Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

by Rachel Renee Russell

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Book Description
Nikki Maxwell has been doing everything she can to keep everyone at school from learning the truth that she's there on scholarship in exchange for her Dad working as the school's exterminator. The last thing Nikki needs is having her friends and worst case scenario, her crush, Brandon, associating her with the humongous roach on top of her Dad's van! Now it looks like her secret could be about to come out, and Nikki's willing to go to any zany and wacky length to prevent that from happening. The timing seems perfect when a major talent competition is announced with a school scholarship offered as the top prize. Nikki loves to sing and dance and now she gets to have tons of fun with her friends while competing for a chance to free her Dad from his obligation! (And free herself from all that potential damage to her reputation . . .) Once again, hijinks and misunderstandings aplenty ensue, as well as more hilarious and heartwarming moments with Nikki and her friends.

About the Author
Rachel Renee Russell is an attorney who prefers writing tween books to legal briefs. (Mainly because books are a lot more fun and pajamas and bunny slippers aren't allowed in court.)

She has raised two daughters and lived to tell about it. Her hobbies include growing purple flowers and doing dotally useless crafts (like, for example, making a microwave oven out of Popsicle sticks, glue, and glitter). Rachel lives in northern Virginia with a spoiled pet Yorkie who terrorizes her daily by climbing on top of a computer cabinet and pelting her with stuffed animals while she writes. And, yes, Rachel considers herself a total Dork.

The Lion Encyclopedia of Christianity

The Lion Encyclopedia of Christianity

by David Self

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Book Description
Designed for enquiring young minds, this comprehensive resource takes a thematic approach to explaining the basic aspects of Christianity. Useful, article-length features cover all key aspects of the Christian faith including its history, festivals, tenets, and symbols, as well as church buildings, worship ceremonies, the Bible, and personal prayer and piety. A clear layout filled with informative maps, diagrams, and illustrations make this an engaging and educational reference.

Technically, this is not an encyclopedia but rather, as the back cover states, "an illustrated introduction to the beliefs, traditions and practices of the Christian faith." Instead of alphabetical entries, its 57 chapters are organized by themes such as "The Origins of Christianity," "Christian Teachings," "The Church," and "Worship." This is a beautiful production, appealing and attractive, with numerous color photos, maps, and graphs. However, there is no glossary, the time line is limited, and the index is incomplete. The book's British origins are apparent in spellings. There are only a couple of sentences on selected Protestant denominations, but Self discusses Christianity around the world and tackles issues such as suffering, war, and the environment. No other titles for this age come close to this work's appeal or thoroughness.

About the Author
David Self is the author of several books on religion for children, including The Lion Children’s Treasury of Classic Verse, The Lion Treasury of Saints, and The Loyola Treasury of Saints.

A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide

Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide

by Icy Smith, Sopaul Nhem

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Book Description
Nine-year-old Nat is forced out of his Cambodian home and marched into the countryside when the Khmer Rouge comes into power. Nat is separated from his family and endures forced labor in rice fields from dawn to midnight with little food. Over the next four years, Nat confronts starvation, fear, and brutality. With the help of his friend Malis, Nat finds hope and the strength to escape, eventually reuniting with the family he loves. Half Spoon of Rice is based on true stories of courage, friendship, survival, and the triumph of the human spirit. The book features vivid illustrations and historical photographs documenting the Cambodian genocide from 1975 to 1979.

About the Author
Icy Smith is the award-winning author of The Lonely Queue: The forgotten history of the courageous Chinese Americans in Los Angeles and Mei Ling in China City. The Lonely Queue received the Clarion Award for best nonfiction book in 2002. Mei Ling in China City received the 2009 Chinese American Librarian Association Best Children s Book Award, 2008 Moonbeam Children s Book Award and the Independent Publisher Book Award in the Multicultural Fiction.

Childhood and Children in Early Christianity

Let the Little Children Come to Me: Childhood and Children in Early Christianity

by Cornelia B. Horn, John W. Martens

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Book Description
"With careful examination of the available evidence, the authors painstakingly sift through what can be known about children in early Christianity, and in doing so they offer new evaluations of old conclusions and significantly advance our understanding of this important topic for the social history of early Christianity." -- Carolyn Osiek, Charles Fischer Professor of New Testament, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University

"This volume provides a wealth of detail about childhood, family structure, becoming an adult, and marriage in antiquity as well as renunciation of family ties in Christian asceticism. The authors pay careful attention to the impact of gender, class, and slave or free status on children's lives, and incorporate such unusual topics as toys, games, pets, and music. They argue that children from the beginning were welcome participants in all facets of Christian communal life. Clearly written and well-documented, this book is a valuable resource for students at all levels."

About the Author
Cornelia B. Horn, assistant professor of Early Christianity at Saint Louis University, is the author of Asceticism and Christological Controversy in Fifth-Century Palestine. John W. Martens is associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and Director of the M.A. in Theology Program at Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He is the author of One God, One Law: Philo of Alexandria on the Mosaic and Greco-Roman Law.

What's So Funny?: Making Sense of Humor

What's So Funny?: Making Sense of Humor

by Donna M. Jackson, Ted Stearn

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Book Review
"Toss this life raft to a reluctant reader facing a nonfiction book report and make yourself a hero." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Don't let the colorful, humorous cover and size of this title fool you, for it is chock full of pertinent information . . . " -- Ingram Library Services

"Researchers and budding comedians will find plenty of useful material." - -School Library Journal

"Donna's lighthearted survey injects plenty of levity into the topic of what makes us laugh . . . This book will prove valuable for readers from youth to adult. " -- Jeffrey Briar, director, The Laughter Yoga Institute

About the Author
Donna M. Jackson is an award-winning author of many nonfiction books for young readers, including The Bone Detectives, Bug Scientists, and Wildlife Detectives, all honored by the NSTA/CBC's Outstanding Science Trade book for Children award. She lives and laughs with her husband, Charlie, and their family in Colorado.

Child of the Civil Rights Movement

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2009:
“Civil rights can be a difficult topic, even for adults, so finding simple language to explain the complexity of injustice and oppression to children is challenging. Shelton, daughter of Andrew Young, accepts the challenge and rises to meet it...Essential.”

Child of the Civil Rights Movement

by Paula Young Shelton, Raul Colon

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Book Description
Paula Young Shelton, daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, brings a child’s unique perspective to an important chapter in America’s history. Paula grew up in the deep south, in a world where whites had and blacks did not. With an activist father and a community of leaders surrounding her, including Uncle Martin (Martin Luther King), Paula watched and listened to the struggles, eventually joining with her family and thousands of others in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

Poignant, moving, and hopeful, this is an intimate look at the birth of the Civil Rights Movement.

About the Author
Paula Young Shelton is the daughter of civil rights leader and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young. She is a teacher in Washington, D.C., and a member of the National Black Child Development Institute. Her husband, Hilary O. Shelton, is the director of the NAACP Washington Bureau.

Raul Colón is the acclaimed illustrator of numerous children’s books.

Big Nate on a Roll

Big Nate on a Roll

by Lincoln Peirce

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Book Description
Big Nate is on a roll!

Nate’s a big deal in his scout troop . . . until Artur—aka Mr. Perfect—joins up. Now Nate’s stuck in second place. And Artur means business.

Will Nate take the grand prize? Or wipe out, big time?

About the Author
Lincoln Peirce is a cartoonist-writer and the creator of the comic strip Big Nate, which appears in 200 U.S. newspapers. He lives with his family in Portland, Maine.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography

by William Anderson

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Book Description
From her pioneer days on the prairie to her golden years with her husband, Almanzo, and their daughter, Rose, Laura Ingalls Wilder has become a friend to all who have read about her adventures. This behind-the-scenes account chronicles the real events in Laura's life that inspired her to write her stories and also describes her life after the last Little House book ends.

About the Author

William Anderson is an award-winning historian and author whose interest in the “Little House” books began in elementary school. Much of his research for this book was conducted on-site at the locales of the Ingalls and Wilder homes. He has been active in the preservation and operation of the Wilder sites in De Smet, South Dakota, and Mansfield, Missouri, and edits the newsletter, Laura Ingalls Wilder Lore.

Among Mr. Anderson’s other writings about the people and places of the “Little House” books are LAURA INGALLS WILDER COUNTRY, A LITTLE HOUSE SAMPLER, PRAIRIE GIRL, and LAURA’S ALBUM.

Eight Keys

Eight Keys

by Suzanne LaFleur

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Book Description
Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the bar . . .

About the Author
SUZANNE LAFLEUR received her MFA in writing for children from The New School. This is her second novel.

How to Survive Middle School

How to Survive Middle School

by Donna Gephart

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Book Description
Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart. But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School. With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6½ Lists, David spends his free time making Talk Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. But before he can get famous, he has to figure out a way to deal with:

6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!) 5. His best friend gone girl-crazy 4. A runaway mom who has no phone! 3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday 2. A terrifying cousin 1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother) 1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart?

When David and his best friend have a fight, David is lucky enough to make a pretty cool new friend, Sophie, who just (gulp) happens to be a girl. Sophie thinks David’s videos are hilarious, and she starts sending out the links to everyone she knows. Sophie’s friends tell their friends, and before David knows it, thousands of people are viewing his videos–including some of the last people he would have expected.

About the Author
Donna Gephart is the author of As if Being 12 3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President, which recently won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. She lives in Jupiter, Florida, with her family.

World Mythology

World Mythology

by Donna Rosenberg

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Book Description
This volume offers 59 of the world's great myths including selections from The Iliad and the Odyssey, Beowulf, King Arthur and Quetzalcoatl. Each myth is accompanied by an introduction that offers historical background and suggests avenues for literary analysis.

Put Bullfinch aside and hide Hamilton...Donna Rosenberg's "World Mythology" tells it all in captivating storytelling to bring myths from all over the world alive. This is the ideal textbook for a survey of mythology course in high school and college. Creation myths of a broad range of cultures convey the remarkable links to mankind's beginnings, while great epics reveal the heroes and dreams of diverse worlds.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide.

The Summer I Learned to Fly

The Summer I Learned to Fly

by Dana Reinhardt

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Book Description
Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane. Who he is, why he's there, where the cut on his cheek came from, and his bottomless knowledge of rats are all mysteries Drew will untangle as they are drawn closer together, and Drew enters into the first true friendship, and adventure, of her life.

About the Author
DANA REINHARDT is the author of A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, Harmless, How to Build a House, and The Things a Brother Knows. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two daughters.

God Can't Sleep

God Can't Sleep: Waiting for Daylight On Life's Dark Nights

by Palmer Chinchen

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Book Description
In this follow-up to his acclaimed debut, True Religion, Palmer Chinchen helps believers develop a God-centered response to suffering.

As Christians, we often act as if the right beliefs and behavior will allow us to avoid the darkness of pain. Yet everyone is touched by loneliness, heartbreak, and losing loved ones. And when pain happens, it can seem as if God is asleep, indifferent to our struggles.

In God Can’t Sleep, Chinchen tackles challenging questions: Where is God when life hurts? How long will I stay in darkness? When the world is so full of bad people, why do I have to suffer? Readers will be encouraged to embrace a Savior who is always awake, and inspire them to carry His light to a hurting world.

About the Author
Palmer Chinchen is an engaging communicator who speaks with unique authority on the need for a Christian response to affliction and injustice. Drawing on his years of experience in Africa, he pulls the listener into the fabric of his message and creates a new passion in Christ-followers for responding to a hurting world. He is pastor of The Grove in Chandler, Arizona; he holds a PhD from Trinity International University in Illinois and a MA from Biola University.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising

by Pam Munoz Ryan

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Book Description
Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.

About the Author
Born and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley, Pam Muñoz Ryan comes from a background that is an ethnic mix of Spanish, Mexican, Basque, Italian, and Oklahoman. She has written books about Mexican migrant workers, the American Wild West, daring women, historic concerts, and mice and beans. "That's part of the enchantment of writing and creating characters - the variety," Ryan says. "I enjoy that there are many diverse parts to my job." Ryan is the author of more than 25 books for young readers, including the multi-award-winning Esperanza Rising, which has sold more than two million copies. When she's not traveling in the U.S. and abroad to promote her work, Ryan lives in north San Diego County near the Pacific Ocean with her husband. Her four grown children frequently come and go, and her two dogs, Buddy and Sammie, keep her company while she works. For more information about Pam Muñoz Ryan.

The Name Jar

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi

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Book Description
Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it -- Yoon-Hey.

