Birdsall, Jeanne. 2005. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four
Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. New York: Knopf.
ISBN: 0-375-83143-6, $15.95.
Reviews
•
Readers
Advisory
While vacationing with their father at a summer cottage in the
Berkshires, the four very different Penderwick sisters, along with
the son of the estate’s snooty owner, encounter numerous adventures.
Byars,
Betsy, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers. 2004. The SOS File.
Illustrated by Arthur Howard. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN:
0-8050-6888-0, $15.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Mr. Magro invites his students to write about the biggest
emergency in their lives. From riding in a go-cart out of control,
to being the last at-bat when you need a run to win, each essay
interprets “emergency” differently.
Coman, Carolyn. 2004. The Big House. Illustrated by Rob
Shepperson. Ashville, NC: Front Street. ISBN: 1-932425-09-8, $16.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
With their parents in prison for embezzlement, Ivy and her younger
brother, Ray, must live with the snobby heiress whose accusations
sent them “up the river.” Ivy and Ray discover secrets that prompt
them to case the joint, get the skinny on what’s really going on,
and make plans to spring their parents.
Cooper, Susan. 2005. The Magician’s Boy. Illustrated by Serena
Riglietti. New York: McElderry Books. ISBN: 0-689-87622-X, $14.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
When a magician’s apprentice loses the puppet of Saint George, his
master forces him to search for it in the Land of Story. The boy’s
quest through well-known nursery rhymes and folk tales, leads him to
face many challenges and narrowly escape with his life.
Fleischman, Sid. The Giant Rat of Sumatra or Pirates Galore.
New York: Greenwillow. Library Edition ISBN: 0-06-074239-9, $16.89;
Trade Edition ISBN: 0-06-074238-0, $15.99.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
“Shipwreck,”
a twelve-year-old cabin boy, narrates a swash-buckling adventure
containing an abundance of plot dualities, twists, and turns. His
breezy narrative takes readers into the waning days of Mexican rule
in California and a high-spirited romp of revenge, romance, and
rivalry.
Frank, John. 2004. The Toughest Cowboy. Illustrated by Zachary
Pullen. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-689-83461-6, $17.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Grizz Brickbottom and his gang of cattle rustlers need some
companionship and a little civilizing. The solution: Foofy the
miniature poodle who takes a bunch of rough, dirty cowboys and turn
them into good, clean businessmen.
Gottfried, Maya. 2005. Good Dog. Illustrated by Robert Rahway
Zakanitch. New York: Knopf. ISBN: 0-375-83049-9, $15.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
This picture book collection of free-verse poetry includes poems
written in the distinctive voices of various dog breeds. Full-page
painted portraits of the canines and smaller preliminary pencil
sketches accompany the verses.
Hayes, Joe. 2004. Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma. Illustrated by
Mona Pennypacker. El Paso: Cinco Puntos. ISBN: 0-938317-83-0, $14.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Set in the railroad town of Duston, Arizona, this dual language
story begins when Frank Padilla and his two daughters move into a
rundown house rumored to be haunted. There, fourteen-year-old Elena
learns the truth as she and her abuletia to try and solve an old,
supernatural mystery.
Hill, Elizabeth Starr. 2004. Wildfire! Illustrated by Rob
Shepperson. New York: Farrar. ISBN: 0-374-31712-7, $16.00.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Ben and newcomer Elliott don't hit it off when Elliott belittles
their Florida town. And the hostility escalates when Elliott adopts
the puppy Ben wants so badly and then turns dangerous when he
challenges Ben to set off fireworks in the middle of a drought.
Jackson, Donna M. 2004. In Your Face: The Facts About Your Features.
New York: Viking. ISBN: 0-670-03657-9, $17.99.
Reviews •
Readers Advisory
Readers are encouraged to undertake a closer examination of a familiar
part of their anatomy in this logical, cumulative study. A wide
variety of topics (from face decorating to reconstruction) are
introduced in text that blends scientific inquiry with social and
cultural issues.
LaFevers, R. L. 2004. The Forging of the Blade (Lowthar’s Blade
Trilogy, Book 1). New York: Dutton. ISBN: 0-525-47349-1, $15.99.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Evil times fall over the land of Lowthar after the warlord Mordig
murders the true King. Then the blacksmiths, including Kendric’s
father, vanish. Seeking answers, Kendric begins a quest full of
danger, a journey threatened with Mawr hounds lurking in the shadows
and grymclaws circling the skies.
