True (...sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

True (...sort of) by Katherine Hannigan
(Grade 4 - 6)

Delly Pattison is an angry 11-year-old from a large family who ends up either in a fight or running from her small town's truant officer nearly every day. Inside, though, she is filled with creativity, crafting her own 'Dellyisms' (surpresents to mean surprise presents). Delly also has a soft spot for her young brother who teaches her to count when she gets angry and begs her to do whatever it takes to avoid alternative school. When new classmate Ferris Boyd arrives at school, refusing to speak or be touched, Delly and her fellow students learn about the power of friendship and the crushing reality of abuse. Katherine Hannigan is a masterful storyteller, weaving both lighthearted humor, poetic language and a difficult theme into one unforgettable novel. Families may choose to read this book together as there is much to love but even more to discuss.

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other materials.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Do You Have a Dog? by Eileen Spinelli

Do You Have a Dog? by Eileen Spinelli
(Preschool - Grade 2)

Eileen Spinelli's new picture book is filled with stories of real dogs belonging to real people throughout history, many of whom would be otherwise difficult to bring to life in the pages of a picture book. Young readers or listeners, especially those that have a favorite pooch, will be taken with the lively, rhyming mini-biographies of each of the eleven people (and their dogs!) included. The separate spreads are brought together by the common phrase, "...had a dog," as well as the vibrant acrylic illustrations by Geraldo Valerio.

Read about Meriwether Lewis' dog Seaman who "swam across rivers, trekked through snow, and saved Lewis and Clark from a buffalo!" Annie Oakley, Admiral Richard Byrd, Billie Holliday and many others all had dogs too; do you have a dog? Those that do will celebrate and those that don't will certainly be inspired. Preschoolers will love the simple rhymes and older kids may want to read more about these dog-loving folks. Don't miss the end papers that give extra historical details about each famous four-legged friend.

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other materials.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai
(4th-6th grades)

Ten-year-old Ha has grown up in Saigon, but the Vietnam War is swiftly changing life and soon she is headed to the United States with her mother and three brothers. As her life begins anew in Alabama, Ha faces new challenges as she navigates American culture and food, makes new friends, and learns to see her family in a new light.

Based on the author's own experience, this novel in verse is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of immigration, and the anxiety, misunderstandings and hope that follows. This story is sure to bring a better understanding to those who read Ha's story.

Winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Reviewed by Korie B., Children's Staff

Food For Thought by Ken Robbins

Food For Thought by Ken Robbins
(Grades 2 and up)

Food For Thought is a new addition to our library, just in time for Thanksgiving! Celebrated photographer and author Ken Robbins has captured beautiful images of many of the foods we love best: apples, oranges, corn, bananas, potatoes and many more. We eat many of these foods every day but few of us know why they are such staples in our diet. Robbins includes a brief history of these beloved fruits and vegetables and an overview of how they grow, what they are called in other languages and a variety of uses. The humble potato, for instance, has its origin in Peru and is called pommes de terre in French (fruit of the earth).

Robbins shares a sobering fact, "Just a few generations ago, the vast majority of Americans lived or worked on a farm. Now it's just 2 percent of us who do. As a result, most of us know less and less about where our food comes from; in many cases, we don't even really know what it looks like in its natural state."

Perhaps we could take a moment with the children in our lives this November to find out more about our favorite Thanksgiving foods. Food for Thought would be great dinner conversation to accompany a big bowl of mashed potatoes! At my house, we were fascinated to learn that the word orange has no rhyme! I won't tell you how long we tried to find one.

Visit www.newberglibrary.org to find this and other materials at our library.

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff

Creepy Creatures at the Newberg Public Library

It's already October, and the clouds and cool mornings have rolled in along with the creepy creatures in two of our newest picture books for preschoolers and older.

Bedtime At the Swamp by Kristyn Crow and Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen celebrate the creepy side of October and encourage a smooth bedtime in a lighthearted way.

