Running

Cotler, Steve. Cheesie Mack is Running Like Crazy!
25 June 2013, Random House Books For Young Readers

As Cheesie enter Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School, he fears he will linger in the shadow of his older sister, 8th grade vice president Goon (or June). After accompanying Eddie to the office for a classroom transgression, he decides to run for 6th grade president, as does Eddie. To complicate matters, his friend Lana Shen wants to run as well, and they fear they will split the Rocky Neck Elementary vote. Instead, they have Georgie run in their place and start campaigning for him.  Aided by a new girl from Iceland, Oddny Thorsdottir, the group works out the best campaign possible. Eddie and Cheesie are also approached to run on the 6th grade cross country team, and do so with some success.
Strengths: This third book in the Cheesie Mack series has the same likeable, mischevious characters, the same quirky situations, and enough illustrations to appeal to notebook novel lovers. I can see these being even more popular in elementary schools, where students like to read about older characters, but it will do okay in middle school.  The information about Iceland is correct.
Weaknesses: I'm disappointed only because I wanted this to include a lot more about running cross countyr! Election books leave me cold. There are so many, and they all seem unrealistic to me.

Maybe I'm just in a crabby mood, but the constant reference to the web site got on my nerves. Or, I'm just really disappointed that this wasn't more about cross country.

Maddox, Jake. Running Scared.
Really written by Emma Carlson Berne
1 January 2013, Stone Arch Books

Olivia loves to run, especially with her friend Jessica. When she tries out for the track team, however, she starts to worry that she won't do well. When she runs her first race, she freaks herself out so much that she drops out of the race with an "injury". When this happens a second time, her Aunt Naomi steps in. The two run together at the track, time the distance that the race would be, and compare Olivia's times to the winners. After she sees that her time would have been a good one and she would NOT have finished last, Olivia is able to run a race with more confidence.
Strengths: This had very good descriptions of running, what it feels like to love to run, and what it feels like to be scared during a race. There are even good tips for training at the back of the book. Either Ms. Berne runs, or she has done her research.
Weaknesses: This is a very short, hi-lo book, so there will be students who won't read it because of that, even though it's a great story. Ms. Berne, feel free to write something akin to Van Draanen's The Running Dream. That would be awesome!


Some personality leakage here. The image is from an interview with fashion historian Jayne Shrimpton, at http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2011/05/family-photos-what-are-they-wearing/ , who mentions that in the 1920s, older women frequently retained the dark, floor-length clothing of the Victorian Era.

I have become the woman on the left.

Most of the teachers wore sundresses with asymmetrical hems and shunken sweaters with flip flops for the first day of school. I had on a pleated skirt, blouse and plaid jacket with penny loafers. Looked like I was overdressed for a barbecue on the beach.

Checked out 300 books, though. I'm useful, not decorative.

*Sigh*

Fig.14 Four generations photograph c.1925 - click to enlarge. By the early 1920s young and middle-aged women’s dresses were rather shapeless and made to mid-calf length, the scooped neckline typically strung with beads. Elderly ladies often retained the dark, floor-length clothes of the Victorian era. - See more at: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2011/05/family-photos-what-are-they-wearing/#sthash.k0GrQKuT.dpuf

Fig.14 Four generations photograph c.1925 - click to enlarge. By the early 1920s young and middle-aged women’s dresses were rather shapeless and made to mid-calf length, the scooped neckline typically strung with beads. Elderly ladies often retained the dark, floor-length clothes of the Victorian era. - See more at: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2011/05/family-photos-what-are-they-wearing/#sthash.k0GrQKuT.dpuf