Girl books in a series

Taylor, Chloe. Lights, Camera, Fashion. (Sew Zoey #3)
August 27th 2013, Simon Spotlight 

Zoey is super excited for the school dance at Madison Prep, but a little nervous because it is a Sadie Hawkins dance, and she will have to ask a boy. She has no problems coming up with a dress for her friends, but is stuck on what to make for herself-- and who she can ask to the dance. Then, she gets a call asking her to be a judge on television's Fashion Showdown! Of course, she wants to do that, but OMG, it's the same night as the dance. She can't let her friends down! Add to the complications that she is still missing her deceased mother and is trying to fit in at school, and the drama is just huge. In true Zoey fashion, though, she manages to work everything out with the help of a supportive aunt, teacher, and fabric store clerk.
Strengths: The sixth grade girls ADORE this series, and I can see 4th and 5th graders really liking it as well. It's got everything-- girl drama, boys, and lots and lots of pretty clothes.
Weaknesses: Almost feel bad peddling there, since they make me feel covered in glitter. Still, they aren't as superficial as some tween books, and they are great for struggling and reluctant readers. I'm buying all of them as they come out, and so far there are at least five.

Barnholdt, Lauren. The Harder the Fall (Girl Meets Ghost #2)
September 3rd 2013, Aladdin 

When Kendall and her friend happen into a new full service spa, they get more than manicures-- Kendall meets Lyra, the daughter of the owner. The problem? Lyra died of a heart condition but can't move on until Kendall helps her figure out what is keeping her on earth. Kendall has other problems-- her father gives a promise ring to his girlfriend, Cindy; she thinks Lyra's brother Micah is kind of cute and boyfriend Brandon is a little jealous of him; and worst of all, Brandon's mother keeps haunting Kendall, telling her to stay away from him. Mix in lots of fashion and glittery make up, and you've got another harmless confection for tween girls-- this time with ghosts.
Strengths: This one has more harmless kissing than the Zoey series, but again, there's some meat here. Kendall's mom took off when she was young, and Kendall doesn't know why. She likes Cindy, but it's just weird to have her dad dating someone. The whole talking to ghosts thing is handled well, and there's some friend drama as well.
Weaknesses: Really? 7th graders get manicures? I have never had a manicure in my life! I always have a hard time believing that middle school girls really care about fashion. I know from experience that they can be completely obsessed with boys, but fashion?

Bullying

Crossan, Sarah. The Weight of Water
23 July 2013, Bloomsbury USA
Nominated for the Cybils by Blogger M

Kasienka and her mother have moved from Poland to Conventry, England in search for Kasienka's father, who has walked out on the family. It's hard enough to be a new student, but to be a new student from another country leaves Kasienka open to the bullying of Clair, who claims she has the wrong haircut, wrong bag, and does nasty things to her. Her mother has a map and is going around knocking on doors to try to find the father. William, however, whom she meets at a local pool, is very kind to her, and they have a budding romance. Neighbor Kanoro, who was a pediatrician in his native country but now performs the same kind of unskilled labor as Kasienka's mother does in a local hospital, is another bright spot. The father is eventually found, but his circumstances make it clear that he is not going to return. Kasienka eventually comes to terms with her situation in her new country, and learns to make the best of everything.
Strengths: While this is a novel in verse (and I usually HATE them), this was fairly easy to read. I was intrigued by Kasienka's circumstances, and the chapters/poems held together well, formed a coherent plot, and were not just sentences chopped up. I got this through a book look and will probably put it in my library. Even the bullying seemed realistic and was not overdone.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of mentions of embarrassing puberty situations like shaving, and way too much description of kissing William. Not only were they uncomfortable to read, but they felt out of place.

This was not overly British, but I doubt my readers will understand the meaning of "sent to Coventry". Made me smirk to myself a little. 

Baskin, Nora Leigh. Runt
23 July 2013, Simon and Schuster

Elizabeth's family boards dogs, so she knows how some dogs try to assert their dominance. The same is true of girls in middle school when friendships are constantly rearranging. Maggie thinks that Elizabeth brags about herself, so she makes up a fake profile on a social networking site with Elizabeth's picture and the name Smelly Girl. She regrets doing it right after she posts it, but a big storm hits the area and takes out the electricity for ten days, so she can't take it down. There is also a bully named Stewart who is on the basketball team and has annoyed many kids, but everyone is afraid to do something about it until he urinates on Matthew and Matthew punches him in the face. Chapters are told from a variety of points of veiw, but most center around people being mean to each other. There is a fairly supportive teacher, Miss Robinson. Everything comes to a head at the school dance, but things are never really resolved.
Strengths: I like the chapters about the dogs that Elizabeth's family was boarding. I like Baskin's writing, and her Anything But Typical is brilliant.
Weaknesses: This was just too much about bullying, a topic which teachers love to read about and students don't. The chapters from different perspectives were confusing, and the whole book was just depressing to read.

Sweepstakes-- Enter to Win!

I do a lot of giveaways with my own students (mainly books I find at the thrift stores), but here's one that is open to everyone who is under 18-- the lovely ladies over at Kidsmomo are giving away three copies of My Basmati Bat Mitzvah as well as a nice prize package.

Head over to enter this sweepstakes HERE.

Enter by November 15th! You must be under age 18 to enter.

THREE BIG WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A PRIZE PACK!
Prize Pack includes:
• Autographed copy of My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
• Tube of henna ink
• Rakhi bracelet

I'm heading over to Instagram to tell my students.

Instagram is weird. I don't really understand it, but my students have said repeatedly that they don't follow blogs or Twitter feeds or even Facebook. Judging from how quickly I got up to a whopping 69 followers, they really do check it. I post about books, of course, so I figure it's a little bit of broccolli in their cotton candy world of social media.

Feel a need to follow me? I'm msyinglingreads.

Guy Friday-- Basketball Books

Deuker, Carl. Swagger.
24 November 2013,  Houghton Mifflin BFYR
E-ARC from Netgalley.com

Jonas likes to play basketball, but he doesn't have any great aspirations. He is an average student, and his father does okay working at a sand and gravel  company. His coach thinks his game has improved to the point where he might be considered for a "B" university, and sure enough, Coach Richter contacts him and lets Jonas know that if he can meet certain academic requirements during his senior year, he could have a scholarship. At the same time, however, his father is injured at work, and his new job as dispatcher is made redundant by a computer programmer, so the family moves to a new town where the father can manage a restaurant for his brother. Jonas slowly eases into his new neighborhood over the summer, making friends with Levi, who plays basketball but struggles academically. Levi's family is very religious and controlling. When basketball season starts, Jonas tries to keep up with his classes as well as help Levi with his, and ends up asking the new coach, Hartwell, for help. Hartwell helps him cheat, saying it's justified in order to help Jonas get to college. Later, after a tragedy occurs, it turns out that Hartwell is not one of the good guys, and Jonas has to decide between getting the scholarship and doing what is right.
Strengths: Deuker's books are always beautifully written and well thought out, but...WOW. If my synopsis is vague, it's because I don't want to give away too much and lessen the impact of this fantastic book. The best part of this is Jonas' voice-- he's a good kid who struggles, and he is facing some odds, but he still tries to be a good friend and a good person. I like how there are plenty of supportive adults, but some of them are not good people, but they aren't portrayed as completely, unattractively evil-- just so good.
Weaknesses: This is a more mature book because it deals with sexual abuse. That said, I am still buying it for my library because while we know the abuse occurs, it is circumspectly dealt with. From page 219 of the E ARC, this is the only description we get of what goes on: " 'Levi, are you talking about sex? Is it sex things he has you do?' Even though he was deep in the shadows, I could feel him tense. 'It's sickening. I'm sickening.'" From there, Jonas does all the right things and is a supportive friend. There are web sites listed at the back of the book directing students to places where help is available. All well done, but not a book for elementary schools.

Mack, W.C. Double Dribble (Mathlete vs. Athlete #2)
November 5th 2013, Bloomsbury USA Childrens
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Russell and Owen are back, but they face a new challenge-- another set of twins, this time identical, have moved to their school and are put on the basketball team without even trying out because they are so good. Mitch and Marcus go out of their way to exploit their twindom-- matching clothes, matching hair cuts, and a close relationship that blocks everyone else. Russell is still struggling to manage his time, and Owen is upset because he is used to being the start of the team.  The twins bother his more than they bother Russel, so when Mitch hurts his arm, Owen is glad, even if it means the team doesn't do as well. Russell recruits Marcus to be on his academic quiz bowl team, and starts to get to know him a bit.
Strengths: Enough basketball to confuse me, which my sports readers will like. I especially enjoy the scenes where the boys and their father are watching basketball on television. This is new to Russell, and he tries to keep up in order to bond with his brother and father, but it's hard for him to really care. Having two sets of twins was interesting, and having the new brothers slowly emerge as separate personalities was interesting.
Weaknesses: Owen comes off as a bit of a jerk in this one, but then he is a middle school boy. There's a lot of that going around, but most of them get over it!

The first book in the series was popular, so I'm glad to see another.

Russian Roulette!!! Awesome!

 Horowitz, Anthony. Russian Roulette: The Story of an Assassin.
October 1st 2013, Philomel

About 2010, there was a rumor that another Alex Rider book would come out, entitled Yassen, Teenage Assassin. I don't know why this took so long, but it was definitely worth the wait! If this review seems vague, it's because I don't want to spoil the clever details!

When Yasha Gregorovich is 14, his entire village is destroyed after an explosion at the chemical plant where his parents both worked. He manages to get away from the town and the soldiers with his best friend, but Yasha has to make his way to Moscow alone.There, street urchin Dimitri befriends him-- after stealing all of his money. Yasha embarks on a life of petty crime in order to have a place to stay with Dimitri's gang. When time are tight, the group turns to burglary, and Yasha is caught by Sharkovich, a ruthless criminal who basically enslaves him for four years, using him for petty chores as well as for tasting his food lest he be poisoned! A turn of events lands Yasha in Scorpia, and that organization does everything it can to turn him into a brutal assassin. The renamed Yassen doesn't take to this naturally, and the organization knows it. They also feel that Yassen is an asset and can be trained... and the person whom they choose to train him turns out to be his undoing years down the line.
Strengths: Oh, my goodness. SO well done. This was quite different from the other books in the series, and every chapter made me feel sorrier for Yassen. Horowitz does a great job at describing life in the former Soviet Union in the early 90s, and Yassen becomes such a sympathetic character that if I read the final showdown between him and Alex again, I might just root for Yassen! Given what occurred in his life, this book makes it seem like there really was no other option for Yassen. Just an amazing book. Horowitz's other writing endeavors for things like Foyle's War show up more clearly in this.
Weaknesses: I still don't understand John Rider and what he is really doing with Scorpia and MI6. Perhaps there is an entire book there???


Cushman, Karen. Will Sparrow's Road
November 6th 2012 by Clarion Books
Nominated for the Cybils by  Maria Gianferrari

In England in 1599, Will Sparrow's father has traded him to the owner of a tavern for ale, and when the owner doesn't like Will's work, he threatens to sell him to be a chimney sweep. Will runs away, and meets a host of odd characters, from pickpocket Nell, to toothpuller Dr. Munster, to illusionist Tobias Froggenhall, with whom he thinks he will work, until the illusionist leaves him with Thomas Tidball, who runs a circus of oddities. Will travels the countryside with the show, meeting Grace, the cat faced girl, and Fitz, who is a dwarf. He also is in charge of caring for Duchess the pig, to whom he becomes attached. Will views himself as not worthy of attention, since his father thought little of him, and he has thieving tendencies, but he reaches a point where he wants to shed his past. When the cruel Tidball, who neglects to pay wages to any of his employees, decides to sell Grace, Will has to decide what path he will take.
Strengths: Tons of research went in to this, and this is evident in the descriptions of people and places, as well as in the rich dialogue.
Weaknesses: I somehow did not take to Will as a character as much as I have to other characters of Cushman's. He lacked the spirit of Catherine or Matilda Bone, somehow, and while he eventually wanted to be a better person, I just didn't have as much sympathy for him.

World Wednesday-- The Problem With Being Slightly Heroic

Krishnaswami, Uma. The Problem With Being Slightly Heroic
August 13th 2013, Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Nominated for the Cybils by Liz Jones Books

In this sequel to The Grand Plan to Fix Everything,  Dini is back in D.C. to visit Maddie while her mother is still working in India. She is also back because Dolly Singh is having the premiere of her movie, Where is Sunny Villa, at the Smithsonian. In true Dolly fashion, however, everything is fraught with drama. Dolly loses her passport. An elephant escapes from the National Zoo, Dolly comes across it, and Chickoo Uncle is struck by the tranquilizer dart meant for the elephant. Maddie and Dini talk the kitchen staff at the hotel into making rose petal milkshakes for Dolly even though the head chef is traumatized by the mere thought of rose petals. The caterer planned can not make food for the event. The girls plan a dance for the premiere, but things go wrong there as well. In the end, things work out, and the event goes well.
Strengths: This was a fun and frenetic romp. Something funny was always happening, and the characters were all engaging. The illustrations by Abigail Halpin were perfect for this. Fun, middle grade stuff!
Weaknesses: I really enjoyed the first book because it was set in India, a place I've never been. While I find Bollywood films fascinating (a student loaned me some to watch a few years ago), I don't know that many of my students will.

There is a downloadable activity kit and other fun information at Ms. Krishnaswami's website.

Woodworth, Chris. Ivy in the Shadows
February 5th 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Nominated for the Cybils by Bradford Lee

After Ivy's guitar playing, untrustworthy stepfather leaves, her mother finds it hard to make ends meet. She goes to church and asks for help, and is offered a job as a waitress and given the opportunity to take in a young boy, Caleb, as a boarder. Both things help, but Ivy isn't happy. Caleb is odd, and with her mother working until 7:00 p.m. or so, she has to babysit her younger brother JJ. Ivy has her own problems at school with friends, but spends a lot of time eavesdropping on her mother's phone conversations with her best friend, Aunt Maureen. Eventually, Maureen comes for a visit because she is bored with her own husband (who is frequently away driving trucks), and things change even more when Pastor Harold visits Ivy's mother a lot.
Strengths: Certainly a timely book for tweens who might be struggling with difficult family situations. The characters are all interesting, and the slight mystery about Caleb's background is not overdone.
Weaknesses: This book was very slow, and read oddly like middle grade fiction from the 1980s. Even the cover is a bit dated.

Timeslip Tuesday- North of Nowhere

Kessler, Liz. North of Nowhere
August 6th 2013, Candlewick Press 

Mia is not thrilled to be spending her vacation week in her grandparents sleepy coastal town, but her grandfather has gone missing and her grandmother is distraught and trying to run the family pub by herself. While out walking the dog, Mia finds a boat and is drawn to it, opening a box and finding a journal written by someone who signs themselves "D". Lonely and wanting companionship, Mia writes back in the journal and begins a correspondence with D. While this is happening, she meets some local children, including a boy named Peter. Later, it turns out that Peter is missing and his family is looking for him. Liz thinks, for various reasons, that Peter has taken the boat she thinks belongs to D's family and has sailed over to Luffsands, where D's family lives. When she and her friend Sal go over there, they see devastation everywhere and find that D's house has been destroyed, but when the coastal rescue squad takes them back over to help, they find that the entire town is gone. Did they imagine it? Many more twists and turns make Mia realize that there is something magical about the boat and the compass, and some light is shed on family history.
Strengths: Kessler is a fun author, and I just had a student who really enjoyed A Year Without Autumn, so I'll go ahead and put this in the collection.
Weaknesses: This was a bit confusing, and it seemed like the text might have been scrubbed of British turns of phrase. I would have liked it better had they been left in. Somewhat confusing, but then time travel can be.

MMGM-- Friend Drama

Morgan, Alex. Sabotage Season: The Kicks #2
September 3rd 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Devin hopes that the Kicks can make it to the playoffs, and is sure that if they train hard enough and smart enough, they can, but when fake emails from their coach cancel practices, Devin's gear is stolen, and a variety of other nasty things happen, she's sure that Mirabelle and the Pinewood team are out to make sure they don't make it. The team continues to be plagued by illness, injury, and further pranks, and Devin begins to think that the team won't be able to do well. When she confronts Mirabelle, she begins to suspect that perhaps the Kicks are looking to blame the wrong people.
Strengths: There are so many good details about middle school girls and their relationships in these books. I especially love how Devin Skypes her best friend Kara back home, and they compare their outfits for the day! I still e mail my best friend almost daily, and we frequently discuss our (much less fashionable) attire. There are good descriptions of soccer games, drama, and all sorts of good things.
Weaknesses: It seems unlikely that such vandalism would continue once coaches know about it, but it does create dramatic tension.

