Cool New Books for January

Some familiar characters and well-known authors have returned to make the start of 2005 a fun and memorable one. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Nancy Drew mysteries, and the ever-popular sleuth is celebrating by solving brand-new cases. Meanwhile, Wendelin Van Draanen brings back young superhero Shredderman, who must save his favorite TV crime-fighter from a dastardly villain. And prolific author Gary Paulsen has written an adventure-filled book about a seventh grader and his friend who are the victims of strange --- and potentially dangerous --- practical jokes.

Chapter Books

CHINESE CINDERELLA AND THE SECRET DRAGON SOCIETY
Adeline Yen Mah
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060567341
Ages 10-up
256 pages

Born into a family of wealth and privilege in 1940s Shanghai, Chinese Cinderella is sheltered from the harsh brutalities of the Japanese invasion in China. But after enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, she seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society. There, under the guidance of Grandma Wu, she trains with a trio of orphaned acrobats and is introduced to the gripping world of espionage as part of the Chinese Resistance movement against the Japanese army.

SECRET OF THE SPA: Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective #9
Carolyn Keene
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689868588
Ages 8-12
160 pages

• Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective Series

Nancy, George and Bess attend the grand opening of a new spa in town, and they're ready to be primped, buffed and polished. But then Deirdre shows up --- and if her appearance isn't enough to spoil the fun, someone starts tampering with the food and unwelcome little critters are turning up on scrub brushes. Nancy must forget about that makeover for the moment and concentrate on figuring out who wants to see the spa fail --- and why.

MEET THE GECKO
(Shredderman #3)
Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375823530
Ages 7-10
176 pages

• Read a Review

Even superheroes have problems. That's what Nolan discovers when he meets Chase Morton, the boy who plays his favorite TV superhero on "The Gecko and Sticky." Chase is being hounded by a sleazy tabloid reporter who is evil, sneaky, and a liar. So Nolan vows to expose the truth on Shredderman.com. After all, superheroes have to stick together in the fight for truth and justice.

SING A SONG OF TUNA FISH: Hard-to-Swallow Stories from Fifth Grade
Esme Raji Codell
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 0786855096
Ages 10-14
144 pages

Life as a fifth grader for Esmé Raji Codell was anything but dull, as these stories and anecdotes from her childhood prove. In this funny and engrossing memoir Esmé tells us about: the night she and her mother became "egg vigilantes" against an illegally parked car; her freewheeling first school, where kids could choose disco dancing instead of math; her dangerous neighborhood, which her father made seem friendly and wondrous; the Passover dinner when she stole a matzoh right out from under a rabbi; the awe-inspiring, life-threatening Chicago snowstorms; and lessons about love from tea-reading gypsies and Popeye cartoons.

THE TIME HACKERS
Gary Paulsen
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN: 0385746598
Ages 9-12
96 pages

• Read a Review

Seventh-grader Dorso Clayman and his pal Frank have been the target of some strange practical jokes. Somebody has hacked into the time line, and things from the past are appearing in the present. Soon, the jokes aren't funny anymore --- they become dangerous. Dorso and Frank must beat the time hackers at their own game by breaking the code, before they get lost in the past themselves.

Picture Books

DANGEROUS CROSSING: The Revolutionary Voyage of John and John Quincy Adams
Stephen Krensky
illustrated by Greg Harlin
Dutton Children's Books
ISBN: 0525469664
Ages 6-up
30 pages

In February 1778, at the height of the Revolutionary War, the American representative from Massachusetts, John Adams, is sent on a secret mission to France. It is dangerous to cross the Atlantic in winter, but the situation is desperate --- the colonies need France's help against the British army. Adams is accompanied by his ten-year-old son, Johnny. Together, they must overcome an angry ocean, sea battles, and other dangers to help the colonies achieve freedom.

IN THE SMALL, SMALL NIGHT
Jane Kurtz
illustrated by Rachel Isadora
Amistad/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0066238145
Ages 5-up
32 pages

Abena's little brother Kofi can't sleep. He's worried that he and his sister, who now live in the United States, will forget their grandmother and cousins who are far away in Africa. But Abena assures him that they will remember all those who were left behind --- and she accomplishes this by telling Kofi stories from home.

JULIO'S MAGIC
Arthur Dorros
illustrated by Ann Grifalconi
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060290048
Ages 4-9
32 pages

Julio and his friend, master carver Iluminado, find their ideas in the forest, where dragons, lizards and angels hide in the wood of every twisted branch. At home, Julio can't wait to make sculptures for the annual wood-carving contest. But Iluminado, whose eyesight is failing him, is too humble to enter. When Julio puts aside his own aspirations to help his friend, he learns that winning is not nearly as important as giving.

PINKY PROMISE: A Book About Telling the Truth
Vanita Braver, M.D.
illustrated by Cary Pillo
Child & Family Press
ISBN: 0878688935
Ages 4-8
24 pages

Five-year-old Madison accidentally breaks her mother's camera. When her mom asks what happened, she lies to avoid getting into trouble. As she thinks about her actions that night and cuddles with her favorite stuffed bear Honesty, Madison knows exactly what she needs to do.

PINKY PROMISE is the first book in Dr. Vanita Braver's nine-book "Teach Your Children Well" series. Based on the latest positive parenting and child development research, the series conveys vital lessons about values to young readers.

--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio

Back to top.