20. The Clock Without a Face by Scott Teplin, Mac Barnett & Eli Horowitz (McSweeney's, 2010)

BOOK: MYSTERY (ages 9-12)

Brief Description: This unusually shaped over-sized board book is intended for kids in grades 4 - 6. In the first section, readers are introduced to the two detectives who will solve the case - Dodge, the detective, and Gus Twintig, his sidekick who acts as the narrator. We never actually see these two characters, and are only given a single portrait of the inhabitants of the Turnky Towers apartment building at 23 Glyph Street. What we do get is a cut away view of each floor of the apartment, and each drawing is wonderfully intricate and unique. The mystery? Mr. Turnkey has been robbed; a beautiful clock with emerald stones to mark the numbers have been stolen, and in fact, each resident has had something stolen as well. Beginning on the top floor, with the claim that the mystery would be solved by the time they reached the first floor, the detective team interviews the residents. It's up to the reader to observe the drawings carefully for clues. At the book's conclusion, readers are met with the further mystery of where to find the buried numbers from the clock.

Awards: None

Personal Opinion: I don't have the patience for this sort of book, but problem-solving kids will love the intricate drawings and clues left on each of the floors. I liked the unusual presentation, though - board book, interesting shape (but tricky for library shelves!!). I think I've had enough with the first one, though, and won't hurry to read the next release.

Curriculum/Programming: This is a quick read which would be great to pair with a longer mystery in a literature circle. A library program might be designed around the mystery with a discussion group checking out the images on a big screen and figuring out what each floor has to offer in the way of clues. A mystery reenactment night at the library would be fun to incorporate with this book as well.

19. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Walden Pond Press, 2010)

BOOK: HUMOR (ages 9-12)

Brief Description: Liam Digby is thirteen years old. Because he is extraordinarily tall for his age, and even has facial hair, he is often mistaken for an adult. Through a series of bizarre events, Liam and his friend Florida pose as father and daughter after winning a trip to Infinity Park, and end up going to space. When the mission goes wrong, will the kids and Florida's "dad," armed with a copy of How to Talk to Teens, be able to get back to earth?

Awards: Guardian Award - 2008 shortlist; Carnegie Medal - 2009 shortlist

Personal Opinion: This hilarious romp through space had me laughing out loud. What Cottrell Boyce does best is pair humor with a serious poignancy that touches the heart. While I really enjoyed the book, I must say that his book Framed still holds its first place spot on my list. Portions of the book reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; kids with parents win a prize, and their strange relationships and focus come through. Characters in the story are particularly well drawn, exhibiting their quirks throughout the story to great effect. I thought Liam did, in fact, make a great dad as he used all his resources, including his love of the video game World of Warcraft, to see him through dealing with the kids and getting a rocket gone astray back to Earth.

Curriculum/Programming: This book would be a great supplement to both a science class on astronomy and a math course. Use it also in a home economics class to discuss family relationships and the roles a dad has in the family; compare Liam's fathering skills those of real dads.

18. Matched by Ally Condie (Dutton Juvenile, 2010)

BOOK: ROMANCE/DYSTOPIA (ages 14-18)

Brief Description: In a seemingly Utopian society, all is not as it appears. Sure, citizens are "happy" and trouble-free and guided by statistics kept by the Society, but they're also unable to made any decisions in their own lives. Meet 16-year-old Cassia, who will be attending her Matching Banquet, where she'll meet the boy who will be her life partner, chosen by the Society, of course. Something goes wrong, however, and two faces appear, both of whom she knows, another strange occurrence in this future world. Cassia slowly begins to find a streak of rebellion within herself, partially with the help of her grandfather who leaves her an artifact with a big secret. Also, she develops feelings for the second of the boys who appear on the screen; definitely not acceptable by the Officials, as this is not her chosen match. How far will Cassia go to attain her own dreams and possibly risk the lives of her family and friends?

Awards: Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books; Kirkus Book Review Stars; YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

Personal Opinion: I really enjoy the dystopian fiction genre, but this just fell flat for me. Aside from the short choppy sentence structure and lackluster pacing, the entire plot just never seemed to really develop. Characters were not drawn well - perhaps deliberately as the citizens in the Society are not permitted to be too distinct? I'm not too sure. Part romance, part attempt at suspenseful dystopia, I just never really cared about the characters and found myself engaged only a few times in heated moments - the tension simply never materialized into good suspense; I just kept waiting for something to happen, and when it did, my only thought was "so what?" After reading a few published reviews, I just don't see what all the hoopla is about; everyone is absolutely gaga over this book, but not me. I even read one that compared the book to The Hunger Games, but I'm insulted over this comparison; The Hunger Games is far superior to this ho-hum book.

Curriculum/Programming: This genre seems quite popular with middle school students, so I would like to create a book club of dystopian lit for the school year. I think I'll try it this September; there's no lack of books being published in this genre! Students might also read The Giver and compare and contrast the dystopian societies presented in each novel.

17. Bone: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith (Scholastic, 2005)

GRAPHIC NOVEL (ages 9-12)

Brief Description: Three bone cousins from the town of Boneville, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, are on the run, banished from Boneville. They become separated and face mysterious dangers including rat creatures with large red eyes. Luckily, they are saved by Thorn, a lovely human, and her grandmother. The end of volume 1 leaves the reader hanging, and, presumably, wanting more. The mystery of the cloaked figure, though, does add an element of mystery and suspense.

