Category Archives: Book Reviews
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for February 27, 2017
Filed under Book Reviews, Children, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for February 13, 2017
Filed under Blogroll, Book Reviews, Children
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 30, 2017
Library Day by Anne Rockwell
“One day, a young boy visits the library for the very first time. While he’s there he listens to stories, reads books and magazines, and learns that there are also movies, crafts, chess, and puppet shows—something for everyone! With simple, lyrical text and bright illustrations that jump off the page, Library Day brings the joys of reading vividly to life.” [JPB ROCKWELL]
Bounders by Monica Tesler
“In the first book of a brand-new adventure series, 12-year-old Jasper and his friends are the first team of cadets—Bounders—to be trained as high-level astronauts, but they soon learn that Earth Force, the space-military agency that trained them, has an ulterior motive for sending them into space and they must decide whether to rebel against the organization that brought them together, or fulfill their duty and protect the planet at all costs.” [J TESLER,M]
It Can’t Be True! 2 by Margaret Parrish
“How many bees does it take to make a jar of honey? Did you know sharks are so sensitive that they can detect the current from batteries 1,000 miles apart? Believe it or not, it’s true!
“Discover more amazing and seemingly impossible facts in It Can’t Be True 2! By combining hard to believe facts with CGI renderings and photographs, this book places information with visual aids that puts everything to scale. Kids will love the weird, out-of-this-world facts for just about anything, and they will be excited to share them with everyone!” [J031.02 IT]
Filed under Blogroll, Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Teens, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 23, 2017
Love is My Favorite Thing by Emma Chichester Clark
“Plum has lots of favorite things—catching sticks, her bear, her bed—but really, LOVE is her absolute favorite thing. She loves her family and all the things they do together. Sometimes, however, Plum’s exuberance causes trouble, and she just can’t help being naughty. But fortunately, love is such a great thing that even when she makes mistakes, Plum’s family still adores her.” [JPB CLARK]
Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb
“Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the ‘leap second’—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being ‘secret sisters’ to not talking at all.
“Then Angela’s idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela’s situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.” [J SPRINGSTUBB,T]
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding by Linda Liukas
“Meet Ruby–a small girl with a huge imagination. In Ruby’s world anything is possible if you put your mind to it. When her dad asks her to find five hidden gems Ruby is determined to solve the puzzle with the help of her new friends, including the Wise Snow Leopard, the Friendly Foxes, and the Messy Robots.
“As Ruby stomps around her world kids will be introduced to the basic concepts behind coding and programming through storytelling. Learn how to break big problems into small problems, repeat tasks, look for patterns, create step-by-step plans, and think outside the box. With hands-on activities included in every chapter, future coders will be thrilled to put their own imaginations to work.” [J005.13 LIUKAS,L]
The Random House Book of Fairy Tales adapted by Amy Ehrlich
“Nineteen of the best-known fairy tales, including ‘Rapunzel,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ and ‘Thumbelina’.” [J398.21 EHRLICH,A]
Filed under Blogroll, Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Teens, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 16, 2017
I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
“A picture book based on a true story about a young First Nations girl who was sent to a residential school. When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite the efforts of the nuns to force her to do otherwise. Based on the life of Jenny Kay Dupuis’ own grandmother, I Am Not a Number brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.” [J DUPUIS,J]
Treasure of Maria Mamoun by Michelle Chalfoun
“Twelve-year-old Maria lives a lonely, latchkey-kid’s life in the Bronx. Her Lebanese mother is working two nursing jobs to keep them afloat, and Maria keeps her worries to herself, not wanting to be a burden. Then something happens one day between home and school that changes everything. Mom whisks them to an altogether different world on Martha’s Vineyard, where she’s found a job on a seaside estate. While the mysterious bedridden owner—a former film director—keeps her mother busy, Maria has the freedom to explore a place she thought could only exist in the movies. Making friends with a troublesome local character, Maria finds an old sailboat that could make a marvelous clubhouse. She also stumbles upon an old map that she is sure will lead to pirate’s plunder—but golden treasure may not be the most valuable thing she discovers for herself this special summer.” [J CHALFOUN,M]
One Half From the East by Nadia Hashimi
“Forced to move from Kabul to a small village after her father lost one of his legs in a bomb explosion, Obayda, the youngest of her sisters, dresses as a boy to bring her family luck and encounters an entirely different outside world of play and exploration alongside a fellow bacha posh.” [J HASHIMI,N]
Filed under Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Teens, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 9, 2017
Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
“Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower. Enchanting die-cuts illustrate the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem in this magical book. Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, flower, plant, and animal connect to one another in spiraling circles of life. An acorn is just the beginning.” [JPB SCHAEFER,L]
Hurry Up, Henry by Jennifer Lanthier
“Henry’s mother and father and sister are always telling him to hurry up, and his best friend, Simon, never slows down. Henry doesn’t like to be late. But he doesn’t want to hurry, either. He likes to take his time and often sees things that his family miss in the rush. For Henry’s birthday, Simon arranges for a special present that lets Henry take the time he needs — with his whole family!” [JPB LANTHIER,J]
Freddie Ramos Rules New York by Jacqueline Jules
“Freddie and his mom are visiting Uncle Jorge in New York City! Just before they leave, Mr. Vaslov gives Freddie a new pair of zapatos to replace the ones that were getting too small. But Freddie worries if his new zapatos will work as well as his old ones. Will Freddie be able to save the day when Uncle Jorge misplaces an engagement ring in the middle of a New York City traffic jam?” [J JULES,J]
The Best Bear in All the World: in Which We Join Winnie-the-Pooh For a Year of Adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood by Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeane Willis and Kate Saunders
“The Trustees of the Pooh Properties have commissioned four authors to write in the timeless style of A.A. Milne to create a quartet of charming new adventures for Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their friends. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall: take a trip back to the Hundred Acre Wood with a collection of tales sure to delight year-round.
“One story finds Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet on a quest to discover the ‘Sauce of the Nile’ (they suspect it’s apple). And in another, all the animals rally around poor Eeyore when he thinks he sees another donkey eyeing his clover. Readers of all ages will love rediscovering old friends and making new ones in this essential new volume of Pooh stories.” [J BEST]
Vanished: True Tales of Mysterious Disappearances by Elizabeth MacLeod
“No one loves a mystery more than Elizabeth MacLeod, author of the award-winning Bones Never Lie and Royal Murder. In her newest book, she presents six compelling stories about some of the world’s most bewildering disappearances.
Readers will be captivated by such true tales as the Alcatraz prison break, where three dangerous convicts engineered a daring escape. Did they live to see freedom, or did they perish in the icy waters surrounding the prison? And will anyone ever know what happened to the captain and crew of the SS Mary Celeste? In 1872, it set out from New York for Genoa, Italy, but everyone on board disappeared for no apparent reason.” [ J031.02 MACLEOD]
Filed under Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 2, 2017
The Darkest Dark by Astronaut Chris Hadfield
“Young Chris loves pretending he’s a brave astronaut, exploring the universe. Only one problem–at night, he’s afraid of the dark. Only when he watches the moon landing on TV does he realize how exciting the unknown can be. Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield.” [JPB HADFIELD]
Paddington Plays On by Michael Bond
“Paddington is having a wonderful time while on vacation with the Browns in a small French town. He loves exploring and meeting new friends. So how exactly does he end up marching through town as a drummer in the local band? Sure he can keep the beat on the drum. But can keep up with the band?” [JE BOND,M]
Big Wish by Brandon Robshaw
“When a shooting star grants Sam a million wishes (as long as they are logically possible) he thinks that he will be able to make his life better at his new school–but he soon learns that you have to be very careful, because wishes can have unexpected consequences.” [J ROBSHAW,B]
Animal Atlas by James Buckley, Jr.
“Animal Planet’s definitive atlas of animal life takes readers on a continent-by-continent and habitat-by-habitat passport to adventure! Meet fierce snow leopards in the Tibetan mountains, giant helicopter damselflies in the rain forests of Central America, majestic eagles in the temperate forests of North America, and hundreds more fascinating creatures. What is a habitat? How is the North Pole’s animal life different from the South Pole’s? How and why do animals adapt to their environment? Is a food web different from a food chain? Animal Planet Animal Atlas answers all these questions and more in a kid-friendly, accessible format that young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians will adore.” [J590 BUCKLEY]
Filed under Blogroll, Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Union City Library
Monday Children’s Book Reviews for December 19, 2016
Time for some fun holiday reading!
Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans [JBB BEMELMANS,L]
Penguin’s Christmas Wish by Salina Yoon [JPB YOON,S]
This First Christmas Night by Laura Godwin [JPB GODWIN,L]
Christmas for Greta and Gracie by Yasmeen Ismail [JPB ISMAEL,Y]
Mickey’s Christmas Carol [J MICKEY’S]
The Biggest Smallest Christmas Present by Harriet Muncaster [JPB MUNCASTER,H]
The Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett [JPB BRETT,J]
Nonna’s Hanukkah Surprise by Karen Fisman [JPB FISMAN,K]
Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon [JPB SIMON,R]
The Parakeet Named Dreidel by Isaac Bashevis Singer [JPB SINGER,I]
Bear’s Winter Party by Deborah Hodge [JPB HODGE,D]
Winter Wonders by Kate Hannigan [J HANNIGAN,K]
10-Minute Seasonal Crafts for Winter by Annalees Lim [J745.5 LIM]
Fun and Festive Winter Crafts: Snow Globes, Groundhog Puppets, and Fairy Masks by Randel McGee [J745.5 McGEE,R]
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman [J811.54 SIDMAN]
Filed under Blogroll, Book Reviews, Children, Reading, Union City Library
Write Your Story…Real Stories by Three Different Journalists
Door to door : the magnificent, maddening, mysterious world of transportation / Edward Humes
The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of Garbology explores the daily miracles and madness behind our
have-it-now, same-day-delivery world, revealing just what it takes—and costs—to move us and our stuff door to door.
Using interviews, data and deep exploration of the hidden world of ports, traffic control centers, and the research labs defining our transportation future, acclaimed journalist Edward Humes breaks down the complex movements of humans, goods, and machines as never before, from increasingly car-less citizens to the distance UPS goes to deliver a leopard-printed phone case. Tracking one day in the life of his family in Southern California, Humes uses their commutes, traffic jams, grocery stops, and online shopping excursions as a springboard to explore the paradoxes and challenges inherent in our system. He ultimately makes clear that transportation is one of the few big things we can change—our personal choices do have a profound impact, and that fork in the road is coming up fast.
The unnatural world : the race to remake civilization in Earth’s newest age / David Biello
An award-winning environmental journalist, combining the historical perspective of The Song of the Dodo with the urgency of An Inconvenient Truth, examines the world we have created and chronicles the scientists, billionaires and ordinary people who are working toward saving the best home humanity is likely to ever have.
Organic : a journalist’s quest to discover the truth behind food labeling / Peter Laufer, Ph.D
“After eating some suspect “organic” walnuts that he was shocked to find were produced in Kazakhstan, veteran journalist Peter Laufer traces the origins of items in his pantry back to the source, learning how easily we are tricked into buying “organic” claims”–
View the book trailer for Organic at: ….
Write Your Story @ the Union City Library
Join our library group, headed by Bruce Hasse, for an informal gathering of aspiring writers of all types of genres. Your writing can be memoirs, creative non-fiction, poetry, song lyrics, science fiction, plays,essays, you name it! We just want to hear what you have written and support each other as we grow as writers.
Sharing is optional.
Meetings take place
Third Tuesday of the month
December 20 & January 17
and February 21
1 p.m. — 3 p.m.
Please bring pen & paper
Union City Library 510-284-0629
Filed under Book Reviews, Events, Links, News, Union City Library