Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity was among the best of last year’s young adult fiction, and this audio version does it justice. Here is the intimate story of two young women — unlikely best friends — in WWII: one is a British spy in a Nazi prison; the other is a pilot. One has a chance; the other is doomed. But which is which? Wein’s intricately plotted thriller receives a fine audio treatment, one that heightens the book’s considerable emotion and suspense. The contrast between the refined aristocratic accents of one of the women and the working-class accents of the other, through the use of two different narrators, Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell, helps listeners follow the book’s intricate (but ultimately oh-so-rewarding) plot. (Bolinda Audio/Brilliance Audio, 14–17 years)

In another thriller, Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate’s futuristic sci-fi Eve & Adam, two genetically modified teens come together to fight the growing amorality of the biotech firm their parents founded years ago. Chapters alternate between the perspectives of Evening, daughter of the powerful and feared mogul Terra Spiker, and Solo, an orphan living at Spiker Biotech. Narrators Jenna Lamia and Holter Graham respectively read these parts, with Graham also taking on the role of Adam, Eve’s “perfect man,” whom she creates believing that her genetic engineering is only a computer simulation. The narrators handle all the intrigue, action, and philosophical issues raised as the teens take on the evil scientists and reshape a love triangle into a square. (Macmillan Audio, 14–17 years)

Sarah Drew excels in her narration of Pandemonium, the second book in Lauren Oliver’s dystopian trilogy, set in a society where love is a (surgically) preventable disease and those infected are exiled, imprisoned, or worse. Pandemonium opens where the first book, Delirium, left off, in the days immediately following Lena’s escape into the Wilds; the narrative then shifts back and forth between this early period and a present-day that sees her joining the Resistance in New York. Spoken chapter headers differentiate each shift in time and help immensely with listeners’ comprehension. Lena’s narrative crackles with passion and urgency, perfectly befitting a protagonist who realizes early on that if she wants to be a lover, she’ll have to be a fighter, too. (Listening Library, 14–17 years)

Garth Nix’s sci-fi coming-of-age adventure A Confusion of Princes balances highly inventive world-building with a true understanding of the adolescent male mindset. Khemri, raised as a Prince of the Empire, has a rude awakening when he realizes that in order to become Emperor he must enter a brutal and perilous contest with a host of other equally overconfident and entitled Princes. Then he realizes that if he wins the contest, he must sacrifice his humanity. Narrator Michael Goldstrom imbues Khemri with just the right combination of hubris, heart, and naiveté as he survives the treacherous attacks of other Princes, fights off pirates, engages in space battles, falls in love, and ultimately outwits the Empire. Cinematic, action-packed, and quite profound, A Confusion of Princes is a movie waiting to happen, but until then, this well-produced audio version will keep listeners engaged until the final, surprising twist. (Listening Library, 14–17 years)

From the May 2013 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.

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Is there a bigger baseball fan in the children’s book world than Matt Tavares? His sixth title on the sport, Becoming Babe Ruth, shines a light on George Herman “Babe” Ruth’s charitable side. At the turn of the twentieth century, young George’s delinquent ways land him at Saint Mary’s, a local industrial boarding school. There he meets Brother Matthias, whose majestic home runs in the schoolyard enthrall the boy. Years later when a fire destroys the school, Ruth shows that he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Tavares’s mixed-media illustrations expertly convey the Babe’s charm. (Candlewick, 4–7 years)

In 1936, two baseball players had something to prove. Was twenty-one-year-old Joe DiMaggio ready for the Major Leagues? Should Satchel Paige, pitching great in the Negro Leagues, be playing in the Majors? Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio by Robert Skead explores the game, between the Dick Bartell’s All Stars and the Satchel Paige All-Stars teams, that tested the men’s mettle. Skead portrays the larger issue of race and justice in America while superbly developing the game’s tension inning by inning. Floyd Cooper’s brown-toned illustrations nicely evoke the dreamy reminiscences of baseball legend. (Carolrhoda, 4–7 years)

Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy begins with one James Naismith taking over an unruly gym class. He needs a game where “accuracy was more valuable than force,” and so basketball was concocted. Coy’s spare, precise language reflects the sport’s welcome order as well as its athletic appeal. Joe Morse’s kinetic paintings, at once dynamic and controlled, capture basketball’s combination of power and finesse. (Carolrhoda, 4–7 years)

