Guy Friday- World Zombination

There are moments when I really question my decision to read every fiction book in my library. Had some bad moments with R.L. Stine, but was actually pleasantly surprised. As for Brian Jacques and Erin Hunter... well, I powered through the hedgehog wenches and cats changing their names every three chapters. It took me the entire summer to put my eyes on every word in Tolkien's The Silmarillion, but don't ask me what it was about. I'm still not sure about anything other than the fact that Tolkien should have done a LOT more housework. 

It's not that I don't LIKE Kloepfer's work-- it's rather brilliant. Appeals perfectly to middle grade boys who like mild zombie gore and Mad magazine like illustrations. It's just not what I would describe as a perfect Sunday afternoon reading experience for ME! On the bright side, I have TWO 6th grade girls who love Anne of Green Gables, and another girl checked out my fresh new copy of Miracles on Maple Hill and enjoyed it. 

Kloepfer, John and DeGrand, David. World Zombination (#7)

Published October 6th 2015 by HarperCollins

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Scientist Nigel Black has sent the group to Madagascar to find mayfly larvae as the final ingredient for his antidote to the zombie plague. The group flies a plane there, hoping to come back quickly so that they can save Ben, who has been turned into a super zombie. They meet Nadie, whose parents are wildlife conservationists in Madagascar, and she helps them find the larvae, as well as fend off some of the zombie animals with her wooden pan pipes. When the group has accomplished their mission, they get word from Nigel that they also need more gingko biloba-- and not just any gingko biloba. They must travel to China and find an ancient tree. Getting gas for the plane and flying it there proves problematic, and they crash land in Egypt, where they have to ride camels and go through a zombie ridden bazaar. They also end up in a tomb of zombified mummies when the jar holding the mayfly larvae bounces out of their reach! Twinkles the dog saves the day, and the group is off to China, where they meet kung fu master Zhang Wu and learn vital zombie fighting skills from him. There is a close call when Zack is bitten, but the group gets their supplies and heads back to Nigel's island, only to find that the scientist has also fallen prey to the ever insatiable zombies. Will the group be able to prepare the antidote and disseminate it widely enough to save the world?

There aren't many middle grade novels where the characters get to fly planes to Madagascar, Egypt, China and the Bahamas! This makes it easy to turn the page to see where the group will be going next, and what group of evil zombies will they meet! The illustrations are perfect for the book-- both goofy and gory, they won't give younger readers nightmares, but are gross enough to keep tweens reading. 

Now that this series is finished, readers will have to join Kloepfer's characters in The Galaxy's Most Wanted series, and older readers can continue on into more serious zombie tomes such as Shan's Zom-B or Higson's The Enemy series. 

Read the whole series! I did!

1. Zombie Chasers
2. Undead Ahead
3. Sludgement Day
4. Empire State of Slime
5. Nothing Left to Ooze
6. Zombies of the Caribbean

Quarto Kids Giveaway!/See How They Run

There's a big QuartoKids Books Giveaway here:

https://www.facebook.com/QuartoKids/app/228910107186452/

Some days, it's nice to have a contest to enter. I was out for an all day meeting yesterday, and the book return bin is overflowing! Classes all day, kids getting ever squirrellier-- I don't know how we went to 23 December when I was in school! Other than the fact, of course, that back in the good old days NO ONE misbehaved and we were all brilliant and darling and well-dressed in our double knit polyester. Anyone else having that kind of week?

Carter, Ally. See How They Run (Embassy Row #2)
December 22nd 2015 by Scholastic Press
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Grace is still reeling from the events of All Fall Down, and is glad to see her brother, who is back in Adria on leave from his military academy in the states. He's brought a friend with him, but when the friend ends up dead, Grace spirals back into her paranoid delusions. Of course, they might not be all delusions- Ms. Chancellor takes her aside and tells her all about a secret society of daughters of Adria, and of course, Grace's mother was a part. Things get weird in Adria as well, when the yearly celebration of a horrific event in history is replayed. Grace's friend Alexi is accused of being some sort of Russian terrorist/spy, which gives Grace a good excuse to run all over town with him in the tunnels. She runs in to Dominic, the Scarred Man, at regular intervals, but he doesn't really shed much information on anything. In fact, other than getting hurt, whining, and trying to sneak out of the embassy, Grace doesn't accomplish a whole lot more in finding out about her mother's death. 

Yeah. I just cannot get into this series. It's such a disappointment after this author's fabulous two other series. I did pick up a copy of the first book at a book look, and I'll see how it goes, but this was just so depressing. Bleah. Maybe it will only be three books, and then Ms. Carter will write something more fun. 

Dolls of Hope

Parenteau, Shirley. Dolls of Hope
September 22nd 2015 by Candlewick Press

In this sequel to Ship of Dolls, we go to Japan, where young Chiyo is very concerned about her older sister going into an arranged marriage in the 1920s. Chiyo is not very ladylike, and barges in on the meeting between her sister, parents, and the prospective groom. She is afraid she has ruined her sister's chances to marry a wealthy man who will take care of her, but Yamada Nori is both wealthy and kind. He arranges for Chiyo to attend a school in the city, so she can meet Hoshi, a general's daughter, and learn to behave the way that she does. Once at the school, Chiyo gets very involved in the project that has sent American dolls to Japanese schools, and helps with the process of sending Japanese dolls to America. Along the way, she learns that Hoshi's behavior is not very admirable, and that while being ladylike is nice, she must also be true to herself. 
Strengths: Disclaimer: When my older daughter was an infant, I would walk with her in a front pack to the library, grab a handful of Pearl Buck books, and walk home. I think I read just about every Buck book there was, so I am a sucker for books set in Japan. There are lots of good details about daily like, along with plenty of girl drama. Interesting historical topic as well. 
Weaknesses: Nobody describes daily life as good as Buck, and my students are not interested in reading books set in foreign countries, although I love to, so I'm not giving up yet!
What I really think: Sadly, the first book circulates very poorly. I think I will buy a copy because it is a very interesting historical event. On the bright side, the book will last a lot longer!

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye

Del Rio, Tania and Staehle, Will. Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye
November 24th 2015 by Quirk Books
Copy provided by Deb Shapiro and Company

Warren lives and works in his family's hotel, just as 12 generations of Warrens did before him. His father is gone, but his Uncle Rupert and Aunt Annaconda run the hotel... which never has guests. When a mysterious, silent figure wrapped in bandages books a room, the hotel is suddenly besieged with guests, all of whom are looking for "the all-seeing eye". Each person has a different concept of what this is, and Warren's family doesn't seem to know. Annaconda's sisters, Scalene and Isoceles, come to visit, and Warren suddenly finds himself on the recieving end of Annaconda's wrath-- she is a witch, and she wants the eye for herself! Luckily, Warren is aided by young guest Petula as well as Mr. Bunion, the cook and Mr. Friggs, his tutor. What family secrets can Warren uncover that will lead to the solution of the mystery?
Strengths: The formatting of this is unusual and attractive. Rendered in red and black, the wider-than-normal pages have the text in two columns. There are line-drawing page ornaments as well. There is a Lemony Snicket, macabre feel to this. 
Weaknesses: Why does Warren look like a toad? Perhaps there will be more about that in the next book. 
What I really think: Ten years ago, I wouldn't have been able to keep this on the shelves, because there was an insatiable demand for Lemony Snicket read-alikes. For the first time ever this year, the sixth graders did NOT storm my collection. All of my multiple copies lovingly glued and taped back together are just sitting there, so I don't know how well this book might do. The clever formatting might save it. 

Card Catalog- Cooking in Fiction

 

Click here for podcast!

December 18th is Bake Cookies Day, so we need to be prepared! I have always loved to read cook books and books where the characters cook... almost as much as I dislike being in the kitchen! 

Books mentioned in podcast (*)and more!

Bauer, Joan. Close to Famous.
Conford, Ellen. What's Cooking, Jenny Archer? (1989)
Creech, Sharon. Granny Torelli Makes Soup (2003)
Davis, Tanita. Ala Carte. (2008)

DeLaurentiis, Giada. Recipe for Adventure #1-8 (2013)

Dunbar, Fiona. The Truth Cookie. (2005)
Fergus, Maureen. Recipe for Disaster

Glovach, Linda. Little Witch's Black Magic Cookbook (1972)
*Ganeshram, Ramin. Stir it Up!
*Greenwald, Lisa. Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes. (2010)

Hannigan, Kate. Cupcake Cousins (2014)
Hepler, Heather. The Cupcake Queen (2009)

*Hiranandani, Veera. Phoebe G. Green #1-4 (2014)

Hurwitz, Joanna. Tough-luck Karen (1982) 
Jackson, Alison. Eggs Over Evie (2010)

*Johnson, Kristi. Reindeer Crunch and Other Christmas Recipes (2008)

*Levine and Riley. The Saturday Cooking Club (2015)

*Littlewood, Kathryn. Bliss (2012)
Mandelski, Christina. The Sweetest Thing (2011)

*Meyerhoff, Jenny. The Friendship Garden (2015)

McClain, Lee. Sizzle.(2011)
Ostow, Michol. Crush du Jour

*Papademetriou, Lisa. Confectionately Yours (#1-4) (2012)
*Schaefer, Laura. The Teashop Girls. (2008) 

                         The Secret Ingredient (2011)

*Schroeder, Lisa. It's Raining Cupcakes (2010)

*Simon, Coco. Cupcake Diaries 1-25(2011)Smith, Sherri L. Hot Sour Salty Sweet. (2008)
*Shaw, Tucker. Flavor of the Week. (2003)

*Tuminelly, Nancy. Cool Wheat-free Recipes (2013)
Whytock, Cherry. My Cup Runneth Over (2003)(series)
Winston, Sherry. President of the Whole Fifth Grade (2010)

Yep. Own a copy of these, too. For more of the delighful inside of Fun to Cook Book, visit Vintage Bookshelf at Modern Kiddo! 

Now I want to go home and make 1-2-3 Fudge Sauce!

And I love this cover of Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook: even back in 1974, boys could cook!

MMGM- M!X books

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.




Arno, Ronni. Ruby Reinvented
November 3rd 2015 by Aladdin 

Ruby's mother is a supermodel in California, and her father is a famous baseball player. They are loving and supportive, but very busy! When Ruby overhears her best friend talking to a classmate, she's upset and disappointed-- the girl only was pretending to be her best friend in order to meet her parents. Ruby decides that the only recourse is to go to a boarding school... in Maine! Her parents reluctantly agree, and send her to look the place over, accompanied by family retainer Ellie. Even though it's a lot colder, Ruby takes to roommate Summer right away, and Summer is supportive of Ruby's desires to design dresses. Summer's parents live nearby, and Summer is friends with Connor, a cute boy in school who is an orphan. Big problem-- Ruby told Summer that her own parents are dead, and soon she and Connor are commiserating! Mean girl Cassandra wants to go to the school dance with Connor, but he ends up liking Ruby. Can Ruby manage to hide her parents, or will she have to finally tell the truth?
Strengths: Summer is a great character-- she doesn't care when Cassandra tells her she's weird, her family is fabulously supportive, and she is a great buffer to Ruby's insecurities. Ruby's ambivalence about her parents is realistic, and middle grade readers love to imagine what it would be like to have famous parents. Very enjoyable read which also has some serious matters. I would have adored this in middle school.
Weaknesses: Not buying the idea of a 12-year-old designing clothes. As much as I love the Sew Zoey series, in 18 years I have only had one student who even sewed, and she didn't do her own designs!
What I really think: Love this series. Ordered the book without reading it and was not disappointed! Fantastic that they are available in hardcover.


Alpine, Rachele. Operation Pucker Up
Published July 21st 2015 by Aladdin

Grace is thrilled to have the lead in the school production of Snow White, even though she is only a seventh grader. The only thing that gives her pause is that she is supposed to kiss Prince Charming, aka school hottie James, and it would be her first kiss! Her friend Lizzie proposes "Operation Pucker Up", a plan to have Grace be kissed before the play, and Grace gets into trouble several times for being in compromising positions with good friend Beck as well as neighbor Evan. Grace is also dealing with the fact that her father has moved home after having his own apartment for most of the year while her parents were separated, and she doesn't believe that he is going to stay. Her mother is glad to have him back, as is her younger sister, Claire, but Grace is stealing herself for the moment when he leaves again. Eventually, Grace tells the teacher in charge of the play about her apprehensions, and everything works out, especially with Evan, the cute boy next door. 
Strengths: Very realistic coverage of child dealing with parent issues. Loved that she had made her peace with being at home with just Mom and sister. The friendships all rang very true as well, although I expected Beck to come out at some point. The play was realistically done as well. Enjoyed this!
Weaknesses: Rather uncomfortable at times, in that "MY Most Embarrassing Moment EVER" kind of way. Grace puts socks in her bra and one falls out in class, she goes on and on about the kissing issue. 12-year-olds will like this more than I did. 
What I really think: These will both be great books to get BOYS to read during February, since they both have very natural, nice friendships that grow into age appropriate romances. 

Publishers: Take note of what a fantastic spine looks like. I would have included more hardcovers, but they were all checked out! The bright colors, the older cartoon type illustrations-- these are brilliant and the girls pick them up right away!

Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls. (Emily Windsnap #6)

Kessler, Liz. Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls. (Emily Windsnap #6)

August 4th 2015 by Candlewick Press

Emily and her friends are going on a camping trip to Fivebays Island. It's a joint effort between Shiprock and Bridgeport Schools that is meant to promote human/merpeople understanding.  When they get to the island, there are several mysteries; the fifth bay is secret, and when Emily finds it, she sees a mysterious ship that no one else seems to. The wife of the camp owner, Lowenna, has disappeared, and no one is talking about it. Emily like-likes Aaron... or does she love him? It turns out that there is a ship that has recently been lost that is on its way to Atlantis with everyone aboard on it. Atlantis is sort of like the Land of the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey-- every wish is granted, and no one really wants to return, but Emily wants to make sure they do, even though fighting against the pull of Atlantis is hard even for her. When she locates Lowenna, they are able to figure out a way to get everyone back, except for Lowenna, who has a special secret that ties her to Atlantis. Can they return the entire ship to the land of the living... and break Lowenna away from Atlantis as well?

Strengths: This is an appealing series, and Emily is always a lot of fun. Once she got involved in the mystery of Atlantis, this picked up for me, but the target demographic will also like the details of the school trip and her budding romance with Aaron. 

Weaknesses: My hard and fast rule is that no series should go longer than seven books. Time to wrap this up. Charming, yes, but Emily is getting a bit too involved with Aaron. She thinks she might marry him? Ick. 

What I really think: Glad I have it, but book six of a series rarely circulates. I just am a bit compulsive about having complete sets. 

Darkness Hidden

Marriott, Zoe. Darkness Hidden. 
November 10th 2015 by Candlewick Press 

In this sequel to The Name of the Blade, Mio, Shibonu, and the katana are back. The Nekomata has been destroyed, and the entire kitsune kingdom is grateful, but there is a greater evil on the loose now, and only Mio can save the world. Izanami's Handmaidens, aka the Foul Women, are spreading a plague that is sending hundreds of people to London hospitals. Both Jack and Rachel have been affected, and Mio feels responsible. Something about the katana is bothering her as well, and she manages to seek out people who know about the blade, as well as the sacrifice Mio must make to wield it effectively. This being a young adult paranormal romance book, you know this is not going to be good for her relationship with the 500 year old Shibonu. 
Strengths: It's great to see a non-Celtic mythological system used in a story set in London. There's some interesting stuff about Mio's grandfather coming to England, and her father does make an appearance at the end to tell her a little more. Lots of action and adventure, new and exciting evil creatures, paranormal romance. I'll be able to sell this to readers who like Manga and Japanese culture. 
Weaknesses: Do like the UK covers a lot better. I'm just so weary of fantasy tropes that involve teenagers saving the world. 
What I really think: Like Plum's Die for Me series, this is a good one to keep on hand for middle school girls who adored Twilight. 

Just My Rotten Luck (Middle School #7)

Patterson, James and Tebbets, Chris. Just My Rotten Luck
June 22nd 2015 by Little, Brown and Company

Rafe is back at Hills Village Middle School after completing a summer program and meeting with the two nasty sisters who are principal of the building. He is allowed back on one condition-- that he is in a special ed class. His mother agrees, glad that Rafe will get extra help, but Rafe is sure that other students will make fun of him. He makes enough fun of himself, certainly, but learns to appreciate the four others in the group that meets with Mr. Fanucci. Rafe is also drawing and posting comics on a web site, and tries out for the football team hoping to keep the stereotypical bully, Miller, off his back. Rafe comes up with the idea to be a Secret Art Man who breaks into the building to post his rendition of famous pictures, and his art teacher tacitly challenges to up his game. He does, but taking pictures of people bullying others, digitally changing them so identities aren't known, and posting them on the comics website with the challenge to his schoolmates to "B NICE". This, of course, is picked up my the local news media, and Rafe is once again in hot water. Subplots involve him getting a pet dog, Junior, and becoming romantically interested in another girl (other than his crush), Marley. 
Strengths: The students love these, and they always know when one comes out. Patterson is very involved in reading initiatives and gives a lot to schools. 
Weaknesses: While the portrayal of the special ed class was one that was supportive and helpful, Rafe's comments about it were horrible. Thirty years ago, students might have made rude comments about special ed, but that hasn't been okay for YEARS. The bullying is also disturbing and weird. People beating each other up in the hallways? Just no. The portrayal of the principals was also not helpful. Mean spirited. That's the feeling I get from most of this book. 
What I really think: Pop tarts for breakfast. Not going to ruin the kids' health, but not going to help it any, either. 

Faces of the Dead

Weyn, Suzanne. Faces of the Dead
August 26th 2014 by Scholastic Press

Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France likes to switch places with her maid, Ernestine, who looks a bit like her. She doesn't have to perform some dreary royal duties, and she can also go outside the palace and find out what is going on in her country. Of course, with her mother being Marie Antoinette, nothing good is going on. Marie-Thérèse meets the charming young Henri, who has moved to town after the farm on which he grew up was lost, and he is not shy about sharing the popular views of the royal family with "Ernestine". When she is out with Henri one day, she returns to find out that the palace has been taken over, and her family captured. She looks on at them from the outside, but doesn't want to risk being caught as well, because she has fallen in love with Henri. When the revolution progresses, she knows that members of her family will be killed, but starts to realize also that the life of the ordinary person at the time is rather unpleasant. 
Strengths: The notes at the back state that Marie-Thérèse was the only member of the family to survive, although accounts are unclear as to how she managed this. There was a maid whom she resembled, and there is a likelihood that the two switched places. The details of the time and the account of the revolution are interesting, and the book is not terribly long. 
Weaknesses:There is a weird paranormal twist at the end with Napoleon's Josephine that didn't make much sense and which I could have done without. Is this fantasy? Probably. 
What I really think: For readers of Ann Rinaldi's Nine Days a Queen and of Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals books, this will be a hit. 

#WNDB Wednesday- The Secret Sky

Abawi, Atia. The Secret Sky
September 2nd 2014 by Philomel Books

Fatima is fairly happy helping out at home, visiting her friend Zahro, and learning to read from Zahro's grandmother, who is sad that Afghanistan has moved backwards in women's rights since she was a girl. Zahro knows that she will soon be married off, and focuses on hoping that her husband is not too old and is kind to her. Fatima would like to go to the university, but knows this is unlikely. When her childhood friend, Sami, returns from religious school a drop out, the two reconnect. Always good friends, they find a romantic interest growing on both of their parts. Since she is Hazara and he is Pashtun, their families, while friends, would never agree. Sami's cousin Rashid, bitter over the death of his family at the hands of the Taliban and resentful of Sami, turns the two in to the local authorities. Fatima's father is understanding, but her mother wants her dead. So does the local religious leader, who brutally murders Fatima's three year old sister, the religious leader who marries Sami and Fatima, and finally, Rashid. 

Strengths: The details of every day life in several classes of Afghani households are brilliant. The cooking, getting water from a well, the way the house is set up, the way families interact-- brilliant. Adored this part of the book.

Weaknesses: Paints a horribly grim picture of life in Afghanistan. I am sure this is the case in many situations, and is very bad, but I wish that there were some positive images of life in this country. Maybe not positive, but not quite as bloody? Hard to get a balance.

What I really think: I would love to put this in my library, but it is too graphically violent and has too much sexual content for my students. Sending to the high school, but hoping that this author writes a middle grade book set in Afghanistan!

The Poe Estate

Shulman, Polly. The Poe Estate
September 15th 2015 by Nancy Paulsen Books 

Sukie's family is struggling; her mother quit her job as a teacher to take care of Sukie's sister, Kitty, who had a fatal family blood disease. Her father had trouble finding work, and the income from the antiques the family hunts down was not enough. They move in to their cousin Hepzibah's house to help the elderly woman, and Sukie does enjoy cleaning the attic and learning about her family history. She uncovers a broom while cleaning the attic, and when she takes it to the antique mall, several rather threatening people try to buy it. Two of the people are from the New York Circulating Materials Repository, and Elizabeth and Andre eventually tell her that her house is a fictional one, and they would like to collect it for the Repository, for a new exhibit on which they are working that features similar houses that have come to exist after being written about in books. Sukie is frequently visited by the ghost of her sister, but after encountering som evil characters, her sister's ghost becomes more and more dangerous. With the help of her new friend, Cole, who shares some of her literary ancestors, Sukie learns to ride the broom, learns about the Poe Estate as well as the Lovecraft Corpus, and must work to rid her family of their legacy of ghosts. 
Strengths: Objects that come in to being after being written about? Yes, please! Sukie's house was deliciously old and intriguing, and I thought the family was dealing well with the sister's death. No hand wringing, just a confirmation of sadness and a desire to move on as best they can. Very nice. The cousin was delightful as well, and the way the house was dealt with made sense. 
Weaknesses: Not very much mentioned about Poe, really; just a fictional fictional author. This watered down the story for me, and there wasn't enough time spent at the Repository for my taste, since I really want to work there!
What I really think: Not quite as good as the first or second, but reasonable. Perhaps there will be one more book to tidy things up. 

Card Catalog- World War II

Click here for podcast!

I have to admit that I don't quite understand podcasts, but that's because I don't have a smart phone. This runs 6:30, so maybe people can listen while they are washing dinner dishes! Since I've been blogging for almost ten years, I thought it was time to try something new. Let me know what you think.

World War II Books mentioned on podcast, and more!
Calkhoven, Laurie. Michael at the Invasion of France 1943 (2012)

Davis, Tanita. Mare’s War (2009)

