Spies Like Us

(Title suggestions from Core Collection: Spy Kids.
Engberg, Gillian (author).FEATURE. First published May 1, 2010 (Booklist).)
Not only do they have to solve the case; they have to pretend that they are not spying!

Alibi Junior High Greg Logsted. 2009. After thirteen-year-old Cody and his father, an undercover agent, are nearly killed, Cody moves in with his aunt in Connecticut, where he is helped with his adjustment to the trials of attending public school for the first time and investigating a threat in nearby woods by a wounded Iraq War veteran. (grades 6-9)

Steel Trapp : the challenge Ridley Pearson. 2008. On a two-day train trip to enter his invention in the National Science Competition in Washington, D.C., fourteen-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp, possessor of a remarkable photographic memory, becomes embroiled in an international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. (grades 5-8)

Death by denim Linda Gerber. 2009. Sixteen-year-old Aphra and her mother, a CIA agent, are hiding in France under new identities, but they must go on the run again when their location is discovered by a dangerous criminal. (grades 7-10)

Heist society Ally Carter. 2010. A group of teenagers uses their combined talents to re-steal several priceless paintings and save fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop's father, himself an international art thief, from a vengeful collector. (Audrey's note: Why does the girl on the cover look like Audrey Hepburn?) (grades 6-10)

I, Q. (Book one, Independence Hall) / Roland Smith. 2008. "Step-siblings Q (Quest) and Angela are thrust into the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Israeli Mossad when Angela realizes she's being followed, and Q learns the secret about Angela's real mother--a former Secret Service agent who was supposedly killed by a terrorist group. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys"--Cover, P. [4]. (grades 5-8)

STORM : the Infinity Code by E.L. Young. 2008. In London, the teenaged geniuses of STORM, a secret organization dedicated to eliminating the world's misery through science and technology, uncover plans for a deadly weapon and race to find and dismantle it, then confront the corrupt scientist behind the scheme. (grades 5-8)

The lab Jack Heath. 2008. "Meet a sixteen-year-old superhuman: Agent Six of Hearts. He's the strongest, most effective agent in the Deck, a team of special agents fighting to uphold justice in a completely corrupt world. Six would be invincible...if not for a deadly secret. He is the product of an illegal experiment by the Lab--a ruthless division of the corporation that controls his world. When the Deck begins to investigate the Lab, Six walks a tightrope between his two worlds, trying to keep his origin secret. But then he meets Kyntak, a boy whose past equals his own."--dust cover flap. (grades 5-8)

Live and let shop Michael P. Spradlin. 2005. Beverly Hills teenager Rachel Buchanan gets in trouble with the law and winds up at mysterious Blackthorn Academy in Pennsylvania, where she uncovers secrets about the school and becomes entangled in a case of international espionage. (grades 6-9)

{N.E.R.D.S. [National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society [sound recording] : by Michael Buckley. 2009.
N.E.R.D.S. [National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society [sound recording] : by Michael Buckley. 2009.
NERDS National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society [electronic resource] : Michael Buckley.
2009. (A copy of the book is on oder!)} While running a spy network from their elementary school, five unpopular misfits combine their talents and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world. (grades 4-7)

Remote man Elizabeth Honey. 2000. Thirteen-year-old Ned and his depressed mother leave Australia for a rest in America, but he is soon on the trail of international smugglers of exotic animals, with help from his Internet friends. (grades 6-8)

The secret science alliance and the copycat crook [created, written & drawn by] Eleanor Davis.
2009. Eleven-year-old Julian Calendar thought changing schools would mean leaving his "nerdy" persona behind, but instead he forms an alliance with fellow inventors Greta and Ben and works with them to prevent an adult from using one of their gadgets for nefarious purposes. (grades 4-6)

The Shadow Project Herbie Brennan. 2010. A young English thief stumbles on, and subsequently is recruited for, a super-secret operation that trains teenagers in remote viewing and astral projection techniques in order to engage in spying. (grades 6-9)

