I Am Jack by Susanne Gervay
Cathy Wilcox (Illustrator)
Ages 9-12
Tricycle Press (October 13, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
We receive alot of nonfiction books about recognizing and stopping bullying. They’re not exactly easy to read or share with a student who is being bullied. This book fills that gap by telling the story of a bullied kid from his perspective. Jack is 11 and it seems that all of his friends have turned on him. Walk in Jack’s shoes and see how he and his school handle this difficult situation. No worries - this book does have some light moments and Jack is an engaging character. You won’t have to convince your child or, if you’re a teacher or counselor, your student to read this book.

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Kids Go! Picture Book and DVD by They Might Be Giants
Simon & Schuster; Har/DVD edition (November 3, 2009)
Ages: 4+
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
We LOVE They Might Be Giants. Love. Love. Love. Not only have they promoted our deep and spiritual admiration for conifers, the letter E and aspiring to be mathletes, they now want us to get up off of the couch. And, you know what? Their song rocked us so hard that we can’t stop dancing. TMBG have a great way with lyrics and beats, and they are also smart enough to have an ace illustrator and a genius video producer. They are the total kid music package all wrapped up in a monkey barrel of fun.

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The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America By Donald Kroodsma
A Cornell Lab of Ornithology Audio Field Guide A Guide to Listening By Donald Kroodsma
Chronicle Books - April, 2008
Ages: It’s for adults, but kids LOVE it
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I received this book as a birthday gift and I can not pry it out of my kindergartner’s hands. Although we have dozens of guides to flora and fauna in our area, this is the first book that plays each bird’s song or songs and helps us really identify what’s flying, nesting and feeding nearby. At night, when we can hear the birds, but not see them, we could tell for sure we had a female Great Horned Owl on the prowl. This book goes with us everywhere we travel now in our quest to know with who-o-o-m we’re sharing our piece of the planet. I can’t wait to share it with my girl scout troop!

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Winter Shadow (Tell Me a Story) by Richard John Knight and Richard Johnson
Ages 7+
Barefoot Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2009)
Cautions: None
Kiwi Magazine Review:
Ah, the classic dilemma of rescuing an injured baby animal or letting nature handle things. Because we humans personify animals, a baby wolf may be as cute as the plushies on our beds or the cuddly animals on a book’s page. Although Maria rescues the baby wolf and is at odds with neighbors about her choice, it is the wolf that decides whether he will be pet or independent. This story is beautifully written and illustrated, which we’ve come to expect from Barefoot Books.

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The Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2 by Klutz
Ages 9-12
Klutz; Pap/Toy edition (September 1, 2009)
Cautions: Often gross

Kiwi Magazine Review:
The first Encyclopedia of Immaturity was stellar, we’re not sure how Klutz managed to come up with even more antics, anecdotes and advice. For example, some people subtly adjust to fix a wedgie, but this book encourages everyone to fly their underwear flag and discuss the wild world of wedgies (self-inflicted or from a naughty brother). I thought of dozens of people who would really appreciate this book and I wished something this important had been published in my childhood so I could have been informed about the right way to convince my mom that I was really too sick for school. Every. Single. Monday. Shenanigans are the new manners. The age range for the book is a complete farce (it says 9-12); I can think of numerous 50+ males who will have root beer coming out of their noses when they read this.

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A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home by Henry Cole
Ages 9-12
Katherine Tegen Books (February 23, 2010)
Cautions: There are some scary parts and critters are chased and then eaten.

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I couldn’t put this book down. Although I am very sensitive to books with scary parts (I am related to some kids with no tolerance for scary bits), the violence is brief and not at all gratuitous. Since the story is about a little mouse who is looking for the perfect nest, you can imagine what happens when she meets up with cats and other predators. Thankfully, little Celeste has some wild adventures but manages to make friends and remain safe, happy and stuffed with food.

One aspect of this book that I loved was that two of the characters addressed the notion of having to kill animals to be able to paint or draw them. The book references Mr. Audubon and his assistant and readers can see the evolution of their thought process that it was more humane and natural to simply draw birds in their natural habitats than capture or kill them.

The story is compelling and the characters, both animal and human, are multidimensional and interesting. The author, Henry Cole, is also a talented illustrator who enhances the book with charming charcoal drawings.

Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee by Marissa Moss
Carl Angel (Illustrator)
Ages 9-12
Tricycle Press (August 11, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I had never heard of Maggie Gee before reading this book but I was completely enamored with her story. One of only two Chinese American women, she flew for the Air Force in WWII. This is an amazing story, based on Maggie’s real life experiences. Talk about a great book for following your dreams and soaring as high as you can go!

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Sunday in Kyoto by Gilles Vigneault
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Secret Mountain - October 25, 2009
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Secret Mountain is a true gem, with original and irreverent songs, creative text and clever illustrations. This new piece de resistance by Gilles Vigneault is a whirl of circus-themed tunes, staccato rhymes and sing-song playground romps (with a farting cow in the mix). I really enjoyed all of the songs on the CD, but the title track was my favorite because it was illustrated, giving me excellent visual accompaniment.

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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Book & CD)
by Liz Murphy
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Blue Apple Books; Rei/Com edition (September 30, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
This is a sweet little holiday gift book/CD which keeps giving; proceeds are donated to Broadway Barks which helps shelter animals become adopted. The text of the book is the title song, and a cute little dog prepares for the holidays (no yellow snow here!).

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The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull
Greg Couch (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (September 8, 2009)Kiwi Magazine Review:
Kids might be lining up to pay homage to Philo Farnsworth for inventing the television. It was this amazing visionary who conceptualized and created the television.

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