* * * Eagle Eyes
Author: Jeanne Gehret, M.A.
Illustrator: Michael LaDuca
Reading level: Ages 6-10, 9-12
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Verbal Images Press (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982198213

Book description: Revised with new illustrations, this tale begins with the hero’s fascination with nature, then shows how ADHD negatively affects his family dynamics, schoolwork, and self-esteem. The hallmarks of ADHD—impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity, as well as difficulty sleeping—are clearly shown in this story. Newer updates of the treatment process are provided, including relaxation techniques, medication, and an entire song that a child can sing to help them gather school materials before leaving home. Discussion starters to help parents and professionals expand on the meaning of the book are included for use with individuals or groups of children.

Book review: What a great book! The updates really hit home helping the ADHD reader identify with the character and come up with solutions as well as the opportunity to feel really good about himself. I really like that the story emphasizes the good things about ADHD that, when combined with good medicine and therapy, can be real assets.

* * * The Forever Dog
Author: Bill Cochran
Illustrator: Dan Andreasen
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (April 3, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060539399
ISBN-13: 978-0060539399

Book description: No one knows exactly what kind of dog Corky is, but if you ask his owner, Mike, the answer is simple: “He’s my dog.”

Mike and Corky are best friends; they do everything together. In fact they even make a plan. Mike tells Corky that they will always do everything together—forever. It is their Forever Plan.

And it works well. From one year to the next Corky is right there with Mike. Until one day, when Mike comes home from school and Corky isn’t there . . .

Book Review: I may be biased because our beloved dog just passed away, but I think Bill Cochran nailed it with this all too familiar topic. A great read for your kiddo especially after the loss of a pet. No sugar-coating, yet Cochran helps little ones face and cope with death and loss especially the loss of a furry best friend. And you just can’t help but fall in love with Corky, thanks to the wonderful work of illustrator Dan Andreasen who guides the reader through joy, love, loss and peace.

* * My Parents Are Divorced, My Elbows Have Nicknames, and Other Facts About Me
Author: Bill Cochran
Illustrator: Steve Bjorkman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (June 9, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060539429
ISBN-13: 978-0060539429

Book description: Ted’s parents are divorced, but that’s just one fact about him. The fact that he has named his elbows Clyde and Carl? Or that Ted walks around with soap in his hair and likes to squawk like a chicken on the phone? Now, that’s definitely weird.

As shown in this lighthearted yet heartfelt account, life with divorced parents isn’t always easy, but above all Ted knows he’s loved—and there’s nothing weird about that at all.

Book review: The only thing keeping me from giving this book three stars is the fact that circumstances surrounding divorce are different for every family and this book may or may not be an appropriate fit for your kiddo. That said, Bill Cochran does an outstanding job tackling the weirdness of divorce with a spunky character that feels good about himself even though divorce hurts, stinks and he has no control over that. A good book to help your kiddo search out his feelings about divorce, stepparents and readjustment while reinforcing just how much all his parents love him.

* * * Hook
Author/Illustrator: Ed Young
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (April 28, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1596433639
ISBN-13: 978-1596433632

Book description: A young eagle learns to soar in Caldecott-winner Ed Young’s newest work. With beautiful, sweeping artwork and spare, lyrical text, Ed Young tells the story of a boy who finds an egg and gives it to a flock of chickens. When the egg hatches not a chick but an eaglet, the hens, the roosters, and the boy all band together to help the young bird fly. In this lovely story about friendship and dedication, the eaglet perseveres and leaves behind the dusty earth for endless pastel skies.

Book review: Is there anything Ed Young can’t illustrate? I know my kiddo and I are in for a great treat when I see his name on the cover. Tender, touching, triumphant. You and your little one will root for Hook as he grows and develops into the noble bird he was created to be…”for he wasn’t meant for earth.”

* * * Tsunami!
Author: Kimiko Kajikawa
Illustrator: Ed Young
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Philomel (February 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399250069
ISBN-13: 978-0399250064

Book description: Tsunami! tells the story of an old farmer in Japan who saves an entire village from destruction by a tsunami.

Book review: A touching and true story with unbelievable illustrations by Ed Young using cut and torn paper. Teaches children about sacrificial love of neighbor without getting in the way of the story – pensive, suspenseful, heart-warming. Very well done.

* * * If America Were a Village
Author: David J. Smith
Illustrator: Shelagh Armstrong
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Kids Can Press (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554533449
ISBN-13: 978-1554533442

Product description: America, with all its diversity, is not easily defined. David J. Smith’s If America Were a Village takes a snapshot – past, present and future – to help define America for children. Using the same successful metaphor of the international bestseller If the World Were a Village, the book shrinks down America to a village of 100. The metaphor helps children easily understand American ethnic origins, religions, family profiles, occupations, wealth, belongings and more. Shelagh Armstrong’s expansive illustrations imagine America as a classic, vibrant small town. Who are the people living in this vast and varied nation? Where did they come from? What are they like today? How do they compare with people in other countries? The book’s simple statistical analysis provides a new way of learning about where people live in America, the state of their health, the shapes and sizes of families, what they use and more – forming a concise picture of a country. If America Were a Village is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

Book review: A great book that should be in every classroom. Smith and Armstrong help kids (and adults) clarify who makes up this great country, where we all came from and how we live. Discover these and other fascinating statistics that we can use to compare America with the rest of the world. Definitely gives a global perspective and is the perfect companion to If The World Were a Village.

* * * If The World Were a Village
Author: David J. Smith
Illustrator: Shelagh Armstrong
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Kids Can Press, Ltd. (March 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1550747797
ISBN-13: 978-1550747799

Book description: There are currently more than six billion people on the planet! This enormous number can be difficult to grasp, especially for a child. But what if we imagine the whole world as a village of just 100 people? In this village * 22 people speak a Chinese dialect * 20 earn less than a dollar a day * 32 are of Christian faith * 17 cannot read or write * 39 are under 19 years old

In a time when parents and educators are looking to help children gain a better understanding of the world’s peoples and their ways of life, If the World Were a Village offers a unique and objective resource. By exploring the lives of the 100 villagers, children will discover that life in other nations is often very different from their own.

Book Review: What a fascinating way to play with statistics and bring them down to a child’s understanding. This book will open the world up to your child, introducing him/her to different people, languages, and ways of life. A great tool to get your child thinking about his/her own ’statistics,’ identity, culture and place in the world.

* * * The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
Author: Betty S. Moir
Illustrator: Yumi V. Vong
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 42 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (December 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439220204
ISBN-13: 978-1439220207

Book description: The Adventures of Snip in Oregon recounts the tale of a lovable shaggy dog as he wanders into the hearts of the Moir Family and their daily lives in the peaceful countryside. Betty S. Moir paints a colorful portrait of “home life” in the Northwest during the 70’s in these first five chapters introducing Snip.

Book Review: I love this book and I can’t wait to read more! This is written perfectly for this age group, engaging the reader in a tale of one family’s love and their adventures with beloved pet Snip. This book will encourage young readers to make the change from picture books to chapter books, hooking them with a narrative that entertains without speaking down to readers making it unique and not ‘just another children’s story about a pet dog.’ Love it, love it!

Deceptively simple. Betty Moir wants young people to know about the warm friendly life of a family and she does that very well.

* Dragon’s Heart: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Four
Author: Jane Yolen
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books (May 4, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0152059199
ISBN-13: 978-0152059194

Book Description: Austar IV isn’t the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they’ve survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they’ve learned about survival could transform the planet–or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction. Akki’s insistence that she return to the Rokk to finish her training and begin new experiments drives a chasm between her and Jakkin. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a political battle that could claim her life. Only Jakkin can save her. If only he could reach her. . . .

Book Review: A great fantasy book for twelve-yr-olds with interesting plot twists, this book is not full of the average fantasy cliche’s. A great book for animal lovers. Don’t forget to read book one! N.C. ,15 yrs old.

* * Running For My Life
Author: Ann Gonzalez
Hardcover: 238 pages
Publisher: WestSide Books; 1st edition (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934813001
ISBN-13: 978-1934813003

Book Description: Running for My Life is the powerful story of Andrea McKane, a fourteen-year-old who struggles to cope with her mother’s schizophrenia. She must face the heartbreaking fact that her mother, with whom she once laughed and played, has vanished into her disease, possibly forever. The book accurately portrays the difficulties a teen faces when dealing with the illness, the abuse and absence of a psychotic parent.

Book Review: This book compassionately shows what it’s like to have family members with mental illness. Emotionally gripping. Will give you a great sense of understanding for such families. N.C., 15 yrs old.

* Hero.com
Author: Andy Briggs
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (April 28, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080279503X
ISBN-13: 978-0802795038

Book Description: Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily are just average kids—until they stumble upon a Web site called Hero.com and download powers that turn them into superheroes. At first, flying, teleporting, and shooting lasers from their eyes seems like nothing but fun. But when the supervillain Doc Tempest kidnaps Toby and Lorna’s mom, things take a darker turn.