Booklist Online: More than 130,000 book reviews for librarians, book groups, and book lovers - from the trusted experts at the American Library Association

Lynn:  The lives of artists are often a challenge to write about for children and none more so than Diego Rivera.  Controversial in almost all aspects of  his life, Diego Rivera was also a towering figure in the art world (and in stature) and his work remains incredibly powerful today. Susan Goldman Rubin’s new book, [...]

Cindy: Some books grow on you in surprising ways. I read On a Beam of Light (Chronicle 2013), liked it, and set it aside to take to school to show my 6th grade science teachers but I wasn’t planning to write a blog post about it. But overnight its messages haunted me.  One of my [...]

Lynn:  Cooking is a hot topic these days.  I remember the days when cooking was the stay-at-home-mom’s sole province but not only has American cooking changed markedly from the Campbell’s soup and casseroles days but men are often the major cooks in the family.  My oldest son is a far better cook than I am [...]

Lynn:  Don Brown brings a pivotal historical event to life for young readers in Henry and the Cannons:  An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution (Roaring Brook, 2013).  This IS an extraordinary story!   I remember studying this in school in Boston and thinking it was pretty cool but it wasn’t till we visited [...]

Cindy: After Lynn found this book at the public library and foolishly loaned it to me, her overdue fines would have purchased a Bakelite bracelet set.  I’ve finally returned the book to her so we can get this post published. Style Me Vintage: Clothes: A Guide to Sourcing and Creating Retro Looks ( Pavilion 2012) [...]

Lynn:  In an age of expensive entertainment, the opening sentence of Look Up!:  Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard (Candlewick 2013) has a refreshing simplicity: “You don’t have to go anywhere fancy to watch birds!” In fact, Cate goes on to assure young readers that all they really need to do is learn to keep quiet [...]

Cindy: Booklist readers know that The Fairy Ring: or Elsie and Frances Fool the World (Candlewick 2012) was named Booklist’s Top of the List 2012 Youth Nonfiction winner. I had read this bizarre little nonfiction book in the fall and couldn’t believe the hoax that these two young girls pulled off, including pulling the wool [...]

Lynn:   Desperate people with armed men intent on their capture, an entire town racing to their rescue, facing down the villains and risking their very lives for what is right.   It sounds like the plot for a terrific action movie but this is the true story being told in The Price of Freedom:  How [...]

Cindy: I started reading Lincoln’s Grave Robbers (Scholastic 2013) on the plane ride home from ALA Midwinter the day that Sheinkin won a 2013 Newbery Honor and the 2013 YALSA Nonfiction Award and the 2013 Sibert Medal for Bomb. This one may not be quite as destined for award stickers at the end of the year, [...]

Lynn:  Here is the challenge should you chose to accept it.  Describe A Little Book of Sloth (S&S March 2013) without using the word cute or dissolving into a puddle of goo over the adorable pictures.  I’m sorry but even the indefatigable Mr. Phelps would find that a total impossible mission.  It simply can’t be [...]