Polo, the Runaway Book, by Regis Faller

Rating: Not Recommended

Roaring Brook Press, 2005, $18.95

ISBN: 159643189X

Grade level: PreK - 2nd

View this book on Amazon

This is a wordless book that just goes on too long. It is from France, and created by an established artist and illustrator, but I found it to be very awkward and difficult to follow. It is about a little dog who gets a book and then it is taken away from him, and he goes from place to place to place to place to try to get it back. I just didn't have the patience to sit and study each picture to try to figure out where the author was taking me. I was bored and felt that it just went too long and wasn't clear. A wordless book has to be compelling to keep the interest of the "reader," and it just didn't catch me.

Reviewer: Ruth Callahan, OCPL - Rancho Santa Margarita

Akira to Zoltan, by Cynthia Chin-Le

Rating: Recommended

Charlesbridge, 2006, $15.95 ISBN: 1570915792

Age level: 8 and up

View this book on Amazon

Akira to Zoltan is the companion book to Amelia to Zora. This is another well-written compliation of short biographical essays about prominent men in world history. The subtitle reads "Twenty-six men who changed the world." It includes such people as filmmaker akira Kurosawa, painter Diego Maria Rivera, poet Langston Hughes, soccer player Pele, animator Walt Disney, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It covers a broad spectrum of political, social, and cultural figures. Although the essays do not provide enough information for reports, the book could certainly supplement other biographies. The book is very browsable and open to a broader audience. Will there be a third in the series?

Reviewer: Ruth Callahan, OCPL - Rancho Santa Margarita

Powers by Deborah Lynn Jacobs

Rating: Very Good

Harper Tempest, 2006, $16.95

ISBN: 1-59643-112-1

Grade Level: 7th Grade and up

View this book on Amazon.

When hottie Adrian tranfers to her Canadian school, Gwen feels something immediately - a sense of foreboding. Visions begin appearing in her mind, and they all involve Adrian, death, and destruction. Something happens to Adrian when he's with Gwen, too - he can hear the thoughts of those areound him, but he feels especially close to Gwen. And when they're together - there are literally sparks. But will getting together make them more powerful or just cauase more destruction? Told in the alternating voices of Gwen and Adrian, Powers is a cut above the usual 'teen-angst,' and with the addition of supernatural elements, it is likely to grab an even wider audience. It's a fun and exhilarating ride, and the reader's sympathies change from chapter to chapter as more and more information is revealed. Jacobs has left room for a sequel, and depending on the success of this one, I think she'll deliver.

Reviewer: Chaunacey Dunklee - Fullerton Public Library

The Turning by Gloria Whelan

Rating: Recommended

HarperCollins, 2006

ISBN: 006075593

Grade level: 4-6

View this book on Amazon

The Turning is a companion novel to National Book Award-winner Gloria Whelan's breathtaking epics Angel on the Square, The Impossible Journey, and Burying the Sun. It offers a riveting portrait of a nation and a young woman at a time of her life when she is growing up and dealing with decisions and possibilities for major change. The story is about a ballerina from Russia who, in 1991, is leaving Leningrad forever. She hopes to be chosen for a French tour, and by leaving Russia will be able to escape the KGB and defect to France. It is not an easy decision, and it is not an easy task. The turmoil within this young girl is beautifully described in Whelan's lyrical prose. The book is a gem and will be added to Whelan's list of well-written and popular novels for children and teens. Highly recommended.

Reviewer: Ruth Callahan - OCPL/Rancho Santa Margarita

How Do You Count a Dozen Ducklings? by In-son Chae

Rating: Additional
Albert Whitman, 2006, $13.00
ISBN: 0807517186
Grade Level: K-2
View this book on Amazon

An interesting counting book with the additional feature of a more complex lesson on multiplication and division. The illustrations are delightful, with individual expressions and personality for each duck. The text is a little stiff, however, and has some grammatical problems. Younger children would enjoy it as well, but older children would more likely understand the math.

Reviewer: Ruth Callahan, OCPL - Rancho Santa Margarita

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Rating: Additional
Grade level: 9th grade and up
Harper Tempest, 2006, $16.99
ISBN: 978-006-0887308
View this book on Amazon

Three years after the disappearance of one of their clique, a group of friends begins to receive threats of revealing their closest guarded secrets. Could it be their missing friend? The girls have grown apart, but they must work together to try to find out who is tormenting them . This is the first book in a planned series. Pretty Little Liars is an entertaining teen thriller. While relying on name-dropping designer brands to provide cachet, Shepard gives readers a serviceable plot, while effectively portraying some of the conflicts facing students. There are a number of questions left unanswered (including passing references to a specific, traumatic event that never gets detailed), which will encourage readers to look for the second book in the series.

Reviewer: Chaunacey Dunklee, Fullerton Public Library

SLS Ratings Explained

The general guidelines used by SLS Reviewers when assigning ratings:

Recommended: First purchase for all libraries.
Very Good: First purchase for most libraries.
Additional: It’s okay.
Marginal: Something is wrong with the book.
Not Recommended: There is definitely something wrong.

Special reader: This book is meant for a special kind of reader, such as a dyslexic child or a child going through a divorce.
Special Collection: This book would be essential for completing a collection of books on a topic, although it might not seem essential for the library as a whole.