Charlie Brown's All Stars!

Gr 1–5—It's summer and Charlie Brown's All Stars! are trying desperately to win a baseball game. After 999 straight losses team members toss in their hats, only to be lured back onto the field when they hear that Hennessy's Hardware is willing to sponsor them as a team—uniforms and all.A tap to the home screen offers viewers the option of playing a short intro, or jumping into the long-playing story. Character voices are integrated into Stephen Shea's narration and the text is highlighted as it is read; individual words can be touched to hear them voiced.Throughout, navigation is seamless: arrows and images of baseballs indicate page turns and swipes, and there are clues to what screen readers are on in each chapter. In addition, All Stars! incorporates the gamut of interactivity found in book apps today. Viewers can lend Charlie Brown a hand as he pitches, and by tilting the tablet they can help this earnest kid try to catch a fly ball, among other engaging activities.—Omar Ramirez, Northlake Public Library, Northlake, IL