Too old/Too young

The Philip Pullman "His Dark Materials" trilogy goes out well, even though the talking killer polar bears didn't do much for me. I think that "The Firework-Maker's Daughter" is too young for my group. Cartoony pictures even though the story isn't really funny, combined with random silliness (The Norwegian National Comdey Cowbell Players? What?)just didn't do it for me. For silliness to work in middle school, it must be very purposeful and more ongoing. Captain Underpants, for example. By 8th grade, children tend to lose patience with silliness. But a fine book-- just not for my age group.

Then, there was McGhee's "All Rivers Flow to the Sea" which was too old. Or too artistic. A moving story about a girl trying to get back to her regularly scheduled life after her sister is severely disabled in an accident, it is more about emotions than action, and my number one complaint about books is "Nothing happens." Newbery worthy, perhaps, but I will pass.

Working on Cynthia Leitich Smith's "Tantalize". I'm not sure how I feel about it. May be like "Twilight"-- I'm too old. Vampire romances don't do it for me, although this book, while good, is feeling a bit disorganized for me to get into it. I am giving it to a couple of students to see what they think.