PENGUIN'S CHRISTMAS WISH by Salina Yoon. Bloomsbury, NY: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2016.
40p.  ISBN: 9781681191553 hc. $14.99      PreS-Gr.2     E PIC
Sometimes, a simple wish to share time with friends is the best Christmas present one can receive.
Penguin is back for another adventure in the North Pole. His friend, Pumpkin, is sad because pine trees
cannot grow there, and he is hoping for a Christmas tree. Penguin has an idea; he gathers decorations and
friends as he leads them to a forest. A windstorm threatens to blow away the spirit of Christmas, but the
magic of the season has a surprise in store for Penguin. The story is told in simple third person with large,
easy to read text. The bright, bold, colorful illustrations pop with appeal, especially the unique aerial views.
The Christmas spirit is alive and well without any hint of commercialization or complication in the plot.
Emily Cummings, Children's Specialist, Dickinson County Library

YOU CAN FLY:  The Tuskegee Airmen by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Jeffery Weatherford.  New York: Athenum Books for Young Readers, 2017. 96p. ISBN 978-1481449380 hc. $16.99    Gr. 4-8     JNF (811.6)

Told from the perspective of a young black recruit who took part in a pilot training program at Tuskegee Institute at the beginning of World War II, these historical poems imply much more than they say about inequality between blacks and whites.  Weatherford chooses her words well.  “Some days, you look heavenwards, sensing that it might be easier to defy gravity than Jim Crow,” referring to Jim Crow laws that denied blacks the same freedoms enjoyed by whites.  In addition to poems about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and descriptions of dogfights with Nazi pilots, several poems chronicle efforts by singer, Lena Horne, boxer Joe Louis, and attorney William Henry Hastie to further the rights of blacks through their celebrity status.  A timeline at the back of the book follows the progression of equal rights from the Civil War to 2007, when the Tuskegee Airmen finally received their long overdue Congressional Medals of Honor at the White House.

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

WET CEMENT: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka.  New York: Roaring Book Press, 2016. 45p. ISBN: 978-1626722361 hc. $17.99.     Gr. 2-4     J 811

Raczka describes concrete poems as word paintings or shape poems.  His poems becomes a work of art, as well as a precise combination of words used to convey an idea.  Enjoy 21 poems which include orbiting in a circle around the sun, erasing mistakes with a pencil made of words, and reading icicles hanging from the top of the page.  The last poem is titled, "PoeTRY," encouraging readers to try their own hand at creating concrete poems.  Combine this book with Raczka's "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" (2013) to provide simple and interesting models for writing poetry individually or as a group.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI  49855

WATER IS WATER by Miranda Paul. Illus. by Jason Chin.  New York: Roaring Book Press, 2016.  32p.  ISBN 978-159643984-9 hc. $17.99      Gr. K-1     JNF 551.48

The water cycle is explained in simple text and illustrated with kids using water while they participate in everyday activities.  The text rhymes as water becomes steam, evaporates into the form of clouds, fog, and rain.  As the weather turns cold, water takes on the solid shapes of snow and ice.  The playful illustrations by Jason Chin are emphasized by softer watercolor backgrounds, as children find ways to enjoy the water cycle in each kind of weather.  The information pages at the back of the book summarizes the water cycle, highlighting scientific vocabulary and recommending some other books on the use and re-use of water.

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

SEVEN AND A HALF TONS OF STEEL by Janet Nolan.  Illus. by Thomas Gonzalez.  Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 2016.  32p.  ISBN 978-156145-912-4 hc. $17.95    Gr. 1-4    JNF 623.825

Illustrations begin to tell the story of a plane flying into a skyscraper before the written narration takes over.  Loss of life from September 11, 2001 is gently acknowledged, but the real focus of the book is the rebuilding process that began with one steel girder from the World Trade Center in New York City, weighing in at seven and a half tons.  It was shipped to New Orleans in Louisiana, melted down, and re-shaped into the bow of a ship named the USS New York.  Work on the ship was delayed by several years because of damage done to the New Orleans shipyards by Hurricane Katrina. Finally, in 2009, this warship was complete and commissioned by the U.S. Navy.  To this day, the USS New York is led by the seven and a half tons of steel in its bow that came from Ground Zero, and sails in memory of the people who died on 9/11. 

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

LEAP! by JonArno Lawson. Illus. by Josee Bisaillon.  Ontario, Canada: Kids Can Press, 2017.  ISBN 978-177138-6784 hc. $16.99     Gr. K-2    E PIC

"A flea asleep
in the deep green moss
nettled by midges
wakes up cross -" and leaps into the path of a grasshopper, who leaps onto a rabbit, who startles a dog, who leaps into the lake scaring fish, who leap out of the water next to a frog, who leaps from his lilypad and keeps things in motion.  This cause-and-effect story could go on and on, if readers want to continue the story on their own.  The illustrations are fluid, as the characters move from page to page, showing off the beautiful scenery in each new location.  The poetry is written in an irregular meter that forms paragraphs and includes unusual rhymes that introduce new vocabulary.  Teachers may want to use LEAP as a "jumping-off" point for creative writing or as a read-aloud for fun.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

WITCH WARS by Sibeal Pounder.  Illus. by Laura Ellen Anderson. New York: Bloomsbury, 2017.  265p.  ISBN: 978619639256 hc.  $16.99    Gr. 3-6    J FIC

If you've ever wondered why a witch's hat has a point or why they have warts, the answers can be found in "Witch Wars" by Sibeal Pounder.  Tiga Wicabim is a 9 year-old orphan living with the mean Miss Heks when Fran the Fabulous Fairy pops out of the sink and offers her an escape.  Fran informs Tiga that she is a witch! The proof is in her name: Tiga Wicabmim is an anagram for I AM A BIG WITCH.  Tiga travels down the drainpipe to Sinkville and is immediately thrust into the Witch Wars, a competition of nine witches, all 9 years old. Tiga faces tough choices and tricky riddles as she makes new friends and fights to become the Top Witch.  Tiga is smart, loyal, and determined, even as the underdog.  Anderson's gray-scale illustrations complement the all black and white world of Sinkville perfectly.  This series launch is sure to please 8-12 year-old girls who enjoy a little magic, fairy dust, and adventure. 
Megan Buck, Director, Dickinson County Library, Iron Mountain, MI