They Have Stars Upon Thars

When it comes to purchasing books each year with the diminutive budget at my disposal, I feel that each and every book I buy must be heavily weighted to add substance, relevance and/or temptation to our collection as a whole. It’s a no-brainer to add the tempting books, all that is needed there is an eye to what is passing through the circulation desk at breakneck speeds, and find more of the same: Bone, Wimpy Kid, Fablehaven, etc. . . For relevant texts I listen to my teachers, check our state and district standards and pay attention to NPR. To unearth the cream of the crop I rely on the tried and true, librarian crutch - starred reviews. Don’t ask me what power on high gets to grant these sparkling little attention-getters. All I know is if I am faced with hundreds of reviews to sift through in the back of my issue of School Library Journal, my eye will immediately fall on the ones with the happy little star preceding it. When these stars begin to stack up I know it’s time to sit up and take notice.

The following is a list of heavily stared books for 2009. Elizabeth Bluemle over at Shelftalker has already done something similar. What I’ve added is groupings based on who they will share shelf space with, in our library. Apologies to those very worthy Young Adult books, they are left out in the cold for the purposes of this post. (Although if you don't happen to be an elementary student may I recommend you run off and read Marcleo in the Real World as quickly as possible) Many, many thanks to Kathy Baxter for sharing her nifty starry spread-sheet with me. I could never have collected all this info on my own.

I think we shall work our way to the top.

Quite a bit of non-fiction here

A BIT OF BIOGRAPHY:

CORETTA SCOTT by Ntozake Shange. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

YOU NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX? by Jonah Winter. Illustrated by André Carrilho.

DARWIN by Alice B. McGinty. Illustrated by Mary Azarian.

GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE by Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Calef Brown.

ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM by Tanya Lee Stone.

OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE:

YEARS OF DUST: THE STORY OF THE DUST BOWL by Albert Marrin.

MISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO: THE STORY OF THE FIRST VOYAGES TO THE MOON by Andrew Chaikin and Victoria Kohl. Illustrated by Alan Bean.

PHARAOH’S BOAT by David Weitzman.

A SAVAGE THUNDER: ANTIETAM AND THE BLOODY ROAD TO FREEDOM by Jim Murphy.

SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES

REDWOODS by Jason Chin.

WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND by Sally M. Walker.

THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS: THE TRUE STORY OF BOB AND JOE SWITZER'S BRIGHT IDEAS AND BRAND-NEW COLORS by Chris Barton. Illustrated by Tony Persiani.

FROG SCIENTIST by Pamela Turner.

POETRY JAM

DINOTHESAURUS: PREHISTORIC POEMS AND PAINTINGS; written and illus. by Douglas Florian.

A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING, AND SHOUT by Paul B. Janeczko, illus. by Chris Raschka.

A WHIFF OF PINE, A HINT OF SKUNK: A FOREST OF POEMS. Deborah Ruddell. Illustrated by Joan Rankin.

ORANGUTAN TONGS: POEMS TO TANGLE YOUR TONGUE by Jon Agee.

PICTURE BOOKS

YUMMY writen and ill by Lucy Cousins

TSUNAMI! by Kimiko Kajikawa. Illus. by Ed Young.

LITTLE CHICK by Amy Hest. Illustrated by Anita Jeram.

THE DUNDERHEADS by Paul Fleischman. Illustrated by David Roberts.

DINOTRUX by Chris Gall.

HIGHER! HIGHER! by Leslie Patricelli.

BIRDS. Kevin Henkes. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek.

BUBBLE TROUBLE by Margaret Mahy. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar.

CHICKEN LITTLE by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley.

ROBOT ZOT by Jon Sciezcka. Ill by David Shannon.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

ALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann E. Burg.

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin.

THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka.

HEROES OF THE VALLEY by Jonathan Stroud.

THE LOST CONSPIRACY by Francis Hardinge.

THE STORM IN THE BARN written and ills. by Matt Phelan

THE SMALL ADVENTURES OF POPEYE AND ELVIS by Barbara O'Connor

NON_FICTION

CHARLES AND EMMA: THE DARWINS' LEAP OF FAITH by Deborah Holt Heiligman.

PICTURE BOOKS

ALL THE WORLD by Liz Garton Scanlon. Illustrated by Marla Frazee.

THE SNOW DAY by Komako Sakai.

THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney.

THUNDER-BOOMER! by Shutta Crum. Illustrated by Carol Thompson.

RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS by Joyce Sidman. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski.

BUTTON UP! by Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Petra Mathers.

HOOK by Ed Young.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard Peck.

THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly.

NON_FICTION

MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 by Brian Floca.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

WHEN YOU REACH ME. Rebecca Stead.

There have been some discrepancies found between my sources since beginning my research. A few of these titles my be deserving of an additional star. My plan is to update this monthly. In the meantime I will use intrepid detective skills to see that all get their due.