Schroeder, Lisa. Frosting and Friendship
Published September 24th 2013 by Aladdin 

In this companion to It's Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secret, we find Lily struggling with a lot of different things. Her friend Isabel is in the Baking Bookworms book group with her, but since Isabel's mother runs a cupcake shop, providing home baked goodies for the group isn't a problem. Lily, however, is a disastrous cook but is a much better musician. Her group, the Dots, are hoping to win a local talent show against the New Pirates. When Isabel asks for Lily's help in putting together a birthday party for Sophie, their mutual friend, Isabel agrees. Things get hairy, however, when Isabel expects Lily to bake, host the party, AND let the New Pirates play at it. Lily is stressed out not only by the amount of things that have to be done, but by telling the Dots about the party, and letting Isabel know that while she is a good friend, the party is too much for her.
Strengths: The covers on all of these books are fantastic, and Schroeder clearly knows her tween girl social interactions. I liked how this could be read without the others OR as the third in the series.
Weaknesses:  There is a teacher named Mr. Weisenheimer, which could perfectly well be a legitimate name, but it made me flinch every time I read it. I was also a little surprised that Lily's parents let her take on so much, but Ms. Schroeder does a good job of making it seem plausible.

Cybils Nominations involving forests

Gewirtz, Adina Rishe. Zebra Forest
April 9th 2013 by Candlewick Press
Nominated for the Cybils by Danyelle.

Annie and Rew are being raised by their slightly dysfunctional grandmother in the early 1980s because their father has been killed and their mother has left. Life is boring during the summer, and the only exciting thing occurring is the Iran Hostage Crisis, which Annie is following on television. When there is a jail break near her house and several inmates escape, she follows that news carefully. When one of the inmates ends up in her house holding her family hostage, she learns many secrets about her family. (Don't want to spoil the plot by saying too much!)
Strengths: Decent suspense and mystery, and students do occasionally ask for books about people held hostage. Cool cover, although the forest doesn't play that much of a role in the book.
Weaknesses: There was no particular reason, other than the parallel hostage experience, to set this in the early 1980s, and there are few historical details. I figured out the mysteries fairly early on in the book.

Marino, Nan. Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace.
April 16th 2013,  Roaring Brook Press 
Nominated for the Cybils by DaNae

Elvis Ruby is a shoe-in to win the Tween Star singing competition, but freezes at the last minute and is completely embarrassed. Since his father is touring with his sister Cher, Elvis changes his name to Aaron and hides out with family friends who run a restaurant near the pine forests in New Jersey. There, he tries hard not to stand out in any way, and makes friends with Cecilia, a girl who has poor social skills and no appreciation for music. She figures out early on who Aaron is, but doesn't tell anyone, hoping that Aaron will help her find the music her parents claimed played in the Pinelands the night that she was unexpectedly born there, but which they are now saying perhaps they imagined. Aaron knows that he can't stay hidden forever, and must come to terms with his relationship to music as well as to himself.
Strengths: Interesting details on the Pinelands and the Jersey Devil, as well as a well portrayed, quirky cast of characters. Students interested in musical celebrities might be intrigued by this one.
Weaknesses: Cecilia was rather unlikeable, and her insistence about finding the music of the pines seemed a  bit forced.

Various Cybils Nominations

Gale, Eric Kahn. The Bully Book.
December 26th 2012 by HarperCollins
Nominated for the Cybils by Freya Hooper.

Eric thinks that 6th grade, his last year in elementary school, will go fairly well. He has his friend Melody in his class, but when his best friend Donovan shows up, he's gotten taller and tougher and is hanging out with class bully Jason. Soon, Eric realizes that he has been picked out as the class "Grunt"-- the one kid everyone makes fun of-- and not the rather damp Colin. Colin's brother, however, was the "grunt" for his grade, and tells Eric about the existence of a "bully book" that is handed down from year to year. Told in alternating chapters, we see Eric's struggles as well as information from the Bully Book about how to select and treat your grunt. Eric feels that if he could find the original author of the book, he could somehow neutralize it, and the quest puts him in contact with other students who went to his school in the past.
Strengths: Adding a bit of mysterious and investigation helps this book along, and the methodology of the bullies is realistic. The bullying is depicted as more psychological and less physical, which is accurate. I liked how Eric sought out the help of others who had been in a similar situation.
Weaknesses: Yet another bully book. While teachers love these to use in class, students are not much interested in them.

 Cheng, Andrea. Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet 

  January 15th 2013,  Lee & Low Books 

 Nominated for the Cybils by Alex Baugh

This historical novel in verse follows the real life story of Dave, who made pottery for the Pottersville Stoneware company. He was very talented at what he did, and also learned to read and write, even putting words on some of his pottery even though slaves were not allowed to be literate. His life was difficult-- his wives were sold away from him, he lost his leg in an accident, and he was sold several times because his masters didn't make wills. The poems are all dated, so we can see the progression of events, and are told from the point of view of quite a few historical characters. The book is illustrated with wood cut prints by the author.

Strengths: This is one of the better written novels in verse I have read-- the poems hold together individually and also read like poems instead of chopped up prose. I liked how each one was dated. This was shelved in the nonfiction area of my library, but I think the story is definitely a fictionalized account.

Weaknesses: Novels in verse are almost impossible to get my students to read, and since historical fiction is also something that they tend to shy away from, I won't be buying this.

