AMERICAN PANDA by Gloria Chao. New York: Simon Pulse, 2018. 320p.  ISBN 978-1481499101 hc. $16.99     Gr. 8-12    YA FIC

As she begins classes at MIT to become a doctor, Mei Lu realizes that she's not able to fulfill her Taiwanese parents' dream of a prestige medical career.  She's a germaphobe.  Her parents also want her to date someone rich and Taiwanese, get married, and have children.  Mei Lu is a dancer at heart with her own dreams to open a dance studio.  In the midst of this juggling act, Mei Lu meets an attractive, intriguing, Japanese student who seems to like her too.  How can she tell her parents that she needs an alternative plan, when they've already cut her older brother, Xing, out of their lives for becoming engaged to an American?  How can she re-connect with Xing, keep a relationship with her parents, and make a life of her own choosing?  The title, AMERICAN PANDA is a subtle way to tell readers that  American and Taiwanese cultures aren't easy to separate as black and white.  Mei Lu's life has a lot of blurry lines.  As an aside, pandas are native to Taiwan.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

KNOCK KNOCK by Tammi Sauer. Illus. by Guy Francis. New York:  Scholastic Press, 2018. ISBN 978-133811694-6 hc. $16.99     Gr. K-2     E PIC

Bear is awakened by a "Knock Knock" on his door.  He replies, "Who's there?" only to find himself the recipient of a clever knock-knock joke.  The first joke is followed by five more until everyone has arrived at bear's house with a party sending him off for winter hibernation.  Bear's annoyance wears off as his friends tuck him into bed and read him a bedtime story.  Three months later, he's awake and ready to remind everyone "It's spring!"  Large illustrations in bright colors, along with very large and limited text, make this story perfect for read-alouds.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

SCIENCE COMICS:  ROCKETS DEFYING GRAVITY by Anne Drozd & Jerzy Drozd.  New York:  First Second Books, 2018.  ISBN 978-162672-8257 pbk.$12.99    Gr. 3-5   JUV GRAPHIC

Enjoy reading while learning the history of science.  Lewis is the first cartoon animal to introduce readers to the ancient scientists who worked with rockets.  He is soon joined by a cartoon menagerie who talk with Sir Isaac Newton about gravity, and quickly move on to other experts on physics and propulsion.  The authors show readers how rockets are used for entertainment (such as fireworks), in warfare, and for space exploration.  Along with the history of the rocket and its inventors, there's a timeline and glossary in the back of the book to tie the information to classroom curriculum.  This book is part of a series by various authors that cover the science of volcanoes, dinosaurs, bats, coral reefs, dogs, robots and drones....and more still to be published.  You won't run out of topics!
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

RHYTHM OF THE REEF adapted by Lisa Charlesworth. Boston, MA:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.  ISBN 978-132885278-6 pbk. $4.99   Ages 3-5   E PIC

Jim Henson's Splash and Bubbles series is based on a television series created by John Tartaglia.  This book and SHARK SURPRISE are stories about the adventures of a group of fish friends.  Both books include "Fin Facts" about the guest characters - a shark and an octopus - adding a bit of science to the reading experience.  These books also feature stickers on the last page and a foldout ocean scene for readers to create their own story.

MY COLORFUL REEF and SO MANY SEA CREATURES! are board books with the same characters and a gimmick of their own.  Crinkly cloth fish tails are incorporated into the book binding to appeal to toddlers, along with short stories that highlight colors and numbers.

DIVE IN, LEND A FIN! completes the series with another board book that talks about ocean conservation, at a very basic level.  Half of the pages have plastic panels that layer together to make the illustrations into an adventure of discovery.  Adults and children will both love these books that add activity to the reading environment.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI  49855

THE LONG ISLAND by Drew Beckmeyer.  San Francisco, CA:  Chronicle Books.  56p.  ISBN 978-145215485-5 hc. $17.99     Gr. 1-4    E PIC

When was the last time you read a picture book illustrated in  crayon?  People are depicted as silhouettes.  No faces.  No hair.  No clothes.  The pictures are bold, but simple, effectively telling the story in combination with the sparse, but grammatically correct, text.  The book's formatting is beautiful and unique.  Beckmeyer creates a story of exploration and adventure.  The inhabitants of a small island find a way to explore the hard-to-reach wilderness on other side.  They make it more accessible and then people come to settle the region.  However, an explorer can't stop seeking the unknown.  Near the end of the story, a single explorer uses a motor boat to do what a whole boat of paddlers did at the beginning of the story.  This story rings true when you look back at centuries of land exploration which led to space exploration, and ocean exploration, as technology improved.  There's a lot to talk about after reading this book!
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

AMAL UNBOUND by Aisha Saeed.  New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018.  240p.  ISBN 978-0399544682 hc. $ 17.99      Gr. 4-7     JUV

Although she lived in Pakistan, Amal led a normal life with the same dreams of children in all cultures.  She loved learning, reading books, talking with her friends and family, and she had hopes of becoming a teacher when she grew up.  Her life began to unravel when her mother had her fifth child and couldn't seem to return to her daily routine.  The chores and childcare fell to Amal as eldest child, causing her to drop out of school.  A fateful outing to the marketplace led to an unpleasant accident with the village's tyrannical landlord, Jawad Sahib, and resulted in Amal being sent to his house to live as a servant until her father's debt was paid off.  She soon discovered that the Khan family charged room and board to their servants and the debts were never paid off.  Amal would be a servant in the Khan household forever.  However, an overheard conversation and the courage to report it to outside authorities changed Amal's fortune once again and restored her faith in the justice system.  The story is inspired by the true story of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot while attending school in her Pakistan village, and now travels the world speaking out against violence while advocating for the  education of girls, as well as boys.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

ALFIE by Thyra Heder.  New York:  Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2017.  40p. ISBN 978-141972529-6 hc. $17.95    Gr. K-3     E PIC

Alfie, the turtle, left the pet store to live with Nia on her sixth birthday.  They were both six years old.  Nia fed Alfie, played with him, and told him stories every day, until her seventh birthday when he disappeared from his aquarium.  An artistic transition page leads readers to Alfie's side of the story.  Because he loved spending time with Nia, he wanted to get her an amazing present for their seventh birthday.  He left the aquarium, traveled through the house, and ventured out into town, only to return to the backyard pond for a well-deserved hibernation in the mud.  When he woke up in the spring, as turtles do, he was welcomed to Nia's birthday celebration - a year late.  The ink and watercolor illustrations are a visual treat and truly add to the story - especially the surprise ending.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI