This Librarian's Quick Picks: Legends by Howard Bryant

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Basketball
by Howard Bryant 
Philomel Books (2017)
Sports Nonfiction

What It's All About:

Giants of the game like Steph Curry, LeBron, and Michael Jordan have transcended the sport to become cultural icons and role models to young fans. From the cornfields of Indiana and the hills of North Carolina, to the urban sprawl of New York City, Chicago and L.A., love of the game stretches from coast to coast. Featuring Top Ten Lists to chew on and debate, and a Top 40-style Timeline of Key Moments in Basektball History, this comprehensive collection includes the greatest dynasties, from the Bill Russell-era Celtics, to the Magic Jonson-led Lakers, to the Jordan-led Bulls, right up to the Tim Duncan-led Spurs.

Why You'll Love It:

• This is an easy hook for serious sports fans seeking an exploration of the history of basketball.
• Alternates among overviews of each decade since the 1960s, profiles of particular players or accounts of high-profile matches, themed “Top 10” lists, and lends itself well to browsing.
• Rather than present a rigidly systematic chronicle or an indigestible barrage of names and statistics, he begins chapters with highlight reels of each era’s leading players and teams.

Who Should Read It:

Great for 5th grade and up.

What Else You Should Read:

• The rest of the Legends series, also by Howard Bryant
• The Final Four: The Pursuit of College Basketball Glory by Matt Doeden
• Crossover by Kwame Alexander

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Level the Playing Field

Level the Playing Field 
by Kristina Rutherford
Owl Kids Books (2016)
Middle Grade Nonfiction

Summary:

Level the Playing Field examines the root of these issues by taking readers through the history of women's pro sports, exploring how far we have come in a relatively short time and exposing what ground is left to gain. The book provides first-person insight through exciting interviews with professional female athletes, including Canadian hockey player Cassie Campbell, American MMA fighter Miesha Tate, and WNBA star Elena Delle Donne. Along the way, author and sports journalist Kristina Rutherford covers important topics like opportunity, female role models, and stereotypes.

Why You'll Love It:

• In an engaging, conversational tone, Rutherford lays out the state of women in professional sports before Title IX was passed and mandated equal opportunities for women in federally funded schools, how it has changed since, and where women’s sports leagues are headed.
• Big, full-color action photos of a diverse array of women from a broad range of sports adorn each page, and brief interviews offer tidy glimpses into the life of a professional athlete.
• Young girls especially will be inspired by this volume and the bright future for women’s sports it portrays.

Who Should Read It:

Great for 5th-8th graders.

What Else You Should Read:

• Breakaway: Beyond the Goal by Alex Morgan
• Babe Conquers the World by Rich Wallace
• Annaleise Carr: How I Conquered Lake Ontario to Help Kids Battling Cancer by Annalise Carr

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Super Hockey Infographics

Super Hockey Infographics
by Jeff Savage
illustrations by Vic Kulihin
Lerner (Jan. 1, 2015)
Nonfiction

Summary:

A collection of infographics that provides facts and statistics about hockey. 

Why You'll Love It:

• The visuals are dynamic and eye-catching, incorporating motifs of pucks, sticks, and players throughout.
• Each theme-specific spread includes one or two paragraphs of clear, descriptive text and plenty of easy-to-read facts and figures. For example, sports fans will be interested in the “Count Me In“ spread, which charts a steady increase in the number of people to “hit the ice each year“ since 1990–1991, when USA Hockey’s statistics first became available. An inset graph highlights the six states where participation grew the most between the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 seasons (Hawaii had 71.4 percent growth!).
• One of the most interesting infographics, “The Price to Play,“ contrasts the 2013 costs of hockey gear to the prices of equipment for baseball, basketball, and soccer (hockey skates cost $200, almost twice as much as basketball shoes and five times more expensive than both soccer and baseball shoes).

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 3-5.

What Else You Should Read:

• The other books in the Super Sports Infographic series: Baseball, Basketball, and Football is included.
• Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler
• Weird Zone: Sports by Maria Birmingham

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Upper Elementary Edition

Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster

by Ursula Vernon

Dial Books, 2011

Summary:

Danny Dragonbreath and Wendell travel to Mexico to visit Danny's bat specialist cousin, but when a giant bat monster kidnaps Danny, Wendell gets his chance to play hero and save his friend before the bat monster makes Danny a permanent addition to her bat family.

Why You'll Love It:

• An appealing and accessible format that brims with kid appeal. Ursula Vernon has a real knack for fun and funny situations and dialogue, and she is skilled at integrating her prose and bold, graphic-novel-style illustrations.
• Danny and Wendell are a great pair. Their contrasting personalities—Danny is always up for adventure, Wendell is a worrier—play off each other and make for humorous interactions. (When they’re going upriver in a rubber boat and find out there are piranhas in the water, Danny’s reaction is, “That is so cool!” while Wendell’s response is, “I’m going to die . . .”).
• An effective combination of real and fantastical bat-related elements. Danny and Wendell find a hurt bat, and Vernon identifies some species and sprinkles facts throughout the book (she also includes an end note about these endangered creatures).The giant false-vampire-bat monster is a memorable character.
• Readers who are familiar with the Dragonbreath books will be thrilled to see a new title. Those who are new to the series will have no problem following the plot.

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Nurse, Soldier, Spy: Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero

by Marissa Moss

Abrams Books, 2011

Summary:

Describes the life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who disguised herself as a man, took the name Frank Thompson, joined a Michigan army regiment to fight in the Civil War, served as a nurse on the battlefield, and became a spy.

Why You'll Love It:

• A fascinating story, engagingly presented. Readers will be inspired by Sarah Emma Edmonds’s grit and determination as she sees action on the battlefield, tends wounded soldiers, and spies for the Union Army.
• Marissa Moss writes eloquently about the harsh realities of war: “One bloody battle followed another. Sometimes the North won, sometimes the South, but always the soldiers lost, thousands of them dying or maimed.”
• John Hendrix’s distinctive illustrations—done predominantly in a palette of blues, oranges, and beiges—are striking and atmospheric. Characters practically leap off the page at times, and bold hand-drawn lettering—using a poster motif that evokes the Civil War era—splashes across spreads.
• Excellent bookmaking, with a striking cover and an appealing design from start to finish. The backmatter includes author’s and artist’s notes that provide further context and lead to a deeper appreciation of the book.

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Mad Scientist: Babymouse #14

by Jennifer Holm

Random House, 2011

Summary:

While working on a school science fair project, Babymouse discovers Squish, a new species of amoeba that talks and eats cupcakes.

Why You'll Love It:

• Babymouse is a smart, funny character, to whom readers will easily relate. This installment will delight both fans of the series and newcomers.
• The way daydreams and reality constantly interrupt each other is both amusing and realistic, and keeps the narrative enjoyable and interesting.
• Vibrant illustrations, mostly in black and white, with pink to suggest the imagined passages, have fluid lines and an improvised feel.
• The science-based jokes are fun, as is Babymouse’s ingenious solution to her science project dilemma. Her project also introduces a new character—who is the star of the new series Squish.

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Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant
by Mark Jeffrey
Harper Collins, 2011

Summary: 

Young Max, a troubled boy with a mysterious past, joins two other youths unaffected when the rest of the world was frozen in time on a journey across America--and time itself--seeking the source of the "Time-stop."

Why You'll Love It:

• Immediately hooks readers with a captivating premise: time has stopped for everyone but a few kids, who now have free reign over the world.
• Mark Jeffrey has created a vivid and inventive world. Rich descriptions leap off the page, for example: “[e]clipse-bitten red sunlight sprayed the jagged rocks along the roadside with the colors of sawdust and rust.”
• Max’s and Casey’s outsider status—Max, because he’s an orphan, and Casey, because she’s impoverished—makes them sympathetic underdogs. Readers will admire the teens’ compassion, loyalty, and bravery in the face of (literally) alien circumstances.

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Dino-Basketball
by Lisa Wheeler
Carolrhoda Books, 2011

Summary:

The meat-eating dinosaurs play against the plant-eating dinosaurs in a fast-paced basketball game.

Why You'll Love It:

•  The commentary is fast paced and exciting, the illustrations highlight basketball tradition and culture (cutting down the net, an audience showing team spirit), and the end is inspiring.
• Gott's vividly colored illustrations are filled with energy-almost like sitting courtside. 
• Wheeler's staccato rhyming verse mimics both the play-by-play announcement and the action of a basketball game, making readers feel a part of the excitement. "Allo answers off the dribble. / Diplo takes it up the middle- / -T. rex charges from behind. / Steals the ball. It's Meaty time!"

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Middle School Edition

Cloaked in Red

by Vivian Vande Velde
Genre: Re-imagined fairy tale

Summary:

A kidnapping woodcutter; a werewolf grandmother; a sentient cloak: all these and more are characters in eight variations on Little Red Riding Hood.

Why you'll love it:

• Vivian Vande Velde imbues each story with originality, humor, and creepiness. Despite the tales' shared elements—and their origins in the classic Little Red Riding Hood—they are all fresh and unique.
• The diverse perspectives from which the fairy tale is retold are fascinating and surprising. For instance, Red Riding Hood's cloak narrates the story in one version, and in another, Vande Velde casts the woodcutter as the villain.
• Perfectly exemplifies just how interesting and distinct variations on a theme can be.

The Scorch Trials

by James Dashner
Genre: Mystery/Adventure

Summary:

The Gladers have survived the Maze. Now they must cross the Scorch, a dangerous wasteland, in the second installment of the Maze Runner trilogy.

Why you'll love it:

• Fans of The Maze Runner will find themselves captivated by the second, even darker, installment of the series. James Dashner introduces new, terrifying creatures, impossible-seeming challenges, and surprising twists.
• The characters’ constant life-or-death decisions will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
• While Thomas recovers memories of life before the Maze, some questions are answered even as the central mystery deepens.

Summary:

As children in southern Sudan, John and Martha faced violence, hunger, disease, and exhausti

Score!: The Action and Artistry of Hockey's Magnificent Moment

by Mark Stewart and Mike Kennedy
Genre: Sports nonfiction

Summary:

How did the Stanley Cup become hockey's greatest prize? Which team's fans sometimes toss an octopus on the ice? Text and photographs describe some of the greatest goals in the history of professional hockey, profile top players, and provide facts about the sport.

Why you'll love it:

• As with their previous entries in this compelling series, the authors focus on a game's most exciting moment—in this case, the hockey goal—making it fun to read about the sport.
• List-based chapters, including "Power Plays—10 Unforgettable Goals" and "Tickling the Twine—The Most Remarkable Scoring Plays," keep historical accounts lively and succinct.
• The book's clean layout includes plenty of full-color, game-action photographs as well as fascinating images from hockey's earliest years.
• Score! will appeal to both hockey novices and devoted fans.

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Upper Elementary Edition

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
by Barbara O'Connor
Grades 4-7

Summary:

After Owen captures an enormous bullfrog, names it Tooley Graham, then has to release it, he and two friends try to use a small submarine that fell from a passing train to search for Tooley in the Carter, Georgia, pond it came from, while avoiding nosy neighbor Viola.

Why you'll love it:

• Barbara O'Connor's writing is immediate and engaging, with a beautifully evoked setting.
• A pitch-perfect depiction of the summer activities and adventures of a group of kids.
• Well-drawn characters, especially crotchety secondary characters Earlene, the woman who has worked for Owen's grandfather for ages, and Joleen Berkus, the woman who bought the house where Owen and his parents used to live.
• The kids' interactions feel authentic. Owen, Travis, and Stumpy's feelings and attitude toward Viola are believable, as is their eventual change of heart, while Viola's persistence is admirable.

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Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener
by Ursula Vernon
Grades 3-5

Summary: 

When Danny Dragonbreath's best friend, Wendell the iguana, is bitten by one of the hot dogs from his school lunch, he begins to turn into a were-wiener.

Why you'll love it:

• An appealing format seamlessly marries pages of text with graphic-novel-type illustrations, which propel the story forward. Ursula Vernon's bold art--using only red, green, and black--is simply drawn and striking.
• The author makes an unlikely scenario believable in large part by the strength of her characters. Danny, who welcomes adventure at every opportunity, and Wendell, who is more reserved, are a great pair.
• Vernon has a gift for dialogue, and the two friends' interactions are consistently amusing.
• Readers need not know other books in the series to enjoy this one. 

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Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything
by Kathleen Krull
Grades 3-6

Summary: 

In the thirteenth century, Kubla Khan ruled the largest empire in the world. Known equally for his indulgences and policies, his reign lasted thirty-four years.

Why you'll love it:

• Incisive, well-researched text brings the mysterious and legendary Kubla Khan, his family, his court, and his empire to vibrant, exuberant life.
• Stunning, detailed drawings recreate the Mongolian world of Kubla Khan, from intricate palaces inlaid with jade and decorated with phoenixes to battle scenes that feature hordes of charging horses and their militant Mongolian riders. The map on the endpapers shows the tremendous span of the Mongol Empire.
• Kathleen Krull takes care to highlight Kubla Khan's cruelties as a military leader and the innovations such as paper currency, accurate calendars, public education, and waterway development that were realized under his direction.

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There's a Princess in the Palace: Five Classic Tales
retold by Zoe B. Alley
Grades 2-6

Summary:

Cinderella, Snow White, and three other well-known princesses share a surprising connection in these fairy-tale retellings presented in comic book format.

Why you'll love it:

• The heroines of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Frog Prince, and The Princess and the Pea are linked together to hilarious effect.
• Running commentary throughout by two mice (who serve as the horses for Cinderella's carriage in the first story) adds to the fun.
• Clever dialogue integrates modern turns of phrase and neatly refreshes the classic tales.
• This book is big! The graphic format has massive kid appeal. Amusing details in the illustrations invite careful study. 

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The Drained Brains Caper: Chicagoland Detective Agency, #1
by Trina Robbins
Grades 4-7

Summary:

Required to attend summer school after moving to Chicagoland, thirteen-year-old manga-lover Megan Yamamura needs help from twelve-year-old computer genius Raf to escape the maniacal principal's mind-control experiment.

Why you'll love it:

• Trina Robbins cleverly mixes classic crime-story tropes--an evil villain who reveals her plans to the hero, crime-solving partners who initially don't get along--with unique elements, such as Bradley the talking dog and Raf 's computer program that saves the day.
• The manga-influenced artwork is eye-catching, with clean lines and uncluttered panels. The action is clearly depicted and easy to follow.
• Raf is a bit of a nerd, and Megan loves haiku. These characters aren't typical heroes, but they act heroically. Kids will be able to both relate to and look up to Megan and Raf.

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Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
by Laban Carrick Hill
Kindergarten-Grade 4

Summary:

Dave, a potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s, carved poetry onto his pots, an act of tremendous courage for a slave.

Why you'll love it:

• An inspiring and moving look at how a slave found creative expression.
• Bryan Collier's affecting illustrations show a world rife with contrasts. Dave is set against a backdrop of anonymous slaves and their dehumanizing work, drawing attention to the importance of the survival of Dave's story, art, and poetry.
• The lyrical writing and striking, textured artwork pair together to skillfully depict the process of throwing, shaping, and glazing a jar; to readers, it will seem almost as if they are watching Dave create his pottery in real time. 

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Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science
by Susan Hughes
Grades 2-6

Summary:

Was Egypt's first female pharaoh murdered? Did the city of Ubar vanish without a trace? Science has helped solve these and seven other archaeological mysteries.

Why you'll love it:

• Susan Hughes has chosen a collection of disappearances that range from ancient to recent and from small-scale (a single missing mountaineer) to catastrophic (entire cities).
• Hughes employs clear, accessible language and explains both the technology and research utilized by experts to locate their missing quarries.
• Not all the cases featured in the book have been solved, which will give readers the chance to test their imaginations and develop some theories of their own.
• Michael Wandelmaier's detailed illustrations cleverly reimagine the past, while full-color photographs showcase modern-day expeditions and researchers. 

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Red Zone
by Tiki & Ronde Barber
Grades 2-6

Summary:

Ronde and Tiki's excitement over the approaching state championship football game turns to worry when there is a chicken pox outbreak at school.

Why you'll love it:

• Each playoff game requires the team to reconfigure and compensate for the latest stricken teammate. As time passes, the boys all wonder who will be next, creating suspense.
• Although Tiki and Ronde are the team's stars, each victory is achieved by everyone working together.
• The novel captures the boys' stress about not disappointing the school now that they are "sentimental favorites" (according to the newspaper) rather than underdogs.
• Provides a satisfying follow-up to Go Long! and Wild Card--and to the Eagles' eventful season.