{Alex Rider Operation Stormbreaker [videorecording] : The Weinstein Company ; Isle of Man Film. 2006.
Alex Rider Operation Stormbreaker [videorecording] : the Weinstein Company ; Isle of Man Film. 2006.} Alex Rider has been trained since birth for a career as a spy. It's not until his beloved uncle, Ian Rider, dies that Alex learns of his intended purpose in life. At just 14, Alex is not sure he can do all that is required of a super spy. Without much choice he is taken under the wing of Britain's secret intelligence service. The Special Operations Division of the MI6 sends Alex on a mission which could save or cost millions their lives. As Alex embarks on his greatest challenge yet, he learns all is not as it seems. Equipped with super spy training, Alex is prepared to deal with whatever comes his way. (rated PG) (grades 6-9)

Point blank : [the graphic novel] Anthony Horowitz ; adapted by Antony Johnston ; illustrated. 2007. Alex Rider, teenage superspy, infiltrates the mysterious Point Blanc Academy, armed with only a false ID and a set of disguised gadgets. Can he alert the world to what he finds out before it's too late? (grades 6-9)

{Stormbreaker Anthony Horowitz. 2001.
Stormbreaker [sound recording] / Anthony Horowitz. 2001.
Stormbreaker Anthony Horowitz. 2006.
Stormbreaker [sound recording] / Anthony Horowitz. 2001.
Stormbreaker : [the graphic novel] Anthony Horowitz ; adapted by Antony Johnston ; illustrated 2006.} After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6. (grades 6-9)

{Sure fire Jack Higgins with Justin Richards. 2007.
Sure fire Jack Higgins with Justin Richards. 2008.} Resentful of having to go and live with their estranged father after the death of their mother, fifteen-year-old twins, Rich and Jade, soon find they have more complicated problems when their father is kidnapped and their attempts to rescue him involve them in an extremely dangerous international plot to control the world's oil. (grades 6-9)

Booklist's Top Crime Fiction for Youth

(Title suggestions from Booklist, May 1st; descriptions from Lancaster Public Library's OPAC)
The case of the stinky socks by Lewis B. Montgomery ; illustrated by Amy Wummer. 2009. (grades 2-4) Detectives-in-training Milo and Jazz join forces to tackle their first big case--finding out who stole the lucky socks from the high school baseball team's star pitcher.

Cat burglar black Richard Sala. 2009. (grades 7-10) K.'s aunt, who works at the Bellsong Academy for Girls, has invited K. to attend the school. But as soon as she arrives, K. notices some strange goings-on: her aunt has suddenly taken ill; there are only three other students and no regular classes; and a statue speaks to K. when no one else is around.

The Dunderheads Paul Fleischman ; illustrated by David Roberts. 2009. (grades 3-5) When Miss Breakbone confiscates Junkyard's crucial find, Wheels, Pencil, Spider, and the rest of the Dunderheads plot to teach her a lesson.

Gentlemen Michael Northrop. 2009. (grades 10-12) When three teenaged boys suspect that their English teacher is responsible for their friend's disappearance, they must navigate a maze of assorted clues, fraying friendships, violence, and Dostoevsky's "Crime and punishment" before learning the truth.

The knife that killed me Anthony McGowan. 2010. (grades 10-12) Paul Varderman, a secondary student in an English Catholic School, is a loner until, just as he is becoming friends with "the freaks," the school bully encourages Paul to join his gang and gives him a knife to carry as an incentive.

Murder at midnight Avi. 2009. (grades 5-8) Falsely accused of plotting to overthrow King Claudio, scholarly Mangus the magician, along with his street-smart servant boy, Fabrizio, face deadly consequences unless they can track down the real traitor by the stroke of midnight.

