Young, Moira. Road To Ever After.

Young, Moira. Road To Ever After. Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends  2018

215p $16.99  ISBN 978-1-250-11729-8  elem/ms  Fantasy  E-BN

This novel is beautifully written. Davy David is an orphan who has
artistic talent drawing angels in the dirt. He copies the pictures
from a book about Renaissance angels. Just before Christmas, a stray
dog he names George sets the events in motion. Davy meets old Miss
Flint, who hires him to drive her back to her childhood home by the
sea. Reluctantly he agrees. Along the way they steal a truck full of
turkeys. When the truck runs out of gas, they buy a decrepit
motorcycle with a sidecar and then they steal a police car and a
bicycle and finally walk the the last leg of their journey.

After the first night, Miss Flint grows younger every few hours until she is a little girl of ten who has left her house. Seeking an explanation for this, Davy comes across a Celtic theory that says it takes three days for a soul to get to heaven and it is guarded and protected during that time. Davy decides that he and George are the protectors who are meant to escort Miss Flint to the place where she will go to heaven. After her death, Davy finds out that the house has been left to him and he has a bright future for the first time in his life.


The use of words is absolutely beautiful in this novel. The way death
is viewed and treated is so gentle and serene that this title could be
of help to a student dealing with the death of a relative. While
growing younger by the hour is a fantasy, the author makes it seem
plausible. An excellent title for middle-school readers. Gentle and
beautifully written, this novel is excellent for middle-school
readers.

Summary: Beautifully written novel about an orphan boy and the elderly
lady he is taking back to her childhood home. She is going home to
die. Death is treated beautifully.  Grades 5-8.

Orphans-Fiction, Death-Fiction                         --Joan Theal

Young, Judy. Wild World of Buck Bray.

Young, Judy.  Wild World of Buck Bray.  Sleeping Bear Press  2016  227p  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-58536-970-6        elem/ms  Mystery/Detective            VG-BN

Buck is working with his father for the first time to film a wilderness-oriented TV show for children.  With the cameraman’s daughter, Toni, they spot a mother bear and her two cubs.  They see this group several times, until one day the cubs are not with the mother bear.  Buck and Toni have innocently led the poachers to the cubs.  They eventually realize that adults they trusted are not what they seemed to be.  As they work to solve the mystery, they find their own lives in danger.

This novel has great adventure, mystery, and beautiful descriptions of the animals and Denali National Park in Alaska.  This would be a great read for grades 5-6, older for reluctant readers.                       

Summary: Buck is filming a TV show in Denali National Park.  When two bear cubs disappear, he and friend Toni solve the crime, putting their lives in danger.  This novel includes great adventure, nature, and descriptions of the park.  Grade 4 up.

National Parks-Fiction, Bears-Fiction                                                                                    --Joan Theal

Albert Pujols.

Young, Jeff C.  Albert Pujols.  Enslow  2014  48p  $17.95  ISBN 978-0-7660-4228-5  elem/ms  series: Sports Stars Who Care  Sports biography  VG-BN

Albert Pujols is known as a record setter during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals.  This book provides a statistical chart at the back of the book, a glossary, an index and an address where readers can write letters to him.  A colorfully illustrated book showing Pujols at work both on and off the field, this book will satisfy report writers as well as baseball fans.  His family life as well as professional life indicate a person who aspires to do his best on and off the field.  Since his trade to the Los Angeles Angels, Pujols’s statistics have fallen somewhat, but his philanthropic efforts have remained strong.  There is one comment that might prove puzzling to readers; some question his age, and since the book does not say why that is important, readers may wonder why it matters.      

Sports Stars Who Care features athletes whose prowess on the field is matched by their philanthropic efforts.  Colorful photos of the athletes on and off the field, biographical information and statistics provide all that is needed for reports. Gr. 3-8.   

Summary: One of his league’s best hitters and an outstanding first baseman, Pujols is shown to be a philanthropic athlete as well as a steady performer on the field.  This book chronicles his early life in the Dominican Republic through his World Series performances. Gr 3-8. 

Baseball biography                                          --Lois McNicol

Young, Karen Romano. Stuck In The Middle.

