven, alternately coldly ambitious and warmly generous." (SLJ)
Note(s):   The Chicken House
Subject(s):   Horses/Fiction; Kings and rulers/Fiction; Alexander, the Great, 356-323 B.C./Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   7 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 4 (Oct. 15 2006). Rochman, Hazel, reviewer
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 
Title:   A drowned maiden's hair: a melodrama
Personal Author:   Schlitz, Laura Amy
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   389
ISBN:   978-0-7636-2930-4
0-7636-2930-8, $15.99
Abstract:   At the Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans, eleven-year-old Maud is adopted by three spinster sisters moonlighting as mediums who take her home and reveal to her the role she will play in their seances.
"Filled with heavy atmosphere and suspense, this story recreates life in early-20th-century New England. . . . Maud is a charismatic, three-dimensional character." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Orphans/Fiction; Spiritualism/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 and up

 

 

Title:   The silver donkey. 1st U.S. ed.
Personal Author:   Hartnett, Sonya; Powers, Don T., il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   266
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-7636-2937-5978-0-7636-2937-3, $15.99
Abstract:   In France during World War I, four French children learn about honesty, loyalty, and courage from an English army deserter who tells them a series of stories related to his small, silver donkey charm.
"Occasional full-page black-and-white art deftly suggests setting and mood without intruding on readers' imaginations. Provocative, timely, and elegantly honed." (Horn Book)
Note(s):   First published 2004 in Australia
Subject(s):   World War, 1914-1918/Fiction; France/Fiction; Soldiers/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 and up

 

 

Title:   The Whitby witches: book one of the Whitby witches trilogy
Personal Author:   Jarvis, Robin; Petersen, Jeff, il
Publisher:   Chronicle Books
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   295
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-8118-5413-9
0-8118-5413-2, $17.95
Abstract:   Ben and Jennet, an orphaned brother and sister, are taken in by an old woman in the quaint fishing village of Whitby, where they soon learn of the town's ancient lore and become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil.
This "is a dark but delightful read. . . . There is just the right amount of suspense to make the book creepy, but not enough to make it truly scary for younger readers." (SLJ)
Note(s):   First published 1991 in the United Kingdom
Subject(s):   Orphans/Fiction; Witches/Fiction; Supernatural/Fiction; Great Britain/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   5 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 3 (Oct. 1 2006). Weisman, Kay, reviewer

 

 

Title:   What the moon saw: a novel. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Resau, Laura
Publisher:   Delacorte Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   258