In the 1930s, when airplanes were still new, young Betty Skelton played with toy planes when other girls played with dolls. Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton details the life of the “First Lady of Firsts.” She was a record-breaking aerobatic pilot and auto racer; the first female boat jumper; and she even trained with the Mercury 7 astronauts. Author-illustrator Meghan McCarthy’s signature pictures, featuring bug-eyed characters and a vivid palette, accompany her soaring tale of a little girl with big dreams. (Wiseman/Simon, 4–7 years)

From the May 2013 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.

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Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes is the story of a spirited ten-year-old African American girl who works on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation (and hates her namesake). Sugar’s mother died two years ago, and families are leaving the Reconstruction south for a better life up north; except for her secret friendship with plantation owner’s son Billy, she feels increasingly alone. When a group of Chinese sugarcane workers arrives, it’s outgoing Sugar who reaches out and unites two very different communities. Rhodes brings Sugar’s experiences — and the Mississippi River setting — vividly to life with spare, evocative language. (Little, Brown, 8–12 years)

In Kirkpatrick Hill’s Bo at Ballard Creek, we meet a little girl who lives with her papas (yes, that’s plural) in an almost-worked-out gold-rush town in 1920s Alaska. Papa Jack and Papa Arvid explain to Bo that her mother was a “good-time girl” who unceremoniously dropped baby Bo into Arvid’s arms and left town. Reminiscent of Little House in the Big Woods, this cheerful episodic story follows Bo through the course of a year. The simple pen-and-ink drawings further the Wilder resemblance, but LeUyen Pham’s are more sophisticated, befitting the era and situations. (Holt, 8–12 years)

Devoted readers anxious to know what happened to Montana homesteader Hattie after Newbery Honor–winning Hattie Big Sky get their wish in Kirby Larson’s big-city sequel, Hattie Ever After. Hattie follows a traveling vaudeville troupe to San Francisco to pursue her dream of becoming a reporter. Larson’s excellent research makes the early twentieth century come alive: Hattie experiences an earthquake, flies in an airplane, and interviews President Woodrow Wilson. Fans will be gratified by the protagonist’s transformation from a “country mouse” into a confident, independent young woman. (Delacorte, 10–14 years)

In One Came Home by Amy Timberlake, thirteen-year-old Georgie Burkhardt is content with her life in Placid, Wisconsin. When older sister Agatha is found dead (but unrecognizable) at the side of the road, Georgie is certain that there has been a mistake. With her sister’s unwelcome suitor Billy McCabe, Georgie sets off to find her sister, or, at least, to find out how she died. The adversarial relationship between Georgie and Billy provides superb comic relief in this gripping, gritty 1870s–set story. (Knopf, 10–14 years)

From the May 2013 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.

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In David Martin’s Peep and Ducky, two bird pals meet in the park for an idyllic play date. Peep and Ducky romp in a mud puddle, have snacks, take a pee break (side by side on their port-a-potties), fight over a bucket until it breaks, apologize, and dig in the sand. The simple and repetitive rhyming text is great fun to read aloud; the springlike pastel colors of David Walker’s illustrations fill in the chubby figures with a comfortable solidity. (Candlewick, 1–4 years)

Young Phoebe scores a toy truck (yay!) at the same time she acquires a baby sister (boo!) in Tricia Springstubb’s Phoebe and Digger. When her harried mother finally takes Phoebe and the (not-always-adorable) little baby to the park, Phoebe and Digger have a blast. A scaredy-cat “crybaby boy” lands her in time-out, and, later, a bully snatches Digger up, but in the end Phoebe learns that, in a family, it doesn’t have to be every girl for herself. Jeff Newman’s mixed-media illustrations play up the tale’s small moments and big emotions. (Candlewick, 3–6 years)

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle is Chris Raschka’s straightforward account of one young girl’s perseverance and triumph over her two-wheeled vehicle. A grandfatherly figure’s encouragement makes up the second-person text (“And now you’ll never forget how”). Raschka’s loose watercolor images bespeak protection, urging, assistance, and commiseration (after a fall). While the title’s “everyone” may be a bit of an exaggeration, it reflects this book’s infectious optimism. (Schwartz & Wade/Random, 3–6 years)

From spring planting to winterization, George Ancona’s full-color photographs in It’s Our Garden: From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden chronicle a year in the life of a garden at an elementary school in Santa Fe. Students are shown composting soil, watering plants, raising butterflies, and sampling the edible delights. Ancona’s no-nonsense prose style is perfectly suited for newly independent readers. (Candlewick, 5–8 years)

From the May 2013 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.

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Middle grade fiction saved Jeanne Birdsall’s life. Here’s how Birdsall’s Penderwicks books helped save two of her fans.

The first time we listened to The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, we were fleeing Hurricane Irene. Traffic was backed up on the road out of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and I was running out of ways to entertain my five-year-old daughter. I had checked out the audiobook to reacquaint myself with the Penderwicks before reading the next book in the series for our statewide mock Newbery program, and I suspected the writing might be a bit advanced for Ella, but I thought I’d give it a shot. There was always the youngest Penderwick, four-year-old Batty, to keep her interested.

When we arrived at our friends’ house four hours later, Ella wanted to head directly to the guest room and finish listening to the book right then. Odd, I thought, but I went along with it. Two days later, on the drive home, she wanted to hear it again. And then again the next day. And the next. Soon she wanted to hear the other two Penderwick audiobooks. It wasn’t long before we were listening to all three volumes in rotation, everywhere we went, at all times of day and night. Our dial was permanently set on Radio Penderwick. Rosalind, Skye, Jane, Batty, and Hound were our non-corporeal companions as we ate silent dinners à deux.

For the first few weeks it was funny, but I thought it was a phase that would pass in its own time. After another month, it was definitely strange. Three months in, I thought I would go batty myself if I had to hear the saga of the Penderwicks one more time. Ella’s devotion to the books showed no sign of abating, though, and gradually my resistance wore away. After six months, I had to admit that I was as attached to them as she was.

If there had been another adult in the house at the time, the level of Penderwickitude might have been curbed, but there wasn’t. Ella’s father and I were in the middle of a divorce, and we were sharing custody of our child. During my custodial weeks, our little household consisted of only Ella, myself, and our fat orange cat. It made for a stark contrast to the boisterous Penderwick house, with its merrily squabbling sisters and scores of family friends. I think that rosy ideal of family togetherness is part of what attracted Ella and me to the books, but it’s not what kept us listening.

There is, after all, an aching absence at the center of the Penderwick family. The girls’ beloved mother died of cancer four years before the events of the first book. The spirit of the late Elizabeth Penderwick overlays everything in Jeanne Birdsall’s fictional world. It lends depth to the family’s joys and keeps them from ringing false to the reader. This is a family that loves fiercely — that clings tightly to one another because they know firsthand the impermanence of life and love.

When I speak to adults about the importance of reading aloud, I always tell them that children are capable of comprehending spoken language at a far higher level than they are able to read on their own. That is, of course, why we should keep reading to our children long after they learn to read for themselves. After our year with the Penderwicks, however, I’m convinced that there’s another piece to the puzzle. I think children’s capacity to understand the emotional content of fiction is much more sophisticated than we often give them credit for. I think the Penderwicks were giving my daughter the tools she needed to work through the sadness at the heart of her own family.

It would be nice if bibliotherapy were an exact science. Book plus reader equals recovery and psychological health. Has your child lost a grandparent? Read dePaola’s Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. Dead pet? Here’s Viorst and Blegvad’s The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. In reality, the process is much messier. It’s not that books don’t have the power to heal the human heart. Of course they do. Few of us would be in this business if we didn’t think so. The process is more like medieval alchemy than modern chemistry, though, and none of us has the philosopher’s stone.

My daughter and I don’t listen to our Penderwicks as often these days. Our little family has adjusted to its new shape, and we’ve moved on to other titles. Young Fredle, by Cynthia Voigt, is a current favorite. When Ella goes to sleep, though, she still likes to do so in the company of our favorite Massachusetts family, and now and then we still dine al Penderwick. Even if we outgrow the books completely one day, though, we owe a permanent debt of gratitude to Jeanne Birdsall. Her words are the refiner’s fire that helped turn our leaden hearts to gold.

