Children's
Core Collection

 

 

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Fiction

 

 

Middle & Junior
High Core
Collection

 

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Nonfiction

 

 

 

 

Senior High
Core Collection

 

 
Home The Editor's Pick

 

Senior High Core Collection

Current Picks for October 2007

 
  Core Collection
Title:   The restless dead: ten original stories of the supernatural
Personal Author:   Noyes, Deborah, ed
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Physical Description:   253 pages
ISBN:   0-7636-2906-5, $16.99
Abstract:   This is a "collection of terrifying stories from some of the most well-known authors writing for teens, including M. T. Anderson, Holly Black, Libby Bray, and Annette Curtis Klause. From vampires to vindictive ghosts, this diverse anthology has it all, and then some." (Booklist)
Subject(s):    Supernatural/Fiction; Horror fiction; Short stories
Dewey Decimal Classification:   S C
Reading Level (Grade):   8 9 10 11 12

 

 
  Core Collection
Title:   Ethan, suspended
Personal Author:   Ehrenberg, Pamela
Publisher:   Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Year:   2007
Physical Description:   266 pages
ISBN:   978-0-8028-5324-0, $16
Abstract:   After a school suspension and his parents' separation, Ethan is sent to live with his grandparents in Washington, D.C., which is worlds apart from his home in a Philadelphia suburb.
Subject(s):   Grandparents/Fiction; Race relations/Fiction; Jews/Fiction; Washington (D.C.)/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level (Grade):   7 8 9 10

 

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Evolution and creationism: a documentary and reference guide
Personal Author:   Young, Christian C.; Largent, Mark A.
Publisher:   Greenwood Press
Publication Year:   2007
Physical Description:    Illustration; 298 pages
ISBN:   978-0-313-33953-0, $85
Abstract:   "This reference work provides over 40 of the most important documents to help readers understand the [evolution versus creationism] debate in the eyes of the people of the time. Each document is from a major participant in the debates from the predecessors of Darwin to the judges of the influential court cases of the present day." (Publisher's note)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Evolution; Creationism
Dewey Decimal Classification:   576.8
Reading Level (Grade):   11 12 Adult

 

 
  Core Collection
Title:   Tasting the sky: a Palestinian childhood
Personal Author:   Barakat, Ibtisam
Publisher:   Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year:   2007
Physical Description:   176 pages
ISBN:   0-374-35733-1, $16
Abstract:    "In 1981 the author, then in high school, boarded a bus bound for Ramallah. The bus was detained by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint on the West Bank, and she was taken to a detention center before being released. The episode triggers sometimes heart-wrenching memories of herself as a young child, at the start of the 1967 Six Days' War, as Israeli soldiers conducted raids, their planes bombed her home, and she fled with her family across the border to Jordan. . . . What makes the memoir so compelling is the immediacy of the child's viewpoint, which depicts both conflict and daily life without exploitation or sentimentality." (Booklist)
Note(s):    
Subject(s):   Israel-Arab conflicts; Palestinian Arabs; Barakat, Ibtisam
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level (Grade):   6 7 8 9 10

 

Previous Picks

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   American Revolutionary War: a student encyclopedia. 5v
Personal Author:   Fremont-Barnes, Gregory, ed; Ryerson, Richard Alan, ed
Publisher:   ABC-CLIO
Publication Year:   2007
Physical Description:   Illustration; Map
ISBN:   978-1-85109-839-2
1-85109-839-9, set $485
Abstract:   "With over 800 entries and essays and a separate documents volume, . . . [this encyclopedia] covers every battle and campaign, every political debate and diplomatic encounter. It also introduces students to the broad spectrum of American culture at the time (day-to-day life, art, music) as well as the personal lives of all those caught up in the war." (Publisher's note)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   United States/History/1775-1783, Revolution/Encyclopedias
Dewey Decimal Classification:   973.3
Reading Level (Grade):   9 10 11 12
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 12 (Feb. 15 2007). Tosko, Michael, reviewer

 

 

  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Beowulf
Other Titles:   Beowulf
Personal Author:   Hinds, Gareth
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-3022-5
0-7636-3022-5, $21.99
978-0-7636-3023-2 (paperback)
0-7636-3023-3 (paperback), $9.99
Abstract:   Graphic novel adaptation of the Old English epic poem, Beowulf.
"For fantasy fans both young and old, this makes an ideal introduction to a story without which the entire fantasy genre would look very different; many scenes may be too intense for very young readers." (Publ Wkly)
Subject(s):   Graphic novels; Beowulf/Graphic novels
Dewey Decimal Classification:   741.5
Reading Level (Grade):   7 8 9 10 11 12

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   Faith & doubt: an anthology of poems
Personal Author:   Vecchione, Patrice, ed
Publisher:   Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   138
ISBN:   978-0-8050-8213-5
0-8050-8213-1, $16.95
Abstract:   A collection of poems from around the world that explores the many facets of faith and doubt.
"This book will be read, considered, and discussed. Some who have been lost will find themselves; others will realize that there is direction even on the misguided path. Lucky are those who stumble upon this unassuming but powerful read." (Voice Youth Advocates)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Poetry/Collections
Dewey Decimal Classification:   808.81
Reading Level (Grade):   9 10 11 12

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   Such a pretty face
Personal Author:   Angel, Ann
Publisher:   Amulet Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   267
ISBN:   978-0-8109-1607-4
0-8109-1607-X, $18.95
Abstract:   For this short story collection, the editor has "chosen stories reflecting the many definitions and ramifications of physical beauty. . . . This powerful, thought-provoking anthology will certainly find a place in public libraries. High school librarians are strongly urged to consider it for purchase, despite a few instances of profane language and several sexual references." (Voice Youth Advocates)
Subject(s):   Short stories
Dewey Decimal Classification:   S C
Reading Level (Grade):   9 10 11 12

 

   

Previous Picks

 

   
Title:   Four days to glory: wrestling with the soul of the American heartland
Personal Author:   Kreidler, Mark
Publisher:   HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   262
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-06-082318-4
0-06-082318-6, $24.95
Abstract:   Jay Borschel and Dan LeClere aspire to be four-time high school wrestling champions in Iowa.
The author's "deftness in 'Four Days' is in turning a niche sport into one as accessible as baseball or basketball." (N Y Times Book Rev)
Subject(s):   Wrestling; School sports; Borschel, Jay, 1986-; LeClere, Dan, 1987-
Dewey Decimal Classification:   796.8
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 8 (Dec. 15 2006). Lukowsky, Wes, reviewer
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (Apr. 10 2007). Sandomir, Richard, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

   
Title:   High definition: an A to Z guide to personal technology
Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   361
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-618-71489-8
978-0-618-71489-6 (paperback), $14.95
Abstract:   This dictionary "brings together more than 3000 terms used to describe the components, functions, and applications of devices found in today's homes and offices: cell phones, computers, MP3 players, gaming systems, CD and DVD players, and more. . . . This very affordable volume should be part of every reference collection, large and small." (Libr J)
Subject(s):   Electric household appliances/Dictionaries
Dewey Decimal Classification:   004
Reading Level:   9 10 11 12 Adult
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 17 (Oct. 15 2006). Dayton, Denise, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   The little book of Hindu deities: from the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow
Personal Author:   Patel, Sanjay
Publisher:   Plume
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   141
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-452-28775-8
978-0-452-28775-4 (paperback), $14
Abstract:   The author describes "the exploits of various deities while drawing us in--literally--with his joyous and unexpected full-color illustrations. . . . Both funny and informative, this is a fresh and breezy introduction to the Hindu gods." (Publ Wkly)
Subject(s):   Gods and goddesses; Hinduism
Dewey Decimal Classification:   704.9
Reading Level:   9 10 11 12

 

 

   
Title:   Tamar
Personal Author:   Peet, Mal
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   424
ISBN:   978-0-7636-3488-9, $17.99
Abstract:   In 1995, 15-year-old Tamar inherits a box containing a series of coded messages from his late grandfather. The messages show Tamar the life that his grandfather lived during World War II the life of an Allied undercover operative in Nazi-occupied Holland.
"Peet's plot is tightly constructed, and striking, descriptive language, full of metaphor, grounds the story." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Grandfathers/Fiction; World War, 1939-1945/Fiction; Netherlands/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   8 9 10 11 12
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Zvirin, Stephanie, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Let every nation know: John F. Kennedy in his own words
Other Titles:   biography of John F. Kennedy
Personal Author:   Dallek, Robert; Golway, Terry
Publisher:   Sourcebooks MediaFusion
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   289
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   1-402-20647-X
9781402206474, $29.95
Abstract:   This book gives "brief analyses of 31 of JFK's speeches and debates, presented in audio selections on the accompanying CD-ROM. The results reveal Kennedy's eloquence, humor, and grace under pressure. . . . This work illuminates the importance of public address to the success and reputation of presidents and shows that Kennedy mastered this art." (Libr J)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Kennedy, John F., 1917-1963
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   11 12 Adult
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 16 (Apr. 15 2006). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 5 (Mar. 15 2006). Helicher, Karl, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Atlantic Monthly (1993) v. 298 no. 2 (Sept. 2006). Hitchens, Christopher, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

   
Title:   E. E. Cummings
Personal Author:   Reef, Catherine
Publisher:   Clarion Books
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   149
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-618-56849-9
0-618-56849-2, $21
Abstract:   This is a biography of Edward Estlin Cummings, the author of Fifty Poems (1941), 1 x 1(1944), Xaipe (1950), Poems, 1923-1954 (1954), 95 Poems (1958), 73 Poems (1963), Complete Poems, 1913-1962 (1972), and Tulips & Chimneys (1976).
This "is an engaging look behind the typography at one of the twentieth century's most familiar poets." (Bull Cent Child Books)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subtitle on cover: A poet's life
Subject(s):   Poets, American; Cummings, E. E., 1894-1962
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   7 8 9 10 11 12
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 6 (Nov. 15 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   The Pox party
Personal Author:   Anderson, M. T.
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   351
ISBN:   0-7636-2402-0
978-0-7636-2402-6, $17.99
Abstract:   This is the first of projected two volumes in The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation series. Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War.
"Teens looking for a challenge will find plenty to sink into here. The questions raised about race and freedom are well developed and leave a different perspective on the Revolutionary War than most novels." (Voice Youth Advocates)
Series:   The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation
Subject(s):   Slavery/Fiction; African Americans/Fiction; United States/History/1775-1783, Revolution/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 1 (Sept. 1 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Forever free: the story of emancipation and Reconstruction
Personal Author:   Foner, Eric
Publisher:   Knopf
Publication Year:   2005
Pages:   xxx, 268
Physical Description:   Illustration
Language of Document:   English
ISBN:   0-375-40259-4
978-0-375-40259-3, $27.50
0-375-70274-1 (paperback)
978-0-375-70274-7 (paperback), $15
Abstract:   This "examination of the years of Emancipation and Reconstruction during and immediately following the Civil War emphasizes the era's political and cultural meaning for today's America." (Publisher's note)
This "is an invaluable and timely book about a subject central to U.S. history and still of obvious significance today--slavery, the Civil War, emancipation, Reconstruction, and both the immediate aftermath and longer-term consequences of those things." (Rev Am Hist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Forever Free project: Stephen B. Brier, Peter O. Almond, executive editors/producers; Christine Doudna, editor.
Subject(s):   Reconstruction (1865-1876); Slavery/United States; United States/Politics and government/1865-1898
Dewey Decimal Classification:   973.8
Reading Level:   11 12 Adult
Review:   Choice v. 44 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Smith, J. D., reviewer
Review:   The Washington Monthly v. 38 no. 1/2 (Jan./Feb. 2006). Weber, Jennifer, reviewer
Review:   The New Republic v. 235 no. 6 (Aug. 7 2006). Hahn, Steven, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 5 (Jan. 29 2006). Goodman, James, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

   
Title:   Clemente: the passion and grace of baseball's last hero
Personal Author:   Maraniss, David
Publisher:   Simon & Schuster
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   401
Physical Description:   Illustration; Map
ISBN:   0-7432-1781-0
978-0-7432-17, $26
Abstract:   This is a "biography of the first Latin American player named to the Baseball Hall of Fame." (Libr J)
The author "has produced a baseball-savvy book sensitive to the social context that made Clemente, a black Puerto Rican, a leading indicator of baseball's future." (N Y Times Book Rev)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Baseball/Biography; Clemente, Roberto, 1934-1972
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 13 (Mar. 1 2006). Lukowsky, Wes, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 19 (May 7 2006). Will, George F., reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 98 (Apr. 25 2006). Spanberg, Erik, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Choice v. 44 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Gustafson, W. F., reviewer
Review:   Commonweal v. 133 no. 18 (Oct. 20 2006). Fisher, James T., reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Hispanic v. 19 no. 4 (Apr. 2006). Cruz-Lugo, Victor, reviewer [with full text]
Review:   The Progressive v. 70 no. 7 (July 2006). DiNovella, Elizabeth, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   The road
Personal Author:   McCarthy, Cormac
Publisher:   Knopf
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   241
ISBN:   978-0-307-26543-2
0-307-26543-9, $24
Abstract:   "A nuclear holocaust has reduced everything to ash, mummifying all but a few unlucky souls, who must kill or be killed (and eaten). The main characters are a father and his son, who was born a few nights after the bombs fell. 'We're still the good guys,' the man repeatedly assures the boy as they scavenge their way south for the winter, trying to avoid 'bad guy' survival techniques. . . . The horrors here--an infant 'headless and gutted and blackening on the spit'--are extreme, and, deprived of historical context, . . . [the author's] brutality can seem willful. But McCarthy's prose retains its ability to seduce . . . and there are nods to the gentler aspects of the human spirit." (New Yorker)
Subject(s):   Father-son relationship/Fiction; Voyages and travels/Fiction; Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc./Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 22 (Aug. 2006). Graff, Keir, reviewer
Review:   Newsweek v. 148 no. 14 (Oct. 2 2006). Jones, Malcolm, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (Sept. 25 2006). Maslin, Janet, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 41 (Oct. 8 2006). Kennedy, William, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 98 (Oct. 3 2006). Zipp, Yvonne, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 14 (Sept. 1 2006). DeZelar-Tiedman, Christine, reviewer
Review:   The Times Literary Supplement no. 5406 (Nov. 10 2006). Abell, Stephen, reviewer
Review:   Commonweal v. 133 no. 21 (Dec. 1 2006). Boudway, Matthew, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Entertainment Weekly no. 899 (Sept. 29 2006). Reese, Jennifer, reviewer
Review:   Weekly Standard v. 12 no. 20 (Feb. 5 2007). Macomber, Shawn, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   My life with the saints
Personal Author:   Martin, James S.J.
Publisher:   Loyola Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   411
ISBN:   0-8294-2001-0, $22.95
Abstract:   The author "relates how he discovered various 'saints' and how each has affected his life. . . . Despite a theme built on a particular facet of Catholic belief, Martin's animated style and wide-ranging experiences make this a book readers of diverse backgrounds will enjoy." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Christian saints
Dewey Decimal Classification:   920
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2006). Chavez, Donna, reviewer
Review:   America v. 194 no. 12 (Apr. 3 2006). Donnelly, Doris, reviewer [with full text]
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 6 (Apr. 1 2006). Elia, Anthony J., reviewer [with full text]
Review:   The Christian Century v. 123 no. 23 (Nov. 14 2006). Sweeney, Jon M., reviewer
Review:   Commonweal v. 134 no. 2 (Jan. 26 2007). Cummings, Kathleen Sprows, reviewer
Review:   U.S. Catholic v. 71 no. 4 (Apr. 2006). Billitteri Thomas J., reviewer

