Publisher: Scholastic Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/1/2007
ISBN: 9780439928724
ISBN-10: 0439928729

Owen & Mzee - The Language of Friendship continues the story of a 130 year old male tortoise and a baby hippo left orphaned after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
"Remarkably, Owen and Mzee seem to have developed their own language of sounds. One will make a soft, deep rumbling sound, the other will repeat it. They walk quietly back and forth for hours this way. The sound is not one that either hippos or tortoises usually make - an original form of communication - grown out of their special bond." Fascinating and incredible.

Publisher: Tilbury House, Publishers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/15/2006
ISBN: 9780884482833
ISBN-10: 0884482839

Just For Elephants documents the arrival of Shirley, an injured circus elephant first transferred to a zoo and then given the freedom to roam in a herd of elephant friends when she is relocated to the Elephant Sanctuary, a 2700 acre natural habitat refuge in Tennessee. A big surprise awaited Shirley upon her arrival. She recognized Jenny, another elephant who had been a baby at the circus where Shirley worked many years before. The most touching scene for me is depicted in a photograph showing Shirley and Jenny spending the first night standing close, trunks wrapped around each other.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/18/2007
ISBN: 9780399226533
ISBN-10: 0399226532

Babies in the Bayou is another Jim Arnosky picture book illustrating the natural world. This time he is showing the intimate life in the bayou. Mothers watch over their babies, protecting them and teaching them how to follow their lead. Each picture is painted from a different perspective. My favorite is as seen from above - "Little ducklings in a row follow their mother through the maze of lily pads."

Publisher: August House LittleFolk
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/1/2006
ISBN: 9780874837957
ISBN-10: 0874837952

I am overjoyed with another version of one of my favorite folktales - The Little Red Hen retold by Heather Forest - featuring a Pembroke Welsh Corgi pup! This was a recommended tale for telling one hundred years ago in the book "Stories to Tell Children" by Sara Cone Bryant, an early advocate for the art of oral tradition. It is an enduring story and just as wonderful today as it was so long ago.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 2/21/2006
ISBN: 9780374317799
ISBN-10: 0374317798

I love absurdity and Anne Fine has written a "hilarious horrendous" beginning reader book entitled The Diary of a Killer Cat. It is one week in Tuffy's life - "chuckle-filled chapters" looking at the world from a cat's point of view. He wonders what the fuss is all about after dragging a dead bird into the house. "Okay, okay. So hang me. I killed the bird. For pity's sake, I'm a cat. It's practically my job." If this strikes your funnybone, Tuffy has a sequel, The Return of the Killer Cat.

Publisher: New American Library
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/6/2005
ISBN: 9780451216953
ISBN-10: 0451216954

This is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. In this paranormal romance, Beth is half-human, half-vampire, but she doesn't know about the vampire part. Wrath, the king of the vampires, has made a promise to introduce her to her vampire heritage. This series combines romance with fantasy elements, so fantasy fans should give it a try. There is lots of action as the war between vampires and slayers continues. This book introduces the other members of the brotherhood who will each have their own book. From here the series only gets better, with more characters and cliffhanger endings until the next book comes along. Luckily, four of them have already been published.

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/1/2005
UPC: 00012569727748

This show was great and unfortunately it was canceled this year after the third season. No longer the preppy cheerleader type, Veronica helps out her dad who is a private investigator. She has been wronged and her family has been wronged. The way to deal? Solve the mystery of your best friend's death while taking detecting jobs on the side. Veronica is no average Nancy Drew. She is smart and will wound you with her sharp wit or her taser. Just don’t cross her because she will find out who you are and where you live.

Publisher: Allegro Corporation
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/18/2004
UPC: 00723724681620

More popularly known from her "Chick Habit" song that made it into Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof soundtrack, April March has a flair for the vintage. Not only that, the California born singer sings in French as well. Chrominance decoder is a combination of French and English songs sung in a 1960's pop music style. This music calls to mind pictures of Mod big-eyed kids art and white eyeliner. It's peachy keen!

Publisher: HarperTorch
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/2004
ISBN: 9780060572969
ISBN-10: 0060572965

This is a marvelous series by Kim Harrison starting with Dead Witch Walking. The series stars Rachel Morgan and ex-I.S. runner (think F.B.I. for the paranormal) set in a world that has wiped out many humans and introduced all paranormal creatures into existence. Except nobody leaves the I.S. Now she has people trying to kill her and she turns herself into a mink. What could be worse? How about the bad guy sticking her little mink self into a cage and using her in animal fights? With the help of her best friends, a pixie and a vampire, she manages to somehow survive.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Abrams
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/1/2006
ISBN: 9780810958463
ISBN-10: 0810958465

The plastic revolution is here. Armies of designer plastic toys are being created and assembled, some cute and cuddly and some violent and ferocious. This book is organized by country of origin and gives a brief bio of the designer. It is full of pictures of the little plastic beings and all their technicolor delight. All I know is that I want Gloomy Bear on my side.