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Kitty Flynn, Lolly Robinson, and Martha Parravano discuss what works–and what doesn’t–in picture books for preschoolers.

From Dr. Robert Needlman explaining the difference between babies falling asleep and learning how to go to asleep, through Cambridge librarians Julie Roach and Beth McIntyre coaching us through selecting books for preschool story time to Anna Dewdney using photographs to demonstrate how to transform unpleasant expressions on family members faces into picture book gold, our Fostering Lifelong Learners event yesterday with Reach Out and Read and the Cambridge Public Library was a great success. The day was a little long but I learned a ton, and several attendees told us they got lots of good, practical ideas to use in their libraries and classrooms right away. We’ll be sharing some of the day with you next week, including Anna Dewdney’s inspirational speech, which she is graciously allowing us to publish on hbook.com. Julie Roach and I are already talking about what to do next year.

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Bernstein, Daryl Better than a Lemonade Stand!: Small Business Ideas for Kids
Gr. 4–6  190 pp. Simon & Schuster/Aladdin
Illustrated by Rob Husberg. New ed., 1992, Beyond Words. When Bernstein was fifteen, he wrote the first edition of this book based on his own experience as a young entrepreneur. Now, twenty years later, he’s updated the package to incorporate contemporary technology and cautions. Fifty-five business ideas are presented with suggestions and tips on supplies, pricing, advertising, and more. One-page profiles introduce actual “kid entrepreneurs” and their ventures. Websites.
Subjects: Occupations and Careers; Behavior—Responsibility; Entrepreneurship; Business; Moneymaking projects; Money

Concord, Juliet I Am Kind
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Erroll, Mark I Am Honest
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Goodman, Errol I Am Helpful
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Hoffman, Mary Ann I Am a Good Citizen
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Joseph, Kurt I Am Respectful
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

National, Walt I Am Responsible
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth
Kids of Character series. This leveled series makes somewhat abstract concepts accessible for early readers. All books follow the same structure: featured trait (kind, responsible, etc.) is first defined in general terms. Subsequent texts, accompanied by generic stock photos, highlight examples of that trait in practice in the neighborhood, at school, and at home, before the books end abruptly. They’re not exciting, but they could be useful. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Behavior—Kindness; Behavior—Honesty; Behavior—Helpfulness; Citizenship; Behavior—Respectfulness; Behavior—Responsibility

Doeden, Matt Conflict Resolution Smarts: How to Communicate, Negotiate, Compromise, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Budgeting Smarts: How to Set Goals, Save Money, Spend Wisely, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Job Smarts: How to Find Work or Start a Business, Manage Earnings, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Scheduling Smarts: How to Get Organized, Prioritize, Manage Your Time, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Markovics, Joyce Relationship Smarts: How to Navigate Dating, Friendships, Family Relationships, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Scheff, Anna Shopping Smarts: How to Choose Wisely, Find Bargains, Spot Swindles, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century
USA Today Teen Wise Guides: Time, Money, and Relationships series. Photographs, sidebars, and articles from USA Today combine with a conversational text to present a sound discussion of the featured subjects. Each title provides an appropriate amount of information on issues that are relevant to adolescents navigating the complexities of family, friends, first jobs, and money management. The corny posed photos are unfortunate, but they’ll do. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Communication; Finance, Personal; Economics; Savings and investment
Work; Entrepreneurship; Occupations and careers; Time; Adolescence; Friendship; Dating; Family; Money; Finance, Personal

Parker, Vic Helping Animals
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Parker, Vic Helping Family and Friends
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann
I Can Make a Difference series. Brief chapters cover the benefits of volunteering and different kinds of volunteerism, including adopting homeless pets, hanging up bird feeders, donating items to others in need, and recycling. The design is textbooklike, but volunteerism is presented as both important and diverting. Color photos of varying quality appear on every page. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Pets; Behavior—Helpfulness; Animals; Volunteerism; Friendship; Family

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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Hengel, Katherine Cool Carrots from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Carrots
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO

Hengel, Katherine Cool Green Beans from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Green Beans
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO

Hengel, Katherine Cool Leaf Lettuce from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Lettuce
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO
Checkerboard How-To Library: Cool Garden to Table series. Each book provides a brief description of the vegetable or herb; how to plant, grow, and harvest it; followed by lengthy picture lists of ingredients, cooking tools, and cooking terms. While not go-to gardening books, the six relevant recipes in each title (e.g., “Creamy Carrot Soup,” “Berry Good Vinaigrette Salad”) with easy-to-follow steps may help young readers accomplish their cookery goals. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Herbs; Cookery; Food; Fruits and vegetables—Carrots; Cookery

Heppermann, Christine City Chickens
Gr. 4–6  53 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
An endearing account of a home-based shelter for chickens in Minneapolis. Clear first-hand accounts of the shelter’s origins, why and how various chickens were rescued, and rescue-chicken caretaking will keep readers enthralled. Numerous captioned photographs of the shelter and its owners, charismatic rescued chickens, and some special chicken adopters underscore the love and dedication of this unique operation.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Minnesota; Animal shelters; Animals—Chickens; City and town life; Wildlife rescue

Malam, John Grow Your Own Butterfly Farm
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Malam, John Grow Your Own Cat Toy
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Malam, John Grow Your Own Sandwich
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann
Grow It Yourself series. In this DIY series for outdoorsy kids, minimal texts explain how to grow flowers, catnip, and tomatoes. Cat Toy and Sandwich end with step-by-step instructions for making the title products. Butterfly Farm is less focused, jumping from descriptions of butterflies to information on flowers to planning and care of a garden. Attractive close-up photos will engage readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Animals—Butterflies; Animals—Cats; Plants; Handicrafts; Fruits and vegetables—Tomatoes

Malnor, Carol L. and Hunner, Trina L. Molly’s Organic Farm
Gr K–3  32 pp. Dawn
Illustrated by Trina L. Hunner. In this picture book based on real events, when a stray cat appears at a community farm, she is welcomed by the farmers and makes herself at home among the plants. Molly the cat’s presence steers the text’s discussion of organic farming, with back matter adding more details about topics such as crop rotation, companion planting, and compost. The child-friendly illustrations, including photos of the real-life Molly, complement the approachable story.
Subjects: Picture Books; Gardens and gardening; Farms and farm life; Animals—Cats; Pets; Environment

Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Knopf
Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Alice and her family grow edible plants, raise chickens, and enjoy the wide variety of living things in their backyard ecosystem. Scientific information is included about such topics as composting, plant life cycles, food chains and food webs, and nutrition, with anthropomorphized chickens explaining the underlying facts. Changes during the garden growing season are attractively portrayed in Lamont’s cheery illustrations.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Life cycles; Plants; Food chains; Animals—Chickens

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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Birds

Fish
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Invertebrates
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Mammals of the Southern Hemisphere
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Reptiles and Amphibians
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear
Facts at Your Fingertips: Endangered Animals series. Each volume begins with background information about the title animal group, including consideration of the specific dangers faced by that type of animal. Profiles of various endangered species (classified by threat level) follow on double-page spreads with solid factual information (in very small type), accompanied by a field guide–like data summary, color photographs, illustrations, and habitat maps. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Pollution and Conservation; Animals—Birds; Environment—Endangered species; Environment—Conservation—Wildlife; Pollution and Conservation; Animals—Fish; Animals—Invertebrates; Animals—Mammals; Animals—Reptiles; Animals—Amphibians

Frydenborg, Kay Wild Horse Scientists
Gr. 4–6  80 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Scientists in the Field series. Researchers are attempting to control the horse population on Assateague Island by determining the sustainable number of horses and then developing a contraceptive vaccine that limits mares to a single foal per lifetime. The information — a combination of lab and field science details and personal observation — is accessible and engaging. Relevant and clear color photographs show both horses and scientists in situ. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Mammals; Animals—Horses; Environment—Conservation—Wildlife; Assateague Island National Seashore (MD and VA)

