Ms. Yingling Reads

Nonfiction Monday

2012-02-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

Tougas, Shelley. Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration.
EARC from Netgalley.com
Elizabeth Eckford knew that starting Central High School would not be easy for her or the other eight black students who were enrolling in the fall of 1957, but she might not have realized the impact that one photograph taken of her would have on the people who saw it. Starting with the circumstances under which the picture on the cover was taken, this book explores various aspects of the Central High School integration, from media coverage (including the man who took the photograph) to the long range implications of the event on the people involved as well as the nation in general. Well illustrated with period photographs, this offers an easier to read overview of the Little Rock events than Magoon’s Today the World is Watching You, which was completely excellent but a little too long. Students who read this book might want to go on to read Magoon’s wonderful book.
Strengths: The pictures reveal so much about the world of this time, and will help students understand the events a little better. Having one small moment, such as this picture, to focus on helps make a little more sense of a complicated event.
Weaknesses: The chronology goes back and forth a little more than I would like, being a very linear thinker, but makes sense given the way the book is laid out.

Marvelous Middle Grade Nonfiction Guy Monday!

2012-01-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Whew! February is going to be a busy month here! The most important event is the Third Annual Boys Read Pink month! This year, Charlie Joe Jackson, of Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading, is joining us because of his declaration on page 123: " If you have to read, read about girls. It helps you understand them better." This was my point when I set out to challenge boys to read books with girls on the covers. Most of the time, when I hand boys books with girls on the cover, they wrinkle their noses, but when I tell them that EVERYONE is reading them, they are okay with it. Even before the month has started, I've had about 15 boys check out "girl" books. Of course, Charlie Joe himself is so popular that I just ordered three more copies!

In addition to Boys Reading Pink , it's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, which is hosted over at Shannon Whitney Messenger's blog and The Nonfiction Monday round up is at Wendie's Wanderings this week. I encourage you to click through and visit some of these sites-- I always find great book suggestions and often other helpful blogs through both of these round ups.

Berk, Josh. Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator.
E ARC from Netgalley. Publication March 2012

When Guy's father dies and his best friend Anoop tries to get him to join the school Forensics Squad, he thinks "Why not?", especially when he realizes that Raquel, whom he rather likes, is joining. The teacher in charge, Mr. Zant, is not always amused by Guy's tomfoolery, but is very excited about forensic science, and the group learns about fingerprinting and lots of other ways to evaluate crimes scenes. This comes in handy when someone breaks into Guy's attic and steals valuable coins, and later, when the Forensics Squad finds an actual dead body on the golf course where they are having a competition with another school. Guy has recently found that he has a half brother whom he has never met, and gets it into his head that this is the person who stole the coins (he knew their value) and killed the teenager (who looks vaguely like Guy). Tracking his brother down in the city, Guy realizes that he was not the person responsible for either crime, and using his fingerprinting skills, he locates the perpetrator of the theft, even after the "murder" turns out to be a suicide. Along the way, Guy realizes that Raquel is not nearly as intriguing as Maureen, that his father was an interesting if flawed man, and that the world is a complicated but ultimately enjoyable place.

Strengths: Funny, funny writing! Berk has the same sort of knack that Jordan Sonnenblick has for taking an essentially sad story and making me laugh. My favorite line: "Nuttier than a squirrel turd."

Weaknesses: F-bomb on page 211. *Sigh* This was coming very close to the high school line with the sexual innuendo and general language, but it was a good murder mystery AND was funny, so I have to think about this one.

Sutherland, Adam. Police Forensics.
E ARC from Netgalley. Lerner Publications, 2012.

Forensic science is discussed in very short, almost Twitter-like snippets in this well illustrated nonfiction title. The books starts with a variety of forensic terms, then talks about gear, different types of tests investigators use, famous crimes, and has interviews with forensic scientists. This is a good book for browsing in order to get a few interesting facts, but might be difficult to use to do, say, a research project describing the job of a forensic investigator. This is certainly a topic of interest to my students, and the bright colors and brief information will make this a popular book.

The Guys Read Pink suggestions for today: Both Alane Ferguson's The Christopher Killer and Walter Sorrell's Fake ID have girls on the cover.

My Family for the War

2012-01-29T04:53:00.000-05:00

Voorhoeve Anne C. My Family for the War.
February 16th 2012 by Dial Books for Young Readers

Ziska is only ten when her family starts to realize they are not going to make it out of Berlin before Hitler manages to bring trouble to the Jews, so Ziska is sent on a kindertransport to England. There, she is lucky to run into Gary and his father, who are looking for a child to foster for the duration. The family is more observant of Jewish traditions than Ziska is, but she manages to settle in. Now called Frances, she experiences some trouble at school, tries to find sponsors for her parents, and comes to care for her English family. When London is in danger of being bombed, Frances is briefly evacuated, but comes back after a brief time. Gary goes off to fight in the war, and things become more difficult in London. Frances’ father dies, Gary is missing in action, and Frances feels guilty that she has come to care so much for her foster family. When the war winds down, she manages to find relatives who locate her mother, and she reconnects with her, but the war has changed everyone.
Strengths: This is a different facet of the Jewish experience during the war, and the London experience is one I don’t have much on.
Weaknesses: Our eighth grade unit tends to concentrate on the experience of people in the concentration camps, but this might be a good addition to our Holocaust collection.

Saturday Morning-- Dolls!

2012-01-28T04:25:00.003-05:00

McDonough, Yona Zeldis. The Doll Shop Downstairs.
Anna, Sophie and Trudie love living above their father's doll repair shop. While they are too poor to have china dolls of their own, sometimes people leave dolls for a very long time, and the girls get to play with those. The advent of World War I, however, makes it impossible for their father to get the parts he needs from Germany, and the business starts to suffer. The girls have the idea that the family can make dolls, and some that they create that are dressed as nurses get bought by FAO Schwartz. Soon, the family has a small factory going, and the new doll business keeps the family afloat. When the owner of Anna's favorite doll comes back to claim her, Anna is very sad, but the story has a happy ending. The author was inspired by the creators of the Madame Alexander dolls, although this is very loosely based on that.
Strengths: This combines the best elements of Sydney Taylor (All-of-a-Kind Family) with those of Rumer Godden, except the dolls don't speak. My girls were not very interested in dolls, but I loved Betty, my sad, plastic doll who was best friends with Teddy.
Weaknesses: Too young for middle school. It doesn't have the edge that Martin's The Doll People has, and it would be a really hard sell.

Does anyone read Godden anymore? I didn't have many books of my own growing up, but neighbor girls gave me an old copy of The Story of Holly and Ivy (1958)that I still have. I didn't realize that it had been reillustrated in full color in 1985 by Barbara Cooney, but I must say I prefer the original Adrienne Adams' illustrations. Since it is a Christmas story, I loved that it was predominately black and white, with touches of red and green. The color rather ruins that for me!

When looking for this title, I found the news that some of Godden's YA books will be reissued by Virago. I'll be looking forward to seeing these, if only for myself! From the linked site:

"Virago has acqiured 15 titles, including BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RIVER and THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER FIORITA – and four titles for younger readers – LISTEN TO THE NIGHTINGALE, THURSDAY’S CHILDREN (both ballet themed books), THE DARK HORSE and AN EPISODE OF SPARROWS – which will launch Virago Modern Classics Young Adult List.
The deal was done with Anna Davis of Curtis Brown for British Commonwealth Rights , including Canada. Virago will begin publishing in 2013. "

Guy Friday-- Interpersonal Problems

2012-01-27T04:30:00.003-05:00

Starkey, Scott. How to Beat the Bully Without Really Trying.

Rodney doesn’t have a lot of hope that life will improve when he moves from New York to Ohio. He and his friends had been bedeviled by the evil Rocco, who would give them wedgies, steal their lunch money, etc., and Rodney’s fears are immediately confirmed when Rishi, the first kid he meets, tells him that the local bully is Josh. Luckily, on their first encounter, a stray baseball breaks Josh’s nose, and Rodney is blamed for it. While this gets him in trouble with his teacher, Mrs. Lutzkraut, and his principal, Mr. Feebletop, it makes him a hero in the eyes of the students. Luck continues to follow Rodney, and every time Josh or his evil henchman Toby threaten Rodney or his new friends, something fortuitous occurs that inclines the bullies to leave him alone. This holds true even when Rocco arrives from New York. When he falls prey to Josh, Rocco warns his family to go back to New York. Rodney is even lucky enough to meet his principal’s baseball hero, Tom Seaver, on a visit to New York, so when his misbehavior catches up with him, his principal is willing to overlook it. The school year ends well, and Rodney hopes that he has put bullies behind him… but will this hold true at summer camp?
Strengths: As a humorous, realistic novel, this is pretty good. For some reason, it reminded me of older titles.
Weaknesses: BAD cover art (if this stays on the final version), and a rather unrealistic portrayal of bullying. The most prevalent form of bullying is not physical violence, but mean whispers and threats under the breath. The sort of bullying portrayed here is easier to stop because it is so overt. I was also bothered by the silly names and the ineffectual, unhelpful adult characters in the book.

Walton, K.M. Cracked.
Bull has a terrible home life. His mother got pregnant in a chance encounter, and his grandfather feels Bull’s birth killed his grandmother and ruined his own life. Both his mother and grandfather are sloppy, abusive drunks who don’t take care of Bull at all. The house is a filthy mess, and the inadequate food is often fouled with mouse turds. Bull takes out his frustration on children at school, including Victor. While Victor lives in a nice house with wealthy parents, his parents wish he was never born and quietly make his life unbearable. The only bright spot in his day (since school is awful thanks to Bull) is his elderly dog, Jazzer. When Jazzer dies and his parents take off to Europe without him to punish him for a poor test score, Victor tries to commit suicide by taking pills. This lands him in the same psych ward that Bull ends up in after an argument with his grandfather leads him to shoot himself. The two must work through not only their own problems, but their problems with each other as well.
Strengths: There are certainly students with this many problems, and it is helpful to understand that the behavior we see in school often has underlying causes that need to be addressed. Great cover.
Weaknesses: This is not suitable for middle school due to language (multiple f-bombs), and would have been, for me, a stronger novel if the abuse hadn’t been so bad. Both Victor and Bull have an offhanded tone about their abuse that made it seem somehow less serious. Hard to explain, but their tone made the suicide attempts seem out of place.

Palacio, R.J. Wonder
Alfred Knopf, 14 February 2012
August was born with severe facial deformities, and also enough health problems to lead to his home schooling. Now entering 5th grade, he has been well for some time, so his parents enroll him in Beecher Prep, near their NYC home. He is hesitant to go, because he knows all too well how people react to the way he looks, but he is somewhat comforted when the principal arranges a before school tour with several classmates. Once at the school, people are polite but occasionally surprised by Auggie’s visage, and he settles in fairly well. He makes friends with Summer, who sits with him at lunch to be nice at first, but grows to enjoy his company. The same is true of Jack, although Julian continues to be somewhat nasty. August has not only the struggles with his appearance, but with fitting in to middle school as well. The book is not all from August’s point of view- we also hear from his sister, Summer, Jack, Julian, and his sister’s boyfriend as well. While things don’t always go smoothly, especially on a class camping trip, August manages to survive his entry into public education.
Strengths: The thing I liked best about this was August’s struggles that were not related to his differences. He loves Star Wars, but doesn’t want that to be part of his persona, so he cuts off his Padawan braid and ditches his Star Wars duffle bag. This is what makes this more of a novel about a middle school student rather than a novel about a boy who is different.
Weaknesses: I would have preferred this to have been all from August’s point of view. Also, in the digital ARC, the boyfriend’s chapters lack capitalization and some punctuation. This was weird and vaguely annoying, since I couldn’t see any real reason for it.

Fantasy EVERYWHERE!

2012-01-26T04:30:00.010-05:00

Snyder, Laurel. Bigger Than a Breadbox.
Rebecca loves her life in Baltimore even though she realizes that her parents are fighting a lot now that her father is between jobs. After her father forgets her mother’s birthday, her mother packs Rebecca and her brother Lew up and moves them in with their grandmother in Atlanta. Hiding in the attic after she realizes that her mother means for this to be a long term visit, Rebecca finds a collection of breadboxes. One of them is not dusty like the others, and after wishing that she had something to read, and finding a book in the bread box, she decides to take it to her room. There, she discovers that the bread box will deliver most of what she asks for-- money, food from Baltimore, an iPod, etc. What it won’t do is provide her with a way to get her parents back together. After asking for a one-of-a-kind jacket like the meanest of the mean girls has at school, Rebecca starts to realize that all of the things must come from somewhere, and she has essentially stolen all of them. She attempts to get the things back, including a special and valuable spoon that she has asked for for her mother’s collection. The spoon belonged to an elderly lady, and returning it causes big problems. Rebecca’s parents attempt to work things out, and while Rebecca isn’t sure if they can do that, the family will at least go back home, without the aid of the bread box.
Strengths: More of my students are wanting magical realism, and this would certainly fit that bill. Snyder’s writing is very effective.
Weaknesses: So sad, and the episode with the elderly lady was rather disturbing. I’m not sure that this would help students whose parents are getting divorced. While beautifully written, I prefer Snyder's Any Which Wall.

Reyes, Laurisa White. The Rock of Ivanore.
Tanglewood Press, May 2012. ARC courtesy of the author.
Marcus, an orphan under the care of the master Zyll, participates in the quest that all boys of a certain age in the medieval kingdom of Quendel go on so that they can be considered men. This year, they are to find the Rock of Ivanore. Marcus takes Zyll's staff and a key that will help boost his magical powers, which are weak. Joining up with Clovis, Marcus heads to Noam to consult the library about the location of the Rock, but the two are attacked by first a talking snake and then Bryn, a Groc who is sometimes an innocent looking boy. Another boy from Quendel, Kelvin, helps them. Soon Jayson, a half human, half Agoran man joins them, and it turns out that he IS the Rock of Ivanore, Ivanore being his human wife whose father opposed their marriage. He agrees to return with them, but must first go to Dokur. The group follows him and eventually gets pulled into a war in that kingdom. Ivanore's father is still in power, but being attacked by his own son, Arik, who wants control of the valuable Celestine mines. Even though Marcus is attacked by Cyclopes and is heavily involved in the battle at Dokur, he manages to survive, save his friend Kelvin, and return home to find the truth about who he really is.
Strengths: Plenty of action and adventure, short chapters, and good alternation between the fighting and the explanation of why they are fighting.
Weaknesses: Reminded me a bit of The Book of Three; I don't get many students wanting medieval fantasies, and there are a lot already.

Williamson, Jill. Replication: The Jason Experiment.
Zondervan, January 2012
Martyr has lived his whole life in a colorless, windowless world, fulfilling her purpose by being used in experiments to keep the rest of the population safe. He and the other Jasons are educated and cared for, but often the target of horrible abuse by doctors and each other. When a new doctor arrives, Martyr finds a little hope that when he “expires” on his eighteenth birthday, someone may care for the “broken” boy he has been trying to protect. The new Dr. Goyer slowly starts to uncover the conditions on the Jason Farm after he moves his daughter to Alaska for this new job, but when Martyr escapes, Dr. Goyer’s daughter Abby meets him. Thinking at first that he is a boy from her school, J.D., Abby soon realizes that Martyr is a clone of J.D.’s father, who is using the clones for his own evil purposes. Can Dr. Goyer, Abby and Martyr expose the horrors of the Jason Farm and save the inhabitants?
Strengths: Fairly good action and adventure, and Martyr’s entry into the outside world is realistically portrayed.
Weaknesses: Not quite sure what the message on this was in this book. McKissack’s The Clone Codes was better on the coverage of clones’ rights. Like many Zondervan Press books, there is a lot of religion, and some of it seem just tossed in to have it there.

There are so many fantasy books out there, and I just don't have the readers in my library for it. Or the money to buy the books.
Lovric, Michelle. The Undrowned Child.
From the Publisher: "In 1899, eleven-year-old Teodora goes with her scientist parents from Naples to Venice, Italy, which is falling victim to a series of violent natural disasters, and once there she is drawn into a web of mysterious adventures involving mermaids, an ancient prophecy, and the possible destruction of the city itself. "

People who really liked this:
Madhouse Family Reviews
Inside a Dog
Book Grotto
The Diary of a Bookworm

Johnson-Shelton, Nils. The Invisible Tower.
ARC from Baker and Taylor; published in January 2012.
From the Publisher: "A twelve-year-old boy learns that he is actually King Arthur brought back to life in the twenty-first century--and that the fate of the universe rests in his hands. "

People who really liked this:
Once Upon a Twilight
Fresh Ink
Night Owl Reviews

No, really. Don't do drugs!

2012-01-25T04:30:00.005-05:00

Tillit, L.B. Unchained.
Saddleback Educational Publishing, 2012
TJ's mother is strung out on pot and meth; his father has died of a drug overdose. While his mother is getting clean, he is sent into foster care, where he does very well. He enjoys school and does well, learns to get along with his siblings, and is free of the concerns of having drug addled parents in a gang infested neighborhood. When his mother is released, however, he has to go back to her and gets sucked back into the gang. Determined not to follow his father's path, he tries to exist inside the gang but not do the drugs. When gang violence results in TJ being approached to run the gang, he decides instead to leave the neighborhood and resume his educaton.
Strengths: This is a great book for reluctant readers who are drawn to inner city stories about drugs. Bluford High fans will like this series, Gravel Road.
Weaknesses: There is some mention of sex but nothing graphic. This book does not glamorize either sex or drugs. Hooray! Several students have borrowed the ARC from my pile.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Beneath a Meth Moon.
Laurel's family was living in Pass Christian when a devastating hurricane kills her mother and grandmother who stay behind. After a few years with her aunt, Laurel, her father, and younger brother move to a small town in Iowa. For a while, she is happy. She makes the cheerleading squad and starts to date T-Boom, a basketball player. The sadness of her loss is always with her, so when T-Boom gives her a taste of meth, she quickly gets hooked. Soon, everything else fades into the background. She drops out of school, and starts to beg on the streets for money to feed her addiction while living in an abandon store. A local artist, Moses, tries to save her, since he has seen too many others die, but only Laurel can make the decision to wean herself from the meth.
Strengths: My students are forever askinf for books about drugs, but most of them (like the works of Ellen Hopkins) include far too much bad language and sexual situations for middle schoolers to check out of a school library. This was perfect. The drug abuse is evident but not glamorized. The best part was the rural, white, middle America setting!
Weaknesses: Flips back and forth in time in a slightly hard to follow way.

Sand-Eveland, Cyndi. Tinfoil Sky.E Arc from Netgalley.com
Melody's mother, Cecily,has never been the best mother. The most recent problem the two have is running from the latest boyfriend. Cecily decided to go "home", but her mother, Gladys, is not happy to see the pair, since Cecily's last visit resulted in many of Gladys' things being stolen. When Cecily ends up in jail for shop lifting, Mel's only resort is to live with Gladys, who grudgingly takes her in. Mel is happy that she can get a library card, and starts to spend much of her summer vacation at the library, where she ends up getting a job. She learns more about her grandfather, Tux, from the local grocery store owner, and assembles a support group for herself. She counts down the days until her mother can come back, but can her mother pull herself together to care for Mel?
Strengths: This was a compelling, quick read that has a Jacqueline Wilson/Cathy Cassidy vibe.
Weaknesses: Cover a bit weak and happy.

Nayeri, Daniel and Dina. Another Jekyl, Another Hyde.
From the Publisher:"Thomas struggles to accept his billionaire father's marriage to governess Nicola Vileroy and begins to spend less time with his friends and more time at clubs, where someone slips him a dangerous drug, but things get scarier after Thomas begins to suspect Vileroy is part of a sinister supernatural plan. "

This is the third in a series. The ARC came from Baker and Taylor. I will have to look at the books before this, Another Faustus and Another Pan. An interesting, evil, paranormal kind of book, but confusing without having read the others first.

Whew. Should I include Mull's The Candy Shop War? Really, kids, don't give drugs to your parents, even if they are disguised as candy. And no, no matter how many budget cuts there are, it's a bad idea for librarians, too.

Timeslip Tuesday

2012-01-24T05:00:00.001-05:00

Timeslip Tuesday is a recurring feature at Charlotte's Library. Charlotte also does a fabulous round up of middle grade and YA fantasy fiction on Sundays.

Malone, Malorie. Stealing Magic: A Sixty Eight Rooms Adventure
ARC from Netgalley.com, Random House 2012
Ruthie and Jack are still basking in the glow of having discovered an album of lost photographs from a famous artist, an album which turned up in the Thorne Rooms when they used a magic key to shrink down and get into them. When they meet Dora Pomeroy, a decorator who is studying the rooms, they realize that articles are missing, just as art is being stolen from famous collections around Chicago. While investigating, the two travel back to 1937 Paris and meet a Jewish girl. When they realize that her family will be in danger from the Nazis, they try to get back and warn her, only to find that their key has been stolen! They find another way in, and start to realize that the thief is someone they know-- and they may have helped the stealing begin! The two work to put things in the Thorne Rooms to rights, and once again emerge victorious.
Strengths: Love the inclusion of real miniature rooms, time travel, and a good mystery.
Weaknesses: Figured out too early who the thief was! The first book has been a steady but somewhat slow circulator.