Guy Friday-- Seeing Red

Erskine, Kathryn. Seeing Red.
24 September 2013, Scholastic Press
EARC from Netgalley.com
Nominated for the Cybils by Madelyn Rosenberg

Red Porter lives in small Stoney Gap, Virgina town in 1972. His father has passed away, and his family is barely surviving. They have an auto repair shop and convenience store, and Red tries to work there with Beau, a very loyal but somewhat simple minded family friend, but his mother is bound and determined to move Red and his brother J to Ohio to be with her family. There is something to be said for this plan-- Red hates school, he is always at odds with the Dunlops next door (except for daughter Rosie), and things are difficult between Red and Thomas, his former best friend, especially after Thomas is threatened with racial violence and Red does nothing to stop it. Still, the family's history is deeply entwined with Stony Gap's, and Red discovers that his family might have had a lot to do with a local African American church's property, as well as the death of the great grandfather of Miss Georgia, Thomas' grandmother and a good friend of Red's. When a new teacher, Miss Miller, comes to town and encourages the students to think about problems larger than themselves, Red starts to realize that even though his ancestors might have been prejudiced, he doesn't have to be. Struggling to keep his father's memory alive but also to do the right thing, Red overcomes difficult circumstances and eventually enables his family to weather the variety of storms that they are facing.
Strengths: This was a very intricate and complex portrayal of a pivotal time in Civil Rights history. By 1972, things were supposed to be better, but in small Southern towns, apparently they weren't. Students will be surprised at the small, daily inequalities that are portrayed here-- Miss Georgia not being allowed to go to a white church, Red being distanced from his friend, a minister using the pulpit to further racial hatred, and Rosie being abused by her father. This starts rather slowly, but definitely ends powerfully.
Weaknesses: It's hard to tell right away when this is set. I caught the small cues, but students won't. There is one mention of calling 911, which struck me as odd, so the historical setting of this one sometimes slipped for me. There was quite the conversation in my house about the repeated use of Rock Em Sock Em Robots as a symbol for lost childhood. While I ended up liking this one, the widespread appeal of this for students might not be great.

One note on the E ARC-- the page decorations at the beginnings of chapters really slowed down the loading time, and as with all e books, I had more trouble going back and checking details of the story. Why is this so much easier with paper books, even with the capability of taking notes? I guess I don't know what information I need to look up until I'm done with the story!

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood and Co. #1)

Stroud, Jonathan. The Screaming Staircase
September 17th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion
Copy received from Deb Shapiro & Company

Like the wonderful Bartimaeus Trilogy, this book is set in a slightly alternative London. It's fairly modern, with cars and Velcro, but there is a Problem that has changed the entire society. Visitors, or ghosts, are haunting many places violently. People are afraid to walk around at night, and removing the ghosts takes professional help. Enter Anthony Lockwood, who runs a small ghost removal company with the help of the schlumpy George. He hires Lucy, who has traveled to London after a disastrous ghost hunting encounter in her rural hometown. Since teens can see ghosts more easily than adults, Lockwood and Company operates without any adult supervision, which irritates various departmental agencies. When Lucy and Lockwood manage to find the Source of a Visitor at Mrs. Hope's house, they manage to dispatch it, but also burn down the house. Mrs. Hope wants recompense, but the company is struggling so much that they may have to close. They hope that the mystery surrounding the murder of Annabel Ward, the ghost in question, might help them reach prominence, but they aren't quite able to tie up all the ends. Luckily, Mr. Fairfax, who has made a lot of money selling iron furnishings that help ward off the ghosts, hires them to solve the mystery of the Red Room and the Screaming Staircase at his poshly appointed country house, Combe Carey Hall. The group manages to do this, and in the process, find some interesting connections to the first mystery. A sequel is certainly on the way.
Strengths: So very good! Excellent world building that didn't have me asking any questions, just completely believing the reason for Lockwood and Co. as well as it's adult free existence! The ghost fighting was action-packed, Stroud describes everything (especially George, I have to agree with Betsy Bird on this one!) brilliantly, and the mysteries were intricately interwoven. Just the right mixture of scary and swashbuckling. Can't wait to see what the next one will bring, and if we will find out more about what happened to Lockwood's parents.
Weaknesses: I wasn't able to save this until a rainy Sunday afternoon and curl up under an afghan with an appropriate amount of tea and biscuits. That is really how this book should be properly savored. I also could have used a tiny bit more romance between Lucy and Lockwood; it was hinted at, and I was able to imagine a lot of it, which might actually be a good call for the target demographic, but was slightly disappointing personally.

There is a YouTube video available at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUfYuhW6Kqg. 

World Wednesday-- Africa is My Home

Edinger, Monica. Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad
8 October 2013, Candlewick
Nominated for the Cybils by: Flowering Minds

During the Amistad ship slave revolt in 1839, there were a number of children who were also being taken as slaves. These children were involved in the court case deciding the fate of 35 of the Mende people on the ship. This case went on for years and finally decided that the Mende should be returned to Africa. One of these children, known as Margru, returned to Africa but came back to the US with an American family and was educated at Oberlin college before returning to Africa as a teacher. This well-illustrated book tells her story from the time she is happy living in Africa with her family until she is about to be reunited with them years later.
Strengths: This is an interesting but little known facet of history, and is well-researched. An afterword explains that since little is known about Margru's childhood (although later documents exist), the author felt more comfortable fictionalizing the story. The illustrations are nice, but the length of the book and the complexity of text make this solidly middle grade and not a picture book.
Weaknesses: While the Margru's perspective is interesting, it is also somewhat limited. This might have been more informative if narrated in the third person omniscient.

Donovan, Gail. The Waffler.
August 15th 2013 by Dial 
Nominated for the Cybils by Gail Gauthier

Monty has troubles making decisions about the smallest thing. What pet to get, what to name it, what to write his school papers about. He's dealing with a very complicated family life, including both a stepmother AND a stepfather, as well as older and younger step and half siblings, and his twin sister Montana, with whom he squabbles a good deal. When his teacher decides he needs help to stop "waffling", she plasters his arm with adhesive bandages that she calls "decision aides"-- he has to remove one every time he changes he mind, and once he is out of them, he has to stick with his decision. When his fourth grade class gets younger reading buddies, he enjoys working with Leo, but when other students approach him to be their buddies, too, he can't decide which one to choose, so says he will work with them all. Of course, Monty's inability to make decisions eventually catches up with him, and his family must help him with a new approach.
Strengths: I imagine there are students out there who struggle with this issue, and the book is very realistic. It would probably be a good read aloud in elementary school.
Weaknesses: Monty's rat ALMOST dies by falling in the toilet as the result of Monty's inattention. (Thank you to Ms. Donovan for letting me know I got this wrong at first!)This would be traumatic for a fourth grader to read about; in fact, I will blame my inattention to detail to a severe flashback I had about the near death experience of Gimli the Dwarf Hamster once very fraught Christmas day.  I also wondered about whether Leo's mother would really bring a kindergartner to a fourth grader's house for a play date.

Time Slip Tuesday-- Back to Blackbrick

Fitzgerald, Sarah Moore. Back to Blackbrick.
3 September  2013, Margaret K. McElderry Books

Cosmo lives with his grandmother and grandfather. His mother has moved to Australia to pursue business opportunities, but mainly to get away from the spectre of the death of Cosmo's older brother. Things are going well; Cosmo enjoys his grandparents, rides horses, and puts up with kids in his school, knowing that things will be better when he gets home. When it becomes apparent that his grandfather is sinking quickly into senility, Cosmo tries to help, but is unable to effect any change. In one last, lucid moment, his grandfather presses a key into his hand and demands that Cosmo go through the south gate of Blackbrick Abbey. When Cosmo does, he meets his grandfather... at the age of 16! Deciding that he might as well stay in the past (around the time of WWII), Cosmo gets to know Kevin (his grandfather) well, and enjoys working in the stables of Blackbrick. He meets the girl Kevin wants to marry, but it's not his grandmother! This gives him some pause, and he tries to arrange things. When he decides to leave, he tries to get his grandfather to prevent the death of his brother in the future. Knowing more about his grandfather (and his grandmother as well) gives him the strength to deal with things when he returns to the present.
Strengths: The premise of this was enthralling-- Irish country house, meeting a grandfather a youth, trying to help a grandparent with Alzheimer's. For the most part, this delivered.
Weaknesses: For some reason, this wasn't quite what I had hoped. But then, I had REALLY  high hopes for this one. The story about Maggie, the girl Kevin liked, fell a bit flat for me, and I could guess right away who Cosmo's grandmother really was. I think this missed the cozy country house aspect that is appealing in so many time travel books. Too many problems all around, which is realistic; just not what I want in a time travel book!

MMGM- Blue Moon

Ponti, James. Blue Moon (Dead City #2)
1 October 2013, Aladdin
Copy provided by the publisher.

Molly and her team have been suspended following Molly's adventures in Dead City, but they are still prepared to investigate when a zombie is found dead, handcuffed to a subway car that has gone far enough away from the Manhattan schist to finally kill him. After Dr. Hildago's investigation into the George Washington bridge incident that lead to the apparent death of the leader of the Unlucky 13, Marek Blackwell, the team is assigned to help with the Baker's Dozen Project. The Unlucky 13 have been around for a long time, living under assumed identities, and the group uses their skills to locate many of them, but not Milton, whose explosion resulted in the deaths and subsequent zombification. With the help of Liberty, a high functioning member of the Undead, as well as Molly's mother, Molly and her team discover a sinister block to turn a million New Yorkers into zombies on New Year's Eve, but after finally locating Milton, they realize that the plot is even more sinister than they first imagined.
Strengths: This was a very intriguing mystery, and the detective work by the kids was great. I loved the office they had in the "attic" of the Flatiron Building, complete with typewriter! The glimpses into Molly's family life make the zombies seem even more threatening, her unresolved issues with her mother are surprisingly touching, and the mythology of the zombies is fantastic and believable. A strong sense of place, New York City, as well as local mythology, adds a lot to this as well. The first book has circulated briskly, so I'm excited to have this sequel as well as, I suspect, another one eventually. I enjoyed some of the writing, especially lines like this "Apparently, my grandmother was under the impression that I was still four years old. Of course, I could have straightened this out by telling her that the reason I was wearing a little makeup was because I was trying to hire the cuts and bruises I'd gotten during hand-tohand combat with a couple of killer zombies in what appeared to be an abandoned top-secret bunker underneath Grand Central Station. But that probably would've ruined the flow of Thanksgiving dinner conversation." (pages 198-199)
Weaknesses: Not enough zombie gore and violence. I know, I know; not something I normally look for, but if you have a book with zombies, you have to have some of them go down in spectacular ways. Perhaps in the next book there will be an epic zombie battle, complete with flame throwers.

Yolen, Jane and Stemple, Heidi E. Y. Bad Girls
February 1st 2013, Charlesbridge Publishing

Infamous women from history: are they bad, or just not adhering to the social mores of their times? This is the question that Jane Yolen and her daughter ask about a variety of women through history. Some are well known (Cleopatra, Typhoid Mary) and some are rather obscure (Popova?), but all get a nice short treatment and interesting illustrations. I think that students interested in graphic novel treatments of nonfiction will be drawn to this, but I think they will be disappointed that the interior graphics are devoted mainly to discussions between the two writers about whether the women were bad or misunderstood. The comic strip format covers Yolen and Stemple as they shop for shoes, go to a spa, go to a conference and book store, etc. That part was really odd, and I didn't care much for it. While I like the idea of discussing whether or not the women covered were really bad, it could have been done in a more effective way.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday at Booktalking.