Duble, Kathleen Benner. Phantoms In The Snow (2007)
Elliott, L.M. Under a War-Torn Sky (2001)
Flood, Bo. Warriors in the Crossfire (2010)
Hoose, Phillip. The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club (2014)
Hopkinson, Deborah. Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark(2015)
Hughes, Dean. Soldier Boys (2001)
Keenan, Sheila and Fox, Nathan. Dogs of War (2013)
Kudlinski, Kathleen. Pearl Harbor is Burning! (1991)
Mazer, Harry. A Boy at War (2001)
Boy No More (2004)
Heroes Don’t Run (2005)
The Last Mission (1979)
Lynch, Chris. The Right Fight (2014)
Dead in the Water (2014)
Alive and Kicking (2015)
The Liberators (2015)
McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure. (1942)
Nelson, Marilyn. American Ace (2016)
Preuss, Margi. Shadow on the Mountain (2012)
Salisbury, Graham. Under the Blood-Red Sun (1994)
The Eyes of the Emperor (2005)
The House of the Red Fish (2006)
The Hunt for the Bamboo Rat (2014)
Sepetys, Ruta.  Salt to the Sea (2016)
Smith, Dan. My Friend, the Enemy (2014)
Tarshis, Lauren. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (I Survived #4)
Wilson, John. Flames of a Tiger (2003)
Four Steps to Death (2005)
Wulffson, Don. Soldier X (2001)

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.

MMGM- Kid Athletes

David Stabler (Goodreads Author), Doogie Horner (Illustrations) 
Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends 
November 17th 2015 by Quirk Books
E ARC from Netgalley.com

While this brightly colored, highly illustrated corporate biography book comes in at over 200 pages, it's a quick read full of interesting information. The stories of the various sports figures are divided into chapters such as family, adversity, etc. and concentrate more on the issues that the athletes faced as children's and how these events molded their adult careers. Well know figures, such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Michael Jordan are mixed with lesser-known characters such as Lionel Messi, Jesse Kuhaulua, and Julie Krone. I was particularly glad to see that Billie Jean King and Babe Didrickson Zaharias were included and hope that readers who pick this up will be motivated to go find longer biographies on individuals who interest them. 

The colored graphics will be appealing to readers, but I always struggle with biographies who have no photographs of the subjects at all. I also would have liked a slightly more complete bibliography, since this is such a good springboard to other reading. 

The first book in this series, Kid Presidents, has an Accelerated Reader test for it. If this book has a test written, I'll buy it. Sometimes that's the only way I can get students to read nonfiction, although sports books are always popular. 

Camp!

Ah, the fervent admiration my students feel for this series is such that many of them coerced their parents into buying copies, and one such lovely student cheerfully loaned me his. I've been dragging my feet on two book orders, so we might not have this in my library until January. 

Delayed gratification: it's a skill students today need to learn!


Kinney, Jeff. Old School (Wimpy Kid #10)
November 3rd 2015 by Amulet Books 
Copy provided by William S. Thank you!

Things are changing in Greg's life-- his grandfather can no longer afford his apartment, so moves into Greg's room. Greg has to sleep in his little brother's room... and his mother has instituted a "no pants after dinner" rule for young Manny to encourage him to use the potty. (Am I the only one who think that Manny has some horrible birth defect that isn't mentioned? Maybe Mom drank?) The family pet pig gets more attention than Greg, and now Mom is trying to get the entire town to support a "no gadgets" week. Greg gets involved in a series of bad ideas that starts with selling lemonade and ends with joyriding with his grandfather, who has lost his license. Greg had tried to get out of the week long nature camp that his school was attending, but his mother sends him. Complications ensue, camp legends are debunked, and Greg once again survives so he can come back for another book. 
Strengths: These are getting a bit better. This started out to be very interesting, and I had great hopes for learning what it was like to live with a grandfather who disapproved of the Heffley's parenting skills, and the no technology campaign seemed new, too. (Well, there is Greenwald's marvelous Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting, but not much else.)
Weaknesses: This went downhill after the lemonade, and the camp idea was not really very fresh. 
What I really think: Last year, I had to hide a pile of these in the back room because otherwise I would have taken them out to the parking lot and SET FIRE TO THEM. These are fine in moderation, but I have some students who will not read anything else, and that drives me a little batty. 

Mann, Jennifer Ann. Sunny Sweet Can So Get Lost (#3)
February 10th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Masha is all ready to go to a dude ranch in Montana while her mother is in Russia helping her babuska recuperate from hip surgery and her father has to go to Thailand for work. Instead, after she and younger sister Sunny are left at the airport with their chaperone, she finds out that Sunny has arranged for them to go to a math and science camp in Maine! (Their mother gave Sunny the credit card to make the flight arrangements, ans she seized the opportunity.) Masha, still smelling strongly of vinegar after Sunny's last experiment went awry, is not happy, and she complains to Dr. Singh at the Newton Camp of Mathematics right away. Of course, there is nothing to be done, and the girls have three weeks to enjoy camp before their father retrieves them. Sunny loves all of the activities, and even Masha comes to appreciate the bucolic setting, the friends she makes, and even some of the activities, like softball! When their father picks them up, they fear that his next surprise will be that he has a girlfriend, and that their divorced parents will never get back together. 
Strengths: Reader who like sibling stories like Ava and Pip will enjoy this early middle grade book, and it's a strong camp story involving math and science, sort of like Nerd Camp. 
Weaknesses: Sunny is really rather obnoxious, and as is the case in Sunny Sweet is So Not Sorry, there are some events (like Sunny registering the girls for a camp without her mother's knowledge) that seem so unlikely as to be a bit ridiculous. 
What I really think: I don't have the first two, I think I will send this along to the elementary school. 

The Tapper Twins Tear Up New York

Rodkey, Geoff. The Tapper Twins Tear Up New York
September 29th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
ARC from Baker and Taylor

Claudia and her brother Reese are back after The Tapper Twins Go To War, and this time Claudia has arranged a fundraiser to benefit the Manhattan Food Bank. The students at Culvert Prep are divided into teams and they have to travel around NYC and find items on a list, worth varying amounts of points. For example, a bookmark from The Strand Bookstore is worth 3 points, but a photo of a stuffed school mascot (Calvin the Cat) being kissed by the famous singer Deondra is worth 500. Each team needs a sponsor and a chaperon, and the twins overworked parents are once again roped into the activity, and their presence is shown mainly through texts to each other. Competition is fierce, and some of the teams are using less than savory methods. With the twins involved, things are always apt to go awry, and they do in a spectacular fashion. 
Strengths: Strong sense of place, with discussion of NYC landmarks, and the mixed media format is appealing to the target demographic, if not to me. Supportive, if harried parents.
Weaknesses: Private school books tend to rub me the wrong way, since there is so much privilege. (I taught at a private school a long time ago.) 
What I really think: Since there are pictures, and the books are short and funny, they are popular. I had a student desperate for this before it was even published. The Tapper Twins Run For President comes out 12 April 2016. 

Don't Feed the Geckos (Carver Chronicles #3)

English, Karen. Don't Feed the Geckos (Carver Chronicles #3)
December 1st 2015 by Clarion Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Carlos is very interested in insects and small animals, and enjoys having his own room where he can keep his pets, do his homework, and get away from his younger sister Issy. When his cousin, Bernardo, moves in with his family while his mother prepares to move to Carlos' town, it's hard to get used to Bernardo snoring, his sloppy habits, and his tendency to flaunt rules that Carlos is trying very hard to obey. Carlos likes his teacher, Ms. Shelby-Ortiz, and notices that Bernardo doesn't try very hard with his school work, although he is a much better soccer player than Carlos. When Bernardo starts acting out, Carlos is both worried and angry. It's one thing for Bernardo to steal pieces from the class puzzle that is almost finished, but when he interferes with Carlos' geckos, something must be done.

Strengths: The other two books in this series have been very useful for my struggling 6th grade readers. I like how Carlos isn't really all that interested in school, but he tries to do a good job. When Bernardo does things like take toaster tarts from home without asking, Carlos is tempted to do the same, and angry when Bernardo eats all of them and puts back the empty box. This series is a must have for elementary libraries, because is covers the real concerns that younger students have with behavioral issues. For middle school, the large text, simple vocabulary, and inclusion of pictures makes these books instructive for slightly older students as well.

Weaknesses: Bernardo is not really sympathetic at all. We find out at the end of the book that his father has passed away, and this is why he is acting out, but he is pretty bratty!

What I really think: Depending on the reading levels of my population this year, I may buy this one.