Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska’s WWII Invasion by Samantha Seiple
The Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska are located off the shores of Alaska. Most people don’t think of these rocky outposts as the sites of some of “the bloodiest and deadliest hand-to-hand combat battles between the United States and Japan.” But most people are wrong. On June 7, 1942, thousands of Japanese soldiers swarmed over the American islands. And then, as Samantha Seiple says in this compelling new book, “On June 10, 1942, the U.S. Navy denied that it happened.” Using first person accounts, historical photographs, and minute-by-minute action, Seiple takes us into the thick of the battle and the experiences of the people who found themselves caught in this little-known, and very scary, part of World War II history. (Grades 6-8)
Consider Georges. His parents really love the French painter Georges Seurat, and so they name their son after the guy — “s” included. Only, they don’t live in Paris in the era of the Impressionists. They live in Brooklyn in the 21st century. And that extra “s” at the end of Georges’ name is just one of the things now making our young hero’s life complicated. Throw in a new apartment building, a possible new friend devoted to spying (and breaking-and-entering), and a taste test at school that might just point the way toward life or death, and Georges has a lot going on. Newbery-winning author Rebecca Stead gives us a new novel that comes complete with her humorous, gentle, impeccably crafted style — and a surprise twist at the end that packs an emotional wallop. (Grades 5-8)
The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch
With tightly woven text and fantastic color photographs, Elizabeth Rush tells the heart-pounding tale of how a pair of robot rovers got built and sent to Mars. In an inspired decision, she begins the account with a brief plunge into the childhood of Steve Squyres, the man who first dreamed of flying mechanized diggers to the Red Planet — and the guy who eventually lead the team that made it happen. Seeing Steve as a young boy who loves building things and hiking and seeing the world makes the whole story so much more personal. Plus, it’s just cool to read things like how to drive a rover and to pour over the panoramic rocky vistas that the plucky, 12-wheeled rovers photographed and sent home. (Grades 5-8)
Moonbird: A Year on the Wind With the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose
“Meet B95, one of the world’s premier athletes.” So begins the astonishing tale of a shorebird who has logged more than 325,000 miles in the air, winging back and forth for two decades from the northern regions of Canada to the very bottom of South America. Phillip Hoose tells the story of this rugged and resourceful “Superbird” — and how he and his fellow rufa red knots now face the greatest obstacle of all: looming extinction. As this migratory bird population has drastically dropped in numbers, B95 has kept on flying. Why? And how? Follow along as Moonbird investigates the path of a bird that “has to be among the toughest four ounces of life in the world.” (Grades 7-12)
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
It’s London in 1860, and as the fog spreads thickly over the soot-crusted streets, Clara begs her parents to let an Italian puppeteer and his two apprentices perform at her 12th birthday. But when the tall, leering, magical maestro sweeps into her home, nothing goes quite as planned. With this new novel, Newbery-winner Laura Amy Schlitz presents a story that is part Hansel and Gretel, part Pinocchio, and all darkly fabulous. As the perspectives switch from chapter to chapter and the tightly paced narrative picks up speed, the characters are launched toward an encounter with one of the most compelling witches to emerge in recent fiction. (Grades 4-8)
- Molly
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