A City Tossed and Broken

Blundell, Judy. A City Tossed and Broken (Dear America)
March 2013, Scholastic
Nominated for the Cybils by Kate18

Minnie is devastated by the desertion of her father, but things get worse: unable to keep the family tavern in Philadelphia open, her mother arranges for Minnie to travel with the Sumps to San Francisco to be the maid of their daughter. Given the financial straights of the family (the father has a gambling problem, which is how he lost the tavern), there seems to be nothing for it, and Minnie heads out to San Francisco. Things happen quickly once she gets there-- Mrs. Sump isn't happy about the house or location, Mr. Sump is involved in shady business dealings, and the daughter steals Minnie's satchel and clothing and is prepared to run away from home. Just before she does, however, an earthquake hits San Francisco, and the ensuing tragedy changes Minnie's life. Mr. Crandall, the Sumps lawyer, mistakes Minnie for the daughter and offers to care for her, and Minnie finds out that Mr. Sump had a hand in her father losing the tavern. Can she survive in a treacherous, post earthquake and fire city, and clear her father's name?
Strengths: This started out like many of the Dear America series, with a bit too much whining for my taste, but picked up VERY quickly. There is a nice mystery involved, a strong female character triumphing against adversity, plus a little romance. Vivid descriptions of the earthquake and fire.
Weaknesses: Slow start, and  I wasn't entirely sure if the characters were based on real people or not. The epilogue threw me off. Still, a good entry in the series.

Miller, Bobbi. Big River's Daughter.
15 April 2013, Holiday House
Nominated for the Cybils by  Cynthia Cotten

River is happy with her father, who has a boat on the Mississippi in the early 1800s. When a tremendous earthquake kills her father and destroys their boat, she ends up in the care of Annie Christmas and her sons, but is quickly turned over to the care of Jean Lafitte and his family, since River's father had run afoul of Hogg Tyler and Mother Colby. River is not happy with Sarah and Catiche; she has to be clean, wear dresses, and behave herself. She really wants to find out what was going on with her father, who had gotten involved with the doings of several river pirates. Eventually, River runs off to find Annie, and takes a circus tiger with her. Once she finds Annie, she realizes that her father's spy glass has a map to a treasure encoded on it, and enlists the help of her father's former associates to get to the treasure before other, less savory characters do.
Strengths: Clearly well researched, this offers a vivid portrayal of life on the river during this adventuresome time. Real life characters, like Lafitte and Mike Fink, are described, and notes at the end of the book are helpful in telling the real characters from the fictional ones.
Weaknesses: Holiday House has the worst formatting of any publisher I can think of-- the text is small and hard to read and the covers are always not appealing. Given the rather unusual setting of this book, it would be hard enough to get students to read this even if it had an appealing cover. I also thought that River's personality would be more at home in the new millenium than in the early 1800s, but that's what makes books like The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle appealing.
Weaknesses: 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Gum Girl

Montijo, Rhode. Gum Girl: Chews Your Destiny
20 August 2013, Disney Hyperion

Gabby loves to chew gum, but her mother forbids her because, among other things, she gets it stuck in her hair when she sleeps with gum in her mouth. Gabby can't stand it, though, when she finds a piece of gum in her pocket on the way to school. When the bubble she blows comes in contact with the power line, she turns in to Gum Girl, with amazing super powers that can save crashing planes, etc. Peanut butter turns her back into Gabby, but chewing gum turns her back into a super hero. The sequel, Gum Luck, comes out in February.
Strengths: This is just goofy enough, and the illustrations are great. Very bold and clear. Good tale of empowerment to a certain extent. Like how the girl uses some Spanish phrases with her mother, but the fact that she is Hispanic is introduced without remark.
Weaknesses: I hate gum chewing! Also, the use of the word "nom". I am not the target demographic for this one, and that's where my problems with this come in. This would circulate well even in the middle school. May have to break down and buy it.

Guy Friday- Feeding Frenzy

Spradlin, Michael P. Feeding Frenzy: Killer Species #2
29 October 2013, Scholastic Paperbacks

Still traumatized by Menace from the Deep,  the last thing Emmet wants to do is scuba dive! His father, however, thinks he needs to get over his fear, since he's sure Dr. Catalyst is actually dead, so Emmet, Calvin, Stuke, Raeburn and Riley go for a beach picnic... and are attacked by Muraecudas! Dr. Catalyst IS back, and Stuke's leg gets badly chewed up by the combination of Moray eel and baracuda. To show that Dr. Catalyst is truly evil, Apollo, Emmet's poodle is kidnapped and held for ransom-- unless his demands to clear all the beaches in the area are met, Dr. Catalyst is going to drop Apollo into a tank of the evil creatures! Once again, Emmet and Calvin take off on their own to save the day, mainly because Emmet firmly believes that his science teacher, who is currently sporting a mysterious broken arm, is actually the evil scientist. Will they be able to save the day yet again?
Strengths: I have really enjoyed this series. Great, evocative Florida setting. Lots of action, awesome creatures, supportive and interesting parents, larger issues that are addressed without slowing down the story. Out for Blood comes out 25 February. Can't wait! Give these to readers who have devoured Zindel's Rats, Raptor, Reef of Death, etc.
Weaknesses: Come on, Scholastic! Only in paperback? That's ridiculous! This is a great series and fills a niche for boys. Please bring them out in hardcover!

The Right Fight by Chris Lynch

Speaking of fights, Erik over at This Kid Reviews Books is trying to help a friend with epilepsy by having his own Read-a-thon. He is asking people to sponsor him for reading and getting Accelerated Reader points to raise money to help his friend Renn's family. Hop over to Erik's blog find out more and help out!


Lynch, Chris. The Right Fight (World War II: Book I)\
7 January 2014, Scholastic
Copy received from  Scholastic Book Fairs.

Roman loves to play baseball, and if it weren't for an injury, he could have gone pro, but in the early 1940s, the war was much more compelling. He signs up to fight, gets training in tank warfare, and ends up going ashore in Algeria to fight. As his tanker division fights its way into Tunisia to route the German forces there, Roman sees plenty of action. He had wanted to fight to keep the world safe, but soon realizes that the most important thing is to make it home safely.
Strengths: Lynch does a fantastic job at writing war books. He captures the feeling of "I want to fight" as well as the slow realization that fighting is not as glamorous as young men think it is before they have any real experience of it. The baseball tie in is nice, especially since the "girl at home" is also a ball player who joins the WAACs and becomes an air traffic controller!
Weaknesses: I was impressed at the writing of this one-- Lynch did a fabulous job at capturing the cadence of 1940s speech as well as some slang terms. I don't know that my students will really appreciate this.

Lott, Tim. Fearless.
9 October 2007, Candlewick Press

Fearless is in the City Community Faith School, where girls who are considered somehow not right are kept in abusive conditions in a dystopian world, supervised by The Controller. They work long hours, are fed little, are live in filthy conditions. Fearless (the girls are called by numbers but have nicknames for each other) feels that there is something more outside of the school, and comes up with a plan to escape and let the parents of the girls know how bad the conditions are. With the help of Stench, who supervises the garbage dump, she manages to sneak out with the garbage and make her way into the city. She tries a police man, a minister, and finally (after having no luck locating the parents of a girl in a wealthy section of town), a garbage truck driver, whom she presents with a bottle of tears from the girls. Aside from calling the school and getting the girls in trouble, no one on the outside does anything until the garbage truck driver, who is bothered by the tears and starts a protest against the conditions. This results in Fearless being sent to the punishment section of the school. Secrets about her family and about the leaders of the school are revealed, and hopefully, things will change.
Strengths: This was recommended to me by a student who really, really liked it. A year ago, when all of my students were asking for dystopian books, I might have bought it.
Weaknesses: This is more philosophical than action-packed, and the fairy tale feel to the narration made me feel like I was missing something. I was not surprised to find that this author usually writes books for adults. 

World Wednesday

 Engle, Margarita. Mountain Dog
13 August 2013 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Nominated for the Cybils by: Katy Manck (BooksYALove)

In this novel in verse, Tony is sent to the mountains to live with his great uncle, Tio Leo because his mother has been sent to prison for keeping pit bulls and making money in having them fight. Tony has been tremendously scarred by this but misses his mother. At the same time, he loves the peace of being in the mountains, and adores Gabe, the search and rescue dog with whom Leo works. Told from both Tony and Gabe's viewpoint, this show Tony's slow revolution from scared and lonely boy who is hurt each time his mother refuses to visit with him to a more confident blog writer and member of his small mountain community who has a new family in Leo, Bee, and Gracie.
Strengths: Lots of good information not only about search and rescue dogs, but about what to do if lost in the woods. Strong, supportive adults help Tony deal with his dysfunctional mother. The bond between boy and dog is sweet, and the chapters narrated by the dog are realistic.
Weaknesses: The verse format of this left a lot unsaid that I would have found interesting, and I could have done without the chapters narrated by Gabe. A frequent comment in these is about smells "rhyming" with things, which is poetic but doesn't make much sense.

Crowder, Melanie. Parched
June 4th 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nominated for the Cybils, but in MG Speculative Fiction. Who knew?

In a drought stricken, unnamed, possibly African country, Sarel's parents have been killed and her house burned, but she has managed to survive, along with the family's lion hunting dogs. Luckily, there is a grotto there with some water, but supplies are running low and she ventures forth into the wild to find food as well as aloe to heal one of the dogs that has been injured. Musa's mother has died of a fever, and since he is a dowser and has the ability to find water, he's been taken by the Tandi and used by them as they pillage the countryside. He manages to run away, but collapses from lack of water. Luckily, Sarel finds him and helps him, and the two reach an uneasy truce. Musa is sure there is a large amount of water nearby, but it is deep underground. The two try to find it, but first Musa's former captors find him. After a harrowing experience, the two manage to survive. Some of the chapters are from the dog Nandi's perspective, but it is all realistically told.
Strengths: Very good details about what it is like to be in a severe drought, and offers a reasonable explanation of how the children survive. The loyalty of the dogs is very touching.
Weaknesses: This would have been much better if I had known where exactly this took place, and if there had been slightly more hope in the ending.

Almond, David. The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas
6 August 2013, Candlewick Press
Nominated for the Cybils by Monica Kulling

When Stanley Potts' uncle loses his job, he turns their house into a fish cannery. His aunt puts up with this for a while, although she insists that Stanley have a day off from working on his birthday. He goes to a fair, and rescues a number of goldfish from a hook-a-duck booth and certain death, but when he brings them home, Stanley cooks them up and puts them in a tin. This is enough to convince Stanley to go back to the fair and work for Mr. Dostoyevsky, who invites him to come and live with him and his daughter Nitasha as they travel around. When the famous Pancho Pirelli shows up at the fair, he senses that Stanley has an affinity for fish and offers to teach Stanley to swim with the piranhas and become a professional performer just like Pirelli. Stanley does have an affinity for this, but must decide whether to pursue this option or return to his aunt and uncle.
Strengths: A good, Roald Dahlesque romp for children who entertain thoughts of running away from home and joining the circus. This never quite becomes fantasy, although it certainly does stretch one's credence.
Weaknesses: A bit on the quirky side for my students, and the uncle cooking the goldfish was a bit disturbing, but of course crucial to the plot. I also failed to understand the whole DAFT agency men who were after the uncle and then Stanley. Why the horrible spelling?