The Clue in the Recycling Bin

June 1, 2011

Gr 2-6-The titles in this series introduce young viewers to a variety of artists and their work. In this program, Puffer the puffin goes to Florence, Italy, where his friend Polly teaches him about Renaissance artists. Elements of the Renaissance are briefly introduced and then information about Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael is presented. A brief biography of each artist is presented, and two examples of his art are examined in detail. The material in the DVD is based on the book (Crystal Prods., 2010) by Pamela Geiger Stephens. Jim McNeill's soft, computer-generated illustrations are simply animated. There are also photographs of these masterpieces: "5 Grotesque Heads" and "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci; Michelangelo's "Pieta" and "The Creation of Adam" (carefully framed for elementary audiences); and Raphael's "The School of Athens" and "St. George and the Dragon." This simple yet interesting introduction to an important part of our artistic heritage will be embraced by art teachers for use with young students.-Teresa Bateman. Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2011
Grades 2-4 In this ecothemed Boxcar Children Mystery, the orphaned Alden siblings stumble into their latest sleuthing challenge when they sign up to volunteer at their local recycling center, run by Kayla, a jeweler who works with reclaimed material. After learning about unexplained break-ins at the center, the kids fit together clues that eventually lead to larger crimes, and they help smooth over friction among cranky neighbors along the way. As in the series numerous earlier entries, this title offers up the familiar formula of a gentle mystery thats neatly solved by cooperation among the siblings, who are defined by distinctive personality traits and in Papps frequent full-page pencil drawings. The simply phrased, smoothly integrated information about basic terms (I know what a natural resource is, announced Benny. Its trees and land and water) as well as recycling and its benefits to both the environment and communities adds extra appeal to this solid series entry that will keep readers guessing until the final pages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
Created by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The Alden children stumble upon one mystery while learning to recycle (Bin) and encounter another at a local award-winning cupcake shop (Caper). These contemporary additions to the long-running series rely more on familiarity than solid writing; the children have few defining characteristics, the plots are farfetched, and the setting is indeterminate.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)