Cinders and Sapphires

 Have high school students who swoon over Downton Abbey? Here is the perfect book for them!

Rasheed, Leila. Cinders and Sapphires.
22 January 2013, Disney-Hyperion
ARC from Netgalley.com

Somerton is buzzing with activity. The Averly family is back from a post in India, and Lord Averly is getting married to Fiona Templeton. This means that his children, Ada and Georgina, have to learn to get along with the beautiful, cruel and ambitious Charlotte, the rake Sebastian, and the boisterous Matthew. Ada wants nothing more than to go to Oxford to study, especially since the attractive Ravi, a protege of her father's friend, also goes there. She is pressed, however, to make a good marriage. Add to the mix Rose, Ada and Georgina's ladies' maid, who has risen from the ranks due to her mother's influence. But why is Mrs. Cliffe so favored? What past does she share with Lord Avery? Will Ada be able to help Rose with her music, keep Georgina from harm, keep away from Ravi, help Sebastian cover up his missteps, and, above all, keep Somerton from financial ruin? And can she do it all in the latest fashions?
Strengths: I really, really enjoyed this. Tons going on, but I was able to remember most of the character's names even from an e book! Very atmospheric, full of the "We're adhering to the social protocol even though it's breaking our hearts" sort of book that makes for a fun read.
Weaknesses: A bit cliched. We have Sebastian being black mailed for an Oscar Wildesque type fling, the suffragist sister, the overbearing stepmother, the all important debut, the grand estate on the verge of financial ruin. Still, to most high schoolers, this will be new. Nothing really objectionable, but the emphasis on Sebastian's troubles would confuse middle school students, I think. Half tempted to buy it, still, because it was such fun, but really would be of limited interest to younger students.

Guy Friday: Monsters!

Kent, Derek Taylor. Monsters on the March: Scary School #2
25 June 2012, HarperCollins

Charles Nukid is back after Scary School, and after freeing most of the school after they've spent the entire summer in the basement of a haunted house, is off with the school on a trip to Albania to visit Zog the Terrible (But always pleasant smelling). The school has won the trip, but it is fraught with peril-- Zog is a stickler for etiquette, and will maim or kill those who disobey! This is particularly difficult for Charles, because he has made Zogett, Zog's daughter, fall in love with him, thereby breaking the rule against taking things from other monsters. There's a lot else going on in the school, what with a mummy and elephant/man for teachers, and things like the Locker of Oblivion absconding with students. Additional chapters, games, and other fun things can be found at http://www.scaryschool.com, a fact that Derek the Ghost (the "ghostwriter") mentions several times. A third book comes out in June 2013.
Strengths: There are few monster books, and the first book has been popular. I had a lot of kids asking for the sequel already. This is goofy and would be immensely popular in the elementary school.
Weaknesses: While there was a plot, there were a lot of anecdotal chapters about the characters.

Thanks for joining us for Guy Friday. If you have a post about a middle grade book for guys, please leave your link in the comments! 

Janie Face to Face

Cooney, Caroline B. Janie Face to Face
8 January 2013, Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ARC from YA Books Central; also reviewed there

Janie's been through a lot in the last few years. When she became The Face on the Milk Carton (1990) it was bad enough, but once she dealt with the fact that her parents were not really her parents, she had to figure out Whatever Happened to Janie (1993) and reconnect with her birth family, the Springs. When her boyfriend, Reeve, decides to be The Voice on the Radio (1996) and propel himself into on air popularity by telling Janie's story, Janie's path was clear-- dump him. But when What Janie Found (2000) later was that her "kidnap" father not only knew where his daughter, who kidnapped her, was, but also was sending her monthly checks, the path was less clear. This brings her to her decision to apply to a college where no one knows her story so that she can establish her own identity.

This starts off well-- she is able to visit the Springs on some weekends, and Miranda and Frank, the couple who raised her, on others. She keeps in touch with her old friends, but is glad to make new ones. She is especially fond of Michael, and eventually falls in love with him. Problems arise, however, when she catches him taking an unflattering picture of Frank and realizes that he is working for a writer who is paying him to research Janie's case for a tell-all book. She reconnects with Reeve and, on a whim, visits him at his job at ESPN. They decide that they are still in love, and impetuously plan to be married very soon. Everyone is happy for Janie, who decides that her marriage will be the point at which she turns back into Jennie once and for all.

However, always lurking in the background is Hannah, who for years has led a marginal and dysfunctional life, afraid of being caught for her kidnapping of Janie and harboring years of resentment, especially since she no longer receives checks from her father. She is currently in Colorado, and Janie's brother tries to find her before the wedding, since he fears that Hannah will somehow find a way to take her retribution at the wedding.

Janie is less concerned with Hannah and more concerned with finding a gown, making all of her parents happy, and forming a new life with Reeve. Events swirl around her, but her main goal is to try to figure out, finally, who she is.

The entire series was republished in attractive new paperback editions in May 2012 by Random House's Ember imprint. Language Arts teachers everywhere will be pleased.

Strengths: The continued success of this series hinges on the fact that it involves a topic dear to every middle grade students' heart-- personal identity. How many of them secretly wish-- or fear-- that they are not the person they think they are? Since the series has been out for such a long time, I think that having Janie in college and thinking about getting married is not a bad thing. I read a lot of 1950s books (Sister of the Bride, etc.) that dealt with girls getting married, and was always somewhat intrigued by them. I think the same will hold true of this series. Cooney was able to work new technology into each book, and was able to sustain a coherent feeling throughout the series.
Weaknesses: At first, I was a little bothered by the somewhat detached tone of the book, and went back to see if the other books in the series had the same feeling. They did, and I think it illustrates well the way that Janie feels disconnected from her own life.

2013 Comment Challenge

It's not too late! I do try to comment on other blogs regularly because I rather enjoy it when people comment here. If you feel that you need some help getting into the commenting habit, head over to Lee Wind's blog for 

THE 2013 COMMENT CHALLENGE! 

For 21 days in a row (from today, January 11 through Thursday January 31) leave at least five comments on different kid lit blogs a day.  Five a day, and research shows that in 21 days you'll have a new habit. (And elementary school math shows that you'll have left 105 comments - but we'll give you one day off, so the goal is 100 comments!)

This is co-hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, MotherReader, who hosts the fabulous 48 Hour Reading Challenge that I love to do every year!

World Wednesday

 Perkins, Mitali. First Daughter:My Extreme American Makeover
14 June 2007, Dutton Juvenile

Sparrow (aka Sameera) was adopted at the age of three from Pakistan by politically active parents. Her father is now running for president, hoping to get his party's nomination. There is a lot of concern that Sparrow isn't "American" enough, or fashionable enough, to help sway votes. She is reinvented as "Sammy", made over to be more attractive, and given a custom blog aimed at tweens, even though she is 16. She is uncomfortable with these changes, but understands that even her mother has had to undergo "improvements". When it's clear that she will no longer be able to enjoy quiet times with her family on her grandparents' Ohio farm, she tries to embrace politics herself, connecting with students in Washington who are part of the Southeast Asian Republican group. She has her own private blog, but when the group wants to help the campaign by using Sparrow's writing, she has to decide what will help her father the most.
Strengths: This was a great book for middle school students. Deviller's Liberty Porter series is a tiny bit young, but Sparrow's experiences will be interesting to students who wonder what it would be like to be in the public spotlight. Certainly Sparrow's ethnic identity plays a large part in the book, but I think that readers will pick it up for lots of reasons.I do not know how I missed this one!
Weaknesses: Confusing start. I thought I had gotten a second book in a series, because I wasn't understanding Sparrow's involvement with a rowing team. There IS a second book--
First Daughter: White House Rules (January 24th 2008, Dutton Juvenile)


 Thanks for joining us for World Wednesday. If you have a post about a middle grade book set in another part of the world or with great multicultural characters, please leave your link in the comments!







Giff, Patricia Reilly. Gingersnap.

8 January 2013, Wendy Lamb Books

Orphaned Jayna is in a difficult position when her older brother and guardian, Rob, is sent to fight in World War II. She's fortunate that their landlady, Celine, is willing to take her in, because Jayna has spent some time in foster care. Jayna isn't happy, though, and knows that having her is a hardship for Celine. Before he left, Rob gave her a cookbook he found that lead him to believe that they may have a grandmother in Brooklyn who is running a bakery. Armed with this book and a little money, Jayna takes off for the city with her turtle, Theresa, goaded on by a ghostly voice. She finds the bakery, Gingersnap, and meets the woman whom she thinks is her grandmother. She begs to be allowed to stay, and finds out some information about her family while she waits to find out the fate of Rob, who is reported missing in action.

Strengths: This certainly shows how different a place the world was 70 years ago! I enjoyed this glimpse into what life was like when the author was a girl.

Weaknesses: I love books set during this time period, but my students want books that are about fighting, NOT about the homefront. If I can't circulate Lowry's excellent Autumn Street, I don't have high hopes for this book.

The Slither Sisters (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School)

Gilman, Charles. The Slither Sisters (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School#2)
15 January 2013, Quirk Books
Copy provided by publisher

Robert is back from his adventures in Professor Gargoyle, and his school is still a portal into the alternaverse of Tillinghast mansion, where the evil Crawford Tillignhast has been caught and is summoning the Great Old Ones to take over the world. The newest victims in his scheme are the Price sisters, whose bodies have been taken over by Medusa like creatures. In order to control the middle school students, Tillinghast is having Sarah run for student body president. Robert and his friends Glenn and the ghost Karina, aided by the librarian, Ms. Lavinia, try to foil this by having Robert run, since Howard Mergler doesn't stand a chance at defeating her. The forces of evil are strong, but Robert is determined not to win. He manages to best the sisters, but a new foe emerges and will have to be battled in Teacher's Pest, coming out in May of 2013.
Strengths: Again, a cool lenticular cover, and a Goosebumps type story-- scary, but nothing real. Robert is an engaging character, and there are some helpful teachers.Fast paced story with a good bit of action. Monsters are emerging as a popular topic.
Weaknesses: Robert didn't manage to save the Price sisters, so I'm a little concerned that Tillinghast is winning this battle. I'm never a big fan of study body president plots, so I had trouble believing this was a good way to take over the world!

Saw on Twitter (thanks to Jen Robinson) that boys are perhaps reading more with e readers. (http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/kfrr?utm_source=ReadingRockets.org&utm_medium=Twitter) I am just not seeing this. I've had to have three boys put away Kindle Fires because they were playing games on them, and when I asked what books they had loaded on the devices, all they had were things like Treasure Island and other oldies but freebies. It's been very difficult for me to help students with ebooks. Databases like the one for the Ohio E Book Project are becoming a little easier to browse, but many of the students who have e readers don't even have public library cards because their parents won't take them to the library! The avid readers who have devices often have purchased a good numbers of books, but they would have read anyway. Anyone wish to opine? I still think that cost is going to be a prohibitive factor just about everywhere.

Middle Grade Monday-- 33 Minutes

Hasak-Lowy, Todd. 33 Minutes Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt
1 January 2013, Aladdin

Sam is really smart and into video games, and was good friends with Morgan until a while ago. Now, for reasons Sam doesn't quite understand, Morgan is going to fight him at the end of recess. Thinking about their long relationship, Sam tries to figure out why things have gone wrong. Luckily for Sam, there is a huge food fight during lunch right before he's supposed to get his clock cleaned, and THEN someone sets off the fire alarm, which could save him from Morgan, but the teachers are not watching closely enough and the fight does occur. Sam also gets to talk to Morgan a little about why Morgan feels compelled to beat him up, and after his afternoon of thinking about the events leading up to his pummeling, Sam realizes that while he was partially in the wrong, he and Morgan will never be able to be friends again because they have become very different people.
Strengths: Any notebook novel is popular in my school, and I did like that this addressed the number one concern of middle school-- losing long time friends. Happens to 99.9% of my students, and is always utterly painful. Interesting how the book takes place during just one afternoon, although flashbacks go back further.
Weaknesses: I didn't like Sam. He was arrogant and not particularly nice to Morgan. This was also one of those books that seem unrealistic to me because things like the food fight and the fight during the fire drill would not happen at my school. I could create a whole list of books that I didn't quite connect with that my students adore, though, so it's just an occupational hazard of never actually having been a 12-year-old boy.

Mattern, Joanne. The Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers
1 January 2011, Capstone (Food Dudes series)

I rarely buy an entire series at one go, especially when the books are nonfiction ones that run $19 a pop. I bought the entire Food Dudes series by Abdo and Daughters, however. Every language arts teacher in my school is assigning nonfiction projects, and this series is fascinating. What student does not want to read about Gatorade, McDonald's, Kellogg's or Hershey's or Mars' chocolate? These are a bit short (32 pages), but full of interesting facts. I'm sure that once the Common Core is rolled out, these will be considered "too low" in regard to the Lexile level, but I still think that these books are an excellent way for a child who "doesn't like to read" to spend a study hall.

McManus, Lori. Money Through History
1 July 2011, Heinemann Educational Books

This short (45 pages) book is an overview of money through history and throughout the world. It starts with trade and bartering, goes through the introduction of coins and banknotes, and continues on with a discussion of different currencies and money systems used today.
Strengths: Interesting nonfiction, and it has an Accelerated Reader test.
Weaknesses:  Not what I needed. I was hoping that there would be more on certain areas, but there are barely two pages on all of ancient Rome and Greece. The inclusion of "Solve It!" sidebars was a bit odd.


It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts. Both sites have lots of links to reviews about books that are great for the 4th through 8th grader. It's also Nonfiction Monday, hosted this week at 101 Scope Notes.

If you need more memes, remember that there will be a World Wednesday Mr. Linky and a Guy Friday one later this week, so check back and join the party!
 

Victoria Rebels

Meyer, Carolyn. Victoria Rebels.
1 January 2013, Simon and Schuster

The young Victoria lives with her overbearing mother and her governess Daisy. Her father died when she was an infant, and her mother listened to her advisor, Sir John Conroy more than Victoria would like. We first meet her at a young age, when her step sister, Feodore, is preparing to get married and leave England. Throughout Victoria's childhood, her uncle, Kind George IV, is not in the best of health, so everyone knows that Victoria will soon be queen. Her mother uses this as an excuse to keep Victoria under her thumb-- dressing her like a child, making her stay in her mother's room, having her every move watched. Victoria is also introduced to Prince Albert, and is amenable to marrying him, but not any time soon. When her uncle passes away, Victoria is finally able to assert some power to chose the people with whom she surrounds herself (NOT Conroy, and eventually not even her mother!), fall in love with Albert, and become the long reigning queen we know.
Strengths: Like all of Meyer's books, well researched. This has the additional charm of drawing from Victoria's own journals, and hearing her voice ("I was much amused") is great fun. Enjoyed this tremendously.
Weaknesses: When I got to the end, I wished for a family tree; there is one at the beginning that I missed upon opening the book. Very helpful to consult.

Girl Books!

 I ***LURV*** Linda Gerber and her books! So, so much goodness. While I got the first book in her new series, Celebrity, and the third (Hacked), I was at the mercy of Follett and Baker and Taylor when I did Do Not Exceed orders, so had to wait for a while until I got the two books I was missing.

When my dog Sylvie was ill a bit ago, what did I read for comfort? Only the best.

Gerber, Linda. Paparazzi (Lights, Cameras, Cassidy #2)
15 March 2012, Puffin

Because of all the publicity surrounding Cassidy and her blog, the people who produce her parents' When in Rome cooking/reality show decide to send Cassidy off to GREECE to tape there. They are on the yacht of a Greek movie star, who happens to have a really cute son, Nikos. Cassidy's parents, as well as her friend/crush Logan are off filming in Papua, New Guinea, so Cassidy is chaperoned by her tutor, Victoria. The yacht is a rather tense place-- Nikos' father is rather controlling and always seems angry with Nikos, who is going to be cohosting with Cassidy. Zoe, whose mother cooks on the yacht, is smitten with Nikos, but there is something very strange about her and her mother working on the yacht. The Greek producer favors a style of filming that Cassidy finds fake, so she has trouble making the producer happy. Also, Logan seems preoccupied and doesn't seem as willing to make their scheduled Skype talks. Cassidy prevails, however, finding out what's up with Zoe's family, and getting the show taped in a professional manner.
Strengths: Greece! Sigh. I lived in Greece for a year, and Gerber does such a great job with travel writing, explaining local customs, food, etc. This is fun to read, because while Cassidy's life has a lot of excitement and opportunity, there are also realistic problems portrayed.
Weaknesses: Not in hard cover. Really, Penguin Young Readers? Really. Shame on you!

Gerber, Linda. Drama (Lights, Cameras, Cassidy #4)
13 September 2013, Puffin

Cassidy and her parents are off to Australia to film at a ranch, and this time Logan is coming along! Cassidy is thrilled that they can be together, but a little less than thrilled when they are out and about and Logan has groupies following him! She is happy to meet the son of the ranch owner, Riley, who is good about showing her and Logan how much work needs to be done in the Outback, but a little less than thrilled to meet his sister, who finds Logan cute but is rather mean to her. The filming is not going well-- equipment gets broken, the two make up artists start fighting, and when the group heads off into the bush to film and get stranded overnight because vehicles are sabotaged, the crew and cast are fighting a lot, and the entire show is in jeopardy. Who is causing all the trouble?
Strengths: I liked that there was more mystery in this one because it is Gerber's forte. Well, that, and travel writing. Lots of detail of life in Australia, plus some of the dialect.
Weaknesses: Ever since Bill Bryson's in a Sunburned Country, I've not really wanted to go to Australia,  because of the sheer amount of things that could kill me. Still, reading about it was pretty safe!