About the Author
Yangsook Choi grew up in Seoul, Korea. She has written and illustrated several books for young readers, including The Sun Girl and the Moon Boy and Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong by Frances Park and Ginger Park. The first book she illustrated, Nim and the War Effort by Milly Lee, was an ALA Notable Book and an IRA–CBC Children’s Book Award Winner.

Marcelo In The Real World

Marcelo In The Real World

by Francisco X. Stork

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Book Description
The paperback edition of one of the most acclaimed novels of the year -- a love story & legal drama that received five starred reviews and multiple honors.

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world."

There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

About the Author
Francisco X. Stork was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to the United States when he was nine. He studied Latin American literature at Harvard before completing a law degree at Columbia University. Publishers Weekly praised his first novel, The Way of the Jaguar, as “a splendidly intense debut.” His second book, Behind the Eyes, was selected as both a Commended title for the Americas Award and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.

Francisco works as an attorney for an affordable-housing agency in Massachusetts. He lives near Boston with his wife.

Eighth-Grade Superzero

Eighth-Grade Superzero

by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

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Book Description
In this terrific debut, a Brooklyn middle-schooler finds the superhero within himself thanks to old friends, new dreams, and a pair of magical "Dora the Explorer" sneakers.

Ever since a deeply unfortunate incident earlier this year, Reggie's been known as "Pukey" McKnight at his high-intensity Brooklyn middle school. He wants to turn his image around, but he has other things on his mind as well: his father, who's out of a job; his best friends, Ruthie and Joe C.; his former best friend Donovan, who's now become a jerk; and of course, the beautiful Mialonie. The elections for school president are coming up, but with his notorious nickname and "nothing" social status, Reggie wouldn't stand a chance, if he even had the courage to run.

Then Reggie gets involved with a local homeless shelter, the Olive Branch. Haunted by two of the clients there, George, a once-proud man now living on the streets, and Charlie, a six-year-old kid who becomes his official "Little Buddy", he begins to think about making a difference, both in the world and at school. Pukey for President? It can happen . . . if he starts believing.

Review
Rhuday-Perkovich delivers a masterful debut, telling a layered middle-school tale filled with characters who are delightfully flawed and, more importantly, striving to overcome those flaws. Reggie McKnight has been saddled with the nickname "Pukey" thanks to a disastrous incident on the first day of school. Attempting to get through the rest of the year unnoticed, he spends his time with his best friends, political activist Ruthie (who shares Reggie's Jamaican background) and aspiring rapper Joe C. While working on a project at a homeless shelter with his church's youth group, he becomes increasingly interested and involved in the community, leading to his participation in his school's presidential race, first as an adviser to a classmate, eventually as a candidate. Rhuday-Perkovich doesn't take shortcuts, forcing Reggie to deal with a world in which he doesn't always get the answers or successes he wants, and the book shines as a result. Messages of social justice -- whether through church projects, parental discussions, or recognition of racial biases among his friends -- complement the story and characters, rather than upstage them. Ages 10–14. (Jan.)

About the Author
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich grew up in the United States, Nigeria, and Kenya, and studied writing with Paula Danziger and Madeline L'Engle. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis & Clark Expedition

Sacajawea: The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

by Joseph Bruchac

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Book Description
Captured by her enemies, married to a foreigner, and a mother at age sixteen, Sacajawea lived a life of turmoil and change. Then in 1804, the mysterious young Shoshone woman known as Bird Woman met Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Acting as interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, Sacajawea bravely embarked on an epic journey that altered history forever. Hear her extraordinary story, told by Sacajawea and by William Clark, in alternating chapters and including parts of Clark's original diaries.

• Authentic telling by an American Book Award winner and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Writers Circle of The Americas
• Includes a black-and-white map showing Lewis and Clark's trail
• Told in the compelling voices of Sacajawea and William Clark in alternating chapters for two unique viewpoints
• Sacajawea will be commemorated in the year 2000 with a U.S. Treasury dollar coin bearing her likeness

