Notes from a Spinning Planet

This Melody Carlson title, Ireland, is available only in paperback, but the "color Me" titles by this author were so popular that I went ahead and bought it. Fueled by the success of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, travel titles are doing well (See Students Across the Seven Seas).

This book is interesting in that it doesn't just describe the landscape and way of life in Ireland, it also tackles "the troubles" and explains the fighting between the Protestants and Catholics. I have a series from the early '70s by Joan Lingard that I haven't been able to get rid of that chronicles a romance between a Protestant and a Catholic-- girls who read this book might well start that, and understand it better.

This book tries too hard in some ways-- I got plain tired of the main character taking offense at people having a pint (of beer) because she was Christian and didn't think Christians should drink. Also, the intrigue of one character who was supposedly dead but wasn't, and was supposedly involved in the IRA somehow seemed contrived.

Still, I liked this. It covers an area of the world the readers might not normally see, and would actually make a really good made for tv movie. Melissa Gilbert might not be quite old enough to play the aunt, but it could be quite fun to watch!

Marissa Marsh's Field Guide to High School

Loved the cover on this one.

Very vintage and fun. I also enjoyed reading this-- girl's older sister goes to college and leaves her with a notebook of her best tips for surviving the private school she will attend. A slim book, a quick read, but on the insubstantial side.

The whole private school discussion would leave my students flat. I taught at one, so can understand.

Nyah. I want to buy it, but just can't justify it.

Amnesia

What are the chances that I would read TWO books on amnesia within a week?

Last night I enjoyed Gabrielle Zevin's Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. Naomi falls at school, bangs her head, and loses the memory of the last four years, including some traumatic family events and her boyfriend. Told in a believable way, it's an interesting portrait of how someone who doesn't quite know who she is yet can forget what she does know and start over. The amneisa isn't debilitating-- it just leads to many philosophical introspections. There is something riveting about Zevin's prose, and she tells stories from odd viewpoints. My enitre family was riveted by her Elsewhere.

In Lee Weatherly's Kat Got Your Tongue, the amnesia is total. Kathy doesn't remember who she is, doesn't remember her mother, or any of her friends. She doesn't understand anything she liked before-- she looks strange even to herself. Teens are always wondering about what things would be like-- this is a great story if they wondered about what it would be like to forget everything. I like Weatherly's books a great deal-- Child X, Missing Abby, and Breakfast at Sadie's were all phenomenal. Love the new covers, too.

Todd Strasser's Mob Princess

Can only think that Todd Strasser has fallen on hard times. When I think of this author, I think of social issue books like Give a Boy a Gun and Can't Get There From Here, or some serviceable humor or adventure books. While the first book in this series (For Money and Love) was sort of fun, and I bought it sight unseen because it deals with the Mafia and an odd number of students ask for this sort of thing, it was...pulpy? Dime novelish? I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of Korman's Son of the Mob, with some self-deprecating humor. It read like someone said "Todd, we would like you to write a book about a girl whose father is in the mob, and please include these plot twists."

That said, this will be popular. Will I put it into students' hands? No. More of a high school book, it has some intimations of sex and some alcohol. It would ruin the guilty pleasure if I handed it to someone.

Do I wish I hadn't bought it? Almost. Will this book start some reluctant readers on the series. Definitely. That's the fine line that has to be walked.

Jonathan Stroud

This author brought us the very witty and popular Amulet of Samarkand series, but before that he wrote a rather wonderful fantasy novel set in the English country side-- Buried Fire. An odd, possibly Celtic cross is unearthed beneath a church while the foundation is being shored up, and strange things start to happen. Michael and Stephen, two brothers, end up with otherworldly powers that torture them, and they soon find out that the cross has unleashed a dragon that has been slumbering underneath a hill near their village.

Reminded me a bit of Dorothy Sayers and something else-- well-paced, good character development, nice conclusion to the story, unlike so many fantasies that go on and on to many, many books. Some fantasy fans just want one book, and I will highly recommend this one.

And no, not just because he uses the word "wodge" which is such a satisfying word to say. Slips in a "needs must", too. Lovely use of language.

Lasky's The Last Girls of Pompeii

While this book was a bit short of a plot (we all know that eventually Vesuvius is going to blow), it is about the best book I have ever read as far as details of ordinary life in Ancient Rome. What made the book all the more effective was that Julia is going through her ordinary days, waiting for her sister's wedding, putting up with the summer heat, and all along we know that she is not going to have to worry about her slave being sold or anything else... they are all going to be toast.

Will anyone escape? This kept me riveted, and was a wonderful trip to Ancient Rome to visit with a Roman family and realize that they had many of the same worries that we have today.

AND Vesusvius.

Sequels

Had to chant to myself "Kids like series. Kids like series." in order to finish Lemony Snicket's The Austere Academy (#5). I am still not getting the series. It's drab, predictable, and the children love it. I'm glad they do.

Beany Malone series makes me way happier than anything should. Great literature? No.

Still, Ellen Schreiber's Dance with a Vampire (#4) irritated me. Will it be popular with the girls who like vampire romances? Absolutely. Do I have two copies? Sure. Is it annoying? You bet. How many times do we need to hear that Raven wants to be a vampire and loves her vampire boyfriend? How many black, alt-designer outfits must she mention by name? Part of my dislike is that Raven seems to think she is original, when she is merely a lemming of another color (black). If she really wanted to be original, she would wear double knit polyester dresses and probably wouldn't drone on about how she wanted a group of friends who were just like her.

I sense personal feelings intruding on my enjoyment of the book.

Thieves Like Us-- Stephen Cole

This was great! Enjoyed completely! Five teenagers, all with special abilities (lock picking, reading body language, hacking into computer, mesmerism, breaking into security systems) work for a man who steals antiquities for clients. All five have run afoul of the law and have no families, so they are glad for his protection.

In the first book, they travel to Egypt to try to discover the secret of eternal life. The students will like the thieving aspect (it is tempered with some morality-- they are often retrieving items from people who acquired them illicitly), I liked the antiquities tie in. In Thieves 'Til We Die, the teens go to an Aztec temple to retrieve Cortes' sword. Action, suspense, a bit of crude humor but surprisingly little foul language, this series will be a hit with students who like Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books.

Jennifer Holm's Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

Was very much looking forward to this title, with its Conford/Danzigeresque title, loved the cover, but was temporarily put off by the format, which befits the subtitle, "A year told through stuff": IM's, notes on the refrigerator, 'articles' from teen magazines, bills, bank balances, etc. I usually hate that sort of thing, but as I kept reading, I really was able to get quite a complex story from all of this. There are a few poems to keep the reader on track, but I came away with the conclusion that this was really rather clever, and was something that reluctant readers might pick up.

This author also does the Babymouse books, which are primarily for younger readers. They are graphic novels, and while I have one at school, it's a hard sell to middle school girls.

The Creek is a wonderful suspense/mystery, and is checked out frequently by the girls who don't want to read mysteries but are big fans of Boston Jane. The Boston Jane books are great historical fiction.

Rounding up my Holm collection is Our Only May Amelia which has its fans. I am not in their number. Can't remember why.

Back again!

Haven't found anything that has made me happy, but it might be the weather. Looked through several longish fantasy books that just didn't reel me in. I've read some good ones this summer, so I should look at these again, but for now I will pass.

Lyn Gardner's Into the Woods was too Lemony Snicketesque in that the writing was high flown and the situations over-the-top and unbelievable. It might be good for die-hard Snicket fans, but it was a long book. The best part was the Mini Grey illustrations.

Avi's Traitor's Gate was reminiscent of some of the older Avi work that I've deaccessioned because no one read them. Oddly, these works were the only ones listed in the "Other books by" section in the front. Should have known. For die-hard Dickens fans. We get so many in middle school.

Trent Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society also involved an orphan and dire/mysterious circumstances in somewhat precious language, and was also very long. However, my son deemed it his 9th favorite book.

All three books certainly have something to recommend them, but they are for larger collections or perhaps older readers.

Some good books!

I had my doubts about Gordon Korman's Schooled. Boy raised on commune with no experience in a modern middle school suddenly thrust into one. Ooooh. Train wreck. But it was surprisingly good and funny, which I should have expected, because Korman is about the best there is when it comes to writing humor. He's also great at suspense and adventure. Shouldn't have doubted for a moment!

Roland Smith's Peak was fabulous. Can't say I ever really wanted to climb Mt. Everest, but this was a good vicarious experience. Lots of details about climbing, lots of ...cliff-hangers. Okay, bad I know. Loved the familial interplay, and everyone's sneaky motivations. Exquisite. Will recommend to everyone.

Another surprisingly good book-- Rune Michaels' Genesis Alpha. Surprised because she is an Icelandic author, and I've weeded a LOT of stuff "translated from the Russian"-- this was apparently written in English. Starts with an online game scenario, so will drag reluctant readers in, and then turns into a very complex mystery and psychological thriller. Great cover-- more of this foil, abstract stuff with cool typefaces that will not date as much as somewhat poorly drawn pictures of people.

Harry Potter

Read ...and the Deathly Hallows in one gulp. Seven hours. I usually pace myself, but when I was looking at how many chapters there were to figure out how many chapters I could read a day, I saw the epilogue, and I knew the epilogue would ruin everything... so I had to read it.

Won't spoil anything here, but good does trump evil. Found some of the book confusing-- apparently everyone has to reread the part where Harry goes into Snape's memory. Still, explains a lot.

I was a bit disappointed because Harry wasn't in school at Hogwarts, and the magical academy part was always my favorite bit. And what did the great battle of Hogwarts do to the standardized testing schedule? Did everyone graduate? If you save the world from evil, it still matters what you get on your NEWTs. Is there wizarding college? What sort of majors are there? What jobs are available?

All things that we can think about in spare moments. It doesn't bear thinking about Harry folding laundry and washing dishes, no matter how much he might like the sanity of the mundane. Like any long series, it's possiblefor the author to go on too long and say too much. Didn't really need to see Anne of Green Gables grown up and a mother. That's not why I loved her.

Sigh.

Quick Notes

Before the marauding horde realizes I'm on the computer, here's what I have been reading:
Fantastic:
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This?-- Australian girl decides to wear the hijab full-time, even though it means dealing with some people who don't understand why she is doing this. Very different!

Carroll. The Awakening: Quantum Prophecy 01. How can a book about children who begin to realize they are Superheroes not be good? Lots of action. For fans of Stormbreaker.

Rallison, Janette. Playing the Field. Baseball, but also BOY middle school problems. Really good balance.

Good
O'Brien. Mary Jane. A problem novel about Spiderman's friend Mary Jane. Oddly riveting, but alas, out of print.

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. Extra points for NOT using the f-bomb but wanting to so badly that he found an author who used "fug" to get around censors, and employs that.

Rinaldi, Ann. Hand 1,000 Trees with Ribbons. Phyllis Wheatly. Rinaldi at her best.

Rees. Lightning Time. Quite good, but liked Vampire High way better.

Han, Jenny. Shug. Well, we can tell the author has the MFA in kid lit, but it's still good despite the dysfunctional Southern navel gazing. Nice cover. Pink fans will pick it up, although it's one of those books that makes more sense as an adult. I'll buy it in March if there is money left.

Roth. Iceberg Hermit. Oldie but goodie; survival fiction. Eating whale blubber.

Not good.
Saldana. Whole Sky Full of Stars. Sounded promising, but couldn't keep my interest.

O'Dell. Bad Tickets. Set in the '60's, just odd.

Burnham. Goddess Games. Too much name dropping. Will age poorly.

Cooper. Tell Me Lies. More 60's, this time in England. Commune. No.

Turnbull. No shame, no fear. Odd historical time in England.

Burgess. Sarah's Face. Stopped reading when the boy was examining her, um, chestal region and comparing it with puppies. Smack was good, if inappropriate, this... wasn't.

And yes, I plan to start reading Harry Potter, but I have to share two copies among four people. I think somehow that I will survive.

Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance, etc.

Definitely buying this one. Great cover ( shimmery copper skull with corpses for eyeballs!) and a great tag line:" Is a contest worth dying for.

This is basically short stories, but strung together in a Monster House sort of way. Five students are invited by author Ian Tremblin to stay the night in a haunted house and tell stories to freak each other out. Some fun ghost stories in a variety of formats. The cover alone would encourage check out, so it's nice that it also has some literary merit. Rare that there is horror that I like. Note: blood and gore somewhat limited.

Garfinkle's Stuck in the 70's also had a fun cover, and having been a teen in the 70's I had to read it, but all middle school librarians need to know is this: Brief but very graphic sex. Okay. So, no. Also, very vague and disturbing ending and message. Were the 70's supposedly better than now? And if so, why? Just because mothers made homemade meals and people wore more clothing?

Rabin's Black Powder has a promising premise-- boy whose best friend is killed in a gang related shooting travels back in time to stop Roger Bacon from discovering gun powder. Might have worked if there weren't so many subplots. The students who might be drawn into the historical/sci fi aspect because of the gang violence would probably give up on this one. Think I'll pass.

Hautman's All-in had its moments, but I need to get up to speed on the previous adventures of Denn Doyle in No Limit. Intriguing story about gambling and Las Vegas, but I have concerns about his relationship with Cattie. Hautman's Sweet Blood and Mr. Was are very good, but I haven't been as thrilled about Rash, Invisible or Godless. He writes mainly for high schoolers, I think.

Demon Keeper, Buckingham; assorted

Demon Keeper was quite a fun read. Not as horrific as some of my students would like, although I wouldn't personally want to be hunted down by any of the monsters, but not funny in a way that my horror fans will find obnoxious. In fact, I think this would be an excellent book to get die-hard horror fans to transition to some good humor books for boys. Definitely buying.

Mull's sequel to Fablehaven, The Rise of the Evening Star, was a worthy successor to the first book. Great realistic based fantasy with adventure, fun characters. The brother needs to grow up in the next book and stop doing stupid things, though!

Davis' Smart Boys and Fast Girls was rather fluffy, but my daughter, who runs cross country, loved this light romance about a girl who is good at sports but not so good at math. She gets tutored by a boy who doesn't like jocks, and it's no surprise that a romance develops. Still, strong girl and some life lessons. Since same daughter is begging to read Beany Malone, we need a lot of discussion!

Papademetriou's Wizard, a witch, and two girls from Jersey looked promising, and certainly understands the fantasy genre really well (some of the names made me laugh-- they are so typical of high fantasy that takes itself too seriously), and aforementioned daughter liked it as well, but we both agreed that it would not draw in girls who had to read fantasy but didn't want to, but also wouldn't be picked up by girls who liked fantasy. Will have to pass, but it was quirky fun.

I do not for the life of me know how Carney's The Adventures of Michael MacInnes got published for the YA market. Boys' boarding school in 1920's, some mention of dysfunctional, um, Noel Coward type male relationships...just can't see anyone asking for it. Just somehow disturbing.

Charlie Price's Dead Connection looked promising, but was a bit too disjointed. For students very interested in paranormal phenomenon.

The Wereling: Wounded, Stephen Cole

Think the series is The Wereling. Book one is Wounded. I think that readers of Twilight would like this one, although it lacks the romance, and readers of Cirque du Freak might like it, even though it comes close to romance and isn't as fantastic. It was certainly a worthy addition to the werewolf genre.

Bad news: Tom falls into a river and is almost killed. Good news: He is rescued by a family who helps him recover. Bad news: They turn him into a werewolf. Good news: He's a wereling, who can keep hold of his humanity and not snack on everyone he meets. Bad news: The werewolves are following him.

Plenty of action, an interesting story line, and a sympathetic teenage werewolf, Kate, who dislikes her mother and helps Tom run away. Bad feeling that it's only in paperback, but I'm getting the series anyway.

Note on the series: There is a second and even a third book, but they could be difficult to find. The Westerville Library has them, but I still don't have the second one at Blendon because it has not been available in a prebind edition. Guess I should buy a used paperback for the students who like this one!

Absolutely could not get into either Moloney's The Book of Lies or Scott's The Alchemyst: the secrest of the immortal Nicholas Flamel. There are so many fantasies out there, and these are fine-- they just didn't have that extra spark that I need in order to buy something for my small collection.

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

Tina Ferraro's first young adult book was great fun. Unabashedly pink on the cover but more serious on the inside, this will be a hugely popular book.

Had to put the cover here because it is so great-- must be same illustrator as the S.A.S.S. books, Jeanine Henderson. (Who very nicely emailed me back and said she did the interior illustrations, and that the covers are done by someone named Zuko.) This illustrator must have read a lot of 1950s teen fiction illustrated by Joe and Beth Krush. The Krushes are my favorite illustrators. Couldn't find much info to share.

Nicolette is dumped right before prom, and left with the perfect dress. She needs something perfect in her world-- her father has left, remarried, and has a two-year-old daughter; her mother is struggling with her job; her best friend is not happy with the budding relationship between her brother and Nicolette. There is still schoolwork and volleyball team to contend with, so keeping all the balls in the air keeps Nicolette busy.

The tone was great-- Nicolette doesn't quite understand why the boy who dumped her and the brother are interested in her. The fact that they are interested in her makes this escapist-- the fact that things don't follow the typical teen romance formula makes the book stronger and more edifying. I cannot wait to see How to Hook a Hottie, which comes out in 2008.

Janet McDonald

Sadly, I just found out that this young author passed away in April.
http://www.projectgirl.com/

Read Harlem Hustle last night. First off, great cover. Kids will pick this up since the colors are vibrant and the picture new-looking and appealing. Second, there was no bad language. Considering the amount of it I've had to read, this is a huge help to me. There's artistic expression, but then there's remembering your audience. The schools are trying to teach children to use more creative words. It would be nice to have help from YA authors.

Harlem has had a less than optimal childhood, but has support from the family of a friend. He is trying to turn his life around after being arrested for shop lifting, but violating probation still has some appeal to him. Some of his friends are trying to get away from life in the projects, and while aspects of this are appealing, there are still things about his life he likes. As a compromise, he writes rap lyrics. I did like that when the grandmother of a girl he likes finds the lyrics offensive, he changes them. This woman also gets him interested in some poetry. There is character development, and a positive message about education.

The book was a little hard to read, going choppily from street lingo to somewhat didactic passages. Also, given the topic of changing one's life, I was looking for a more powerful story, more along the lines of Sharon Draper's work. Still, there is a need for fiction about African American students, and in general, McDonald's work provides mainly positive messages. I will be adding this title, Brother Hood, Chill Wind, Twists and Turns, Spell Bound, and the upcoming Off-Color to my collection this fall.

