A VIOLIN FOR ELVA by Mary Lyn Ray. Illus. by Tricia Tusa. New York: Houghton
MifflinHarcourt Publishing Company, 2015. 32p. ISBN: 978-0-15-225483-4 hc. $16.99.
Pre-S-Gr.3   E PIC

     This is a wonderful story about how it is never too late to pursue and achieve 
a dream.  Elva hears the violin one day and is so enchanted by it, she wants to make
it her own.  Her parents don't understand, so she uses her imagination during every 
day tasks such as brushing her teeth.  As Elva grows, that magical imagination of 
hers begins to wane; she is a busy adult with a job and responsibilities.  Her love 
for music still sparks inside her, and Elva begins to take small steps towards 
achieving her childhood dream of playing the violin and realizes one is never to 
old to make a dream come true.  Beautiful soft watercolor illustrations tell Elva's 
story and make her music come alive. 
     Emily Cummings, Children's Specialist, Dickinson County Library

LEOPARDPOX! by Orna Landau. Illus. by Omer Hoffmann. New York: Houghton Mifflin 
      Harcourt, 2015.  32p. ISBN: 978-0-544-29001-3 hc. $16.99.  PreK-Gr. 3   PIC

      This adorable story is full of imagination and the silly way it can run away
with us no matter what age we are.  Sadie wakes up one morning with symptoms not 
of a cold or flu, but of becoming a leopard cub!  Before her mother knows it, 
Sadie is exhibiting more than symptoms; she is indeed a leopard cub right down to 
her sharp teeth and pointy ears!  The question becomes, "Where can Sadie go to 
be treated for this illness?"  She is passed from the pediatrician to the 
veterinarian to the zoo, until her mother takes charge as only a mother can. 
Through love and patience, Sadie returns to being a little girl again, but is Mom 
growing a tail now, too?!?  
      Emily Cummings, Children's Specialist, Dickinson County Library

THE SCIENCE BEHIND FOOD by Casey Rand. Capstone Global Library, 2012. 32p.  ISBN 978-1410944863 hc. $17.99  Gr.K-2   Juv NF

Rand presents food science according to typical foods children would eat.  There's pizza science and food as energy.  The book explains food concepts in basic easy to understand terms, and includes recipes for children to make, such as ice cream.

USING ELECTRICITY by Chris Oxeade.  Heinemann, 2012.  32p.  ISBN 978-1432956769 pbk. $7.99  Gr. 1-3  Juv NF
This book explains how we use electricity in our daily lives.  Electricity is an energy that can be converted into light, movement or heat. It explains how electricity is made, with what kind of fuels, and how we need to conserve.  Well written and easy to understand.
Cindy Harder, Crystal Falls District Community Library, Crystal Falls, MI

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart.  New York: Delacorte Press, 2014. 227p. ISBN 978038 5741262 hb. $17.99   Gr. 9-12   YA FIC

If you like engaging writing, unreliable narrators and a story full of twists and turns, check out "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart.  Cadence, her cousins and their friend Gat have spent many idyllic summers together on her grandparents' private island, while the adults fought about property and wills.  Now Cadence has returned to the island for a summer of healing after a tragic accident that has left her with no memory of what happened.  It's hard to say much about this beautiful book without giving away the shocking revelation that makes its story so impossible to forget.  Be prepared for psychological mystery, heart-wrenching sadness and, most of all, lies.
Mary Schneeberger, Teen Library Services, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI

Here's another not-so-new picture book, or pair of books, for preschoolers by Anthony Browne titled "My Mom" and "My Dad." They were published a few years back (about 2001), but will be around for years and years to come. The storylines are simple, emphasizing the virtues of the perfect mother and father. The illustrations are also colorful and entertaining. Their outstanding feature is the repetitive use of a floral print for the mother and a brown plaid for the father throughout every page of the book. When the mother becomes as beautiful as a butterfly, the floral pattern of her dress becomes prominent in the wings of the butterfly. The creativity of the illustrations impressed me most of all. I loved these books and would recommend them to all families of young children!
Lynette Suckow, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame.  Illustrated by Michael Foreman. New York:  Harcourt, Inc., 2002 231p. ISBN 0-15-215807 hc. $24.00  Gr. 3-6   JUV FIC

This is a beautifully illustrated edition of the classic story of the adventures of four animal friends: Mole, Ratty. Toad, and Mr. Badger.  This edition contains reproductions of two of Kenneth Graham's letters to his son, Alistair.  They were written in 1907, when Alistair was 7 years old, and in them is quite possibly the first draft of Toad Adventures," wherein Toad continues his escape from prison on a train.  Michael Foreman's beautiful watercolors appear on every page and truly make the story a visual delight.  The endpapers contain a map of the countryside, so that the course of adventures can be followed, and the individual illustrations, very expressively capture the enthusiasm and energy that bring the entire story to life.  This book will appeal to all ages.
Kay Elzinga, Board Member, Superiorland Library Cooperative

ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD by Varsha Bajaj.  Chicago, IL:  Albert Whitman & Co. 2014. 249p. ISBN:  978 0 8075 6363 2  hc. $16.99  Gr. 5-9   YA FIC

Review: Typical teenage fantasy story with Indian culture twist.  13 yr old Abby Spencer has grown up with her Mother and Grandparents in the USA.  She wants to know who her father is and wants to meet him.  Through a twist of having an allergic reaction to coconut, her Mother contacts her old boyfriend, Abby’s father – who by now happens to be a Bollywood star.  THE Bollywood star.  Abby travels to India to meet him and he welcomes her into his lavish life with open arms. While visiting Abby learns about Indian culture.  Feel good tween read.
Joanne Weber, Munising School Public Library