It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR 5/9/16

                                              

                                                     

I might be the only librarian on the planet who did not enjoy Natalie Lloyd's A Snicker of Magic, so I didn't have high hopes for her newest book The Key to Extraordinary. I'm glad I fought against my instincts and gave it a try because I liked it very much. 

Every woman in Emma's family had a dream which revealed their destiny. Some were spies, some musicians, and some were great leaders. Emma's destiny dream leads her on a treasure hunt through the local graveyard to save her special town which is being threatened by a selfish businessman.  Located in the hills of Tennessee, her town is like something out of a dream. It has enchanted flowers that carry whispers of voices from the past, haunted graveyards with singing ghosts, rose petal rain drops and many more ethereal elements. It also, of course, has a local cafe were all of the eccentric characters gather to enjoy a cup of magical hot chocolate.

I really enjoyed the mystery part of the story and the quirky characters (especially the adventurous Emma and her motorcycle riding ex-boxer grandmother), but just like Lloyd's first book, the strong theme of magic was just a bit too much for me. The flowers start to sing and nobody seems to find it the least bit strange. Perhaps I'm just not whimsical enough for a book where anything goes! I'll have to work on that before her next novel. Grades 4 and up

                                                         

This is one that I think most young boys will really like. It's a new version of books told in journal form and I dare say I might like it a bit more than Wimpy Kid because it's totally appropriate for younger children. The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by L. Pichon is, in a word, brilliant! My 10 year-old son had an opportunity to review this book for a fabulous website called litpik (www.litpik.com). It's a terrific site where students read and review new books (they can even get the books for free). I think his words perfectly explain my thoughts. This is his review: 

In The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, Tom has three hobbies:

1. annoying Delia (his sister)

2. being in a band (Dog Zombies)

3. eating caramel wafers

Tom has a lot of things in his life that bug him. He gets stuck sitting next to annoying Marcus Meldrew and way too close to his teacher Mr. Fullerman. His sister drives him crazy and his Dad dresses like a homeless man when he picks him up from the bus stop. Tom's teachers give him too much homework, but he always finds a creative way to get out of doing it. Also, he is totally in love with a girl named Amy and if he could just score tickets to his favorite band's concert,  he's sure Amy will like him back (because of course they will invite him on stage to sing their final song). Tom's imagination helps him all throughout the story. Everything that can go wrong in Tom's life usually does like a terrible camping vacation with his family, an interesting class trip or what happens when he finally does get tickets to see Dude 3. Somehow Tom always manages to find a way to come out on top. This story is told in journal form with doodles and pictures on every page that makes this story really easy to read.

I really liked this book. I laughed out loud so many times. Tom's drawings are hilarious, and I liked the story being told with so many doodles. I think it made it much easier to read. I also liked that Tom was always trying to find a funny excuse for not doing his work, but his teachers still really liked him. He wasn't disrespectful or rude, just funny. There were so many great parts like the fire drill, the choir practice, and the class assembly. I never knew what was coming next, but I knew it would make me laugh. Also, one thing that was great was that I could relate to all of the things Tom goes through. All kids try to get out of homework! 

Thanks Wyatt for the review! Grades 3 and up

                                                         
As soon as I saw the cover of this book I picked it up without bothering to read the jacket. I tend to  LOVE scary books for young adults because they aren't especially violent or gory. I'm a big Mary Downing Hahn and Willow Davis Roberts fan. Is "creepy" a genre? If it is, it's my favorite!
In The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, Sunshine is a 16 year-old girl who recently moves to Washington with her adoptive mother, Kat. As soon as she arrives, she knows something is wrong in her new house. She hears a child's laughter and footprints and her room is rearranged each day after school. It's clear to Sunshine that her house is haunted, but besides her harmless ghost, there seems to be another scarier presence that puts her mother in danger. With the help of her new friend Nolan, Sunshine must discover the truth behind what lurks in her house but the truth is a bigger surprise than she ever thought possible.

I finished this book in one sitting because I knew Sunshine was somehow extraordinary and connected to these spirits but I couldn't solve the mystery on my own. I didn't find it to be predictable at all and was surprised by the big reveal. One of the best features of this book is that Sunshine is the one narrating the story and she is a very funny girl. Her humor helps to offset the scary parts of the novel.

I would love to recommend this to my elementary students but I think it might be just a bit to intense. I'd have to say Grade 6 and up. 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR 4/25/16

                                                 

                                                    


                                                             

Lost in the Secrets of Bearhaven by K.E. Rocha was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Spencer Plain always believed his parents were bear activists, but what he didn't know was that they dedicated their lives to creating a secret bear city-Bearhaven. In this hidden world, bears live like humans. They speak, go to school, play video games, and even have their own underground train. When Spencer's parents go missing, he must work with the bears to try to find their captors.

