4 BOOKS FRee! - Junior Library Guild

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk:
A Forest of Poems
by Deborah Ruddell • illustrated by Joan Rankin
I GROUP (GRADES 2–4) • Reviews: BCCB, BL, KH, SLJH, WC
“Coyotes in the falling snow / are singing all the songs
they know— / the good old-fashioned favorites /
and all the big coyote hits.” In this collection of
twenty-two humorous and thoughtful poems about
forest-dwelling creatures, a toad gets a nasty surprise
in his lunch, a badger writes a love poem, and an
opossum dreams of its marsupial cousins in Australia.
The rhyming verse is written from the perspectives
of humans, an omniscient narrator, and the animals
themselves. Full-color watercolor paintings.
Isbn: 9781416942115 • Dewey: 811/.6 • 10" x 10" • 40 pp
aR level: 5.4 • aR Points: 0.5
JLG: $9.00 • simon & schuster: $16.99 • JlG Month: feb 2009
Who Lives in an Alligator Hole?
by Anne Rockwell • illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell
NE GROUP (GRADES 2–6) • Reviews: BL, HG, K, SLJ, WC
When an alligator finds a damp spot in muck, it
digs and digs until it hits a wet layer. It settles in as
the hole fills up with water—and then a lot starts to
happen. Fish and insects come to lay eggs; birds come
to eat the eggs; seeds in the bird droppings sprout;
and more creatures arrive. An animal we know as a
scary sharp-toothed predator is actually a “keystone
species” that allows a whole ecosystem to survive.
Activity and facts about alligators. Full-color art.
Isbn: 9780060285302 • Dewey: 597.98 • 10" x 8" • 40 pp
aR level: 4.4 • aR Points: 0.5 • sRC level: 3.8 • sRC Points: 2 • lexile: aD780l
JLG: $9.00 • HarperCollins: $15.99 • JlG Month: MaR 2007
Who Made This Cake? u
by Chihiro Nakagawa • illustrations by Junji Koyose
K GROUP (GRADES PreK–K) • Reviews: BL, CL, HH, K, SLJ, WC
“Please make a very good one,” a mother says, calling
in an order for a special birthday cake. Soon a team
of tiny construction workers are hard at work. They
drive loaders that scoop up dry ingredients, crack
eggs using a hydraulic hammer, “cccccRash,” and use
diggers with special attachments—giant beaters and
a claw—to stir the batter and lift the pan into the
oven. The golden cake is decorated with whipped
cream and topped off with an iced cookie lowered
by helicopter. The mother then presents it to the
birthday boy as the tiny workers crowd together to
watch from the window. Full-color artwork.
Isbn: 9781590785959 • Dewey: e • 11 3/4" x 8 1/4" • 32 pp
JLG: $9.00 • front street: $16.95 • JlG Month: Jan 2009
*NEW* Wild River
by P. J. Petersen
ME GROUP (GRADES 2–6) • Reviews: K
Ryan’s older brother, Tanner, still wants to go
kayaking after his buddy has backed out, so he presses
Ryan to go instead. Ryan doesn’t like the cold water
or camping, but somehow he finds himself waving
good-bye to his computer games and saying hello to
a rain-swollen river and two days of adventure. An
accident during the trip leaves Tanner unconscious
and Ryan with some difficult decisions to make.
Isbn: 9780385906562 • Dewey: f • 5 1/2" x 8 1/4" • 128 pp
JLG: $13.25 • Delacorte: $17.99 • JlG Month: seP 2009
Winning Words: Sports Stories and Photographs
by Charles R. Smith Jr.
SE GROUP (GRADES 2–6) • Reviews: BL, SLJ, WC
The sound of popping popcorn inspires a gymnast to
complete a perfect back handspring; a boy gathers the
courage to show up a group of older, taller basketball
players; the hapless Eagles fight against the clock to
avoid a scoreless football season. Every sport presents
unique challenges, but the threat of failure is always
intimidating. In this collection of six exciting stories,
young athletes confront their fears and strive for
victory. Full-color sports action photographs.
Isbn: 9780763614454 • Dewey: f • 7 1/2" x 9 1/16" • 80 pp
aR level: 3.5 • aR Points: 2 • sRC level: 3.5 • sRC Points: 6 • lexile: 620l
JLG: $9.00 • Candlewick: $17.99 • JlG Month: aUG 2008
The Wolves Are Back u
by Jean Craighead George • illustrated by Wendell Minor
I GROUP (GRADES 2–4) • Reviews: BLH, HGs, SLJ
Many years ago, national parks’ directors thought
that only gentle animals should roam the wilderness.
“By 1926, there were no more wolves in the fortyeight
states. No voices howled. . . . The wolves were
gone.” Peace reigned, but without the wolves, other
aspects of nature were negatively affected. Over time,
people’s viewpoints about the wolves changed. In
1995, ten adult wolves were brought from Canada to
Yellowstone. The animals thrived, and “the broken
parts of the wilderness were tumbling into place. The
wolves were back.” Sources. Full-color illustrations.
Isbn: 9780525479475 • Dewey: 599.773 • 11" x 9" • 32 pp
aR level: 3.6 • aR Points: 0.5 • sRC level: 3.5 • sRC Points: 1 • lexile: aD630l
JLG: $9.00 • Dutton: $16.99 • JlG Month: MaY 2008
The World According To Kaley u
by Dian Curtis Regan
A GROUP (GRADES 3–5) • Reviews: BL, PW
In her notebook for Mr. Serrano’s world history class,
precocious fourth-grader Kaley Bluster gives her own
unique take on ancient civilizations. Who really ruled
Memphis—King Menes or Elvis? Was the Stone
Age the birth of “rock guitar”? Kaley gets into some
trouble for being too creative in these humorous,
off-the-cuff essays and ink doodles . . . but why use
facts when you can use your imagination? A 2006
Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist.
Isbn: 9781581960396 • Dewey: f • 5 1/2" x 7 5/16" • 112 pp
aR level: 5.6 • aR Points: 1 • sRC level: 4.3 • sRC Points: 4 • lexile: 910l
JLG: $9.00 • Darby Creek: $14.99 • JlG Month: Jan 2006
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