Bedtime At the Swamp is set "neath the fat gold moon" in a slimy swamp where a boy hurries to escape a monster he can hear "splish splahing" behind him. The boy's family members (and soon the monster itself) follow him up a tree to get away until Mom signals bedtime and an end to the scary fun. The text has a wonderful steady rhyme that we use in book club during poetry month to illustrate how, just like music, language can have rhythm too. A consistent cadence, "I heard...Splish Splash, Rumba-Rumba, Bim-Bam, Slapping BOOM!" takes our characters from scary swamp to cozy bed.

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters is a lullaby book that follows a gathering of silly monsters leaving school and heading to their cave for dinner. They scramble into their bath and bed where, presumably, they should drift off to sleep. Instead the little monsters bounce, grumble and protest their way to dreamland. This is a sweet, short, rhyming read aloud to encourage our little ones to drift off to sleep themselves. The illustrations by Kelly Murphy are creative and fun with little 'monster' touches throughout: a monster head houseplant, Cree P. Elementary School, Tentacle Surprise for dinner and lots more.

Treat your young listeners to both of these fabulous October read alouds. To find these and other books at our library, visit www.newberglibrary.org.

Reviewed by Amanda L.,
Children's Staff

National Geographic Kids For All Ages

Kids of all ages, check out the newest National Geographic Kids titles in the Newberg Public Library's collection!

First Big Book of Animals by Catherine Hughes
(Preschool - Grade 2)
For the youngest science enthusiast, First Big Book of Animals describes animals from all over the world and organizes them by habitat. As it is intended for a younger reader (or listener!), the text is large and easy to follow. We can count on National Geographic titles for wonderful photographs and this title doesn't disappoint. Don't miss the parent tips and animal maps as well.



Great Migrations: Amazing Animal Journeys by Laura Marsh
(Kindergarten - Grade 3)
Head over to our reader shelves for National Geographic Science Readers that are interesting, informational and FUN to read. Amazing Animal Journeys follows zebras, red crabs and walruses on thier great migrations. Each page is filled with colorful photographs, silly riddles, Word Wise definitions, and Weird but True facts such as "Zebras' manes are striped, just like the rest of their bodies." There is a National Geographic reader for every reading level - pre-reader through advanced - each with the same colorful appeal. Don't miss Storms!, Volcanoes!, Bats and more.

Oceans by Johnna Rizzo
(Grade 2 and up)
Like all of our National Geographic titles, Oceans is full of vibrant photography and extreme facts presented in bold text and lighthearted fonts. But this and other titles like Devouring Flames, The Ultimate Dinopedia and Violet Weather are geared toward a slightly older reader. More detailed maps appear in Oceans along with additional information on each sea creature and its enivronment. The borders of the introductory page for Octopuses, for example, includes their home (oceans worldwide), size (1/2" - 20 ft.), and number of known species (more than 250). Also in this spread is a huge photograph of a reef octopus, a squid vs. octopus sidebar, a fun fact and a page-long description of an octopus dodging its predators. Even reluctant readers will dive into this book for an exciting glimpse into our world's seas. The encouraging finale called 20 Ways You Can Protect the Ocean is icing on the cake.

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find these and other titles at our library.
Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff
Newberg Public Library

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
(Grades 4-6)

When Ben Wilson sets out to discover the truth about his family in 1977, his journey from Minnesota to New York will intersect with Rose Kincaid, whose own adventure begins 50 years earlier in New Jersey.

In his latest collaboration of words and pictures, author Brian Selznick masterfully weaves together two stories, telling one with words and the other with pictures. Moving swiftly the tales soon show hints of intersecting and the reader will race to the see the conclusion when stories, words and pictures explode in a beautifully crafted finale. Indeed, this reader did feel "wonderstruck."

Selznick's illustrations add dimension to the story not only in the visual clues he gives the reader but also in perspective. Fans of The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be delighted with another story in the same format.

Check out Brian Selznick on his latest book.

Visit http://www.newberglibrary.org/ to find this and other books at our library.
Reviewed by Korie B., Children's Staff