Brown, James. A World of Information.

Brown, James. A World of Information. Candlewick Press   2017  63p $25.00  ISBN 978-0-7636-9348-0  all ages     Nonfiction  VG-BN        

This is an oversized collection of useful facts and trivia.  Each of thirty double-paged spreads presents a specific topic, including the anatomy of a bicycle, different types of knots, polygons, the Fibonacci Sequence, and musical notations, and the standardizations of paper sizes.  Each section is displayed in a monochromatic color scheme, with eye-catching graphics and photographs and fascinating facts.  The excellent page layout and choices of typefaces and colors enhance the offered information.  While the book presents, by necessity, a cursory overview of fascinating information, it is sure to whet the interest of its readers for more material. Highly recommended for all libraries.   

Information                                        --Susan Ogintz

Cameron, Sharon. The Knowing.

Cameron, Sharon. The Knowing. Scholastic Press  2017     435p  $18.99   ISBN 978-0-545-94524-0    ms/hs     Science Fiction. E-BN         

Sometimes the elements of storytelling come together in such a fashion that the reader is propelled forward through the pages of a novel.  Sometimes the characters are charismatic and so well-developed that they are in control of a story, and the reader is just along for the ride.  In this novel both of the above characteristics are present, and the reader will appreciate the journey taken by young Beckett to find the lost city of Canaan on a planet far from Earth.  When he meets Samara, the two spark a relationship that is as unique as they come.  Samara is one of the Knowing, a group of descendants of previous travelers into space who set themselves apart from others in the Underneath, keeping secret the trait that separates her from typical humans.  Samara can scan her mind for memories, both painful and joyful, and can even remember information scanned from books.  Samara has been climbing up to the Outside where she uses her skills to help wherever possible, since the Outsiders are not part of the Knowing, and it is there that she meets Beckett.  Both Beckett and Samara grow to distrust people whom they previously trusted, and as the plot thickens, it becomes detrimental to both that they have broken the rules of their civilizations.  Beckett interferes in a colony when he is supposedly there to learn.  Samara interferes by choosing to forget, thus exposing her colony to dangers from the outside.  The paradox?  If Samara achieves her goal of forgetting events like the pain of her brother’s death and the role she played in her friend Nita’s death, will she also forget her love for Beckett?  If Beckett achieves his goal of breaking into the Underneath with a potion that will make all of the Knowing forget, will the colony then be overrun by the commander of the space ship and her followers and returned to Earth, where they will be virtual slaves?  The drama unfolds, the climax is exciting, and the falling action wraps up a nearly perfect book.  Sharon Cameron shows herself to aptly provide fresh new voices in futuristic scenarios that are believable yet unbelievable at the same time.  Her use of technology is remarkable, as are her imaginative ideas about what could happen in the future. Middle-school and high-school libraries have to stock copies of this novel, as well as its companion novel, The Forgetting.  Stand-alone novels they are, yet readers who love Cameron’s writing style will want to dive into another quickly.

Summary: In a settlement called Canaan, Sam is one of the Knowing, a group who has moved underground, believing itself to be special because members never forget anything.  She respects her skills but rebels.  Beckett is on an expedition from Earth to find the lost colony established years earlier.  He violates every rule about remaining uninvolved, and together, Sam and Beckett try to save the Knowing and the Outsiders.    

Science Fiction                               --Martha Squaresky

Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo.

Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo. Candlewick Press     2017 421p $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-9164-6  hs/adult  Mysery/Suspense  E-BN         

Zara knows she is meant to be on stage. In her senior year of high school, she lands the leading role of Echo in the off-Broadway Greek tragedy Echo and Ariston. The writing is exquisitely filled with imagery of the theater, from the soft folds and smell of the curtain to the cluttered prop storage rooms, from the sparse costume design rooms to the dark spaces in the catwalks. Her first trip inside the theater finds her with a dead body on her hands and the curse of the Aurelia seems to be coming to life -- three deaths will occur before opening night. The lecherous director intimidates her, and the lead actor, a famous teen star portraying Ariston, is himself a puzzle. She finds herself falling in love, not with Ariston, but with Eli, the lighting director. Her confidence soon fades as she wonders if she is in over her head, with her life possibly in danger. The taut suspense waiting for the next death and the clues to the identity of the real killer will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last few pages. For any fan of theater, this book will have special appeal. Relationships among the actors and those behind the scenes complicate both the love story and the mystery.  For any mystery or theater lover, this is a must read. Riveting reading.   

