Cool New Books for August

Wendelin Van Draanen, author of the popular Sammy Keyes series, returns with her second adventure featuring Nolan Byrd, aka Shredderman. This cyber-superhero once again proves his dedication to truth and justice when he decides to track down a vandal who's spray painting graffiti around town. Also included in this month's roundup of cool new books is a fun collection of "fractured" fairy tales from Gregory Maguire, the hilarious sequel to the bestselling REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN, and a brilliant debut by a well-known screenwriter who asks the question, "What would you do with a million in cash?"

BINDI BABES
Narinder Dhami
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385731779
Ages 8-up
192 pages

Amber, Jazz and Geena Dhillon are the "Bindi Babes" --- three sisters who have a reputation for being the coolest, best-dressed girls at their school. Unbeknownst to their classmates, however, these siblings are trying very hard not to think about how much they miss their mother, who died a year ago. What they certainly don't need right now is an Aunt from India invading their household and interfering with their lifestyles. Unfortunately, though, that's exactly what their dad allows to happen.

THE GREAT SOCKATHON
Michael Delaney
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525468560
Ages 8-12
184 pages

An unusual summer is in store for four friends who have an eerie encounter with a ghost girl. The town is about to cut down the historic, but dying, tree she has haunted since her death in a fall seventy years before. The girls come up with a plan to save the tree: they'll have a sockathon --- a wacky fundraiser involving a chain of socks. But how can collecting socks raise enough money in time? And what does the mysterious spirit of Eliza Baker really want?

LEAPING BEAUTY: And Other Animal Fairy Tales
Gregory Maguire
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060564180
Ages 8-12
208 pages

If you flip through the pages of LEAPING BEAUTY expecting to read traditional fairy tales with familiar characters and situations, you're in for quite a shock. Because the eight tales that Gregory Maguire has written and compiled here are "fractured."

Who would have thought that Cinderella could be recast as the silly story of an enormous yet lovable elephant who plods along to the ball with glass pie plates on her feet? Or that Sleeping Beauty could be twisted into the story of a frog with a most unusual and promising dance career? Get ready to meet a gorilla queen and a psycho chimp, seven giant giraffes and one very bad walrus, in this hilarious collection of fractured fairy tales.

MILLIONS
Frank Cottrell Boyce
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060733306
Ages 8-12
256 pages
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Damian and Anthony Cunningham suddenly find themselves with a large sum of money. Their "dilemma" is that they have only seventeen days to spend it before it becomes worthless. Should they buy a hundred television sets? A thousand pizzas? Help end world poverty? The clock is ticking, and the bank robbers who stole the money are closing in!

REGARDING THE SINK
Kate Klise
illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
Gulliver Books/Harcourt
ISBN: 0152050191
Ages 9-12
144 pages
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In this sequel to REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN, Geyser Creek Middle School's cafeteria sink is clogged, and the smell is unbearable. Florence Waters, who designed the school's OTT (over-the-top) water fountain, is more than capable of creating a fabulous new sink, but (wouldn't you know it) she has gone missing! The sixth grade class discovers that Florence has gone to China to help the endangered Sinkiang Spotted Suckerfish --- but locating their friend isn't the only challenge these savvy children must face.

Sisters Kate and Sarah Klise tell this entire story in letters, news reports, advertisements and drawings --- making it a fun and memorable read for all!

SHREDDERMAN: Attack of the Tagger
Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375823522
Ages 7-10
176 pages

Nolan Byrd single-handedly saved his school from the king of bullies, Alvin "Bubba" Bixby, and now Shredderman is the school hero! But since Shredderman's identity remains a secret, everyone still treats Nolan like a nerd. But Nolan knows that, deep down inside, he is a superhero who is dedicated to truth and justice. So when a vandal spray-paints graffiti around town, Nolan decides that tracking down the culprit is a job perfectly suited for Shredderman. But while he's trying to trap the tagger, the tagger is trying to pin the blame on Shredderman!

THE FLIGHT OF A DOVE
Alexandra Day
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 0374399522
Ages 4-8
32 pages

Four-year-old Betsy has autism, whch keeps her isolated and alone. After hearing about a school for children with developmental disabilities, Betsy's mother enrolls her with high hopes. But once there, Betsy cries uncontrollably and refuses to receive comfort from anyone. The head teacher believes that animals sometimes help children overcome problems, but Betsy shows no interest in any of the pets at the school --- until the day that a special bird manages to catch her attention.

KING O' THE CATS
Aaron Shepard
illustrated by Kristin Sorra
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689820828
Ages 5-8
32 pages

Peter Black is positive that there's something slightly odd about the cats in his town. After all, he has seen one wearing a crown and noticed a group of cats hunting a dog. No one believes him, but that doesn't matter to Peter --- he's determined to get to the bottom of this feline mystery.

THE MONSTER TRAP
Dean Morrissey
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060524995
Ages 5-up
40 pages

When Paddy hears noises in the middle of the night, he is sure that monsters are roaming the halls of his grandfather's house. So Pop does what any loving, caring grandpa would do --- he builds a monster trap. The next night, the trap is set and Paddy waits for a sign that it has captured a monster --- but he soon discovers that the trap doesn't work in quite the same way that Pop imagined.

--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio

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