 

 
Title:   American born Chinese
Personal Author:   Yang, Gene
Publisher:   First Second
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   233
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-1-59643-152-2
1-59643-152-0 (paperback), $16.95
Abstract:   Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture. Presented in comic book format.
"Yang's crisp line drawings, linear panel arrangement, and muted colors provide a strong visual complement to the textual narrative. . . . This novel explores the impact of the American dream on those outside the dominant culture in a finely wrought story that is an effective combination of humor and drama." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Chinese Americans/Fiction; Graphic novels
Dewey Decimal Classification:   741.5
Reading Level:   7 and up
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 1 (Sept. 1 2006). Karp, Jesse, reviewer

 

 

Title:   National Geographic visual history of the world
Corporate Author:   National Geographic Society (U.S.)
Publisher:   National Geographic Society
Publication Year:   2005
Pages:   656
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-7922-3695-5, $35
Abstract:   "Over 4,000 illustrations and photographs cover individuals and events from prehistory (the beginning to ca. 4000 BCE) to the contemporary world (1945 to the present). . . . This educational and entertaining volume of social, cultural, and military history will appeal to a wide readership." (Choice)
Subject(s):   World history
Dewey Decimal Classification:   902
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 12 (Feb. 15 2006). Harless, Carol, reviewer
Review:   Choice v. 44 no. 1 (Sept. 2006). Campbell, S. D., reviewer

 

 

Title:   100 essential modern poems
Personal Author:   Parisi, Joseph, ed
Publisher:   Ivan R. Dee
Publication Year:   2005
Pages:   305
ISBN:   1-56663-612-4, $24.95
Abstract:   "Each of the 70 individuals whose work is represented receives a short, readable introduction that includes pertinent biographical information, a description of the poet's place in modern literary history, and an analysis of the writer's style. One to three representative poems follow each entry." (SLJ)
"Preceded by wonderfully conversational and expertly appreciative biocritical essays about each poet, his choices are superb as he lingers over Yeats and Stevens and includes often-overlooked witty and satirical poets, among them Dorothy Parker, Ogden Nash, Kay Ryan, Frank O'Hara, and Billy Collins." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   English poetry/Collections; American poetry/Collections
Dewey Decimal Classification:   821.008
Review:   School Library Journal v. 52 no. 6 (June 2006). Janega, Sheila, reviewer [with full text]
Review:   South Carolina Review v. 38 no. 2 (Spr 2006). Collins, Jennifer Lauren, reviewer

 

 

Title:   The reluctant Mr. Darwin: an intimate portrait of Charles Darwin and the making of his theory of evolution
Personal Author:   Quammen, David
Publisher:   Atlas Books/Norton
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   304
ISBN:   0-393-05981-2
978-0-393-05981-6, $22.95
Abstract:   The author "concentrates on how Darwin privately developed his theory of evolution and reluctantly made his ideas public when [Alfred] Wallace began to publish similar theories." (Libr J)
"This often slyly witty book stands out among the flood of books being published for Darwin's bicentenary." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Series:   Great discoveries
Subject(s):   Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 19/20 (June 1-15 2006). Taylor, Gilbert, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 35 (Aug. 27 2006). Desmond, Adrian, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 98 (Aug. 15 2006). Lamb, Gregory M., reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no.