Contemporary African American Fiction Autobiography of my Dead Brother Walter Dean Myers    As in his 1989 Newbery Honor title Scorpions (Harper, 1988/VOYA August 1988), Myers explores the seduction of youth into gangs. The book starts and ends with a funeral. In between is the story of Jesse, a young African American teen growing up in a Harlem where gangs are a way of life. While Jesse avoids the gangs, his best friend/blood brother Rise does not. Powerful words only tell part of the tale as Myers teams with his son Christopher to illustrate the text. Jesse is a comic artist, and throughout the text, Christopher's stark black-and-white drawings illustrate people and places, including a shocking image of a young man in a coffin that opens the book. There is also a Calvin and Hobbes-like comic strip called Spodi Roti and Wise, which Myers uses to score political points. It is not a perfect book: Some of the slang is dated according to a teen from a correctional facility who read the book, and Jesse sometimes just seems too good, but those flaws are minor. There is a sweet-and-sour subplot of Jesse and his girlfriend plus some comic family interaction to shed light on this dark tale. Although this slice of street life might not satisfy teens reading the new generation of gritty books such as Teri Woods's True to the Game (Teri Woods Publishing, 1999), this cautionary tale packs a punch, even though it pulls a few punches in terms of language to find a home in school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, HarperCollins, 224p., $15.99 and PLB $16.89. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Patrick Jones (VOYA, October 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 4)). Best Books: Kirkus Book Review Stars, July 1, 2005; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, August 2005; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: National Book Award Finalist 2005 Young People's Literature United States ISBN: 0-06-058291-X ISBN: 0-06-058292-8 Babylon Sisters Pearl Cleage Read by the author    Cleage's wonderfully mellow voice is filled with her cultural and regional resonance and is, not surprisingly, perfectly suited to her words. She writes about the middle-class African American culture of Atlanta. Her main character, Catherine Sanderson, is a professional single mother of a headstrong 17-year-old daughter, Phoebe, who demands to know who her father is. At the same time, Catherine, who works with immigrant women, is offered a job with a self-made businesswoman who started as a maid. When Phoebe begins her pursuit of her father, Catherine's old lover shows up in town. Together, along with their old friends, they begin an investigation of human trafficking and are surprised to discover that Catherine's new employer is involved. While the circumstances may seem a bit too convenient, such as the reappearance of Phoebe's father just at the time that she starts looking for him, the novel is a wonderful view into an American subculture and into a social problem that is only now coming into public consciousness. Catherine sets an example of a woman who has learned to depend on herself but also to be appreciative of the strength of her family and her friends. The story has a fairy tale ending that is also a bit too pat, but then happy endings do sometimes occur, and these characters seem to deserve such an ending. Category: Fiction Audiobooks. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2005, Audio Partners, 7 cds. 8 hrs.; Cardboard; plot, author, reader notes., $31.95. Ages 15 to adult. Reviewer: Nola Theiss (KLIATT Review, July 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 4)). ISBN: 1-57270-465-9 Bang! Sharon G. Flake    This new novel by the promising African American author of The Skin I'm In (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 1998) could be subtitled "Finding Manhood in the Urban Ghetto." Fourteen-year-old Mann, who witnessed the random shooting of his baby brother, Jason, suffers as deeply two years later as though it happened just yesterday. Mann's mother, who still holds birthday parties for Jason, babies Mann, whereas his father searches desperately for a way to protect his only remaining child from omnipresent crime and murder. Meanwhile a confused Mann skips school and does drugs with his best friend, Kee-lee. A turning point occurs when Mann's father, concocting his own version of an African coming-of-age ritual, takes the boys camping and abandons them. Somehow they survive and make it back to the neighborhood, where they become street thugs. Preying on others and preyed upon, they live miserably until Kee-lee's violent death stops Mann short. Written in the vernacular, this novel is held together by the strong characterization of Mann; other characters are more lightly sketched African American stereotypes. The plot meanders, taking second place to Flake's heavy-handed message concerning violence and its destructive effects on the urban community. Some scenes, especially one in which the lost boys are tortured by racists, are hard to stomach. Despite strong writing, the novel is excessively depressing and its ending weak. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Hyperion, 304p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 18. Reviewer: Laura Woodruff (VOYA, December 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 5)). ISBN: 0-7868-1844-1 Black and White Paul Volponi    When two high school basketball stars, one black, one white, decide to rob people for a few bucks, someone is shot but only one of the boys gets caught. Marcus, an African-American boy nicknamed "Black," refuses to tell anyone, even his family, who the other boy was, although those who know him can easily guess that it had to have been his friend, Eddie, known as "White." It is hard to fathom why Marcus would be willing to be the fall guy for Eddie, especially when Marcus neither provided the gun nor pulled the trigger. And it is hard not to be irritated with Eddie for not only abandoning his friend but also feeling happy about his basketball scholarship--which, clearly, he will not receive if he is arrested. The only saving grace is that Eddie must live in fear of the police and their finding enough evidence against him, his own moral disgrace, and his inability to face his crime and move on. Marcus and the people around him have already faced and come to terms with his role in the crime. The book does raise the issue of why a minority youth would have the defeatist feeling that the system is so stacked against him that fingering his white buddy would not make any difference. It is a sad commentary on the state of U.S. democracy in general and race relations in particular. This book could well be used to trigger enlightening discussions in high school literature and government classes. 2005, Viking, $15.99. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine (Children's Literature). Best Books: Booklist Book Review Stars , Sep. 1, 2005; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, June 20, 2005; Cahners; United States ISBN: 0-670-06006-2 Blackberry Stew Isabell Monk Illustrated by Janice Lee Porter    Losing a close relative is difficult for anyone. Understanding that we will always have our memories of them is an important lesson--one that is the crux of this picture book. Hope, the narrator of the story, has just lost her Grandpa Jack and is afraid that if she attends his funeral and says good-bye to him she will have lost him forever. Her Aunt Poogee closes her eyes and describes a memory to Hope. She then invites Hope to remember a special day that Grandpa Jack, Aunt Poogee and Hope had shared the prior summer. Through the experience of the flashback Hope overcomes her fear, seeing the funeral as a temporary goodbye--until she experiences her next memory of him. The characters in the book are African-American. The illustrations are primitive and colorful yet simultaneously soft, appearing to have a kind of fabric texture to their background. This book can be effectively used as a master text when working with young children on writing memoirs. It also demonstrates the effective use of flashbacks. 2005, Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group, $15.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Maria Lamattina (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-5750-5605-4 Danitra Brown, Class Clown Nikki Grimes Illustrated by E.B. Lewis    We have already met the delightful Danitra and her friend, Zuri, in the author's Meet Danitra Brown and Danitra Brown Leaves Town. In a series of sprightly rhymes filled with both humor and emotions, Zuri pays tribute to Danitra's charm and support as Zuri goes through the school year. A new teacher proves to be better than she at first seems, particularly when Zuri's mother is ill. Zuri manages to struggle through her troubles mastering math with the help of her "Matchless tutor/Matchless friend." Finally they look forward to another great year. Lewis's naturalistic watercolors depict the many moods and actions of the friends with an honesty that is free of sentimentality but not of feeling. His scenes supply contexts with just enough detail to make each scene complete. Emotions are clearly evident, from the contented, close-eyed smile when Zuri realizes her name means "beautiful" to the grouchy disappointment when the girls are moved to sit apart in class. Time spent with these good friends warms the heart. 2005, Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers, $15.99 and $16.89. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).    Danitra and Zuri, best friends, are back in school again, with a new teacher and a new illustrator. As in the first two Danitra Brown books--Meet Danitra Brown and Danitra Brown Leaves Town--Zuri is the narrator, telling the story of the friendship between the two girls and chronicling events in their lives. With E. B. Lewis illustrating, the girls have changed slightly, but still radiate grace and energy from every page. Using muted watercolors, Lewis gives both girls unique appearances, allowing Danitra's personality to come across in every illustration. Danitra continues to dress in shades of purple and is shown with her ubiquitous eyeglasses. Individual poems tell events in the lives of Danitra and Zuri as they go through their year at school. Danitra is always there when Zuri needs her. The poems that work best are those using free verse, as the rhyming poems sometimes devolve into contrived rhyming patterns, taking away from Grimes' poetic language. "The right chord/would be nice./I close my eyes,/soak in the melody,/and drown any doubt." 2005, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Wendy M. Smith-D'Arezzo (Children's Literature). Best Books: School Library Journal Book Review Stars, September 2005; Cahners; United States ISBN: 0-688-17290-3 ISBN: 0-688-17291-1 Diddle Diddle Dumpling Tracey Campbell Pearson    This rhyme is one I heard growing up and always thought it was a bit strange; what did it mean? Pearson has done a great job with her visual interpretation. The young boy (African-American) is reading with his dad. He falls asleep along with his Dad. Mama comes and puts her little boy to bed and he drops a shoe. His trusty dog not only brings along a sleep toy, but retrieves the wayward shoe. It offers a nice touch of humor. This really has to be the best way I have seen to make this simple rhyme resonate with today's kids. The art is soothing--soft, loosely drawn watercolors--and the story makes sense. It is a good board book choice for any family. 2005, Farrar Straus Giroux, $5.95. Ages 1 to 4. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-374-30861-6 Honey Baby Sugar Child Alice Faye Duncan    In this touching picture book, a mother tenderly expresses her unconditional love for her toddler son. She shows her love by holding her son in her arms and hugging him tightly, giving him gentle kisses on his cheeks, twirling and running with him in the green grass, and playing games, such as patty-cake with him. No matter what time of day or what activity they are involved in, she always takes the opportunity to share her affections with her son. It is easy for readers to see how much this mother loves her son, and how important he is to her. This endearing story is a perfect read-aloud for bedtime or anytime parents want to remind their children how much they mean to them. Young readers will enjoy the soothing, poetic text, as well as the warm, endearing artwork. 2005, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $15.95. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Debra Briatico (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-689-84678-9 The Hoopster Alan Lawrence Sitomer    Andre Anderson, the book's seventeen-year-old African American protagonist, is asked to compose an article providing insight into racism for a prestigious Los Angeles magazine. The article is a success, which incites a brutal racist attack against Andre. His hand maimed, Andre becomes depressed and mute, unable to heal until he receives a hand-shaped sculpture from his friend Shawn. Andre breaks down, and only then do readers discern his inner turmoil. Andre is later honored at a magazine banquet, and the story quickly concludes as he rejoins his friends on the basketball court. The first installment is a new urban trilogy, this book will resonate with inner-city reluctant readers who enjoy basketball and hip-hop. Yet despite probable popularity among some youth and English teachers in multicultural urban settings, it is unlikely that the book will appeal to other audiences because of its one-dimensional characters, weak plot, and ineffectually explored themes. Readers are never exposed to the article's main content, and Andre's attackers are identified simply as "four burly white men," giving readers little to help them gain an understanding of the complex forces underlying racism. The book's dialogue is peppered with caustic language and mild profanity, but the use of stereotypes and slurs, such as "Pakistani Porsche" to describe a dilapidated bicycle, however, might truly offend. Walter Dean Myers's Slam! (Scholastic, 1996) and Sharon Draper's Tears of a Tiger (Atheneum, 1994) are excellent alternatives. VOYA CODES: 1Q 2P S (Hard to understand how it got published; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Jump At The Sun/Hyperion, 224p., $16.99. Ages 15 to 18. Reviewer: Sherry Korthals (VOYA, August 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 3)) Best Books: Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-7868-5483-9 In the Night, on Lanvale Street Jane Leslie Conly    There has been a hole in the community ever since Mr. Healy was killed late one night on his own front porch. Thirteen-year-old Charlie and her seven-year-old brother, Jerry, miss him terribly. No one seems to know anything, and no one seems to want to ask any questions, until Jim returns. A boarder at the Healy house on the night of the murder, Jim is starting his own investigation. He enlists Charlie, and even Jerry, to help him. All of this makes Charlie very uncomfortable. She just wants to enjoy the summer with her best friend, Shannon, to hang out in her neighborhood, and to keep Jerry safe. Still, Charlie's deeply troubled by the silence she gets in response to those questions she does ask. Maybe Jim is right that there are people who know what happened. Maybe they do need to find out what happened to set it right. But Jim's apocalyptic talk of good and evil and the future scares Charlie. As tension rises and Jerry's part in the investigation deepens, Charlie finds that she is already too involved to back out and learns that the fallout from Jim's truth-seeking just may be more than anyone anticipated. Jane Leslie Conly's novel is taut and realistic. Charlie's growing concern and horror are evident with each page. There is remarkably little violence for a book that deals with drug-dealers and murderers, but there is an ominous tone throughout. Appropriately, this story does not have a happy ending, but it does have a hopeful one. 2005, Henry Holt, $16.95. Ages 12 to 16. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-8050-7464-3 In the Small, Small Night Jane Kurtz Pictures by Rachel Isadora    Abena tries to reassure her little brother Kofi when he cannot sleep for worrying about what may happen to them in America. She recalls for him the stories told by the storyteller back in their village in Ghana. The first tale is of tricky Anansi, who tries to take all the wisdom of the world away in a pot, but is foiled by his wise young son. The next is of how turtle tricks vulture, who has teased him. Finally, as she is carrying him to bed, Kofi turns the tables on her, dispelling her fears of being teased in their new country by reminding her of the lessons in the story and of their family togetherness. For as she falls asleep she knows that the stars she sees walking across the sky will be seen by her family in Ghana as well. Isadora uses her pastels to model characters, to depict the loving sibling relationship as well as the lively Anansi and the rich, warm African setting. The animals, like turtle and vulture, are also full of strong emotional content. Her full-page scenes are loaded with a pulsating sense of vitality, even to the final page of Abena sleeping with a parade of toy animals behind her pillow. In a note, the author explains the source of the stories and the inspiration for the book. 2005, Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99 and $17.89. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature). Best Books: Kirkus Book Review Stars, January 1, 2005; United States ISBN: 0-06-623813-7 ISBN: 0 06 62381 4 The Liberation of Gabriel King K.L. Going    In the summer of 1976, Frita Wilson and Gabriel King are best friends. Frita is looking forward to the fifth grade, but Gabe fears the promotion and some waiting sixth-grade bullies as much as he fears spiders, mean truck drivers, and about 35 other things. Though Frita and Gabe make a list to work on his obsessions, starting with a big black and yellow spider, complications develop when the father of one of the bullies calls Frita "nigger." Suddenly Frita is afraid, too. What suspense there is evolves from the plan devised by the children and their parents for a Bicentennial rally with the neighboring town, shutting out the obnoxious bullies and their racist fathers. With its carefully constructed characters and a sense of remoteness to the setting, the story is more a parable than a novel. Frita and Gabe are the perfect biracial pair, her brother is an angry young man, the parents are wise and understanding, the bullies are vicious, but we meet few other townspeople. Are there really only two racist families in the area? Although the author uses the rally as a means to illustrate the power of non-violence to boost courage and marginalize bullies, it falls flat as a climax (we don't even find out if Jimmy Carter really appears). The lesson of solidarity through love is a worthy one, but might have been more effectively presented with believable characters, a realistic setting, and a stronger plot. 2005, Putnam/Penguin, $15.99. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature).    Gabriel has decided that he will not move up to 5th grade with his best friend, Frita, because doing so will put him on the same wing as Duke Evans, the 6th grade bully. Frita decides to spend her summer making Gabriel brave and has him compile a list of all of the things he is afraid of. Together they tackle the seemingly endless list of fears but Gabriel shows no emerging signs of courage. When Frita is accosted by Duke's father and is threatened with a Ku Klux Klan visit (she is African-American), fear takes on a whole different look. This quiet novel of real bravery holds a nice message for children: real courage is not about conquering a fear of spiders but in standing up for what you know to be right. Going's story of a strong, supportive friendship between two children from very different backgrounds that grows in ways they never knew to be possible is refreshing in its backdrop of ordinary life. It is ordinary people, after all, that affect some of the greatest changes of all. 2005, Putnam, $15.99. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). Best Books: Kirkus Book Review Stars, May 15, 2005; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, June 27, 2005; Cahners; United States ISBN: 0-399-23991-X Luke Goes to Bat Rachel Isadora    Luke is too small to join in the neighborhood baseball games but that does not stop him from dreaming about it. At night, from his Brooklyn rooftop, Luke listens to the cheers from Ebbets Field, glowing in the distance, and imagines himself hitting home runs like his hero, Jackie Robinson. When Luke finally does get to join the neighborhood game, he strikes out. Grandma reassures him, saying that not even Jackie Robinson plays like Jackie Robinson all the time. Grandma takes Luke to see his hero play at Ebbets Field and Robinson defies the odds that night and hits one out of the park. Luke decides that like Jackie Robinson, he will keep trying, too. Success is about dreaming but it is also about hard work. Jackie Robinson had to overcome many obstacles to achieve the success he did. While this book does not delve into his specific history, it does speak to both hard work and dreaming as being the key to his success. The message for Luke is clear: work hard and keep your eyes on the prize. Isadora's artwork is evocative of the time and her use of black-and-white to distinguish between reality and the dream sequences is effective. This is an ideal book for any sports lover but for baseball lovers in particular. 2005, Putnam, $15.99. Ages 4 to 9. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-399-23604-X Mama's Window Lynn Rubright Afterword by Patricia C. McKissack Illustrated by Duane Smit    James Earle, AKA Sugar, has been orphaned and is now living with his Uncle Free. Life has really changed for him because Free is not exactly an ideal guardian; he has been crippled by a railroad accident and lives in the swamps and makes his living selling fresh fish, frogs and crawdads to the people in town. Sugar misses his mother and their life together, but he is trying to adjust to his new life. Uncle Free is teaching him to swim and earn a living as he does. Sugar keeps remembering how hard his mother worked and how some people ridiculed her dream of having a stained glass window for the new church. Sugar is devastated when he learns that the church committee has decided to use the funds for bricks and not for the window. In his anger, he gets himself caught on the open water during a storm and learns a lot about himself and his uncle when he is rescued. The ending by this time is fairly predictable, but it is nice to have things come to a happy conclusion for all involved. A quick read that presents some positive African American characters. 2005, Lee & Low Books, $16.95. Ages 7 to 11. Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1574801600 Mr. Williams Karen Barbour    Barbour speaks to us in the voice of J.W. Williams, whom she knew as a child. His life is a part of African-American history in the South. Born in 1929, in Louisiana where the planting seasons were the focus of life, he lived on a farm near a swamp, with six brothers, assorted animals and five sisters with no electricity or running water. Aside from the hard work, there was time for swimming and fishing, and of course, for church. The text is filled with the memories, the sounds, the tastes, of his youth. He only incidentally notes his fear of "some white people." One young man would come after him in his car and run him off the road. The family Christmas was the high point of the year. "That's how it was then, and that was a long time ago." Barbour's brushed black ink lines and almost crudely applied gouache with collage create rural pre-war Louisiana in a faux folk art style, employing a sophisticated sequence of very stylized figures in decorative settings. Ripe cotton fills a field with white polka-dots. Fruit trees are colored circles with spots of red. A yellow sun fills almost half a page with its brilliance and fringed halo. This is a clean, almost Biblical world full of nature's blessings and family togetherness. There is a brief note about Williams, who died in 2000, and his photograph. 2005, Henry Holt and Company, $16.95. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-8050-6773-6 My Best Friend Mary Ann Rodman Illustrated by E.B. Lewis    Lily has decided that Tamika will be her best friend in summer play group. But Tamika does not seem to agree. Lily's mother tries to change her mind, for there are many other girls, and Tamika is a year older, but Lily is determined. She tries to get accepted with a new bathing suit like Tamika's, but Tamika also has a new one and calls Lily's a "baby suit." Then Tamika plays with Shanice. One day when Shanice is not there, Tamika does play with a happy Lily. But next time, Tamika is back with Shanice. We feel Lily's painful frustration as she ignores friendly Keesha at first. But finally she and Keesha get together for a satisfying ending and a good lesson in the trials and tribulations of making friends. Lewis's naturalistic watercolor scenes, mostly double-page pictures of the swimming pool with the active girls, convey the qualities of sunny summer days along with the games young girls play. The appealing portraits of the girls depict their individual personalities while helping us experience their emotions of depression at rejection and finally joy in new friendship. 2005, Viking/Penguin Young Readers Group, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature). Best Books: School Library Journal Book Review Stars, May 2005; Cahners; United States SLJ Best Books, 2005; Cahners; United States ISBN: 0-670-05989-7 My Big Brother Miriam Cohen Art by Ronald Himl    The younger brother narrator tells a beautiful story of brotherly devotion, that of a younger brother appreciating his older brother who spends time with him and teaches him many things, including patience, responsibility, and the importance of family. Big brother compliments his younger brother on his accomplishments, compliments their mother's appearance, and compliments her on dinner, nudging the narrator to do the same. Big brother even lets the narrator help take care of his car. But reality hits as big brother joins the army, leaving the narrator to be the big brother himself. While the words are sparse, the beautiful and delicate artwork fills in any gaps. We see the mother's pain at her oldest son's packing for the army and her tears as he departs. We see big brother's concern and worry, and we feel the narrator's apprehension but determination to fill his older brother's shoes. Throughout the text the third and youngest boy begins to observe his two older brothers and how they interact. The narrator, the new big brother, now teaches and helps the youngest boy, and we see the new little brother beginning to model himself after the narrator. The ending is poignant, a simple, "I miss him," as the narrator pauses in his task of washing his big brother's car. It is all the more moving and powerful given the current times. 2005, Star Bright Books, $15.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1595720073 Not Norman: A Goldfish Story Kelly Bennett Illustrated by Noah Jones    Our young narrator is not pleased with his birthday gift. Norman the goldfish is not the kind of pet he wanted. He cannot run, catch, chase strings, or sleep in his bed with him. All Norman does is swim around, and around. So our hero hopes to trade him away, perhaps at Show and Tell, or take him back to the pet store. But somehow a bond begins to grow between him and Norman. By the time they get to the pet store, there is not one other pet that he would trade for Norman. Jones brings a contemporary feeling to this old-fashioned story by creating the visuals digitally. There is a stencil-like but still light-hearted quality of passivity in the appealingly-designed spreads. Large flat color areas still supply contextual details of some middle-class suburb and adequately convey Norman's owner's changing emotions. 2005, Candlewick Press, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: ?? ISBN: 0-7636-2384-9 The Perfect Shot Elaine Marie Alphin    Brian's world fell apart the day his girlfriend, Amanda, and her family were shot. He is distracted, cannot concentrate, and has been living in a fog that he cannot quite shake. Captain of his school basketball team, he tries to cope by shooting hoops and focusing on hitting the perfect shot. Now Amanda's father has been accused of the murders. But Brian saw something that he thinks might be relevant to the case, and might prove Amanda's dad is innocent. Surely the justice system will work and Amanda's father will be exonerated. Then Brian is assigned to research the Leo Frank case in history class, a case where an innocent man was wrongly convicted of a murder he did not commit. The parallels between the two cases are too similar to ignore. He wants to do the right thing, but what if what he saw really has nothing to do with the case? Then again, if he keeps quiet like the witness in the Frank case did, will another innocent man go to prison? Brian's story is told in flashbacks as he lays close to death in the hospital after being shot by a mysterious person who readers will suspect is the real killer. With fast paced basketball action, a compelling murder mystery, a little history, teenage angst, and a smattering of racial tension, Alphin has scored the perfect shot with this one. 2005, Carolrhoda Books, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Pat Trattles (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-5750-5862-6 Please, Puppy, Please Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee Illustrated by Kadir Nelson    Two children meet their match in a very energetic puppy who, despite their polite requests ("Please, puppy, please) to stay inside, wait, stay out of the mud, and stay in the tub, does exactly what he feels like doing. This very short tale is told in verse with a refrain that combines the words "puppy" and "please" never quite the same way twice: one time it is "puppy puppy puppy please," another it is "please, please, puppy puppy." Other combinations make appearances throughout the book, which ends up being much more distracting than charming. Half the fun of being read a picture book in verse is to be able to participate in the refrain, but this technique makes it impossible for kids to "read along." Kadir Nelson's vibrant illustrations of the children and wild puppy are terrific--he expertly captures the nutty exuberance of a puppy with too much energy with super close-up drawings that look as if the dog is about to jump off the page and onto the reader's lap. 2005, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Lauri Berkenkamp (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-689-86804-9 Stumptown Kid Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley    Would you risk your life for your best friend? Charlie Nebraska has experienced a bit more in life than your average eleven-year-old boy. It is 1952 and he lives in Holden, Iowa. Charlie lost his dad in the Korean War and cannot stand his mother's boyfriend, Vern. An avid baseball player, Charlie dreams of playing on the Wildcats team. When that does not materialize, Charlie finds luck right on the field--Luther Peale, an African-American injured professional baseball player, hiding a secret. Because of the time period and it being a small town, Luther is not entirely accepted or trusted in Holden. He is, however, accepted by Charlie Nebraska. The story of Luther and Charlie is remarkable. It will make you laugh, cry, and want to tell everybody you know about this small-town kid and his great friend. This story examines themes such as heroism, friendship, relationships, and racism. You do not have to like baseball to appreciate this story; it is as timeless and powerful as S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. 2005, Peachtree Publishers, $14.95. Ages 10 up. Kelly Grebinoski (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1561453374 Superhero Marc Tauss    Start with the front endpages to meet Maleek, a five- or six-year-old fascinated by a display of superhero comic books. Then, on the first page, discover that Maleek is himself a superhero and even has a shiny cape (with a big M in the middle) and goggles to conceal his identity. Maleek is a scientist, too, with a nifty lab where he invents complicated gadgets and has made his own robot helper. Wow! Who would not like a setup like that? Author-photographer Tauss's super clear, sharp-edged black-and-white photos tell the story of Maleek's amazing efforts to restore the city's mysteriously vanished parks and playgrounds. With the help of a time machine, a gyropod, and magic Gigundo juice, Maleek and his robot save the day in a most spectacular manner. Tauss--here making his debut as a children's author--says that he spent his childhood "inventing gadgets and dreaming." It must be true: his inventiveness certainly extends to his present-day photographs, which will delight young children who love to play superhero. They will be inspired to new heights by Maleek's adventure and Tauss's lush, ingeniously-constructed illustrations of a sort of Super New York. Do not forget to check the back endpages. 2005, Scholastic, $16.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-439-62734-6 Sweet, Sweet Baby! Illustrated by Javakta Steptoe    In a bit of a variation, this cloth book has six pages that include textured fabric petals that produce different sounds. The muted pallet of browns, yellows, tan and greens is not particularly eye-catching. The sounds from the petals were difficult to hear--the squeakers were OK, the rustling sounds came through, but two other petals when pushed or squeezed didn't seem to do much, The interest in this book is the depiction of an African American baby and family. Not too surprising since Steptoe has been a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. There is also a mylar mirror which is of quite good quality and will be fun for babies, since they enjoy looking at themselves as well a exploring the world around them. The book which has a Velcro tab a ribbon can be attached to a crib, stroller, car seat or high chair is part of the "Cartwheel Cloth Books" series. 2005, Scholastic, $12.95. Ages 3 mo. to 2. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-439-65086 Think Cool Thoughts Elizabeth Perry Illustrated by Linda Bronson    Heat wave in the city! How do the folks without air conditioning survive? "Think cool thoughts," Angel's mother tells her. Winter was too far away, so Angel settles on ice cubes and a wonderful night on the roof of her apartment building with her mother and visiting Aunt Lucy. Elizabeth Perry's witty and knowing story is about more than heat, though. It is also about the warmth of family, and having trouble imagining grownups ever being seven, and the magic of dreams. Linda Bronson's bold, vivid illustrations catch the debilitating heat in hot pinks and surreal images of people melting almost as badly as popsicles. Her night sky is filled with indigo ice cubes dripping Dali-like through the stars. And when the rain finally comes with its healing coolness, it dances with Angel across her tenement roof. This is a most lovely and satisfying picture book. 2005, Clarion, $16.00. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature). Best Books: Kirkus Book Review Stars, June 15, 2005; United States ISBN: 0-618-23493-4 This Little Light Of Mine E.B. Lewis    The church organist at my church plays this hymn with such energy that I feel like dancing and raising my arms toward the sky. It is such a vibrant hymn. During the Civil Rights Movement we often sang this song. The trend might have been started by Fannie Lou Hamer, the Civil Rights activist from Mississippi. Her mother often sang it to her when she was a child so it became one of her favorite hymns. E.B. Lewis has taken the words of the hymn and presented it with beautiful illustrations. He includes short comments to readers that there is a light inside of them and they must let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. The author has also included the musical script for piano accompaniment for the hymn for all to learn and play, including me. 2005, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Leila Toledo (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-689-83179-X To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here.