A must-purchase for high-school libraries, especially where theater has a strong presence. For mystery lovers, the twists and turns will surprise even the most veteran sleuth of a reader.  

Summary: Zara lands a leading part in an off-Broadway Greek tragedy and her confidence diminishes under the tutelage of a harsh lecher of a director. The curse of the Aurelia Theater comes to life as people die. Outstanding imagery, taut suspense. Gr 9+

Romance-Fiction, Theater-Fiction                   --Lois McNicol

Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Kristallnacht.

Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Kristallnacht. Capstone/Compass Point  2018 112p $35.99  ISBN 978-0-7565-5583-2     ms   Nonfiction  VG-BNS   series: Eyewitness To World War II 

Middle-school students who are interested in learning more about Kristallnacht and the beginnings of the Holocaust will appreciate this new title in the Eyewitness to World War II series.  The book is written in a story-like fashion with personal quotations and primary sources, and students will gain a better understanding of Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass". When German Jews were blamed for Germany’s problems, Hitler and the Nazi Party encouraged their private army, known as the Sturmabteilungen or SA, to destroy Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.  Students read first-hand the devastation this event caused Jews, with more than 8,000 Jewish-owned homes, businesses, and schools destroyed by fire and total destruction and more than 30,000 Jews sent to concentration camps. The author provides readers with insights into Hitler and his power, as well as the conditions in the concentration camps -- the deaths, the discrimination against Jews, and what occurred in the aftermath of Kristallnacht.  Students will empathize with Jews, as these death camps murdered more than six million Jews, or two-thirds of the Jews living in Europe in 1939.

The author includes black-and-white period photographs, personal quotations, maps, primary sources, interesting sidebars, a timeline of events, a glossary of terms, a list of recommended books and websites, critical thinking questions, source notes, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index.  The title would make an excellent addition to a middle-school collection for both reading and history reports.   

Summary: “Recounts the events surrounding the November 1938 attacks in which Nazi troops in Germany and Austria destroyed more than eight thousand Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, beginning the Nazi's persecution of the Jews.”

Holocaust, World War II, Kristallnacht, 1938      

                                         --Charleen Forba-MacCain

Gourley, Catherine, ed. Journeys: Young Readers’ Letters to Authors Who Changed Their Lives.

Gourley, Catherine, ed.   Journeys: Young Readers’ Letters to Authors Who Changed Their Lives.     Candlewick Press  2017    226p $9.99     ISBN 978-0-7636-9578-1    ms/hs  Letters  E-BN         

This fabulous book is a compilation of letters written by elementary, middle,and high-school students to authors, both living and deceased. The letters express the ways in which these individual authors’ books touched the students in a profound personal manner.
    

The book is divided into three parts: elementary, middle, and high-school literature and letters. The three parts are then further separated into chapters that each relate to one primary literary theme. Each letter is prefaced by a quotation by the author of the book being addressed in the letter, a brief description of the author’s intent in writing the book, and a brief summary. Each letter expresses the ways in which the student was profoundly affected by the book and the difference the book made in his or her life. The organization is consistent and effective. All genres of fiction are represented, as well as nonfiction literature including poetry and graphic nonfiction.
    

This book is appropriate for readers ten years of age and above, and it will appeal to readers for various reasons. It is truly an inspiration for those who love reading, as well as for reluctant readers. It is also recommended for teaching professionals and could definitely be used in lessons as a mentor text.  It is highly recommended as a basic book for all libraries to own.   

Literature, Letters                           --Virginia McGarvey