Review
Grade 6 Up-This intelligent, elegantly written novel weaves Sacajawea's recollections of the Lewis and Clark expedition with those of William Clark, the American captain who developed a deeply spiritual bond with her and became a surrogate uncle to her son. Beyond recounting the thrills and hardships of the legendary two-year mission, the alternating first-person narratives show the respect that develops between the young "Bird Woman" and the Corps of Discovery. Sacajawea begins her chapters with excerpts from Native American folktale, providing insight into her religious and cultural upbringing and its impact on her interpretation of events. Clark begins his with entries mostly from his journal, underscoring his keen awareness of the importance of the expedition and his desire to record even its most mundane details. Balancing the eyewitness accounts of these two people is not just a clever literary device. Clark's account is crucial to supplying information about Sacajawea that she herself cannot provide. Her narrative is devoid of self-praise and self-promotion; they would be unnatural impulses for a Shoshone female. So Bruchac uses Clark to chronicle Sacajawea's extraordinary bravery and endurance, and his voice repeats what she cannot even attempt to mention: that the mission would have been a certain failure without her. This is an engaging book to share with young adults, who will find it all the more fascinating to learn that Sacajawea was a teenager when she made history with Lewis and Clark.

About the Author
JOSEPH BRUCHAC is a poet, storyteller, and author of more than sixty books for children and adults who has received many literary honors, including the American Book Award and the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award. He is of Abenaki and Slovak heritage, and lives in Greenfield Center, New York.

Bamboo People

Bamboo People

by Mitali Perkins

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Book Description
Gr 7-10. With authenticity, insight, and compassion, Perkins delivers another culturally rich coming-of-age novel. Two teens on opposing sides of ethnic conflict in modern-day Burma (Myanmar) tell an intertwined story that poignantly reveals the fear, violence, prejudice, and hardships they both experience. Chiko, a quiet, studious student whose medical doctor father has been arrested as a traitor, is seized by the government and forced into military training. Chiko is groomed for guerrilla warfare against the Karenni, a Burmese minority group living in villages and refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. After he and his patrol stumble into land mines, Tu Reh, an angry Karenni and rebel fighter, must decide whether or not to save him. Tu Reh's home was destroyed by Burmese soldiers, and he struggles with his conscience and his desire for revenge and independence. Both Chiko and Tu Reh are caught in a conflict that neither fully understands. Family, friendships, and loyalty have shaped their lives. But as young soldiers, they face harrowing situations, profound suffering, and life-and-death decisions. Both boys learn the meaning of courage. Chiko and Tu Reh are dynamic narrators whose adolescent angst and perspectives permeate the trauma of their daily lives. Dialogue and descriptions are vibrant; characters are memorable; cultural characteristics are smoothly incorporated; and the story is well paced. Perkins has infused her narrative with universal themes that will inspire readers to ponder humanitarian issues, reasons for ethnic conflict, and the effects of war. The author's notes provide helpful background information on Burmese history and the ongoing military regime's repression of minorities.

About the Author
Mitali Perkins (mitaliperkins.com) was born in Kolkata, India and immigrated at age seven to the United States with her family. Her award-winning books for young readers include Monsoon Summer, Rickshaw Girl, Secret Keeper, and the First Daughter books. Mitali speaks frequently about the transforming power of stories as well as growing up between cultures. She lives in Newton, Massachusetts with her husband, sons, and Labrador retrievers, blogs (mitaliblog.com), and stays in touch via twitter (twitter.com/mitaliperkins).

Readers' Advisory for Children & Tweens

Readers' Advisory for Children and Tweens

by Penny Peck

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Book Description
Finding children and Ôtweens great books to read is still a key library service, even in the age of computers. Readers' Advisory for Children and 'Tweens is an easy-to-use, practical guide that will help any library staff member become more comfortable offering this service and more adept at producing satisfying results.

Beginning with basic advice on the readers' advisory interview, the book details how to find books for different age groups, including young children and their parents, emergent readers, transitional readers, and adept readers. It explores genre fiction for Ôtweens, nonfiction, poetry and folklore, and graphic novels, and it offers techniques on promoting books and reading. Potentially sensitive issues such as book challenges, assisting English language learners, serving children from various cultures, working with teachers, and helping reluctant readers are addressed, as well. The advice is augmented with handy booklists and descriptions of dozens of websites that aid in youth readers' advisory.

Review
"There are plenty of books on readers' advisory for adults….Now comes Readers' Advisory for Children and 'Tweens. Service to this group requires special skills, author Penny Peck asserts. She describes some of the issues, including censorship challenges, before exploring the ins and outs of RA for different age groups and in different categories, including genre fiction, nonfiction, folklore, poetry, and graphic novels. The numerous book lists are especially helpful."