Cool New Books for August
Our Cool New Books for August include AMELIA BEDELIA, ROCKET SCIENTIST, in which the literal-minded housekeeper is a judge at the school science fair; the eleventh installment in the always entertaining Andrew Lost series (this time, Andrew, Judy and the gang are stuck in the age when dinosaurs roamed the earth!); and THE GRUESOME GUIDE TO WORLD MONSTERS, a well-researched and detailed guide to fantastic creatures around the world --- and how to survive an encounter with them.
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 AMELIA BEDELIA, ROCKET SCIENTIST?
Herman Parish
illustrated by Lynn Sweat
Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060518871
Ages 6-up
64 pages
• AMELIA BEDELIA Series
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When Mr. Rogers discovers that Amelia Bedelia has washed his reading glasses in the dishwasher, he calls her a rocket scientist. Amelia Bedelia is delighted and quite proud of herself. But university professor Dr. Don Dinglebatt, Amelia Bedelia's fellow judge at the school science fair, is merely bewildered. If this woman is indeed a rocket scientist, then why are volcanoes erupting and flying objects (both identified and unidentified) taking to the air whenever Amelia Bedelia stops to examine a display?
 ANDREW LOST, Book 11: WITH THE DINOSAURS
J. C. Greenburg
Random House
ISBN: 0375829512
Ages 7-10
96 pages
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• ANDREW LOST Series
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Andrew, Judy and Thudd have escaped the molten rock of baby Earth only to find themselves surrounded by huge (and hungry) dinosaurs. Meanwhile, Uncle Al is still stranded in the Ice Age. Somehow Andrew, Judy and Thudd must fix their time machine and rescue Uncle Al --- before he becomes a human ice cube!
 CHICO: A True Story from the Childhood of the First Woman Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor
illustrated by Dan Andreasen
Dutton Children's Books
ISBN: 0525474528
Ages 5-up
32 pages
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Sandra Day O'Connor, who recently retired from the Supreme Court, has written her first children's book. As a child Sandra loved ranch life, but above all she loved riding her pony, Chico. In this story, based on a true-life incident, a ride to visit a new calf ends in a terrifying encounter with a rattlesnake. Young Sandra learns an important lesson about taking care of herself and her horse --- and about overcoming her fears.
 CLARICE BEAN SPELLS TROUBLE
Lauren Child
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763628131
Ages 8-11
192 pages
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Clarice Bean seems to be in nonstop trouble these days, almost as much as Karl Wrenbury, the naughtiest boy at school. Mrs. Wilberton is planning a spelling bee, and just thinking about it gives Clarice a stomachache. The good news is that there is also going to be a class performance of THE SOUND OF MUSIC; Clarice desperately wants to land the starring role so she can get discovered by someone who spots child talents and escape spelling-bee humiliation. But when Karl Wrenbury has a family problem and gets into really big trouble, Clarice does something utterly unexpected.
 THE GHOST'S GRAVE
Peg Kehret
Dutton Children's Books
ISBN: 0525461620
Ages 8-14
192 pages
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What Josh thought would be the dullest summer of his life, spent with his eccentric great-aunt, turns chilling when he meets the ghost of a coal miner killed in a mine explosion. Willie has been waiting years for some kind soul to dig up his leg and rebury it with the rest of him --- only then will he be at peace. Josh agrees to do the grisly deed, but when he digs in the old cemetery, he finds a box of cash with Willie's leg bones. Who buried all those dollar bills there, and why? How far will that person go to get the money back?
 THE GRUESOME GUIDE TO WORLD MONSTERS
Judy Sierra
illustrated by Henrik Drescher
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 076361727X
Ages 6-up
64 pages
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Do you know why you should have baby teeth handy when visiting the Midwest? Or why you should bring a cucumber with you when swimming in Japan? How good are you at solving Russian riddles? From Boston to Bejing, from Moscow to Mali, any place you visit has its own terrifying tales of very real creatures. Complete with handy "gruesomeness ratings," this guide offers all the important facts on some sixty-three folkloric monsters and how (if possible!) to survive an encounter with them.
 THE LAMBKINS
Eve Bunting
Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060599065
Ages 10-up
192 pages
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Kyle Wilson has been kidnapped by the crazy Mrs. Shepherd and injected with some kind of shrinking formula. The fourth Lambkin in her collection, Kyle is now trapped in a dollhouse but still alive. Mrs. Shepherd claims she'll keep them safe and will never harm them --- as long as they don't make her angry. Kyle and the others must figure out how to escape, and fast. Otherwise they'll end up as Lambkins forever...or worse.
 POPPY'S RETURN
Avi
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060000120
Ages 8-12
240 pages
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Poppy and Rye don't know what to do with their son Ragweed Junior --- he is rude, crude, and has dyed his fur to look like Mephitis, his skunk friend. Even Ereth, the cantankerous porcupine, can't straighten him out. Then Poppy gets an urgent request to return to her old home, Gray House, where her aging parents reside. She decides to take Junior with her, in hopes that traveling together will bring them closer. But when Junior's skunk pal and Ereth join the party, the trip doesn't quite go as expected.
 REGARDING THE TREES: A Splintered Saga Rooted in Secrets
Kate Klise
illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
Gulliver Books/Harcourt
ISBN: 0152051635
Ages 9-12
160 pages
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Principal Walter Russ just wanted a simple proposal to trim the overgrown trees outside Geyser Creek Middle School. So how did he end up with a wedding (rather than a weeding) proposal from designer Florence Waters? And that's not all. Angelo, the new cafeteria chef from Italy, has taken up residence in Mr. N.'s classroom. A sixth-grader has moved into the weeping willow tree behind school. And all the girls in Geyser Creek are boycotting the boys.
Told in newspaper articles, letters and secret notes, REGARDING THE TREES is the third book in sisters Kate and Sarah Klise's hilarious "Regarding the..." series.
--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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