Revenge of the Witch

The Last Apprentice; Book 1
by Joseph Delaney
Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son which means two things; he will have to leave his home at age 13 in order to make a living for himself and he also has "the gift". Unfortunately for Tom these two things make him a perfect candidate to apprentice with the local Spook, a man whose job it is to rid the county of ghosts, witches, boggarts and other evil beings. Not the trade Tom had hoped to be learning. His new master, Old Gregory, is a weathered loner who has been successfully ridding the county of all manner of ghosts and witches for as long as Tom can remember. Tom has a lot to learn and not much time to learn it but before long the Spook has trusted Tom to handle one of the most evil witches of all time, Mother Malkin. Has he learned enough to save himself and his family from her wicked ways? The first in The Last Apprentice series, this book is not to be read at night and not when you are alone!

Recommended for grades 6 and up
Reviewed by Tara Olson

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman
adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Coraline Jones and her parents just moved into a very old house, and Coraline is bored.  Her parents are too busy to pay any attention to her, and her neighbors, who are strange to say the least, give her weird advice and strange warnings.  While exploring, Coraline comes across a door in the sitting room.  When she opens it, sometimes she sees a brick wall, but sometimes she sees "the other world," a world much like her own in design, but better and more exciting.  However, she also finds she has an "other" mother and father, creepy people with button eyes who would love to keep Coraline as their own child and entertain her and pay attention to her like she wished her real parents would do.  When the "other" mother kidnaps her parents and locks Coraline into the "other" world, Coraline must play the ultimate game to save herself and her parents and return home.

The graphic novel adaptation of the novel is equal parts creepy and entertaining.  The vibrant illustrations make you feel as if you too have walked through the door in the sitting room.  If you're looking for a scary story, pick up either the book or this graphic novel adaptation... and then be happy you only have one mother.

Recommended for gardes 5-10
Reviewed by Sara Murray

Listening for Lions

by Gloria Whelan
Thirteen-year-old Rachel Sheridan is perfectly content living in British East Africa as the daughter of missionaries.  Her mother teaches the local children, and her father is a doctor at the mission hospital, where Rachel often gets to help.  When influenza sweeps the region and both of her parents die, Rachel is left an orphan.  Her cruel neighbors, the Pritchards, who lost their only daugher Valerie to influenza, take Rachel in as their own child, but only so she can go to London and pose as their daughter in order to earn an inheritance from her rich "grandfather."  She spends much of her time telling the grandfather stories of her life in Africa and finding rare birds in his garden, and also develops an affection for him.  Finding it difficult to live a lie, but also not wanting to disappoint her frail, sick grandfather, Rachel is torn between telling the truth and keeping things as they are.  When the mean Pritchards come to visit, Rachel knows she has to be true to herself if she will ever find her way back to happiness and Africa.

Recommended for grades 5-9
Reviewed by Sara Murray

The School Story

by Andrew Clements
Natalie, a 12 year old is still getting over the death of her father, when she writes a story that her friend Zoe thinks is worthy of publication. The story is about a girl, whose father stands up for her even when she is caught cheating. Though her book is a school story, it is also as Zoe says "a goodbye poem from Natalie to her father." Natalie's mother Hannah is a children's book editor at a New York Publishing firm, but Natalie wants to do this on her own. Zoe and Natalie ask their English teacher to read the story. She agrees to help them pursue publication. The friendship between Natalie and Zoe, and their attempt to get the book published make this book more than just a school story, it is a story of friendship between two very different girls, and Natalie's coming to grips with the death of her father.

Recommended for grades 4-8
Reviewed by Alice Woertendyke

Daddy Hug

by Tim Warnes
Animal daddies show their softer side and cuddle with their little ones in this picture book. The illustrations in this book are soft but realistic and you feel like you could reach out and touch the animals. I've tested this book on my own little one and she keeps coming back for more! Plus you get the added bonus of getting a hug at the end of the book, even if you're not daddy.

Recommended for ages 2-5
Reviewed by Alicia Parmele

Robot Dreams

by Sara Varon
In this wordless graphic novel, two friends, Dog and Robot make a terrible mistake on their visit to the beach: the tin Robot goes swimming and ends up rusted in place on his beach towel. Dog reluctantly leaves his friend, but with his dreams haunted by Robot, Dog soon attempts a repair and rescue trip only to discover that the beach is closed for the year. Poor Dog can see his friend through the fence, but he can't get to him and Robot doesn't even know Dog is there. Over the next year both friends try to deal with their separation - Robot dreams of rescue and life off the beach while Dog attempts to make new friends to fill the void left by Robot. Each waits for the beach to reopen, but will they get to have the reunion they hope for? Read this bittersweet story of friendship, forgiveness, and life lessons learned to find out!

Recommended for grades 3 and up
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

Savvy

by Ingrid Law
Mibs Beaumont is turning 13 in just two days and when she does, her life will change forever. Not only will she be a teenager, but her savvy will hit and the Beaumonts have seen some whoppers: 19 year old Rocket leaks electricity and 14 year old Fish controls the weather - well, sort of. Mibs can't wait to see what her savvy will be, although she's plenty nervous too - when Fish got his savvy he caused a hurricane and the whole family had to move! Then disaster strikes: Poppa Beaumont (no savvy - he married into the family) is in a horrific car accident and lies in a coma miles away in Salinas. Now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will help her Poppa be OK, and when she wakes up on her 13th birthday, she gets the perfect savvy - or so she thinks. Now all she has to do is get to Poppa, and there's the pink Bible Supply Bus heading to Salinas......

Quick as a blink, Mibs in on that bus with two brothers and the preacher's two kids. When the bus turns the wrong way, though, the adventure really begins.

Recommended for grades 5-8
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

Masterpieces Up Close

Masterpieces Up Close: Western Painting from the 14th to 20th Centuries
by Claire d'Harcourt
This colorful oversize book is a wonderful introduction to art history, covering artists from Botticelli to Warhol. Readers learn fascinating facts about 21 paintings. Each two-page spread includes a large central painting with several details from each one enlarged and explained in the margins. What is neat about this is that you can then find the details in the large painting and view them in context. The book also includes short summaries of all the paintings, discussing the artists' techniques, histories, and more. At the end is a collection of lift the flap versions of each work, with a brief biography of the artist under the flap.

Recommended for grades 2 and up
Reviewed by Alexa Newman