Williams, Avery. The Alchemy of Forever.
January 3rd 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Sera has spent 600 years with Cyrus, and she's fed up. At first, she was glad that he saved her from death with his potion that allowed her to transplant her spirit into another body. She's gotten tired of killing (each new body only lasts about ten years), the Coven of Incarnates, and most of all, Cyrus. When she is due to get a new body, he throws an elaborate party, but she drugs him, runs away, and vows to finally die. However, she comes across a car accident and while trying to save Kailey (who is gravely injured), accidentally takes over her body. Adjusting to Kailey's life is difficult, but "Kailey" is able to say that the accident caused her some memory impairment. Sera is enjoying her new life and thinking that being away from Cyrus and the Coven makes life worth living... and then Cyrus shows up at her school as a substitute teacher! Sera/Kailey tries to elude detection, but then circumstances change... or do they. Another book is surely in the works!
Strengths: LOVED the idea that yes, after 600 years, Sera is sick of Cyrus! This was vastly amusing, drew me into the book, and when Sera took over Kailey's body, this reminded me a lot of Martyn Bedford's Flip. Very well done.
Weaknesses: The ending was very abrupt, but once I realized that there would be another book, that was okay.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

2012-01-10T05:10:00.045-05:00

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday! Hop over to Shannon Whitney Messenger's Blog for a full list of people this week who are posting; here is last week's list of MMGM postings.

Remember when cooking was exciting? In the 7th grade, we had home ec and spent a period every day learning about cooking. We made pancakes and syrup (maple flavoring and Karo!), lollipops, pie-- don't know that the school budget ran to actual food, but we learned how to keep our kitchens clean! I still think about Mrs. Mercer when I am wiping down all of the counters every time I do dishes. I loved home ec so much (8th grade was sewing) that I almost compounded my horrible idea of majoring in Latin with a minor in teaching home ec. Now they don't teach cooking in school, but it doesn't mean that students aren't interested. Appease your budding cooks with these books!

Simon, Coco. Emma on Thin Icing.
Emma's mother has lost her job as a librarian due to budget cuts and is working the 3-9pm shift at a local bookstore, which means that Emma and her three brothers have to pitch in more around the house. With Mia's mother's wedding coming up, Emma needs $250 to buy a junior bridesmaids dress, and she's stressing out. She tries to walk more dogs to make money, and even takes on some cupcake baking on her own. She has to watch her younger brother, keep up with her school work, and help make dinner. She tries very hard to keep everything together but might not be able to afford to buy the dress in time, and then an evil classmate will pick it up! Emma realizes in the end that she can't do everything on her own, and doesn't need to, since she does have supportive family and friends that will help her out if she just asks.
Strengths: Emma's mother gets her job back. Oh, the book? This was very reminiscent of the Beany Malone or Katie Rose stories, which I adore. Teen girl trying to handle things on her own? Apparently still my very favorite thing to read. I have the first two books, and they have been popular.
Weaknesses: I'm not a good judge. Does A New and Different Summer have weaknesses?Absolutely not!

Simon, Coco. Alexis and the Perfect Recipe.
Alexis' older sister Dylan is having a Sweet 16 birthday party and has turned in a monster over the plans. She doesn't want the Cupcake Club to make the cupcakes and gives them grief over every cupcake they pitch. Alexis has bigger probelms, though-- she has a huge crush on Emma's brother Matt, who will be at the party. Since she loves math and research, she tries to scientifically determine how to make boys like her-- soft clothes in soft colors, curly hair, vanilla perfume. It takes a while to get the formula right, but Alexis manages to get everything-- cupcakes and herself-- perfectly organized before the big party. Matt asks her to dance, but there's no chemistry at all. No matter! Her research will come in handy with her conquests down the road.
Strengths: Did like the twist at the end with Matt, and loved that Alexis had a head for numbers.
Weaknesses: The reinventing herself for a boy was disturbing, but so true to life!

Visit the Cupcake Diaries web site for all sorts of goodies!
Other books on cooking and baking!

Bauer, Joan. Close to Famous.
Conford, Ellen. What's Cooking, Jenny Archer?
Creech, Sharon. Granny Torelli Makes Soup (contributed by Caryl)
Davis, Tanita. Ala Carte.
Dunbar, Fiona. The Truth Cookie.
Fergus, Maureen. Recipe for Disaster
Ganeshram, Ramin. Stir it Up!
Greenwald, Lisa. Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes.
Hepler, Heather. The Cupcake Queen.
Hurwitz, Joanna.(1982) Tough-luck Karen
Jackson, Alison. Eggs Over Evie.
Mandelski, Christina. The Sweetest Thing
McClain, Lee. Sizzle.
Ostow, Michol. Crush du Jour
Schaefer, Laura. The Teashop Girls.
Schroeder, Lisa. It's Raining Cupcakes.
Smith, Sherri L. Hot Sour Salty Sweet.
Shaw, Tucker. Flavor of the Week.
Whytock, Cherry. My Cup Runneth Over (series)
Winston, Sherry. President of the Whole Fifth Grade

Let me know if I'm missing some good ones!

Nonfiction Monday-- Pets

2012-01-10T05:10:00.040-05:00

Middle school students love to read about cats and dogs. Either they have them, or they wish they had them. My Dorling-Kindersley and ASPCA god and cat care manuals are falling to pieces, so I was looking around for some other books about pets. And just so you know, I decided NOT to let my dog "write" the reviews. It may be January, but I'm not that many kinds of crazy. Yet.

Brownlee, Christen. Cute, Furry and Deadly: Diseases You Can Catch from Your Pet!
The Scholastic 24/7 books on war are very popular in my library, so I looked into the Science Behind the Scenes series. This volumn presents several real life cases where pets made their owners very sick-- prarie dogs with monkey pox, kittens with rabies, and baby chicks with salmonella. Medical terms are explained, all article are well-illustrated, and additional information is given about zoonotic diseases. Scientists who worked on the real life cases are also profiled. A glossary and resource pages are included at the end of the book.
Strengths: Rabid kitties-- what's not to like? The short chapters will appeal to nonfiction readers who like a little bit of text with their pictures.
Weaknesses: While this has really good information, I find the format hard to read. This will not be the book for my students wanting information about animal care, but will be great for the students who like grossology type books. I still like the Sheila Keenan Animals in the House for a good overview of the history of pets.

Klam, Julie. You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught me the Secrets of Happiness.
This memoir is not really suitable for middle school students, but I treat myself to the occasional adult book on Friday evenings, because my life is just that exciting! Ms. Klam was trying to figure out her single life and her career when she decided that a dog was what she needed. Enter Otto, a Boston terrier, who so endeared himself to Ms. Klam that she got involved with a Boston terrier rescue group and started fostering dogs. She eventually got married and had a daughter, but continued to make the dogs a very big part of her life. I wouldn't say that this book, or the dogs, really taught me much about the secrets of happiness, but it was an amusing read, and it encouraged me to rub Sylvie's tummy while I read it. Warning: several dogs pass away in this book. Sad.

Lemke, Don. The Amazing Mini-Mutts.

Capstone Publishers, February 2012

E ARC from Netgalley.com

This is certainly fiction, and for grades 1-3, but it was so cute that I had to take a look, even though it is waaaay on the elementary side of the Pilkey side. The Mini-Mutts are tiny little fuzzy crime fighters who are going up against Brainicat, who is evil. The text is simple, the pictures bright, and my children would have loved these when they were emergent readers. This would also be a good book to, um, read to your dog!

Nonfiction Monday was created by Ms. Suen, and today's roundup is hosted at Shelf-Employed.

Saturday Cartoons

2012-01-10T05:08:00.008-05:00

Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules: The Whole World's Crazy.
Amelia is not pleased to have been transplanted from New York City to live with her Aunt Tanner after her parents' divorce, but she does find some friends over the summer. When school starts, however, she finds that they are in the nerd statrum of the school hierarchy, and she's not pleased, especially since she doesn't much care for Rhonda. Still, the group hangs together, going trick or treating, surviving gym class, and discovering the real meaning of Christmas. The first in a fairly lengthy series of graphic novels.
Strengths: Has some clever moments that adults will get, even though Amelia is nine. Since my students would read graphic novels about bat guano, I will get this series as I can afford it.
Weaknesses: As always, am struck that struggling readers are attracted to these, and worry that they don't actually read the text. I struggle with separating the pictures from the text, and they are hard for me to read, so when a student turns the book back after one period, I do strongly suspect they have only looked at the pictures. Sigh. Not the fault of the book.

Holm, Jennifer and Matt Holm. A Very Babymouse Christmas.
Babymouse really, really wants a Whiz Bang, an electronic device that does everything including folding the laundry. She schemes and schemes to get one, but it's not looking good. One of her classmates even gets one in the class gift exchange, but Babymouse of course gets whisker conditioner! She dreams A Christmas Carol sort of dream, and can't concentrate on anything in the weeks leading up to Christmas. When she finally does get the gadget she desires, it has no batteries, so she ends up playing with a dollhouse and bonding with her family.
Strengths: Bought this one because I had children asking for holiday books and I had nothing. Of course, the order didn't come in until last week! It will get worn out very quickly!
Weaknesses: Guilty confession-- I don't like Babymouse. Love Boston Jane and Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, but Babymouse character is high on my slappage meter. I do have the first Babymouse book, but it's not been that popular. Perhaps just too elementary for my tastes.

Ozma, Alice. The Reading Promise.
When Alice's librarian father was afraid that she, like her older sister, would stop wanting to be read to, he proposed that they start a "streak" and read every night for 100 nights. Or so. The beginning of the streat is lost to the mists of time, but every night for about 3,218 days, they read books aloud, ending when Alice went off to college. Through this time, Alice and her father struggled with the departure of Alice's mother, financial problems, and the teen years.
Strengths: It's great that Alice is championing reading, and was so greatly affected by this effort by her father to stay connected to her by sharing what he loved.
Weaknesses: I thought this would make me feel like the worst mother in the world. I HATE to read aloud. Hate to be read to, as well. This made my ineffective parenting look good. Not that the level of dysfunction in Alice's family was horrible, it was just sad, and really not all that interesting. I was hoping that she would tie in how the books they read affected their lives, but there wasn't much of that. Great concept for a book, but a little weak in the execution, which is surprising since Alice clearly read a lot of good books. I feel mean saying this, but I had higher expectations.

Guy Friday-- Skateboarding Guys

2012-01-10T05:07:00.031-05:00

That's it. I'm just going to order EVERY Orca Sports book on skateboarding that I can find, especially if they are by the following author:
Ross, Jeff. Powerslide.
Casey (aka "Head Case") is approached by actor Jack Coagen's agent to train Jack to skateboard for his next film, and then act as his stunt double. This is great news for Casey, because he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life after high school graduation. Unfortunately, rival skateboarder Goat declares that he is a much better candidate for this job, and challenges Casey to several ill-concieved challenges that end up in minor injuries for both. Goaded on by Jack, who is trying to understand skateboarding culture as well as the techniques of the sport, the pair try a very dangerous race down a mountain road that ends in even more severe injuries. Can Casey find a way to incorporate skateboarding into his future plans while ensuring that he still HAS a future.
Strengths: I didn't understand half of the skateboarding descriptions, which means that my boys who skate WILL. Nice, tight story line, action, adventure-- pure awesomeness. I know just the student to hand this two today.
Weaknesses: Was there a moral to the near death experience? I forget. Yeah, just enough to make the adults happy. Perfect.

Take a look at these other titles for good skateboarding/extreme sports books:

Let's Go to Paris!

2012-01-10T05:07:00.026-05:00

Nesbet, Anne. The Cabinet of Earths.
Maya and her family, including five-year-old brother James, move to Paris. Her mother has cancer and has always wanted to go, so when her father gets a fellowship from the Society of Philosophical Chemistry to study there, Maya can hardly complain. Shortly upon arrival, strange things start to occur-- odd relatives show up, Maya's face appears on a statue, a packet of pictures appears. Maya and James spend a lot of time with their colorless cousin Louise, who is helping with their French, and the very strange Henri de Fourcroy who tells them a little about their strange family history. The Cabinet of Earths turns out to be a way to make people immortal-- their "earths" are bottled and kept in the cabinet, and they are fed "anbar", the essence of lively children, to keep them happy and vibrant. Once Maya finds out about this, and finds that she is the keeper of this cabinet, she is torn-- she can keep her mother alive, but must then be a part of this evil process that could strip the livliness from her brother.
Strengths: My readers are trending away from medieval fantasy, and I know just the student to whom I would hand this. Even though the cover and the title on this one set me into defensive "I don't want to read anymore fantasy!" mode, I was drawn into the story very quickly.
Weaknesses: Maya's life in school was touched on much too briefly-- I think I would have left it out. Even the friend she makes there doesn't add much. The father's position was also rather vague, although the family needed a reason to be in France. This writer show a lot of promise, but I have a feeling that her next book will be much better. Don't mean to damn with faint praise, this one was oddly compelling and yet bothered me at the same time.

Levin, Mark and Jennifer Flackett. The Family Hitchcock.
Maddy, Benji and the entire Hitchcock family are traveling to Paris even though family finanaces are tight and the children would really rather stay at home. Swapping houses with a Parisian family, the Vadim's allows them to afford this, and luckily, the Vadim's home is much posher than their own. Opera tickets show up at the door, the family is able to borrow swanky clothes and go, and things seem to be looking up. However, a case of mistaken identity gets them involved with dangerous if attractive villians involved in an international crime plot.
Strengths: Lots of action and adventure, car chases, and a humorous tone make this a book that will intrigue elementary students.
Weaknesses: Every character was reduced to an annoying stereotype with irritating catch phrases. Also, if this is "written by Dan Elish", how can this be Levin and Flackett's first children's book? Coming up with an idea is very different from writing this, and the writing in this is definitely very much like Elish's The School for the Insanely Gifted.

Enclave, Fracture and Bunheads

2012-01-10T05:06:00.013-05:00

Aguirre, Ann. Enclave.

In a post apocalyptic world, children are so expendable that they are not even named until they reach 15. Up to then, they are called "brat" or "boy" or "girl". At their naming ceremony, they are also put into one of three groups: breeders, hunters or builders. Deuce has always felt she would be a hunter, and is pleased when she is. She is also paired with the malcontent fade, who has lived outside of the underground world and doesn't care for all of the rules that supposedly keep people safe. When the community is threatened by mutant "freaks", Deuce and Fade are kicked out for trying to
warn everyone, and try to survive on the Topside, assembling a band of others on their way to a settlement that Fade thinks exists.

Strengths: Seems to be a lot of research and thought into a post apocalyptic experience. I found the information on canned food especially interesting. As the cover says, fans of The Hunger Games will love this one, since it is pretty bloody. The reviews all said 8-12 grades, but there was nothing particularly objectionable except for the survival-type violence.

Weaknesses: This felt slightly derivative to me. Part Invitation to the Game, part City of Ember. I've never been a fan of dystopia, and I've had to read so much of it. Students who actually like dystopia will probably find the similarities to other books amusing.

Miranda, Megan. Fracture.

Delaney is out with friends, playing on the ice in Maine, when she falls through and is underwater for 11 minutes. The doctors don't think she will survive because of the brain damage, but she surprises them all and wakes up with little cognitive impairment. She does, however, occasionally get an "itch" in her brain that seems to draw her toward people who are dying. Her friend and neighbor(and also rescuer), Decker, is glad to have her back but alarmed by the changes in her and confused about his feelings for her. She meets Troy, who is also a coma survivor, and is at first comforted by the similarities in their experiences, but when she realizes that he too is drawn to the dying, but acts on this impulse in a way she doesn't agree with, she is not sure what to do.

Strengths: I was immediately drawn into this absorbing tale of struggle and loss. Brilliant lines, great characters, a nice amount of teen angst without overdoing it. Really enjoyed this.

Weaknesses: The moral dilemma gets a little complex for middle school, and the dropping of f-bombs becomes a bit gratuitous toward the end. Great for high school, but I will pass.

Flack, Sophie. Bunheads.

From Goodreads.com "As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?"

What I wanted: More books about ballet. Aside from Ballet Shoes the paperbound Dancing on the Inside and A Dance of Sisters and the oddly named Jersey Tomatoes are the Best, there's very little to give my girls who dance. Has anyone written a happy ballet book?

Why This Didn't Work For Me: Since Hannah is 19 and living on her own, this book is a bit mature for my girls. It's usually the 6th graders who want books on ballet. While the romance is fairly innocent, there are several gratuitous uses of the f-bomb that bothered me.

People Who Liked This: Bookalicious Ramblings, Lost in Believing, The Irish Banana, and The Reclusive Bibliophile.

Time Slip Tuesday--Day of the Predator

2012-01-10T05:05:00.008-05:00

Scarrow, Alex. Day of the Predator.
Sequel to Time Riders.
Liam and Maddy, Time Riders stationed on September 10 and 11, 2001, are joined by Sal and and a new version of their support unit, Bob, now a woman named Becks. Liam and Becks are sent to stop the assassination of Edward Chan, the father of time travel, but when they are at that period in time, an explosion sends them back to the Cretaceous period... with Chan and several of the students and teachers! The group tries to survive and battles wily dinosaurs while trying to get a message through to 2001 about their coordinates. Meanwhile, in 2001, Maddy is trying to find the group as well as trying to get through to Foster, her mentor, on September 12. The message does get through, but brings with it new risks of time contamination, and the Time Riders have a lot of clean up work to do before they can go back to just monitoring.
Strengths: Dinosaurs bring lots of action to any story, so that was fun. I also liked the secret service agents, even if they were the bad guys.
Weaknesses: Still not entirely sold on the method of time travel presented in this series, but it does address the whole issue of time travel changing the world.

Make sure you check out Charlotte's Library for more books on time travel on many Tuesdays, as well as a fabulous round up on middle grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy reviews.

Nonfiction Monday-- Blizzard of Glass

2012-01-08T12:05:00.010-05:00

Walker, Sally M. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917.

In December of 1917, several ships containing hazardous chemicals in the harbor of Halifax collided. The resulting explosion was the biggest man made one until Hiroshima. Not only did the heat and shock waves destroy all of the buildings nearby, but the resultant tsunami also caused major damage. Thousands died. The devastation was incalculable, and this book does an excellent job of explaining this for middle grade readers-- after an introduction of how things aligned for this to occur, the catastrophe is followed through what happened to the members of several families. Maps, copious period photographs, and well-researched information and harrowing tales of survival make this a book that many readers will enjoy.

Thanks to Deb Marshall, of Just Deb for recommending this! One of our school volunteers, a former history teacher, really enjoyed it as well!

Turner, Pamela S. The Frog Scientist.

Like the honeybees in The Hive Detectives, the frog population in the US has been at risk for years. Not only are the numbers decreasing, but there has been a decided increase in the number of frog mutations that are turning up. One scientist, Tyrone Hayes, has dedicated his life to finding out what chemicals may be harming frogs. One of the most common chemicals that farmers use and that ends up in the pond water is atrazine, and Hayes has determined that this chemical often feminizes male frogs, leaving them unable to procreate, which may be one big reason behind the drop in population. This book details how he goes about his research, describing days in the field and at the labs, and also discusses the long term ramifications of this research.

Strengths: This series was recommended to me by my public librarian, and it is a very good one with lots of information. The books are engagingly presented in an easy to read but informative way.

Weaknesses: Again, the picture book format orientation of this series may work to its disadvantage in the middle school setting. Might take some arm twisting to get students to read them, but I will definitely be purchasing some when I have the money.

There's a new Nonfiction Monday page by Ms. Suen, and today's roundup is hosted at The Swimmer Writer.

Middle Grade Monday can be found at Shannon Whitney Messenger's blog.

The Crazy Things Girls Do For Love

2012-01-08T11:57:00.004-05:00

Sheldon, Dyan. The Crazy Things Girls Do For Love.

Sicilee, Maya and Waneeda all have their own distinct personality quirks, but when new boy Cody Lightfoot comes to town, they are all so smitten that they join an environmental group run by the geeky Clemens in order to get near Cody. Sicilee is the poster child for overconsumption (he wants her parents to enlarge her walk in closet because it's not big enough for all of her clothes) and thinks that vegan is show for vegetarian. Maya is a little more environmentally inclined, but still more interested in Cody. Waneeda usually doesn't care much about anything, but is oddly struck by Cody's environmental interest... and his good looks. Soon, all three are trying to outdo each other in order to get Cody's attention, and come to realize that perhaps the environment is more important than they thought.

Strengths: It's always good to have books with a positive environmental message. I normally love Sheldon's work, and the cover is a slam dunk for girls to pick up.

Weaknesses: I was annoyed at almost every character in the book, and even the style (the story is told in the present tense) irritated me. In an afternote, Sheldon addresses how important being aware of the environment is, but I wish she hadn't made it seem so awful for the girls to give up meat, new clothes, and riding in the car. I am not sure it will encourage readers to become environmentally aware, but they will enjoy the story and I will probably buy the book. I just wish that I enjoyed it more!

Saturday Morning Cartoons

2012-01-07T12:54:00.008-05:00

Beleated answers to Thursday's trivia. Yesterday, I was too busy saying how awesome Linda Gerber was!
1. In Robert McCloskey's Homer Price, what is the color of the dress that Miss Terwilliger wears in the giant ball o' yarn contest?
Robin Egg's Blue AND Pink. She unwound it to pad out her ball of yarn!
2. What is the very 1950's name of Henry Reed's best friend? Midge
3. What was the first mainstream audio CD sold in the US? Springsteen's Born in the USA.
4. What is appropriate apparel for librarians everywhere this coming January 18?
A Winnie-the-Pooh t shirt! It's the 130th anniversary of A.A. Milne's birth!
5.What is the state rock song of Ohio? Hang on Sloopy

Do children watch Saturday morning cartoons anymore? It was one of the few times that I watched as a child (Josie and the Pussycats was a particular favorite!), but my own children didn't watch much. Instead of letting 7-11 year olds watch cartoons, try giving them one of these books:

Bonnell, Lynne. Lawn Mower Magic.
EARC provided by Edelweiss' Above the Treeline.
The Willows have moved out to a somewhat remote house with a fair acreage. Derek misses his friends at his old home, and wants to get a train ticket and go visit, but money is tight. When the family lawn mower dies, Derek and his brothers and sister find an old rotary mower in the shed and start to tackle the huge job of mowing. It's much easier when they find that the mower is magic, and it happily drags them all over the yard, as well as over some hedges. Can Derek keep the lawn under control so the family doesn't have to buy a new mower, and he will have enough money for a train ticket?
Strengths: The second in a series (Hamster Magic is first) this was a fairly amusing Stepping Stone book vaguely reminiscent of the work of Ruth Chew. Since I have a rotary mower, I had to read it.
Weaknesses: Too young for middle school, and very weak on plot.

Hashimoto, Meika. The Magic Cake Shop.
Emma Burblee is a no nonsense ten year old who lies to bake and is very weary of her incredibly vain and self-involved parents. Her mother and father don't eat anything but carrots, have 80 step skin care routine, and care more about their business selling expensive hats than they do about Emma. When she disappoints them at her tenth birthday party, she is sent to live with her horrible Uncle Simon, who is a neglectful slob. The bright spot in her day is Mr. Crackle and his fantastic bakery. When she finds that her Uncle is in league with a villain who wants to force Mr. Crackle out of business by selling substandard bakery items fortified with "elixir of delight" that will make them irresistible, she has to find a way to stop him.
Strengths: The cover is SO pretty! Anything with cakes on the cover will get picked up, and this has an overall decent Roald Dahl/Lemony Snicket vibe to it that younger students might enjoy.
Weaknesses: While the extremely vain parents, horrible uncle, and magical baker started out not being too cloying, the level of whimsy got a bit much for me when sentences like "Well, why do't you and Albie plug in the blender and take care of the beans, squid, spleens, legs, sogs, and hegs while I deal with the tree, shick shack shree spizzle, and tea." (page 125) Really? This pushed it right out the middle school arena and down to elementary school for me.

Guy Friday-- Ghouls!

2012-01-02T15:09:00.013-05:00

Newbound, Andrew. Ghoul Strike.
This cover goes to prove that boys WILL read books with girls as the main characters, as long as there is enough action, an intriguing cover, and ... ghost drool. Sigh.
Alannah has a ghost busting business, but it's not the paltry 50 pound fee she charges to get rid of the ghosts that earns the big bucks-- it's selling the treasures that she gets from the ghosts! Most ghosts are bound to earth by some valuable worldly good, so Alannah dispatches the ghosts and keeps the treasures! She runs into problems at Pittingham Manor with her sidekick Wortley when they meet up with the otherworldly Office Flhi who is dealing with a ghoul invasion. Alannah is a bit put out by Flhi's interference because she is trying to find her parents and the ghouls are an unwanted wrinkle, and Flhi is irritated that Alannah doesn't understand the seriousness of the threat. The two find a common enemy in Horrad, who knows more about Alannah's parents than he will admit AND is definitely working with the ghouls. While the two are able to thwart the imminent demise of the earth, the next threat is just around the corner.
Strengths: There are not enough monster books out there that are not overly cartoony. This is a loto f great action and adventure, and my students will be pleased. Not a surprise that Newbound is British. The Brits seem to write ghosts and horror so much better than authors in the US! (Gauntlet flinging? Why, no!)
Weaknesses: While action is good, the first major ghoul fight went on four about 8 chapters. I wanted a bit more background, but that translates into "nothing happening" to my students.

LINDA GERBER IS MADE OF AWESOME!!!
The 7th graders are writing letters to authors, and about eight girls asked me for Linda Gerber's address. Since Linda was my first author interview, has spoken at my school several times and drove me to a cupcake party in Cleveland (um) two years ago, I had (um) her phone number still in my phone. Not that that is creepy and stalkerish at all!
So I told the students "Let me text her and ask!" They were suitably impressed.
I forgot that unless someone has your number in the phone, they have no idea what crazed lunatic is asking for your address! I texted her back with my name, and she very kindly provided a destination for their letters AND told me I could tell the students that she always replies to me. Hee, hee, hee.
So, not only are Linda's books awesome, she is, too. My students will be thrilled. Go buy her books NOW!

Murder Mysteries

2012-01-02T15:08:00.018-05:00

Mackel, Dandi Daley. The Silence of Murder.
When Hope's brother Jeremy is accused of murdering the high school baseball coach, she doesn't believe he's guilty. Jeremy stopped speaking at the age of 9, has trouble relating to people, and also has an odd fascination with empty jars. Since the coach was always nice to Jeremy, Hope sees no reason that he would have bludgeoned him to death with a ball bat, although all evidence points to the contrary. With the help of T.J., a long time friend, and Chase, the sheriff's son who was on the same ball team as T.J., Hope tries to figure out who the real culprit is. In her search, she uncovers other family and community secrets, which lead her to discover exactly how the crime occurred.
Strengths: Always need more murder mysteries, and this one is well done. Hope is a persistent and strong character who rises above her circumstances to do right by the one person, her brother, in her life who doesn't let her down. Jeremy's diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum is reasonably portrayed.
Weaknesses: Wish this was little shorter (it's 300+ pages), and since the courtroom scenes slow down the plot, I would have cut those a bit. Still definitely buying. Love the cover!

Margolin, Phillip, and Ami Margolin Rome. Vanishing Acts.
Madison Kincaid's father is a defense attorney who tries a lot of murder cases, and Madison has always tagged along to his office, since her mother died when she was young. Her biggest love, however, is soccer, and she hopes to make the team in junior high, which is starting soon. Unfortunately, her best friend, Ann, doesn't show up for tryouts or for school, and Madison starts to worry that something has happened to her, especially when her father gets a case defending Mr. Shelby, who is accused of murdering his wife-- who was Madison's teacher! Evidence is circumstantial, but Madison, with the help of rather cute classmate Jake, decides to investigate on her own. She makes the soccer team as the first alternate, middle school doesn't seem too bad, and she manages to find out about why both Ann and Mrs. Shelby have vanished.
Strengths: Very nice middle grade mystery with engaging characters, intriguing setting, and true to life handling of middle grade issues.
Weaknesses: The murder part of this is week, and I didn't quite buy the reasons for the vanishing acts. Would anyone really think this would work? Still, a little darker than Maggie Brooklyn or some younger mysteries.

Cusick, Richie Tankersley. Trick or Treat.E ARC from Netgalley.com
Martha and Conor's parents have gotten married and moved the family to the old Bedford house at the outskirts of a small town. Martha isn't happy about this, especially when the old house gives off massively creepy vibes that make her suspect that her stepbrother is even creepier than she thought. She settles in fairly well at school, meeting the dashing Blake and his sister Wynn, but the house turns out to have been the scene of the murder of Elizabeth... who was Wynn's best friend and Blake's girlfriend. Martha starts to recieve threatening phone calls and several incidents like a creepy scarecrow hung on their porch and an unexplained fire in the kitchen make Martha even more worried. Is Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend Dennis, who was presumed dead, really alive and threatening Martha? Can all of the friends survive the Halloween dance?
Strengths: Since I just lost Cusick's Fatal Secrets to a juice box in a back pack, I was in mourning and very pleased to see Open Road Media rerelease this 1989 title. It was fast paced, super creepy with moaning trees and secret passages, and I wanted to order two copies!Weaknesses: Imagine my suprise when I logged into Follett's Titlewave and found this listed as "out of print"! I was beyond crushed! Why had I not realized earlier that Open Road Media is only digital content? Since these were originally paperbacks, there is just no way to get a copy to circulate. Back to the mourning!

I try to be laser-like in my focus on books, but given the sheer number of comments on Saturday, maybe I should just start posting a new picture of my dog every day! While wandering around other's blogs for Mother Reader's Comment Challenge, I was greatly amused by Annie's trivia challenge over at The Backstory . For those of you who need a bit of levity in a grim January morning, here's my own challenge. Feel free to make up answers!

1. In Robert McCloskey's Homer Price, what is the color of the dress that Miss Terwilliger wears in the giant ball o' yarn contest?
2. What is the very 1950's name of Henry Reed's best friend?
3. What was the first mainstream audio CD sold in the US?
4. What is appropriate apparel for librarians everywhere this coming January 18?What is the 5. state rock song of Ohio? (Feel free to tell me your state's rock song. What? You don't have one?)

Answers tomorrow on Guy Friday!

Not What I Wanted Wednesday

2012-01-02T14:57:00.015-05:00

Again, I managed to get into a lot of Young Adult books that I don't see working in my library. It's a tricky line, sometimes based on content, sometimes based on style and sometimes, I kid you not, based on print size. Anything smaller than 12 point, and there are complaints! Most of these would probably be great in a high school library!

Kenneally, Miranda. Catching Jordan.
From Goodreads.com: "What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate."
What I wanted: A good sports story for girls.
Why it didn't work for me: While I adored Jordan and thought the writing was pitch perfect, this was far too mature for middle school. Several f-bombs, and a LOT of sexual innuendo. Drat. Really liked it otherwise.
People who liked this include: Obsession with Books, 2 Read or not 2 Read, Coffee Table Reviews, and Fabbity Fab Book Reviews.

King, A.S. Everybody Sees Ants.
From the publisher: " Overburdened by his parents' bickering and a bully's attacks, fifteen-year-old Lucky Linderman begins dreaming of being with his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War, but during a visit to Arizona, his aunt and uncle and their beautiful neighbor, Ginny, help him find a new perspective."
What I wanted: All the cool blog kids are reading it.
Why it didn't work for me: The style and voice of this seemed older, and the magical realism premise seemed a bit confusing.
People who liked this include: Guys Lit Wire, Booking Mama, Ringo the Cat's Blog, and My Words Ate Me.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.
From the publisher: "Sixteen-year-old Jacob, having traveled to a remote island after a family tragedy, discovers an abandoned orphanage, and, after some investigating, he learns the children who lived there may have been dangerous and quarantined and may also still be alive."
What I wanted: All the cool blog kids are reading it.
Why it didn't work for me: Tiny print, weirdly disturbing pictures, and the tone and pacing of an adult novel.
People who liked this include: YA Book Lover, Of Books and Reading, S. Krishna's Books, and The Infinite Shelf.

McKinty, Adrian. Deviant.
From Goodreads.com:"Danny Lopez is new in town. He made a mistake back home in Las Vegas, and now he has landed at an experimental school in Colorado for “tough cases.” At the Cobalt Charter School, everything is scripted—what the teachers say, what the students reply—and no other speaking is allowed. This supercontrolled environment gives kids a second chance to make something of themselves. But with few freedoms, the students become sitting ducks for a killer determined to “clean up” Colorado Springs."
What I wanted: A mysterious, supernatural creepy story.
Why it didn't work for me: I don't like cats. REALLY don't like cats, and even for me, the first chapter of graphic cat abuse was too much.
People who liked this include: Inspirations and Popcorn Reads.

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. Every Other Day.
From the publisher: "Every other day, sixteen-year-old high school student Kali transforms into an invincible demon hunter, but when she sees that a popular fellow-student is marked for death in the next twenty-four hours, unfortunately it is the wrong day for Kali."
What I wanted: Adore this author's Tattoo, The Squad and Raised by Wolves series and was hoping for more.
Why it didn't work for me: Fighting hell hounds didn't feel like something my 6th graders who want paranormal romance books were really looking for. Again, drat.
People who liked this include: Almost Grown Up, In the Good Books, The Book Swarm, and Bookd Out.

And am I the only one having trouble on Blogger with spacing? Even when I edit out the tags on the html, it still puts huge spaces between things. After about ten minutes of trying to fix it, I give up. Sorry about any excess spacing!

Fantasy Books!

2012-01-02T14:56:00.008-05:00

Hubbard, Mandy. Ripple.
Lexi killed Stephen on her 16th birthday. She lured him into the water and drowned him. For the last year, she has been estranged from everyone at school because of this, but it wasn’t Lexi’s fault. She’s a siren, and her mother committed suicide before she could tell Lexi about her family’s curse. Every night, Lexi is drawn to the water but is afraid to go to the nearby sea for fear of dragging another innocent boy to his death. She spends hours every night swimming at a remote mountain lake so she can quench her desire for the water while all those around her stay safe. When Cole, Stephen’s best friend, starts to bring her out of her shell, she is able to resucitate her social life, but when she starts to fall in love with him, she fears for his safety. Enter Erik, who is not only very attractive but is a nix, a water spirit who drowns women in rivers. His mother is a siren, and he tells Lexi that if the two of them fall in love before his 18th birthday, the curse will be broken and both of them will be able to lead normal lives. Even though she loves Cole, she dumps him and gives Erik a chance. Can she leave her curse behind permanently?
Strengths: Didn’t really want another paranormal romance, and just bailed on Jones’ After Obsession (seemed too high school), but this one really pulled me in. Aside from some shirtlessness and one totally inexplicable f-bomb on page 250 or something, this one was very good. The ending was a fabulous twist that I did not see coming at all.
Weaknesses: I now have the recurring moral dilemma: do I white out the f-bomb or leave it and hope that students read it quickly enough that they don’t notice it and bring the wrath of their parents down on me. Sigh.

Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Shortlisted for the Cybils YA SciFi/Fantasy award; nominated by Hallie Tibbits.
Elisa is the second princess of Orovalle, and is married of to Alejandro, king of a desert kingdom at the age of 16. Eisa is not a complete innocent-- she is the bearer of a Godstone (permanently attached at her navel!) which facilitates her prayers to a limited degree, but more importantly, makes her a target. She is well educated, shrewd, and quickly learns to deal with Alejandro, who is nice to her but not a nice man. Just as Elisa is figuring out her new royal role and secrets about her past, she is kidnapped and hurried across the desert by a political faction that finds her useful. And Elisa is VERY useful-- while the Godstone warns her of danger and is of little help otherwise, Elisa kills an animagus, figures out what is going on in the war, and keeps her band of companions alive-- with one painful exception. Returning to Alejandro's palace a wiser and more assertive woman, she must once again be at the forefront of battle strategy while trying to figure out her role as Bearer... and as the ruler of a kingdom. While a sequel is possible, this could also easily stand alone.
Strengths: In this Spanish-esque fantasy setting, Elisa is at first self-indulgent, heavy, and slow, but her travails in the desert lead her to an improved personality and appearance in a very natural way. Like Pierce's Alanna, Elisa is a great heroine, but I LOVED that she was a somewhat reluctant one.
Weaknesses: So much death, and they made me really sad because I was envisioning the story line continuing with several of the characters who died. Does make me want to read a sequel to see if there is a romance for Elisa!

Nonfiction Monday

2012-01-02T14:32:00.008-05:00

Seiple, Samantha. Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion.
One of the things that the US government didn't want anyone to know was that Alaska had been attacked. The Japanese were trying to distract US intelligence from realizing that Midway was going to be attacked, and so took control of areas of the Aleutian islands. This book covers a huge number of aspects of this occurrence, ranging from the cryptographers who were following what the Japanese were doing, to residents of the village of Attu who were made prisoners of war and shipped to Japan, where many of them died, to members of a military weather unit stationed in Alaska who were also captured. In addition, there was a lengthy battle at Attu that was the most deadly hand-to-hand combat in the entire war; 549 US troops were killed (out of 15,000), and only 29 of the 2680 Japanese survived because the generals ordered a mass suicide, and the Japanese detonated hand grenades while holding them against their chests. All documents about these events were classified for many years, although there were some reparations made in the 1980s for the citizens of Attu.

Strengths: Wow. The middle school boys will LOVE this one. Already had my number one WWII reader request this from the public library.It reads like a fact-filled novel, and there are enough gruesome details as well as espionage and survival stories that this will never be on the shelf.
Weaknesses: The prose seemed a bit wooden to me, and I don't usually notice that.

Bodden, Valerie. Fighter Jets.

ARC from Baker and Taylor; published by Creative Education.

This is one of the Built for Battle series on military equipment that also includes aircraft carriers, armored vehicles, helicopters, and several others. This was very short (24 pages) and contained rudimentary information about how jets operate and are used. There is a glossary in the back, and ample pictures. While these would get checked out in my middle school, they are more suited to the youngest war mongers, probably from first to third grade. I was rather amused by the ARC-- it consisted of the sewn together pages from the inside of the book, and the dust jacket!

There's a new Nonfiction Monday page by Ms. Suen, and today's roundup is hosted at Great Kid Books.

Middle Grade Monday can be found at Shannon Whitney Messenger's blog
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The Game of Triumphs

2012-01-02T14:29:00.003-05:00

Powell, Laura. The Game of Triumphs.
Cat, who is living in London’s Soho district with her young and disorganized aunt, is approached by a stranger to save him. When she investigates, she uncovers an elaborate role playing game based on Tarot cards, The Game of Triumphs, and accepts an invitation to play. Wanting to know more, she looks for information on Tarot at a fantasy supply store, the Dark Portal, where she meets Toby, who is also involved in the fame, and he enlightens her. Not only does the game allow people to go into Arcanum, another dimension, but if they win their card, they gain certain powers that transfer to real life. But not only are the rewards real, the dangers are as well, and Cat finds herself involved in this treacherous pursuit that had horrible implicationsc for her family in the past, yet she can’t stay away. The sequel, The Master of Misrule, comes out in 2012.
Strengths: Solid, modern day magical fantasy. I have five readers I could hand this to right now. Love that Ms. Powell studied Classics. At Oxford. *Sigh*
Weaknesses: My only concern about appeal of this book at the middle school level is that my students are not as aware of role playing games.

True Blue and randomness

2012-01-02T14:28:00.008-05:00

Smiley, Jane. True Blue. (Sequel to The Georges and the Jewels and A Good Horse)
Abby Lovitt’s family lives on a California ranch in the 1960s. When a friend who runs a stable ends up with the horse belonging to a woman killed in a car accident, she offers the horse and its fittings to Abby, who gladly takes them. True Blue is a good horse, and well-trained, though apt to spook. The horse is a good addition to the family’s stables, and Abby gives lessons and goes to school, but is plagued by the ghost of the dead owner. Abby imagines seeing this ghost all over the farm. Abby breaks her arm, the family suffers some illnesses, but the activities of the stable continue and eventually Abby realizes there is no ghost.
Strengths: Don’t know how I missed this series, but will definitely be buying it. I have had a few girls who really like horses, and most of my horse books are really old! I really enjoyed the Elaine Clayton illustrations.
Weaknesses: The ghost story is rather weak, and the 1960s setting doesn’t really add anything to the story. There were also too many church details for my taste-- they slowed down the story.

Brocket, Jane. The Gentle Art of Domesticity.

Okay. Really, I was looking at a catalog for middle grade books and saw Spotty, Stripy, Swirly. Since I am always looking for good nonfiction, I investigated further at my public library (which didn't have any of the Jane Brock's Clever Concept Books from Lerner at all.) and found this. Which I had to have, for no particularly good professional reason.

I enjoyed it, but it made me feel a little bad. I've been quilting for 30 years, and knitting for 43 and could have done a blog like Yarnstorm and earned my living doing fun things like knitting tea cozies. Or, at the very least, have had a better blog name. Man. One of my big regrets.

I realized that I spend a HUGE amount of time reading, to the exclusion of doing the crossword, caring what the house looks like once it is clean and clutter free, talking to my children, and knitting.

So I knit a sweater for Sylvie. Really, it's only practical. When you are that low to the ground, if it snows, you end up with icy armpits.

Guy Friday-- Guys with Problems

2012-01-02T14:24:00.009-05:00

Ellsworth, Loretta. Unforgettable.
Ever since having a concussion as a young child, Baxter Green has been able to remember EVERYTHING. When his mother wants to move from southern California to escape a criminal boyfriend, Baxter nudges her to move to Wellington, Minnestoa, where he remembers Halle, his elementary crush, moved. After Baxter uncharacteristically gets a bad grade on an assignment, Halle is assigned to be his tutor. Only problem-- she doesn't remember him! Baxter settles in to school and his new life with his waitress mother. He flashes back to his therapy sessions with Dr. Anderson, who was trying to help him deal with the weight of remembering every past hurt. He works with Halle and her environmental group to try to stop a local taconite plant from increasing the risk of certain cancers for people in the area. He worries that Dink, the boyfriend, will track him and his mother down, which does happen. Baxter may have an extraordinary ability, but he also manages to have an ordinary, and fairly happy, life. Strengths: Halfway through 8th grade, a lot of my guy readers are looking for more than humor books. They want something with challenges, romance, and some deeper meaning. This will be great for them, and would also be an excellent high school book. I'll also have to take another look at this author's In A Heartbeat, which looks familiar.
Weaknesses: I found it hard to believe that Halle wouldn't remember Baxter, or that she would be mad when she finally did. Of course, I remember people from my kindergarten, but they would probably not remember me!