The secret science alliance and the copycat crook [created, written & drawn by] Eleanor Davis. 2009. (grades 4-6) Eleven-year-old Julian Calendar thought changing schools would mean leaving his "nerdy" persona behind, but instead he forms an alliance with fellow inventors Greta and Ben and works with them to prevent an adult from using one of their gadgets for nefarious purposes.

What really happened to Humpty? : from the files of a hard- by Joe Dumpty ; as told to Jeanie Franz Ransom ; illustrated. 2009. (grades 1-4) Detective Joe Dumpty rushes to investigate the mysterious circumstances under which his older brother, Humpty, fell from a wall on his first day as captain of the new Neighborhood Watch program.

When you reach me Rebecca Stead. 2009.
When you reach me [sound recording] / Rebecca Stead. (grades 4-7) As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Iron Man keeps kids reading!

exerpt from: Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 4/19/2010 2:53:00 PM

"Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 (PG-13), a live-action movie from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures based on the Marvel Comics character, jet-boots into theaters on May 7, 2010. This sequel to the box-office hit Iron Man (2008) is also directed by Jon Favreau, with Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as Tony Stark—billionaire industrialist, brilliant inventor, consummate playboy, and the eponymous superhero. This time around, the world knows that Stark is Iron Man, and the pressure is mounting—from the press, the public, and the government—for him to share his technology with the military.

However, Stark, who is worried that the information will fall into the wrong hands, is determined to keep his armor suit secrets to himself. Pepper Potts (once again played by Gwyneth Paltrow), newly promoted to a leadership role in Stark Industries, remains his staunch supporter, but a conflict is brewing with his old friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle), whose position in the Air Force has him advocating for Stark to give up the goods. Scarlett Johansson takes on the part of Natasha

Romanoff (a.k.a. Black Widow), Stark’s new assistant who may or may not be a spy, while Mickey Rourke plays Ivan Vanko (Whiplash), a frightening villain with a knack for engineering cutting-edge technology and a years-old beef against Iron Man. With Whiplash and other powerful forces unleashed, Stark will need all of the allies he can find to keep the world safe from evil.

Kids can visit the official Web site to get the specs on the characters and access videos, downloads, and photos. An “Extras” option links viewers to the “Stark Expo 2010” homepage, an international exhibition (originally launched by Stark’s father in the 1950s) designed to highlight “the technological wonders that will enhance lives everywhere.” Included are an introductory letter from Stark, a promo about the 1974 Expo (complete with old-timey footage of Stark’s father), a slick-looking clip spotlighting the 2010 event, and a rotatable map of the grounds. Send readers interested in exploring Iron Man’s history, the bios and back stories of other comic-book personas, and the entire Marvel Comics Universe to their Web site."

Book Tie-ins
"Several Iron Man and Iron Man 2 titles" are available at the Lancaster Public Library. "The punch-packing covers—adorned with colorful artwork and photos from the film—are sure to entice movie fans." Click on the links below to see where the item is available.

1 The rise of Iron Man written by Michael Teitelbaum. 2010. Early Reader Level 4

2 Iron Man springs into action! 2010. Board Book, ages 0-3

3 Iron Man : the junior novel written by Stephen Sullivan ; based on the screenplay by Ma...c2008. chapter book

4 Iron Man : I am Iron Man adapted by Lisa Rao ; pictures by Guido Guidi ; based on th...c2008. Early Reader Level 2

5 Iron Man. Armored avenger / writers, Fred van Lente ... [et al.] ; ar...c2008. Juvenile Graphic Novel, all ages

6 Marvel adventures Iron Man writer, Fred Van Lente; pencilers, James Cordeiro & Ronan C...2007. Juvenile Graphic Novel series

