World Wednesday--Transcendence

Harmonic convergence of Career Day (running through the halls with extension cords) and beginning of inventory has me feeling a bit weary. At least I no longer have to put the shelf list card file on a cart and check each book against the paper record! Or wear a gym suit ever, ever again! (Sometimes I just have to chant something for which I am grateful to get through the day! Hooray for flush toilets!)

There are still 149 overdue books, but hopefully a lot will come back today. A number of things seem to be lost, but I won't know until inventory is done. I am feeling very good about the general state of the collection. Once I get inventory done, it's off to add about 80 new nonfiction books that I got at a clearance sale at Reading Warehouse. Short biographies and history books for $2.50 each? The publication dates are older, so I didn't buy anything that was time sensitive, but with Common Core looming, it was a great deal!

Omololu, C.J. Transcendence (Transcendence #1)
5 June 2012, Walker Children's

Cole is visiting the Tower of London when she is overcome by a weird vision from the past and feels faint. Her sister Kat is concerned enough that she accepts the invitation to tea by Griffon and his friend... it doesn't hurt that both boys are hot! Cole is intrigued by Griffon, but doesn't get his contact information, so is surprised when Kat finds out that he lives not far from them in San Francisco. Griffon sheds some light on the faintness and visions that Cole is experiencing-- she is Ahket, someone who has been reincarnated and can remember her past lives. He and his mother are as well, and they try to help Cole come to terms with this. Cole is an excellent cello player, and one of the women to whom she gives lessons is exuding a weird vibe. Veronique seems troubled, and when two serious accidents happen to Cole in her presence, Griffon becomes very concerned. It seems that in a past life, Veronique was a cellist whose place in an orchestra was taken by Cole's past persona, and Cole and Griffon try to research want happened before Veronique goes after Cole again. But reincarnation is tricky, and Cole and Griffon run into more problems than they expected. Intuition comes out in June!
Strengths: Very strong sense of place, both when Cole is in London and in San Francisco. I love that the library was used to consult old newspapers about the hundred year old mystery. The concept of Ahket was firmly developed and made sense. Loved that Griffon was biracial and portrayed as such on the cover, but it was just one facet of his character. Just what we're looking for-- all readers able to see themselves on the covers of books. I don't buy a lot of paranormal romance books, but I'm glad to have this series!
Weaknesses: Picked this up at a Book Look;  wish I had known about it sooner. I guess I need to read more of the Young Adult, girly blogs.

Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

Weyn, Suzanne. Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters.
1 January 2013, Scholastic

Victor Frankenstein had twin daughters whom he abandoned at their birth to keep them safe from the monster that was stalking him and murdering his closest friends. They were raised by a grandfather in Germany, but when Giselle and Ingrid receive news that their father has left them a legacy, they leave Germany and head off to the Castle Frankenstein on a windswept Orkney isle with their uncle. There, the two determine that they will renovate the castle and stay there. Gisele is the more fashionable of the two and starts the renovations. She has been thwarted in love by Johann, but when he appears and is now interested in her because of her new found title and money, she realizes she no longer loves him. Ingrid is scientifically minded, and curious to read all of her father's notebooks. She has a friend, Anthony, in medical school, and tags along to some of his classes, disguised as a boy, since women could not become doctors in 1815. Even though Anthony cares for her and would be a great match, she is drawn to a reclusive and injured neighbor, Walter Hammersmith. When she finds out that his war wounds have necessitated the amputation of his leg, and that a neurological disease further threatens his well-being, she delves into her father's notebooks and tries to effect a cure. The stalking and murders that plagued their father start to affect their lives as well-- what is the evil that lurks in the Castle Frankenstein, and can the girls stop it before more lives are lost?
Strengths: Wasn't sure about this one, but it was rather intriguing and fun to read. This is a plausible continuation of the Frankenstein story with a lot of the science of the times, and Weyn does a good job tying in lots of information from that era as well as characters tangential to the Frankenstein story. Good creepy cover, too. Students who want to read Shelley's Frankenstein but only get two pages in before giving up will find this a better place to start.
Weaknesses: I had trouble believing that Ingrid would prefer the moody and reclusive Walter over Anthony, but her romance with him was essential to the story.

Hautman, Pete. The Cydonian Pyramid (Klaatu Diskos #2)
14 May 2013, Candlewick.

Well, this is a good title for Charlotte's Library's Time Slip Tuesday. However, it made my brain hurt. I think it was the Amish/Kabbalah connection to quantum information science. What? I read it, but really don't know what happened. Had a little more luck understanding the first book in the series, The Obsidian Blade. I will buy this, since it is a trilogy that will appeal to my hard core science fiction fans, but I just didn't follow it very well.  Here's a synopsis from Goodreads:

"More than half a millennium in the future, in the shadow of the looming Cydonian Pyramid, a pampered girl named Lah Lia has been raised for one purpose: to be sacrificed through one of the mysterious diskos that hover over the pyramid’s top. But just as she is about to be killed, a strange boy appears from the diskos, providing a cover of chaos that allows her to escape and launching her on a time-spinning journey in which her fate is irreversibly linked to his. In this second volume of the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, Tucker Feye and Lah Lia each hurtle through time, relating their stories in alternating viewpoints that converge at crucial moments. Fans of the first adventure will be intrigued by the chance to see the world through Lah Lia’s eyes — no matter how disturbing the vision might be."

Middle Grade Monday-- Cheerleaders

What's better than Christmas or any other holiday? The annual MotherReader 48 Hour Book Challenge!! It's coming up June 7-9, so mark your calendars. If you've participated in the past, you know that it's a great excuse to put the TBR pile in order, tell your friends and relatives that you will be working hard, and read for two entire days! If you need to do other stuff, you can, but if you chose to eschew sleep, basic personal hygiene and all interpersonal interactions, that's fine too.

It's also a giant blogger party; for every five hours spent reading, you can count one hour of social networking time. You can visit blogs, tweet, make Pinterest lists-- whatever makes you happy.

Since the essence of the 48 Hour Book Challenge is to make readers happy, I'm very grateful to MotherReader (aka Pam) for letting us know ahead of time that she wasn't feeling the challenge this year, and for agreeing to let me host! It's like I was suddenly allowed to be Santa Claus!  Abby the Librarian has graciously agreed to help out if I need it.

I'm working on getting prizes, putting together the rules, having some fun. After my year supervising an enormous study hall, much more FUN needs to be had. So mark your calendars, tell all of your friends, and get ready to PARTY.

Um, I mean READ!
*******************************************************************************
Even though cheerleaders often seem to me to be the Anti-Librarian (I was traumatized in middle school), the best librarians are cheerREADERS. Here are some enthusiastic titles!


Brauner, Barbara and Mattson, James Iver. Illustrations by  Abigail Halpin
Oh My Godmother: The Glitter Trap.
14 May 2013, Hyperion Books
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Lacey Ungar-Ware (what were her parents thinking?) has enough embarrassment in her life without running into a glittered poster and becoming covered with the stuff. Her parents run a restaurant called The Hungry Moose; Paige Harrington, new girl turned popular cheerleader calls her "underwear girl", and she doesn't think that cute Scott will ever look her way. When a fairy godmother, Katarina, meant to grant Paige's wish gets stuck in her hair and almost digested by her cat, Lacey has to find a way to help make Paige's wish come true, or none of Lacey's ever will. Since she is hoping to be made a student intern at the zoo, she takes lessons from the fair godmother and shows a little bit of magic. Paige wants to be the start of the school play, Cinderella, but her voice is horrible. A lot of work goes in to making Paige's wish come true, and in the process, Lacey realizes that Paige is a nice person whose life has been difficult.
Strengths: Girls like to read about embarrassing things happening to people, and since most of these things involve magic, they are even funnier and less threatening (Lacey gets followed by flocks of pigeons and pooped on at one point!). Lacey thinks Paige is a stereotypical cheerleader, but once she understands Paige's life, realizes that she's not. This was rather fun, and the cute illustrations are a nice touch.
Weaknesses: I wasn't completely convinced that Lacey would be able to do magic, and naming a main character Lacey Ungar-Ware-- there is a special level of Hell reserved for authors who do this! I did really like the book, though-- just wish that weren't the character's name!

Hunt, Sarah R. You've You've Got Spirit!: Cheers, Chants, Tips, and Tricks Every Cheerleader Needs to Know. Illustrations by Lisa Perrett
1 April 2013, Millbrook Press

If you can only buy one new cheerleading book this year for elementary or middle school, this would be a good choice. It covers all sorts of facets of cheer, from outfits and accessories to fitness to specific moves and cheers. There are even related craft projects described. The interior illustrations showing how the different moves are done are very cute. I liked that it wasn't all done in pink-- lots of blues, greens and oranges make this attractive.