Lots of books, little computer time

The books I will buy:
Jan Page's Rewind was a great time travel story about a boy in a rock band who goes back in time, after an accident in concert, and meets his own parents when they were in a rock band. Some teen angst, some family mysteries and a fairly believable excuse for time travel makes this a fun book. Two of my three children picked this one up, too.

Anthony Horowitz, author of Stormbreaker and Raven's Gate, has two collection of mystery stories out -- Horowitz Horror and More Horowitz Horror. How did I miss these? Quite good, and psychological thrillers than blood and gore, although there is just enough of that as well.

Not buying (remember, I have a small budget!)
Castelucci- Beige. I liked this one, but it was a bit mature for most of my audience. Had it scrubbed the bad language, I might buy it. A little more Sarah Dessen-like than other books.

Joyce- TWOC (Take without owner's consent)-- Looked promising-- a car on the cover, and about boys who steal cars for joyriding. More about the one boy's mental illness. Almost too British. Just didn't do it. Too mature. Got a random sample of British books this library trip.

Hughes. Open Ice. Okay. I'm trying to get more boy books, but came to the conclusion that more books for boys include 1) foul language and 2) groping girls. **Sigh** In the end, this didn't have enough sports-- it was more about the boy's brain injury.

Shields, Gillian. The Actual Real Reality of Jennifer James. In diary format, sort of like the Louise Rennison, about a British girl whose school is chosen for a reality tv show. Got better as the book progressed, and if I am in desperate need of pink books and have money left, I'll buy it, but it's certainly an optional purchase. Would be wildly popular, just not good for people.

Roter. Camp Rules. Loved Girl in Development by this author-- didn't like Camp Rules because none of the characters were likeable and the whole camp experience didn't even sound like fun. I want to go to camp, but this was not a fun vicarious vacation for me.

McNeal. Decoding of Lana Morris. Quirky Dysfunctional. Again, just didn't quite do it.

Question of the Day-- Time Travel

What would you wear if you were time traveling? This is very important, you know. Several people at my school and I have discussed this at length, but I'm curious as to what other people would choose.

One pink, one science fiction

Michael Daley's Shanghaied to the Moon fills a niche perfectly. Reluctant readers who want science fiction to be a littel more serious than Mackel's rmsCan of Worms or Luzzato's Interplanetary Avenger but can't quite handle Heinlein will appreciate this tale of a disgruntled youth who manages to get himself taken into space-- with interesting results.

Stewart wants to be a space hero like his mother, but since her death in space, his father is reluctant to let him go. When his father takes off on a business trip, Stewart meets a somewhat creepy "spacer" who has repaired an old ship and takes him on an adventure. Sure, there are issues with Stewart's grieving, deep family secrets, and conselours trying to get Stewart to forget him mother and move on, but there are also 3-Vid adventure games, trouble in space, and lots of adventure. Told in an easy-to-read style with plenty of action, this will be perfect for handing to students who have read all of my Star Wars books as well as students who HAVE to read science fiction.

One book I may buy for the cover more than anything else is Heather Vogel Frederick's The Mother-Daughter Book Club. A fairly standard book about the difficulties faced by four average middle school girls and their families, (suddent wealth and alienation from friends, parental expectations at odds with reality, separation from parents) it does at least mention Little Women so many times that girls who pick this up because of the great cover may go on to try that book. The writer grew up in Concord, so there is a lot of loca flavor as well.

Charlie Fletcher's Stoneheart

This is a lengthy (450 pages) fantasy book and will be great for my avid readers who have finished ALLof Orson Scott Card's Enders books by the end of 6th grade.

George has some issues, but these are quickly forgotten when, in a moment of rage, he knocks the head off a dragon statue and life quickly becomes strange. Accompanied by Edie, who can see the spirits of stautes, and an assortment of the statues ("spits", the spirits of the human statues) himself, George is regularly attacked by the "taints" (the spirits of the monster statues) of London, and has himself quite the unwilling, but quite exciting, adventure.

To best read this, have a copy of London A to Z by your side. A lot of the action occurs around the neighborhood of St. Pauls' Cathedral and The Monument, and with the directions in the book, it's easy to follow exactly where the character are going. In a way, it's too bad that pictures of the actual statues are not involved.

This is not an easy read. It's quite complex, with a lot of good versus evil that is not clear cut. (Now I really want to see a picture of the Black Friar.) Still, for fantasy readers, this is good stuff. There has got to be another book on the way, although I don't have the title right now.

After this book and Ursu's The Shadow Thieves, it was a mistake to read Buckley-Archer's Gideon the Cutpurse. The time travel aspect always appeals to me, but a whole lot of time is spent in 1753 London and environs, and is more historical than fantastic. I will recommend that my students get this from the public library, but it's part of a trilogy, and I don't think I'm going to buy it. It was good, but will be hard to get into a wide variety of students' hands. HUGE pet peeve with this one-- the binding will not hold up very well since it is a paper over boards "library binding" but also has a cut out in the front cover which will immediately fall apart.

Anne Ursu's The Shadow Thieves

Loved the voice on this one. Quoted half the first chapter to my daughter, because it was just funny and fresh. Here is an example (from pg 326) of what was so enjoyable: "
Charlotte had never been a particularly fast runner; she always finished in the middle of the pack in school fitness exams. But never during the exams had they used vampires to motivate Charlotte, and if they had, she would have been tops in the whole nation. It's amazing the things you can do when you're really motivated."

Now, this is a BIG book. Four hundred some pages. And it took a while for the whole good-vs-evil fight versus fight with Charlotte and her cousin Zee to get going. Oddly enough, I was having so much fun reading that I didn't mind. It occurred to me about halfway through that fans of Twilight might like this one. I'm not sure why.

Not quite like The Lightning Thief, but a good mythology based reads for girls who want philosophy more than action. There's action-- it just comes later.

It was the voice. Delicious. I loved Charlotte, and the way that Ms. Ursu wrote. I am definitely purchasing this and can't wait for the sequel! (Which I think comes out fairly soon.)

Reluctant Readers

My nine-year-old has decided that all books are boring. This was a shocker. I knew she was starting but not finishing things, but she is a strong reader who polished off Zevin's Elsewhere in an evening.

We made a trip to the library to sign up for the summer reading program and stock up on books. She likes action adventure, spies, and magic (Anthony Horowitz, Lemony Snicket, and J.K. Rowling are her favorites.) She also needed to read biographies for her school. Those, of course, were too boring, at least until we found a biography of Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket.

In general, the best thing for reluctant readers is books that are:

• SHORT
• Fast-paced
• Of interest and
• SHORT

When I needed to read something last night, I looked at my pile and could not bear to pick up any of the very promising two inch thick books. There is a huge sense of accomplishment in finishing a book. Many nonfiction picture books are written on a 5th grade reading level, so those can be very successful for some students.

If you have a reluctant reader, work with the child. Make a trip to the library an event (we had ice cream, too). Listen to what they want to read, not what you think they should. I love Dan Gutman, but his My Weird School series seemed a bit low for my reader.

She finished two of them last night.

Also, ask for professional help! We talked to the librarians, because sometimes other people might have great suggestions, and I wanted my daughter to know that. We took home A Cricket in Times Square, Trumpet of the Swan, and The Trouble With Tuck. We'll see how those go.

In Which I Read An Award Winning Book

Yang's American Born Chinese was on the just returned shelf, so I took it home. Won Printz and American Book honors, I think. Not bad. Graphic novel, included a lot of Chinese mythology as well as modern issues of cultural discrimination. I enjoyed it.

Don't think I"ll buy it. The three intertwined story lines were a bit hard to follow. My 8th grader, who read the whole thing, said she didn't get how the stories came together, so the force of it was lost on her. She's a strong reader, and sometimes the students attracted to graphic novels are not, so I think that there would be a lot of confusion. This would be a good book for a high school class discussion.

Kaslik's Skinny would also be better for high school. The story of one girls' struggle with anorexia includes some questionable material that detracts from the main issue. Also, this is a very well-written and lyrical story, with vivid descriptions and philosophical musings. Just not the thing to fill the need for eating disorders for my middle school girls. Again, confusion would be high.

Theodore Taylor's The Trouble With Tuck was recommended by the Ms. Patti at the public library (hi, everyone!) and is a good selection for students who like books about dogs. A bit introspective, but the larger story about the dog who loses his sight eventually getting a guide dog was touching. THere are always a few 6th graders who want nothing but books about dogs, and I didn't realize that that's what this one was about. Sad note: Taylor died in October of 2006.

The Titan's Curse

If I had read this last installment in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series and put post-it notes at all the good parts (which would have been helpful for this review), I would have cracked the spine. What was so good?

First of all, the action. No introspective navel gazing here, unless it occurs while flying over a desert with a huntress who feels compelled to shoot at all the Target signs. There is character development. They do discuss their place in the larger cosmos. But blessedly briefly, and these necessary bouts are punctuated by attacking monsters and dramatic getaways. Never boring.

Humor would be next. So much, and deliciously off-the-cuff. No trying too hard. It might be the turn of phrase (The boar saying REEEEEET was somehow perfect), or the situation (fighting monsters in the air and space museum), or just pure silliness (when they are at the dam, they want to go to the "dam snack bar" and buy a "dam t-shirt", which is spot-on adolescent humor), but the whole book breezes along with fun.

The mythology is the basis for all of this. The characters receive a prophecy and see it played out, there is a huge problem percolating with the ancient gods, and the teachers, monsters and other mythological characters Percy meets all ring true. Our 7th grade is thinking about purchasing class sets of The Lightning Thief for core novels to augment the mythology unit. There's certainly twists and reinterpretations, but the book would be great as a springboard to discussion. Plus, the children will enjoy reading it. There's a novel thought in assigned reading!

What will happen next? Will Grover find Pan? Will Percy save the universe? Of course. And I can't wait to be there when he does.

Note to Mr. Riordan: If you don't know what to write next, how about a mystery series with a male protagonist that has this same sensibility. There's enough written for adults. Come over to the Young Adult side. We'll take good care of you!

Also read de Guzman's Finding Stinko, which was interesting, but I would have a hard time getting the students to read a book about a selectively mute child who runs away from foster care, finds a ventriloquist's dummy in a trash bin and finds that he can talk when using the dummy. Newboy takes off for Miami, but the plot was vague and depressing while somehow trying to be funny. Similar in some ways to Melonhead. The girls who want depressing books will think this is too humorous, and the boys who want humor and adventure will find it too depressing. Also, having had several foster children in our school this year, I would like something a little more positive about foster care, even though this ultimately is. For another school, this might be great, but I don't see it here.

Other Blogs, other stuff

Vast downside of being a librarian who is forced to also be a media specialist-- all the overhead projectors, televisions, and other AV equipment come home today to be cleaned and repaired. Sigh. Did learn, though, that if you have a DVD player that keeps loading and refuses to play, it might be fixed if you open up the DVD slot and blow into it. Got the dust off the laser or something. To keep myself sane, I always line up the overheads so it looks like they are worshipping their Overhead God.

Thanks to the School Library Journal February 2007 edition, I checked out several other b logs and put the ones that followed the same interests as this one in the "links" section. I must say that I am distressed that I missed the 48 Hour Challenge issued by Mother Reader-- I can't do it next weekend because I am taking a Children's Literature Update so I can renew my teaching certificate. Still, I think it will be fun to do.

It's important to read lots of reviews as well as lots of books, and balance what is presented. I read a review in SLJ of E.E. Richardson's The Devil's Footsteps (my review, March 15, 2006). That reviewer didn't think it was so great. Huh. I have three copies here, and they have not hit the shelves all year long. If students like a book that much, there has to be something to recommend it.

I hope to be better at keeping up this blog this summer-- when I am at home, children look over my should whenever I am on the computer, and it gets wearing. Still, I have a lot of good books to read, so we'll see how well I can keep up.

Romance

The cover of Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler should have told me that this would not be a good companion to The Kingdom Keepers (Pearson, 2005). The glass slipper on the cover should have let me know that this is a romance and not an adventure story.

The characters at Disney are on strike, and teenagers have been brought in to help out. Since they are all bunking at the park, lots of interesting relationships are formed and reformed. The characters develop well, although I'm a little shaky on the plot, but in general I was not expecting a romance and got distracted. Despite the behind-the-scenes information on Disney, which was interesting, this was just not what I expected. I'm just not sure that my romance/pink book fans will pick this up because of the Disney angle, so I will put off purchase unless I am really needing romance books. Quite good for that, but I'm just not sure of an audience.

Don't know where I even heard of The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman (1995) by Louise Plummer, but I requested it from the public library. I knew when I saw the cover that it was not something I could buy because it looked so dated. In fact, the only available copy is in a prebind. This had its moments, but with romance, it's better to go for the new titles. I do worry about some of the good books now, like 13 Little Blue Envelopes, which has the torso of a girl in low rider jeans on the cover. When these go out of fashion, will it prohibit this book from circulating? It's hard to get girls to check out anything with a girl in mall hair, big glasses, and narrow leg jeans on the cover!

I am very sorry that one of the commenters found this review "lame". I try to be polite in my reviews. Perhaps I should have "no one will read this", but I can't prove that, and it is cruel. I think I do "have a clue" as to what I am talking about, and I do my best to convey helpful information about books. At the very least, I try not to cast aspersions on people's character because of what they write, and I always put my name on things and don't post anonymously.

Gauthier's Happy Kid

Okay-- too proud of myself that I got the picture up. Since smiley faces are the theme of my library, I had to read this book! It will be prominently displayed!

The minute I go listing what I hate, I find exceptions. Basically, Happy Kid is introspective navel-gazing. The whole thing. And hysterically funny. In fact, I don't have it here to quote from because I left it on the kitchen counter to pack up and my son ran off with it. (This is an ongoing problem in my house.)

What middle school student doesn't believe that their school is "the gateway to hell"? What mother isn't always annoyingly suggesting something like having a positive attitude? Friends are constantly moving on and getting involved in other activities and leaving someone behind. And the thing that resonated with me most personally-- is it possible to get through middle school and just not be noticed?

Kyle doesn't have a great attitude (after being accused of carrying a weapon while transporting a screwdriver home from shop class-- sorry to ruin the suspense-- who would?), but he's trying to make a go of it. His mother gives him a self help book, and he negotiates to earn a dollar a chapter for reading it. It has an odd (but not unbelievable or overdone) power to open to just the chapter he needs to deal with the problems he is facing on any given day.

Kyle doesn't think he changes his attitude that much, but the readers can tell that he is making strides in becoming more successful in middle school. Standardized testing takes a ribbing, and while the situation about test ethics isn't fully resolved, I don't quite expect it to be. There's also the problem of a "bad kid" who wants to befriend him-- this could have been more fully explored, but there was too much other stuff going on.

I would not mind at all if there was a sequel. I can see the cover now...

Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes' Mysteries

The thing that struck me most about The Case of the Left-Handed Lady and it's predecessor, The Case of the Missing Marquess, was how exquisitely well-written it was. This is not a surprise-- the first couple of pages of this author's Rowan Hood are among the few lines that I will read to students to get them hooked. The details of Enola Holmes' life are well-described and so interesting that I had to think this morning "Wait, there was a very good plot, too!"

Enola, age 14, separated from her forward thinking (for 1889) mother and loath to return to the care of her brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes for fear that they will make her become a cosseted and over-protected "lady", has established a life for herself in London. She has a detective agency, and is soon embroiled in a case to find a girl not much older than herself, while trying to avoid her brother Sherlock, who is never far away. This is a good picture of the social differences in English society at the time, and as I said, vividly done. You could feel the sooty smog settling on your shoulders.

Good book. I am currently trying to locate a copy of this author's Blood Trail to read.

The only trouble Enola will have circulating is the somewhat odd historical period. Still, mysteries are always needed, strong female characters are wanted by girls, and any fan of Rowan Hood will be glad to pick these up. The book is attractively packaged, as well, and a fun small size. The girls who turn up their noses at the pink and glitter heft of Jaffe's Bad Kitty (another mystery, good but quite different) will love this.

My one complaint: it's "needs must". (Pg. 7, "a scientist must needs be a man"). Oh, okay, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English says they can be used interchangeably, but anyone who has spent a lot of time reading Latin translations done in the 1880s knows that it's "needs must". What? Middle school students won't notice?

Well Done Dialect-- Rick Riordan Rules

After my rant yesterday, I finally got a copy of Rick Riordan's The Titan's Curse in my hand (every time I tried to take it home, a student wanted it). I was greatly enjoying it, when I came across this section (Thanks to the Penguin Australia web site for having this!http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?SBN=9780141382906&Page=Extract)

"'Ha!' the man snapped, which made me jump. 'Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be eee jected!'
He had an accent – French, maybe. He pronounced his J like in Jacques. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colours – one brown, one blue – like an alley cat's. "

The rest of this man's dialogue was slightly stilted, but just that small description and the one word made me imagine that everything he said sounded like Pepe Le Pew. In fact, my children and I cracked up and spent a long time speaking in terrible French accents ("If you do not return zee overdue librarEE boooks, I vill zing on ze morning announzements and you vill pray for death!"); unfortunately, while I was doing that, one of my children snuck off with the book and refuses to relinguish it. Drat. Riordan also hints at Zoe Nightshade's accent, saying that she talks like someone out of an old book, and using "thy" just a few times. Perfect. Now, in my mind, I know what she sounds like.

Sports and History

Our 8th graders just finished up a historical fiction project, and I've helped so many of them with it that it took a bit out of Ann Rinaldi's The Color of Fire. THere are always lots of facts in Rinaldi's books, but they kept distracting me. "Oh, the War of Jenkins' Ear. True or false?" (The students had to find information in the books and then check out the veracity of it.) An odd historical setting (slavery in New York in 1741) didn't help, nor did the fact that I thought the Quilt Trilogy, Wolf by the Ears, Or Give Me Death, and Sarah's Ground were utterly brilliant. This was good, but I was expecting more.

If Jeff Rud wrote 70 more books like In the Paint, I would buy them ALL.This was perfect for the boys who like sports. Lots of play-by-play sports, a simple but important personal message, and clear, direct writing made this very enjoyable. Having made the basketball team, Matt is thrilled, even though two of his good friends don't. One night, hanging out with a team mate, he participates in an unfortunate activity. Struggling with what to do when he doesn't get caught, Matt consults his brother and friend, and makes a good choice. Still, this has some negative effects on the team and his personal safety. Almost preachy but never quite going too far, this is just an all around excellent book. The small size is nice-- it is deceptively long. My only problem was that Orca books must publish paperbacks only, and the hard binding on this has made the margins really small. Still, I just placed High and Inside and First and Ten (both in the South Side Sports series) on my list to purchase in the fall.