Awards: Several Eisner and Harvey Awards

Personal Opinion: Not too crazy about this sometimes silly, but largely dark and fantastic story of the Bone cousins. I just couldn't relate to the characters, wasn't crazy about the art work, and just didn't care about the story! The only real intrigue, for me, anyway, was the cloaked figure - who is it? why is he/she pursuing the Bone cousins? With that said, this first volume is hugely popular in my library where it circulates constantly.

Curriculum/Programming: This would be a great supplement to an art class on manga and other graphic novel drawing; I think the style, which is simple, may be easily adopted and copied by kids. Another idea might be to have kids create their own continuation of this story describing who the cloaked figure is and what role he or she plays in the story.

16. National Geographic Kids - June/July 2011

MAGAZINE (ages 6-14)

Brief Description: National Geographic Kids is a visual smorgasbord! Bright fun photos and short quick articles and facts punctuate every page, making this a treat for today's visually-oriented young person. Great features include the "weird but true" section, "sports funnies" and "animal myths busted." I also liked "bet you didn't know" which features six surprising facts about sharks, including that "you are more likely to win American Idol than to be killed by a shark." There are several charming stories about animals and the unusual friends they've made, and, as the cover promised, a nice section on water which included three hotels with water features that are not your average hotel pool! Several games are included which make the magazine more interactive. The section on the intelligence of various animals was also interesting.

Awards: None

Personal Opinion: I like this shiny bright presentation of animals and other topics interesting to kids. I found the articles quite short and were primarily comprised of a listing of facts with accompanying photographs. The games were fun, and the section in which you "stump your parents" wasn't as easy as I thought it would be! There were some tough questions in there! I liked the minimal advertisements, and the ones present were for toothbrushes, newly released books, goldfish crackers, and Seaworld - not bad. I'd give the publication an A+ for content and gorgeous photography and graphics.

Curriculum/Programming: Not sure what I'd do around this magazine for programming at the library, but it is a fantastic supplement to a science curriculum centered around the study of animals. I think I'd use this on a Friday afternoon as additional reading for students in grades 4 or 5.

15. "Tales From Earthsea" directed by Goro Miyazaki (Walt Disney Pictures, 2010 in the US)

DVD (ages 12+)

Brief Description: The light is fading, balance between the world of the living and the dead has been lost, and the world is out of sync. A young prince named Arren murders his father and takes his sword, and becomes a vagabond who meets with an Archmage named Sparrowhawk. Together they travel to the city of Hortown where Lord Cob wants to challenge Sparrowhawk and prove he has achieved eternal life. They stay on the outskirts of the city with Sparrowhawk's friend Tenar who is watching over a young girl named Therru. The showdown between the two magicians doesn't occur as Sparrowhawk's powers are negated when he enters Lord Cob's castle. The ultimate battle between good and evil occurs between Lord Cob and the two kids. In a frightening and powerful climax, the viewer learns whether or not eternal life is desirable after all.

Awards: In Japan, the movie was awarded "Worst Movie" in Bunshun's Raspberry Awards; Goro Miyazaki won "worst director."

Personal Opinion: I found the film mystifying, violent, and strange. I thought the visual elements of the film were fantastic - the sweeping landscapes and detail in nature, but the story was bizarre and quite frightening in the end. I hadn't realized how poorly the Japanese movie market received the film before viewing it, or I wouldn't have selected it for my project! I liked the character of Tenar, and thought Timothy Dalton did a good voice for Sparrowhawk, but Prince Arren was too bizarre to appreciate, at least for me, in his rage moments and his kindness. I never really understood his motives for murdering his father. Too many loose ends, too much violence and frightening images made this an unpleasant movie experience. Not jumping to recommend to anyone but those who are enchanted with anime and want to compare Goyo's work to his father's. I had such high expectations after seeing all the work that Hayao Miyazaki has done...

Programming/Curriculum: I would compare the two Miyazaki styles using this film and either "Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind" or "Princess Mononoke" which both have a more violent edge - to see how the styles of the two directors differ. Also, an anime festival might include this film along with a discussion over refreshments.

14. Virals by Kathy Reichs, Narrated by Kristin Milioti (Penguin Audio, 2010)

AUDIO BOOK: SCIENCE FICTION (ages 11-16)

Brief Description: Prepare for an exhilarating ride on a science fiction roller coaster with snarky, brilliant, teenager Tory Brennan. Tory has lost her mom, and is sent to live with her cerebral professor father who knows nothing about her existence. Their strained relationship permits Tory a certain independence allowing her to get involved in much mischief, in the name of what's right. When a beloved wolf/dog puppy she names Cooper goes missing from the island on which her father's lab is located, and when strange Veteran's dog tags are found in a clearing, the mysteries in this story are ramped up to high volume. With her three nerdy science buddies, Hi, Shelton and Ben, this unlikely group seeks to uncover not only the dog tags' owner or the disappearance of "Coop," but a 40-year-old murder as well. Their own lives are threatened as they get a little too snoopy - but who is chasing them?

Awards: None...YET!

Personal Opinion: Notice the listing of both audio book and regular book above. While narrator Krising Mirioti conveys the perfect teen voice of Tory, I simply couldn't "listen" quickly enough and resorted to reading in order to reach the exciting and unexpected climax sooner! Truly, though, Mirioti does a great job with expression in this audio book; it must be listened to if the listener can remain patient! I could not put down this incredibly fast-paced novel of mystery, intrigue, humor, excitement, and suspense.

Programming/Curriculum: This book would work well a part of a study of viruses, and in particular, the parvovirus and how it reacts in dogs.