Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 236 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
Take Me With You
Carolyn Marsden
Synopsis: Hopes of adoption test the friendship of two girls-one biracial-in a lyrical novel touching on themes of identity and the meaning of home.

Pina and Susanna. Susanna and Pina. For as long as they’ve lived at the Istituto di Gesù Bambino — a home for babies abandoned after the War — they have been best friends. As children, they played rag dolls under the watchful eyes of the nuns and hide-and-seek among the lemon trees on the rooftop terrazzo overlooking Naples. But now strangers are coming to the chiesa, couples hoping to adopt children. Susanna thinks Pina — pale, pretty Pina with her gleaming yellow braid — will be adopted at once. Susanna, on the other hand, is a mulatta. Her father was an American soldier, a nero. No Italian has hair or skin like hers. But when a surprise visitor comes to the istituto just to see Susanna, will the friends be separated after all? Or will a miracle make both of their dreams come true?
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Shifty
Lynn E. Hazen
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Shifty knows all about moving around and next to nothing about where he came from. When he's assigned to a new foster home and family, he tries hard to keep cool and stay out of trouble. But it seems like the more he tries to do the right thing, the more trouble he finds. As Shifty navigates a series of messy summer adventures, he struggles to find a balance between the street-wise spirit that has helped him survive and his longing for a place to call home. Lynne E. Hazen has created a fast-paced, page-turning plot full of surprises and warmth.  


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Lawn Boy Returns
Gary Paulsen
Synopsis: Gary Paulsen’s funny follow-up to Lawn Boy is full of big surprises and big laughs.
 
Lawn Boy says: The summer I was twelve, mowing lawns with Grandpa’s old riding mower turned into big business. With advice from Arnold the stockbroker, I learned all about making money.
 
Six weeks and hundred of thousands of dollars later, life got more complicated. You see, the prizefighter I sponsor, Joey Pow, won a big fight. And a TV interview made me famous. As Arnold says, “Capitalism plus publicity equals monster commerce.” Even my best friends wanted a piece of the action. Meanwhile, some scary guys showed up at Joey’s gym. . . .
 
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Ostrich Boys
Keith Gray
Synopsis: Ross is dead, and Blake, Sim, and Kenny are furious. To make it right, they steal Ross’s ashes and set out from their home on the English coast for the tiny village of Ross in southern Scotland, a place their friend had always wanted to go. What follows is an unforgettable journey with illegal train rides, bungee jumping, girls, and high-speed police chases—all with Ross’s ashes along for the ride. As events spin wildly out of control, the three friends must take their heads out of the sand long enough to answer the question: What really happened to Ross?

Keith Gray is an award-winning author from the United Kingdom, making his U.S. debut with this action-packed and darkly humorous novel about friendship and loss.
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Stone Rabbit #4 Superhero Stampede
Erik Craddock, Erik Craddock
Synopsis: After being zapped by a homemade reality transmutation device, Stone Rabbit finds himself inside the pages of his favorite comic book. Endowed with stupendous new superpowers and a cool costume, our hero must battle a baneful band of egotistical evildoers to save the world. Will Stone Rabbit be victorious—or will his exploits end up in the bargain bin of Jim Dandy’s Comic Emporium?Superhero Stampede is the fourth book in a full-color series of riotous, riproaring graphic novels that chronicles the zany adventures of a quicktempered and quick-witted young rabbit. Its fast pace and outrageously
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Adventure
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
Synopsis: This series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager. Over one million copies sold, now with a bright new look!

The Penderwick sisters are home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! But the adventure they get isn’t quite what they had in mind. Mr. Penderwick’s sister has decided it’s time for him to start dating—and the girls know that can only mean one thing: disaster. Enter the Save-Daddy Plan—a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. It’s high jinks, big laughs, and loads of family warmth as the Penderwicks triumphantly return.
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
The Diamond of Darkhold
Jeanne DuPrau
Synopsis: A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5  MILLION copies!
 
Lina and Doon escaped the dying city of Ember and led their people to the town of Sparks. But they soon discover that winter is harsh aboveground. When Doon finds a book with torn pages that hints at a mysterious device from the Builders, it doesn’t take much for him to convince Lina to join him for one last adventure in the city of Ember. But what—and who—will they find when they return?
 