Guy Friday-- Z-Apocalypse

Cole, Steve. Z-Apocalypse
11 October 2012, Philomel

Adam and his father are back from Z-Raptor (and the first book, Z-Rex) and in the custody of the U.S. military when they travel into D.C. for a meeting just in tiem to see the white house attacked by giant evil mutant dinosaurs who also try to pick up Adam and fly away with him! Bam! The two are then whisked off to another secret military facility where meet Eve, a scientist from New Zealand who is trying to study the Z-creatures, and her daughter Zoe, who can communicate with a lot of different animals, including Keera, the Z-dactyl who tried to carry off Adam. Eve and Adam's father are trying to help the government figure out what the evil corporation Geneflow is trying to do with their creatures-- right now, it looks like they are trying to start World War III by attacking the most cherished monuments of every country around the globe! Before Adam and Zoe can accomplish anything, however, the base is attacked and they are saved by Keera slurping them up in her mouth, drugging them with her spit, and taking them to the far flung reaches of Norway where she keeps them safe while they try to figure out what's going on. Evil characters from the first two books miraculously reappear, and Adam and his father are in danger of becoming evil, genetically manipulated monsters themselves!
Strengths: Adore Cole's action writing. This series is really popular among the boys at my school, and the books sell themselves. They are shiny! They are about evil mutant dinosaurs! Things blow up! I especially liked this one because of the inclusion of Zoe, who is plucky and has an attitude, and is incidentally fairly disabled, not that it stops her. Sad to see the series end, but glad that Cole know that three books is a great number for a middle grade series.
Weaknesses: Got a little confused in the middle of the book when Adam started hallucinating, or maybe he wasn't... recovered quickly, however. Students who read more slowly tend not to get as easily confused as I do!


Want to see other books that are good for Guys? If you have blogged about a good Guy book, please leave a link to your blog with Mr. Linky. Then, everyone who wants to read good Guy reviews can easily see a bunch! This site is using Mister Linky's Magical Widgets. Click here to display the links for this post.

Creepy Books

Roberts, Jeyn. Dark Inside
1 November 2011, Simon and Schuster
Copy loaned to me by Andrew

Mason's mother is in a bad car accident, so he is pulled out of school... right before it is bombed and nearly everyone is killed. Aries is on the bus on her way to play practice when an earthquake flips the bus, killing her friend, and plunging the area into chaos. Clementine is at a town meeting with her parents when her mother tells her to flee as armed men enter... and later kill her parents and everyone else.  Michael notices the chaos around him after apparently global disasters have occurred, and tries to find a group of people (Baggers) who aren't taken over by an insane urge to kill people prompted by voices in their heads and black veined, blood shot eyes. In alternating chapters, all of these teens have to deal with death and destruction everywhere they look. Even if they aren't being followed by Baggers, there is still the issue of finding food, shelter, and clothing. They all have a vague idea about where they might be going (finding a brother, having a location in mind), but there is no good place to be when the world is this crazy. At the end of the book, the various characters meet up, and Rage Within came out 24 September.
Strengths: This was a quick, compelling read. Not a zombie book, exactly, but read like one. There is such a call for this, but I hate to pander to the students' love of violence.
Weaknesses: Very violent, very gory, but also rather introspective and a little slow, in the way that young adult books are and middle grade books aren't. Debating purchase.

My theory is that if students will read a short book every single day or two, they are still reading. Especially with Accelerated Reader point goals, I encourage reluctant readers to pick up several smaller books rather than one long book. There are many students at my school who read below grade level, and I firmly believe that the only way they will get to be better readers is to READ. I have one 8th grader who claims he "doesn't read", but is always thrilled when I get a new order of books in... as long as they are short ones, like these:

Lorimer, Janet. Scavenger Hunt
1 September 2009, Saddleback

Susan is raising her 15-year-old brother after their parents' death. She's busy with part time work and college, as well as her boyfriend Roger. When Roger introduces Jay to dumpster diving, Jay breaks in to the dumpster at HyperPlay and gets a computer game that is infected and crashes his computer. Something is fishy, and the three work together to find out what is going on.
Strengths: Super short, easy to read, and interesting. Updated covers help.
Weaknesses: Some clunky prose and a quick resolution.


Scraff, Anne. Planet Doom.
1 January 2001, Saddleback Publishers

Reggie and Joanna break into the closed amusement park, Planet Doom. The park burned right before it was supposed to open, and it ruined the hopes of Eddie Scott, a baseball players whose career foundered after an injury. They find that there is still electricity, a baseball museum, and a creepy guy who threatens them when they make fun of Scott. Can they survive?
Strengths: This took me 20 minutes to read, and I got a 100% on the Accelerated Reader test. It was scary at parts, and had a nice twist at the end.
Weaknesses: The cover can make all the difference. I'm glad I got the updated one! (Former cover is below.)

Do you have any plans for Read Across America Day? This ALWAYS catches me short, but I'm trying to get ahead.

World Wednesday

Curtis, Andrea and Yvonne Duivenvoorden. What's for Lunch? What Schoolchildren Eat Around the World.
15 October 2012, Red Deer Press

This slim, beautifully photographed volume is a great overview of  what children in different parts of the world eat. If Around the World in 80 Diets is too big a book to digest, this is perfect.For each country, there is a brief overview of life in general, how school days are run, and then a picture of a typical lunch with explanation of the items included. Some of the countries covered are Canada, the US, and England, but also France, Brazil, Peru, Japan, China, France. Of especial note are the pages covering the difficult circumstances in Kenya and Afghanistan, with an emphasis on the food crisis, and how maximum nutrition is provided for the least possible cost. There is also additional information on topics like the local food and healthy lunch initiatives in places like Italy. Notes at the end and a glossary help make this a very useful book to use in the classroom, and well as interesting to browse.
Strengths: The information is laid out in an easy to follow way, and the photographs are beautiful. I'm not quite sure how I will use this book, but I can see it being helpful in social studies classrooms, and possibly used as a lead in to service projects. Many students in the US are not aware of how people in other countries live, and this is a great introduction. And you know what's listed as a US lunch? Pizza and...corn! Whose idea was that? It has never made sense to me.
Weaknesses: It would have been helpful if all the food on the plates had been labeled. While most was, there will be items that students will not be able to identify. Prices would have been nice, but would quickly date the book.

Bjorkman, Laura. Miss Fortune Cookie
13 November 2012, Henry Holt and Company

Erin and her friends Linny and Mei are seniors at the exclusive Lowell school in San Francisco, and are all awaiting their college acceptance letters. Erin was born in China, but is of Irish extraction, and lives in a tiny apartment with her mother, her father having died when she was small. Erin wishes she were Chinese, and is a bit jealous of her friends, who are. Mei's mother runs a restaurant and is determined that Mei will get in to Harvard; Mei is more interested in going to Stanford so she can be near the love of her life, Darren. Linny is a little unsure, and more concerned with protesting things now. Erin would like to go to Harvard as well, but has plans to room with Linny and stay in California. When the acceptance letters finally come, there's a lot of drama. Erin writes an advice column style blog for her school newspaper, and only Linny knows she is the author, and a lot of school drama unfolds in the letters she recieves. Mei decides that she and Darren need to get married so that her mother will let her bow out of Harvard, Linny gets angry at Erin, and Erin finds a boyfriend of her own. How will all of their futures unfold?
Strengths: Set in San Francisco's China Town, this is a great peak at how different life can be just in other areas of the United States! Like Paula Yoo's Good Enough, it explains a lot about the Chinese desire for the best education possible and does a great job of describing the drama and pressure that oftens surrounds the decision to attend one college rather than another. Greatly enjoyed this.
Weaknesses: While this is appropriate for middle school (there is some discussion of a girl wanting to lose her virginity, and some kissing, but nothing too much), the emphasis on college decisions is probably not going to resonate with most middle school students. Too bad, because this would be fun to display with Greenwald's Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes.

Thanks for joining us for World Wednesday. If you have a post about a middle grade book set in another part of the world or with great multicultural characters, please leave your link in the comments!

Time Slip Tuesday-- Tilly's Moonlight Garden

 Time Slip Tuesday is an occasional feature at Charlotte's Library, and I read about this book there.

Green, Julia. Tilly's Moonlight Garden.
2 October 2012, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Tilly and her writer father and budding illustrator mother move into a drafty old house in the English countryside. Tilly's mother is pregnant and not doing well, and Tilly is finding it hard to make friends at school, especially since she is so worried. The house has some things to recommend it, including an old fashioned dollhouse that belonged to the former owner, a friend of Tilly's grandmother's. There is also a vast garden, and when Tilly wanders out at night, she meets a girl named Helen who helps Tilly watch a fox who is in the area. When Tilly's baby brother arrives prematurely, the household is thrown into a great crisis, and Tilly finds both Helen and the fox oddly comforting.
Strengths: As Charlotte said, best dollhouse furniture in a long while. Very gentle English story that I would have loved when I was nine or ten. Had a lovely, old fashioned feel.
Weaknesses: The time travel element is a bit weak, and this is definitely for younger readers.

From http://landofozbookstudy.blogspot.com

I have decided that the answer to supervisory, discipline AND security problems in the public schools might well be Flying Monkeys. Why not? If I had a flying monkey at my side while supervising 75 students in study hall, I doubt that students would attempt to talk. We could have a slightly unbalanced monkey in a cage in the assistant principal's office just to scare students. One checking visitors at the front door. In their down time, they could be trained to clean. We'd take good care of the monkeys, really.

Anyone know of a good Flying Monkey supplier? And is it more cost effective to rent or to own Flying Monkeys? Our lovely school secretary and I were discussing this at length.

Hey, if I can't have a jet pack here in 2013, why not?

Middle Grade Monday-- Road Trip

Paulsen, Gary and Jim. Road Trip
8 January 2012, Wendy Lamb Books
ARC from Netgalley.com

Ben's father has lost his job, and apparently his mind-- not only is he trying to fix up a house to flip, but he wants to go on a road trip to a shelter to pick up another border collie. Atticus, the family's dog, is excited about the trip but apprehensive about the puppy (some chapters are told from his point of view).When their truck breaks down, Ben and his father manage to find an old school bus to borrow, as long as they take along the mechanic, Gus. They also pick up Mia, a waitress who needs to make better choices, and Theo, who is supposed to be in jail and is being followed. Drag racing a cop is one of the highlights of the trip, which is fraught with amusing situations and errors in judgement.
Strengths: Short (128 pages), funny, and sure to please fans of the Liar, Liar series. Dog books continue to be big this year!
Weaknesses: Not nearly as funny as Paulsen's other recent works. Amusing, but nothing caused me to quote passages to my children or snort through my nose. Paulsen has set the bar very high recently, and this just didn't measure up.

Kehret, Peg. Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing and Rescue.
16 August 2012, Dutton

Ms. Kehret, the author of lots of delightful middle grade books, has a nonfiction memoir out. Given the surge in popularity of animal books, it might be one to consider, especially if your fan base for her works is strong. In this book, Kehret recounts various animals in her life, both wild and domesticated. She does a lot of good work, and runs a small cat sanctuary out of her home! She is much fonder of cats than I am. Wondering if fans of Hunter's Warrior series might like this book.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts. Both sites have lots of links to reviews about books that are great for the 4th through 8th grader. It's also Nonfiction Monday, hosted this week at Hope is the Word.

If you need more memes, remember that there will be a World Wednesday Mr. Linky and a Guy Friday one later this week, so check back and join the party!

Iron Hearted Violet

Barnhill, Kelly. Iron Hearted Violet.
9 October 2012, Little, Brown and Company

I saw this reviewed on Barbara Watson's blog, as well as at  Charlotte's Library. Because I am a frequent sufferer from Fantasy Amnesia, which seems to be triggered by maps at the beginnings of books, I was a little leery. My predecessor bought primarily medieval-type fantasies, so my library is well stocked, but I do need a few fresh things for my readers who devour Pierce's Alanna.

Oh, I even took notes. Violet is a precocious but not terribly attractive princess. She has a good friend, Demetrius, who is the son of the stable master. Things are going okay until her father heads off to face a dragon-- not to kill it, but just to sort of check it out, since there are few left. Violet's mother is expecting, but it's not going well. Demetrius and Violet find a book that summons the evil Nybbas, who stole all the dragons' hearts and is trying to take over all of the multiple worlds that were formed by the different gods. Violet's father annoys the Mountain King while on his dragon quest, and this plunges the kingdom into war as well as a conflict with Nybbas, who is busy manipulating Violet by tricking her into thinking he can make her beautiful.Will Violet be able to break free of the spell and get the help of the one remaining dragon to unseat Nybbas while also saving her kingdom from the Mountain King?
Strengths: This had a good mixture of fantasy and adventure. The world building was solid. It had all the elements of fantasy (kind advisor, loyal friend, good but imperiled parents, danger only princess can save kingdom from) without being overly trite. Nice and long, so it will take the fantasy fanatics two days to get through it!
Weaknesses: Charlotte is right-- this is pretty sad. Definitely for middle grade and up.

The Empty City: Survivors #1

Hunter, Erin. The Empty City: Survivors #1
21 August 2012, Harper Collins

Lucky is a golden retriever who prefers to be a loner rather than run with the pack, but when a "Big Growl" devastates the city, he manages to escape from the "Trap House" with fellow inmate Sweet, a dog who had a pack before she was captured by the "longpaws". Making their way out of the dangerous city in search of food, the end up in the suburbs, where Lucky manages to reconnect with his litter mate, Bella. With Bella and a variety of leashed pets, Lucky manages to find food, try to stay out of fights with meaner dogs, and establish a safe shelter for his group, most of whom know very little about surviving without humans. Book #2, A Hidden Enemy comes out 7 May 2013.
Strengths: It is impossible to describe how devoted some middle grade readers are to the Warriors books. This series will make those readers who secretly prefer dogs very happy. Fortunately, the dogs only have one name each, so it was much easier to follow the story. (Unlike the cats, who get a new name every time they sneeze!)
Weaknesses: Talking animals. *Sigh* Just not my thing, although I was relieved that these were about dogs. Still, the odd view of the world, dog "terms" for things, and general animal mythology just makes no sense to me. This was very similar to Dayna Lorentz's  The Storm. (Dogs of the Downed City #1), a series which I rather enjoyed. Erin Hunter is just one of those phenomena that I will never understand!

Condie, Ally. Reached.
13 November 2012, HarperCollins

This sequel to Matched and Crossed continues to follow the love triangle of Cassia, Ky and Xander. Xander is a medic trying to fight the plague, Ky is a pilot who gets it, and Cassia... afraid I got bad fantasy amnesia with this and am not really sure what Cassia was doing, aside from running around with a red silk dress and papers with poems written on them under her clothes while trying to decide if she should be with Xander or Ky. Oh, yeah, she has to figure out what's up with the entire ruling structure of her world, too. The first two books are very popular, and there have been MANY complaints that it has taken this long to get the order with this book in it. If you liked the series, I'm sure you read the book. If you have the others in your library, this is the third and final book. Just don't get confused-- the order of this series is green, blue, red. It's the Stiefavter Shiver, Linger, Forever series that is blue, green, red. (And that's about werewolves. It's a popular series in my library.)

Life Happens Next

Trueman, Terry. Life Happens Next.
21 August 2012, HarperTeen

This sequel to Stuck in Neutral and Cruise Control picks up just as Shawn McDaniel has survived what he thinks is his father's attempt to kill him. Shawn is severely disabled by cerebral palsy, and he thinks that his father wanted to smother him but was interrupted by a call from Shawn's brother, Paul.  Shawn is very bright, with a great memory, but he is completely unable to communicate with anyone or control his body, so people assume he is cognitively impaired as well. When his mother's cousin, Debi, moves in with the family with her dog, Rusty, Shawn is at first dismayed. As he warms to Rusty, he also realizes that Debi, who has Down syndrome, seems to understand him in ways that the rest of his family does not. Shawn is glad to be alive, even though he knows that his crush on Ally will always be unrequited, and he must take pleasure in things like the feel of brand new socks instead of the myriad experiences that he sees his brother and sister enjoying.
Strengths: Stuck in Neutral is used as an 8th grade core novel on "challenges", and it is one that students always enjoy. They will be glad to see what Shawn is doing now. This was definitely a compelling read-- I wasn't enjoying anything I picked up, but I zipped through this in no time.
Weaknesses: A bit too much information on how much Shawn likes Ally, but as least there isn't any of the cursing that I seem to recall from the first book. I could be wrong; I don't have a copy around to check.

Guy Friday--War AND Dogs

Barrow, Randi. Finding Zasha
1 January 2013, Scholastic Press
Copy from YA Books Central and Reviewed there.

This prequel to Saving Zasha recounts the story of Ivan, who is living in an apartment in Leningrad with his mother. When the city is bombed, a neighbor comes to live with them, and Auntie, who has lived through the revolution, shows Ivan many tricks that he needs to survive. She has hoarded food under floorboards, has rubles stuffed into table legs, and is unemotional about burning her furniture and books for fuel when times get tough. When Ivan's mother's job in a factory gets moved to another city, Ivan and Auntie head off to his Uncle Boris' cabin. After a harrowing journey, which involved walking six miles over a frozen lake when the truck they are in breaks down as well as a run in with partisans, Ivan decides to stay with Auntie at her relative's house. Galina knows that danger is coming, but is glad of having Ivan's help. Most of the small neighborhood is deserted, with residents heading off to Moscow, but the remaining people are trying to fight the Nazis. When the local commander, Axel Recht, sees Ivan play the concertina, he asks Ivan to come live at the base. Ivan agrees because he can spy on the Germans there, and also because he is worried for two German Shepherd puppies, Zasha and Thor. He wants to help them escape for their own safety, and also so that the partisans can use them instead of the Nazis. This, of course, is fraught with danger, but Ivan manages to break free of the Nazis and live through the war without bringing himself to their attention. Axel Recht, however, is a horrible man bent on revenge, and he is bound and determined to find Ivan and the dogs.
Strengths: I liked the first book, but am very glad that this came out. It is filled with all of the excitement that Saving Zasha could have used.  Survival in Leningrad, a perilous journey away from the city, dealing with the Nazis and eventually escaping them-- excellent stuff. Now that we know Zasha's backstory, reading about what happens to her after the war makes a lot more sense. The covers of both of these are both beautiful and scary at the same time!
Weaknesses: Students might not know enough about the Russian involvement in WWII to understand what is going on and should be instructed to read the notes at the back first.

Want to see other books that are good for the Guys in your life? If you have blogged about a good Guy book, please leave a link to your blog with Mr. Linky. Then, everyone who wants to read good Guy reviews can easily see a bunch!

Dogs, and why we love them. (Personality leakage)

How's your 2013? Mine seems to believe in getting all the nastiness done early on. So far this year, after replacing the entire pipe under the kitchen, I almost lost Sylvie, the sweetest seven year old Yorkipoo in the world. (Here pictured.)

Sylvie was recovering from knee surgery and wasn't doing well. She had not been her perky self, which we attributed to the surgery. However, she stopped eating on January 1, so we were watching her carefully and took her to the vet yesterday morning when she became really, really limp.

She's fine now; just has one of those metabolic disorders that's easily to treat but fatal if you don't, so there's not really an option.

I really thought I would wake up with strep throat this morning, but it's still just a tickle, so the year is already looking up!

This was so upsetting-- it was our first day back at school after break, so it was terrifically busy with students getting books, but I did find it hard to focus.

There have been a large number of books about dogs published this year. I really do think that this can be attributed to the effects of the bad economy and the uncertainty that many children feel. Dogs have such a power over us that even reading about them makes us feel better.

But adults also have the power to help students. In middle school, the library is frequently a safe place for students to share their problems. We need to be aware of this, even when things get busy. Just yesterday, I talked to a student whose dog had to be put down, two who lost grandparents, one who had to move to another community because of a parent job situation, and several with minor upsets with friends.

Clearly, when Sylvie gets better, I need to train her to be a Library Dog. If nothing else, it would make it easier for ME to get through the day.

Shadow Breakers

Blythe, Daniel. Shadow Breakers.
1 January 2013, The Chicken House
Copy received from YA Books Central and reviewed there.

Miranda is not happy that she, her mother, and her baby brother Truffle have moved to Firecroft Bay from London, but she understands her mother's need to move somewhere different after the death of Miranda's television personality father. Miranda feels a strange sense of foreboding in her new home, and this is reinforced when the school bus is completely consumed by ice on her first ride to school! She manages to make friends with Jade, another new girl from London, but is drawn to a group of geeky kids headed by her teacher, Miss Bellini. Ollie, Cal, Josh, and nine-year-old prodigy Lyssa all help Miranda tremendously when she is besieged with weird visions and when she experiences power surges. The group is investigating these, and finds that horrific fires were caused by these at several points in the past and may have a common element... Miranda's friend, Jade. Can the group bring the ancient evil under control before there is another fatal fire?
Strengths: Lots of action, but also the most poignant and realistic longing for a deceased parent since Milo, Sticky Notes, and Brain Freeze. This is a rather British book-- there is tea served at least three times-- and the sense of place (both the seaside community and a British school) was brilliant. Miranda also skateboards, which is such a hard thing to find in books! Also had a great twist to it!
Weaknesses: This dragged a bit in the middle when we were finding out about the source of evil-- it picked up quickly enough.

The Path of Beasts

Tanner, Lian. The Path of Beasts.
9 October 2012, Delacorte
Copy provided by YABC and review posted there.

Goldie, Bonnie and Toadspit are staggering back into Jewel after their escapades in City of Lies when they see Blessed Guardians dumping a sack in the canal... a sack which contains a barely alive Grand Protector. When they get back to the Museum of Dunt they find out that the Fogelman has taken over and is trying to bring the town of Jewel to its knees. Goldie, especially (having been imbued with the spirit of the ancient Merne Princess Frisia, who is very warlike!) is not okay with this, and she and her friends start attacking the Guardians as they are trying to get pay to Fogelman's mercenaries. Far from being just a nuisance, this action almost wipes out Fogelman's support, so he resorts to tough tactics to try to find out who is launching these attacks under the name of the Hidden Rock.He even arranges to sell children to a slave trader, and Goldie ends up on the slave ship as well. To get Fogelman to release her, she pretends to have the plague, and the entire ship is set free. Eventually, Toadspit challenges the Fogelman to a duel. Will Goldie be able to help and get the town of Jewel back to normal?
Strengths: Even though I did not read the first book in this series, The Museum of Thieves, I was able to follow the story and figure out the characters. There was plenty of action and adventure, and Goldie was a strong female character-- having the "wolf-sark" of Princess Frisia that made her want to attack and kill people who threatened her was interesting. This trilogy would make a good gift for an avid fantasy reader.
Weaknesses: I don't like the murky cover, and I wasn't quite sure about the world in which this was set. It seemed sort of Victorian, but there were vehicles that were sort of like cars. This may have been clearer if I'd read the first two. I have relatively few students who read fantasy now, and there is so much published, that I buy only titles I know will be really popular.

Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Finalists!

In case you missed it yesterday, here is the list of middle grade fiction finalists. I wonder if the authors know that they were included? I tried to leave comments on blogs if the authors had them, but many didn't. Here is the shortlist that the fabulous first round panel agreed on.



Almost Home
by Joan Bauer
Viking
Nominated by: Sarah Potvin

Chomp
by Carl Hiaasen
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: June Morgan

Fourmile
by Watt Key
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Nominated by: DLacks

Liar & Spy
by Rebecca Stead
Wendy Lamb Books
Nominated by: Monica Edinger

The Adventures of Beanboy
by Lisa Harkrader
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Nominated by: Kyle Kimmal,The Boy Reader

The Lions of Little Rock
by Kristin Levine
Putnam Juvenile
Nominated by: Teacher.Mother.Reader

Wonder
by R. J. Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Flowering Minds

 And now, I have to deal with the plumber replacing the entire line to my kitchen sink. Taking out drywall is going to be involved. So much for getting work done!

World Wednesday

Want a bit of a challenge for the New Year? Since my job as a middle school librarian is to provide books to my students so they can ALL see themselves reflected in literature, I do try to find books about students of different ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and cultural identity. Books from other places around the world are good as well, since it is often the only exposure my students have to how other people live in other places.

The problem? These books can be hard to find. There are some great blogs out there that make it a point to review multicultural books (and thanks to Andi Sibley of A Wrung Sponge for many on this list) -- The Brown Bookshelf, Paper Tigers, Mitali Perkins' Fire Escape, Charlotte's Library (looking for multicultural sci fi/fantasy), Crazy QuiltEdi,  CBC Diversity,  Saffron Tree, and Zetta Elliott's Fledgling blog, as well as others I have not listed-- but I think it would be great if middle grade bloggers tried to pick up a few more books with a variety of characters.

I don't know yet what I will post next week, but my plan is to look for a character who doesn't look exactly like me (i.e. middle class, suburban white girl!) and post a review next Wednesday. I'll put up a Mr. Linky, and if you also have posted, you can add your review there. Then, like with the other memes, we can visit and see what great new books others have read.

I'm also thinking of adding a Mr. Linky to Guy Friday-- it can be so hard for us girls to find books that boys will like, so maybe we need to band together (and get help from the actual guys out there)!

Every day needs a plan. It's my life philosophy. It's even better if it's an EVIL plan, but that's something for another day!

13 Secrets

Harrison, Michelle. 13 Secrets.
12 June 2012, Little, Brown

In this third and final installment to the 13 Treasures trilogy, Rowan is upset when she gives money to a homeless musician only to find that the girl is really meant to deliver a message to her from the Coven. "Show up", Rowan is told. She doesn't want to, because life at Elvesden Manor is finally settling down a bit. She is coming to terms with the fact that her aunt Rose is really her mother, and enjoying not having to be on the street. She's glad to see Tanya, who is visiting her grandmother for the summer, but when she goes to the Coven meeting, she is dismayed to find out that Tino wants her to join with the Coven and help them get changelings back where they are supposed to be. Tino has recently rescued Suki, whose parents were both killed years after Suki was brought back from the fairy realm. Rowan doesn't want to be a member, but when it's clear that the fairies are endangering the people of Tickey End, she decides she will. What she finds is alarming-- Eldritch, her old nemesis, is back, and someone is slowly killing members of the Coven is the most gruesome ways. Is it Eldritch? Sparrow? Everyone is suspect, and when Elvesden Manor is under seige, Rowan needs to figure out what is going on before she meets her own untimely end.
Strengths: This is not a light, fluffy fairy story! It's a dark, uniquely British read, and a nice ending to a good series. I liked the emphasis on Rowan in this book, although Tanya was certainly around. This has been a hotly sought book in my library-- I didn't get a copy until later, and several girls requested it from the public library! I love how in almost ALL British books, characters have to sit down to tea at least once!
Weaknesses: There are a lot of deaths in this book, which I always find alarming, although the students seem okay with it.

Happy New Year! (Personality Leakage Ahead!)

Hey! Why are you here? Go right over to the Cybils' web site to see the shortlists!

You did? Oh, okay. Grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage, snuggle up in an afghan, and let's chat!

My goal for 2012 was to post a book every day, and as far as I know, I did. Things got a little crazed here at the end of the year, but I managed to read (and understand most of) 807 books. My original goal was 600. My goal for 2013 is 700 books. That's plenty!

I hope to do better at memes-- while I did Middle Grade Monday, What Are You Reading Monday and Nonfiction Monday, and a fair amount of Time Slip Tuesdays,  I feel like I should have done more with Guy Friday. Anyone on board with that? I can try a Mr. Linky and see if it catches on. Also, after the middle grade fiction Cybils chat, some of us were thinking of a way to promote multicultural fiction, so look tomorrow at the World Wednesday thoughts. I like visiting other bloggers to see what they are reading.

Don't really have any other resolutions going here, except that I am going to run more. I don't think my knees can take a marathon, but I can certainly work my way up to a 10K. I do so enjoy working with the middle school cross country team, and it's easier for me to coach the kids if I have some idea of what they are experiencing. I am greatly motivated by the following book, or I would be if there weren't a foot of snow outside my window right now. Just when I started to prefer running outside to running on the treadmill, too. Drat!

Okay. Now it's time to get that Christmas tree down, pack away the leftovers from the party, and get ready to go back to school, where there are TWO book order waiting. 2013 will be off to a great start!


Dais, Dawn. The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women.
2006, Seal Press

If you want advice on how to train for a marathon, this is not the best book. If you want moral support for training for a marathon and you tend towards snarky humor to deal with aching muscles, this is the PERFECT book. Early on, Dais says something to the effect that this is a book to help you run a marathon and not die, and her credentials are that she ran a marathon and did not die. That's pretty much all I have as a goal any time I go for a run, so she was right on my wave length. There are some helpful things about equipment (I'm still in denial that I need a water holder butt thingy, but maybe I do) and clothing, as well as a rudimentary training schedule. I have several friends who may need a copy of this to motivate them, as well. A great, humorous and somewhat motivating read!