Books in Brief: Neighborhood Sharks

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended:  Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy


Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. It's about sharks! The subject matter is awesome in and of itself!

2. It has beautifully illustrated paintings of sharks and their surrounding environment.

3. The textual material and accompanying diagrams are informative and incorporate the latest research into sharks' life cycle and hunting habits--if you're not a shark researcher or a close follower of the subject, you'll probably learn a lot (that goes for adults as well as kids)!

4. The book's depictions of a shark hunting are accurate (aka, lots of blood!) without being gruesome.

5. It offers ample "food" for thought to ponder the place of sharks vs. humans in the world beyond the confines of horror movies. To quote the book, "While their 800,000 human neighbors dine on steak, salad, and sandwiches, the white sharks hunt for their favorite meal." And the book clearly shows that sharks' favorite (or at least most typical) meal is not humans.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in non-fiction, under the call number j 597.33 R.

Books in Brief: Sophie's Squash

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. It's a charming story about a girl who saves a squash from being served for family dinner, and adopts it as a pet.

2. It's based on a true story! The author's daughter once fell in love with a squash.

3. Who needs a boring goldfish when you can have an exciting squash?

4. There's a twist ending, after the girl gives the squash a nice outdoor dirt bed for the winter.

5. The squash resembles an even cuter version of the "Biting Pear of Salamanca," by fellow children's author/illustrator Ursula Vernon:

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How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in picture book fiction, under the call number jE MIL.

Books in Brief: Wilfred

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Wilfred by Ryan Higgins

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. It features a vividly-imagined world where a hairy monster searching for a friend encounters a town of bald people.

2. The illustrations are excellent. Expressive characters and intricate textures.

3. It tells a Lorax-type tale about the perils of over-exploitation of our environment.

4. Except in this case it's the over-harvesting of monster hair for the purpose of making toupees.

5. There are many birch trees depicted. Logically, since the author is from Maine.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in picture book fiction, under the call number jE HIG.

Books in Brief: Traction Man is Here!

Picture Book: Traction Man is Here!

Author: Mini Grey

Reviewer: Travis

Five Reasons Why This Book is Awesome:

1. Finally, a picture book action figure who stands up for Truth, Justice, and the British (?) Way!

2. Traction Man manages to turn a variety mundane situations, such as washing dishes and taking a bath, into heroic rescues of household objects and toys.

3. He has an adorable sidekick-slash-pet named Scrubbing Brush.

4. One of the Library of Congress subject headings of the book is "Brooms and Brushes--Fiction"

5. It offers an ingenious way to transform ugly knitted Christmas coveralls into fashionable swim gear, all without compromising your heroism.

Books In Brief: I Want My Hat Back

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. This book pushes picture book storytelling to a new level of absurdity.

2. A bear has lost his hat and goes around asking the animals if they have seen it. They all say no, and he gives up in despair. But wait! What if he HAS seen it?

3. The text is spare and haiku-like, but with an implication of deadpan humor.

4. The drawings are likewise minimalistic, with a blank background and a style that seems like an ironic response to Eric Carle.

5. This book will appeal to people who are tired of didactic children's books. There is no way you will learn any important lessons here. But it's funny!

Where can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department under the call number jE KLA.

Books In Brief: Children Make Terrible Pets

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. Answers the important question, "Do children make good pets?" You'll have to read it all the way through to find out!

2. Has a cool graphic novel/picture book hybrid format; aka, a picture book with speech balloons.

3. The role-reversal story line has humor that appeals to both kids and adults.

4. The pencil-drawn artwork and design are excellent and innovative, using wood and construction paper.

5. The cliffhanger ending will make you wonder if elephants make good pets. Fortunately, there's a sequel called You Will be My Friend!.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department under the call number jE BRO.

Books In Brief: Meanwhile...

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Meanwhile... by Jason Shiga

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. This is actually a Choose Your Own Adventure-style book, but in a graphic novel format.

2. That means that you can win or lose!

3. A poor choice in ice cream leads to your encounter with a mad scientist, and you'll hold the fate of humanity in your hands.

4. It's silly AND apocalyptic.

5. Once you win, you can go back and find the secret extras that the author hid in the book.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in graphics, under the call number j GRA SHIGA.

Books In Brief: Crogan's Vengeance

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Crogan's Vengeance by Chris Schweizer (first in the Crogan Adventures series)

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. Hand-drawn historical adventure on the high seas.

2. Gripping story.

3. Authentic setting and style of speech ("Loads of truthiness" according to graphic novelist Jeff Smith).

4. Has a great moral, which is actually just an excuse to tell a good story.

5. Appeals to children of all ages.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in graphics, under the call number j GRA SCHWEIZER.

Meet Books In Brief Reviewer Travis Johnson!

Travis works part-time here at library while pursuing his graduate studies.

Hi, Travis! What are your favorite genres and subjects to read about?Graphic novels, history, and science.

Besides reading, what are your other hobbies and interests?I enjoy music and learning languages. Right now, I'm tackling Japanese. I don't have any pets, but I used to have a carnivorous pitcher plant.

To find reviews and recommendations by Travis, simply click on his name in our "Contributors" list on the right, or search for the label "Travis."