Maximum Ride: School's Out--Forever

Author: James Patterson
Year: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 407
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Action/Fantasy
Series Information: Second of the Maximum Ride series
Location: Eastern United States, especially Virginia, Florida
Time Period: Present Day (2006)

Plot: Maximum Ride and her five friends: Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gassman, and Angel are special. Kidnapped in infancy, they've been raised in a lab where they were genetically altered. Now they are half human, and half bird, and they are trained with military defense tactics. Max and her flock have escaped from the lab, and now they're on the lam. However, they quickly meet trouble when the Erasers (a human/wolf/bird hybrid) catch up to them. Fang is mortally wounded in the fight, and he has to be taken to the hospital. The FBI finds out about Max and her flock, and a head agent offers Max the chance for all of them to stay at her house and recouperate. The next thing Max knows, she and her friends are all enrolled in a private school, and the FBI agent is talking about making the arrangement permanent. This doesn't sit well with Max, who has her own agenda: to find the lost family members of her flock, and to take down the evil power that genetically altered her flock in the first place. Can she convince the others to leave their comfortable new existence? SPOILER! When Max and her flock discover that the FBI agent is actually one of the heads of the lab where they were made into mutants, Max and her flock head off on their own again. They head for Florida for information about their past. Following a lead that points them to the headquarters of a large corporation, Max and her friends break in and are very nearly captured--but not before learning more about their past and their possible future destiny.

Comments: I picked up this book thinking that it looked like one that would appeal to boys. Even though the cover shown here isn't the same as the cover of the book I read, it has the same idea: the silhouette of a winged teenage boy. Surely that boy was the main character, Maximum Ride? It was therefore rather surprising to me to find out that Max is actually a winged teenage girl. Kudos should be sent to James Patterson for writing a very strong female character, but I still think this type of book will appeal to boys more than it will to girls.

All in all, the book was a fun, quick read. Sentences are short and to the point, as are the chapters, which average about two pages in length. Patterson's writing style fits perfectly with this setup. Dialog is quick and witty. The book is filled with one-liners. The action scenes are extremely fast-paced (and a little gruesome). And, impressively, even though Patterson gives hardly any recap of what happened in the first book in the series, the plot is still easy to follow. This is achieved by the fact that most of the book is written from Max's perspective, so you get a lot of her innermost thoughts. Even though Max is "Avian-American," she still has extremely human emotions. And lots of them since she's a fourteen-year-old teenager. This makes Max relatable even though her actions are tough.

Perhaps the biggest downfall of the book is that so much of the book is spent with hardly anything happening. This allows us to get to know Max better, and it's part of why she's as relatable as a genetically enhanced, military trained being can be, but if this series is supposed to be a sci-fi thriller, why are they taking a break to attend school? I wasn't too bothered by this fact while I was reading the book. The fast-paced dialog does help this section move along, but it's something that puzzles me now.

Themes: Evil Corporations, School, Definition of what a Family is, Saving the World

Red Flags: Violence (breaking bones, explosions, etc.) in the fight scenes.

The Manny Files

Author: Christian Burch
Year: 2006
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 304
Reading Level: Intermediate (Ages 9-12)

Awards: 2007 Josette Frank Award

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: First of the Manny books
Location: New England (New York area)
Time Period: Present Day (2006)

Plot: Third grader Keats Dalinger is extremely excited about the new nanny his mother just hired--he's a boy just like Keats is! The nanny insists that everyone call him the Manny, but the fun doesn't end there. He puts fun notes in Keats' lunch, reminding him to "be interesting." He meets Keats after school wearing crazy costumes. And when Keats and his sisters are bored, the Manny always has an idea of something fun to do. Keats and his sisters India and Belly love the Manny, but the oldest Dalinger sibling, Lulu, has other ideas. She keeps notes of all of the weird things the Manny does in a notebook named the Manny Files, and Keats is afraid that she's hoping to gain enough ammunition to get the Manny fired. Lulu's done it before. Can the Manny win Lulu over too before it's too late? SPOILER! When Lulu calls a family council to reveal all of the Manny's misdeeds, Keats finally gets over his fear of his older sister and asserts his opinion that the Manny is the best nanny they've ever had. The Manny gets to stay, and Lulu learns to appreciate him as well.

Comments: I'll admit it: I originally picked this book up because it had a guy doing the Mary Poppins pose on the front of it. I love Mary Poppins! It didn't take long, however, to enjoy the book for it's own merits. The book is witty and clever, and I found myself laughing aloud many times. The plot is rather subtle, and not very developed or fast paced, but it seems the point of the book is more to show the Dalinger family and the Manny growing together and learning about each other on a day-to-day basis than it is about deciding whether or not the Manny should stay. Potentially hard issues are brought up in the book, but they're done so gently and light-heartedly that it doesn't get depressing. Keats himself is a fun, quirky character to pick as the narrator of the story. His starry-eyed worship of the Manny is endearing, as is the evidence that the Manny is someone who really encourages Keats to get out of his shell be who he really is. Younger children will enjoy the fun escapades the children have with the Manny, while older readers will enjoy the subtler themes as well.

Themes: Nannies, Bullies, Family, Death, Finding out who you really are

Red Flags: Keats' grandma dies; there are subtle comments about the growing relationship between the Manny and Uncle Max, but it's handled very gently and younger children probably won't even pick up on it.

These Happy Golden Years

Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Illustrator: Garth Williams
Year: 1943
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 288
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Awards: 1944 Newbery Honor

Genre: Historical Fiction/Western
Series Information: Eighth book in the Little House series
Location: De Smet, North Dakota
Time Period: Mid 1880's

Plot: Laura is growing up, and she is experiencing many firsts. She now has the opportunity to help earn money to send her older sister Mary to a school for the blind. Even though she's only fifteen, and hasn't officially graduated, she passes a teacher's exam, and takes a teaching job. The job is far away from home, and Laura is lonely until Almanzo Wilder is willing to make the long journey through the snow to let her come home for the weekend. In the summer, Laura helps Almanzo break horses by going on Sunday buggy rides with him. SPOILER! When Almanzo proposes, Laura embraces the chance to go on the biggest first of them all, and the two get married.

Comments: I grew up loving these books, as you may be able to tell, so when I picked up and skimmed through a non-fiction book about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life, I suddenly felt the compulsion to re-read a few of the stories again. I skimmed through The Long Winter and Little Town on the Prairie, but I just had to read this one all the way through.

As I read the books, I came to realize that perhaps the reason why these books are so popular is that even though Laura led a life completely different from my own, I could still relate to her. Her characters are believable, and I could see my family in hers. Laura also makes learning about an earlier time interesting.

One thing I wasn't expecting was to feel sorry for Nellie Oleson. I don't remember feeling sorry for Nellie when I was younger, but her story is such a pathetic one that I couldn't help feeling sorry for her now.

Themes: Growing Up, Prairie Life, School Teachers

Red Flags: Weather-related danger, including the stories of a boy being killed by a tornado and Laura and Almanzo almost freezing to death.

How I Became a Pirate

Author: Melinda Long
Illustrator: David Shannon
Year: 2003
Publisher: Harcourt
Pages: 44
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Awards: 2004 ALA Notable Book, 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year

Genre: Picture Book/Adventure
Series Information: First of the Pirate books
Location: High Seas
Time Period: Present Day (2003)

Plot: When Braid Beard and his crew land at the beach, they meet Jeremy Jacob, a boy whose family is vacationing at the beach that day. Braid Beard notices Jeremy's talents at digging in the sand, and he asks Jeremy to join the crew and help them find the perfect place to bury their treasure. Jeremy agrees, and at first he enjoys eating with his mouth open and staying up past his bedtime. Jeremy starts to rethink his decision when he realizes that pirates don't get a bedtime story and goodnight kiss each night. SPOILER! When a terrible storm hits, and the ship loses its mast, Jeremy decides he has had enough of being a pirate. He suggests that Braid Beard and the crew hide their treasure in his back yard, which they do with the promise that they'll come by to see if he ever needs help.

Comments: Boys especially will like this story of a boy who gets to act up as much as he wants, but determines that he'd rather be home with his parents. Shannon's paintings are full of detail, and his pirates are hilarious. Even on pages that are mostly text, pirates are drawn around the edges, giving the effect of pirates looking at you from above as you lay on the floor looking up. The text is fun, but the best part of it is the crew's habit of repeating whatever it is the captain says in large, bold, messy letters.