Publisher: August House LittleFolk
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 8/1/2004
ISBN: 9780874837414
ISBN-10: 0874837413

Presents an introduction to colors in both Spanish and English.

Publisher: Ediciones Urano
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/30/2004
ISBN: 9789707101395
ISBN-10: 9707101393

Chipotes and Dientes are a pair of mischief-makers who love to play soccer, Greñas loves rock ‘n roll music, Lentes prefers to read, María is more interested in protecting nature than anything else, and Moños adores her dolls almost as much as Pecas cherishes her friends, but when they are together in a group, this bunch shares adventures that are anything but predictable.

Publisher: Lectorum Pubns
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 8/30/2005
ISBN: 9789681676728
ISBN-10: 9681676726

Publisher: Universal Music & Video Distr
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 4/3/2007
UPC: 00013431230526

Publisher: New Line Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/1/2007
UPC: 00794043107177

Set in post-civil war Spain, a young girl flees the home of her cruel step-father into an underground fantasy world where she encounters a strange creature and a terrifying battle between good and evil.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/13/2007
ISBN: 9781416532392
ISBN-10: 1416532390

Meet Izzy Spellman, San Francisco private eye, and her zany, dysfunctional family. Read while you wait for Janet Evanovich to write the next Stephanie Plum mystery.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Conari Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2007
ISBN: 9781573243056
ISBN-10: 1573243051

Four women, Jackie Speier, former State Senator, television host Jan Yanehiro, Michealene Cristini Risley, documentary filmmaker, and Deborah Collins Stevens, businesswoman, bare their souls and share hard-earned wisdom on how to deal with life's most painful events, how to restore hope, and thrive in our lives. This book is a tribute to the strength and fellowship of women. Inspiring.

Table of Contents  

Publisher: HBO Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/1/2006
UPC: 00026359284328

This isn't really a comedy though it has its darkly funny moments. In fact, watching this is a bit like watching a train wreck waiting to happen. But talented Lisa Kudrow has us rooting for her character, Valerie Cherish, an aging former sitcom star yearning for another shot at the limelight. Cast in a new series and a simultaneous reality show, Valerie endures public humiliation as she tries desperately to regain her celebrity status. There's much more here than one first suspects.

Publisher: Decca
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 1/13/2004
UPC: 00028947084822

The six string quartet's of Beethoven's opus 18 are full of delightful moments of youthful energy, musical wit, and uninhibited tenderness. With this recording, Takacs Quartet begin their traversal through all of Beethoven's quartet, exploring the repertoire with sparkling originality and astonishing precision.

Publisher: Tradewind Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2006
ISBN: 9781896580784
ISBN-10: 1896580785

One look at the delicious cover of this new book had me peeking inside to see what it was all about. I loved the light whimsical illustrations that complemented the quirky little poems inside. One of my favorites is called, "Do Your Best Under the Circumstances." Despite the onions, this book is a breath of fresh air!

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/26/2006
ISBN: 9780375835964
ISBN-10: 0375835962

This fun new picture book has a main character who is a rebellious young sprite with some inspired ideas and exuberant energies that, um, well might be misconstrued as being somewhat mischievous. I liked this rebel girl, and not just because she wanted to staple her brothers hair to his pillow, but because she deserves credit for ingenuity. Besides, with my favorite number 17 in the title, it had to be a winner!

Publisher: Lark Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2007
ISBN: 9781579909628
ISBN-10: 1579909620

Here is some inspiration to make great jewelry for anyone who likes to work with beads and such! There are great photographs and instructions for the various pieces which highlight the use of big beads, but they can also be a take-off point for one's own original ideas.

Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/2006
ISBN: 9781584302544
ISBN-10: 1584302542

I was initially drawn in by the art, and then stayed for the interesting concept. Multiple intelligences is an interesting theory and is presented in a creative way in this book. The lay-out of the book is beautiful, and the presentation captures various elements in one neat package: it is a little bit poetic, a little bit biographical, a little bit artsy, and a little bit informative surrounding the different ways people are smart.

Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/1/2006
ISBN: 9780060753467
ISBN-10: 0060753463

What a wonderful statement this new children's picture book makes about how we race through life, concerned about winning and losing, when it really is about the journey and the choices we make along the way. The fun rhyming text and story carries a message about the art of living, and could not be more timely considering the fast paced world we all live in.