Outside and Inside Mummies

Outside and Inside Mummies

by Sandra Markle

Review-

From School Library JournalGrade 5-8–Markle explores a global smorgasbord of mummy varieties, both those created by human procedures and those caused by nature. Crisp (if gruesome) color photos accompany the readable, informative text, which discusses not only the mummification process, but also the cutting-edge technologies used by forensic anthropologists and others to study the mummies themselves. From endoscopies to CT scans, through scanning electron microscopes to acid washes and DNA analysis, the author presents an up-to-date look at modern forensics applied to ancient human remains. A new glimpse into a long-ago world.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Blue Ghost

The Blue Ghost

by Marion Dane Bauer

Review-

From School Library JournalGrade 2-4–Nine-year-old Liz is helping her grandmother prepare to sell the old family cabin. She is awakened at night by a strange blue light and a voice calling her name. In the corner of her room, a ghostly woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes beckons to her and then disappears through the wall. Later, Liz hears voices and a baby's cry coming from behind the spot where the blue ghost vanished. She follows the sound and finds herself in the same cabin but long ago when it was first built. There, three little boys and a tiny baby are all in the care of a girl not much older than Liz herself. When the girl calls her a guardian angel, Liz knows that she has been summoned to the past because the children and the blue ghost need her help. This skillfully written short chapter book moves smoothly between the present and past. There is a strong emphasis on family heritage and intergenerational relations. Gran's stories about their family history provide the clues that Liz needs to answer the ghost's plea. Expressive black-and-white pictures heighten the suspense. Transition readers attracted by the wonderfully spooky cover art will find this a satisfying read.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip by Gaylia Taylor

Review-

From School Library JournalGrade 1-5 This lively story of the inventor of the potato chip begins with Crum's 1830s childhood in the Adirondacks, where his feisty streak gave him resilience in the face of prejudice against his Native American/African-American heritage. He combined a passion for cooking with a perfectionist bent and was hired as a chef at Moon's Lake House in Saratoga Springs, where he created popular wild game and fish dishes. His encounters with fussy and demanding patrons led to the innovative idea of thinly sliced, deep-fried potatoes as the ultimate French fry, and his fame spread rapidly. He eventually opened his own restaurant, Crum's Place, where everyone was treated equally, regardless of race or wealth. Taylor notes that the story is based on the more substantiated existing facts about a man whose life is largely undocumented. She writes clearly and compassionately, and treats topics of culinary history and race relations in an inviting manner. Crum is multidimensional in depiction, and readers can practically taste his crisp, freshly prepared chips. Morrison's richly colored acrylic illustrations have a comical look; the elongated figures shown from unusual angles create stylized exaggeration and burst with life. This book contains sufficient detail to interest older students, and its appealing format will assure its popularity as a read-aloud for the primary grades. Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the Road

Down Girl and Sit On the Road
by Lucy Nolan














Review-

From BooklistGr. 1-3. This charming, hilarious follow-up to Smarter than Squirrels (2004) portrays the further adventures of canine protagonist-narrator Down Girl. A road trip to the beach with her owner, whom she calls Rruff; her best dog friend, Sit; and Sit's owner proves unexpectedly eventful as the dogs find themselves alone in a moving car, and curious Down Girl gets her nose pinched by a crab. A camping trip brings more excitement: singing at the campfire, eating hotdogs, and chasing squirrels. Even a car ride to the Lady in the White Coat for a nail trim isn't too bad: Down Girl gets a cookie and sees her despised feline neighbor, Here Kitty Kitty, contained in a carrier. Nolan's simple, peppy text is fun to read, and kids will enjoy Down Girl's escapades as well as her endearing naivete, which is visualized in witty, black-and-white art. Shelle RosenfeldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved