The Great Buffalo Race

Subtitled, How the Buffalo Got Its Hump; this is a retelling of a Seneca folktale.
There has been no rain for many months and the buffalo herd led by Old Buffalo are getting restless. Finally, Young Buffalo challenges the chief's wisdom. Forced to give in, Old Buffalo, Young Buffalo, and most of the herd thunder off to the western horizon in search of green pastures. Unsuccessful in finding pasture and completely exhausted, they are visited by the Great Spirit who punishes them for their foolishness and forever changes the appearance of the buffalo. Written by Barbara Esbensen, with illustrations by Helen Davie, this was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 1995.

Snatched

This is the first installment of the Bloodwater Mysteries series by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue. Readers will follow the adventures (and misadventures) of high school journalist Roni Delicata and her associate Brian Bain as they try to solve the disappearance of new student Alicia Camden, who was last seen getting into a SUV with a stranger. Set in Bloodwater, Minnesota, this story features an array of interesting characters, humor, and plot twists to keep mystery readers going to the end. It was a finalist for the Edgar Allen Poe award in 2007.

Wingwalker

This book may seem a little marginal for this blog, but part of the story takes place in Minnesota, and the illustrations are so wonderful that I'm going to include it.

Wingwalker is the story of eight year old Reuben who has just finished second grade in the small town of Ambler, Oklahoma during the 1930's. His father works in the oil fields, and his mother is a cook in the local cafe. Then the Dust Bowl comes and his parents are suddenly unemployed. One day his father sees a job ad for a wingwalker in a traveling air show in Minnesota. He applies and is hired and the family moves to Minnesota. They travel from place to place in Minnesota and other Midwestern states; Reuben meets some interesting characters in the sideshow, and eventually overcomes his fear of flying to join his father in the air.

Written by Rosemary Wells, with wonderful atmospheric acrylic illustrations by Brian Selznick; this is a quiet story with a big heart.

Doppelganger

Taking things a little out of order, this is the third story in the Bloodwater Mysteries series by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue. Set in the small town of Bloodwater, Minnesota; the main characters in this series are Roni Delicata, a high school newspaper reporter and Brian Bain, her younger partner in crime solving. In this story, Roni is surfing through a missing-child website when she sees an age-enhanced photo of a boy that looks exactly like Brian. At first Brian ignores the issue, but soon he can't help but be drawn into the unsolved disappearance of a boy who looks exactly like him. Plenty of plot twists, action, and humor, yet it is generally a fast light read.

A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake

Birthdays are special events for most children. This story about making a birthday cake is unusual because it also explains the changes in the world during a calendar year to show readers how time passes from one birthday to the next. In the back is a recipe for traditional cake and frosting. Written and illustrated (cut-paper collage) by Debra Frasier, and inspired by her daughters first birthday, this could be used in a science unit about the seasons.

Saturday Night Dirt

It is saturday night at the Headwaters Speedway in northern Minnesota. In the first of his "Motor" series, Will Weaver introduces readers to a cast of characters who love dirt-track car racing. There's Melody (Mel for short) who runs the track for her handicapped father; Trace, whose mechanic has sabotaged his engine; Beau whose car is a barely together pile of spare parts; Amber, a female driver with a crush of Beau; and Tudy who works at her parents barbeque food stand at the track, among others. There is enough race car lingo and racing action to hook boys, especially in rural areas where small dirt racetracks are a major part of the social scene is the summer.
Weaver owns a modified race car co-sponsored by his publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and races in the Wissota stock car league. Read more about it at motornovels.com
The book is a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 2009.

On Those Runaway Days

Everyone has a bad day once in a while - maybe it's a bully or other trouble at school, maybe it's trouble at home - and sometimes we just want to run away from it all. In this book for young children, Alison Feigh explains how running away is not the best answer and may only make matters worse. She shows children that talking to an adult who can help them is the first step in feeling better. With illustrations by Laura Logan, and tips for parents, teachers, and other caregivers; this is a helpful resource to share with young children.