Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America
by Deborah Hopkinson
Published 2006 by Scholastic

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0439639018

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Jacket Notes:

In this stunning nonfiction volume, an award-winning author weaves together the stories of slaves, sharecroppers, and mill workers, illuminating the history of cotton in America. Illustrated with period photos.

06/01/2006 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 4-8 -Making excellent use of primary sources (even noting when these sources may be less than accurate) and extended with black-and-white photos and period reproductions, this excellent work gives a detailed picture of the effect of cotton production on the social structure of the United States. From 1607, when the earliest English settlers arrived in Virginia, cotton was among the plants grown in colonial gardens. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in England, the demand for it increased, and the southern colonies found it lucrative to step up production. That cotton culture was part and parcel of the slave system becomes clear in this thoughtfully composed volume. Hopkinson also considers the young women who flocked to Lowell, MA, and the surrounding area to work in the textile factories. After the Civil War, the southern economy remained dependent on cotton, trading the slave system for a sharecropping system, and moving many of the mills to the south. Following workers- histories up through the Great Depression, the final chapter discusses child labor in the past and present. This informative work extends titles such as Arthur John L-Hommedieu-sFrom Plant to Blue Jeans (Scholastic Library, 1998). A first-rate report and research source.-Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA

The Wright 3
by Blue Balliett
Published 2006 by Scholastic Press

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0439693675

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Jacket Notes:

The highly anticipated sequel to "Chasing Vermeer" finds Petra, Calder, and Calder's old friend Tommy drawn into another art mystery--this time involving a Frank Lloyd Wright architectural masterpiece, the Robie House. Illustrations.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 04/03/2006

This third book in DuPrau's series is billed as a prequel to the first two (The City of Ember andThe People of Sparks ), but the connection is tenuous. Eleven-year-old Nickie Randolph wants "to do something helpful for the world," which is on the brink of war. Fear of terrorist activity is wreaking havoc in American cities. Against this backdrop, Nickie and her aunt travel from Philadelphia to Yonwood, in the North Carolina mountains, to prepare Nickie's great-grandfather's home for sale. Yonwood is a tense, parochial town, where the fevered ramblings of an older woman have been seized upon as "visions," and the woman hailed as a prophet. Local busybody Brenda Beeson, whose mantra is "one moldy strawberry can ruin the whole basket," zealously takes charge, interpreting the Prophet's messages and building a "shield of goodness" against impending evil. DuPrau scatters the text with intriguing elements-clues hidden in postcards, mysterious writings about "eleven dimensions" found in a journal-but they function more as entertaining distractions rather than to advance the story. DuPrau unfortunately undercuts the novel's more serious themes-the nature of goodness, and of God-with a manipulative, rather nonsensical denouement. But while the plot never fully ignites, the smooth writing will carry fans of the first two books along, and there's ample room (50 years) between this book andEmber for yet another prequel. Ages 8-12.(Apr.)

Cold Tom
by Sally Prue
Published 2004 by Scholastic Paperbacks

Paperback, English. ISBN: 0439482690

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Jacket Notes:

Tom is both elfin and human, and running for his life. Cast out from the elfin Tribe, he must hide among the hated humans, whom the Tribe call "demons." Tom's Tribe-half seeks freedom and thrives on a connection with nature which lets him "call on the stars" and turn invisible when in danger. But Tom's human side is emerging, and he is confused and appalled by this change. For he fears the twining emotional bonds, which he sees literally as vines, that bind one human to another. But when he is helped by a kind "demon" girl, it is these strong bonds that save him-and draw him to his true home.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 07/12/2004

In a starred review, PW said, "British author Prue makes a noteworthy debut with this highly polished novel about a boy rejected from his elfin 'Tribe.' The lyricism of her prose, combined with the raw and sympathetic views of human behavior, makes her novel both original and gripping." Ages 9-up. (June)

Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk
by Angie Sage
Published 2005 by Katherine Tegen Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0060577312

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Jacket Notes:

The first part of this enthralling new series leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters, clever charms, potions and spells, and a yearning to uncover the mystery at the heart of this story--who is Septimus Heap?

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 01/03/2005

Sage's debut novel, the launch title of the Septimus Heap series, introduces the seventh son of a seventh son, destined to have deep magical powers but who, as the book opens, appears to have died soon after his birth. Silas Heap, the father (who is also a wizard), has just returned home after discovering a newborn baby girl in the snow, and finds Septimus being whisked away from mother Sarah by the midwife. On the heels of these events, Marcia, the newly appointed ExtraOrdinary Wizard, commands Silas to raise the baby as his own, which he does and names her Jenna. The author quickly reveals the girl's heritage via a busybody tavern owner who passes along some gossip: it seems the Queen was assassinated and the baby princess disappeared. The tale then jumps ahead 10 years, where readers find corrupt wizard DomDaniel trying to finish off the royal line. A chase lands Jenna and friends at the island home of the matronly Aunt Zelda, at which point the pace slows dramatically. The author introduces several subplots, summarized rather than dramatized, incorporating many cameos (e.g., Jenna's best friend and Simon's fiance are mentioned in passing), and one boy claims to be Septimus. The author eventually reveals the real Septimus in a clever, if predictable, turn of events, making way for the next installments. Ages 9-up. (Mar.)

04/01/2005 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 4-8 -A wide cast of characters battle the forces of Darke Magyk in a well-realized world of fantasy. At birth, Septimus Heap is carried away for dead, and his father, Silas Heap, is entrusted with a baby girl. When the villainous Supreme Custodian tries to assassinate the now 10-year-old Jenna, who, it turns out, is the daughter of the murdered queen, the girl flees to the Marram Marshes along with some family members, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and a young army guard known only as "Boy 412." Pursued by the servants of the Necromancer DomDaniel, and aided by an engaging array of magical beings, they finally prevail in a satisfying and fairly exciting conclusion. Despite the hefty length, the novel is quite easy to follow. Many creative magical elements, such as the deliciously repulsive Magogs, add to the fun. Frequent point-of-view shifts give a well-rounded picture of the multiple plot threads and add many opportunities for light humor. On the other hand, with so many characters represented, it's hard to feel strong empathy for any of them. Jenna, the Queenling, and Boy 412, in particular, nearly emerge as full-blooded individuals at times, but neither quite stands out as an engaging hero. Villains are well drawn and varied, and most are more comical than truly menacing. The ease with which a once-formidable enemy like the Hunter is finally dispatched, however, detracts a bit from the eventual triumph of the protagonists. Overall, this is a fine choice for fantasy readers looking to delve into a new world with lots of magic, plenty of action, and a few neat surprises.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR