Books in Junior Library Guild Selection series

When the great scientist and professor Galileo meets a bright farm boy, Massimo, the teacher becomes the student. On an ordinary day, Galileo encounters Massimo dropping food from a bridge to his uncle passing below in his boat. This simple action makes Galileo rethink Aristotle’s teachings. Galileo takes an interest in Massimo’s cleverness, and together, in a series of experiments, the two investigate the science of motion.Kids will love this lively reimagining of Galileo’s Leaning Tower experiment and be encouraged by Massimo’s eagerness to learn. With curiosity and a willing teacher, anyone can be a scientist.

On an ordinary day, Galileo encounters Massimo dropping food from a bridgeto his uncle passing below in his boat. He is surprised to realize thatboth the bread and the cheese hit the boat at the same time, eventhough they differ in weight. Galileo takes an interest inMassimos cleverness, and together, in a series of experiments, the twoinvestigate the science of motion and demonstrate their new theory(that every object falls at the same speed) to the people of the town. Even though Massimo is fictitious, the story demonstrates one ofGalileo s most famous experiments and explains to young readers one ofthe basic concepts of physics. Author: Wendy MacDonald Format: 32 pages, paperback Ages: 8-11 Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing ISBN: 9781570918704

Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is caught up in the competitive world of boarding school, and must prove himself to make the team in a new sport called besuboru. But he grieves for his uncle, a samurai who sacrificed himself for his beliefs, at a time when most of Japan is eager to shed ancient traditions. It’s only when his father decides to teach him the way of the samurai that Toyo grows to better understand his uncle and father. And to his surprise, the warrior training guides him to excel at baseball, a sport his father despises as yet another modern Western menace. At its heart a novel about a boy who loves baseball, Samurai Shortstop is fascinating, suspenseful, and intense. Expertly researched by debut author Alan Gratz, it’s a sports story and more, about a boy who must choose between two ways of life, but finds a way to bridge them.

Two lonely teens forge an unexpected bond— and a first romance— as they unravel a mystery hidden inside the walls of an old estate.Laura Horton is different. Not in any noticeable, first-glance kind of way; but inside, she’s equally uncomfortable around the snippy girls in her class and the strange boy, Leon, who just moved in nearby. She’d rather be writing or drawing or spending time with her free-spirited family in their eccentric old house. But Laura and Leon are more alike than they first realize. They’re both outsiders. They both have secrets. And try as she might to avoid him, Laura finds herself drawn to Leon’s quiet boldness as surely as she is driven to find out more about her home’s enigmatic former owner. Together they probe the mysteries of the Visconti House, making an exploration into the past that will change their lives — and open their hearts — forever.

Based on a true story of World War II.For 12-year-old Petros, World War II feels unreal and far away. What’s real is working in his papa’s garden. Playing marbles with his friends. Fighting with his older brother, Zola. Zola, who must always be first. Who must always be best. But when the Germans invade Greece, the war suddenly comes impossibly close. Overnight, neighbors become enemies. People begin to keep secrets (Petros’s family most of all). And for the first time, Petros has the chance to show Zola that he’s not just a little brother but that he can truly be counted on. Soon what were once just boys’ games become matters of life and death as Petros and Zola each wonder if, like their resistance fighter cousin, they too can make a difference.

Dinner is Served.What in nature could be more poetic than the hunt for food and the struggle for survival? In twenty-nine poems readers will squirm at the realities of how the animal world catches food, eats it, and becomes dinner in turn. In these quirky poems readers are introduced to many animals with disgusting eating habits, such as the marabou stork that lurks on the periphery, like a vampire in the shadows, waiting for a chance to pick at a rotting carcass. The dermestid beetle does not mind doing the dirty work, cleaning up animals on the road side and often made busy at museums cleaning up bones for exhibits. And, baby wasps hatch inside an unsuspecting caterpillar and eat their way out.Gross, cool, and extremely funny, David Clark’s illustrations get to the heart (and skin and guts) of the food chain and the web of life, depicting the animal world at dinner time in all its gory glory. Back matter includes further information about the animals in the poems and the scientific terms used.

author Jack Higgins’ Chance twins are back in action! Rich and Jade Chance are once again on the run— but this time, trouble finds them while their father is away on his own mission. After a breathless chase through an amusement park, Jade is taken hostage by a man from Chance’s past who is plotting a dastardly political coup in the Middle East with nuclear weapons as a threat. Worse still, the President of the United States is on his way to the region for a summit meeting. It will take all of the Chance family’s wits and skills to find the bomb and defuse the threat—and time is running out. Executed to perfection, this gripping adventure featuring two regular teens is a seamless addition to Higgins’ masterful young adult series.

Bubbles are for popping, fishing, finding food—and for sailing, playing, and shooting hoops! Who knew animals used bubbles for so many different things? Learn about how the water spider builds a bubble home underneath the water, how snapping shrimp use bubbles to talk to each other, or how dolphins play with bubbles as if it’s a game. Whether they are riding, breathing, or making bubbles, one thing is for sure—animals use bubbles in amazing ways.