Praise for the City of Ember books:
 
Nominated to 28 State Award Lists!
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book
A Mark Twain Award Winner
A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner
 
“A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.” —USA Today
 
“An electric debut.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
 
“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.” —VOYA, Starred
 
“A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Publication Date: 03/23/10
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Sky Girl
Joe Sergi
Synopsis: Imagine living up to a legacy that no one can remember. Sky Girl and the Superheroic Legacy tells the story of DeDe Christopher, an ordinary teenager with an extraordinary destiny. DeDe is an average high school sophomore with dreams of winning the National Gymnastic Tournament and dating the school quarterback. But her world changes when she begins to develop fantastic abilities that are strangely similar to those of a fictional comic book super hero named SkyBoy. With the help of her best friend, Jason, a self-proclaimed comic geek, DeDe begins a quest to discover her true destiny as she confronts the all-too-real enemies and allies of SkyBoy. She must deal with capes, apes and aliens to find a way to live up to a legacy that no one can remember and become Sky Girl.
Publication Date: 03/19/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
Synopsis: A NEWER, REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION OF THIS BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary (DOG DAYS EDITION), ISBN 978-1419706424. INCLUDES 32 NEW PAGES ABOUT THE THIRD WIMPY KID MOVIE, DOG DAYS, PLUS AN ALL-NEW COVER ILLUSTRATION.
Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
The Secret Life of Prince Charming
Synopsis: A thoughtful, funny, and layered teen novel by National Book Award Finalist Deb Caletti.
Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Romance
The Circle of Friends: Book V
Synopsis: When confidence turns to frustration… A new beginning awaits Heather Jennings. The position at Clemson means she will finally realize her dream of coaching basketball. Heather is ready to focus on her duties, using sheer force if necessary to prove her independence. Sadly, her triumph is hampered as her father and greatest advocate lies dying of cancer. Battling her grief, she must also deal with a sister who appears incapable of responsibility or achievement. And once basketball season begins, a talented but cocky player who resembles her in every manner challenges all that remains of Heather’s patience. Heather’s life changes when she encounters a man capable of handling her bold and feisty attitude. Straightforward and smug, he entices her to date him, and despite his gruff nature shows a great capacity for compassion. However, the last thing Heather needs is a serious relationship with a man equally fixated on work and opposed to marriage…
Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
WOW:  A Handbook for Living
Zono Kurazono, Zen Ohashi
Synopsis: Zen Ohashi is a master management coach whose methods have been introduced to more than seventy major corporations, including Exxon-Mobile, Fuji-Xerox, British Airways, Canon, Honda, and Mitsubishi. In this volume, he has created a method for living-a way you too can be successful and powerful in your everyday life. Thirty-one phrases are paired with simple methods and short explanations designed to implement empowerment and change in your life. Designed to be carried with you and pulled out when you need it, WOW is the ultimate handbook for life.
Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Split
Stefan Petrucha
Synopsis:

Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds.

Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Karakuri
Eri Hamaji, Keisuke Saka
Synopsis:

Originally published in Japan, Karakuri is an introduction to the simple mechanisms, such as gears, cranks, cams, and levers, used to bring to life these amazing moving paper models or automata. Included are pull-out pages for you to use to construct your own moving models of the different types of gears. These models serve as the basis for designing your own karakuri or may just be admired on their own.

Detailed explanations, accompanied by diagrams, explain the physics behind how karakuri move and operate, so you really learn about the properties of the different types of gears and cams. And to inspire you, also included are four fun, full-color karakuri models designed by the author, a well-known paper engineer. Printed on pull-out pages and easily assembled, the projects include a whimsical tea-serving robot, an amusing penguin perched on an iceberg and trying to fly, a delightful peek-a-boo-playing teddy bear, and a mesmerizing train that goes around on a track and through a tunnel!

With complete directions, fourteen full-size models, and the science behind the craft revealed, this book is a unique introduction to an ancient art.

Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
My Life With The Lincolns
Gayle Brandeis
Synopsis:

My dad used to be Abraham Lincoln. When I was six and learning to read, I saw his initials were A. B. E., Albert Baruch Edelman. ABE. That's when I knew.

Mina Edelman believes that she and her family are the Lincolns reincarnated. Her main task for the next three months: to protect her father from assassination, her mother from insanity, and herself―Willie Lincoln incarnate―from death at age twelve.

Apart from that, the summer of 1966 should be like any other. But Mina's dad begins taking Mina along to hear speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr in Chicago. And soon he brings the freedom movement to their own small town, with consequences for everyone, in Gayle Brandeis's My Life with the Lincolns.

Publication Date: 03/16/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
When You Feel and Don't Know How To Say
Jean-Paul Chreky, Estefania Crespo
Synopsis: A Readers Favorite 2010 Award recipient. When You Feel & Don't Know How to Say is a collection of poems encompassing feelings and emotions. Whenever you feel trapped without anywhere to escape, take a trip through your mind and make a pit stop on some paper. The world is beautiful place if you let it be, even at your darkest moments...
Publication Date: 03/15/10
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Poetry

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS