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Children of the Lamp: The Eye of the Forest, written by P. B. Kerr, (Orchard Books, 2009), 384p, Ages 10-12.
When a collection of rare Incan artifacts disappear from the Peabody Museum, the djinn twins, Phillipa and John, their Uncle Nimrod, his butler Groanin, and two friends travel to the Amazon jungle to retrieve them. With their guide, Sicky, a tall Indian with huge hands, enormous feet, strange tattoos, and a grapefruit-sized head, they encounter Peruvian giant centipedes, a giant-giant Anaconda, monster mosquitoes, deadly frogs, and mummy-like warriors-all djinn-powered traps conjured by a traitor in their midst. Attempting to regain his lost powers, their old enemy Dybbuk tries to use the stolen artifacts to open the Eye of the Forest, a magical and deadly doorway, guarded by powerful Incan spells, with the potential to destroy the rainforest, Incan empire, and the Western Hemisphere. They manage to survive in the forest, prevent the destruction of South America, and come to realize the many environmental threats the inhabitants of the Amazon jungle face. With uncontrollable whirlwinds, talking boards, an ancient warlord djinn, family subplots, and a haunted house, this latest adventure in the popular series will have kids hooked.

Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, written by Anna Harwell Celenza, illus. by JoAnn E. Kitchel, (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2006), 32p, Ages 5-9.
The year was 1924 and twenty-six year-old pianist George Gershwin had five weeks to compose a new jazz concerto. Little did he realize it would change American music forever. Gershwin experimented with rhythms from train wheels, music from a Jewish klezmer band, ragtime, blues, and the foxtrot. The masterpiece was one of several pieces performed at "An Experiment in Modern Music" concert in New York. The concert sold out, but many in the audience became restless, until "All at once, the clarinet let out a wail that made the fleeing listeners stop dead in their tracks." A CD accompanies the story featuring Gershwin at the piano.

John Muir: America's First Environmentalist, written by Kathryn Lasky, illus. by Stan Fellows, (Candlewick Press, 2006), 48p, Ages 6-10.
Born in 1938 in Scotland, John Muir loved the land. A writer, scholar, inventor, shepherd, and explorer, he was devoted to the wilderness. From his boyhood years in Scotland, teen years in Wisconsin, adult life in Florida, and a brief account of his Alaskan adventures with his dog Stickeen, Muir went on to establish Yosemite as a National Park in 1890. Never rich or famous, John Muir was more influential in preserving America's wilderness than any other person in America's history. Final pages describe the work of the Sierra Club that John Muir founded in 1892 and a bibliography for further reading.

Moses, written by Margaret Hodges, illus. by Barry Moser, (Harcourt Children's Books, 2007), 32p, Ages 8+.
The late Margaret Hodges brings the famous story of Moses to young children in this picture-book biography of a man known by God and called to become a great leader of the Jewish people. From his early life as an infant, floating down the Nile River in a bulrush basket, to an old man who receives the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, Moses is portrayed as a man of faith who overcame many obstacles in his life. The appendix contains the Ten Commandments, each preceded by its Hebrew letter/number. This brief introduction to an important leader of Judeo-Christian history should be included in every library.

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, written/illus. by Gene Barretta, (Henry Holt & Co., 2006), 40p, Ages 5-9.
A clever introduction to Benjamin Franklin's numerous contributions to every day life. Many modern conveniences (daylight savings time, bifocals, electricity) and inventions (fins, odometer, chairs) as well as community contributions (library, post office, and fire department) are attributed to this 18th century genius. Each contribution is shown as it was in Benjamin Franklin's day versus modern day applications.

Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln, written by Judith St. George, illus. by Matt Faulkner, (Philomel Books, 2008), 48p, Ages 7+.
For younger children, this telling is a good insight into the childhood of one of America's greatest presidents. Born February 12, 1809, into Kentucky backwoods poverty, Abe was a smart child who loved books but even at a young age, he was expected to do many chores. At age six, he fetched water, swept out the fireplace, hoed weeds, and gathered nuts. After his mother died when he was ten, his father brought home a stepmother, Sally Bush Johnston, who was a turning point in Abe's life. Sally understood Abe, and gave him books, encouraged him to return to school, and saw to it that he had fewer chores. It was under Sally's tutelage that Abe "gained confidence to take his sense of fairness, his careful way of thinking, his hatred of cruelty, and his ability to settle quarrels out into the world". As stepparents are rarely credited with influencing famous people, much less the course of a nation, this picture book is a positive influence for blended families and a good addition for a child's home library.

Starclimber, written by Kenneth Oppel, (HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009), 400p, Young Adult.
Pilot Matt Cruise and Zoologist Kate de Vries from Airborn (2004) and Skybreaker (2006), journey into space as part of the crew on an experimental Victorian-era space ship. Months before the planned mission, Matt begins rigorous training for a place with the crew of Starclimber, a secret Canadian elevator-type vessel designed to climb vertically 25,000 miles on a cable into outer space. With many hurdles to overcome, including their relationship, Matt and Kate (now part of the suffragette movement) join a prickly female photographer, a pompous zoologist, and a fatherly captain in an exciting race into space. However, the race turns deadly as strange glowing space creatures, asteroids, bomb threats, metal-eating barnacles, equipment malfunctions, and mechanical failures threaten the survival of all aboard. Part science fiction, adventure, romance, and social commentary, action-packed Starclimber will not disappoint readers.

Theodore, written by Frank Keating, illus. by Mike Wimmer, (Simon & Schuster, 2006), 32p, Ages 6-9.
This beautifully illustrated and eloquent biography captures the spirit and determination of our twenty-sixth president. Rising above a childhood of health problems, Theodore Roosevelt developed a fascination with animals and the natural world. By fifteen, he had traveled the world with his family and went on to become a rancher, hunter, soldier, a father of six, governor of New York, and the nation's youngest president at forty-two. The rich oil paintings bring to life this fascinating, hard-working man a century after his presidency.

Young Thomas Edison, written/illus. by Michael Dooling, (Holiday House, 2005), 40p, Ages 4-8.
Even at nine years old, Thomas Edison made his first laboratory in the family's basement. He sold newspapers on the train at twelve years old and set up a laboratory in the baggage car. A determined and focused young man, Edison, in spite of hearing loss and setbacks, continued to experiment and create inventions that we enjoy today. When we pick up a telephone, switch on a lamp, listen to the radio, play music, or go to the movies, we benefit from Edison's genius.