Young, Karen Romano.    Stuck In The Middle.    Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends    2013 unp    ISBN 978-0-312-55596-2    ms  Hardback    VG-BN Realistic fiction

Doodling is the only way Dodo (Doreen Bussey) knows how to communicate.  She doodles in all her classes, at home, and every where she goes.  Through her doodles we see how her day develops in school and whereever she is.  We get to meet her parents, her sister, her friends, her teachers and her pets.  Her doodles tell a story of their own, and sometimes they piece together things she does not say in words.  The writing is very funny, with a lot of anecdotes and plenty of funny situations.  Dodo talks about her friends and the things they do.  She tells us about her teachers; the ones she likes and the ones she does not like or that she feels do not like her.

Some kids will enjoy this book, especially if they liked the Wimpy Kid, but unlike the Wimpy Kid, this book is crammed with words and doodles.  Sometimes it gets confusing and perhaps overwhelming, with too many words and pictures all floating on the pages.  But it is highly entertaining, while tackling real issues.             

Summary: Dodo loves to doodle, and the only way she can get through her school day is by doodling a diary of her day.  Through her doodles we see how her day develops and how she interacts with her friends.  

Humor-Fiction                                                     --Magna Diaz

Young, Judy. A Book For Black-Eyed Susan

Young, Judy.   A Book For Black-Eyed Susan          

Sleeping Bear Press(Cengage)        2011   unp 16.95  978-1-58536-463-3            

elem    Historical                    E-BNe 

While traveling on the

Oregon Trail, a young girl makes a cloth first book for her baby sister so she

will always remember the trip and the sister who loves her.      Cora's mother

dies as her baby sister is born.  Cora helps name her Susan after her mother╒s

favorite flower - black-eyed Susans.  Her aunt cares for the baby and to pass

the time, Cora sews patches to help Susan remember the home they left, the

travel across the prairie and her family.  When she learns that Susan will go to

California with the aunt and uncle while she and her father go to Oregon, Cora

sews the patches together to make a cloth first book for Susan.  A surprise

ending completes the story full circle.

   The illustrations are in gorgeous water color.  They fit the mood and

beautifully enhance the text.  The colors are bright yet soft befitting the mood

of the story.

   This historical fiction depicts the hardships along the Trail as well as the

sense of loss and separation experienced by most travelers.  The events could

very easily have happened to any family.  They definitely ring true to the

historical period.

  An excellent book for elementary schools and can also be used in middle school

in connection with a study of the Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion.      

            Theal, Joan

Inspiring African-American Inventors

Young, Jeff C. Inspiring African-American Inventors
Enslow 2009 128p 33.27 978-1-59845-080-4 ms/hs
Great Scientists and Famous Inventors-myreportlinks.com (Enslow)
Offers brief biographical profiles of influential African-American inventors, describing the challenges they faced, their efforts to make the world a better place, and their influence on history. Nine African Americans inventors are profiled in this detailed, factual collective biography. Five of the inventors are well known, and additional information on Latimer, Matzeliger, Woods, Carver, Walker and Morgan is always needed, particularly for research assignments. Three lesser known inventors are included: Percy Lavon Julian, Patricia Era Bath and Lonnie G. Johnson and this is beneficial in that it provides students with new topics and inventions for research. This title is not only useful for research but for pleasure reading as well. The text is detailed but written in an entertaining fashion. Primary source quotes are interwoven with the secondary text to provide an insight into the lives of the inventors. The need met by the invention and the technology of how the invention works is integral to the study of inventors and each invention is placed within the context of the times. In addition, the reader learns a bit about science as well. Diagrams and prototypes of the inventions illustrate the process of invention. The layout is visually appealing. Each chapter is introduced using a brightly colored two page spread and remaining pages in the chapter are pale yellow pages bordered by red, green and orange. Screen shots of web pages for further information encourage readers to seek additional facts. Black and white photos, either full one page or two page spreads, add to the visual appeal of this title. Includes a Table of Contents, MyReportLinks, a glossary, information for further reading and an index. This title is one sure to be used as a starting point for History Day 2010 research. Zajko, Rosanne