This is a terrific story that works for both younger and older readers. The world of Bearhaven is definitely fantasy, but it's explained in a way that makes it seem entirely possible.  I like that it educates readers about animal cruelty (the reason Bearhaven came to exist in the first place) without being scary. The details of this secret city help bring it to life. Great debut novel from this author with the squeal expected this summer. Perfect for 8 years old and up!


                                                               

When I first started Once Was a Time by Leila Sales, I assumed it was going to be completely set in WWII Germany. Charlotte's father is a scientist working for the London government on a top secret project. After a few pages, I settled in for a nice historical fiction book (I obviously didn't read the book jacket) when WHAMMO- I was pleasantly surprised to read that Charlotte travels through time to the year 2013. Unfortunately for Lottie, she is alone and left to speculate about what has happened to her family and best friend Kitty back in war torn London. As Lottie tries to find her answers, she discovers that life isn't actually all that different in the future. There are still mean girls and tough pre-teen choices to make.

I think this book is adorable. Lottie and Kitty's friendship is a wonderful testament to what true friendship should look like. Also Lottie's attempts to fit in 70 years into the future are really cute. Of course my favorite part is Lottie's passion for books and the library. She continues to be a voracious reader in a world of iPhones and internet, and it's her love of books that leads her to the answers she is searching for throughout the book.

My only criticism is that the end wrapped up a little too neatly (and a bit far fetched). I had to question the actual science, but I can overlook that because it was a satisfying conclusion.
I'm guessing this book is going to be one of the most popular this year!

It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR 4/11/16

                                                  


                                                        


Space Case by Stuart Gibb is a very exciting book. It's sequel, Spaced Out was published last week, but I had to read the first before I can read the second. I wrote in an earlier post that my son, who is a reluctant reader, liked this book and now I know why. It's got everything little boys love- space travel, robots, science, mystery and quite a few sentences devoted to using the bathroom on the moon.

Dash Gibson's family was selected to be one of the first families to live on the moon in a brand new colony. Unfortunately, living in space isn't as exciting as he had hoped. The base is small, the food is terrible, there isn't really a lot for a 12 year-old boy to do until the colony's top scientist dies, and Dash sets out to prove he was murdered. Of course NASA doesn't want the world to know that the new colony might be dangerous, so Dash must quickly and cleverly discover the truth on his own.

Set in 2040 this book was really neat. Just reading about the technology had me humming The Jetson's theme song. I've sometimes thought about what it would be like to live on the moon and this book gave me a clear picture of what that might look like. Additionally, there was one humdinger of a cliffhanger! I'm glad I read this today so I can buy Spaced Out tomorrow to see what happens next. While the story is quite intriguing, and I would love to recommend this to a young audience, there are some themes that might be a bit scary (the murder mystery being number one). I would have to say this one is for 4th grade and up.
                                               
                                                         

If  I suddenly found a magic pencil that could give me all the answers to every question that came to my mind I would simultaneously want to ask it everything and be too scared to ask anything at all! In All The Answers by Kate Messner, Ava Anderson finds a pencil like this and must decide exactly what kinds of things she really wants know. Should she use it for test answers? to reveal who has a crush on her? to discover if her friends and family are all in good health? These are all questions that the pencil can respond to, but Ava, already a  natural worrier, gets even more anxious now that she has access to all the answers. Sometimes knowing the outcome is not always a good thing.

This book is very sweet. Ava is a responsible girl who doesn't want to abuse the pencil for silly questions and this makes her a charming heroine. She must learn that pushing through her fears and living through uncertainty offers a more meaningful life than one with automatic answers. This story was easy to read and the mystery of the pencil's origin was very surprising. I think students ages 9-12 will enjoy this book very much.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR 3/28/16

                                    

                                                        

I absolutely truly loved Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (Mother-Daughter Book Club author). Mystery has always been my favorite genre so this book has been on my list for a while.

At over six feet tall, 12 year old Truly has always stood out in a crowd and being the new girl in the small town of Pumpkin Falls certainly makes her feel even more awkward! Truly is the middle child of five and her family has always been close- until Black Monday. That's the day her father was injured in Afghanistan and lost his arm. His easy smile and good-natured personality disappeared, and lovable Truly would do anything to make him happy again. That includes not complaining when he moves Truly and her siblings to his teeny-tiny hometown to take over the family bookstore. At the Lovejoy's store, Truly finds a mysterious letter tucked inside a copy of Charlotte's Web that sends her and some new friends hunting for clues all over town. Who wrote the letter? Who was it for? Where will each clue lead the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes next?

I love that Truly is such a positive heroine. She is funny and likable and brings together a group of kids that all really need each other. Also, the town of Pumpkin Falls reminds me of Stars Hollow (for all the fans of Gilmore Girls). It's full of quirky characters like Mrs. Bellow the town busy-body and Mrs. Winchester who always happen to have a kitten or two in her coat pockets. This story makes me want to move to a quaint New England town and start my own charming bookstore on Main Street! Another refreshing thing about this story is that these tweens are rarely on their phones or using the internet. They work to solve the mystery by meeting in person and walking all over town. I almost forgot that this book takes place during modern time.
Perhaps my favorite part of this story, besides the mystery, is the many references to children's books (which makes sense as much of the story takes place in the bookstore). I'll be dusting off my copy of Owl Moon to read in the library this week!

It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR 3/14/16

Just finished reading the new Gordon Korman book Slacker. Like the other Korman books, this one is easy to read and will be high interest. 

Cameron Boxer is an eighth grade student whose life is devoted to playing video games above all else. When his parents decide that he needs to change his ways and get involved at school, he does what any other self respecting gamer would do- he invents a fake school club to appease them. If the club doesn't really exist, unbeknownst to his parents, he'll still have plenty of time to be a slacker. Of course, his plan backfires and The Positive Action Club becomes the most popular extra curricular at the school. Cameron soon has a decision to make that will effect his gaming, his friendships, and his town. Should he spend all of his time trying to dismantle the club from the inside or actually try to make a difference in his community? 

The video game language will definitely appeal to boys and most kids can relate to Cameron's slacker tendencies. There's also a feel good ending with a positive message. Additionally entertaining is that each chapter is told from a different character's perspective. Besides Cameron, there's insight from the guidance counselor, the star football player, Cam's friends, and Daphne who takes the P.A.G. very seriously. 

This is a good choice for reluctant readers.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? #IMWAYR

It's Monday!  What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

Today I finished a beautiful book- Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley.

As soon as I turned the last page, I ran to my computer to order everything ever written by Cassie Beasley. I was in awe to discover that this was her debut novel. It is a beautifully written, mysterious fantasy about a mystical circus that can only be seen by children who truly believe in magic. 

Years ago, Ephraim Tuttle spent some time at Circus Mirandus and on his final day, was offered a miracle by "The Lightbender" (the illusionist).  Ephraim saved his miracle with the hope that in the future, when he really needed it, The Lightbender would keep his promise. Now, years later, Ephraim is dying and his grandson, Micah, is desperate to find the circus and The Lightbender to help his grandfather. Micah's adventure to locate the circus along with his skeptical friend Jenny Mendoza, is a gripping tale that kept me hooked throughout the entire story. The detailed descriptions of the remarkable characters and circus scenes are fantastic!

This is a lovely story that I started and finished in the span of two hours. My children wanted dinner and my husband needed my attention but they all had to wait until I could finish reading- I was that engrossed in the magic of Circus Mirandus!

Grades 4+

My Diary from the Edge of The World

I have never read a book quite like this one by Jodi Lynn Anderson. My Diary from the Edge of the World is a story told by young Gracie Lockwood who lives on an alternate Earth. Her world mirrors ours- there's a T.J.Maxx, Wendy's, Taco Bell and even reality T.V., but in her world, dragons fly overhead, Sasquatches freely roam the forests and no one can go to the beach anymore because of the dangerous mermaids that drag people out to sea. Even her world's reality T.V. is a group of witches  living together Big Brother style. What was so fun about this book is that one minute I was reading about a typical 12 year old girl going to school, but then she causally mentions the genies that live in caves or unicorns she saw at the circus one year. I never knew what magical creature was going to be thrown into the mix of her typical suburban existence.

           "Nothing terrible or exciting ever happens in Cliffden. Only baseball games and lying in the grass and chasing the ice-cream man in summer.....collecting earthworms in puddles after rain or hunting for dragon scales in the fall. Mom puts them in a big glass jar because they add a splash of color."

She goes on to write in her diary about Cliffden's boring Halloween except for that one year when a ghoul escaped from the underworld scaring kids and stealing candy until the police sent him back. This book is great fun!
The conflict in the story is that her family is trying to run away from a Dark Cloud. When a Dark Cloud hovers near your house, it's just matter of time before it takes one of your family members away. Her father has told stories for years about the existence of another world just like theirs except there is no magic (of course he is describing our version of Earth). Her family (parents, siblings, and a friend from school) begin the journey to the edge of the world to try and find this universe and a place where the Dark Cloud can't follow them. The end is a surprise and I'm not sure what I think about it yet. One thing I have learned is that not all stories can end in a neat perfect bow, and that's usually for the best.
It's a fairly long book with 400+ pages but I hope that doesn't discourage students from giving it a try. It's easy to read, Gracie's voice is really funny, and it's really quite entertaining.