Things I Hate

Ronni wanted to know what "introspective navel-gazing" was. I thought I had given my list of things in books that I really, really dislike (by way of explaining why I may damn some books with faint praise), but must not have. So, here it is. I will never be wild about any books that include:

1. Talking animals. Sorry, Bryan Jacques. I have trouble with this.
2. Dialects. It's hard to do this well. Again, apologies about Redwall.
3. Quirky, dysfunctional people. Children never ask for this, and these are the books that always win Newbery awards. One exception: So B. It by Sarah Weeks.
4. Southern Books. Too often they combine 2 and 3. If they don't, they're okay.
5. Introspective navel-gazing. Again, this wins awards. Any time the main character spends way too much time contemplating their place in the universe, it makes for boring reading. Even if I like it (big fan of Jane Eyre), it's hard to get students to read it.
6. Obscenity. Don't care if it's realistic. We don't let the children swear at school. They don't need to read words they would get suspended for saying.
7. Blood and Gore. Students love this, so this is entirely personal. I'd prefer a good psychological thriller. Rarely done well.

Needless to say, if anyone ever writes a novel in verse about cursing, psychopathic serial killer bunnies who live in Alabama and spend a lot of time discussing their tortured childhoods, I won't buy it.

Books for boys

Number one professional failing-- I don't read Booklist or School Library Journal as I should. Maybe just as well. When I was plowing through I stack that I checked out of the library, I came across a letter to the editor that said that since school librarians have girl-centered collections and don't know what boys want, it'sno wonder boys don't like to read.

I've felt bad for days, even though I really do try to get literature that appeals to boys. This spring, I had an entire order that was sports and war books. I do ask all of my students what they are looking for, and try my best to fill it. However, there are not as many boy books published. And yes, as much as I hate to admit it, there is a difference.

There are many more girls who will check out a book a day. There is much more demand for "pink" books. Girls also seem to care more about whether or not something is new. Other than that, girls will read a wide variety of things, including books with boys on the covers.

Not so with boys. They tend to be particular about what they want even if they have trouble verbalizing it. They more often comment "I just don't like to read." In fact, it is often the case that they don't know what to read.

What they don't like: Any book that looks "girly". Tried to check out Tell it to Naomi to a boy who would not read it-- pink and yellow cover. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons had a following of boys this year on the strength of "Well, Johnny read it and liked it." Introspective navel-gazing doesn't go over too well. Problem novels are not wanted until 8th grade.

What they do like:
Sports, especially basketball and football. Could check out a ton of skateboarding books if they weren't "stupid". Rebound, Airball, anything Rich Wallace, Will Weaver, Matt Christopher, Carl Deuker(can NOT wait for Gym Candy), Thomas Dygard, Dan Gutman, Alfred Slote.
Spy novels. Stormbreaker, Spy High, Jimmy Coates and even Higson's Young James Bond series are never on the shelf.
Comedy. There have been a lot of new more mature titles lately. Sure, they love Captain Underpants and The Day My Butt Went Psycho-- in 6th grade. What they want later is books like How to Get Suspended and Influence People, Drawing a Blank, Girls, Drums and Dangerous Pie. Some older titles, such as The Great Brain and Henry Reed are okay, too. And the funniest book in the library: Michael Lawrence's Jiggy McCue and the Killer Underpants. We want the rest of the series available in the US!
Romance. Oddly enough. Soooo few titles. 24 Girls in 7 Days, Son of the Mob, The Girlfriend Project, Notes from the Midnight Driver.
War. WWII and Vietnam, primarily.
Horror. Vampires, werewolves, general mayhem. Cirque du Freak, Werewolf Rising, The Black Tattoo, William Sleator and Neal Shusterman's works.
Fantasy. Die-hard fans will read just about anything. New favorites: Everlost, Fablehaven, Endymion Spring, the John Flanagan Gorlan series, Revenge of the Witch, The Time Warp Trio , Mel Odom's fabulous The Rover and Rick Riordan's superb Percy Jackson series.
History. This has to be recommended. While they won't ask for historical books, ones that combine some of the elements from above will be avidly read. Pankration, Odysseus and the Serpent Maze, Into the Firestorm, The Smugglers, Prince Across the Water. Joshua's Song, Jason's Gold, Ship of Fire and other great Cadnum titles.

Now, you must check out guysread.com. Be patient with the time it takes to load. Dav Pilkey also has a marvelous web site.

Okay. I feel a little better. Of course, what did I read last night? Dessen's That Summer, which struck me as rather classic in its delivery and very smoothly written. It was like an adult read, without anything objectionable. A little navel-gazing, but in an interesting, coming-of-age way. Don't know how I missed it. Also Rallison's Love, Life and the Pursuit of Free Throws, which was a very intriguing book about two girls who play basketball, and how they wind their way through the jungle that is high school. Enjoyed both, but they are for girls. Sigh.

Maybe for other schools

Spencer's Saving Grace was a good examination of one girl's attempts to deal with her brother's death in an accident. She doesn't deal well at first-- alienating her friends, hanging with a fast crowd, drinking (effective in some ways to dull the pain-- the second book in two days I've read to treat drinking this way), and failing in school. When her mother helps to organize a concert as a memorial to the brother, she first wigs out and then seems to do better. The part that failed for me was that there was a girl who seemed to know when Grace was coming unglued and was there for her. Was she an angel? There was too much emphasis on God for my library; this would be better for a religious school.

Laura Ruby's Good Girls would be better for a high school. There was far too much implied sex in this book, and the 6th graders would be the one to pick it up for the cool cover (picture on front changes from picture of girl to title). For high schools, it would be a good story about how small actions can have big consequences. And the drinking again. Must make sure to smell my daughter's breath every time she comes home from high school!

Did finish Trickster's Queen. It's obvious that Pierce has spent 20 years with these characters and that they are fully formed in her mind. I wish I had more time to spend on these.

Aimee Ferris' Girl Overboard was another fun read in the Students Across the Seven Seas series. And I must say, as much as I like S.A.S.S. for the vicarious travel experience, many of them are a bit whiny. Girl Overboard truly was my favorite, because she had a real reason for traveling and missing her boyfriend was the only whiny part. I need to see if this author has done anything else. Very promising. More travel!!!!Smart thing from the public library that I should have figured out on my own-- shelve them all under "F Sas" instead of the separate authors. Sorry, separate authors-- they are far easier to find when altogether, not that they usually make it to the shelves. The girls love them.

Secret Agent by Robyn Freedman Spizman & Mark Johnston didn't quite do it for me. There was something about the staccato delivery of it that was distracting to me. I tested it on some students who just didn't get into it, either. There is not much agenting going on, and I'm afraid I would have a lot of disappointed boys.

Drinking and girls

Catherine Ryan Hyde's The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance is going to be very popular with my 7th grade girls who want problem novels. Cynee's mother is an alcoholic, and finds it hard to take care of Cynee's brother Bill, who has Down's Syndrome. Finally unable to cope (and because a boyfriend indicates that the children make her less desirable), the mother sends Bill off to live with a grandmother, leaving Cynee lonely and hurting. To cope, she uses the only mechanism she has seen modeled-- drinking. Eventually, this causes problems for her (although not as many as you would think) at school, and when she choses to drive under the influence, bigger problems that put her on probation and into AA. Her recovery is difficult but believably drawn.

Robin Friedman's The Girlfriend Project was a nice respite from the gloom of the first book (which does head towards redemption in the end. Reed has spent his high school years as a spectacled geek, but matures over the summer and starts his senior year as a "hottie". Confused about the attention he recieves from girls who previously scorned him, he attempts dating with mixed success. I loved the descriptions of his attempts to talk to girls; this will make 8th grader boys who are just starting to notice girls feel much better about their own discomfort. The blue cover is not girly, and the high school setting does not descend into foul language, excessive substance abuse (there is some beer drinking, but it's painted in an unflattering light), or rampant sexuality (there's some kissing). Reed begins to realize that looks aren't everything, which was a nice message, but also that sometimes what you think you want for really good reasons just doesn't work out. Along with Bradley's 24 Girls in 7 Days, this is a great read for reluctant boys who secretly want to read romance books and just don't want to admit it!

Scholastic Candy Apple Books

Well, these will never will an award (always a plus in my book!), but are very promising. My daughter bought one with a gift card, and I must admit that my expectations for The Accidental Cheerleader by McCoy were not high. Aggressively pink, and only available in paperback, but very good.

Sophie and her friend do everything together, but when Sophie makes the cheerleading squad and Kylie only gets to be the mascot, can their friendship survive? I liked Sophie a lot-- she was very practical, but had concerns typical to 7th grade. How much should she change to fit in with the crowd? How should she dress? Is being a cheerleader about supporting the team or being popular? Easy to read but not dumbed down, this will fly off the shelves. The other titles I need to look more closely at are Dower's The Boy Next Door (ah, but can it be as good as the Betty Cavanna of the same title?), Sedita's Miss Popularity and Papademetriou's How to be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days.