McGill, Alice. 2004. Sure As Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit & His
Walkin’ Talkin’ Friends. Illustrated by Don Tate. New York:
Houghton Mifflin. ISBN:
0-618-21196-9, $17.00.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Drawing on her North Carolina heritage, storyteller McGill retells
five Bruh Rabbit tales, including the well-known “Please Don’t Fling
Me in the Briar Patch” and less familiar selections such as “Looking
to Get Married.” Brief introductions and notes accompany each story.
Park, Linda Sue. 2005. Project Mulberry. New York: Clarion.
ISBN: 0-618-47786-1, $16.00. Audio Cassette, Listening Library (2005),
ISBN: 0-307-24533-0, $18.00. Audio CD, Listening Library (2005), ISBN:
0-307-24534-9, $28.00.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Julia Song, who wishes to downplay her Korean background, is
hesitant to raise silkworms for a school science project because she
thinks it’s too Korean. But soon she and her best friend, Patrick,
learn much about silkworms and themselves.
Riordan, Rick. 2005. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The
Olympians, Book 1). New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 0-7868-5629-7, $17.95.
Audio Cassette, Listening Library (2005), ISBN: 0-307-24528-4, $28.00.
Audio CD, Listening Library (2005), ISBN: 0-307-24530-6, $40.00.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Percy Jackson has just found out that not only is he the son of an
Olympic god, but he is the prime suspect in the mystery surrounding
Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt. Join Percy and his friends as they
battle the gods and monsters of Mount Olympus in modern day America.
Sabuda, Robert and Matthew Reinhart. Encyclopedia Prehistorica:
Dinosaurs. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN: 0-7636-2228-1, $26.99.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Beginning with the first dinosaur in the Triassic period and ending
with possible reasons for the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million
years ago, this intricate paper-engineered volume includes six
spreads of dinosaur pop-ups and information.
Siy,
Alexandra & Dennis Kunkel. 2005. Mosquito Bite. Watertown, MA:
Charlesbridge. ISBN: 1-57091-591-1, $15.95. Paper Edition,
Charlesbridge (2006), ISBN: 1-507091-592-X, $6.99.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Here’s a mosquito, up close and personal. “Bordered with scales, her
wings whine, beating about 500 times in one second.” And she’s
coming closer, showing (through photomicrographs) readers why and
how she bites unsuspecting humans.
Weeks, Sarah. 2004. So B. It: A Novel. New York: HarperCollins.
ISBN 0-06-623622-3, $15.99. Paper Edition, HarperTrophy (2005) ISBN:
0-06-441047-1, $6.99. Audio CD, HarperChildrens Audio (2004), ISBN:
0-06-075481-8, $25.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
For twelve years Heidi has lived a sheltered life, home schooled by
her agoraphobic neighbor and caring for her mentally retarded
mother, So B. It. But with a newly discovered photograph, Heidi
begins a cross-country quest to learn the truth about her mother and
her own background.
White, Andrea. 2005. Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083. New
York: Eos. Library Edition ISBN: 0-06-055455-X, $16.89. Trade Edition
ISBN: 0-06-055454-1, $15.99.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
In 2083 a new reality television show debuts. It’s called Historical
Survivor and simulates Robert F. Scott’s 1912 expedition to
Antarctica. Each contestant who finishes receives a cash prize. In
this story five fourteen year old participants embark on the
dangerous, but exhilarating journey but there are adults who play a
role in their voyage.
Wiles, Deborah. 2005. Each Little Bird That Sings. New York:
Gulliver/Harcourt. ISBN: 0-15-205113-9, $16.00. Audio CD, Listening
Library (2005) ISBN: 0-307-28230-9, $35.00.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
For Comfort Snowberger, whose family runs the funeral home in
Snapfinger, Mississippi, death is a way of life. But, when her Great
Uncle Edisto and then her Great-Great Aunt Florentine die, Comfort
comes face to face with “the messy glory of life” accepting and
beginning to understand its grief, fear, joy, hope and love.
Yoo,
Paula. 2005. Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story.
New York: Lee & Low. ISBN: 1-58430-247-X, $16.95.
Reviews
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Readers Advisory
Both text and sepia-toned illustrations capture the time period and
struggles of Sammy Lee, the first Asian American to win an Olympic
gold medal in 1948. This biography relates how one man overcame
formidable odds in following his dream without disrespecting his
father.
The TBA Committee selected the 2006-2007 Texas Bluebonnet
Award Master List titles after receiving suggestions from librarians,
teachers, parents, students and others. The Master List books, all recommended by one or more reviewing
source, should be evaluated in terms of each library’s selection
policy. It is not
mandatory that a school or public library purchase all titles listed.
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