7 Friends and enemies written by Michael Teitelbaum. 2010. Early Reader Level 3

8 Deep freeze by Frank Berrios ; illustrated by Michael Borkowski. c2009. Picture Book

9 The creeping doom Fred Van Lente, writer ; Ronan Cliquet, penciler ; Amilton...2009. Juvenile Graphic Novel

10 Enter the dragon Fred Van Lente, writer ; James Cordeiro, penciler ; Scott K...2009. Juvenile Graphic Novel

11 Heart of steel Fred Van Lente, writer ; James Cordeiro, penciler ; Scott K...2009. Juvenile Graphic Novel

12 Hostile takeover Fred Van Lente, writer ; James Cordeiro, penciler ; Gary Er...2009. Juvenile Graphic Novel.

13 The Crimson Dynamo returns! adapted by D.R. Shealy ; illustrated by Patrick Spaziante. c2009. Early Reader Level 3

14 Next avengers. Heroes of tomorrow [videorecording] / Lionsgate presents a...c2008. DVD format. Rated PG

Teens & Body Image

Body Image is a tough issue for teens growing up in the United States. The following are a few recent fiction titles at the library to get you started on the topic.


Robin Brande’s Fat Cat. 2009, Gr 8 Up.
Overweight teenage Catherine embarks on a high school science project in which she must emulate the ways of hominims, the earliest ancestors of human beings, by eating an all-natural diet and foregoing technology.



Allen Zadoff’s Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have. 2009, Gr 9-10.
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Zansky, the second fattest student at his high school, joins the varsity football team to get the attention of a new girl on whom he has a crush.

Erica S. Perl’s Vintage Veronica. 2010, Gr 9 Up.
After getting a job at a vintage clothing shop and quickly bonding with two older girls, fifteen-year-old Veronica finds herself making bad decisions in order to keep their friendship.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls. 2009, Gr 8 Up.
"a devastating portrait of the extremes of self-deception in this brutal and poetic deconstruction of how one girl stealthily vanishes into the depths of anorexia (Booklist)" Audrey K.'s favorite!

Lesley Fairfield’s graphic novel Tyranny. 2009, Gr 6 Up.
Anna’s journey as she falls prey to the eating disorder, personified as her tormentor, Tyranny.

Justina Chen Headley’s North of Beautiful. 2009, Gr 7 Up.
Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s Crazy Beautiful. 2009, Gr 7 Up.
In this contemporary retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," a teenaged boy whose hands were amputated in an explosion and a gorgeous girl whose mother has recently died form an instant connection when they meet on their first day as new students.

Need a book list? Find more booklists here, or stop by for assistance from the Youth Services Staff.

Poetry for the Classroom

Recommended reading from Classroom Connections: Teaching Word Choice with Poetry—a Six Traits Mini-Lesson.
Suen, Anastasia (author).FEATURE. First published April 2010 (Book Links).

*

Bibliography

*Younger Readers*

Almost Late to School: And More School Poems. By Carol Diggory Shields. Illus. by Paul Meisel. 2003. 48p. Gr. 1–3.

The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee and Other School Poems. By Kalli Dakos. Illus. by Mike Reed. 1999. 48p. K–Gr. 2.

Come and Play: Children of Our World Having Fun. Edited by Ayana Lowe. 2008. 64p. illus. K–Gr. 3.

Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illus. by Sachiko Yoshikawa. 2008. 48p. Preschool–Gr. 3.

Mrs. Brown on Exhibit: And Other Museum Poems. By Susan Katz. Illus. by R. W. Alley. 2002. 40p. Gr. 2–4.

*Older Readers*

Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. By Janet S. Wong. 1999. 48p. Gr. 7–up.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. By John Grandits. 2007. 48p. Gr. 6–up.

Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems. By Kristine O’Connell George. Illus. by Debbie Tilley. 2002. 80p. Gr. 5–8.

Tough Boy Sonatas. By Curtis L. Crisler. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. 2007. 88p. Gr. 7–up.

The Way a Door Closes. By Hope Anita Smith. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. 2003. 64p. Gr. 5–8.

Anastasia Suen is a former K–1 teacher who has written dozens of children’s books and is the author of the Picture Book of the Day blog, devoted to the Six Traits of Writing.