Spring 2009

90 new reviews

Entries this month: Picturebooks - Fiction | Special Section on Cat Books | Two new books from Iran | Beginning Readers—Fiction | Beginning Readers—Non-Fiction | Cookbooks | Poetry/Language Play | Middle Grade—Fiction | Middle-Grade Non-Fiction |YA—Fiction | YA—Non-Fiction

 

AGE GUIDES: these are approximate recommendations:

• Picturebooks, 3-6 years old (though often enjoyed by older children, too)
• Chapter Books, Beginning Readers-5-8 years old
• Middle Grade Books-7-11 years old
• Young Adult-11-18 years old

REVIEWERS: Alida Allison, Chris Bell, Eric Bowling, Aria Fani, Kira Hall, Jay Katz, Kim Kennelly, Naomi Lesley, Shelley McRoberts, Emily Moore, Taylor Nelligan, Linda Salem, Marie Soriano

* denotes San Diego writer and/or illustrator
** Age levels, when provided by the publishers, are included in the bibliographical information. Otherwise, category placements are our best approximations.

Picturebooks - Fiction

• Alda, Arlene. Iris has a Virus. Illustrated by Lisa Desimini. Ontario: Tundra, 2008. ISBN 978-0-88776-844-6. $20.99 CAN/ $18.95 U.S. Ages 4-7. www.tundrabooks.com
• Base, Graeme. 2008. Enigma. A Magical Mystery. New York: Henry N. Abrams, Inc. 9780810972452. $19.95.
• Evans, Cambria. Bone Soup. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-80908-0. $16.00. Ages 3-7.
• Foley, Greg. Willoughby and the Lion. New York: The Bowen Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-06-154750-8. U.S. $17.99/ $19.50 CAN. Ages 4-7. www.harpercollinschildrens.com
• Gershator, Phyllis. Zoo Day Ole! Ill. Santiago Cohen. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7614-5462-5. $17.99 US Ages 3-7.
• Gravett, Emily. The Odd Egg. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-6872-6 / ISBN-10: 14169-6872-5. U.S. $15.99. Ages 4-8. www.simonsayskids.com
• Harper, Charise Mericle. Milo’s Special Words. New York: Random House, 2009. ISBN 978-0-375-84613-7. $10.99 US/ $12.50 CAN. www.randomhouse.com/kids
• Hest, Amy. The Dog Who Belonged to No One. Illustrated by Amy Bates. New York: Abrams, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8109-9483-6. $15.95 U.S./ $17.95 CAN. Ages 4-8 www.abramyoungreaders.com
• Hoffman, Beth Greiner. Animal Gym. Illustrated by Tibor Gergely. New York: Golden Books, Inc. 1956. Reprint by Random House 2009. ISBN: 9780375847516. $3.99.
• Horstman, Lisa. Squawking Matilda. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7614-5463-2. $17.99. Ages 4-8.
• Jeffers, Dawn. Beautiful Moon. Bella Luna. A Story in English and Spanish. Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. 2009. McHenry, Illinois: Raven Tree Press. 1932748873. $16.95.
• Johnson, D.B. Four Legs Bad, Two Legs Good! Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-618-80909-7. $16.00 US/$21.95 CAN. Ages 5-8.
• Kaczman, James. Lucky Monkey, Unlucky Monkey: A Story. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008. ISBN: 978-0-618-63153-7. U.S. $16.00. Ages 4-8.
• Kelly, Marty. Twelve Terrible Things. Berkeley: Tricycle, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58246-229-5. $15.99 U.S. Ages 4-8. www.tricyclepress.com
• Levert, Mireille. The Princess Who Had Almost Everything. Illustrated by Josee Masse. New York: Tundra, 2008. ISBN 978-0-88776-887-3. $21.99 U.S/21.99 CAN. Ages 4-8. www.tundrabooks.com
• Offill, Jenny. 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Any More. Illus. Nancy Carpenter. New York: Schwartz and Wade Books, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-375-83596-4. U.S. $15.99 / $21.00 CAN. Ages 4-8.
• Ravishankar, Anushka. Elephants Never Forget. Ill. Christiane Pieper. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-99784-8. $16.00. Ages 3-5.
• Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Little Hoot. Ill. Jen Corace. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8118-6023-9. $12.99. Ages 2-5.
• Schaefer, Lola M. Frankie Stein. Illus. Kevin Atteberry. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Children, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7614-5358-1. $14.99 US/$19.99 CAN. www.Lolaschaefer.com www.oddisgood.com www.marshallcavendish.us/kids
• Snyder, Betsy. Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? New York: Random House, 2009. ISBN 978-0-375-84396-9. US $9.99/$11.50 CAN. Ages 2-4.
• Willey, Margaret. The Three Bears and Goldilocks. Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4169-2494-4. $16.99. Ages 4-7. www.simonsayskids.com
• Winter, Jonah. The 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven. Ill. Barry Blitt. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007. ISBN 0-375-83602-0. $15.95 US. Ages 4-9.

Special Secion on Children's Books about CATS

• Bachelet, Gilles. When the Silliest Cat Was Small. NY: Abrams, 2007. Picturebook.$16.95. ISBN 0-8109-9415-1. Translated from French by Nicholas Elliott
• Edens, Cooper (compiler.) Classic Animal Stories: The Most Beloved Children’s Stories. Large hardcover. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. $19.99. ISBN 0-8118-5769-7.
• Getty Publications. Cats. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Publications, 2009. Board Book. www.Getty.edu/publications
• Lach, William. Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art. NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Abrams Books, 2007. $14.95. ISBN 0-978-8109-9457-7
  www.metmuseum.org, www.abramsyoungreaders.com ISBN 0-89236-951-5.
• Lazo, Caroline. Someday When My Cat Can Talk. Illus. Kyrsten Brooker. NY: Schwartz and Wade (Random House), 2008. $16.99. Ages 4-8. ISBN 0-375-83754-8.
• Levert, Mireille. The Wizard in Love. Illus. Marie LaFrance. Toronto: Tundra, 2009. $17.95. ISBN 0887769016. Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration, finalist. www.tundrabooks.com
• Newbery, Linda. Posy. Illus. Catherine Rayner. NY: Atheneum, 2008. $16.99. Ages 2-5. ISBN 1-4169-7112-2.
• Piven, Hanoch. What Cats Are Made of. NY: Atheneum, 2009. $16.99. Ages 3-8. ISBN 1-4169-1531-1. www.simonsayskids.com.
• Silverstein, Alvin and Virginia, Laura Silverstein Nunn. Curious Cats. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-first Century Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7613-2512-3.
• Smiley, Norene. That Stripy Cat. Illus. Tara Anderson. Brighton, MA: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2007. $8.95 (hardback). ISBN 1-554551095.
• Van Fleet, Matthew, Photography by Brian Stanton. CAT. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2009. $16.99. Ages 2+. ISBN 1-4169-7800-3. www.simonsayskids.com.
• Von Buhler, Cynthia. The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside: Based on a True Story. NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Large picturebook. $16. ISBN 0-618-56314-8. www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
• Weaver, Tess. Cat Jumped in! Illus. Emily Arnold McCully. NY: Clarion, 2007. $16. ISBN 0-618-61488-2.
  

Beginning Readers--Fiction

• Berger, Lou. The Elephant Wish. Illus. Juan, Ana. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-83962-7. $16.99 U.S./ $19.99 CAN. Ages 4-8.
• Coatsworth, Elizabeth. The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Ilus. Raoul Vitale. New York: Alladin, 1930. ISBN 978-1-4169-4973-2. U.S. $4.99/ $5.99 CAN. Ages 7 and up. Winner of the Newbery Medal
• De Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. Little Sister and the Month Brothers. Ill. Margot Tomes. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Classics, 1976. ISBN 978-0-7614-5546-2. $17.99. Ages 4-8.
• Holub, Joan. Bed, Bats, and Beyond. Illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole. Plain City: Darby Creek, 2008. ISBN 9781581960778. $14.95. Ages 7 and up. www.darbycreekpublishing.com
• Snicket, Lemony. The Composer Is Dead. Music Nathaniel Stookey. Ill. Carson Ellis. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-123627-3. $17.99 US/$19.50 CAN. Ages 5 and up.
• Solomon, Sharon K. A Walk With Grandpa/Un paseo con abuelo. Illus. Pamela Barcita. Mchenry, Illinois: Raven Tree Press, 2009. ISBN #978-1-932748-90-1, Audience: Children’s, pre-k to 3rd grade. www.raventreepress.com

Beginning Readers—Non-Fiction

• Heller, Esther S. Menorah Under the Sea. Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2009. ISBN #ISBN: 978-0-8225-7356-9 . Audience: Children’s, ages 5-9. www.karben.com
• Thong, Roseanne. Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World. Ill. Elisa Kleven. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8118-5716-1. $16.99 US. Ages 4-8.

Cookbooks

• Deen, Paula. My First Cookbook. With Martha Nesbit. Illus. Susan Mitchell. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008. $21.99. ISBN 1-4169-5033-8. 176 pp.

Poetry/Language Play

• Oelschlager, Vanita. Birds of a Feather: a Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures. Illus. Robin Hegan. www.vanitabooks.com, 2009. $17.95. ISBN 0-9800162-8-4.
• Oelschlager, Vanita. Ivy in Bloom: the Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers of the Past. Illus. Robin Hegan. www.vanitabooks.com, 2009. $17.95. ISBN 0-9800162-7-7.

Middle Grade Fiction

• Alvarez, Julia. Return to Sender. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-375-85838-3. $16.99 US/$18.99 CAN. Ages 11-14.
• Bauer, Marion Dane. The Green Ghost. Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. New York: Random House, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-84083-8. $11.99.
• Bauer, Marion Dane. On My Honor. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. ISBN-13: 978-0-899-19439-4. Newberry Award Winner.
• Brashares, Ann. 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-385-73676-3. $18.99 US/$21.99 CAN. Ages 11-14.
• Cottrell Boyce, Frank. Framed. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073404-6. U.S. $6.99. Ages 8 and up. ALA Notable Children’s Book, Book Sense Pick, Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book, School Library Journal Best Book. www.frankcottrellboyce.com
• Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. New York: David Fickling Books, 2008. www.siobhandowd.co.uk, www.randomhouse.com/kids. Ages 10+
• Druitt, Tobias. Corydon & the Fall of Atlantis. New York: Alfred A. Knopf-Random House Children’s Books, 2007. www.randomhouse.com/kids. $15.99 U.S. $21.00 CAN.
• Hardinge, Frances. Fly by Night. New York: HarperTrophy, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-087630-2. $7.99 U.S. Ages 10 and up. School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing” www.franceshardinge.com
• Hirahara, Naomi. 1001 Cranes. New York: Delacorte Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-385-73556. $15.99 US/$19.99 CAN. Ages 10-12. www.naomihirahara.com
• Look, Lenore. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things. Ill. Leuyen Pham. New York: Schwartz and Wade Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-375-83914-6. $15.99 US/$20.00 CAN. Ages 6-10.
• Lovelace, Maud Hart. Betsy-Tacy. Ill. Lois Lenski. 1940. New York: Harper Trophy, 2000. ISBN 978-0-06-440096-1. US $5.99/$7.50 CAN. Ages 7-10.
• Lowry, Lois. The Willoughbys. Boston: Houghlin Mifflin Company, 2008. ISB 978-0618979745. (Ages 9-12)
• Mahy, Margaret. Maddigan's Fantasia. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books-Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2007. Ages 10 and up.
• Matthews, L.S. Lexi. New York: Delacorte, 2007. ISBN 978-0-385-73574-2. $14.99 U.S./ $16.99 CAN. Ages 8-12.
• Nelson, D.A. Dark Isle. New York: Delacorte, 2007. ISBN 978-0-385-73630-5. $15.99. Ages 8-12.
• Nix, Garth. The Abhorsen Chronicles: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, “Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case.” New York: Eos-HarperCollins Publishers, 2009.
• Nunes, Lydia Bojunga. My Friend the Painter.
• Pinkwater, Daniel Manus. Fat Men from Space. New York: Dell Yearling, 1980. ISBN 0-440-44542-6. $ 4.99. 57 pages. Ages 9 and up.
• Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Dell Yearling, 1998. ISBN 0-440-41480-6. $ 5.99. 225 pages. Age: Middle School
• Scott, Michael. The Sorceress – The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel. New York: Random House- Delacorte Press, 2009. 488 pages. ISBN: 978-0-385-73529-9. 10 years and up.
• Seidler, Tor. A Rat’s Tale. Illus. Fred Marcellino. New York: FSG, 2008 (orig. 1986). ISBN 0-374-40031-8. $9.95 pb. 186 pp.
• Singer, Isaac Bashevis. A Day of Pleasure. United States: A Sunburst Book, 1986. $8.95. ISBN 0-374-41696-6. 227 pg. Middle School & Up.
• Snyder, Laurel. Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains; OR, The Search for a Suitable Princess. Illustrated by Greg Call. New York: Random House, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-375-84719-6. $16.99 US/$20.99 CAN. Ages 8
• Tubb, Kristin O’Donnell. Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different. New York: Delacorte Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-38-573569-8. (Ages 9-13).
• Van Draanen, Wendelin. The Gecko and Sticky: Villain’s Lair. Illustrated Stephen Gilpin. New York: Knopf, 2009. ISBN# 978-0-375-84376-1. $12.99. Middle Grade Readers (up to Gr. 8).
  
