Tuesday, November 22, 2011

New J Fiction on CD

All The Lovely Bad Ones- Travis and his sister, Corey, can't resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn, where they're spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little 'haunting' of their own. But their supernatural pranks awaken something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep.  

Small As An Elephant- Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Boston before anyone figures out what is going on, with only a small toy elephant for company.  

Tale of Two Castles - Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of studying acting but instead becomes apprentice to a dragon, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her to uncover who is poisoning the king.     

  -Scrub isn't happy about having to spend the summer with his hippie grandmother in "Middle of nowhere," Washington. When he arrives at her Intergalactic bed & breakfast, he's not surprised by its 1960's-meets-Star-wars decor, but he is surprised by the weird-looking guests. It turns out that each room in the inn is a portal and his grandma is the gate keeper, allowing aliens to vacation on Earth. She desperately needs Scrub's help with disguising the tourists as humans. As if that weren't difficult enough, the town sheriff is already suspicious of Granny. One wrong move and Scrub could blow Grandma's cover, forcing the B&B to shut down forever. And when it comes to aliens, every move seems very wrong.  
The First Day of School Forever! - Everything goes wrong for eleven-year-old Artie on his first day at Ardmore Middle School, from the moment his alarm goes off until the next morning, when everything is repeated exactly the same way.     









Wednesday, November 16, 2011

New Non-Fiction!

Stupendous Sports Stadiums- Describes the most stupendous sports stadiums in the world and compares their various features.  

Space Tourism- The final frontier is no longer the exclusive domain of professional astronauts. More and more, ordinary tourists are venturing into the great beyond. Written in a clear, kid-friendly style and accentuated with fun, detailed illustrations, Space Tourism gives readers an exciting overview of this burgeoning industry. To add context, there are simple explanations of the science behind space travel (such as a super description of how rockets work) and even direct quotes from space-tourism experts, who share realworld experiences and introduce easy experiments and activities (such as building a "gravity simulator" with cardboard and string). Kids will love learning about the latest innovations and will find their imaginations ignited by future possibilities -- such as an Earth-space elevator (not as far-fetched as it sounds) and a space station replete with grassy valleys, streams and trees.

About Hummingbirds- Covers basic facts about hummingbird life and some of the different species of hummingbirds. 

America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day The Towers Fell- Narrates the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, from the plane hijackings to the collapse of the World Trade Center. 

Coral Reefs- During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.

Orani: My Father's Village- Children's book author Claire A. Nivola explores the village of Orani, the tiny hamlet in the mountains of central Sardinia where her father lived before moving to New York during World War II. 

Drawing From Memory-Caldecott Medalist Allen Say presents a stunning graphic novel chronicling his journey as an artist during WWII, when he apprenticed under Noro Shinpei, Japan's premier cartoonist. Drawing from memory is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, DRAWING FROM MEMORY presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us

Dinosaur Discovery- Uses hands-on activities to present information about dinosaurs and to show how paleontologists study the prehistoric creatures. 

Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played With Puppets- Chronicles the life of Jim Henson, describing how he pushed the boundaries of entertainment and brought the art of puppets to a new level with the creation of his Muppets. 

The House Baba Built- In Ed Young's childhood home in Shanghai, all was not as it seemed: a rocking chair became a horse; a roof became a roller rink; an empty swimming pool became a place for riding scooters and bikes. The house his father built transformed as needed into a place to play hide-and-seek, to eat bamboo shoots, and to be safe. For outside the home's walls, China was at war. Soon the house held not only Ed and his four siblings but also friends, relatives, and even strangers who became family. The war grew closer, and Ed watched as planes flew overhead and friends joined the Chinese air force. But through it all, Ed's childhood remained full of joy and imagination.

New Fiction Books!

8 Class Pets+ 1 Squirrel Divided by 1 dog = Chaos- A dog chases a squirrel into an elementary school one night, creating monumental chaos.    

When the Lights Go Out- When his family is relocated to an army base in the middle of nowhere, Peyton Aldrich and his friends Gill and Dave decide to ready themselves for combat, and discover a dangerous terrorist plot involving a secret military weapon.   

North Woods Poachers- On an annual fishing trip in Canada, two cousins, Andy and CJ, discover two identical float-planes on the lake, and suspect they are owned by poachers smuggling turtles out of the area illegally. 

Monsters and Mischief- Can you crack the case with six clues or less? Welcome back to Moon Hollow, where mystery lurks around every corner--and four kids have come together to solve crimes and puzzles big and small. When a monster is sighted in the woods surrounding Moon Hollow, Viola, Sylvester, Rosie, and Woodrow know they're in for their creepiest case yet. But it's just one of fourteen mysteries competing for their attention. They'll have to uncover the truth in six clues or less--and readers are invited to guess alongside them each step of the way.

My Teacher Is An Alien- Uneasy about her new substitute teacher, Susan Simmons' suspicions about Mr. Smith are confirmed when she discovers he is an alien determined to bring some sixth-grade specimens back to his planet. 

The Son of Neptune- Demigod Percy Jackson, still with no memory, and his new friends from Camp Jupiter, Hazel and Frank, go on a quest to free Death, but their bigger task is to unite the Greek and Roman camps so that the Prophecy of Seven can be fulfilled.

Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry- Ten-year-old Emmy and her rodent friends must fend off the evil former nanny, Miss Barmy, as they search for Ratty's missing mother.

Crown of Earth-  Fifteen-year-old Prince Ederan and fourteen-year-olds Arisa and Weasel finally realize the true meaning and value of the symbols of power in Deorthas when the Falcon demands the sword and shield in exchange for Weasel's life. 

Bake Sale- Cupcake runs a successful bakery with his best friend, Eggplant, but dreams of going abroad to meet his idol, Turkish Delight, who is the most famous pastry chef in the world.

The Conductor- Pairing two seemingly disparate elements - an orchestra conductor and a grove of trees - illustrations appear to take flight before our eyes as the conductor prompts the leaves to rustle, then whirl, then swirl to unexpected life with each turn of the page. 

Bad Kitty Meets the Baby-  Bad Kitty is not pleased when a baby joins her family. Includes fun facts and tips for training a cat to perform tricks.  

Pride and Prejudice- At the turn of eighteenth-century England, spirited Elizabeth Bennet copes with the suit of the snobbish Mr. Darcy while trying to sort out the romantic entanglements of two of her sisters, sweet and beautiful Jane and scatterbrained Lydia. 

Lucky For Good- The residents of Hard Pan, California, come together to help Brigitte and Lucky when the County Health Department threatens to close down the café, and meantime Miles's life is complicated by his mother's return.

Goal Line-When identical twin brothers Ronde and Tiki Barber grow at different rates the summer before their last year at Hidden Valley Junior High, their relationship both on and off the football field changes.     

Mason Dixon: Pet Disasters- Nine-year-old Mason's parents keep trying to get him a pet, but until he and his best friend Brody adopt a three-legged dog, he is not interested. 

Hound Dog True- Mattie, a shy fifth-grader, wants to hide out at her new school by acting as apprentice to her Uncle Potluck, the custodian, but her plan falls apart when she summons the courage to speak about what matters most and finds a true friend. 

Mimi- Mimi is determined not to give up on anyone or anything, but since Mammy died, her father never smiles, her sister Sally is in a bad mood, brother Conor keeps to himself, and even Sparkler the dog does not want to go for walks. 

The Blackhope Enigma- Fourteeen-year-old Sunni, her stepbrother Dean, and an art-student friend trace the footsteps of a labyrinth built in Blackhope Tower by a mysterious and brilliant sixteenth-century artist, and suddenly find themselves trapped inside his enchanted painting, trying desperately to get out.  

New Picture Books!

Fancy Nancy and the Mean Girl- Feeling bad about last year's Field Day, in which her slow running cost the relay team a victory, Nancy, who enjoys using fancy words, finds herself facing another Field Day and another relay race with a mean classmate.    

Fancy Nancy: Spectacular Spectacles-When Nancy's friend Bree gets some glittery glasses to help her see better, Nancy, who likes to be fancy, wants to wear glasses too. Includes a glossary of fancy words.    

The Teacher From the Black Lagoon- On the first day of school, a young boy expects only the worst when he discovers that his new teacher is the "monstrous" Mrs. Green.  

The Substitute Teacher From the Black Lagoon- An elementary school class must contend with a substitute teacher that seems like the monster Frankenstein.  

The Librarian From the Black LagoonMrs. Beamster the school librarian is known by all the kids as "The Laminator" because she is said to laminate anyone who is caught whispering.

Pinkalicious and the Pink DrinkOne hot summer day, Pinkalicious gets an idea that is simply pinkerrific-a pink lemonade stand! But before Pinkalicious can start selling her lemonade, she has to figure out how to make it. Pink grapefruit, pink watermelon, and pink frosting-if it's pink, it's the perfect ingredient.  

Pinkalicious and the Pink PumpkinWhen her mother tells her they are going to Mr. Pink's pumpkin patch, Pinkalicious searches for a pink pumpkin.  

The Money We'll Save- In nineteenth-century New York City, when Pa brings home a young turkey in hopes of saving money on their Christmas dinner, his family faces all sorts of trouble--and expense--in their tiny apartment.  

Blue Chicken- An enterprising chicken attempts to help an artist paint the barnyard and accidentally turns the whole picture blue. 

Home For Christmas- Rollo the troll is tired of chores, but after spending time on the tundra with various animal families, from owls to moose, he realizes that he wants to be home for Christmas even if that means behaving himself.  

The Princess and the Pig- When a new baby princess accidentally changes places with a piglet, both of their lives are forever changed.  

You Will Be My Friend- Lucy, a young bear, starts her day determined to make a new friend but her enthusiasm leads to all sorts of problems until, just as she is about to give up, an unexpected friend finds her.     

The Twins' Blanket- Two twin girls, who have always shared everything, sleep in separate beds with their own blankets for the first time.   

Grandpa Green- A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden.    

Boy Wonders- A young boy's questions lead to more and more questions, but there do not seem to be any answers. 

I Will Come Back For You- A grandmother tells her granddaughter the story of the charm bracelet that represent her own childhood experiences while she and her family tried to evade the Nazis in Italy during World War II.