Hague, Bradley Alien Deep: Exploring the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean
Gr. 4–6  48 pp. National Geographic Books
The little-understood world of the deep ocean is explored in this examination of Earth’s hydrothermal vents. Color photos of underwater marvels and scientists at work supplement the authoritative text, which follows real-life research expeditions surveying these new terrains. An especially fascinating chapter presents links to the origins of life, and even to possible extraterrestrial life. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Natural History; Hydrothermal vents; Marine ecology; Oceanography; Oceans

Miller, Debbie S. Survival at 120 Above
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Walker
Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle. When sudden rain refreshes central Australia’s long-dry Simpson Desert, dormant seeds and estivating creatures emerge, absorb or lap up water, and sprout or reproduce in a new rush of life. Extreme conditions don’t deter the desert’s well-adapted creatures from survival in this difficult habitat. Double-page spreads of realistic wildlife paintings, bright-white superimposed text, and present-tense narration add immediacy. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Subjects: Natural History; Animals—Desert animals; Australia; Deserts

Yezerski, Thomas F. Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Farrar
Yezerski adroitly captures the sometimes adversarial, sometimes beneficial relationship between humans and the environment in this marvelous ecological history of the Meadowlands of New Jersey. Each main double-page-spread illustration is bordered by tiny images with a wealth of additional taxonomical information (and sly humor) about the diverse flora and fauna (and mobsters and sports enthusiasts) of northern New Jersey. Websites. Bib.
Subjects: Natural History; Environment—Conservation; Wetlands; New Jersey; Environment—Ecology

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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DeFries, Cheryl L. Leif Eriksson: Viking Explorer of the New World
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Feinstein, Stephen Captain Cook: Great Explorer of the Pacific
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Green, Carl R. Cortés: Conquering the Powerful Aztec Empire
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Napoli, Tony Vasco da Gama: Discovering the Sea Route to India
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Robinson, Kate Lewis and Clark: Exploring the American West
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Sonneborn, Liz Pizarro: Conqueror of the Mighty Incas
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow
Great Explorers of the World series. Examining the lives of well-known explorers, these biographies go beyond to offer information about the times in which the men lived; events leading up to and surrounding their travels; and the impact of their explorations on the world. The volumes are well illustrated with photos, archival art, and maps. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Biographies; Vikings; Ericson, Leif; Cook, James; Cortés, Hernando; Native Americans—North America—Aztec; Gama, Vasco da; History, American—Lewis and Clark expedition; History, American—Overland journeys to the Pacific; History, American—Frontier and pioneer life; Native Americans—South America—Incas; Pizarro, Francisco

Hopkinson, Deborah Keep On!: The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Peachtree
Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Alcorn’s illustrations, filled with swirls and stars and sunbursts, create an ethereal and almost mythical landscape in this biography of the African American explorer who, along with Robert E. Peary, became “the first to stand at the top of the world.” Hopkinson’s writing is crisp and fluid, with quotes from Henson lending additional veracity. Back matter discusses how racial prejudice obscured Henson’s achievement. Reading list, timeline, websites.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Henson, Matthew; North Pole; African Americans; Biographies; Arctic regions

Ross, Stewart Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air
Gr. 4–6  96 pp. Candlewick
Illustrated by Stephen Biesty. This remarkable book presents fourteen historical explorations, from Pytheas the Greek’s three-thousand-years-ago voyage to Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins’s moon shot, with the question “how did they do that?” as focus. Detailed cross sections, often displayed in foldout segments, diagram each mode of transportation; maps abound, also within foldout pages. The text diligently differentiates between fact and opinion. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Toy and movable books; Transportation; Vehicles

Serrano, Francisco La Malinche: The Princess Who Helped Cortés Conquer the Aztec Empire
Gr. 4–6  37 pp. Groundwood
Illustrated by Pablo Serrano. Reviewing the complicated reputation of La Malinche, the Nahuatl woman who provided Cortés with advice, translation, and eventually a child as he conquered the Aztecs, Serrano makes no judgments. He clearly lays out the facts (where known) of her life and the effects of her actions. Pen-and-gouache illustrations mimic the style of Aztec codices. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos.
Native Americans; Women—Native Americans; Mexico; Native Americans—North America—Aztec; Women—Biographies; Biographies; Exploration and explorers; Princes and princesses; Marina (Aztec princess)

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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