Muchacho

Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson

The inspiring teacher of Dangerous Minds ( memoirs turned into movie) writes her first YA novel about a student trying to succeed at school despite his circumstances. Eddie is smart but live happens and the system of education is not always able to make changes.

Meanwhile: Pick any path 3,856 story possibilities

Meanwhile by Jason Shiga is a graphic novel, a choose-your-path story and an interesting idea about reading. The tabs and the pipes send the reader of this graphic story in different directions.

The Champion of Children

The Champion of Children: The story of Janusz Korczak 2009
This books details Korczak, a Pole who started an orphange. His theories were to love and take care of each child. He was a champion of children's rights that are reflected in the UN Rights of the Child. Korczak had to take his children into the Warsaw ghetto in World War II and he and the children dies in Treblinka extermination camp.

Boys without Names

by Kashmira Sheth depicts 11 year old Gopal's experience as his family is forced economically from his village and his family heads to Mumbai. There Gopal is tricked into child labor, but her does not give up as he learns how to survive. This books has a better ending while still showing the child labor system.

Green Glass Sea

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages is a recent historical fiction. It tells of the families at Los Alamos during World War II. Dewey is main character living with her engineer father. She loves to build things and regularly visits the dump for parts. The books has a feel for the time and the project, but it also shows the need for friends and a family. The sequel is White Sands, Red Menace that continues the story past the war.

My Heart is Like a Zoo

My Heart is Like a Zoo is a new title uses heart shapes to make all sorts of animals. There is a zany rhyming going on as well.

Harper has a browse inside feature that lets you see most of the book.
Animation video of the book forming shapes

Fantasy and Baseball

This ALSC 2010 Notable book is a delightful mix of baseball, fantasy and family situation. Oscar Egg is an adopted child who is left with his little know unusual dad when his mother what a weekend with the new boyfriend. it turns out his dad lives under Boston Park's Fenway Park and he is part of a family of Cursed Creatures caught in the Boston Sox curse since Babe Ruth left the team. Oscar believes he can break the curse but there are forces who try to stop him.