MONSTER RETURNS By: Peter McCarty

MONSTER RETURNS  By: Peter McCarty
This sequel to Jeremy Draws a monster, is delightful. Jeremy gets an unexpected call to draw a telescope and look out his window. There is his monster wanting to come home. Jeremy calls all of his friends and has them each draw a monster. When his monster shows up they all call out surprise! Now Jeremy's Monster has friends too! Delightful. Ages 3-6  Henry Holt $16.99

BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE By: Eugene Yelchin

BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE  By: Eugene Yelchin
Sasha is looking forward to becoming a Young Pioneer. It is eqivelent of being a young communist with loyalty to Stalin. His father is supposed to come to school and present the award. But the night before he is arrested and sent to prison for treason. Sasha doesn't know what to do, he is kicked out of his apartment and goes to an Aunt's house where he is turned away. This book gives you insight as to what it was like for millions of people under the rule of Stalin. A book to be read together as a family as the content is something that needs to be discussed, a topic we don't usually come across.
This was a Newbery honor book this year. Ages 9-12  Henry Holt

I BROKE MY TRUNK By: Mo Willems

I BROKE MY TRUNK  By: Mo Willems
This is an Elephant and Piggie book. It is an easy reader that won and honor book for the Theodore Geisel award. If you have any reluctant readers in your midst get these books. There are many Elephant and Piggie books.
In this book Elephant has a broken trunk and comes to tell Piggie all about it. He has balanced a hippo, a rhino, hippo's sister and her piano on his trunk, but that isn't how he broke it. You won't believe how he broke his trunk. But you really don't expect me to tell you, do you? Check it out. $8.99 Hyperion

TALES FOR VERY PICKY EATERS By: Josh Schneider

TALES FOR VERY PICKY EATERS  By: Josh Schneider
This book is the recipient of the Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) award. It is the award for best book for young readers.
It truly is one of the funniest chapter books I have read lately. The first chapter "Tale of the Disgusting Broccoli". When James says to his father "It's disgusting" his father offers him alternatives. From eating fine dirt, to gum that has been chewed one thousand times. Of course he decides to eat the broccoli. All the chapters are similar in nature and I too have a very picky grandson. He loved the book, but it didn't convince him to eat the broccoli. $14.99 Clarion Books

REBEL MCKENZIE By: Candice Ransom

REBEL MCKENZIE  By: Candice Ransom
Rebel is determined to become a paleontologist, and she knows just how to begin. She is going to convince her parents to send her to the Ice Age Kids' Dig and Safari camp. But little does she know that her older sister needs her to babysit her nephew while she goes to beauty school. That means going to her sisters mobile home and living without air conditioning and other creature comforts.
Then to top it off they have a cat that came with the mobile home, it even uses the toilet! Add Bambi Lovering and a beauty contest, and you get an uproariously funny book. A great read with lots of humor.
Ages 9-12 $16.99  Disney Hyperion  Coming in June, 2012.

INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN By: Thanhha Lai

INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN  By: Thanhha Lai
This remarkable book just won a Newbery honor. It is the story of a young girl Ha and her family who have to flee Vietnam because of the bombing. It is their courage to leave a life that will change them forever. Ha's father is still missing after nine years. She only remembers him from pictures for she was a year old when he never came back from the war. The family heads for America and is sponsored by a family in Alabama. But people aren't as kind as you would hope. Ha has to start a new school, not even able to understand the customs or the language. Add to that the taunting of the other children and you really get to know what it felt like in 1975.  I have read the book twice and each time I find something more remarkable. It is told in prose and is beautifully written. $15.99 Harper

VISION By: Jen Nadol

VISION By: Jen Nadol
Cassie knows that when she sees "the mark" someone is going to die. She also knows that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But saving one means condemning another and Cassie is having a hard time coming to terms with her new power. Wit no family to guide her, Cassie sets off to find others like her. When she meets Zander, a boy who seems to know everything about her, Cassie can't help but feel drawn to him. But dating Zander is becoming more than Cassie can handle, forcing her to choose between who she is and what she believes is right. Ages 14 and up. Bloomsbury $16.99 Reviewed by Maggie age 16.