  

Middle Grade Non-Fiction

• Cleary, Brian P. Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More about Adverbs. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8225-7848-2. $15.95. Ages 7-11.
• Rubin, Susan Goldman. Wham!: The Art & Life of Roy Lichtenstein. New York: Abrams, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8109-9492-8. U.S. $18.95/ CAN. $20.95. Ages 10 and up. www.abramsyoungreaders.com
• Savage, Jeff. Kobe Bryant: Basketball Big Shot. Minneapolis: Lerner Sports, 2001. ISBN 0-8225-9860-4. $5.95.

Middle Grade Drama

• Chanda, Justin, ed. Acting Out. New York: Athenaeum Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4169-3848-4. US $16.99/$19.99 CAN. Ages 8-12.

Young Adult (YA) — Fiction

• Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. Berkeley: Warner Books, 1994. ISBN 0-446-60025-3. $ 5.50. 262 pages. Age: Young Adult
• de la Pena, Matt. We Were Here. New York: Delacorte, 2009. $17.99. ISBN 0-385-73667-1. 368 pp.
• Ellis, Deborah. Lunch with Lenin. Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008. ISBN 978-1-55455-105-7. (Ages 13-16).
• Fantaskey, Beth. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-15-206384-9. $17.00. Ages 12-16.
• Ferraro, Tina. The ABC’s of Kissing Boys. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-385-73582-7. US $8.99/$9.99 CAN. Ages 12-15.
• Gaiman, Neil and Michael Reaves. Interworld. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-123896-3. $ 16.99. 237 pages. Age: Young Adults & Up.
• Helgerson, Joseph. Horns & Wrinkles. Illus. Nicoletta Ceccoli. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. ISBN 978-0618-61679-4. U.S. $16.00. www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
• Lowenstein, Sallie. In the Company of Whispers. Kensington, MD: Lion Stone Books, 2008. ISBN 0-9658486-7-1. $22. 380 pp.
• Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-439-9164-0. $17.99 US/$19.99 CAN. Ages 12-15.
• Pratchett, Terry. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2001. ISBN 978-0-06-001235-9. $6.99 U.S. www.harperteen.com
  ALA Best Book for Young Adults; ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults; Book Sense Pick; Carnegie Medal; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age; VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
• Satrapi, Marjane. Chicken With Plums. New York: Pantheon Books, 2006. 0-375-42415-6. $ 16.95. 84 pages. Age: Young Adults.
• Satrapi, Marjan. Embroideries. New York: Pantheon Books, 2005. ISBN 0-375-71467-7. $ 10.95. 140 pages. Age: Young Adults and up.
• Vidal, Clara. Like a Thorn. Y. Maudet, trans. New York: Delacorte Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-385-73564-3. US $14.99. Ages 14 and up.
• Yang, Gene. American Born Chinese. Illus. Lark Pien. New York: Roaring Book Press-First Second Books, 2006. ISBN: 1-59643-152-0. $14.95. 240 pages. Young Adults. 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Winner. National Book Awards Finalist.
  

Young Adult (YA)—Non-Fiction/Humor

• Slade, Arthur. Villainology. Illus. Derek Mah. Toronto: Tundra, 2007. ISBN 978-0-88776-809-5. CAN. $12.99/ U.S. $9.95. Ages 14 and up. www.attoboy.com (Derek Mah’s website)