Polisner, Gae. The Pull of Gravity.
Nick has mulitple problems. After he breaks his leg climbing a small tower during a fever-induced hallucination, his overweight and underemployed father decides to take off, feeling guilty over being asleep when Nick had his accident. He is walking to New York City, where the family had lived previously, in order to lose weight and "find himself". Nick's neighbor and best friend, Scooter, is dying of progeria, which ages him rapidly and causes all sorts of health problems. On the up side, Nick meets Jaycee, the step daughter of a local newscaster who comes to interview the family about the father's walking expedition. She also knows Scooter, and after Scooter's death, shows Nick a first edition book that Scooter wanted returned to the father who left HIM when he was young. Jaycee and Nick set off to Rochester, NY to try to find Scooter's father but encounter multiple problems along the way. In the end, Nick find out that sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination.
Strengths: Fast-paced, a good length, appealing cover, and again, boys like problems at this time of year. Good cover, too.
Weaknesses: Stretched my believability, especially when Jaycee gets very ill in Rochester.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. Following Christopher Creed.
College reported Mike Mavic has been following the disappearance of Christopher Creed and the developments in the case on the blog of a local who was a rock star. When a body is found in Steepleton, Mike and another reporter, RayAnn, he goes to Steepleton to try to get a story. There are lots of wrinkles-- the body ends up being the sister of a boy involved tangentially in the original case, Christopher's brother is thought missing but later turns up in rehab, there is a weird natural phenomenon going on in a local woods that may or may not be contributing to a host of problems, and Mike has to come to terms with his own past as an abused child. Can the case and the problems of the town finally be solved?
Strengths: There is strong interest in the first book, The Body of Christopher Creed (2000), and mysteries are always in demand.
Weaknesses: Several uses of the f-word, and a plot that could have been tighter. At over 400 pages, I don't see this going well with middle school students, but would be okay at high school.

It's a frog-eatin' morning here.* Got in to work at 4:45. Have done the following: E mailed overdues to homerooms and replied to ten emails; set up LCD projector; printed Infohio bookmarks and made copies; repaired ten books; organized Battle of the Books information so someone competent can take over, since I have failed utterly at meeting with the students in the ten minutes every other Friday I don't have class during lunch; compiled a hand out about E Readers and free E Books; put together a handout for Sustained Silent Reading and Writing in case students have two study halls per day next year; reinked a self-inking stamp, mailed payment to Baker and Taylor; commented on five blogs as part of

Mother Reader Comment Challenge

And posted this. Now must get LCD projector to WORK. (Which I had to call tech to do. *Sigh* I'm usually the one coming and fixing things and making other people feel incompetent!)

Have a great Friday and a fabulous weekend!

*"Eat a frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day." In my family, we use this to refer to getting a lot of things done that you DON'T want to do!

Desert Angel

2012-01-02T14:21:00.003-05:00

Price, Charlie. Desert Angel.
Angel and her mother have lived with Scotty, the mother’s abusive boyfriend, for only a month before he killed the mother and buries her in the desert. He then ties up Angel and sets fire to their mobile home with her in it. She manages to escape and is taken in by a family of illegal Mexican immigrants, but Scotty is a trained tracker, so hunts her down and terrorizes anyone who helps her. The family moves her to another town where she stays with Rita, a tough Head Start teacher. Angel is glad to have her support, but doesn’t want to endanger those who help her. She realizes that the best way to keep everyone safe is to find Scotty before he finds her, but he becomes increasingly violent as the two come closer to finding each other. Another title by this author is The Interrogation of Gabriel James
Strengths: Immediately gave this one to Picky Reader, who loves problem novels. This is not only abuse, but survival, and I can see it being very popular in February, when all of my students want the most depressing book I can give them. A real page turner!
Weaknesses: It’s very clear that Scotty was sexually abusing Angel, but since there are no details given, I think it’s okay even for middle school.

Wilson, N.D. The Dragon's Tooth.

Book received from publisher.

Cyrus lives in a run down motor lodge that he runs with the help of his older sister and brother because his mother is in a hospital and his father is dead. This is bad enough, but after Billy Bones appears and claims that Cyrus is the new caretaker of artifacts that will help save the world, the motel burns down and the siblings are sent on a long journey to save the world against the forces of evil. They have a lot of help from the Order of Brendan (in which their parents were involved) and they need it, since Cyrus' brother has been kidnapped by Dr. Phoenix, who is trying to take sacred relics from the Order. This is a new series from the author of 100 Cupboards.

Strengths: A lot of action and adventure, a well-constructed mythological base, and amusing characters. I don't have a lot of readers who want modern fantasy, but this will be good for readers who liked The Gods of Manhattan.

Weaknesses: I had trouble with this because I was so repulsed by many of the settings. The old hotel was disgusting, and I think I stayed in its twin in Kalispell, Montana in 1977! Gave me the willies! I read somewhere that the Archer Motel was based on a real place.... echhhh! Cyrus moved from one dilapidated place to another-- the writing must be effective because I was seriously so creeped out by the settings that I had a hard time concentrating on the book. I had to get up and vacuum and scrub because I could feel the gnats living in the damp carpet. Students will not have this trouble!

The One and Only Ivan

2012-01-02T14:17:00.018-05:00

Applegate, K.A. The One and Only Ivan (link to the trailer on YouTube)
Ivan is a real gorilla who was captured from the wild in 1964 and lived in a Washington state shopping mall until the mid 1990s. He now lived in Zoo Atlanta. It’s good to know this information before reading the book, because Ivan’s life in the mall is a sad one. He has a grimy cage with a tire swing and a dirty wading pool, his diet is substandard, and he has to perform three shows a day. There is an elephant, Stella, at the mall who hates being there, especially when she becomes ill and does not get proper medical care. Ivan is treated well by the custodian’s daughter, who brings him crayons and paper so he can draw, and Bob, a stray dog, sneaks into his cage at night and sleep’s on Ivan’s stomach. When a new elephant, Ruby, is brought to the mall, Stella makes Ivan promise that he will do all he can to get her into a proper zoo. Using the one method of communication he has-- drawing-- Ivan managed to get all of the animals moved to a more suitable location.
Strengths: Really, we need to decide now which division this will be in when it is nominated for the Cybils! Realistic fiction or fantasy because the animals’ thoughts are presented? The style of this book-- short, simple sentences-- fits the subject matter perfectly. Ivan’s sad history is recounted without being maudlin. This manages to portray the triumph of the spirit in a way that is accessible to struggling readers, who make up the majority of my animal book readers, without in any way being simplistic. I’m not alone in loving this one-- Reading Rumpus does, too.
Weaknesses: I cried when Ivan went to the zoo, because I worried about Bob. Not to spoil things, but Bob is well taken care of!

I did not think that I would like this one, but since K.A. Applegate caused me to nearly faint by e mailing and asking me to read it, I felt I should. My children were HUGE Animorphs fans, and Ms. Applegate very kindly sent them autographed copies that they got for Christmas which thrilled them to pieces. But seriously, I don’t do animals that “talk” in any way, and this was a great book. I even liked the artwork!

Abrahams, Peter. Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood St.
Expected publication 1/19. ARC received from Baker and Taylor.
Robbie lives with her writer father and lawyer mother in NYC. She has recently moved from public to private school, and while she is on the basketball team, she's not making a lot of other frien. When she finds that a client of her mother's is doubling the rent for the soup kitchen where she volunteers, she wants to help. Luckily, a charm bracelet she got from a homeless women makes odd things happen. She lucks into $3,100 in cash falling out of the evil Sheldon Gunn's pocket, is able to thwart bullies who try to steal her glasses. She and her friends Ashanti, Silas and Tut Tut start to realize that there is a bigger plot by the New Brooklyn Redevelopment Project to shut down their favorite places (like Mr. Nok's Thai restaurant) and put new buildings up instead. Can Robbie use her newfound powers to stop Sheldon Gunn and the even more evil Egil Borg?
Strengths: Fairly good mystery, with a nice message of underdog businesses bringing flavor to a community.
Weaknesses: The gimics detracted from a good mystery. Robbie didn't need the charm to accomplish what she did, and the Robin Hood connection is rather weak, except for the troubling incident where she takes the cash that Gunn dropped and gives it to the soup kitchen. Even though she meant well, that's not the moral lesson we hope kids learn!

Thanks to Kate Coombs over at The Book Aunt for The Versatile Blogger Award. These awards are a good way to highlight other bloggers that my readers might find useful as well. I really enjoy:

Heidi Grange over at GeoLibrarian
Karen and Nancy at Kidsmomo
Ms. O at Ms. O. Reads Books
Pam Torres at So I'm Fifty
Provo City Library Children’s Book Review

Here are the rules:
•Thank and link to the blogger who bestowed the award.
•Share seven random facts about yourself (see below).
•Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers--and be sure to let them know.

Seven random facts about me:
1. I worked as Doodles, the giant Chick-fil-A mascot, in high school.
2. I wear a lot of pleated skirts.
3. ...and cardigans. (Like to be true to my cultural heritage!)
4. I wrote the world's worst novel in the 8th grade
5. I hate to cook.
6. My dream job is teaching Latin at Eton College
7. I am currently knitting a sweater for my dog, Sylvie.

Time Slip Tuesday

2012-01-02T14:12:00.007-05:00

Time Slip Tuesday is a feature at Charlotte's Library. Some day I am going to post a picture of myself in my time traveling outfit, which I have all assembled except for the appropriate shawl!

Baratz-Logstead, Lauren. Little Women and Me.
Emily March’s language arts teacher assigns a fairly easy project-- students are to discuss three things that they like about their favorite book, as well as just one thing that they would change. After debating many of her favorites, Emily decides that she would pick Little Women, and that she would either stop Beth from dying or make sure that Laurie ended up with Jo instead of Amy. Before she knows it, she is literally sucked into the book and emerges as the middle March sister, on the first page of the story. Her presence is occasionally odd; she is routinely excluded from the sisters’ activities, and has huge lapses of memory as well, especially when the story jumps ahead. Still, she makes a good effort to make a go of it in the 1860s, since there seems to be no way for her to escape. She ends up being in the story for many years, and realizes that while she can change some of the story, other parts of it are best left the way they are.
Strengths: Super twist at the end! Completely didn’t see it coming! Plus, this might be a good way to encourage girls to pick up Little Women, which really was one of my favorites. I was always vaguely annoyed with Jo, and it was good to know I wasn’t the only one.
Weaknesses:Since I desperately wanted to BE Emily and travel back in time to Little Women, I was disappointed that she wasn’t as thrilled to be there as I would have been. Really? Kissing Laurie? Did she know nothing about the book? This is a problem only for people who adore the book, and there are very few girls who do nowadays.

I feel bad that I had trouble understanding the next book; my students ADORE the Quantum Prophecy books; I even had one student reading them who struggles with reading so much I was a little concerned, but when I asked him about the books, he went on for the longest time about the details. Super Human is an interesting prequel,and Michael Carroll is a great guy; I just have a fantasy plot following disability sometimes!

Carroll, Michael. The Ascension.
Abby, Lance, James and Roz are back having gotten rid of Krodin. Instead of being able to enjoy riding around in hover cars, they find themselves in an alternate version of what should be their reality. Krodin is chancellor, and the Praetorians support him because other options are more horrible, but the kids still feel he is supremely evil and needs to be overthrown. This reality was set in place after Daedalus bombed Anchorage, Alaska, killing thousands of people and resulting in the US being placed under military rule. Instead of being lauded for their work in making the world safe, the children are hunted, imprisoned, and generally mistreated. Eventually, after blowing many things up and being chased (really, no one does these things as well as Carroll!), the children manage to stop Krodin and go back to the way reality should be, but we know that this can't possible last for long!
Strengths: Action, adventure, awesome superheroes, and JET PACKS!!! And flying bikes! My readers don't want cartoony super heroes; they want kids with powers who save the world, which is exactly what Carroll delivers.
Weaknesses: There is so much going on that I had trouble following. I have the same trouble with some Rick Riordan books. If I didn't want to post a review, this would be fine-- I would just enjoy the action!

A Sweet New Year and Nonfiction Monday

2012-01-02T08:06:00.007-05:00

Burns, Loree Griffin. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe.
In 2006, Dave Hackenburg discovered that 400 of his honey bee hives were just empty. Unable to figure out a cause for this on his own, he consulted a top notch team of bee researcher, who found that bees were in crisis all around the world. Burns takes this event and gives great background on how beekeepers care for hives, how honey is made and processed, and how research continues to try to stop further damage to the honey bee population. Complete with photographs, explanations of terms, and resources for further research, this is

Weaknesses: This is a small thing, but the book is wider than it is tall, and for some weird reason, middle graders think this makes books look like “baby books”. a fascinating addition to the Scientists in the Field series by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Strengths: Just the right length for the casual reader, and the factual information is broken up with the story of the mystery of what is happening with the bees, which kept me interested and reading until the end.

Buchman, Stephen. Honey Bees: Letter from the Hive: A History of Bees and Honey.
In this briefer version of the adult title, Buchman covers more fully the information presented about beekeeping, hive activity, and honey in general. This is more prose oriented, with fewer pictures but a lot more information. For example, different types of honey are addressed at length, leaving me with a craving to try cranberry honey and avocado honey! There is an extensive bibliography as well as a list of suppliers.

Strengths: This would be a great resource is someone were doing an in depth report on honey.
Weaknesses: The small black and white pictures, as well as the lengthy prose, make this a bit of a hard sell for the casual reader.

There's a new Nonfiction Monday page by Ms. Suen, and today's roundup is hosted at The Nonfiction Detectives.

Middle Grade Monday can be found at Shannon Whitney Messenger's blog, and she's hosting as well. Lots of good stuff to be had there always, so hop over!
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Happy New Year! The Future is Now!

2012-01-01T07:31:00.001-05:00

My children laugh when I am amazed by cell phones ("I can call from this field! And send you a picture of it!") and hulu.com. I am amazed by these things in the way that my grandmother was amazed by the microwave oven. She never locked her doors until she got one at the age of 90 (in 1983); she didn't want anyone to steal it!

So if "the future is now", why are so many science fiction books dystopian? Why not something happy, with hover cars and food pellets? Someone get right on that, please. And miniskirts for anyone but me. That always makes the economy improve, right? Well, here's to a happy 2012. No matter how bad that year might get, at least it won't be as bad as these two sequels to dystopian novels!

Condie, Ally. Crossed. (Sequel to Matched)

Cassia and Ky are both in the Outer Provinces, working their way toward each other and dealing with horrific circumstances in the desolate canyons outside Society. Both manage to make some alliances to help them survive, find out some secrets about the Rising, and eventually come together again. But there are still secrets, some of which Xander might know, and some of which Cassia might uncover when she is sent back to Society to try to destroy it from within.

Strengths: This is sort of The Hunger Games meets Uglies. Decent adventure, changing allegiances, fomenting rebellion.

Weaknesses: Matched set up an intriguing dystopia that I could actually see coming to pass, and the pull that Cassia felt between Xander and Ky added an edge of romantic suspense to the book. For whatever reason, I had trouble getting through this installment. The wandering in the canyons felt aimless, too much of what we already learned was repeated, and the relationship between Cassia and Ky no longer felt fresh or relevant. I would have blamed this on nascent cold or holiday break, but other reviews I read were tepid as well. Still, I am interested to see what happens when Cassia heads back to Society, and certainly this has been an avidly awaited book at my school.

Hall, Teri. Away. (Sequel to The Line.)

Rachel has gone across the line to get medicine to Ms. Moore's son, Malgam. Once she is at the camp with Pathik and the others, she realizes that her father (who was reported killed in action, but was probably killed by the government) is alive but being held captive by a rival group, the Roberts. This group has long terrorized Away, but has steered clear of Pathik's group because of Indigo's power to kill people just by envisioning them having brain aneurysms. Once Rachel's father is recovered, the group heads back to Ms. Moore's to reunite everyone. Unfortunately, Rachela and Pathik sneak in to town and are discovered. Indigo gives himself over to the authorities instead. This puts a big crimp into plans, since Rachel, her mother, and Ms. Moore were all going to head out into Away. Now, Ms. Moore is staying with Jonathan, who works for her and is sweet on her. The others head out, planning on going to an island that is free from the authorities. They make it there, but without modern medicine or technology, their survival will be difficult.

Strengths: I like to give The Line to younger students who desperately want to read The Hunger Games, since it is a kinder and gentler dystopian book. I also find both of these books to be easy to follow and gripping; so many dystopias are so convoluted that I get lost. Any good book is about relationships and personal growth, and this series has done an excellent job with both of these.

Weaknesses: I forgot why society had dissolved, so more of a recap would have been nice.

Cybils Short Lists are out!

2012-01-01T07:23:00.003-05:00

Grab that cup of coffee and head over to

http://www.cybils.com/2012/01/the-2011-cybils-finalists.html

I was very excited to see that two books I nominated made the short lists; Geoff Herbach's Stupid Fast as well as Georgia Bragg's How They Croaked!

These are always very hotly debated lists; I know in middle grade fiction there were books that had very strong supporters that didn't make it.

The finals awards come out on Valentine's Day. Can't wait!

Guy Friday- Guy Adventures

2011-12-28T08:32:00.003-05:00

Crocker, Carter. Last of the Gullivers.

Published 19 January 2012 by Philomel. ARC recieved from publisher.

Michael Pine has a difficult life, and doesn't help himself out of his bad circumstances. After a run in with the police following gang-related activities, he ends up working in a grocery shop as part of his community service punishment. This helps him a lot-- he is able to help the owner a great deal and establish himself as reliable. The gang activity still beckons, but he has enough support to stay strong. He has also discovered, in the gardens of an elderly man, an entire village of Lilliputians. Initially, he comes upon them when their city is in crisis, and once he comes to their aid, the inhabitants ask him for more and more help. Not only is the society a threat to itself, with brewing civil wars, but outside forces like ferrets and gang members are encroaching. Michael learns to rely on his own inner strength to help not only the Lilliputians, but himself as well.

Strengths: Students always like to read about children having troubles with gangs (maybe because all of our 7th graders still read The Outsiders), and the twist on the classic Swift tale is well done.

Weaknesses: I felt that I was missing a lot not having Gulliver's Travels fresh in my mind, especially when there are flashbacks to the 1700s delivered via letters. This was also a distinctly British book that my students might have trouble with.

Buried Thunder

2011-12-27T09:15:00.004-05:00

Bowler, Tim. Buried Thunder

Maya and her brother are out investigating owls near their new home when Maya runs off into the dark and finds three dead bodies. She makes it home and the police and ambulance swarm the family's Rowan Tree Inn, but no bodies are found. Maya is confused, but creepy things keep happening; local thug but ladies' man Zep threatens her, homeless Bonny and her ward Mo are somehow involved in investigating the ritual murder of local foxes, and a former owner of the Rowan Tree is found murdered. When events start to lead

Strengths: Bowler, author of Blade: Playing Dead and Blade: Out of the Shadows has a wonderful, creepy way of writing. My students are always wanting murder mysteries, and this one is sort of Agatha Christie meets CSI. The British do horror and mystery so well. up to a recreation of the night Maya thought she found bodies, she is able to get help for her family and the people who are poisoned. Something is going on, but what? And how can Maya stop the killer from taking out more people?

Weaknesses: There are a few slightly questionable scenes with Zep, and certainly the murder of the foxes is fairly gruesome. Like Tunnel Vision, I wasn't completely sold on the solution to the mystery, either, but I will definitely be buying a copy of this for my library!

Maia, Love. DJ Rising.

From the Publisher (Little, Brown, who kindly sent a review copy):
"Sixteen-year-old Marley Diego-Dylan's career as "DJ Ice" is skyrocketing, but his mother's heroin addiction keeps dragging him back to earth."

This was a really compelling story, and I liked Marley and was very interested in how he would handle all of the challenges thrown his way, but this is not a book for my middle school readers. There is casual beer drinking and subsequent driving, a lot of crude sexual references and f-bombs. So why did I even pick it up? My students are constantly asking for books about drug abuse, and it's very hard (not surprisingly!) to find books about drug abuse that don't include a lot of other things that would cause problems with parents. For high school or a public library, this would be a great story that also includes a lot of information about the music industry.

Tunnel Vision

2011-12-27T09:08:00.004-05:00

Shaw, Susan. Tunnel Vision.

Liza is coming home through a crowded overpass near her home, stumbles into her yard, and is shot at. The shot hits her mother, killing her by the time Liza and her father make it to the hospital. In shock, the two accept casseroles and try to figure out what happened, but bigger problems intervene-- someone tries to kill Liza. There was another murder under the overpass, and Liza was an unwitting witness. The two are shuttled to a seaside town nearby, but they see familiar faces there and are in jeopardy. Even in a remote farm in Kansas, people recognize Liza's unusual red hair, and they are followed. After taking off on their own for a while, Liza and her father are brought back into protective custody in order to find the murderer and put him away for good.

Strengths: Shaw does problem novels beautifully (Black-eyed Suzie, The Boy From the Basement), and has a real talent for writing from a baffled and disjointed perspective. Liza's pain at losing her mother is palpable, and the saga of the two on the run is good adventure, if sad.

Weaknesses: The mysterious identity of the murderer is handled a bit abruptly at the end, and I didn't quite buy it, but this is more of an on-the-run book than a murder mystery.

Uncommon Criminals

2011-12-27T08:58:00.005-05:00

Carter, Ally. Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)
Kat is back, and bound and determined to do a heist that her uncles all say can' t be done- steal the Cleopatra emerald for a woman who claims that the overseer of her parents' archaeological dig stole everything and sold it without cataloging it all. The woman just wants to din ate the emerald back to Egypt, so Kat gets it back for her. The only problem? Turns out that the woman isn't who or what she says she isso Kat has to steal the emerald back again. With the help of her cousin Gabrielle and TWO boys that are interested in her, Kat embarks on a journey involving international travel, jet setting parties, and adventures on yachts and in castles and museums to get the emerald back. Very glamorous, but Kat is a thief with integrity, although the woman she is up against is not.
Strengths: Reading this was like watching a 1960s movie with Cary Grant. Just pure fun. I love Carters Gallagher series, and the Heist society series is every bit as good. Just wish that they came out more frequently, but don't want to rush good writing!
Weaknesses: This got slightly convoluted, and I'm a little unsure about how things ended. I should have read more carefully, but it was Christmas. I was just enjoying it!

McVoy, Terra Elan. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts.

From the Publisher: "When teenaged sisters Daisy, Violet and Calla spend their last summer together at Camp Callawolde, the decisions they make-- both good and bad-- bring challenges to their relationship as well as opportunities to demonstrate devotion to one another."

I mention this one because it looks deceptively like a middle grade book, with the ice cream on the cover, and while a great read, it involves beer drinking, marijuana smoking, and a fairly descriptive first sexual experience. This made me sad, because Daisy was a runner, and the description of the running training is absolutely brilliant. Still, I'll be sending this one on to the high school. (Got at a "book look".)

Haunting Violet

2011-12-25T17:59:00.003-05:00

Harvey, Alyxandra. Haunting Violet.

Violet's mother is a fradulent medium who uses Violet, as well as Colin, a young man she took in, to help her in the ruse. When the group goes to a country manner for a protracted stay, Violet gets to hang out with her good friend, whose parents frequent spiritualist circles, as well as Trethewey, a young man from a fine family who has a romantic interest in Violet. The only problem? Violet keeps having visions of Rowena, a girl who violently drowned under suspicious circumstances, and begins to realize that she really does have the kind of gifts that her mother only pretends to have. When her mother falls from favor after a seance gone wrong, how will Violet work to solve the mystery and get her own life back on track?
Strengths: This author's Hearts At Stake series is popular, so readers who would nit normally be interested in this time period might pick this up. There is a lot of mystery and romance, so those are selling points as well. Readers who liked A Drowned Maiden's Hair will find this an interesting addition to this type of book.
Weaknesses: The cover is the sort of generic, historical, paranormal thing that graces so many books. Just makes me tired, and doesn't do justice to a good story.

Holiday Carols

2011-12-21T11:16:00.004-05:00

Karen at Kidsmomo rules!
http://www.kidsmomo.com/2011/christmas-caroling-kidlit-style/

If you desperately want to hear me sing, you can listen to The Overdue Blues.

I've been singing on the announcements because the 6th graders love it and the 8th graders HATE it. They moan. It's great. In case anyone else might like to ~~torture~~ amuse students, here are some of my lyrics this year.

To the Tune of Jingle Bells
Every day I hope that people love to read
And they find a book that they really need.
But the one they want is underneath your bed
Gathering some dust and not being read.

So clean out your bag, and your locker too.
If you’re still not done with it, you can just renew !

Cause…..

Overdues, overdues are driving me insane !
When you want The Hunger Games, how can I explain
It’s
Overdue, overdue, you forgot to look.
Let’s get in those overdues
And check out new books!

To the Tune of Winter Wonderland
School is out, bells are ringing. All is quiet, no more singing.
There’re no overdues. They’ve all been renewed.
In Ms. Yingling’s library wonderland

All the children are reading. Got all the books they are needing.
I get to sit down And smile not frown.
In Ms. Yingling’s library wonderland.

In the meadow I will build a snowman
And make sure that he has books to read
I’ll say “How ‘bout history?”
He’ll say “Go, man”
Ms. Yingling, you sure know what’s great to read.”

Later on, I’ll be resting because I’m not jesting
It really is true two thousand books are due
The day we’re back from library wonderland.

To the tune of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

You'd better return ,you'd better renew
and have a great book that's working for you.
Overdues are dragging me down.

I want you to be happy and meet your AR goal
and read so much in SSR that you get no lump of coal.
Soooooo
You'd better return, you'd better renew
and have a great book that's working for you.
Overdues are dragging me down.

Some YA Titles

2011-12-21T04:50:00.002-05:00

Lewis, Stewart. You Have Seven Messages.
Luna lives with her film producer father and younger brother Tile in New York City, where they are struggling with the death of Luna's mother a year earlier. Luna has lots going on in her life-- a crush on a neighbor, Oliver, snooty girls at school, and her own budding career as an art photographer-- but when she finds her mother's cell phone and goes through the messages, she find out that her mother's glamorous life held many secrets. With Oliver's help, she tracks down the people on the messages and comes to terms with what really happened with her mother's death.
Strengths: Good writing, lots of quotable lines, and an original story.
Weaknesses: Spoiler: Luna's mother was having an affair, and Luna deals with this much better than most young teens would. A lot of this was unbelievable to me-- Luna's show of photographs, her jet setting relatives, the fact that her mother named her brother Tile. Almost more of an adult book-- if Luna had been in her early twenties I could see this more.

Hoffman, Mary. David.
The "milk brother" of Michaelangelo, Gabriele, moves to Florence to work with his famous sculptor brother. Upon his arrival, he is taken in by a young widow who finds his perfect physical form appealing. When Angelo returns, Gabriele starts to work with him preparing stone for sculptures, but soon is a much sought out artist's model. Angelo uses him for his famous statue of David. There is a lot of political intrigue, and the widow is pregnant and marries a wealthy man whom Gabriele finds annoying. Told from the point of view of Gabriele when he is in his 80s, this is a very rich picture of life during this time period.
Strengths: Interesting, well-written, and well-researched.
Weaknesses: Again, more of an adult book. While nothing is graphic, the attraction that the Florentine women and men have for Gabriele is definitley discussed.

Deep, dark midnight of the soul

2011-12-20T06:06:00.003-05:00

There are always reasons why I feel like a bad librarian, but here's one I would really like to hear input on:
Do students really care about literary merit of books?

When my children were young, I had a friend who fervently disliked Little Golden Books, claiming they had no "literary merit". Our favorite books? The Color Kittens, and just about any other Little Golden Book. So I'm a bad mother, too!

This came up in the Cybils discussion, and while it's always a pleasure to see students enjoying books that are well written, it's something that they never seem to ask for, nor do they care when that is offered as a selling point. (I use this particularly to pitch The Phantom Tollbooth, which is brilliantly written.)

I think I can tell if a book has literary merit or not, and certainly I try to find the best written books that will interest my students. But in the end, I will choose to have two copies of Vampire Rising at the expense of having a copy of Moon Over Manifest. Those two copies have had to be glued back together; Heart of a Samurai has been checked out three times despite my frequent pleas to read it.

How do others balance the guilt? And the library collection? (Other than getting more sleep?)

The Cybils middle grade fiction committee did a great job navigating the difficult terrain of this decision. Remember that the shortlists come out on New Year's Day!

Yeah. Not gonna happen.

2011-12-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

I'd like to say that blog posts would occur this week, but that would be disingenuous.

Some reasons for this ARE library related. We have a Cybils chat at 11:00 p.m. With my normal schedule, this means that I should have just stayed at school and not bothered to go to bed. Then, I have double booked classes tomorrow and Wednesday because we have a short week.

Our school board is meeting tonight to discuss options for cutting the budget. The job/possible lack of job stress is really getting to me.

Did I mention that after Christmas my household will include TWO 18 year old girls, a 16 year old boy, and a 13 year old girl? And I'll need to feed them all? Every day? And my own personal 18 year old has decided she wants to be a vegan? Sigh. On the upside, when it is just Picky Reader and an exchange student next year, life will be a piece of cake!

So for the next couple of days, I think that watching reruns of Nanny and the Professor on hulu.com instead of reading may be a winning strategy.

And when did people stop referring to repeats of shows as reruns?

I will do my best, but make no promises.

Do want to thank Capstone Publishing and Kate McMullan! I was one of the winners of a complete set of the republished Myth-o-Mania books! The old paperback versions have been very popular in my library but are falling to bits, so this will be great. Nice to see that Capstone is making them available again. Students love mythology!

Middle Grade Monday

2011-12-19T05:19:00.003-05:00

Haston, Meg. How to Rock Braces and Glasses.
Kacey is not only popular, she is mean. She is a presenter on the school television broadcast every morning, giving advice, which is almost always snarky. She cares a lot about what she wears, and just got a new pair of violet colored contact lenses. When she forgets to use eyedrops with them, they cause an eye infection. She is fitted with a pair of heavy, tortoiseshell eyeglasses. A little while later, she gets heavy duty braces which result in a lisp. The understudy for her starring role in the school play is brought in, and she finds her friends drifting away from her. She gets involved with a boy who has a rock band because he wants her to sing with them, but she thinks he is beneath her because of his bad fashion choices. Of course, she manages to be triumphant in the end, and becomes a nicer person as well.
Strengths: This is cover blurbed by Lisi Harrison, author of The Clique series, and this book will appeal to that crowd. It is also going to be a television series coming out in February, so there will be demand for the book.
Weaknesses: As a Geek American, I always find this sort of book insulting. I also have trouble believing that there are that many middle school students who care about fashion. And the eye doctor would have let Kacey pick out prettier frames-- he wouldn't have had a pair all ready to go right there. Interesting that the television series has Kacey portrayed by an African-American actress; the violet contacts, along with descriptions of her putting her hair in a "loose chignon" and her mother having "auburn curls" made me think she was white, but there is no reason she had to be other than those brief descriptions. This is one that I will buy but not necessarily like.

Cabot, Meg. Abandon.
Pierce died in an icy pool after hitting her head and falling in, but because of the cold temperatures, she was brought back from the dead. Her mother blamed her father, so the two of them have left the east coast, where Pierce was involved in a scandal at her school after the accident, and now live on a small island where her mother grew up. Pierce still feels weird, and it doesn't help that she is enrolled in the "New Pathways" program for troubled students at the school. SPOILER ALERT: It turns out that when she died, she went to Hades and met John, who is now running the underworld. He took a fancy to her when she was young, and now wants her to stay with him. There is also some complicated family history that will no doubt be resolved in book two and three of the trilogy.
Strengths: I nice mythological twist on paranormal romance, and middle school appropriate. Meg Cabot seems unable to write anything bad.
Weaknesses: Totally random title. Means nothing. I am never thrilled with quirky Southern settings, but this one wasn't bad.

Toot! Toot!

2011-12-16T05:42:00.005-05:00

I'm mentioning my inclusion in this because lists of school library blogs are always useful.

This site encourages people to become teachers and school librarians. This is worthy in theory, but insanely cruel in practice. My district is currently looking at cutting over a hundred teachers, including a disproportionate number of librarians. My Latin degree is useless; luckily I didn't actually double major in the now defunct field of home ec.

Sorry. It's hard to feel very "Hooray, me!" lately. Feel free to comment and make me feel better!

http://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/top-blogs/school-library/

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky

2011-12-16T05:28:00.004-05:00

Lansdale, Joe R. All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky.

You think the present economy is making your life tough? Jack's mother has died of dirty pneumonia, and his father hung himself hours after his death. Jack has to bury them both after an enormous dust storm. About this time, Jane and Tony come to his farm; their mother ran off with a Bible salesman, and their father has been killed by his tractor overturning on him. Jane has a plan to drive away from their doomed Oklahoma community by taking Old Man Turpin's car, since he died in the storm sitting on his front porch. Once the trio take off, they run into one trouble after another-- they get caught up with some thieves, get shanghaied into picking peas, have to ride the rails, and generally live from one meal to the next until they accept some help from kind people.
Strengths: Reminiscent of Hunt's No Promises in the Wind, it is a good reminder of how absolutely dire the Great Depression was. When people complain today's situation to that time, I want to slap them. I don't think that things have gotten bad enough now that parents are sending their children away from home because they have no food for them. This was an excellent depiction of this point in history, packed with action and adventure. Definitely buying for my students who want more books on this era after reading A Long Way From Chicago.
Weaknesses: I wished this had a period photo on the cover. Good try, but the boy's jeans and shirt look brand new.

Fix Me

2011-12-16T05:03:00.004-05:00

Michaels, Rune. Fix Me.
Brian and Leia's parents died in a car crash, and they are being raised by their Aunt Phoebe, who thinks they are both difficult. Brian certainly is-- he beats up on Leia regularly and cuts himself, something which Leia does as well. When Leia is spooked by a man at her place of work, she runs off to the zoo, where she meets Kyle, the son of the owner. He wants help with the work; Leia needs a place to stay. Leia starts to live at the zoo, eating the animals' fruit, washing in the restrooms, and sleeping in an old tiger cage. Brian eventually finds her but lets her stay. Leia becomes fond of Tina, a monkey who has been badly abused. This situation works... for a while. Eventually, Leia starts to remember horrific events from her past, and must find someone who will take the time to listen and fix her.
Strengths: Michaels does great books for readers who want to be depressed in February. Have two copies of this author's Genesis Alpha, which are in tatters. Never did buy The Reminder because it creeped me out so much; these all tend toward YA. Picky Reader still talks about Noble Genes!
Weaknesses: Spoiler: Leia and Brian's problems are caused because they were abused by their father, who took inappropriate pictures of them. This is so delicately handled that many readers are not even going to get what happened, but I can see parents of 6th graders getting upset.

Random note: Ms. Michaels lives in Iceland, and the day after Christmas an exchange student from Iceland will be moving in with my family! Apparently, Icelandic Reader is very fond of books and movies, so maybe she will agree to guest post. And be part of our holiday Gene Kelly Fest!

Guy Friday-- Playing With the Boys

2011-12-15T04:45:00.006-05:00

No joke. Yesterday I had a group of boys who all checked out "pink" books because Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading suggested they should read about girls! The Greenwald title has been getting heavy circulation here!

Tigelaar, Liz. Playing with the Boys. (Pretty Tough #2)
Lucy, still recovering from the death of her mother, moves from Ohio to California with her father. Desperate to fit in and make friends, she tries out for the soccer team, but when she doesn't make it, the coach suggests that she try out for the football team as placekicker. She beats out everyone, including her new friend Benji, and is cautiously excited about it. She thinks the quarterback, Ryan, is cute, and is glad to be asked to parties by the cheerleaders. The down sides include having to lie to her father that she is a cheerleader, and putting up with the hazing from the boys, who are not at all happy to have a girl on the team. This is the sequel to Pretty Tough, which features Charlie, who befriends Lucy.
Strengths: Very much enjoyed these portraits of strong girls interested in sports. I thought the treatment was realistic and balanced. Sad that over 20 years after Dygard's Forward Pass, girls are still having trouble being on football teams. If we have great young women like Brianna Amat kicking winning goals AND being Homecoming queen, I think it's time that boys realize that girls can play football, too.
Weaknesses: The author is now apparently writing for the television show Once Upon a Time, so we might not see more by this author; Pretty Tough #3 and #4 are written by Keri Mikulski.

I've not been finding many good books for boys lately. *Sigh*. Warning about James Proimos' 12 things to do before you crash and burn : gratuitous f-bombs in many places. This is especially annoying, as Proimos' previous work is for much younger ages, and the book itself is a tiny little volume. It is not clever enough to sustain the obscenities.

Also checked out Patricia Miles' The Gods in Winter, hoping that there would be enough mythology in it for my readers in Riordan withdrawl, but the 1978 title has that odd, English style where I wondered if anything would ever happen. Just not going to work.

I had great fun with Frank Decaro's The Dead Celebrity Cookbook, but it would have been better if the descriptions of the actors included pictures of them, as well as the source of the recipes, which I imagine appeared in other cookbooks. Not appropriate or of interest for middle school students, but fun for me!

Because we all need something to make us smile...

2011-12-14T06:47:00.009-05:00

Found this link... somewhere.
http://librarianheygirl.tumblr.com/
Since I don't know who Ryan Gosling is, he doesn't do much for me.
THIS gentleman, however...

Photo from http://www.palzoo.net/Gene-Kelly

Paranormal Murders

2011-12-14T04:47:00.005-05:00

Harrington, Kim. Clarity.
Clarity "Clare" Fern is able to hold an object and can sometimes retrieve memory of emotions or activity from it. Her brother can communicate with the dead, and her mother can read people's minds. They have a small business doing readings in their small tourist town on the East Coast, but when a girl is murdered after spending time with her brother, Clare agrees to help the police investigate. With the help of her former boyfriend, a budding news reporter, and Gabriel, the hot son of the new police detective, she tries to uncover the path of the killer, especially after two more people are killed. Things are complicated by a new psychic undermining the family business, as well as Clare's attraction to Gabriel, who may or may not be dangerous. Strengths: Really good murder mystery, which is what my students want! Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed the setting, and the psychic gifts were explained in a way that made sense. The sequel, Perception, comes out on March 12, 2012. Ms. Harrington also has a younger series, Sleuth or Dare, coming out in the spring.
Weaknesses: Borderline young adult. There is a lot of talk of the brother hooking up with tourist girls, as well as the former boyfriend having an affair. No details are given, no bad language used, so I will buy the series. (If there's any money!) Cover not very good, especially since Clare's hair is clearly defined as curly/frizzy. ( I see that there is now an alternate cover!)

Sampson, Jeff. Vesper (Deviants #1)
Emily Webb doesn't care what she wears-- or rather, she cares very much that she wears figure concealing clothing, unlike her older stepsister Dawn. When a classmate, Emily C., is found murdered miles from home in her pajamas, Emily W. starts to notice changes in her behavior. She starts to go to parties in skimpy clothes and drink, flirting with boys in ways that have never made her comfortable, and following them around because they smell good. What is causing her change? Can it have something to do with genetic experimentation at the company BioZenith? Since other kids at her school whose parents worked for the company are having similar problems, it's a good guess. The sequel, Havoc, comes out on January 24, 2012.
Strengths: Obviously paranormal from the cover, it was a little more original than most of the stories.
Weaknesses: Other reviewers seemed to like the girl power in this one, but I'm not quite seeing it. The whole "Wow, we didn't know you were hot until you took off your hoodie and glasses!" thing bothered me a bit. That's okay, with the amount of drinking and licking boys that goes on, this is more YA than middle school.

Not What I Wanted Wednesday

2011-12-12T08:50:00.009-05:00

I read a lot more books than I review or buy. Some that aren't quite right for my library might be perfect for somebody else's!

Freitas, Donna. The Survival Kit.
From the Publisher: "After her mother dies, sixteen-year-old Rose works through her grief by finding meaning in a survival kit that her mother left behind."
What I Wanted: Something like Sarah Dessen, which this was. I enjoyed it.
Why it didn't work for me: Too lingeringly sad and philosophical. A bit too old, too, with some mentions of inappropriate behavior.
People who liked it more than I did: Book Chic Club, Letters Inside Out, Readergirl, Hippies, Beauty and Books, Oh My!, Bookittyblog.

Ackley, Amy. Sign Language.
From the Publisher: "Twelve-year-old Abbey North deals with her feelings about her father's cancer and its aftermath while also navigating the problems of growing up."
What I wanted: I thought the cover was great. Loved the chipped nail polish. And I did read the entire book.
Why it didn't work for me: Again, the very lingering sadness and air of detachment. Found it hard to believe that a family would not tell an 8th grader her father was dying, but I suppose it happens. This covered a longer period of time than most middle school students have patience for.
People who liked it more than I did: Wicked Awesome Books, YA Librarian Tales, Great Imaginations, Final Distraction, Me, My Shelf and I.

Clark, Jay. The Edumacation of Jay Baker.
From the Publisher: " In small-town Ohio, fifteen-year-old Jay Baker's popular new blog helps him navigate high school as he faces off against his mortal enemy, meets the girl of his dreams, and watches his parents' relationship implode. "
What I wanted: A funny book for middle school boys. This was very funny and nicely fast-paced, but too old. Drat.
Why it didn't work for me: Way too many sexual references; major plot of the book is that Jay's parents are getting a divorce because his mother is having an affair with his best (girl) friend's father.
People who liked it more than I did: This doesn't come out until late January, so it is hard to find reviews. I will be curious to see what older guy readers think of this one.

Rorby, Ginny. Lost in the River of Grass.
From the Publisher: "When two Florida teenagers become stranded on a tiny island in the Everglades, they attempt to walk ten miles through swampland to reach civilization."
What I wanted: Anything by the author of the fabulous The Outside of a Horse; a survival story. There is a LOT of great detail about the Everglades.
Why it didn't work for me: Most of my survival fiction is read by boys, and while they do read about girls, this started out a bit... whiny.
People who liked it more than I did: All Things Girl, Bookish Delights, Library Mom, The Reading Fever, Sandra Stiles.

Time Slip Tuesday

2011-12-12T05:00:00.006-05:00

Kessler, Liz. A Year Without Autumn.
Jenni and Autumn's families have traveled to the same condos every year at the same time. Things are a little more difficult because Jenni's mother is prgenant, but both families are happy. When Autumn takes an unused elevator up to Autumn's condo one day, she finds a strange woman there and realizes that she has traveled a year into the future, and Autumn's brother Mike has been injured in an accident on a horse. This has a disastrous effect on both families, and everyone feels guilty. Using the elevator, Jenni tries to fix her mistake, but it's not easy. When she travels forward in time, people think she is nuts, and it's hard to effect any changes.
Strengths: Good use of time travel, and believably done. Nice sub plot with older woman's romance..
Weaknesses: Sad. Not as many time travel books go tothe future, and this may be why. The cover doesn't indicate how sad this one will be!

Archer, Jennifer. Through Her Eyes.
Tansy is used to being the new kid since her horro novel writing mother moves them all over whenever she is beginning new books, but moving to a small town like her grandfather's hometown of Cedar Canyon is something new. It doesn't help that her grandfather is sinking into dementia. The house that the family moves into was where one of her grandfather's friends lived... until he committed suicide by jumping off a local bridge. Tansy finds a watch and necklace, along with poetry Henry wrote, and starts to have dreams from the point of view of Isabel, the girl who dated Henry. She settles in to life in a small town and meets Tate, who helps her investigate the events surrounding Isabel, Henry, and her grandfather when Tansy is worried that she will somehow dream as Isabel and never be able to return to the modern day.
Strengths: Nicely creepy and atmospheric, the descriptions of past events are nicely balanced with Tansy's struggles in the modern world and her romance with Tate.
Weaknesses: Henry wasn't very likeable, and I was somehow disappointed in how the mystery was resolved. Still, this was one of the better paranormal mysteries I've read lately.

Middle Grade Monday

2011-12-12T04:46:00.003-05:00

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. The Always War.
As long as Tessa can remember, Westam has been at war with Eastam. Life is grim as people slog to factories to make weapons and slink home to their tiny apartments. One bright spot in Tessa's life is Gideon, a childhood friend who was accepted into the elite military program and is now a war hero. However, Gideon is traumatized by his latest action-- bombing and killing over a thousand people. He buys a plane to try to make amends, and Tessa (as well as Dek, who is trying to steal back the plane) fly into enemy territory, only to find out that nothing is what it is supposed to be. Has the government been lying to people? And why?
Strengths: This nice, short, dystopian novel will be popular with Haddix's many fans because it is well-written, engaging and original.
Weaknesses: In the end, I couldn't quite buy the premise, and was overly annoyed by things like "Shargo", "Lake Mish", and "Terry-o". If we know the names of ancient cities, I don't believe that 75 years of war will wipe out the names of the Great Lakes.

Patrick, Cat. Forgotten.
Every morning at 4:33, the time that London died in a car accident before being saved, her memory is wiped clean. She remembers a few things, but not much. She relies on detailed notes to get her through the day, especially once Luke becomes her boyfriend. To make matters more difficult, London "remembers" the future, so she knows that her friend Jaimie is making bad choices that won't end well. Since she doesn't "remember" Luke in her future, she is confused as to what this means. The one thing that comes into her dreams time and again is a funeral, and finding out whose funeral this is becomes important to finding out many things about her past.
Strengths: This was a very intriguing book, and it was easy to suspend disbelief as London goes through her days. The mystery plays out well, and the romance with Luke is really sweet.
Weaknesses: I did wonder how London would be able to make it through her days at school and take tests, and also thought that she would have to get up much earlier in the morning to review that many notes!

Dark Eden

2011-12-09T05:33:00.002-05:00

Carman, Patrick. Dark Eden.
Will has been in therapy for too long, his parents feel, and when his doctor thinks that going away to a facility with six other incurable patients will benefit him, off he goes. He "knows" the other patients because he hacked into his doctor's computer and stole the audio files of their sessions, and has been listening to them. Each has a crippling fear, and Rainsford can help cure this. They are sent to a fortress like house in a remote area, and Will decides to hide in the woods rather than enter the house, eventually hiding in a bomb shelter/basement area because of the cold, where he has some limited contact with the others and is also able to use security cameras to see how they are "cured". When the first boy, who is deathly afraid of bugs, goes into a room to be cured, Will thinks he is dead after the room fills with images of the event which started the boy's fear, but when Ben appears healthy and free of his fear, Will is confused. One by one, the others confront their fears. Eventually, Will is forced out of hiding and has to decide if he wants to be cured or not. To say more would spoil the book.
Strengths: Fairly good suspense, and students like to read about horrible boot camp-like experiences. There is a Dark Eden app with a trailer, and it's possible to buy the book in 99 cent sections through the app.
Weaknesses: While I think Carman's Atherton series is solid sci fi, his Skeleton Creek and Trackers are good for an easy, cheaply bound Scholastic mysteries, and his 13 Days To Midnight was awesome and award-worthy, this one left me cold. Will's fear and cure felt very anticlimatic, and the explanation of how the cure worked made me shake my head. Since I have felt negative about much of what I have read this week, I'll offer the following sites, since they seemed more positive about the book in general.

The Well-Read Wife
The Book Bind
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
Sci Fi Fan Letter
Between the Pages

Guy Friday- Guy Moments

2011-12-09T05:04:00.005-05:00

Here's the thing: some days, I am not with students every second. Yesterday, there were whole 5 minute periods when I wasn't talking to a student, and I felt horribly guilty. I had things to do-- checking library standards for the lesson next week, researching new titles students requested, and working for way longer than I wanted to trying to figure out Glogster because a teacher wanted to know if it would be good for students to use. (Not sold.)

Now, I work an extra three hours at school and three hours at home every day, so I put in the time. Could I work harder? Obviously. Yesterday we only checked out 180 books. Monday I checked out 334.

But yesterday, when kids weren't swarming every second, I had some great Guy Moments. Making personal connections with kids and taking time to listen to their concerns is a luxury. I get this. But you tell me-- was it worth it for me to be here for the following kids?

The boy who failed the reading section of the OAA who worked with me to put together a pile of nonfiction books that he was interested in and that he could read easily. Now, until Christmas, he can just grab one off the pile. He's been reading at least one a day, and told me yesterday "I want to pass the reading test. I think I'm reading a lot better now."

The self-avowed nonreader who snuck in during lunch to get a Bluford High book. "These are really good, " he said as I helped him pick out the next one in the series, "and they are small enough to fit behind my math book so my friends don't know I'm reading during study hall."

The boy who loves soccer who trusts me enough to check out The Boyfriend Game, which is very pink. He flinched when I handed it to him, but when I said "No, really, there's lots of soccer along with the romance," he shrugged and said "Maybe this will help me with soccer AND with girls!"

The wrestler who came in and told me that he was able to pin one of his opponents with a move he picked up from Better Wrestling For Boys (1986). "I didn't think the book would be any good because the cover was stupid, but if you hadn't shown me that there was lots of good information in it, I wouldn't have won my match."

The 8th grader who has an in-depth discussion with me about how British authors differ from US ones in their treatment of horror books. He was thrilled to get his hands on Barry Hutchison's Mr. Mumbles, especially since it is available mainly only in the UK.

And finally, the wrestler who ran into the library in a panic and said "Ms. Yingling, can you tie my tie?" I got the knot done on my neck, slipped it over his head, and help him fasten his collar buttons and get it all arranged. He ran out to his next class. After school, when I was talking to his mother, he came up and gave me a big hug and said "You saved my life! Coach would've killed me if I didn't have my tie on!"

There are going to be cuts in my district. I don't have any idea what they will be, but I am sure that library services will be affected. This has made me unbearably sad this week. Was I doing my job yesterday? Was I worth the taxpayers' money? Maybe not. But those six boys (and remember, this is just part of one day) are boys that trust me, who come to me for books, and who read a WHOLE lot more because I am here.

Hmmm...

2011-12-08T06:15:00.002-05:00

Not that this will change anyone's minds. In these hard economic times, getting the right book to the right child at the right time seems to be a luxury many people feel we can't afford.

But what is the cost of printing and sending the glossy pamphlets with my childrens' Ohio Acchievement Assessment scores? Or the cost of administering the tests? Which contributes more to students' academic growth-- having a professional to make sure they have a book that keeps them reading, or taking a test.

Just a thought.

Breadcrumbs

2011-12-08T04:45:00.004-05:00

Ursu, Anne. Breadcrumbs.
Hazel and Jack have been friends for a long time, but once they enter middle school, it is more difficult. Hazel is dreamy and unfocused, so other students make fun of her, especially the boys with whom Jack is now spending time. Things are not good at home, either. Hazel's father has moved out, her mother is overworked, and Hazel feels that she doesn't "match" her mother, since she was adopted from India and her mother is more typical to Minnesota. When Jack is hit by a snowball, and shard of ice "enters" him, and he is whisked off by the evil snow queen. Hazel seems to be the only one who misses him-- his parents tell everyone he has been sent to stay with an elderly aunt. Hazel enters the fairy tale world into which Jack has been sucked to try to rescue him and encounters a number of fairy tale entities.
Strengths: Lyrical language, interesting twist on fairy tales, nice multicultural touch, and good description of the breaking down of middle school relationships.
Weaknesses: I didn't like Hazel at all, and somehow it was difficult to suspend disbelief and enter the fantasy world. This wasn't a problem in The Chronus Chronicles, so I was surprised. Also, the ending was a bit too neat for my taste.

Jump Into the Sky

2011-12-07T05:32:00.002-05:00

Pearsall, Shelley. Jump Into the Sky.
Expected publication: August 14th 2012 by Alfred a Knopf
Levi has been living with an aunt in Chicago since his mother left him and his father is in the army during in WWII. When his aunt tires of having him, she sends him off to where his father is stationed in the south. This is quite a culture shock for the smart, well-behaved boy who is subject to the Jim Crow behavior in this part of the US for the first time. To make matters worse, his father's unit has just been shipped to Oregon. Luckily, one of his father's men, Cal, takes him in to help out with his wife, Peaches, who is expecting and soon has a baby girl. Eventually, Cal is sent to join the 555th, and Levi is reunited with his father. WWII is winding down, but the Japanese are sending bombs into the US on balloons, and the 555th, while fighting against racial prejudice, is also trying to keep those at bay.

Strengths: I have two reading speeds, Review Speed With Laser Focus and Enjoying Myself. Pearsall is a great writer who frequently lulled me into leisurely enjoying her prose. This is also an under represented area of WWII history, and the research is well done.
Weaknesses: As with most books set in the home front, this lacks action. There is some at the end, with the balloons, but there isn't even as much racial tension in the south as I thought there would be. Aside from one big incident, most of the book is very quiet. That's not a weakness until you try to give this book to one of the war mongering preteen boys who want things to blow up in every chapter. They will be attracted to the great cover.

Do apologize-- thought this was coming out in February.

I have spent an hour this morning on audiovisual problems, and last night was struggling with getting Kindle content for a student who has a Kindle Fire but only one book on it. E Books can be very frustrating if you are not buying the books! I didn't even have any luck trying to get NetGalley titles on the Kindle. Argh!

Things I read half of...

2011-12-06T05:25:00.009-05:00

Because it's been that kind of week/month/year. Life.

Frost, Helen. Hidden.
From the Publisher: "Years after Darra Monson's father stole a minivan with Wren Abbott hiding in the back, the girls come face to face at summer camp and together they try to work through what happened to them and the impact it had on their lives. "
Usually adores Frost's work even though I generally dislike novels in verse. Frost is a master of form and poetic device. Keesha's House and Spinning Through the Universe should be read by everyone attempting a novel in verse so they can see how it's done. However, the poetry in this one didn't blow me away. While the plot line is stronger than the other previously mentioned works, it was also creepy. Usually, I give creepy things to Picky Reader and she loves them, but there was just something about the story that didn't work for her, either.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Lights on the Nile.
From the Publisher: "Kepi, a young girl who was content staying at home helping her father who was wounded while building a pyramid for the pharaoh Khufu, is kidnapped along with her baboon, Babu, and taken to the capital city, where she is separated from Babu, sets out to find him and appeal to the pharaoh, and discovers she has powers she never knew about."

Again, an author I adore. Spinners, Zel, Stones in Water, The King of Mulberry Street-- all awesome. The 6th grade does a unit on Ancient Egypt, and this did have great descriptions of every day life (Napoli always does very thorough research). I also have more students who are interested in books about animals, but the pet baboon didn't do anything for me, and the veering into the fairy kingdom was a bit confusing. I already bought this-- we'll see how it circulates.

Jolley, Dan and O.T. Nelson. The Girl Who Owned the City.
Coming out in spring 2012 from Graphic Universe.
The reason I read half of this was because I had it on the Nook and the words were all in 8 point font! This 1975 post-apocalyptic novel still does very well in my library, and I was surprised to see this graphic treatment. Jolley did the Warriors manga adaptations, which are quite nice, and this seemed like a good reworking. I prefer to buy graphic novels that have regular novel tie ins as a sneaky way to entice children to read, so I'll buy this one if I can.

Cooper, Rose. Gossip From the Girls' Room, Rumors From the Boys' Room.

*Sigh*. Wimpy Kid. Dork Diaries. Big Nate. My Life as a Book. I get that the students like to... page through them. I just don't fully credit that they are reading them. This is another hand lettered look novel with pictures. I had trouble believing the premise from the first (From Booklist review) "Sophia becomes determined to use her anonymous school blog to post gossip about the popular kids in hopes that at least her blog will find popularity." Really? What school hosts anonymous blogs for their students? And the whole gossip and rumor spreading... sigh. These would circulate well. Just have to see.

Multicultual Week

2011-12-04T18:14:00.005-05:00

In looking for topics for library lessons, I found that one of the state standards in Ohio involves sharing multicultural literature. Since I have been working to add to my collection books that portray people from lots of different backgrounds, I will be showcasing those titles in book talks this week.

Hiranandani, Veera. The Whole Story of Half a Girl (Comes out January 2012.)

Sonia's father loses his job, and she is forced to leave her small, private school where no grades are assigned and go to a public school. She doesn't have too much trouble finding friends, and is taken under the wing of Kate, a popular girl who encourages her to try out for the cheer leading squad. Sonia makes it as an alternate, and enjoys hanging out with Kate and her very different family. Still, Sonia has a hard time at school when people ask her "what she is". Her mother is of Russian and Polish Jewish extraction, and her father is from India, so Sonia keeps being asked if she is black or white. When her father spirals into clinical depression as his job situation doesn't get better, Sonia has even more trouble keeping up with friends and school work, but her supportive family works together to get her father assistance.

Strengths: This was well-done in that it addressed the issue of racial identity in a fuller context. I liked that this wasn't the only or even main conflict in the book... it was just another issue with which Sonia was struggling. There aren't a lot of books about cheer leading, so this is a welcome addition.

Weaknesses: There was a lot going on, so some of the issues weren't covered as much as they could have been. Sonia's almost-friendship with African-American and economically disadvantaged Alisha is rather ignored, and that would have been an interesting development.

Frazier, Sundee. Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment.(Comes out January 2012.)

Brendan Buckley is back, and he is still interested in science. Not only is he busy collecting rock samples with his newly found white grandfather, but he is working with a new GIRL classmate on a biomass fuel project for the science fair. Add to the general mayhem the fact that his parents are trying to adopt a baby, and Brendan's involvement in Tae Kwan Do, and this is one busy middle grade story. The addition of the equally science obsessed Michelle, and Brendan's reluctance to hang out with her because his friends don't hang out with girls, is a very nice touch.

Strengths: For some reason, people often ask for books involving science fairs, and there are very few of these, Everybody Bugs Out being the newest to come to mind.

Weaknesses: For some reason, it makes me cringe when Brendan's black grandmother calls him her "milk chocolate baby", but that's probably me being overly sensitive.

Khan, Michelle. The Hijab Boutique
Nominated for the Cybils by Jessica Sattell.

For International Women's Day, Farah is assigned a report for her private school. She is supposed to bring in an object that symbolizes her mother, and tell about her mother's life. Since her father's death, Farah's mother has become increasingly quiet and modest, adopting the hijab and having few interests outside the home. Farah's friends' mothers are all actresses or high-powered business women, so Farah is embarrassed to report on her mother until her mother tells her about her new plan-- she is opening a store where Islamic clothing and accessories will be sold. Farah takes a selection of hijabs to school and reports to her classmates about her mother's life style and new business.

Strengths: There is a very small number of books about Islamic culture, the most prominent being by Randa Abdel-Fattah and set in Australia, so this, while very short, will be interesting to my students, some of whom do wear the hijab.

Weaknesses: This is supposedly set in California but uses a lot of British terms. Also, while it was nice that Farah eventually saw her mother's choices as valid and valuable, the other mothers portrayed seemed really superficial. There were also a lot of awkward phrasings.

Kill You Last

2011-12-04T18:04:00.003-05:00

Strasser, Todd. Kill You Last.

In the same style used in Wish You Were Dead and Blood on My Hands, Strasser delivers another murder mystery. Shelby's father is a fashion photographer who has fallen on hard times. When three girls who all had pictures taken by him are missing and later found murdered, many suspect practices of her father and his business are uncovered. While fraud and inappropriate contact are certainly something he's guilty of, Shelby is still hesitant to think that her father would have gone so far as to murder girls. When she meets a student reported from a nearby college, Shelby sets out to uncover the facts of what happened and try to exonerate her father. When one of her father's employees goes missing, and another (who seems to be wooing Shelby) is also murdered, Shelby knows that she has to find out what really happened before more things go wrong.

Strengths: Creepy covers and gruesome murders make these books exactly what many of my students are looking for. While I wouldn't hand these to a 4th or 5th grader, they are appropriate enough for middle school.

Weaknesses: There is a little bit of beer drinking, mention of sexual molestation occurring but no details at all, and a rather disturbing ending, but this is pretty tame compared to some of the television shows. It has been hard to get a copy of Blood on My Hands for some reason.

The Underdogs

2011-12-02T08:32:00.003-05:00

Lupica, Mike. The Underdogs.
Will is a small but fast football player whose father was a high school football star until a tragic and career-ending knee injury. They live in Forbes, a small Pennsylvania town that has seen better days. The big employer in the area, a show company, closed years ago, and the town has never recovered. Now, they can't even afford the $10,000 to fund the local Pop Warner type football team on which Will was planning on playing. Luckily, Will won't give up and writes to New Balance shoes to see if they will sponsor the team... and they agree to. The only problem is that so many people are leaving the town that it's hard to get people to play. Many people move to Castle Rock to work in the bottled water plant there, and some kids even go there to play on the soccer team. Will manages to round up other kids to play... including Hannah Grayson, a girl who is an awesome kicker and bigger than Will. While she is allowed on the team, the other players take time to warm up to her. Obstacle after obstacle in thrown in the team's way, but they dig deep to make their town proud.
Strengths: Wow. I knew that Lupica was a great sports writer, but this... this should be the Newbery next year. The characters are all realistic and well-developed, with many surprising characteristics. Hannah was AWESOME, and her relationship with Will was exactly the sort of one I would want to write. Real equals, despite their differences. The plot, while slightly predictable, has enough twists and turns to keep me madly flipping the pages. The best part of this is the overwhelming sense of sadness that as to be overcome, and the inclusion of the town of Forbes as a character. I cried. Really. And I have to post this quote at my desk (page 22): "The ball's not round," he said. "It'll take some funny bounces on you. You still gotta pick it up and keep running."
Weaknesses: I didn't understand why the town was playing for the football team, so it seemed slightly unrealistic. And, not to spoil the book for anyone, but I didn't think for one minute that Will's team would not win the championship.

Okay, admittedly this hit me at a time where an underdog story went down really well. But still, every middle school library HAS to buy at least one copy of this one.

Food, in one way or another

2011-12-01T05:17:00.003-05:00

McClain, Lee. Sizzle.
Linda has a good life with her Aunt Elba, who runs a small diner in Arizona, but her aunt's health is bad enough to send Linda off to live with her Aunt Pat in Pittsburgh. Pat also cooking, but instead of the flavorful, fresh Mexican food that Linda likes to cook, Pat favors carb-heavy casseroles from cans, recipes for which she shares on her local cooking show, Cooking From Cans. This is in part because there are a lot of children in the family, including foster child Angel, who is having a hard time but takes to Linda because of their shared cultural heritage. Linda misses Arizona and cooking, and tries to "help" Pat out by teaching her that Linda's way of cooking is better, which imperils the show, which is a much needed source of income. She also needs to learn to get along with the other girls in the family, even though she has a crush on the same boy that one of her new sisters does.
Strengths: Very nice treatment of fitting in at school and with a new family, good cooking details, and a sweet budding romance. This is definitely one to add to the list of middle grade cooking novels!
Weaknesses: What happened to Linda's parents is never addressed and I kept waiting for it. Also, there is a web site listed for Pat's show, but it doesn't really exist. For some reason, this irks me, because some books do have real web sites.

Kent, Trilby. Stones for My Father
Nominated for the Cybils by Ivette deBruyn

Corlie's life on a South African farm in the early 1900s is difficult not only because her father has passed away, but because of the fighting between the Khakis (the British) and the Boers. The British frequently find small farm communities and burn them to the ground if they suspect that they are aiding the other side. This happens to Corlie's family, so they set off with a family of friends who are African to find a larger community of people banding together trying to survive. Food is especially scarce. This group is unwilling to take in the African family, fearing that they are on the side of the British, but Corlie's family is able to survive until the British come and force them all into a refugee camp. Things go from bad to worse, with Corlie's brother becoming ill and her mother refusing to care for her any longer. Luckily, a Canadian soldier who knows her helps Corlie get medical treatment and arrange for her care.
Strengths: This is a period of time about which I knew little, and was a harrowing tale of survival under military turmoil.
Weaknesses: This would have been easier to understand if it had started with a preface that included a brief overview of the historical situation, and a list of foreign phrases. Also, this is a small book with a young girl on the cover, but is really more suited for older readers due to violence and situations such as Corlie almost being molested by an old man and the fact that her father was really a British soldier and that's why her mother disliked her.

Wednesday

2011-11-29T06:10:00.004-05:00

Lee, Ingrid. Cat Found.
Feral cats are roaming around Billy's town and making everyone angry, expecially Billy's father, who seems angry at everything, including Billy's mother trying to earn a degree so she can get a better job. Billy is lonely and unhappy, so when he finds a stray kitten in bad shape, he nurses it back to health and comes to take great comfort in Conga's presence. When things in the town heat up and plans are made to kill the feral cats, Billy knows that he must take action. He hides the pregnant Conga in an abandoned church, but realizes he has put her right in the path of the town members who want to shoot the cats.
Strengths: Like Dog Lost, this delivers good messages about spaying and neutering animals and not thinking that all pit bulls or feral cats are bad. These books are both very short, but I have had a lot of my struggling readers wanting books about animals this year, which is a departure.
Weaknesses: This is not for the faint of heart, and I would be very careful about having it in an elementary school. There is one scene in particular where a pregnant cat is shot and dies in a gruesome way while giving birth that upset even me, and I think cats are kind of creepy.

Shreve, Steve. Stan and the Toilet Monster.
When I read the publisher's description to my daughter ("When Stan's pet chameleon, Fluffy, who was accidentally flushed down the toilet by Stan's dog, encounters a growth formula flushed by mad scientist Doctor Rrhea, disaster follows and only Stan, with his best friend Larry, can save the day."), she said "Do you want a sharp object to poke your eyes out with now?" This is yet another Wimpy Kid style novel-with-pictures, and it involves toilets, so no, this was not a book that I would want to read for myself. That said, it's a decent one. There is an evil professor, the gross out humor is not just throw-away, and the illustrations are clear, engaging, and do add to the story. *Sigh* We all need to order two copies. This isn't Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading, but it isn't The Day My Butt Went Psycho, either.

"Perfect" Young Adult Books

2011-11-29T05:31:00.005-05:00

Martino, Alfred C. Perfected by Girls.
Melinda is the only girl on her high school wrestling team. Her older brother is a captain, the coach isn't entirely supportive of her efforts, and to make matters worse, she's not wrestling well. Part of this might be because she is distracted by her new boyfriend, Stewart, and part might be that her grandmother, the driven president of a small business, wants Melinda to work with her instead of getting a fun job at the mall. Melinda is a dedicated wrestler who trains hard, but it doesn't seem to matter to some of the boys. After attending a wrestling camp for female wrestlers, Melinda is inspired to do better, but she is quoted saying unflattering things about her coach, who passes away shortly after that. The new coach wants Melinda to drop a weight class, something the previous coach never would let her do, and Melinda, spurred by guilt and anger, trains even harder to see if she can be the first girl to not only compete at a certain level but to win.
Strengths: Martino does the most awesome wrestling books EVER. (Sorry, Rich Wallace!) My daughter, who has been a wrestling stat for six years and has thought about wrestling herself, still talks about Pinned. The middle school wrestlers, many of whom ran for me, are usually big readers, and I just don't have enough books for them. However...
Weaknesses: Martino writes for high school. While there are great details about Melinda's wrestling meets, there are also far too many details about her encounters with her boyfriend for me to have this in the middle school. Sigh. I will definitely recommend this to the high school librarians and will probably donate a copy on behalf of my daughter.

Sales, Leila. Past Perfect.
Disclaimer: My parents were both teachers, and I spent WAY more time touring reconstructed villages than the average child, so the fact that Chelsea and her parents work in Essex, a colonial era village, amused me greatly. Chelsea has worked with her parents as long as she can remember, and she would much rather spend the summer working at a mall store with her friend Fiona. When Fiona decides to work at Essex, Chelsea is stuck, but at least gets to work at the graveyard instead of in her parents' silver smith shop with the annoying history geek Bryan. Across the street from Essex is Reenactmentland, a Civil War venture. The teens at both villages have an ongoing "war" where they sabotage each other. When she is "kidnapped" my Civil Warriors, Chelsea meets Dan and starts to think that he might be the key to getting over her ruined relationship with Ezra. Dan certainly is, but the two must meet clandestinely lest their camps find out about their forbidden love. When the "war" heats up, both do things they regret. How important is Essex to Chelsea, and can she and Dan overcome their differences?
Strengths: So much fun! It is hard to find romance books for middle school, and while there is lots of kissing in this one, clothes stay on. The whole angle of the reconstructed villages is wonderfully appealing!
Weaknesses: What's with the cover? This doesn't show any scene that I can think of in the book. In fact, I had a similar complaint about this author's Mostly Good Girls. I don't see how a cover designer could have avoided the colonial dress! (The Martino book, however, has an awesome cover. It's great because boys would not mind reading it.)

Final few Cybils books

2011-11-29T05:11:00.003-05:00

There are maybe four books left that were nominated that I can't find a copy of. Eric Walters' End of Days, Jo Ann Yhard's Lost on Briar Island, Natalie Hyde's Saving Armpit, Trilby Kent's Stones for My Father and Michelle Khan's The Hijab Boutique could be the world's most fabulous books, but if we can't get copies to read, we can't really judge the books!

Neri, G. Ghetto Cowboy.
Nominated for the Cybils by Alison
Cole is constantly in trouble, so his mother takes him to live with the father he's never mer in Philadelphia. While leaving, his mother runs into a horse that comes out of nowhere, and has to be shot by Cole's father. It turns out that his father is involved with a group that purchases old racehorses and is raising them in an inner city neighborhood so that kids can ride them and have an activity that is safe from gang involvement. Cole is mad and wants to go home, but starts to enjoy the horses and get used to his father. When an inspections officer comes and threatens to take away the horses and tear down the facilities, the group mobilizes to try to save them at the same time that Cole's mother offers to take him back. When the horses are taken, Cole and his friends steal them back from the police stables with the idea of riding them to Brooklyn, but when Cole's father shows up, they decide to stage a protest. The media gets involved, and the group gets time to get the building up to code and raise the money to buy it from the city. Cole decides to spend the school year with his mother and his summers with his father, tending the horses.
Strengths: There are apparently horses being raised in some cities, and this inspired Neri. It is a unique story with appealing illustrations and gives a different view of inner city life. Distractingly nice paper.
Weaknesses: The nonstandard English style is not my favorite-- it's hard enough to break students of saying "we was" without them reading it!

Tak, Bibi Dumon. Soldier Bear.
Nominated for the Cybils by Lara Sissell
Polish soldiers escape from Russia during World War II and make their way to Iran. They trade food to a small boy for a bear cub, whom they name Voytek. He is cute and engaging, so they take him to Palestine with them. Voytek grows, gets into mischief, and doesn't get along well with Kaska, a monkey accompanying the group. The soldiers go to fight in Italy and take Voytek with them; he turns out to be surprisingly adept at bringing munitions to the soldiers during battle with the Germans. When the fighting is over in Italy, Poland is still in turmoil, so the group sail to Scotland. When they are demobbed, Voytek ends up in the Glasgow Zoo. Based on a true story and translated from the original.
Strengths: I've said I'm always looking for odd facets of WWII, and this certainly qualifies! There are maps included to show the soldiers' travels, and this does introduce readers to more areas of the world that were tangentially involved.
Weaknesses: The illustrations are oddly reminiscent of Paddington, which was somehow jarring. A review I read said that this would be a good read aloud for 3rd or 4th graders, since it talks about the war but doesn't get in to graphic detail. I'll have to see what my students think.

Ice and Snow!

2011-11-28T05:57:00.004-05:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brain child of Shannon Whitney Messenger.

Papademetriou, Lisa. Ice Dreams.
Rosa is having a hard time adjusting to life in Chicago, where she has moved with her mother, a busy hair salon executive, her grandfather, and her younger sister Amelia. She signs up for ice skating classes right away and meets a good group of girls that go to her school. One of them is very competitive and not happy to see that Rosa is such a good skater. Rosa misses her best friend, who keeps promising to come visit but never quite makes it up from Miami. Rosa is also concerned that her mother is working too hard, has to deal with all of the girl drama surrounding the ice skating, and also has a big crush on one of the boys who skates.
Strengths: I love Papademetriou's work. She has an excellent balance of what a lot of girls want in a novel-- friend drama, a little romance, strong family support, and a main character with an interest in something other than friend drama, etc.
Weaknesses: While the Candy Apple books are great, their shelf life will not be, because they are in paperback/prebind. Sigh. Give Papademetriou another hard cover title!

Kinney, Jeff. Cabin Fever.
With Christmas approaching, Greg is even more concerned about his behavior. His mother has dusted off her creepy "Santa's Scout", which is creepily being moved around to follow Greg. Greg is also trying to earn money to fund his online "Kritterz" habit by shoveling snow, and he also tries to earn money by undercutting the price on chicken drummies that are usually sold at the school holiday bazaar. After he and Rowley hang up posters advertising this, the rain causes the marker to put marks on the school building. The school starts to investigate the vandalism, but a huge snowstorm strands everyone at home. Greg's father is at work, and the family starts to run out of food, the basement floods, and they lose power. Which is worse? Being stuck with his family or being caught for the vandalism?
Strengths: Greg had a few redeeming qualities in this book and was at least trying to do some things right. Did love the creepy Santa's Scout.
Weaknesses: This has a lotof anecdotes, and it took a while for a plot to emerge. I haven't felt this way in the past. Maybe in the next installment there will be plot and character development! I was also a bit disappointed that the whole "being stranded in the snow" episode didn't happen until very late in the book. I was expecting something like my favorite Carolyn Haywood book, Snowbound with Betsy.

This list of Middle Grade Monday contributors was cribbed from Joanne Fritz at My Brain on Books. Leave a comment if you have also posted and would like me to link to your site.

Shannon K. O'Donnell at Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster at The Night Writer
Sherrie Petersen at Write About Now
Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero at Somewhere in the Middle
Deb Marshall at Just Deb
Barbara Watson at her blog
Anita Laydon Miller at her middle grade blog
Michael G-G at Middle Grade Mafioso
Pam Torres at So I'm Fifty
Danika Dinsmore at The Accidental Novelist
Jennifer Rumberger at her blog
Akoss at Nye Louwon--My Spirit
Gabrielle Prendergast at angelhorn

Nonfiction Monday

2011-11-28T05:39:00.003-05:00

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up is at A Curious Thing this week.

Kent, Deborah. The Vietnam War: From DaNang to Saigon
This is part of the Enslow Publishers' The United States at War series. Since the Vietnam Conflict (as it was known until at least 1995!) started before I was born and ended when I was in grade school, the details have always been foggy to me. I'm pretty sure it was not covered in my high school history class; I don't know that we even got to Korea. This is an excellent book that lays out the causes of unrest in this area of the world, the development of the US involvement, and the particulars of battles, conditions, and public opinion during that time. Well-illustrated with period photographs and supporting documentation, this will interest my students who have an insatiable need to read about war as well as those trying to understand this point in US history. I have a lot of students now whose grandfathers fought in Vietnam.

Samuels, Charlie. Propaganda. (World War II Sourcebook)
This Brown Bear Books series includes the titles Soldiers, Spying and Security, Home Front, and Life Under Occupation. These brief (48 pages) volumes do a nice job of breaking down specific areas of the war. The Propaganda volume was of especial interest to my 8th grade social studies and language arts teachers, since both have a unit on propaganda. With its period posters and descriptions of various information campaigns, this was a good book to share with classes to explain what was meant by "propaganda". The Soliders volume covered everything from volunteering or conscription to demobbing. The only thing that was a little odd was that a lot of British military information was included, and there is no mention anywhere in the book of a publisher's web site.

Orca Books

2011-11-22T05:41:00.005-05:00

I'm a big fan of the Orca Sports books, so I was very glad to get a chance to see these Orca Young Reader books, sent by the publisher.

Ridge, Yolanda. Trouble in the Trees.
Nominated for the Cybils by Mandy.

Bree loves to climb trees and is determined to beat her neighbor Tyler at climbing every tree in their condo development. When another neighbor, Ethan, injures his elbow by falling out of a tree, his mother (who is president of the condo association) enacts a bylaw banning all tree climbing on the Cedar Grove property. Bree loves climbing too much to sit idly by, so she not only approaches the council, but comes up with a plan to teach the other children how to climb safely and to win over the adults in the complex.
Strengths: A solidly written novel with a lot of appeal. Good plot, character interaction, setting, cause. Very nice.
Weaknesses: Orca seems to be a big player in Canadian publishing, so why does everything seem to be published in paperback? And least the Orca Young Readers have more white space than the Orca Currents. Just odd.

Hyde, Natalie.I Owe You One
Nominated for the Cybils by Marina Cohen

After Wes gets into a couple of muddy scrapes and is saved by his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Minton, his friend Zach says that he "owes her". When the boys accidentally blow up the local television tower and endanger Mrs. Minton's chances of seeing a relative ride in a horse race, Wes tries to get the tower repaired. Things don't go smoothly, but he works hard to try to make things right for Mrs. Minton, especially when she has surgery and is doing poorly.
Strengths: Another solid middle grade novel with good amounts of derring- do. Wes's character development is strong, and his desire to live up to his deceased father's standards is well-handled.
Weakness: Blowing up a television tower? Isn't everything mainly underground now, or through satellite? I don't know, but this part seemed odd. They could take out a whole neighborhood?

Mulder, Michelle. Out of the Box.
Nominated for the Cybils by E. Kristin Anderson (whose Hatemongering Tart website caused my internet exporer to crash)

Ellie Saunders goes to spend the summer with her aunt, who is struggling with the death of her long time companion and feels a need to clean out her crowded basement, but needs moral support to do so. Ellie is glad to gets away from her parents' odd moods, but finds that being separated from them makes her worry more about their relationship and her mother's mental health. Still, she is able to make friends with children in her aunt's neighborhood and uncovers a mystery surrounding a bandoneon, a musical instrument that was in her aunt's basement that is tied to a man whose parents were killed during the military dictatorship in Argentina.
Strengths: Good and unusual mystery, with historical notes that help a lot. Good sense of place, and nice friendships. I was amused-- my daughter's name is Eleanor Saunders!!!
Weaknesses: With so much going on, the mother's mental illness seemed a bit much. Mental illness is a hard topic for students to understand, and in a book this short, I don't know that it was able to be given justice, although the attempt was good.

Home for the Holidays

2011-11-22T05:25:00.002-05:00

Frederick, Heather Vogel. Home for the Holidays.
In this fifth installment of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series, the girls prepare for Christmas while reading the Maud Hart Lovelace Betsy-Tacy books. While they would all like to recreate the warm family environment of the books, all of the girls have some unheaval in their lives. Cassidy's family may move to California. Megan's British boyfriend breaks up with her. Becca's father is out of work. Jess suffers an injury that prevents her from going on a ski trip. Emma is busy, and all of the girls come to blows over Secret Santa presents that they find to be insulting. In end, the girls work it out, and the New Year finds everyone able to celebrate.
Strengths: The covers on these are gorgeous. Shiny, too! I got both of my Heavens to Betsy books checked out yesterday, so maybe there is hope. As much as I don't see girls today getting as involved with the characters as the Mother-Daughter Book Club girls do, I certainly did!
Weaknesses: Still have trouble keeping the girls straight. I know they all have distinct personalities, but I have to take notes on which girl has which parents, boyfriends, activities, etc. It was nice that the one father was out of work, but a little hard (for some odd reason) to believe the other families would put together such a support package.

More Cybils Books

2011-11-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. William's Midsummer Dreams.

Nominated for the Cybils by Elizabeth.

In 1938, William is glad to be living with his aunt, who adopted him and a couple of siblings after his mother's death. His father and six half siblings, the Baggetts, were all evil and nasty, but the aunt (who is a school teacher) encourages William's interest in school and the theater. William has a chance to a summer theater camp and gets the role of Puck in a production of A Midsummer's Night's Dream. Someone doesn't want William to succeed, however, and starts to sabotage him. He also runs in to some problems with the Baggetts. All stage productions are fraught with mishaps-- how will William's first attempt end up?

Strengths: A lot of information about putting on a Shakespeare play, and a little bit of suspense. The summer theater camp idea is fun-- I feel a need to watch Marjorie Morningstar now!

Weaknesses: The use of an ornate font for any Shakespeare title or quote was somehow annoying, and I often felt that explanations of certain things came too late. Why were the Baggetts so bad? Why was William going to this camp? Waiting for the reasons was oddly distracting. That said, I still have a ragged copy of Snyder's The Velvet Room that I just can't part with!

Strathy, Glen C. Dancing on the Inside.

Nominated for the Cybils by Glen C. Strathy. (Copy received from author.)

Jenny is very interested in ballet and is thrilled when she moves to a new community and is able to take lessons. The only problem is that she is too afraid to dance in front of others, so she forges a note from her mother and lies to get out of dancing. Her mother is obviously irritated by this and cancels her lessons, but Jenny has made one good friend and was learning a lot by taking notes in class and practicing on her own, so she asks to be a volunteer at the school, helping with younger students in exchange for some private lessons. Jenny comes up with an idea for a ballet and works with some of the other students to choreograph and stage the play. She is able to overcome her social anxiety enough to make sure that the ballet is a success.

Strengths: There are very few books that have a lot of details about ballet, and this was very well researched. The dance teachers and students seemed realistically portrayed.

Weaknesses: I would have liked this better had it been about ballet without the addition of Jenny's anxiety. This seemed more like performance anxiety rather than social anxiety, so I was confused by the many reviews that talk about Jenny's "painful shyness". I've had students who couldn't look at me or talk to me, but Jenny was able to boldly lie to her teacher. Just a little confusing.

J-Boys: Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965

2011-11-21T05:22:00.002-05:00

Oketani, Shogo. J-Boys: Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965

Translated from the Japanese by Avery Fisher Udagawa.

Nominated for the Cybils, copy received from Stone Bridge Books.

Kazuo and his younger brother have all sorts of ordinary adventures in Tokyo. They have to buy tofu from the vendor who still cooks it over a wood fire, they try to befriend wild dogs because they want one so much, they get to go out to eat occasionally and try Western food that they have seen on television, and go to the public baths by themselves. But Tokyo is changing and growing, and all sorts of influences are changing Kazuo's world. He finds out that one of his classmates is ridiculed because his family is from Korea, and he also has to deal with the impact of WWII, which is still felt in his family and community.

Strengths: I learned more about every day life in Japan in this! Several years ago, we hosted a Japanese exchange student, and this was the sort of book I was looking for. Details, like cooking rice and sleeping on futons in very small living quarters, were fascinating. I would love to see Mr. Oketani write novels for Stone Bridge about what life is like in Japan today. The vintage pictures accompanying things like the description of students being forced to drink powered milk, were wonderful!

Weaknesses: This is more of a memoir, with not a lot of plot.

Scholastic Canada

2011-11-21T04:49:00.002-05:00

All nominated for the Cybils, review copies all from Scholastic Canada because for some reason they are not available in the US through most major jobbers.

Wilson, John. Shot at Dawn: World War I. Allan McBride, France, 1917

Allan decides to join up to follow in the footsteps of a childhood friend, Ken, who is serving in France. The training that the Canadian troops go through is especially brutal, to the point where a deserter and organizer tries to get the men to rebel, which they do after a soldier is beaten by the military police. Once the troops start to see action, it's even worse. Remember, WWI had trench war fare and poison gas, and the toll of the troops was horrendous. When Allan thinks that he sees Ken die, and feels responsible for the death of another comrade, he wanders off to find help back in Canada, since he is so shell shocked. When he finally returns to his unit, he is tried as a deserter, hence the title.

Strengths: No one writes war fiction like Wilson. No one. I am glad that this was nominated so I could get a copy. He has the perfect blend of action and adventure, but with the horrible consequences that something like Lynch's I Pledge Allegiance didn't really show.

Weaknesses: Limited availability through Follett and Baker and Taylor make this hard to acquire. See previous post: I'm trying to cut down on the amount of books I buy with my own money.

Brewster, Hugh. Deadly Voyage: Jamie Laidlaw, Crossing the Atlantic 1912.

Jamie's family has been living in England for his father's banking job but is heading home to Canada. Jamie and a few shipboard friends get into all sorts of trouble, climbing around the ship, and enjoy the fancy surroundings. Jamie meets a man going to Ireland to become a priest; this man takes a lot of pictures of the interior of the ship, which are some of the few to survive. Of course, before long the ship hits the iceberg and starts to sink. Details of how life boats were filled, of how men were left behind, and of how Jamie manages to get into a life boat, survive the bitter cold, get rescued, and make it home from New York City to Canada after the death of his father make up the last part of the book.

Strengths: There are a ton of Titanic books coming out, and this is my favorite so far. It was easier to follow one main character (based on a real person!) and the details about after being rescued were something I hadn't really read.

Weakness: I'd love to see all of Brewster's work; he has some war books that look really good, like at Vimy Ridge and Dieppe: Canada's Darkest Day of WWII, but I can't get them easily. Sigh.

Ellis, Sarah. That Fatal Night: The Titani Diary of Dorothy Wilson: Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1912.

Dorothy has survived the Titanic and is back home, and she really doesn't want to talk about it. She's gotten suspended from school because of an incident at school and is being tutored at home. She feels that the death of the woman accompanying her home from her grandparents in England is somehow her fault, and she is tired of being asked about her experiences and hates to hear about the funerals of all of the people who died. To try to deal with her emotions over this traumatic experience, she writes small plays that detail what she went through.

Strengths: A lot of good information about daily life in 1912, and an interesting twist on the Titanic experience.

Weaknesses: Like most of the Dear America diaries, this one is somewhat whiny. The diary format often seems to concentrate on how the girls feel instead of descriptions of the historic time period, and I find this slightly wearying.

VanSickle, Vikki. Love is a Four-Letter Word.

Clarissa is crushed when she doesn't get a part in the school play but her best friend Benji does, and she also has to deal with her mother, who not only is going through treatment for cancer and is not yet in remission, but is also dating her personal trainer. Clarissa's love life has some bright moments; she goes out with Josh, but one of her friends may be dating him, and other friends think that Benji may be interested in her. Clarissa has a nice group of friends, and the town they live in is small enough for them to walk around and go out to a lot of places.

Strengths: Just a fun, upbeat story of middle school and all the permutations of personal relationships. Very reminiscent of Ellen Conford, whom I adore.

Weaknesses: Could be a bit more cohesive plot, but maybe I missed something not having read the first book, Words That Start With B.

Nonfiction Monday

2011-11-21T04:31:00.002-05:00

Rumor has it that the new state standards for language arts will require that 60% of the literature children read be nonfiction. This is a bit of a departure; think core novels and literature based education. I've done what I can, but I don't know how that state has chosen to change this when most of the schools in Columbus Public don't have librarians. We will see how many librarians we have in my district next year, and if we have any money to buy the needed nonfiction. Not that I'm feeling bitter or anything this morning.

Malam, John. Pompeii and Other Lost Cities

This is a great book to hand to students after they have read about Pompeii in social studies class. It gives a brief description of what a "lost city" is, and then proceeds to give examples of "lost" and "found" cities including Pompeii, Amarna, Skara Brae, Machu Picchu and Akrotiri. (I was there! it was really cool.) The text is accompanied by a map, pictures of artifacts, and drawings of purported reconstructions.

Strengths: Just the right amount of information for casual reading, and the accompanying visuals make this an intriguing beginning source for these areas of the world.

Weaknesses: This does not have enough information for a research project, if students were doing a report on Pompeii, etc.

Cohen, Robert Z. Transylvania: Birthplace of Vampires.

This is part of a Rosen series that also includes Dracula: The Life of Vlad the Impaler, Vampires in Film and Television, Vampires in Literature and Vampires in mythology. This gives an overview of the history of the area, a description of indigenous vampire lore, examples of vampire-like behavior from historical characters, a description of how Transylvania became so firmly linked with vampire legends, and information about modern Romania.

Strengths: Great book lay out, excellent information, and good additional resources at the back of the book. This will be picked up frequently.

Weaknesses: This might be more information about Transylvania than most readers really want, but I thought it was interesting.

Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

2011-11-18T05:23:00.002-05:00

Whitesides, Tyler. Janitors.
After an encounter with what he thinks is soap, Spencer starts seeing creepy creatures roaming the halls of his middle school. He enlists the help of a classmate, Daisy, to help him figure out what is going on and uncovers a long standing problem-- since the beginning of public schools, buildings have been infected with Toxites, creatures who strip children of their intelligence for their own evil purposes. After being tricked by a janitorial manager, the two find out the real story and work against the side of evil to keep their school safe. (Don't want to spoil the good twists in this.) In the end, the immediate crisis is averted, but expect the two back in the upcoming Secrets of New Forest Academy.)

Strengths: I have a lot of students ask for modern fantasy books, and this fresh take on school life, monsters, and somewhat creepy grown ups will be just what I need. It put me in mind of Mull's The Candy Shop War, so I was surprised when I noticed that the cover blurb was from Mull!
Weaknesses: The exposition about the history of the Toxites, as well as the name, bothered me vaguely, but won't bother students. Perhaps if it had been incorporated more slowly into the narrative. Also could have worked in a dig against standardized achievement testing-- Mr. Whiteside, please talk to Jordan Sonnenblick about this while working on the next book!

Guy Friday-- Guy Giveaway!

2011-11-17T06:22:00.012-05:00

Sadly, I'm not legally allowed to give away actual guys (although I have some annoying ones if anyone is interested), but I have three awesome books provided by Big Honcho Media! All three are part of the This is Teen initiative, and I am excited that they are all pitched at BOYS!

If you would like to enter to win, comment by Wednesday, November 23 and make sure that you provide an e mail address if your comment doesn't link to a way to contact you. Winner will be decided by my first period library helpers. (That's about as random as it gets!)

Brooks, Kevin. iBoy.
Trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH5iHzTEkNE&feature=youtu.be
Tom is eking out an existence in a drug addled London housing project when an iPhone is thrown from a 30th floor of his building, hitting him on the head and embedding fragments in his brain. The same people who threw the phone are also responsible for the gang rape of his friend, Lucy. His whole being is now hooked up to the internet, and he is able to shock people just by touching them. Feeling that his powers may not last long, he attempts to find out who attacked Lucy and bring them to justice, a quest that takes him all the way to the very dangerous drug overlord of the area who has a horrifying connection to Tom's family.
Strengths: Brooks is a phenomenal writer who can make the gritty realities of life more vivid than anyone I know. The combination of inner city gang wars and technology were riveting. Gave this one to Surly Teen Boy to read.
Weaknesses: F-bombs all over the place, so not for middle school, especially with the rape of the friend. I was somewhat surprised; one of the things I liked best about Candy was that the language and situations were circumspectly covered.

Hirsch, Jeff. Eleventh Plague.
Trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__f4S0hv1EI&feature=youtu.be
Stephen and his father are barely surviving as salvagers years after a plague has killed off enough people to pitch the entire US into survival mode, and when they are almost captured by slavers, the two lose their meager possessions and the father is gravely injured. Luckily, Stephen meets up with people from Settler's Landing, a small community that has banded together against marauders and are trying to live a structured life. While his father is being cared for, Stephen gets a chance to go to school, have a crush on a girl, and not live in constant fear that he won't have enough to eat. This doesn't last long; the town leaders run afoul of trouble makers, and Stephen's quiet life proves to be as precarious as he felt it was!

Strengths: A more realistic dystopian novel than many, and rather reminiscent of my middle school favorite, O'Brien's Z for Zachariah. Great cover; we sold a lot of these at the book fair, and I'm hearing positive things from the students.

Weaknesses: While I can understand Stephen's reluctance to trust in a calm environment, I had trouble believing that he didn't like it. I think this just shows an age bias; my students won't pick up on this.

Zusak, Markus. Underdogs
I didn't read this whole book, since skimming the beginning led me to think it was more suited to high school. Still, there is so little realistic fiction for high school boys that this is a welcome addition for them.

From the publisher: Before The Book Thief, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They’re intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben’s girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

Comment, and you may be a winner of all three books sent to you directly from Big Honcho Media!

Some history and some randomness

2011-11-17T04:59:00.019-05:00

Bunting, Eve. The Pirate Captain's Daughter.
Nominated for the Cybils by Lois Hume, copy provided by Sleeping Bear Press
Catherine knows that her father is no longer a naval captain, but her ailing mother does not know that he is now a pirate. When her mother dies, 15-year-old Catherine convinces her father that she should sail with him instead of staying behind under the care of her music teacher. Cutting her hair and wearing a loose shirt, she is introduced to the pirate crew as Charlie and put to work playing flute with the rag tag crew band. William, a cabin boy, soon finds out her secret, which she does not hide well, and since women on ships spell disaster, he says he will not tell. Others find out, however, and things end badly, with her father's death and with William and Catherine being put off the ship onto a deserted island.
Strengths: Bunting is always a good story teller, and this is a decent tale of the high seas.
Weaknesses: This feels very derivative and lacking in the dash of so many other women-as-pirate adventures, of which there are so many! Catherine is rather wimpy, and not a good pirate at all.

Lynch, Chris. Vietnam: I Pledge Allegiance.
Morris and his friends Rudi, Ivan and Beck make a pact that if one of them must serve in Vietnam, they will all go. Morris is scared that they will all die, but when older Rudi is drafted, he signs up for the navy. All four boys are not overly keen on fighting, but up for the adventure and more supportive of their country's involvement in this conflict than many at the time were. Morris finds life in the Navy gritty, and finds a surprising affinity for shooting and killing. No information on the series, but I imagine that the other books will outline the other friends' experiences.
Strengths: Unlike most war books, that tell how horrible war is, this one seems to embrace it. From page 142: "The thing, finally, that makes shooting at a person feel right? It's shooting at them. Shooting a gun is the thing that convinces you of the rightness of shooting. Because it works. It solves problems, after all, right? I can feel it right this second, as the repeating action of the machine gun shakes my hands to a state of absolute numbness... I am not, for the moment, afraid."
Weaknesses: This is just what the war-mongering boys want, and exactly why I don't really want them to read it. I vastly prefer the "war is horrible" stance, but that's not really the value of our society as a whole, is it?

Barber, Ronde and Tiki, with Paul Mantell. Red Zone.
Ronde and Tiki are all set to play in the championships for their middle school team, but an epidemic of chicken pox is taking down most of the team. One after the other of the players comes down with it, including the Barber boys, who try to hide the fact and be allowed to play. In the end, a postponement makes it possible for the team to rally enough players to win. The fourth in the series. Goal Line, the fifth, is also out.
Strengths: The boys adore this series. Really, why is Paul Mantell not writing under his own name?
Weaknesses: I couldn't believe the chicken pox epidemic. It probably really happened, but in ten years, I don't think I've had a single student come down with chicken pox. If this is based on something that happened to the Barbers 20 years ago, okay, but I just couldn't get into the book because that distracted me.

Griffiths, Andy. Just Shocking and Just Stupid.
File these under things I don't understand, but The Day My Butt Went Psycho is one that the boys will check out if only for giggling over, so I got the prebinds of these. Just goofy stories and jokes, with margins cluttered with gofy illustrations. Right after I got the order in, students saw these on the catalog and wanted them. I may have to do a post on Wimpy Kid type books, even though the students who check out nine of these a day are slowly driving me mad.

Two titles that intrigued me but I just couldn't get into. Maybe they are what you need.

Towell, Katy. Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow.
Thought this would be methadone for Snicket addicts, but I just could not get into this one. Maybe it was the misspelling in the title, or the illustrations, or the similarity to Potter's The Kneebone Boy which has not done well in my library. There are certainly others who like this.
Hippies, Beauty and Books. Oh, My!,
Rising Shadow,
Book Trends
My Book Journey

Halpern, Julie. Don't Stop Now.
From the publisher: "Recent high school graduates Lil and Josh leave Illinois for Oregon seeking Lil's sort-of friend Penny, who faked her own kidnapping to escape problems at home and an abusive boyfriend, but Lil also wants to find out if she and Josh are meant to be more than friends. "

Honestly, I think the big thing that made me stop reading were the repeated descriptions of Josh's poor hygiene and the overly morose demeanor of Penny. Middle schoolers who want romance want something a little lighter. People who liked this included:

Secrets and Sharing Soda, The Book Scoop, GreenBean TeenQueen, and Girls in the Stacks.

And I have to laugh. Inside Out and Back Again won the National Book Award. My comment was that since none of my students would ask for something like that, it would win the Newbery. There's still time. ***Sigh***

On Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

2011-11-16T05:01:00.004-05:00

Rocklin, Joanne. One Day and One Amazing Morning On Orange Street.

Nominated for the Cybils by Katie Ahearn

Orange Street was so named because years ago the site was an orange grove, but now it is a small housing development with a variety of people living there. Only one tree remains in a vacant lot, and it is in danger of being cut down. Mrs. Snoops (aka Ethel Finneymaker) is an older woman who has lived there since childhood but who is sinking into dementia. Ali is a young girl interested in the history of the neighborhood who is struggling with her brother Edgar's illness, which requires him to have Manny, a nanny. Leandra is upset that her parents are having another baby, even though it means that her grandparents have moved in with the family. Robert, a budding magician, likes Ali. Everyone in the neighborhood is upset when a mysterious stranger, who turns out to have grown up in the neighborhood and is behind the threats to the tree. The story takes place during a little over a day, and is told from alternating viewpoints of everyone in the neighborhood, including the tree, a dog, and a cat.
Strengths: I liked that the children all got to hang out and have adventures, digging things up in the vacant lot. Readers who enjoyed It Happened on Fox Street will enjoy another strong neighborhood.

Weaknesses: While this is very well written and intriguing, the plot is weak compared to the character development. Nothing major happens, which is always a big complaint in middle school. Adults will love this one.

Rud, Jeff. Paralyzed.

Reggie is hit by another player in a football game but manages to make his interception, but afterwards the player who hit him, Nate, does not get up off the field. He ends up in the hospital paralyzed because he hit Reggie with his helmet, not an approved move. Reggie feels bad and wonders if he did anything to contribute to the injury. When he goes to the hospital to check on Nate, Nate's mother screams at him that it is his fault and he shouldn't come back. Reggie starts to be overly cautious on the field, and the decision is made to have him go to counseling and sit out a few games, but this coincides with a newspaper report that he has been suspended, as well as a school hearing about the accident. Will Nate get better? Will Reggie be able to play again without fear of hurting someone.

Strengths: Rud does an excellent job with giving not only good play-by-plays but discussing sports psychology on a level that middle school students can understand. I have just the student waiting for this one!

Weaknesses: I wish that Rud would write longer books that are not hi/lo. The prose is overly simple in some instances, but the stories are so good!

Bossley, Michele Martin. Kicker.

Izzy and Julia spend a lot of time in the town park playing soccer, but after they receive threats and the park is closed due to vandalism and possible chemical contamination, the girls are suspicious. They start an investigation into the woman who donated the land to the park, as well as her descendants, one of who is trying to buy the land back. They uncover a link to a famous Canadian robbery, and start to think that there might be treasure buried at the park. This, however, does not solve the mystery of the threatening texts and notes that are undermining their playing, so they have to solve that as well.

Strengths: Another excellent Orca title, and I love how it also incorporates a mystery. I have had a lot of girls asking for soccer books, so I have been trying to add a number to the collection.

Weaknesses: Again, the more simple language occasionally sounds clunkier than I would like.

Happy Haulidays from Chronicle Books

2011-11-15T06:10:00.017-05:00

Hop over to the Chronicle Books Web Site to check out their Happy Haulidays contest. The Charity I would choose would be the Blendon Middle School library; 90% of the books I buy end up there anyway!

Here are the books I would choose to donate. So let's see what fun stuff we'd add: When you comment, you have a chance to win if I do.

Timeslip Tuesday

2011-11-15T04:50:00.007-05:00

This is an occasional feature at Charlotte's Library, where I also learned of Double Spell.

Lunn, Janet. Double Spell. (1968)
Twins Jane and Elizabeth get to move to a big, rambling house in Toronto when there great aunt falls and can no longer live there. When they happen into an antique store one day, they are both strangely drawn to an old doll, which the owner reluctantly sells to them for a very low price. The girls start having the same dreams about the doll, and research the doll and the house and people that appear in their dream. This leads them to a family connection, and the two manage to put a troubled spirit to rest.
Strengths: *Sigh* Very much enjoyed this. Modern literature is sorely lacking in children who move into big, Victorian houses for the summer and manage to have adventures because there's nothing else to do! (In fact, this would explain why I adored Frozen in Time so much!) I was pleased when a new copy of this wsa checked out right away.
Weaknesses: The cover, and the fact that there's little action, but since I just had yet another girl who adored Edwards' Mandy, I don't feel sorry about buying it!

Skye, Obert. Wonkenstein: The Creature From My Closet.
Robert has a very messy closet with a bizarre doorknob with a creepy man's face on it. When an odd, tiny man who talks a lot about candy comes out of the closet and starts to cause trouble, Robert and his friends (as well as his annoying little brother Tuffin) have to limit the damage and hide the man from his parents. Their adventures take them into the "creepy" house on their block where they witness their neighbor's toes grow, to the library where they try to do research on the man, and to a school poetry reading where Robert gets up the nerve (with the man in a backpack on his back) to read a poem and impress a girl. The adventures are not over... in the last chapter, we see that the closet has conjured up another creature, Potterwookie.
Strengths: This is a first for the Wimpy Kid type handlettered novel with plentiful drawings-- a fantasty. Fans of this author's Leven Thumps series will be pleased, and the cover alone will cause this to be picked up frequently.
Weaknesses: I didn't like Robert, or any of the characters in the book, and the suspension of disbelief necessary to believe that creatures came from Robert's closet was difficult. I felt as if I were missing an explanation somewhere.

Nonfiction Monday, etc.

2011-11-14T04:45:00.005-05:00

Nonfiction Monday was started by Anastasia Suen, and the round up is at Playing by the Book. Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Shannon Whitney Messenger. Lots of links to sites can be found at those places.

Krull, Kathleen. Big Wig: A Little History of Hair.
Starting with prehistory in Africa, Krull follows key developments in hair through the ages. Wigs and ungents in Egypt, Mayan skull shaping, and weird Greek and Roman cures for baldness are all quickly covered. Coming up to the present, Madame C.J. Walker, the Beatles and Dorothy Hamill get brief mentions. More brief notes follow at the end.
Strengths: Can't think of any other books about hair.
Weaknesses: This is more of a picture book, and I was disappointed. Several of the illustrations have unexplained anachronisms in them (monkeys sitting under hair dryers?) and I just wanted MORE information. I would have preferred that the notes in the end be incorporated into the body of the book at the appropriate time. The book is fine for a picture book; I was just hoping for something a little more in depth.

Ditmars, Maribeth R. The Bald-headed Princess.
Eleven-year-old Izzy, who loves to play soccer, is blindsided by a diagnosis of leukemia after she passes out at a game. Very quickly, her world narrows to the hospital, where she is getting chemotherapy, and home, since going to school might compromise her weaknened immune system. Her best friend, Lizette, doesn't even know at first about her illness, and when she returns from camp doesn't quite know how to react. Details of being in the hospital and dealing with the effects of chemotherapy make up the bulk of this book, and Izzy's reactions to the other things going on in her life are portrayed in a straightforward manner.
Strengths: Anything I can remember reading about children with cancer (except Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, as well as the works of Lurlene McDaniel) is at least 20 years old, so this does fill a gap.
Weaknesses: There are so many details about dealing with cancer that the book almost verges on the didactic, but that's a quibble.

Stiefvater, Maggie. Forever.
Must admit that I had a hard time getting into this one, but HAD to read it before I bought it. Whose bright idea was it to name a young adult novel Forever? Does Scholastic not realize that this title makes middle school librarians hyperventilate? (Think Judy Blume.) Since Shiver and Linger had touch and go moments of appropriateness, there was no way I was going to buy this without reading it. Verdict: okay for middle school consumption, as far as I can tell. Some kissing, some mention of being with boyfriend all night, but nothing instructional. As for the plot-- Grace is a wolf, so her parents think she is missing, but when it gets warmer she comes back to Sam only to find out that Isabel's father is trying to arrange a mass shooting of wolves. Cole is experimenting with chemicals to try to "cure" the group's condition. Very lyrical writing, very teen angsty; the girls will love it. The red ink... meh. My shriveled middle aged soul is no doubt the cause of my lukewarm feelings about this.

Cinderella Smith

2011-11-12T16:17:00.003-05:00

Barden, Stephanie. Cinderella Smith.

Nominated for the Cybils by Catherine Nichols

Josephine-Kathryn Smith, otherwise known as Cinderella because of her bad habit of losing just one shoe, is having a hard time at the start of the school year. Her best friend suddenly won't talk to her and she has to explain her name to a MAN teacher. Luckily, she makes a new friend in Erin, who is new to the school. Erin thinks that Cinderella must be an expert on evil stepsisters because of her name, so she seeks advice: her mother is getting married, and she will be getting two new college-age stepsisters. Cinderella is glad to help Erin investigate the possibility that they are evil, but she has a problem, too. In her tap class, she is up for a starring role, but she has lost one of her shiny new red tap shoes. Her former friend offers to loan her a pair but doesn't come through. Will the step sisters be evil? Will Cinderella get to dance?

Strengths: This was far better than Junie B. Jones for the third grade crowd. While we never find out what grade Cinderella is in, this would be okay for K-5 because of this ambiguity and the nice depiction of friend drama.

Weaknesses: A little precious, with the Cinderella concept, and the inclusion of a neighbor boy named Charlie Prince. Cinderella's dialogue is a bit odd, as well. She uses "alas" a lot. If the writing were slightly different, and the pictures not so young, this could have succeeded for older students as well.

Guy Friday- Parkour

2011-11-11T05:22:00.003-05:00

I learn a lot from reading. Parkour is something that has never come across my radar, mainly because if I did it, I would break a hip. Shuffling along the sidewalk pretending to run, sure. Jumping over park benches and scaling walls, we'll leave to the young folk. Oddly, two books I picked up yesterday both dealt with this sport.

Tashjian, Janet. My Life as a Stuntboy. Illustrations by Jake Tashjian.
This sequel to the well-recieved My Life as a Book finds Derek avoiding his reading by hopping around in parks with friends, but he is the one approached to be a stuntboy. His father does storyboards for movies (they live in California), so this makes sense. Even though Derek finds himself being the stunt double for a girl his age, he enjoys the work. His friend Mike, however, is jealous and finds many different ways to bedevil Derek. Also complicating matters-- Derek is being tutored because he is still having a lot of trouble with reading, and his foster monkey (the family is training it to be an aide animal) causes some problems as well.
Strengths: Again, this looks like a full-length book but is really short. The harder vocabulary has illustrations describing it at the side. Derek is a well-developed character, and the crush on the actress adds a nice touch.
Weaknesses: Not many, but since I'm reading a book about font that just trashed one of my favorites, Comic Sans, I felt conflicted about the similar font in this. (According to this book, I'm a horrible person with no taste because I like this!) Who knew?

Daher, Anita. Two Foot Punch.
Nikki and her brother Derek are reeling after the death of their parents in a house fire that was caused by one of Derek's friends. They have moved from Toronto to live with their aunt (who is a judge) in Winnpeg. Nikki takes a lot of comfort from running parkour, and makes sure to run at the safest times. (I also feel that by 5 am, the evil drug crazed criminals are probably asleep!) She meets Rain, who is a gymnast who wants to try the sport, but things soon become complicated. Derek is kidnapped by people who want their aunt to judge a case a certain way, and Rain and Nikki put themselves in danger to save him.
Strengths: These Orca Sports short books are incredibly well done. They cover such a wide variety of sports, and include high interest problems. I will have this in the hand of a student today who needs a mystery finished by Monday! Or Picky Reader. She might actually finish this before she gets tired of it.
Weaknesses: These are very small books, so there is very little margin on the pages. Why this bothers me, I'm not sure, but the readers who pick these up are overly affected by factors like white space on a page, so I wish they would be more of a standard US paperback size.

Short Rant:
Went to a book look last night and came home with 34 hardcovers. Now, I need to process them. This is what teachers do-- spend $50 of our own money to go to a book look, spend two hours madly scribbling reviews, and then trying to get the books processed during already crowded school days that start insanely early. But it's my own fault.

Sorry, our levy went down. I have absolutely no objection to taking a pay cut-- what hurts is people saying mean things about teachers. I'd work harder if I could, but it would require living at school, and then I would be a bad parent.