Cool New Books for April
Kenneth C. Davis and his popular DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT series highlight this month's collection of cool new books for kids. We also have great works of fiction featuring young people (and nonhumans) who must overcome adversity and others who will take you on exciting and daring adventures.
 AFTER
by Francine Prose
Joanna Cotler Books
ISBN: 0060080817
Ages 9-12
336 pages
Although the shootings that occurred in Pleasant Valley were fifty miles away, a grief and crisis counselor is hired at Central High, security is increased and privileges are being taken away. If you break the new rules, the punishment is severe…and the rules keep changing every day. It's for their own protection, but 15-year-old Tom Bishop and his friends learn that things are far more sinister than they seem. Students and teachers begin disappearing --- and there is no way to stop it!
 DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY
Kenneth C. Davis
illustrated by Matt Faulkner
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 0064408361
Ages 8-12
224 pages
As bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis knows, history doesn't have to be a boring subject. On the contrary, it can be fun, fascinating and memorable. In his trademark question-and-answer style --- filled with surprising facts, historic reproductions and Matt Faulkner's lively illustrations --- Davis introduces our ancestors who settled the East and expanded the West, as well as those who had been living here all along. He brings the drama and excitement of the American story vividly to life. For more, visit DontKnowMuch.com/kids
 THE GHOST BEHIND THE WALL
by Melvin Burgess
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805071490
Ages 9-12
176 pages
Twelve-year-old David lives with his father in a big old apartment building called Mahogany Villas. He soon discovers --- much to his delight --- that he can climb through the vent pipes in the building, get into other apartments and play tricks on people. His main victim is Robert Alveston, a forgetful man in his nineties who fears that he's losing his mind. David's nasty pranks soon disturb more than his elderly neighbor. One day he comes face-to-face with a ghost that's friendly at first, but eventually becomes more and more terrifying. Why? Because it soon becomes clear that this ghost has a particular grudge against Mr. Alveston. Soon, both the elderly man and David find themselves in great danger.
 INSIDE THE ALAMO
by Jim Murphy
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385325746
Ages 8-12
128 pages
Texas won its independence from Mexico with the battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" But what exactly was the Alamo, and what happened there to change the history of the United States?
INSIDE THE ALAMO is a comprehensive look at this famous siege, as well as its background and consequences. It provides profiles of the famous men who died there; many quotes from contemporary witnesses (including entries from the memoirs and diaries of Mexican soldiers); fascinating details about everything from the weaponry of the time to the fate of the women and children who followed the Mexican army north; and a rousing description of the final battle --- all brilliantly illustrated with paintings, photos, maps, diagrams and more!
 ROME: In Spectacular Cross Section
by Andrew Solway
illustrated by Stephen Biesty
Scholastic Trade
ISBN: 0439455464
Ages 9-12
32 pages
Come and explore the vast city of Rome through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy named Titus Cotta Maximus. While enjoying the festival day in honor of the gods Castor and Pollux, Titus and his father travel to many different locations around Rome. As the day starts, you'll be able to take a close look at Titus's house and neighborhood. Later, Titus and his dad cheer on their team at a heart-wrenching chariot race in the Circus Maximus, watch a wild animal show at the Colosseum and relax at the Baths of Trajan.
 SPITTING IMAGE
by Shutta Crum
Clarion Books
ISBN: 0618234772
Ages 9-12
224 pages
Twelve-year-old Jessie K. Bovey has quite a lot on her mind. She doesn't know who her father is; her grandmother keeps interfering in her life; her best friend, Robert, desperately needs new glasses but his family cannot afford them; and mean Dickie Whitten teases Robert until Jessie has no choice but to punch him out.
When some New York City reporters show up in Beulah County to research a story about the War on Poverty, Jessie finds a way to solve one of her problems. She can charge money for showing the reporters around town so they can take pictures of the "local color" and use it to help pay for Robert's glasses. But her plan backfires in a major way and Jessie learns some important lessons --- and some big secrets in the process.
 UNDER THE SAME SKY
by Cynthia DeFelice
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 0374380325
Ages 9-12
224 pages
For his fourteenth birthday, Joe Pedersen wants a motorbike that costs nearly a thousand dollars. Unfortunately for Joe, his mom says the usual birthday gift is fifty dollars and his dad wants him to earn the rest of the money himself and "find out what a real day's work feels like." Joe is angry that his father doesn't think he's up to the job and, as a result, joins the Mexican laborers who come to his father's farm each summer.
Manuel, the crew boss, is only 16 yet highly regarded by the other workers and the Pedersen family. Joe's resentment grows when his father treats Manuel as an equal. Unlike Manuel, Joe knows nothing about planting, hoeing cabbage, or picking strawberries. But he toughs out the long, grueling days in the hot sun, determined not only to make money but to gain the respect of his stern, hardworking father. Ultimately, the times Joe spends with the laborers helps him see the world in a brand new light.
 AMERICA'S PROMISE
by Alma Powell
illustrated by Marsha Winborn
HarperCollins Juvenile Books
ISBN: 0060521724
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Honey and her younger brother Benji are new to the neighborhood, so they set off to meet their neighbors. They're especially thrilled to meet Mrs. Mayberry and join her fun-filled clubhouse, where they make new friends and enjoy music, games and healthy snacks. But when Mayor Crawley presents the gang with the difficult task of converting an abandoned lot into a playground, they rise to the challenge and learn how important it is to give back to their community.
 BAD NEWS! I'M IN CHARGE!
by Bruce Ingman
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763620726
Ages 4-8
32 pages
One day, with the help of his super-duper metal detector, Danny discovers an ancient treasure chest that gives him power to rule the land. He wastes no time making changes: pets in school, no dentists or hairdressers, and Mom and Dad in bed by 8:00. He even finds a way to avoid his most boring new responsibilities, like opening a toothbrush factory and kissing babies. This is the entertaining story of every kid's wildest dream come true.
 BIG DAY ON THE RIVER
by Sarah Wilson
illustrated by Randy Cecil
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805067876
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Willie can't wait to take her raft out on the river for the first time. Her loving relatives want her to have a wonderful trip, so they load the raft with everything she might need: watermelons, lemonade, sun umbrellas, warm blankets, and even a camp stove. There's hardly enough room left for Willie! But this resourceful girl is not about to let anything sink her plans --- not even her wonderful family. She's determined to have an exciting river adventure that she won't soon forget.
 DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PIONEERS
by Kenneth C. Davis
illustrated by Renee W. Andriani
HarperCollins Juvenile Books
ISBN: 0060286172
Ages 6-9
48 pages
The real Wild West was much more dangerous and dramatic than anything you might see in an old-time cowboys and Indians movie. In his latest DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT picture book, Davis introduces the pioneers who braved the Oregon Trail and talks about the challenges they encountered --- from building houses without any wood to having snakes drop in for dinner! Included in this educational book is a unique question and answer format, as well as sidebars, timelines and colorful maps depicting the new frontier. For more, visit DontKnowMuch.com/kids
 MY BROTHERS' FLYING MACHINE: Wilbur, Orville, and Me
by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Jim Burke
Little Brown & Co.
ISBN: 0316971596
Ages 6-9
32 pages
When Wilbur and Orville Wright's father brought home a small flying machine, the two brothers tossed the toy in the air over and over until it broke. Their sister Katherine watched as they examined and fixed it until it was better than new. The toy flying machine was the beginning of a remarkable collaboration, one that would continue for years and result in the successful airplane flight at Kitty Hawk.
 THE NAME QUILT
by Phyllis Root
illustrated by Margot Apple
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 0374354847
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Summer evenings at Grandma's house always end just the way Sadie likes --- with Grandma tucking her in with the name quilt. As Sadie chooses from among the patchwork of hand-stitched names of generations of relatives, Grandma tells story after story: stories of hog-riding and hornets and Grandma's own wedding. Then one summer day, a fierce storm comes on too quickly to get the washing off the line and the quilt is blown away. That night, Sadie worries that more than just the quilt has disappeared, until Grandma shows her that all her favorite names and stories are more a part of Sadie than she knows.
 THE PURPLE RIBBON
by Sharelle Byars Moranville
illustrated by Anna Alter
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805066594
Ages 6-9
65 pages
Spring is a field mouse. She lives with her babies --- Parsley Snowflake, Oak, Pebble and little Jellybean --- under the front seat of an old abandoned car. Together they embark on marvelous (and sometimes not so marvelous) adventures. But this is also the story of a very special purple ribbon that keeps Spring and her family happy and safe --- and always together.
 UH-OH, LEONARDO! The Adventures of Providence Traveler
by Robert Sabuda
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689811608
Ages 5-8
48 pages
Meet Providence Traveler, an imaginative and unusual mouse whose interests and enthusiasm are limitless. Her hero is Leonardo da Vinci; when she accidentally runs across a design of his for a time-travel machine, she can't resist trying it out. But once she arrives in Leonardo's Renaissance world, she is left with a big problem to solve --- how does she get home again?
--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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