The Last Best Days of Summer

The Last Best Days of Summer
By Valerie Hobbs
J HOB

Lucy Crandall has spent the summer working as a helper for Eddie Munch, a thirteen year old with Down Syndrome. But with summer almost over and her annual visit to her grandmother's lakeside cabin approaching, Lucy decides she would rather go to the pool with her friend Megan instead of working with Eddie.

Megan and Lucy have fun at the pool and afterwards go to the Recreation Center. A cute boy from school, Justin, offers to get Lucy a soft drink. As he is walking back to the table, the cup in his hand, Eddie bursts into the room yelling,"Lucy, Lucy." He knocks into Justin, spilling the drink all over him. Justin walks off disgusted.

Lucy goes by the Munch's the next day to tell them she is going to visit Grams. Lucy leaves with her parents for the trip to Crescent Lake California where her grandmother lives. Meanwhile, Eddie is at home upset that he can't see Lucy. He decides he will go too and sneaks out of the house. He walks all the way to downtown. He sees the bus station and goes in, buys a ticket, and boards a bus headed for Northern California.

To discover what happens to Eddie on his journey to find Lucy, read this book, you'll be glad you did!

Reviewed by Carolyn Falk

The Number Devil

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
By Hanz Magnus Enzensberger
J ENZ

The Number Devil is a thought-provoking book. Robert, a twelve-year-old student hates his math teacher, Mr. Bockel, and the word problems his teacher assigns. One night the number devil interrupts Robert’s dream. After hearing Robert complain about word problems, he says, “There’s nothing wrong with a little addition and subtraction… But mathematics, my boy, that’s something else again!”

Over the course of twelve nights, the number devil introduces Robert to prime numbers, infinity, sequences and series, famous mathematicians, axioms, and even topology. The tone is playful rather than didactic and quite a lot of complex concepts are covered in interesting and readable fashion allowing the reader to think and learn along with Robert.

The number devil has his own terms for mathematical concepts. For instance, prime numbers are called prima donna numbers, irrational numbers are called unreasonable numbers,and square roots are called rutabagas. A “Seek-and-Ye-Shall-Find List” in the back translates the number devil’s terms to the mathematical term and provides a helpful topical index.

Mathematics is revealed to be much, much more than arithmetic. Those who already enjoy math class will love The Number Devil. Those who hate math, but read the book anyway, may change their minds about the subject. Recommended for grades 4 and up.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Hungry for Some Tasty Reads?

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum
Written and Illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
J 664.6 MCC

During the 1920s, Walter Diemer worked as an accountant for the Fleer Corporation, a gum and candy factory. During that time, the Fleer Corporation was trying to create a new kid of gum. When the company needed more laboratory space, the experimental lab was moved next door to Walter’s office. Walter started observing the process and eventually got involved with the experiments. He created bubble gum after months of trial and error. A brief history of gum is seamlessly woven into the interesting story, which reads like a picture book. Cute colorful illustrations bring the story to life. The last two pages contain supplemental facts and source notes. This book is a treat to read.



Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
By Adreinne Sylver
Illustrated by Elwood H. Smith
J 641.36 SYL

When Emperor Nero’s chef Gaius decided to stuff pig’s intestines with ground meat and spices, sausage became a popular snack and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Hot Diggity Dog traces the history of the hot dog from the Roman Empire to nineteenth century America to the present day. Interesting factoids are on the sides of the page. Each topic is discussed briefly in 1-2 easily digestible paragraphs. Wacky illustrations add humor and personality to the text.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

We the Children

We the Children
by Andrew Clements
J CLE

Sixth-grader Benjamin Pratt is dealing with many changes in his life. His parents recently separated, so he moves back and forth every week between his mother’s house and his father’s boat. His school is about be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. And now Mr. Keane, the head custodian at the Captain Duncan Oakes School, has died leaving Benjamin a mission to save the school from destruction.

We the Children, the first installment in Andrew Clements’ new series Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School, wastes little time setting up the conflict that Benjamin must face. At the beginning of the story, Benjamin is running late for class when he sees that Mr. Keane has been seriously injured. While waiting for the ambulance, Mr. Keane makes Benjamin promise to keep a secret and then gives him a coin made by the school’s founder that reads “First and always, my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT. Duncan Oakes, 1783.” This coin had been handed down janitor to janitor since the school’s founding. Because Mr. Keane knew that Lyman, the other janitor could not be trusted and the situation was urgent, he chose Benjamin to be the next person to be trusted with the secret.

Benjamin is puzzled by the conversation and stunned when the principal announces a few hours later that Mr. Keane died in the hospital. Benjamin, with the help of his smart friend Jill Acton, begins to unravel the meaning behind the coin, which leads them to a series of clues left behind by the school’s eccentric founder. The more Benjamin and Jill research the deal between Edgeport, their seaport town, and company building the amusement park, the more suspicious things look. What is so important about the school? What is the company behind the theme park really up to? Is Lyman watching their every move? Can Benjamin and Jill figure it all out before the school gets torn down? They have 28 days.

The story does not focus solely on how Benjamin and Jill try to save the school. Benjamin is rounded out into a three-dimensional character. He excels in social studies and sailing. The last chapter of the book is devoted to Benjamin’s sailing club competition on the weekend and how he handles his rival Robert Gerritt. Children can relate to Benjamin as he navigates through the tremendous upheavals in his life and strives to stay afloat.

The book is short (perhaps a little too short) and great for readers ages 7-10 who like mysteries. The second book, Fear Itself comes out January 4, 2011.


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
J WIL


Sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent to California to spend a month with a mother they have never met. Instead of taking them to Disneyland, Cecile greets them with “No one told y’all to come out here.”

It is 1968, the summer when Black Panther founder, Huey Newton was jailed and member, Bobby Hutton was gunned down by police. It is a year when racial tensions are high and changes in the fabric of society are coming to fruition, sometimes in peace, sometimes in violence.

Rather than care for the kids, Cecile sends them to the Black Panther youth program each day. For meals, the girls use their Disneyland money to order take-out from a neighborhood restaurant. She does not allow them into certain parts of the house where she is working on her poetry.

Slowly, over the month, Delphine makes inroads into understanding her mother’s life and past and why she is the way that she is. The sisters also make friends with various children and a few adults in the Oakland community. They are all impressed by Hirohito, the half-black, half-Japanese, young heartthrob of the youth program.
In a presentation given at a Black Panther rally, one of the sisters finds her own poetic voice and expresses it before the cheering crowd.

Delphine is self-sufficient and practical; patient, protective and supportive to her younger sisters. During the month that she spends almost completely without adult supervision, she proves her resourcefulness and her loyalty to her family, including to her new found mother. She experiences her first interest in a boy and the interest is returned. She is exposed to many points of view on many different aspects of life. She forms new friendships and begins a hard won connection with her mother. Her identity as a young African-American woman begins to shift and she learns to refer to herself in new terms.

Reviewed by
J’Ann Peacock Alvarado
June 15, 2010

The Word Snoop

The Word Snoop
By Ursula Dubosarsky
J 420.0 DUB

Do you like words and wordplay? Are you curious about how English evolved and the origin of some its wacky quirks? The Word Snoop, the titular narrator, explains all that and more in a fun conversational tone. Each chapter ends with a secret message for the reader to decode using the concepts presented in the chapter. Learn about anagramsl palindromes, euphemisms, spoonerisms, and more.
If you enjoy The Word Snoop, try Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference by Lynne Truss and Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss
E WER

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types is not your average alphabet book. Each page features an animal for each letter of the alphabet. However, this book goes a step further by creating the pictures out of the corresponding letter. For instance, the alligator for the letter "A" is composed of a mix of capital and lower case "a" typefaces. Some animals, such as the octopus and the giraffe, are so large that the reader must fold out the pages to see the alphabeast in its entirety. This is a fun book to peruse.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard