Publications about books for children and young adults
Boy21 by Matthew Quick High School Little, Brown 252 pp. 3/12 978-0-316-12797-4 $17.99 When Russ moves to decrepit, race-torn, Irish-mob-ruled Bellmont after his parents’ brutal murder, the school’s basketball coach (a family friend) turns to team leader Finley to help him acclimate, but also to convince former-phenom Russ to play ball again; since the tragedy [...]
From the May/June 2012 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Jennifer Brabander asks The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub author Susan Katz about writing presidential poetry. Read the full review of The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub here. Jennifer Brabander: Which president was the hardest to write a poem about? Susan Katz: James Monroe. The [...]
The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems about the Presidents by Susan Katz; illus. by Robert Neubecker Primary, Intermediate Clarion 64 pp. 2/12 978-0-547-18221-6 $17.99 In forty-three poems, Katz gives each of our U.S. presidents their due. She concentrates on little-known facts (William McKinley taught his parrot “Yankee Doodle”) but often slips in sly political [...]
From the May/June 2012 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Cynthia Ritter asks A Bus Called Heaven author/illustrator Bob Graham about the idea behind his new picture book. Read the full review of A Bus Called Heaven here. Cynthia Ritter: Was your inspiration for the book a real bus? Bob Graham: I did see such [...]
A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix Middle School, High School Harper/HarperCollins 337 pp. 5/12 978-0-06-009694-6 $17.99 Library ed. 978-0-06-009695-3 $18.89 g Nix’s gaming-inspired, sci-fi fantasy is a pleasing mix of high-adventure space drama, total bunkum (e.g., “it’s functioning on the tertiary backup level, without a holo…”), and wry, boyish charm. Khemri’s coming-of-age story begins [...]
Animal Masquerade by Marianne Dubuc; trans. from the French by Yvette Ghione; illus. by the author Preschool, Primary Kids Can 120 pp. 3/12 978-1-55453-782-2 $16.95 For kids who never tire of driving one joke into the ground, this is the perfect book—and for their adults, there are enough surprises to make that one joke tolerable [...]
Summer in the City by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel; illus. by Marie-Louise Gay Intermediate Groundwood 151 pp. 4/12 978-1-55498-177-9 $15.95 g e-book ed. 978-1-55498-200-4 $15.95 Sixth grade is almost over, summer’s approaching, and Charlie’s parents haven’t revealed the family’s summer plans yet. What great adventure is in store? In the past, they’ve been caught [...]
