"When all the world is young, lad"

Henkes, Kevin. Junonia.
E ARC provided by NetGalley.

Every year, nine-year-old Alice's family spends their vacation in the same cottage on the same beach. They are surrounded by people they see every year; an older gentleman, a retired couple and their grandchildren, an artist. This year, however, it is all different. The grandchildren and artist don't come, but Alice's aunt brings a new boyfriend and his troubled daughter, six-year-old Mallory. Alice tries to enjoy her summer, but it's difficult.

Strengths: This would make a nice bedtime read-aloud for children who want more than picture books.
Weaknesses: Much too young for my students.

Harper, Cherise Myracle. Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S.
E ARC provided by NetGalley. Published on 10/4/11

Fashion Kitty appears to save the day when a school t shirt fashion show is imperiled by the evil Leon, who attempts to snare Fashion Kitty with a Ball of Yellow String.

Strengths: Children who have moved beyond picture books but are still struggling with reading love this sort of graphic novel hybrid. Harper's illustrations are great fun.
Weaknesses: Again, too young. I could buy them, but the students would read them in 15 minutes and return them. Definitely a good choice for elementary school, though.

And since the Charles Kingsley poem continues "When all the world is old, lad" , look what I found on the shelves!

Techno Lab: How Science IS CHANGING (emphasis mine) Entertainment (1995) and Police Lab: Using Science to Solve Crimes (in 1993).

Techno Lab doesn't even mention computer games, the internet, MPs, or many other things that have to be mentioned in a book that is not supposed to be a historical overview. These are weeders.