Book Review - Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson (Amazing Athletes)

By: Jeff Savage
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467702782
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Calvin Johnson was born in Newman, Georgia, a town near Atlanta. His parents, Calvin and Arica, were no-nonsense people and according to young Calvin, “worked hard and raised us right.” There weren’t going to be any Cs on those report cards in that house! His mom didn’t want him to get hurt so he had to play Little League baseball until he got into high school. Finally, when he was fifteen and “stood 6 feet 4 inches,” he began to play football at Sandy Creek High School. Even though they were a running team, Calvin was able to start honing his skills as “the Patriot’s wide receiver.” He was on his way and college coaches began to notice him.

One of them was Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jackets coach. Calvin Johnson picked Georgia Tech and “was an instant star.” He was amazingly agile and when thrown an unusual pass, “he reached back and squeezed it with his big right hand.” Calvin was working hard, and by the time he was a junior “he was unstoppable.” It was time for him to move on to the NFL after winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award and shattering school records. The Detroit Lions were ready and waiting for him. In this book you’ll find out about his family life, you’ll read about many of his games, why he went to Bolivia, his $64 million contract, how hard he worked, his selection to the Pro Bowl, and you’ll learn many other interesting things about Calvin Johnson, an amazing athlete!

This is a fascinating look at wide receiver, Calvin Johnson, football’s “Megatron.” Many young football fans are familiar with Calvin, but will enjoy reading more about his life and the games he played. The book is loaded with full-color photographs, many action-oriented. Words that might be unfamiliar to the reader such as “end zone,” “running back,” or “wide receiver” are highlighted in purple and defined in the glossary. There are numerous informative sidebars and captions that add additional information. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, selected career highlights (2002 to 2011), and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: If you have a young football fan who is way into the Megatron, you just might want to add this book to your list!

Book Review - Hair Traits: Color, Texture, and More

Hair Traits: Color, Texture, and More: What Traits are in Your Genes?

By: Buffy Silverman
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0761389415
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Nobody is exactly like the next person, but we all have certain things in common such as arms and legs. There are ways that we do differ from others. Some of these differences “are called traits.” Skin color, dimples, freckles, and eye color are a few examples of traits. Genes give our bodies the “directions for different traits.” We don’t just have a few genes, but have thousands of them. You have two pairs of genes that are given to you from your birth parents. If you take a look around you, you will see that you have much more in common with people than with animals.

One trait that you can easily take a look at is hair color. Your genes “give directions” for the colors we have when they tell the body which pigment to give us and how much to use. If you look at the pictures in this book you’ll see a dark-haired boy and a light-haired girl. His hair has alleles for a lot of pigment, while she “has alleles for light hair.” Alleles are two or more forms of a gene. You’ll learn about pigments, where red hair comes from, hair texture (curly, wavy, straight), uncommon traits such as a forelock, you’ll get to see pictures of a widow’s peak, and will learn many more interesting things about hair traits.

This is a fun look at hair traits for the young student in the “What Traits are in Your Genes?” series. As a beginning nonfiction book it is geared toward the newly independent reader. There are four basic “chapters” and the text is large and easy to read. The layout is bright, contains full-color photographs with informative captions that provide additional factual material or asks the student to think about what he or she sees. For example, one says that “A gene comes in two different forms, called alleles. This boy has alleles for dark hair.” In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, an activity (Track the Traits), and additional recommended book and website resources to explore. There are free downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: This is a basic nonfiction book for young students that will help them not only learn about their bodies, but also their genetic inheritance.

Book Review - Eye Color: Brown, Blue, Green, and Other Hues

Eye Color: Brown, Blue, Green, and Other Hues: What Traits Are in Your Genes?

By: Jennifer Boothroyd
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761389385
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

As humans we have more things about us that are alike than not. For example, we all have arms, legs, heads, and torsos. There are some differences and most likely you’ve noticed that many of us have freckles, different colored eyes or hair. The “differences are called traits.” Perhaps if you think hard enough you can think of some other traits we have. The genes that are passed on to us from our birth parents “tell your body how to make different traits.” Each one of us has two copies of our genes, one from one parent and one from the other.

Take for example the genes for hair. One parent might have dark curly hair and the other light straight hair. If they have two children, one might have curly hair and the other straight. Can you think of any other hair combination that the children might have? Genes also control our eye color. If you look in the mirror you will see a “colored ring” that is the iris. The basic color of your eyes comes from the pigment, “a substance that gives color to something.” In this book you will also learn why some eyes can be sensitive to light, you’ll learn what alleles are, why brown is a dominant eye color, why more people have brown eyes, interesting facts about eyes in other hues, and many more interesting things about eye color.

This is a fun look at eye color for the young student in the “What Traits are in Your Genes?” series. As a beginning nonfiction book it is geared toward the newly independent reader. There are four basic “chapters” and the text is large and easy to read. The layout is bright, contains full-color photographs with informative captions that provide additional factual material or asks the student to think about what he or she sees. For example, one says that “Those with light-colored eyes can be more sensitive to light. Their eyes have less pigment to protect them.” In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, an activity (Track the Traits), and additional recommended book and website resources to explore. There are free downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: This is a basic nonfiction book for young students that will help them not only learn about their bodies, but also their genetic inheritance.

Book Review - Your Nervous System

Your Nervous System: How Does Your Body Work?

By: Joelle Riley
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761374503
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

You have hundreds of muscles in your body, but just what tells them what to do and how to do it? Your nervous system “controls all the other systems,” including those muscles. If you didn’t have a nervous system, you wouldn’t be able to do much of anything. The nervous system “is made up of your nerves, your spinal cord, and your brain.” The nerves act as a messenger service as they carry important messages around your body. Your spinal cord is a connector that sends these messages to the brain. You probably are aware that your brain is the organ with which you do all your thinking. It keeps watch on your body and it “tells the other body systems what to do.”

Nerves themselves are “made up of special cells called nerve cells.” These special cells are the messengers that seek out messages throughout your body and send them along. If you look closely at the diagram in this book you will see that the cell has a cell body, a tail, and branching hairs. You can see how the message is passed through the cell and onto other parts of the body. A photograph shows nerve cells bundled together and you will read that “nerves are big enough to be seen without a microscope.” Receptors placed in assorted parts of the body collect messages to send along. For example, there are receptor cells in your “skin, ears, eyes, nose, and tongue.”

Your spine, or backbone, houses your spinal cord. Your spinal cord fits nicely “through the holes in your backbone.” If you feel your spine, you can easily tell that your spine will be protected by the bones. Your brain is “the part of your body that makes you who you are.” The brain also needs protection as it is very soft and the bones in your skull protect it. You’ll learn about the brain’s three main parts, their purpose, what messages they receive and hand along, how “your nerves, spinal cords, and brain work together,” you’ll read about how a receptor hands along a message, reflexes, and you’ll learn many other things about how your nervous system functions.

This book is an excellent way for a young student to learn about the nervous system and how it works. As a beginning nonfiction chapter book, newly independent and independent readers will be able to learn about the nervous system. The layout of the book is inviting with full-color photographs, diagrams, and microphotographs of receptors and nerve cells. Captions add additional informative factual material. For example, when looking at an x-ray of a skull we learn that “The round part of the skull protects the brain. That part of the skull is made up of eight flat bones that fit together like puzzle pieces.” In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a basic diagram of the nervous system, and additional recommended book and website resources. There are free downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: If you have students who would like to know how their body works, this is one is a series of six that you may want to add to your list!

Book Review - Your Muscular System

Your Muscular System: How Does Your Body Work?

By: Rebecca L. Johnson
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761374497
Reviewed by: Deb Fowlwer
Review Date: November 2012

Every time you move "take a step, blink your eyes, or smile," you are using your muscles. Some muscles like your biceps are easy to see and feel, but others like the muscles in your heart are not. There are hundreds of muscles in your body and all of them "make up your muscular system." Some of these muscles you can control, while others work automatically. For example if you want to pick an apple you use the muscles in your eyes to look at it, use the muscles in your arm to reach up to it, and then use the ones in your hands to curl around it and harvest it. We use our muscles to do everything we do on a daily basis.

Examples of muscles that you can’t control include the ones in your stomach, your heart, and "the muscles that make goose bumps on your skin." You don’t have to think about making your heart beat. In fact it contracts or beats "about one hundred thousand times a day." There are three different kinds of muscles in your body including skeletal muscles, tendons, and heart muscle. You’ll learn how they look, what they help you do, where they are located in your body, and how they work with other muscles. For example, the biceps and triceps work together to help your lower arm move up and down.

Skeletal muscles are attached to your skeletal system, but "some are attached to other muscles." When you make that funny face many of the muscles you use "are attached to your skin." Skeletal muscles range in shape and size. There are big, powerful ones in your legs and much smaller ones in your hands and eyes. Just in your hands alone there "are about twenty small muscles." You’ll also read about what happens when your muscles get tired, smooth muscles, how these muscles contract automatically, you’ll learn where smooth muscles are in our bodies, what muscle fibers look like under a microscope, what our heart muscle does, and what we need to do to keep our muscles healthy.

This book is an excellent way for young students to learn about our muscular system. As a beginning nonfiction chapter book, newly independent and independent readers will be able to learn about the musculoskeletal system. The layout of the book is inviting with full-color photographs, diagrams, and microphotographs of muscle cells. Captions add additional informative factual material. For example, next to a microphotograph of heart muscle we read that "Your heart pumps about 3,000 gallons (11,356 liters) of blood through blood vessels each day." In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a basic diagram of the muscular system, and additional recommended book and website resources. There are free downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: If you have students who would like to know how their body works, this is one in a series of six that you may want to add to your list!

Book Review - Lou! Down in the Dumps

Lou! Down in the Dumps

By: Julien Neel
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 076138779X
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 19, 2012

Lou was on the rooftop looking over at a wrecking ball that was about to crash into a building. Mind you, it wasn’t just any building, but Tristan’s. She’s been crazy mad dash in love with him forever, but the only thing he was in love with were his video games. *Sigh!* Well, he was totally awesome until she saw him picking his nose. Now he was gone and the building he lived in was going to bite the dust. Then Richard moved into the building, fell in love with her mother, her mother fell in love with him, and nothing was the same ever since. Except maybe that school was going to start up again. Yada, yada, yada.

Mina, her BFF since kindergarten, met her in front of her building so they could walk to school together. They were going to attend Guy Degrenne Jr. High, but when they glanced down the roster, they discovered ... they weren’t in the same class. “BooHoo ... LouLou!” A crisis was looming. “Minaaa! Don’t let go!” The Predator was her homeroom teacher and she was s-t-u-c-k sitting next to a girl who was never going to ever shut up. Mary Emily was nothing like Mina, who was really cool, or so she thought. Lou was in for quite a surprise when Mina put her on ignore.

Lou’s mother’s book, Sidera: Galactic Adventures had been published and was on the bookshelves. She was celebrating because she had Richard and was planning on being the next J.K. Rowling (sorta). They even knocked down the walls between their apartments. Paul had written her a letter, but she couldn’t seem to write back. The only thing that was steady in her life seemed to be the smooching between her mother and Richard. It was much more fun to play at the park, ride the My Little Pony on the carousel, and play with dolls. If this was what being thirteen was all about, Lou definitely didn’t need it!

Lou is finding out that growing up is absolutely no fun at all. Of course she is going through an adolescent crisis and has no idea what to do with herself. Lou is having problems with the people in her life, including her best friend Mina. This graphic novel catches this age perfectly as Lou emotionally struggles with everything and everyone around her. Lou quietly plays with her dolls at one point and imaginatively drifts back in her mind to a more innocent time in her life. The whirlwind of change is around her and while her Mom is experiencing a positive one, Lou is down in the dumps. One of the most touching panels is when she takes her little “pink princess gown” out of a trunk, closes her eyes, and holds it to her face. This series is a two-time winner of the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême.

Quill says: This is a progressive graphic novel, a thirteen-year-old who has discovered that growing up is not quite what she thought it would be like!

Book Review - Raining Cats and Detectives

Raining Cats and Detectives (Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Mystery)

By: Colleen AF Venable
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761360087
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 19, 2012

There was a little problem at Mr. Venezi’s Pet’s & Stuff pet shop. Mr. V was always mixing up the names of the animals, but Viola was trying to set him straight. She held Hamisher, the hamster, in her hands and asked, “What’s this?” No, it wasn’t a mini koala, a short ferret, or a tiny dragon. Ugh! Of course Ham thought being called a dragon was perfect, but that just wouldn’t do. Viola was trying, but Mr. V never really was good at names. Viola worked for Mr. V and was saving her money to buy the chinchillas, Janice, Clarissa, and Mr. Sparkles. Detectives Hamisher and Sasspants, PI(G) decided they needed “a better detective office” so they could figure out who would be the perfect owner for them.

Of course Hamisher already knew that he wanted the detective sort to be their owner. “I just want someone who’s a supercool professional detective, with a detective’s hat and a detective’s notebook and big ears to hear crime ...” Yeah, right, but first they had to make their office. Charlotte’s daughter Bree might be a good owner, but then again maybe not. They owned Tummytickles, but he was pretty harmless for a cat. Bree wanted another pet, but noooo way! In the meantime Sass and Ham were working on their office while Viola was trying to sell pets.

All of a sudden a Detective Pickles came through the door looking for “a bloodhound to sniff out clues.” No, Pets & Stuff didn’t sell dogs, but they did sell ferrets, rabbits, birds, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Guinea pigs? Hamsters? Detective Pickles didn’t quite have enough money for both but he would take ... SASSPANTS! Oh, no, what was going to happen to the shop without him? It wouldn’t be long before Hamisher really needed him because Tummytickles turned up missing and there was a big reward. Soon everyone was trying to be a detective, but there was only one Sasspants PI(G). Would he ever come home to help solve the mystery?

Once again, Sasspants PI(G) and Hamisher are back on the job trying to solve yet another pet shop mystery. It’s not a secret that Mr. V simply cannot figure out the names of the animals, but neither is the fact that Sass and Ham are a perfect detective team. This time there is a little twist ... Sass has been sold. The tale, told in graphic novel form, will have definite appeal to both the reluctant and young reader. The characters are fun, witty, and detectives Sass and Ham really know how to crack a case. The clues are there, but if you want to solve the mystery, you too have to put on both your thinking cap and detective hat if you’re going to keep up with this furry duo. In the back of the book Hamisher tells us all about cats and you’ll learn a bit about “The Best Animal Detectives!”

Quill says: If you've ever met Sasspants PI(G) and Hamisher, the pet shop detectives, you'll love this mystery ... if not, you'd better look into it!