Themes: Pirates, Treasure, Acting Up, Appreciating Regular Life

Red Flags: Small instances of Peril; Most of the characters are pirates, but they're harmless ones.

Baby Brains: The Smartest Baby in the Whole World

Author/Illustrator: Simon James
Year: 2004
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Awards: 2004 Horn Book Fanfare award

Genre: Picture Book/Fantasy
Series Information: First of the Baby Brains series
Location: Anytown, USA
Time Period: Present Day (2003)

Plot: Mr. and Mrs. Brains wanted their baby to be smart, so even before he was born Mrs. Brains read to him at night and played classical music and foreign language tapes during the day. The morning after Mr. and Mrs. Brains bring him back from the hospital, he is discovered reading the newspaper and he fixes the family car. He attends school and earns a medical degree in a matter of weeks. When NASA finds out about Baby Brains, they ask him to go on the next space mission. SPOILER! Finding himself alone in the middle of space, Baby Brains finally does something normal: he asks for his mommy. Baby Brains is sent back home, where he decides to enjoy the benefits of being a baby, except for on weekends when he helps out at the local hospital.

Comments: Children will probably love the absurd idea of a baby who is so smart that he can fix a car, practice medicine, and become an astronaut. Simon James has an artistic style similar to that of Quentin Blake of the Roald Dahl books fame. In fact, the slightly absurd subject matter and pictures made me feel like I was reading a Roald Dahl book written for younger readers.

Themes: Genius Children, Babies, The importance of families

Red Flags: None

Duck and Goose

Author/Illustrator: Tad Hills
Year: 2006
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Awards: 2007 ALA Notable Book for Children

Genre: Picture Book
Series Information: First book in the Duck & Goose series
Location: A ball sitting in the grass in a meadow
Time Period: Present Day (2006)

Plot: When Duck and Goose spot a large white ball with yellow, orange, and red spots on it, they mistake it for an egg. The two begin to fight over whose egg it is, and they eventually decide to raise it together. SPOILER! When a bluebird comes by and asks if he can play with their ball too, Duck and Goose realize their mistake, and they begin playing with the ball instead of sitting on it.

Comments: This was a very cute story. Hills manages to teach children about cooperation and sharing without hitting them over the head with the message. Hills also tries to keep children's interest with the text, making shouted phrases in bigger fonts and placing text in different places on the page. Perhaps the most successful part of this story is Hills' description of Duck and Goose, who are both comical characters. A lot of this comes through in Hills' artwork. His paintings are bright and fun. I especially enjoyed the expressions and mannerisms he manages to give Duck and Goose even though they're simply drawn.

Themes: Sharing, Friendship, Cooperation, Mistaken Identity

Red Flags: None

Babymouse: Queen of the World!

Authors: Jennifer L. Holm
Illustrator: Matthew Holm
Year: 2005
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 91
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Genre: Graphic Novel
Series Information: First Book in the Babymouse Series
Location: Elementary School
Time Period: Present Day (2005)

Plot: When Babymouse hears that the most popular girl in school, Felicia Furrypaws, is having a sleepover, Babymouse becomes determined to get an invitation, even if it means helping Felicia cheat on her book report and letting down her best friend, Wilson Weasel. SPOILER! When Babymouse goes to the sleepover, she realizes just how mean Felicia is and just how much they don't have in common. Babymouse realizes that she doesn't need to be popular to be happy, and she leaves the sleepover, and heads over to Wilson's house to make amends.

Comments: I can see why this book is popular. Babymouse is not only a precocious little mouse, she's also extremely imaginative. The pictures in the book are mostly black and white, until Babymouse starts daydreaming, at which point the pages explode with the color pink. Babymouse's imagination turns even the most boring of topics into something fun and exciting. Children probably also enjoy the fact that this is a "thick" book that they can read and understand.

Themes: Sleepovers, Friends, Popularity, Using your Imagination

Red Flags: None

Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Year: 2005
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 425
Reading Level: Young Adult

Awards: 2006 ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Genre: Science Fiction
Series Information: First of the Uglies series
Location: The Smoke
Time Period: Unknown Future

Plot: Tally Youngblood can't wait until she turns sixteen. Then, she will undergo mandatory intensive plastic surgery and be able to go live with her best friend Peris, who lives in New Pretty Town. New Pretty Town is a suburb of the city where all the "New Pretties" live with only one goal in mind--to have fun. Then Tally meets Shay, a girl Tally's age who scorns the idea of living in the idealistic world of the Pretties. Instead of showing up for her mandatory operation, Shay runs off to join the people who live in "The Smoke." The people in The Smoke are in hiding, and the authorities want to hunt them down. One of the authorities (called the Specials), Dr. Cable, refuses to let Tally have her operation until she follows Shay into The Smoke wearing a tracking device that will allow Dr. Cable and the Specials to hunt Shay and her friends down. Tally does as she is told, but she becomes conflicted when she meets the people of The Smoke, especially a boy named David, and she hears their side of the story. SPOILER! According to David and his parents, a beautiful body is not the only thing you get when you go in for your mandatory operation at the age of sixteen. The doctors also create lesions in your mind so you don't question authority. Tally had decided that she wanted to stay in The Smoke, but when she accidentally sets off her tracking device and some, including Shay, are captured, and when she hears of the Specials' scheme, Tally volunteers to turn herself in and become a Pretty in an effort to help David and his family undermine the Specials from the inside.

Comments: Westerfeld raises up some interesting issues in this novel. What does a perfect society look like? What would it act like? Is it worth taking away people's free agency to create this society? One appealing thing about this novel is that these issues are present, but the characters and story are strong enough that they can stand alone and the novel is not too preachy. Tally is a little whiny for me, but she's also plucky and ready for adventure. I can see why this is such a popular series.

Themes: Image, Conformity, Utopian Societies, Big Brother Societies, Rebels

Red Flags: There is some violence, but it's not very graphic, Tally wanders into a sort of orgy garden when she's sneaking into the New Pretties' area, but nothing is described.

Ten Little Ladybugs

Author: Melanie Gerth
Illustrator: Laura Huliska-Beith
Year: 2003
Publisher: Piggy Toes Press
Pages: 22
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Genre: Picture Book/Counting Book
Series Information: Same idea used in Good Night, Sweet Butterflies and others
Location: Anywhere in the World
Time Period: Present Day (2007)

Plot: Young children learn to count backwards as their parents read of ten little ladybugs who fly away one by one.

Comments: In most book reviews I would discuss Gerth's whimsical rhyme or the dreamlike quality of Huliska-Beith's watercolors. Both are excellent reasons to like this book, and I think they are important in keeping a young child's attention. However, I read this book to a 2 1/2 year old over the Thanksgiving break, and the part she obviously loved the most was the fact that she could actually touch each of the bumpy ladybugs that stood out of the page. She touched them over and over and over again as I counted. I guess it just goes to show that a picture book can be of the highest quality, but the child actually gets the most out of the fact that they are having a one-on-one moment with a parent or other adult. Either that, or those bumpy ladybugs are a lot of fun! :)

Themes: Counting Backwards, Ladybugs

Red Flags: None

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Author/Illustrator: Dav Pilkey
Year: 1997
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Pages: 121
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Comedy/Graphic Novel
Series Information: First Book in the Captain Underpants series
Location: Jerome Horwitz Elementary School
Time Period: Present Day (1997)

Plot: George Beard and Harold Hutchins are best friends who attend fourth grade at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School. They love to play practical jokes and they love to create a comic book series called Captain Underpants ("Fighting for truth, justise, and all that is pre-shrunk and cottony"). When the school principal, Mr. Krupp, catches George and Harold playing a practical joke, he punishes them by making them his servants. In order to get out of their punishment, George and Harold order a hypno-ring, hoping to hypnotize Mr. Krupp so he will do their bidding instead. When they jokingly use the hypno-ring to make Mr. Krupp become Captain Underpants, Mr. Krupp takes off most of his clothes, uses the red curtains as a cape, and runs out of the school, looking for someone to save. George and Harold follow Mr. Krupp, and the three find themselves in the middle of a plot by Dr. Diaper to take over the world. SPOILER! George, Harold, and Captain Underpants work together to thwart Dr. Diaper and his evil robot henchmen, and they head back to school. George and Harold figure they should probably undo the hypnosis on Mr. Krupp, but they can't find the hypno-ring's instructions, and they end up throwing water on Mr. Krupp to wake him up. Since Mr. Krupp was awakened from his hypnosis the wrong way, any time someone snaps their fingers he becomes Captain Underpants again, setting up the premise for the rest of the series.

Comments: I can certainly see why Captain Underpants is so popular. The story has a lot of things in it that young boys find appealing: superheroes, practical jokers, jokes about bowel movements, and more. Pilkey tells a fun story, and he keeps readers' attention with his sense of humor, cartoon drawings, and one can never forget the Flip-O-Rama, which allows children to make the pictures on the pages move in actions scenes. Some parents might not want to let their children read these books because of some of the jokes, but most of the jokes stay on the clean side and are harmless. A good suggestion for reluctant male readers.

Themes: Superheroes, Practical Jokes

Red Flags: Jokes about bowel movements, Adults dressed only in underwear or diapers.

Multicultural Elements: Although very much a cartoon, George is also an African-American

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse

Author/Illustrator: Bruce Hale
Year: 2000
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Pages: 95
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Mystery/Detective
Series Information: First of the Chet Gecko series
Location: Emerson Hicky Elementary
Time Period: Present Day (2000)

Plot: Chet Gecko is a fourth grade private eye at Emerson Hicky Elementary. When Shirley Chameleon tells Chet that her brother Billy is missing and that she will give Chet a stinkbug pie if he can find Billy before the school football game, Chet is on the case. In order to figure out where Billy is, Chet must outsmart his teachers, deal with bullies, perform many and various hijinks, and dodge detention. Although he doesn't originally want the help, he pairs up with Shirley Mockingbird to solve the case. But the school bully, Herman Gila Monster, is on the trail too, and he's out to stop Chet before he uncovers too much. SPOILER! After Herman and his gang catch Chet and Shirley and tie them to the school diving board, dangling precariously over the school swimming pool, Chet and Shirley finally figure out the last clue to the puzzle. The two manage to untie themselves and race out to the football field just in time to find Billy Chameleon (who was off willingly helping Herman with his pranks) and thwart Herman in a plot to undermine the school football game.

Comments: Children may read this book for the mystery, but they are more likely to enjoy it for the satire. Almost every line in the entire book is a pun or a joke or a farce of some kind. Chet isn't a very good detective, but children probably won't worry about that. Another fun aspect of the book is the fact that all of the characters are animals, so they do animal things. For example, since Chet is a gecko, he can climb walls, stick out his tongue to trip bullies, and detach his tail or use it to pick a lock at will. The text is broken up with fun ink and pencil drawings, which will be welcome to reluctant readers. Because of the drawings, this book may look like it's meant for younger readers, but the satire may make it more appropriate for older children who will better understand the jokes.

Themes: Detectives, Bullies, Football, Mystery, School, Missing People

Red Flags: Although these animals talk, they still eat worms and flies and whatnot.

Harriet the Spy

Author/Illustrator: Louise Fitzhugh
Year: 1964
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 300
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: First book in the Harriet the Spy series. There are a few other authors who have written Harriet the Spy novels inspired by Fitzhugh's character
Location: Manhattan, NY
Time Period: Present Day (1964)

Plot: Eleven year-old Harriet M. Welsch is determined to become a writer someday. In the meantime, she practices by spying on her neighbors and writing down what she thinks of them in a notebook that she keeps with her at all times. When Harriet's nurse, Ole Golly, leaves to get married, Harriet fells like a very close friend has gone away. Soon after, the children at school find Harriet's notebook and they read all of the mean things Harriet has written about them. The children form a club excluding Harriet and try to find ways to pay her back for all of the mean things she has said. Feeling exiled, Harriet begins to revolt. She refuses to do her school work and she writes in her journal more and more. However, instead of helping Harriet feel better, it just makes her more lonely and more rejected by her classmates. SPOILER! When Harriet's parents find out about her odd behavior, they try a number of things including banning Harriet from writing and forcing her to see a psychologist. Nothing works until they talk to the principal and get Harriet put in charge of writing the sixth grade newsletter. Harriet finally has a constructive place where she can write without alienating others. Harriet asks for forgiveness from her friends and learns more about what it takes to be a good writer.