More Celia Rees

Read Sorceress and am looking forward now to Pirates. Both Witch Child and Sorceress are oddly popular with girls who don't normally like historical fiction.

This book continues the story of Mary, who left England after being pursued as a witch. Her problems continued in the new world. We pick up with her after she is forced to flee her settlement and meets up with a Native American man who saves her and with whom she eventually flees to Canada and has children.

Really enjoyed this. The only thing that was vaguely annoying was the pseudodocumentary style-- the story is told from the point of view of a girl who contacted the woman who researched the first novel. This was an unnecessary artifice, although part of the appeal to girls may be the flashbacks that this girl has-- visions of her ancestor. I just liked the historical story!

Generally sad books.

Doug Wilhelm's book Falling is more suitable to high school collections. More language and drug situations than I would want.

Maureen Johnson's The Keys to the Golden Firebird was much sadder than I thought it would be. After 13 Little Blue Envelopes and Devilish, it was a surprise. It read more like Sarah Dessen. The cover is so pretty, and the title so optimistic, that it was a bit of a shock. Mayzie's father dies, and her family slowly self-destructs. Mother becomes a nonentity, oldest sister turns to alchohol and unsuitable boyfriend, youngest sister is generally unhappy and withdrawn, and Mayzie herself has an unsatisfactory relationship with the boy next door. They all slog along the best they can, which isn't very well. Good book, but I wasn't expecting the sadness.

A little happier was Rallison's It's a Mall World After All. A little sad in a way, since the main character kept goofing up her relationship with the boy she liked. Actually, this reminded me a bit of the Anne Emery or Rosamund du Jardin books from the 1950's. Just fewer saddle shoes.

Child abuse

Again, this is something that 7th grade girls are particularly interested in, so I do indeed have a list of books. I will add to this Gretchen Olson's Call Me Hope. The title character is a victim of intense verbal abuse from her mother, but with the help of school and friends, manages to learn to stand up to her mother and gets help for her family. A bit didactic at times, this has a place in most collections, and is certainly more optimistic than many.

Here's the list of what I have in my library. When I first printed this list, every book on here got checked out. Titles in all capitals are accelerated reader titles.

Alphin, Marie. Counterfeit Son.
When serial killer Hank Miller is killed in a shoot-out with police, his abused son Cameron adopts the identity of one of his father's victims in order to find a better life.

Barr, Linda. I Won’t Let Them Hurt You.

Byars, Betsy.CRACKER JACKSON.
After attempting to save his ex-babysitter from wife abuse, Cracker Jackson gains an adult insight into the sadness of failed heroics.

Coman, Carolyn. WHAT JAMIE SAW.
A 9 year old boy flees his home after his mother's boyfriend tries to throw his baby sister agtainst a wall and encounters manydifficulties

Conrad, Pam. HOLDING ME HERE.
Fourteen-year-old Robin tries to patch up the broken home of a battered wife and in the process discovers how deeply she's been hurt by the divorce of her own parents.

Deans, Sis Boulos.Racing the Past.
After the death of his abusive father, eleven-year-old Ricky tries to help his younger brother deal with his residual fears and discovers that running helps him deal with his own anger and the taunts of a bullying classmate.

Draper, Sharon M. FORGED BY FIRE
Teenage Gerald, who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, faces the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved.

Flinn, Alex.Nothing to Lose.
A year after running away with a traveling carnival to escape his unbearable home life, sixteen-year-old Michael returns to Miami, Florida, to find that his mother is going on trial for the murder of his abusive stepfather.

Griffin, Peni R. Vikki Vanishes.
Her habit of lying to her mother and older sister Vikki makes it hard for Nikki to convince people that Vikki's recently returned father is responsible for her disappearance.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey.

Hahn, Mary Downing.DAPHNE'S BOOK.
Jessica and artist Daphne collaborate on a picture book for a seventh-grade English class contest, Jessica becomes aware of conditions in Daphne's home life that seem to threaten her health and safety.

Harmon, Michael B. Skate.

Hawes, Louise.WAITING FOR CHRISTOPHER.
A girl watches a toddler being abused both physically and verbally. When his mother follows through on a threat to abandon him, she takes him home.

Henry, April.Shock Point.
Fifteen-year-old Cassie Streng is determined to expose her stepfather after learning that he is giving a dangerous experimental drug to his teenaged psychiatric patients, but he sends her to a boot camp for troubled teens in Mexico in order to keep her quiet.

Hoban, Julia. Acting Normal.
Having had a nervous breakdown brought on by repressed memories unearthed in her acting class, 18-year-old Stephanie tries to recover and resume a normal life.

Klass, David.You Don’t Know Me.
John creates alternative realities in his mind as he tries to deal with his mother's abusive boyfriend, his crush on a beautiful, but shallow classmate and other problems at school.

Konigsberg, E.L.SILENT TO THE BONE.
When he is wrongly accused of injuring his baby sister, Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend can help him.

Mazer, Norma Fox.OUT OF CONTROL.
After joining his two best friends in a spontaneous attack on a girl at their school, sixteen-year-old Rollo finds that his life is changed forever.

McAllister, Margaret. Hold my hand and run .
Abused and beaten by their villainous aunt, Kazy and her sister run away. Their father has been too distracted by to notice how his sister mistreats his daughters.

Miklowitz, Gloria. Past Forgiving
Fifteen-year-old Alexandra finds that her boyfriend Cliff demands all her time, isolates her by his jealousy, and finally becomes physically abusive.

Miklowitz, Gloria. Secrets Not Meant to be Kept.
Her three-year-old sister's changing behavior unleashes many long-surpressed disturbing memories from Adrienne's own days at a highly respected local preschool.

Roberts, Willo Davis.DON'T HURT LAURIE!
Laurie is physically abused by her mother. Can she escape? Will anyone believe her story?

Rottman, S.L. HERO.
After years of abuse from his mother and neglect from his father, a is headed for trouble when he is sent to a community service farm.

Shaw, Susan.Boy from the Basement. (Also, Blackeyed Susie)
Charlie, who has been confined to his basement by his abusive, psychotic father, is accidentally locked out after sneaking outside one night, and ends up in the hospital where he gets the attention he needs and a new start in life.

Smith, Marya. Winter-broken.
Abused by an alcoholic father, twelve-year-old, withdrawn and timid, Dawn finds friendship and love in a sympathetic farmer and his beautiful horse Wildfire.

Vries, Anke de . Bruises.
While living in Holland, Michael meets Judith, who is frightened, bullied and beaten by her mother and blames herself for the abuse she is enduring.

Werlin, Nancy. Rules of Survival.

Williams, Carol Lynch.THE TRUE COLORS OF CAITLYNNE JACKSON
A 12 year old girl & her younger sister must fend for themselves when their abusive mother storms out of the house with a suitcase and doesn't come back.

Woolverton, Linda
Running before the wind—A girl finds running to be her only outlet for her feelings of love & hate for her abusive father, particularly after his sudden death.

Massive by Julia Bell

Had to interlibrary loan this from Walsh College or somewhere like that, but it was worth the wait. The story of a 14 year old girl whose mother is anorexic and dysfunctional, this book takes us very effectively to London and Manchester. Having been to the Elephant and Castle in London, the description of the shopping center where the girl's aunt works was so accurate that I felt I was back there.

The emphasis on food, or the lack of food, was painfully depicted. Eventually, to deal with her own life, (mother moves her away from friends and stepfather, is never home, introduces her to her birth father who is less than wholesome and grandmother who has a dysfunctional relationship with food as well-- she eats too mcuh) the girl starts to throw up everything she eats. While the ending was unresolved (except for some symbolic torturing of Barbie dolls), there is the feeling that the girl will get better. There are doubts about her mother.

A few bad words, but not until page 72, and used with discretion. This is such a good portrayal of problems with dieting that it is worth it. Only downside-- available only in Simon Pulse paperback.

Here there are dragons

Ann Downer's The Dragon of Never-Was (Sequel to Hatching Magic) was quite fun. It continues the tale of Theodosia Oglethorpe (say it a couple of times-- great name!) and budding and somewhat unwilling wizard who goes to Scotland to help her professor father investigate a dragon's scale. Adventures abound, and the depiction of the Scottish countryside is pleasant without throwing in tons of dialect. Things move quickly and make sense if you pay attention.

The thing that I liked about this that was missing in The Dragon's Eye was the freshness. There were some very clever moments, but they weren't overplayed, such as this one (p.217): "With the sound of the dragon's sneeze came a smell of burnt sugar, and Merlin set down his crossword to go see what had happened."

He found the dragon in the kitchen, standing over the upturned sugar bowl, wearing a sticky mask and a hood of hardening caramel.

"So that's what happens when you sneeze on the sugar bowl," Merlin said, laughing. "Dragon brulee."

This is a good time to list a lot of dragon books. More are coming out all the time. Thought I had more.

Bradshaw, Gillian. The Dragon and the Thief
Coville, Bruce. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher; The Dragonslayers
Cowell, Cressida. How to Train Your Dragon (series)
McCaffrey, Anne. Just about anything!
Paolini, Christopher. Eragon and Eldest
Wrede, Patricia. Dealing with Dragons
Yep,Laurence. Dragon of the Lost Sea
Yolen, Jane. Dragon's Blood (series)

Girl of the Moment

Lizbeth Zindel's book has a fabulous cover, reminiscent of those folders we could buy in middle school that one was supposed to color in with markers. And the premise is great-- girl interns for summer with famous starlet. Similar to Calonita's Secrets of my Hollywood Life or Douglas' Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet.

I was a little disappointed, though. I didn't like the main character. I didn't like most of the characters, except maybe the dog. This is the sort of thing that kills a book for me. (It's why I didn't like Artemis Fowl.) There wasn't anything wrong with the book, but it just wasn't as good as I had hoped. Still, it is a first effort, and I will hope for better things to come!

Imitate the Tiger

Cheripko's book about a football player with alchohol abuse issues was better than I had hoped, since I bought it in a panic to fill a need for football books without reading it. Moves quickly, has some good lessons, but has enough action and mayhem to appeal to students. Plus enough football. I now have a paper back copy as well.

Will Shakespeare

Enjoyed Carolyn Meyer's Loving Will Shakespeare. A lot of good details about life during those times, and just a generally interesting love story. This author has a very popular series of books on princesses of the past as well.

Still haven't read Rosemary Sisson's Will in Love all the way through. Same topic, different style, and a few years worth of dust. Maybe now that I have some background, it will be interesting.
5/29-- Not liking that in Sisson's book, they are desperately in love and situations work against them. I thought that the Meyer book was a good guess at how a girl seven years older ended up marrying Shakespeare. It follows her failed relationships, including one with a man who dies. They liked each other well enough, but in the end, he went to London to pursue fame and fortune and left her at home. It worked for me, whereas Sisson's has too much of that Star Crossed Lover aspect. Middle school girls, however, love that, so I think I will keep it around for those who really like Shakespeare.

Also about Shakespeare and/or his times: Blackwood's The Shakespeare Stealer series, Cheaney's The True Prince, Cooper's King of the Shadows. Thought I had more, for some reason!

Dugald Steer's The Dragon's Eye

This title was a perfectly fine read. It is number one in a series that I'm sure will be extensive. Reading it with Dragonology and The Dragonology Handbook would have probably been helpful.

Two children get sent to visit Dr. Drake, dragonologist, because their parents can't make it back from India, 1880ish. They learn about dragons, help solve a mystery, and fight villians. Fairly standard stuff for fantasies. My son declined reading it for reasons unknown.

Sorry to damn with faint praise, but this book reads like it was written by a committee. Or Candlewick gave an outline of the entire series to an author and told him to write. It ties into the other books very heavily. I'm curious to see if there is a Pirateology or Egytology series.

Not bad but not buying

Silberberg. Pond Scum. Talking insects and unpleasant characters. Pulling wings off flies. That said, my son enjoyed it.

O'Dell. Agnes, Parker, Girl in Progress. Too young.

Budhos. Ask Me No Questions. Intriguing, but can't think of anyone who would read it.

Rinaldi. An Unlikely Friendship. Need more fabulous Civil War books; this was serviceable.

Shusterman. The Schwa was Here. Second try. Just didn't grab me.

Will buy Avi's A Book Without Words. Good cover, nice length for a fantasy, and it's hard to go wrong reanimating the dead.

Three really good books.

Had to Interlibrary Loan Janet Tasjian's Fault Lines, but I think the public library should buy a copy. The main character is a budding stand up comedian, which is fun, but she is also sinking deeper into a relationship with a boy who is abusive. His perspective is also shown, which is interesting. This author also has the wonderful The Gospel According to Larry and Multiple Choice. All good to have.

Liking Alice Mead. She's done good war novels (Adem's War, Dusk to Dawn), and Soldier Mom is an interesting account of how one girl's mother deployment to Desert Storm affects her life. Some whining involved, but that is certainly realistic.

Best book of the whole weekend was Ben Mikaelsen's Sparrow Hawk Red (1993). While this stretches the boundaries of credulity, what 13 year old isn't going to like the fact that the boy runs away to Mexico to steal a plane from international drug dealers and fly it home? Well researched, with lots of good details about what life is like for street children, plus lots of adventure. This author's Touching Spirit Bear is also very good.

Could not get into

Peter Moore's Blind Sighted was good, but more for a high school sensibility. Not language or anything, just more mature concerns.

Sara Ryan's The Rules for Hearts was the same, but with saltier language.

Robert Newton's Runner was one of those indefinably odd historical novels-- 1919 Australia. I think children would get this confused with Carl Deuker's Runner (which is an awesome book) and would be disappointed.

Considering that my list for purchasing books for next year uses about 90% of my budget, I need to find more books this summer that I don't like than that I do!

More racial identity

Patricia McKissack's A Friendship for Today was exactly what I was looking for! This semi-autobiographical novel not only covers a young girl's experience with being one of the few blacks in a school that was being integrated, but also discusses her best friend's struggle with polio and her parents' divorce. Some of the characters are really nasty, but some are good-- it was a well-balanced novel. A good addition.

Nikki Grime's The Road to Paris was also good; contemporary, about a biracial girl in foster care. For an essentially philosophical novel (one's place in the world), it read quickly. We rae seeing more and more students in foster care, and this would be a good book to help explain it to our students who have no idea what that would be like.

Brenda Woods' The Red Rose Box was another historical novel, set in 1953, and gave an interesting description of the differences in the ways of life for blacks in the south and in the north during that time. What I liked most was that it was such a nice novel about a young girl growing up. A lot of good details about life in general during this time period.

Not quite as sure about Sheila Moses' The Legend of Buddy Bush. Mainly about a black girl's uncle who is accused of accosting a white girl, there is too much other stuff going on, and not enough about the uncle. Just somehow didn't strike the right note, but wasn't altogether bad. Will keep it under consideration.

Walter Dean Myer's Harlem Summer would probably make a good accompaniment to Curtis' Bud not Buddy and Levine's Dave at Night. I wasn't quite getting it (the appearacne of Fats Waller and Dutch Schulz somehow threw me) but I think the boys will like it. Students will read just about anything that Myers writes.

Racial Identity

Picked up Beverly Daniel Tatum's "Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" because I had seen a student carrying it around. What I took away from it, in one sentence, was that middle school students are trying to figure out who they are, and for black students, it often means hanging around with other black students because their white friends don't understand the challenges that come with race.

I've been trying to find books with black characters (and Tatum does use the term black), but it's hard. So many of the books are about inner city children struggling with gangs and drugs, and certainly a lot of my students like to read that sort of thing. Still, if children want to read books about children like themselves, where are the books about suburban black children wanting to find their identity?

Philana MarieBoles' Little Divas was especially good, because it had characters that were black, but the whole book was not about that fact. I guess what I want is a black Henry Huggins.

Janet McDonald's Brother Hood was good because it addressed the dicotomy of a boy who is from the inner city but who goes to a private school. He has two personas, and struggles with when to be which person. I am going to have to read McDonald's works again-- Tatum's book brought up the thought-- do I just not like these books because I am not familiar with the black characters? Are these books my students need to help them decide who they are and where they fit in the world?

Walter Dean Myers' Handbook for Boys: A Novel also addresses the issue of making choices. It is unabashedly preachy. Two inner city boys who made some bad choices get sentenced to community service in a barber shop where the elderly men mentor them and getting a good education and making good choices. If I can get children to read this all the way through, they might take something from it.

I'm also going to reread Christopher Paul Curtis' Bucking the Sarge. I thought the grandmother was described in very negative, stereotypical ways, but the boy in it was trying to distance himself from her, so it was about establishing identity.

What I am really looking for, though, is books with black characters just living their lives. Maybe this is what students need. Clearly, if students are trying to establish their identity, books would help. But, like Tatum pointed out, it's hard to start conversations about race.

Also read Hughes' Lemonade Mouth, which looks really fun but didn't pull me in. Oddly wordy, and nothing happened. The back cover describes Hughes' other book, I am the Wallpaper, as quirky. Seeking a second opinion, I gave it to my son (who loves comedic realistic fiction), and he couldn't get into it either.

The Teflon Effect

Sometimes, I read a book, and my eyes start at the top of the page and then are suddenly on the bottom, having stuck to none of the words. The worst culprit of this was Terry Brooks Shanara series. Too high a fantasy for me. I won't claim I read them all, but I did turn every page.

This often happens to students, too, and when it does, you can imagine what it does to their comprehension. There needs to be some action on the page, something that captures their attention. This is why navel-gazing quirky dysfunctional award winners are not sought out by my students.

That said, I think that Jerry Spinelli's latest effort, Eggs, will win many awards because it is a finely crafted, introspective tale about a boy who is being raised by his grandmother because his mother has died, and a girl named Primrose who lives with her pychic consultant mother. And they... and that's where I lost interest. I did like the cover a lot, but the students I waved it at during the day were not intrigued. They thought it was going to be nonfiction. About eggs. Not a selling point.

I've been reading a fair amount of Ann Rinaldi lately, and really liking it, which is why I was so surprised to be disappointed by Come Juneteenth.There is a warning box on the back cover that states "WARNING: This is a historical novel. Read at your own risk. The writer feels it necessary to alert you to the fact that you might enjoy it." This is akin to the eye doctor telling my child that she was AFRAID my daughter would need glasses. No. You GET to wear glasses, and there is nothing wrong with historical novels. You get to find out that people are people no matter when they live, and you get to learn cool stuff about history. The biggest problem with this book was that I couldn't connect to the characters, which made me feel bad when I read the notes at the end where Ms. Rinaldi said that she liked these characters best of the one's about which she has written. Perhaps that was the problem. They were too real to her and therefore hard to capture on the page.

Summer Reading, Part One (For Parents)

I hope to get lists posted soon of particularly good books, but here is my first round of hints about how to keep students reading over the summer:

1. Make sure they have their own library card. This is good for school projects, too.

2. Take them to the library!

3. Have them talk to librarians about recommendations.

4. Read yourself. Consider reading aloud your favorite middle school title.

Woman's Day and Scholastic put out a nice article on summer reading that includes the following information:

1. Most children start losing interest in reading at age 8.
2. The number one reason children don't read more is that they can't find books they want to read, and need help finding things.
3. Children read more when it isn't stressful. Praise them. Make it fun. My daughter spent the summer after second grade reading nothing but I Can Read and Captain Underpants books, but she would read them ten at a time, and raised her reading level about three grades. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT make your child read War and Peace because it is "at his grade level".

4. Children should read about four books over three months to maintain their abilities. This seems like a very small number to me.

For the parents at my school, Book Fair will be May 31 and June 1. I'll be glad to recommend books that your children will like over the summer!

Greek and Roman Reading

While Druitt's Corydon series didn't quite do it for me (I wanted more Lightning Thief, which was unreasonable), I gave it to one of my students, and he said that while it was odd and different, he liked it. It will be one of those books that gets mixed reviews (Shusterman's Full Tilt is either loved or hated), but certainly has a place in the collection considering the 7th grade curriculum's emphasis on Ancient Greece and Rome. Will buy, and perhaps invest in the Accelerated Reader test to get a few more readers.

Here's a list of titles that are popular: (Updated 5/14/2008)

Rome:
Banks, Lynn Read. Tiger, Tiger (2005)
Barrett, Tracy. On Etruscan Time (2005)
Denenberg, Barry. Atticus of Rome (2004)
Dillon, Ellis. The Shadow of Vesuvius (1977)
Lawrence, Caroline. Roman Mysteries Series *****
Ray, Mary. Ides of April (1974)
Rubalcaba, Jill. The Wadget Eye (200) *****
Scieszka, Jon. See you later, gladiator (2000)
Winterfeld, Henry. Detectives in Togas (1956)


Greece:
Cooney, Caroline B. Goddess of Yesterday (2002) *****
Denenberg, Barry. Pandora of Athens
Fleischman, Paul. Dateline: Troy (1996)
Ford, Michael. The Fire of Ares (2008) series.
Galloway, Patricia. Aleta and the Queen
The Courtesan's Daughter
My Hero Hercules
Gates, Doris. A Fair Wind for Troy
Mightiest of Heroes, Hercules
Two Queens of Heaven (1976)
Geras, Adele. Troy. (also Ithaka, which was not as good)
Goode, Caroline. Cupidity (2008) (Modern, but with gods.)
Hennessey, Caroline. Pandora Gets Jealous (2008) series
Johnson, Dorothy. Farewell to Troy (1964)
Witch Princess
Kindl, Patrice. Lost in the Labyrinth (1992)
Marsh, Katherine. The Night Tourist (2008) Modern, but with mythology.
McClaren, Clemence. Aphrodite's Blessings (2002)
Behind the Walls of Troy
Waiting for Odysseus
McMullan, Kate. Have a Hot Time, Hades (SERIES)
Napoli, Donna Jo. Sirena (1998) *****
The Great God Pan (2003)
Osborne, Mary Pope. Retelling of Odysseus
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief (2005)SERIES *****
Roberts, Katherine. I am the Great Horse (2006)
Spinner, Stephanie. Quiver
Quicksilver
Yolen, Jane and Richard Harris. *****
Atalanta and the Arcadian Beast(2003)
Jason and the Gorgon's Blood
Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons
Odysseus and the Serpent Maze (2001)

There are certainly more, and as a former Latin teacher I am always on the lookout for additional titles.

Not so much.

Books that just did not meet the needs of my collection:
Wlater Mosley's 47. Too much fantasy to be considered historical, too much history for fantasy.


Christian Burch's The Manny Files. Good idea, too young for my students.

Tobias Druitt's Corydon and the Island of Monster and Corydon and the Fall of Atlantis. I may reconsider these, since they are heavily historical/mythological, but they didn't grab me. I will try the students who really like The Lightning Thief, and see what they say.

Also read a book about a tv addicted mother who was trying to raise a tv free child. Too much whining for me. It's not that hard to limit screen time. My own children watch very little, but then they read a lot.

Why Have the Books Stopped Circulating?

In my trek through the fiction, I came across Zoa Sherburne's Why Have the Birds Stopped Singing(1974). While it circulated frequently for ten years, it hasn't been off the shelf in 20. What happened? In this case, it might well be due to the fact that the dust jacket fell off and it is sitting in its unappealing yellow underwear. It's a decent enough tale of an epileptic girl who has seizure and goes back in time to live an ancestor's life. I may keep it because I have fond memories of the author's Girl in the Mirror, but at some point, if no one will check it out, it must go.

Kate Morgenroth, who wrote the fabulous Jude, replied to the circulation card with a lovely letter and a copy of Echo, her latest. Very kind of her, but while Echo was very riveting, I think the language makes it more appropriate for grades 9 and up. Of course, as a student reminded me yesterday, Jude has some bad language and that was what was part of what made it GOOD. Of course, I have to then look very disapproving-- It's the Blume Principle. I would never have wanted to read Forever unless it was forbidden!

Sean Beaudoin, Going Nowhere Faster

For the sake of all my boys who love humorous books but are past the 6th grade, I am grateful to authors like Mr. Beaudoin, who are able to write funny books about older boys and yet not include foul language and undesirable adventures. Thank you!

Not only was the storyline funny (gifted boy decides to work at Happy Video and stay with quirky parents instead of going to college), the prose was well-crafted and I irritated my family my snorting through the first couple of chapters and having to quote them. I knew I had to buy the book after page 5, where Stan describes his life thus: "... so people thought I was destined to Become Something. What that something might be was more or less negotiable, as long as it involved a bow tie, some chalk, super-thick glasses, and lots of published articles in journals no one ever reads." No, Stan, no! Don't major in Classics! The job opportunities are better at Happy Video!

Even the quirky parents (run health food store, drive biofuel car) did not distract from the funny and hapless way Stan bumbles through his life. Definitely one to add to the collection, along with Adam Selzer's How to get suspended and influence people, Jordan Sonnenblick, Alex Bradley's 24 Girls in seven days, and just about anything Gordon Korman.

Mel Odom, The Rover--- WOW!

This author came to my attention when I was reading reviews on Amazon.com, and his views aligned quite well with mine. When I found out that he wrote, I e mailed and asked which of his works he would recommend for middle school students, and he kindly replied that The Rover would be appropriate AND had an Accelerated Reader test. (fun that he knew that!)

Middle grade fantasy fans are voracious and picky. It's hard to keep them in books. Adult fantasy is a tricky business. On Mr. Odom's recommendation, I bought this book without reading it, which is rare for me, and was pleased that this book was exactly what my students and I wanted. Hefty, the first of four books, high fantasy but not inaccessible, Tolkein-ish but much fresher than Eragon, humorous, well-paced (explanations of history are always followed by a rollicking adventure, and yes, it is necessary to use rollicking!), and gently philosophical. I read it, gave it to a student after testing who devoured 30 pages and waited during his lunch for me to process the book, and have four other students (and our secretary) waiting for him to finish.

Well-balanced. So hard in YA stuff, but there was just not a misstep in this book. (Well, okay-- one. The Price is Right by Bahbarker? Groan, but forgiven.) Halfling librarian with penchant for adventure stories (which hamper his success in the library) is shanghaied by pirates, sold into slavery and welcomed into a band of thieves. The basis of his success??-- his vast knowledge acquired by reading. "I'm a librarian," Wick declared proudly. "It's my job to know something about everything."

These are a must-have in a middle school collection. I can't wait to read the rest. In fact, I am going to need more than one copy of the first book.

1. The Rover (2001)2. The Destruction of the Books (2004)3. Lord of the Libraries (2005)
4. The Quest for the Trilogy (2007)

For other titles and bio, check out:
http://www.melodom.net

Celia Rees, Witch Child

Don't know why it took me so long to read this title-- could be that it is rarely on the shelves. I also was not entirely sure what it was about-- was it historical, or a fantasy, or something in between? Like reading Tangerine while under the impression it was a fantasy, I don't like to be confused. So, this is in fact a historical novel, following a girl who is thrown out of her home in England because her grandmother is killed for witchcraft. She ends up in a Puritan contingent and travels to the new world, only to have her powers be called into question. There is a sequel that I will read this summer, because it's not on the shelf.

Must admit that I am quickly approaching Evil Librarian End of the Year Mode: I just want all my babies back home safe and sound so that I can glue them and send the to the rebindery if needed, and then put them all on the shelves and see what volumes of series I am missing, and what gaps I have in the collection. Communing with the books is important, really. I don't do it often, but in the summer I really like to come in and look at all of the books sitting snugly on the shelves. They work hard during the school year and deserve a little rest.

Also working on massive order for the fall. I'll have my reading list all ready.