Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's

Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's
Parade                       by Melissa Sweet

Everyone’s a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see
what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first
invented these "upside-down puppets"? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In
brilliant collage illustrations, Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the
puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-
lasting gift to America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of
Macy’s Parade.

Barbed Wire Baseball                             by Marissa Moss

In her picture book debut, artist Shimizu finely crafts pen-and-ink illustrations with a
calligraphy brush to help portray a true story of resilience during WWII. Born in Japan,
Kenichi Zenimura, nicknamed Zeni, grows up in Hawaii and California loving and playing
baseball. When WWII sees him, his wife, and teenage sons sent to an Arizona internment
camp, Zeni "felt as if he were shrinking into a tiny hard ball." The bulk of Moss's (Nurse,
Soldier, Spy) descriptive narrative centers on Zeni's efforts to build a baseball diamond
at the camp. Thick brush lines create heavy textures in the digitally colored pictures,
giving some the appearance of woodcut prints. All of the scenes occupy full spreads,
echoing the expansive nature of Zeni's plan: unwilling to settle for a dusty dirt field, he
irrigates it and grows grass; benches are made from wood scavenged under dark of
night, and uniforms sewn from potato sacks.

Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her,Song                             by Andrea Davis Pinkney

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech
from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and his strong voice and powerful message were
joined and lifted in song by world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. It was a
moment that changed the course of history and is imprinted in minds forever. Told
through Andrea Davis Pinkney's poetic prose and Brian Pinkney's evocative illustration,
the stories of these two powerful voices and lives are told side-by-side — as they would
one day walk — following the journey from their youth to a culmination at this historical
event when they united as one and inspiring kids to find their own voices and speak up
for what is right.

Noah Webster and His Words                             By Jeri Chase Ferris

Webster’s American Dictionary is the second most popular book ever printed in English.
But who was that Webster? Noah Webster (1758–1843) was a bookish Connecticut farm
boy who became obsessed with uniting America through language. He spent twenty
years writing two thousand pages to accomplish that, and the first 100 percent American
dictionary was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old. This clever, hilariously
illustrated account shines a light on early American history and the life of a man who
could not rest until he’d achieved his dream. An illustrated chronology of Webster’s life
makes this a picture perfect bi-og-ra-phy [noun: a written history of a person's life].

Who Was Sacagawea? (Who Was/Is...?)                       by Judith Bloom Fradin

Sacagawea was only sixteen when she made one of the most remarkable journeys in
American history, traveling 4500 miles by foot, canoe, and horse-all while carrying a baby
on her back! Without her, the Lewis and Clark expedition might have failed. Through this
engaging book, kids will understand the reasons that today, 200 years later, she is still
remembered and immortalized on a new golden dollar coin.

Fairest of All (Whatever After #1)                               by   Sarah Mlynowski
Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . .
Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our
basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale.
I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.
But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray!
Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't
get her happy ending. Oops.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures                     by Kate DiCamillo

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected
consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described
cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things
Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can
predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight,
and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the
possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

The Sasquatch Escape                                     by    Suzanne Selfors

When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer
with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until
his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon?

Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They
take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in town -- Dr. Woo's Worm
Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm
hospital at all -- it's actually a secret hospital for imaginary creatures.

After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather
stinky, and very hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Ben and Pearl are tasked with
retrieving the runaway creature, and what started out as an ordinary summer becomes
the story of a lifetime.

Stick Dog                                                        by Tom Watson

Introducing everyone's new best friend: Stick Dog! He'll make you laugh . . . he'll make
you cry . . . but above all, he'll make you hungry. Follow Stick Dog as he goes on an epic
quest for the perfect burger. With hilarious stick-figure drawings, this book has a unique
perspective, as the author speaks directly to the reader throughout the story in an
engaging and lively way.

Tuesdays at the Castle (Castle Glower #1)                     by Jessica Day George
  Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on
Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No
one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes
the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed
and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's
never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This
delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to
become a modern classic.

How Chipmunk Got His Stripes                     by Joseph Bruchac
  Bear brags that he can do anything-even stop the sun from rising. Brown Squirrel
doesn't believe him, so the two wait all night to see if the sun will rise. Sure enough, the
sky reddens and the sun appears. Brown Squirrel is so happy to be right that he teases
Bear. What happens when a little brown squirrel teases a big black bear? Brown Squirrel
gets stripes and is called chipmunk from that day forward . . . Joseph and James
Bruchac join forces to create this buoyant picture book, based on a Native American
folktale.

The Princess and the Pig                                 by Jonathan Emmett
   There's been a terrible mix-up in the royal nursery. Priscilla the princess has
accidentally switched places with Pigmella, the farmer's new piglet. The kindly farmer
and his wife believe it's the work of a good witch, while the ill-tempered king and queen
blame the bad witch-after all, this happens in fairy tales all the time! While Priscilla
grows up on the farm, poor yet very happy, things don't turn out quite so well for
Pigmella. Kissing a frog has done wonders before, but will it work for a pig?

The Talking Eggs                                          by Robert D. San Souci
   Kind Blanche, following the instructions of an old witch, gains riches while her greedy
sister makes fun of the old woman and is duly rewarded. A Creole folktale spread through
the American South.

The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan: The Graphic Novel                  by Martin Powell
   The legendary woodsman Paul Bunyan was the biggest man who ever lived. He had
wagon wheels for shirt buttons, and his double-edged axe took an entire town a whole
month to build! One day, Paul finds a big blue ox frozen in the snow. He nurses the
behemoth back to health, and names his new companion Babe. As the two travel the
land, they clear the way and make it safe for all the settlers who will soon follow. But
soon, Babe and Paul meet something that won't bend so easily to their will Old Ma.

The Three Snow Bears                                                 By Jan Brett
 After her team of sled dogs floated away on a drift of ice, Aloo-ki warmed up and fell
asleep in the snow bear families' igloo. Find out how the bears find her in this beautifully
illustrated book.

The Blessing Cup                                            by Patricia Polacco
 A single china cup from a tea set left behind when Jews were forced to leave Russia
helps hold a family together through generations of living in America, reminding them of
the most important things in life.

Counting on Grace                                             by Elizabeth Winthrop

   1910. Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school and
go to work as a “doffers” on their mothers’ looms in the mill. Grace’s mother is the best
worker, fast and powerful, and Grace desperately wants to help her. But she’s left
handed and doffing is a right-handed job. Grace’s every mistake costs her mother, and
the family. She only feels capable on Sundays, when she and Arthur receive special
lessons from their teacher. Together they write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board
about underage children working in Pownal. A few weeks later a man with a camera
shows up. It is the famous reformer Lewis Hine, undercover, collecting evidence for the
Child Labor Board. Grace’s brief acquaintance with Hine and the photos he takes of her
are a gift that changes her sense of herself, her future, and her family’s future.

Dad, Jackie, and Me                                               by Myron Uhlberg

   An inspiring and sentimental tale of one famous summer in Brooklyn in 1947. It is the
summer of 1947 and a highly-charged baseball season is underway in New York. Jackie
Robinson is the new first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers-and the first black player in
major league baseball. A young boy shares the excitement of Robinson's rookie season
with his deaf father. Each day he listens eagerly to the Brooklyn Dodgers games on the
radio. When his father arrives home from work, the boy uses sign language to tell him
about the Dodgers. His father begins to keep a scrapbook, clipping photos and articles
about Jackie. Finally one day the father delivers some big news: they are going to Ebbets
Field to watch Jackie play in person! Author Myron Uhlberg offers a nostalgic look back
at 1947, and pays tribute to Jackie Robinson, the legendary athlete and hero who
brought a father and son- and an entire New York community-together for one magical
summer. Illustrator Colin Bootman's realistic, full-color illustrations capture the details of
the period and the excitement of an entire city as Robinson helps the Dodgers win the
long-awaited pennant.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (I Survived #1)
                                                                           by Lauren Tarshis

  The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this new fictional
series! In book 1, ten-year-old George is trapped on the Titanic -- how will he survive?

   Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck -- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are
on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of
exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a
terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life
changes forever.

   Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this new
fictional series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they
survived!

Sylvia & Aki                                                   by Winifred Conkling
  Sylvia never expected to be at the center of a landmark legal battle; all she wanted
was to enroll in school.

  Aki never expected to be relocated to a Japanese internment camp in the Arizona
desert; all she wanted was to stay on her family farm and finish the school year.

   The two girls certainly never expected to know each other, until their lives intersected
in Southern California during a time when their country changed forever.

   Here is the remarkable story based on true events of Sylvia Mendez and Aki
Munemitsu, two ordinary girls living in extraordinary times. When Sylvia and her brothers
are not allowed to register at the same school Aki attended and are instead sent to a
“Mexican” school, the stage is set for Sylvia’s father to challenge in court the separation
of races in California’s schools. Ultimately, Mendez vs. Westminster School District led to
the desegregation of California schools and helped build the case that would end school
segregation nationally.

   Through extensive interviews with Sylvia and Aki—still good friends to this day—
Winifred Conkling brings to life two stories of persistent courage in the face of
tremendous odds.

Capture the Flag (Capture the Flag #1)                            by Kate Messner

  Three kids get caught up in an adventure of historic proportions!

   Anna, José, and Henry are complete strangers with more in common than they realize.
Snowed in together at a chaotic Washington D.C. airport, they encounter a mysterious
tattooed man, a flamboyant politician, and a rambunctious poodle named for an ancient
king. Even stranger, news stations everywhere have announced that the famous flag that
inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been stolen! Anna, certain that the culprits
must be snowed in too, recruits Henry and José to help catch the thieves and bring them
to justice.

   But when accusations start flying, they soon realize there's more than justice at stake.
As the snow starts clearing, Anna, José, and Henry find themselves in a race against
time (and the weather!) to prevent the loss of an American treasure.

The Case of the Barfy Birthday/Doyle & Fossey Science
Detectives (Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives)
                                                                   by Michele Torrey

  In this fourth clever chapter book starring Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey, real science is
seamlessly woven into four exciting cases, including a mysterious food-poisoning
epidemic and a spooky tree-house ghost.

   The snappy dialogue and wacky scenarios are perfect for middle-graders, who will
enjoy discovering the appendix of science activities, which focus on such concepts as
epidemiology, code breaking, phases of matter, and simple machines. Each corresponds
to a case in the book and will have readers scrambling for their own lab notebooks and
detective gear!

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library                          by Chris Grabenstein

  Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an
ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His
hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so
happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

  Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an
overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors
remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle
to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

  In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the
Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the
perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled
with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

The Mystery in the Rocky Mountains (Carole Marsh Mysteries: Real
Kids, Real Places #13)              by Carole Marsh

  When Christina, Grant and their two friends join their mystery-writing Mimi (and Papa!)
on a trip to the "Mile-High City" of Denver, Colorado, they soon find themselves: -
Sleeping in a mysterious, haunted palace of a hotel! - Deciphering mountains of clues to
solve a mystery! - Reading tattered old books to help solve the clues! - Traveling through
tricky tunnels to get to a scary ski slope! - Meeting an amazing woman who once sailed
on the Titanic! But can the kids have fun, stay warm and solve a mystery all at the same
time? Strap on your skis and come along and see!

Swindle (Swindle #1)                                         by Gordon Korman

   After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card,
Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and
recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog,
a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to
drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if
hijinks ensue.
   This is Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to hoot,
howl, and heist.

Locomotive                                                                by Brian Floca

   It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding
America's brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details
of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that
keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.

  Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race
by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!

Mammoths on the Move                                    by Lisa Wheeler

  Join a pack of woolly mammoths as they trek south for the winter, braving fierce
storms, deadly predators, and raging rivers while making their slow journey across the
gorgeous unspoiled lands of this continent until finally they reach their goal.

The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery
                                                                 by Dennis Brindell Fradin

   When John Price took a chance at freedom by crossing the frozen Ohio river from
Kentucky into Ohio one January night in 1856, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was fully
enforced in every state of the union. But the townspeople of Oberlin, Ohio, believed there
that all people deserved to be free, so Price started a new life in town-until a crew of
slave-catchers arrived and apprehended him. When the residents of Oberlin heard of his
capture, many of them banded together to demand his release in a dramatic showdown
that risked their own freedom. Paired for the first time, highly acclaimed authors Dennis
and Judith Fradin and Pura Belpré award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez, provide
readers with an inspiring tale of how one man's journey to freedom helped spark an
abolitionist movement.

Volcano Rising                                              by Elizabeth Rusch

  Volcanoes are a scary, catastrophic phenomenon that creates mass destruction as far
as its deadly lava can reach, right? Not quite . . .

   Elizabeth Rusch explores volcanoes in their entirety, explaining how they’re not all as
bad as they’re made out to be. Using examples of real volcanoes from around the world,
Rusch explains how some volcanoes create new land, mountains, and islands where
none existed before, and how the ash helps farmers fertilize their fields. Simple, straight-
forward prose provides readers with the basics, while a secondary layer of text delves
deeper into the science of volcanoes. Susan Swan’s bright and explosive mixed-media
illustrations perfectly complement the subject matter—they depict volcanoes in all their
destructive and creative glory.

Watch Out!: The World's Most Dangerous Creatures                            by Ginjer L. Clarke

   Did you know that the king cobra snake has enough venom in each bite to kill an
elephant? Learn all about the world's most dangerous animals--including tiger sharks,
black widow spiders, and polar bears.

Each Kindness                                                       by Jacqueline Woodson

  Chloe and her friends won’t associate with the new girl, Maya. Maya is different. She
wears used clothes and plays with old-fashioned toys. Every time Maya tries to play with
Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually, Maya plays alone, and then stops
coming to school altogether.

Eight Keys                                                by Suzanne LaFleur
   Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big
house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too
young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight
locked doors on the second floor.
When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in.
Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a
mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors
upstairs in the bar . . .

My Life as a Book                                                      by Janet Tashjian
   Summer’s finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck
with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations.
But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek’s dreams of fun come
to an end. Ever since he’s been labeled a “reluctant reader,” his mom has pushed him to
read “real” books—something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes.

   As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself
(in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner,
complete with curve balls.

The Secret Chicken Society                                                   by Judy Cox

   When Daniel's class hatches chicks as a science project, he adopts them. After he
finds out that his favorite bird, Peepers, isn't a hen but a rooster, and therefore illegal to
keep in the city of Portland, the Secret Chicken Society is quickly formed to save
Peepers.

When Life Gives You O.J.                                                    by Erica S. Perl

   For years, 10-year-old Zelly Fried has tried to convince her parents to let her have a
dog. After all, practically everyone in Vermont owns a dog, and it sure could go a long
way helping Zelly fit in since moving there from Brooklyn. But when her eccentric
grandfather Ace hatches a ridiculous plan involving a "practice dog" named OJ, Zelly's
not so sure how far she's willing to go to win a dog of her own. Is Ace's plan so crazy it
just might work . . . or is it just plain crazy?

Eager (Eager #1)                                                               by Helen Fox
  It's the end of the 21st century where technocrats rule and robots take care of
humans’ every need. Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And
your closest friend can be—a machine?

  Gavin Bell and his teenage sister Fleur come from a middle-class family. Their much-
loved, old-fashioned robot, Grumps, is running down and can’t be repaired, so a scientist
friend loans them EGR3, an experimental new robot to help Grumps. EGR3, known as
Eager, learns from his experiences, as a child would. He feels emotions—wonder,
excitement, and loss. When the ultra high-tech, eerily human BDC4 robots begin to
behave suspiciously, Eager and the Bells are drawn into a great adventure that is
sometimes dark and often humorous. As Eager’s extraordinary abilities are tested to the
limit, he will try to find the answer to this question: What does it mean to be alive?

The Homework Machine (The Homework Machine #1)                         by Dan Gutman

   The unlikely foursome made up of a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker
-- Brenton, Sam "Snick,", Judy and Kelsey, respectively, -- are bound together by one very
big secret: the homework machine. Because the machine, code named Belch, is doing
their homework for them, they start spending a lot of time together, attracting a lot of
attention. And attention is exactly what you don't want when you are keeping a secret.

  Before long, members of the D Squad, as they are called at school are getting strange
Instant Messages from a shady guy named Milner; their teacher, Miss Rasmussen, is
calling private meetings with each of them and giving them pop tests that they are
failing; and someone has leaked the possibility of a homework machine to the school
newspaper. Just when the D Squad thinks things can't get any more out of control, Belch
becomes much more powerful than they ever imagined. Soon the kids are in a race
against their own creation, and the loser could end up in jail...or worse!

Lunchbox and the Aliens                                               by Bryan W. Fields

   Lunchbox is your average basset hound: round, floppy, and not too bright . . . until he’s
abducted by aliens. Then he suddenly becomes a lean, mean, garbage-machine-making,
uh, machine. Frazz and Grunfloz, the hapless aliens who abducted Lunchbox, have set
him the task of converting Earth’s trash into froonga, a food adored by aliens and dogs
alike. Will Lunchbox and his boy, Nate, solve the world’s garbage crisis and form the first
interplanetary alliance? Or will the fate of the whole solar system come to rest on
whether Lunchbox can ever learn to catch a Frisbee?

Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook                        by Eleanor Davis
  Super-smart Julian Calendar thinks starting junior high at a new school will mean he
can shed his nerdy image–but then he meets Ben and Greta, two secret scientists like
himself! The three form a secret club, complete with a high-tech lair. There, they can
work to their hearts content on projects like the Stink-O-Meter, the Kablovsky Copter,
and the Nightsneak Goggles.
  All that tinkering comes in handy when the trio discovers an evil scientist's dastardly
plan to rob a museum. Can three inventors, armed with their wacky creations, hope to
defeat this criminal mastermind?

Zathura (Jumanji #2)                                                   by Chris Van Allsburg
   On the last page of the Caldecott-winning book Jumanji, young Danny Budwing is seen
running after his brother, Walter, with a game tucked under his arm. Now after twenty
years, Chris Van Allsburg is ready to reveal what happens when Danny and Walter roll the
dice. This time the name of the game is Zathura and the battling Budwing boys are in for
the ride of their lives.

  Zathura unleashes intergalactic challenges that require even the quarreling Budwing
brothers to work as a team.