You don’t need to be a president or a military leader to change the world. Anyone can do it but it takes faith and numbers. It takes smarts and skills and morals. And what it really takes is a knowledge of history. Of what works and what doesn’t. It takes this book. Now hand it to someone who needs it.
Review of the Day: Apocalypse Taco by Nathan Hale
January 25, 2019 by
Apocalypse Taco is a wholly new creation in more ways than one. It opens the door for more kid-friendly horror. I mean, it’s got everything! Tooth monsters. School lockers full of goo. Brigadoon. You name it!
Review of the Day: A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney & Martin Gayford
November 8, 2018 by
A History of Pictures for Children By David Hockney & Martin Gayford Illustrated by Rose Blake Abrams Books for Young Readers $24.99 ISBN: 978-1-4197-3211-9 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. And now, a couple words about expository nonfiction. I . . . . Hey! Hey, where the heck do you people think you’re going? Come right […]
Review of the Day – The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
April 25, 2018 by
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoefer and the Plot to Kill Hitler By John Hendrix Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2838-9 Ages 10 and up On shelves September 4th In this life, it can be difficult to find absolutes. Absolute good. Absolute evil. Absolute good in the face of absolute evil. For many […]
Review of the Day: One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale
February 27, 2017 by
One Trick Pony By Nathan Hale Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $14.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2128-1 Ages 9-12 On shelves March 14th Let us say, for the sake of argument, that you are a wonderfully successful author/artist of a New York Times bestselling graphic novel series about historical events. Hazardous historical events. Let us say that […]
Review of the Day: The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow
July 22, 2016 by
The Mighty Odds By Amy Ignatow Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-1271-5 Ages 10 and up On shelves September 13th If you could have one weird superpower, what would it be? Not a normal one, mind you. We’re not doing a flight vs. invisibility discussion here. The power would have to be […]
Review of the Day: El Deafo by Cece Bell
August 21, 2014 by
El Deafo By Cece Bell Amulet (an imprint of Abrams) $21.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-1020-9 Ages 9-12 On shelves September 2nd We appear to exist in a golden age of children’s graphic novel memoirs. Which is to say, there are three of them out this year (El Deafo, Sisters, and The Dumbest Idea Ever). How to account […]
Review of the Day: Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
July 15, 2014 by
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation By Duncan Tonatiuh Harry N. Abrams $18.95 ISBN: 978-1419710544 Ages 7-12 On shelves now If I blame my childhood education for anything I suppose it would be for instilling in me the belief that the history worth learning consisted of a set of […]
My First Re-Review: The Qwikpick Papers – Poop Fountain by Tom Angleberger
June 4, 2014 by
Here’s something I’ve never done before. For years I’ve been waiting for the moment when a book I loved and reviewed dipped out of print only to come back again. Since I’ve only been doing this gig since 2006 I wasn’t sure what that first book would be. Then, this year, I got my answer. […]
Review of the Day: West of the Moon by Margi Preus
May 14, 2014 by
West of the Moon By Margi Preus Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0896-1 Ages 10 and up On shelves now. These are dark times for children’s literature. Pick up a book for the 9-12 year-old set and you just don’t know what you’re going to find. Whether it’s the murderous foliage of […]
Review of the Day: The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
March 12, 2014 by
The Night Gardener By Jonathan Auxier Illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-1144-2 Ages 10 and up On shelves May 20th For whatever reason, 2014 is a dark year in children’s middle grade fiction. I speak from experience. Fantasy in particular has been steeped in a kind of thoughtful […]
Review of the Day: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales (One Dead Spy & Big Bad Ironclad) by Nathan Hale
November 26, 2012 by
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad! By Nathan Hale Amulet (an imprint of Abrams) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-419700396-6 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0395-9 Ages 9-12 On shelves now If you should find that you share your name with a Revolutionary War Hero you have various ways of making use of that […]
Review of the Day – Chuck Close: Face Book by Chuck Close
April 19, 2012 by
Chuck Close: Face Book By Chuck Close & Glue and Paper Workshop Abrams Books for Young Readers $18.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0163-4 Ages 9-12 On shelves now The autobiography assignment. Oh, it exists. It exists and children’s librarians know to fear it. At a certain time of year a child will approach the reference desk and utter […]
Review of the Day: Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger
February 1, 2012 by
Fake Mustache: how Jodie O’Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (And Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election From a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind) By Tom Angleberger Illustrated by Jen Wang Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0194-8 Ages 9-12 On shelves April 1, 2012 I said it about Laini Taylor. I said […]
Review of the Day: What Animals Really Like by Fiona Robinson
October 26, 2011 by
What Animals Really Like By Fiona Robinson Abrams Books for Young Readers $15.95 ISBN: 978-0-8109-8976-4 Ages 4-8 On shelves now. I’m sitting in a room with other children’s librarians. Together, we are attempting to determine what the best children’s books of a given year are. It’s late in the publishing season and we haven’t a […]
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