Comments: This book is different from what I thought it would be. For some reason, I imagined that it would mostly be about the funny characters Harriet sees on a day-to-day basis. Although this is an aspect of the story, this book is more than that, and I can see why this book is a classic. Although this book takes place in the 1960s, I can imagine something like this happening today. This book explores how a child might feel at the loss of a loved one or at the loss of friends. It also discusses how everyone should treat each other with respect, and how one should ask for forgiveness when they are wrong. Harriet is a precocious child, and even though she deserved a lot of the trouble she got into, she was still a sympathetic character. Children who have dealt with loneliness or the loss of loved ones might identify with Harriet.

Themes: Loss of Loved Ones, Keeping Secrets, Telling Secrets, Getting Revenge, Asking Forgiveness

Red Flags: Harriet says some rude things in her journal, but nothing too offensive.

The Dangerous Book for Boys

Authors: Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
Year: 2007
Publisher: Collins (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
Pages: 270
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction
Series Information: The Daring Book for Girls is not written by the same authors, but is put out by the same publisher.

Book Summary: A guide containing fun facts and information that every boy should know, this book covers many different topics from knot tying to dinosaurs to morse code to descriptions of famous battles to lists of famous things that every boy should know (even including poetry and Shakespeare!) and much more. Intended for "every boy from eight to eighty."

Comments: I really like the concept of this book—a handy reference source of not only boring facts and figures, but of things that every boy should know, but could never find in one location. Conn and Hal Iggulden write in an easy-to-read, engaging style that should help keep boys' attention. Text is broken up by the use of pictures and by breaking up intensive chapters into multiple sections.

These points make the book easy to use, but from a reference standpoint, this book isn't a good one to use as a source for a paper or a school project. The information in the book seems accurate enough, but the sources of information can't be found anywhere in the book—not even in a bibliography stuck in the back of the book. Also, I mentioned earlier that intensive chapters are broken up into sections. What I didn't mention was that these sections are sprinkled throughout the book instead of being placed in the vicinity of each other. Since the book isn't broken into subject-specific sections, the book may be somewhat hard to navigate, even with the use of the Table of Contents. If you're a parent, get this book for its entertainment value rather than as a reference resource.

Themes: Boys, Definition of Boyhood, Fun Facts

Red Flags: Some of the projects found in the book require adult supervision, or may be, as the title suggests: dangerous (ex: shooting a gun, skinning a rabbit)

Eyewitness Invention

Author: Lionel Bender
Year: 2005
Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.
Pages:72
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: DK Eyewitness Books
Location: Planet Earth
Time Period: Covers almost every time period

Book Summary: A reference resource designed to help children understand what an invention is ("something that is devised by human effort and that did not exist before. . . . They usually result from the bringing together of existing technologies in a new way." pg. 6) and how it has evolved through time. Each topic is covered in two-page chapters. Topics covered include inventions starting from tools and the wheel to current inventions like the silicon chip. The format of each chapter is unique: a generic summary of the topic is found in the upper left hand corner, and the rest of the page is filled with photographs that are prime examples of the topic. The latest and newest version of the invention is not always mentioned, but the major versions of the invention that changed history are. Labels and text surrounding the photograph explain why that object is important in the field. Also includes a Did you Know section, a timeline of important inventions, a Find Out More section, a glossary, and an index.

Comments: This is a very thorough series, and it manages to convey a lot of information in a way that I think will appeal to both eager and reluctant readers. Inventions shown sometimes include cut-away panels to allow readers to see how the invention works. The labels in the Eyewitness series were not as helpful as they were in the Inside & Out Guide series, but more information is given on each object, which means the Eyewitness series gives more information than the Inside & Out Guide series does. The additional sections at the back were also interesting and helpful.

Themes: Inventions, History of Inventions, Reference

Red Flags: None

First Ladies

Author: Amy Pastan, in association with the Smithsonian Institution
Year: 2001
Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.
Pages: 64
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: DK Eyewitness Books
Location: Washington, DC; United States
Time Period: 1775-Present (2001)

Book Summary: Gives a unique history of the United States by focusing on the various First Ladies, up through Laura Bush. Some first ladies are covered in half a page, while others are covered in multiple pages. Most entries include a picture of the first lady, a brief biography including critical dates, and pictures of general artifacts that were associated with that president and that time period. Also includes an index.

Comments: Because the setup of this book is so different from the other two books I analyzed in the series, I had to double check that this book really does belong with the others. However, the idea behind all of the books in the series is the same: to give a general history and timeline of that subject. Readers should know that the subject of this book is actually American History through the angle of the First Ladies, and the subject is not necessarily the First Ladies themselves. Although this book discusses each of the wives of the past presidents of the United States, the information is given in a way that also gives the reader a vague idea of the history of the United States and of the political problems that arose while that woman’s husband was in office. This is especially noticeable in a few entries that did not discuss the president’s wife in detail because she had died either before or during the president’s term in office, but still contained a lot of detail because of the events that happened while the president was in office. (Like Thomas Jefferson's wife, who died before he came to office, but still somehow managed to have two pages devoted to her.)

Themes: First Ladies, American History, Reference

Red Flags: None

Eyewitness Chemistry

Author: Dr. Ann Newmark
Year: 2005
Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.
Pages:72
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: DK Eyewitness Books
Location: Planet Earth
Time Period: Covers almost every time period

Book Summary: A reference resource designed to help children understand what chemistry is ("the science of change")and how it has evolved through time. Each topic is covered in two-page chapters. Topics covered include things like the first chemists, atoms and molecules, the periodic table, chemical reactions, acids and bases, the chemistry of life, the first plastics, and the chemical industry. The format of each chapter is unique: a generic summary of the topic is found in the upper left hand corner, and the rest of the page is filled with photographs that are prime examples of the topic. Labels and text surrounding the photograph explain why that object is important in the field. Also includes a Did you Know section, a timeline of important events, a find out more section, a glossary, and an index.

Comments: This is a very thorough series, and it manages to convey a lot of information in a way that I think will appeal to both eager and reluctant readers. The additional sections at the back were also helpful. This series presents more information than the Inside and Out Guide series does, and it seems to focus on a slightly older audience.

Themes: Chemistry, History of Science, Reference

Red Flags: None

The Inside & Out Guide to Mighty Machines

Author: Clint Twist
Illustrator: Alex Pang
Year: 2006
Publisher: Heinemann Library
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: Part of the Inside & Out Guide series

Book Summary: A reference resource designed to help children understand how some of the most famous high-powered machines work. Each topic is covered in two-page chapters. Topics covered include the Sea King helicopter, the Super Airbus A380, the Hercules aircraft, the B2 Bomber, the Saturn V Rocket, the monster truck, the giant dump truck, the bulldozer, the Big Boy locomotive, the Abrams tank, the Nimitz Carrier, and the tugboat. Each chapter gives a short description of the history of the machine, but most of the chapter is dedicated to a diagram of the machine in question, complete with labeled parts and cut-away or see-through areas to help children better understand how the machine works. Also includes an index and glossary.

Comments: One thing I failed to mention in the other two posts, but that applies to them as well is that many of the labels on the graphics not only state what the different parts of the machine is, but they also explain how that specific part works. Detailed labels aren't included in each instance, but they are used to help clear up misunderstanings about what a part does. Labels are especially noticeable in the Mighty Machines book, and they are greatly appreciated.

To quote the paper I had to write comparing this series with the Eyewitness series, the Inside & Out Guide series "may be a good choice for those who don’t necessarily care about the history of an invention, but they want to know about how current technology works. The larger font, open spacing, and simpler wording of The Inside and Out Guide to Inventions (2006) also suggests that this book will appeal to a younger audience than the Eyewitness Invention (2005) book will." In other words, this series doesn't give enough information for a chid to write a research paper on the subjects covered, but it is a good source to use for inquisitive children who want to know how the world works.

Themes: Machines, Technology, Reference Resources

Red Flags: None

The Inside & Out Guide to Spacecraft

Author: Clare Hibbert
Illustrator: Alex Pang
Year: 2006
Publisher: Heinemann Library
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: Part of the Inside & Out Guide series

Book Summary: A reference resource dedicated to the different types of spacecraft that exist. Each spacecraft is covered in two-page chapters. Topics covered include an overview of the history of the early spacecraft, Apollo 11, the Moon Lander, the MIR Space Station, the X-plane, the space shuttle, the shuttle orbiter, the EVA Spacesuit and MMU, the satellite, the Mars Pathfinder, the Spaceshipone, and the ISS. Each chapter gives a short description of the history of the spacecraft, but most of the chapter is dedicated to photographs of actual spacecraft and a diagram of the featured spacecraft, complete with labeled parts and cut-away or see-through areas to help children better understand how the spacecraft works. Also includes an index and glossary.

Comments: Personally, I think this book in the series is a little better than the other two I analyzed. I found it especially interesting that the astronaut's spacesuit was included as one of the spacecraft mentioned. When you think about it, the spacesuit in and of itself is a very interesting piece of equipment that is essential to space flight, so it makes perfect sense that it would be included here.

I will also reiterate what I said in the previous post about another book in this series: The Inside & Out Guide series "may be a good choice for those who don’t necessarily care about the history of an invention, but they want to know about how current technology works. The larger font, open spacing, and simpler wording of The Inside and Out Guide to Inventions (2006) also suggests that this book will appeal to a younger audience than the Eyewitness Invention (2005) book will." In other words, this series doesn't give enough information for a chid to write a research paper on the subjects covered, but it is a good source to use for inquisitive children who want to know how the world works.

Themes: Spacecraft, History of Space Exploration, Reference Resources

Red Flags: None

The Inside & Out Guide to Inventions

Author: Chris Oxlade
Illustrator: Moorhen Studios
Year: 2006
Publisher: Heinemann Library
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Reference
Series Information: Part of the Inside & Out Guide series

Book Summary: A reference resource designed to help children understand how some of the most famous inventions work. (Invention: "a new machine, a new tool, or a new way of doing something.") Each topic is covered in two-page chapters. Topics covered include the steam engine, the automobile, the airplane, the rocket, the tank, farm machinery (especially the harvesting machine), printing, the telephone, the telescope, the electric motor, the camera, and the computer. Each chapter gives a short description of the history of the invention and of a major inventor in the field, but most of the chapter is dedicated to a diagram of the invention, complete with labeled parts and cut-away or see-through areas to help children better understand how the machine works. Also includes an index and glossary.

Comments: To quote the paper I had to write comparing this series with the Eyewitness series, the Inside & Out Guide series "may be a good choice for those who don’t necessarily care about the history of an invention, but they want to know about how current technology works. The larger font, open spacing, and simpler wording of The Inside and Out Guide to Inventions (2006) also suggests that this book will appeal to a younger audience than the Eyewitness Invention (2005) book will." In other words, this series doesn't give enough information for a chid to write a research paper on the subjects covered, but it is a good source to use for inquisitive children who want to know how the world works.

Themes: Inventions, Technology, Reference Resources

Red Flags: None

Criss Cross

Author/Illustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins
Year: 2005
Publisher: Greenwillow/Harper Trophy
Pages: 337
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Awards: 2006 Newbery Medal

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age
Series Information: Sequel to All Alone in the Universe
Location: Seldem, a small town somewhere in America
Time Period: 1970s?

Plot: At the beginning of her summer vacation, Debbie wishes for something good to happen. At the same time, Hector is learning to pursue the goals and ambitions in his life. As the summer progresses, Debbie helps an old arthritic woman and discovers what love might be. Hector learns to express himself through music. Hector and Debbie's friends also go through experiences, and together they get closer to discovering their true selves and their place in the world.

Comments: I had a hard time defining what the purpose of this novel was. There isn't a solid plot that ever gets resolved. In fact, the premise of the novel (and the title) is that we're all just wandering around, trying to find ourselves.

The lack of solid plot wasn't as annoying to me as it usually is because Perkins' writing style is a lot of fun and explores different ways of communicating ideas. There's a chapter written from the perspectives of two different people, written in columns placed side by side. Another chapter is written in haiku. Sometimes pictures are used to explain parts of the text. My favorite chapter had Debbie following instructions written by someone whose first language was not English. For example, "Easy Basin Wrench . . . is favored with the patronages of common sense and wisdom." If only I was blessed with those patronages!

All in all, I liked the book, I liked the writing style, and I liked the characters, I'm just still confused as to what the point of it was.

Themes: Coming of Age, Relationships, Discovering your place in the world

Red Flags: A woman has a heart attack