Three million cheerleaders in the U.S.? Well, they certainly outnumber librarians, don't they? (There are about 148,895 librarians in the U.S., according to the ALA.)


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 at Instantly Interruptible.

Cold Fury

Goeglein, T.M. Cold Fury (Cold Fury #1)
24 July 2012,  Putnam Juvenile

Sara Jane Rispoli has a fairly calm life in Chicago-- her father and grandfather have a bakery, she goes to a private school, boxes, and is in a movie club with a couple of good friends. All that changes when she comes home from a school dance to find her family missing, the house covered in blood, and someone who wants to attack her as well. She gets further drawn into the family's mysteries, and finds that her grandfather was more than a baker-- he was a huge part of the Outfit, an underworld group that controlled alcohol sales during Prohibition. Her family's bakery was a front for moving huge quantities of molasses to bootleggers, and her grandfather didn't object to being in "the business", but her father wanted to keep it from Sarah Jane and her brother, and try to get out of it. Sara Jane finds a notebook and a case filled with emergency supplies that her father left her, and is able to trust a few people with her secrets. She meets others in the Outfit and starts to realize that if she wants to get her family back, she may have to take her father's place in the organization.
Strengths: For some reason, students are still enthralled with information about the Mafia, and this certainly fulfills that desire. Lots of dirty dealing and vicious thug types as well as the stereotype shattering grandfather. For some reason, this was like reading an Adriana Trigiani book written by Anthony Horowitz. I was really surprised as how much I liked it.
Weaknesses: I understand why the main character is a girl, but I wish that it had been a boy. This was a little more violent than the spy books my female readers like.


I'm looking forward to the sequel, which comes out 13 August 2013!

Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked

Krosoczka. Jarrett J. Platypus Police Squad
7 May 2013, Walden Pond Press 
ARC provided by publisher; full illustrations not seen.

Rick Zengo is excited about his new job with the Platypus Police Squad, especially since his grandfather was a legendary member. He gets paired with the seasoned O'Malley, who is less than thrilled with his partners exuberance. The two get thrown right into an investigation when a local teacher, Professor Hopkins, goes missing and is believed to be involved in the burgeoning illegal synthetic fish supply that is ruining Kalamazoo City. Circumstances tie the disappearance to some of the businesses of Frank Pandini, Jr., whose father was behind much of the crime in the city, but who is trying to be a model member of society. Students at the school become suspect as well, including the boyfriend of O'Malley's daughter. The investigation does not go smoothly, mainly due to Zengo's ignorance of protocol, but the detectives refuse to give up until their city is safe. Pandini's enterprises may look to be on the up-and-up... but are they? A second book is sure to follow.
Strengths: Evil criminals, boomerangs, clubs for teens that serve root beer floats, a film noir cum CSI vibe, as well as copious illustrations-- what's not to love? Zengo is somewhat goofy but charming, O'Mally reminded me of Barney Miller, and while some reviews of this I have read thought there were a lot of detective cliches in this, it's all going to be new for the target demographic.
Weaknesses: This will be wildly popular with 4th and 5th graders, but might have narrower appeal in the 6th through 8th grade range. I was slightly confused as to the mix of creatures-- kangaroos, pandas, platypi, frogs as big as platypi, foxes and koalas? In Michigan? Okay, so Kalamazoo City is not set in Michigan, but I can't think of any other Kalamazoos. I can attribute most of this to me deep rooted dislike of talking animals in books!

Guy Friday-- Paper Boy

Vawter, Vince. Paperboy.
14 May 2013, Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ARC from Publisher

Typing is a whole lot easy than speaking when you have a stutter, so that's how our protagonist chooses to tell his tale. When his friend Rat has to spend the summer at his grandparents' farm, it's easy enough for the boy to deliver the newspapers on his friend's route, but somewhat more difficult to knock on doors, introduce himself, and collect the 95 cents per week. In 1959 Memphis, there are a lot of interesting characters. At home, there are his busy parents, as well as Mam, his African American nanny. On his route, there's the drunken and troubled Mrs. Worthington, a boy who watches television with the sound off, and Mr. Spiro, who is the first person to talk to the boy about his stutter and to help him make some sense out of his life. Add to this mix some trouble with a local handyman, Ara T, the discovery that his father might not be his father, and a growing knowledge of the inequities in Civil Rights for Mam, and the summer of the paper route becomes on of personal revelation and growth.
Strengths: This was beautifully written and palpably sad. The main character (whose name is not said until the very end of the book because of the difficulties he has pronouncing it) is the most ALONE character I think I have ever encountered. His parents are rarely around, his only friend is out of town, and the only people he can turn to for company are adults with various problems of their own. I figured that this was a largely autobiographical book, so I was glad to read the author's notes at the end describing how well his life has gone. I can't think of another book with a main character who stutters. Information is included about that as well.
Weaknesses: There is not a lot of action, so even though the main character is 11, it has the introspective feel of a book for older readers. Oddly, I was very distracted by the paragraph style. The paragraphs are not indented, but rather have an extra line between the paragraphs. I think this bothered me because the boy talks about typing his memoirs, and I don't think this style of formatting came into widespread use until word processors. I would have set the book in Courier rather than Goudy font. (I will be the only person this bothers, but I love my 1958 Smith-Corona and used it a lot when I was eleven!)

Join the Blog Tour at the following sites:

May 7^th: Teach Mentor Texts

May 8^th: Random Acts of Reading

May 9^th: Teach Mentor Texts

May 10^th: Ms. Yingling Reads

May 13^th: The Children’s Book Review

May 14^th: Nerdy Book Club 


There is a book trailer available at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H_WxXIIQao.

Edgier Books for Boys

Cousins, Dave. 15 Days Without a Head
9 May 2013, Flux (paperback)
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Laurence is used to taking care of his young brother, Jay, since his mother is usually drunk and has limited patience generally dealing with life, much less children specifically dealing with children. Laurence can get Jay to the caregivers and school, make sure he is fed, and occasionally goes to his mother's job cleaning offices to do her work, if she is too hungover to get out of bed. But when his mother doesn't come home from work one night, he finds it increasingly hard to take care of Jay. Laurence is also a contestant on a radio trivia show, and is very close to winning the grand prize, which he hopes will make his mother happier, since it is a vacation to a luxury resort. Things go from bad to worse when Jay floods a neighbor's apartment and it looks like children's services might get involved. When Laurence thinks he sees his mother at a concert, he tries to hunt her down with the help of Mina, a girl from his school who is very supportive even when she finds out how bad Laurence's life is. Even if he can find his mother, will life ever return to normal?
Strengths: Like all really good problem novels, this book drew me in and mesmerized me with the details. My students love problem novels; it's a developmental stage, I think, where they like to read about the lives of other people who are worse off than they are. I really liked the characters, the realistic way problems were handled, and very much appreciated that the book was gritty but didn't include language or situations that would make it inappropriate for younger readers.
Weaknesses: Very British, which might turn off some readers. The radio quiz show might be especially confusing. Also, only in paperback. I'll have to see if a prebind is available.

Tharp, Tim. Mojo
9 April 2013, Knopf Books for Young Readers
Copy from YA Books Central and reviewed there. 

Dylan doesn't go to the best school, but he is still surprised and dismayed to find the body of a school mate, Hector Maldonado, in a dumpster where he is hiding from bullies. When a local girl from a swankier school, Ashton Browning,  goes missing, Dylan thinks the two events might be connected, and decides to investigate. The promise of a cash reward that he needs in order to buy a car doesn't hurt. Dylan and his friend Audrey get drawn into the world of the swanky school, especially the activity at a club called "Gangland" that some of the other students are running. A life of ease and privilege can quickly go wrong, and Dylan puts himself and his friend in danger when the investigation takes an unusual turn.
Strengths: This kept me on the edge of my seat... I kept waiting for something inappropriate to be said, but nothing ever came up. Dylan is a good kid, the murder was not gruesome, but students do want murder mysteries, and this one walked the line between what kids want and what I think is appropriate beautifully. The cover is great, too. Excited about this one.
Weaknesses: I've read a lot of negative reviews about this one, but I don't share the opinions. I thought Dylan was a fairly intriguing main character with good motivations, the mystery had a bit of a twist, and in general, this is something that will be popular. The only thing I didn't understand was why Dylan lived in such a bad neighborhood if his parents were a teacher and a nurse!

World Wednesday-- Loki's Wolves

Armstrong, K.L. and Marr, M.A. Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages #1)
7 May 2013, Atom
ARC from Baker and Taylor

Matt Thorsen finds it hard to be the son of of a policeman and the smaller brother in his family. He can never make everyone happy, and when he sees Fen and his cousin Laura trying to steal a shield from the model Viking ship in the town square, he knows his father would want him to do something about it, but NOT get in a fight. Despite that, he accidentally uses the power of the amulet he has, Thor's Hammer, and throws Fen to the ground. Fen is desperate to get the shield so that he can pay his dues to the wolvenkind so they leave him alone. When the town has a big yearly meeting and festival, Matt finds out more about his family's background. He knew vaguely why he had the amulet, and that he didn't harness his power well, but now it turns out that he is the descendant of Thor who is chosen to fulfill the prophecy and prevent Ragnarok! He'll have to wrestle a giant serpent, but he overhears his grandfather saying that he thinks Matt will not survive. Desperate to find out the best way to proceed, Matt hunts down the Norns and gets some information-- he needs to find the other descendants of the gods to team up. Fen is descended from Loki, but in order to find the descendents of Freya and Freyr, they have to travel to Mt. Rushmore and end up fighting trolls! Odin's girlfriend shows up to help, and the group meets Baldwin, descendent of Baldur. The Valkyries tell them that they have to retrieve Mjolnir, Thor's sword, but Matt doesn't have the first idea about where to find this. The group has to band together to figure out how to save the world... and themselves!
Strengths: There's not a lot on Norse mythology, and I liked how this was set in South Dakota in a Norwegian community. Plenty of action and fighting, and I was able to tell the characters apart, which was no mean feat, since this was fantasy and there were a number of them to differentiate. The mythology is worked in nicely.
Weaknesses: This was technically very good, but something about it fell flat for me. Matt didn't have much of a personality, and the traveling bogged down a bit. I couldn't help but compare it to Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief series-- Percy Jackson always managed to travel around magically, and Matt could have used this. Maybe this will be worked out in the sequel.

And look what was released yesterday!!! I didn't manage to get a copy, so when my summer orders come in, I'll have to make sure I read this first. One little boy who just finished the first two books said to me "Those are the longest books I have read in my whole life!"

I'm going to try to convince the PTO to give me part of their generous funding in book store gift cards so I can buy some special books right when they come out. Did I mention that I have, um, five of the first book in my library?

Greenwald, Tommy. Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation.
7 May 2013, Roaring Brook Press

And WHY does it seem so hard to start inventory before all the books are due? I have biographies set up. We'll see how that goes today, not that I have deaccessioned a 1992 copy of a Madonna biography. *Sigh*

Storming the Castle-- Character Interview!

The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle Giveaway

All readers of this blog have exclusive access to a special giveaway for THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE. You will need this SECRET CODE to enter: PRINCE CHARMING. Click here to enter.(This is through Facebook. Sorry. Can't log in here at school to figure out where to enter said secret code!)

WHAT YOU WIN: If you are one of the first three people to enter the giveaway TODAY, you will receive a signed copy of The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. EVERYONE who enters the giveaway from 5/6 to 5/26 is eligible to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice.

Healy, Christopher. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle.
30 April 2013, Walden Pond Press
Copy received from the publisher.

The League of Princes is back after the events of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom,  and this time the crisis is more severe-- Liam is being forced to marry the evil Sleeping Beauty, Briar! Frederic, who is engaged to Ella but knows that Ella rather prefers Liam, feels bad for his friend, but also a little relieved. He is still afraid of most things, even after finding out that his mother was quite the adventuress. Gustav is still looking for a fight, and eager to get away from his 16 older brothers, so when Frederic feels he should help Liam escape, the two take off for Avondell. They are not able to stop the wedding, and once it is over, Briar unleashes even more avaricious requests-- she wants Liam to go to Deeb Rauber's castle and retrieve the sword of Erinthia that has a hilt set wtih orange jade. He agrees, but only because she has locked his friends in the dungeon and agrees to release them for the quest. Joined by Snow and Duncan, as well as various trolls and others they meet on the way, (such as Little Taylor, who has ninja sewing skills!) the bumbling group makes their way to Rauber's. The now 11-year-old bandit is being rude to people as usual, but trying to form alliances with people like the war lord Wrathgar, which doesn't make getting into the loot room any easier. Luckily, the princes and their companions make enough of a ruckus that they might be able to retrieve the sword. But will they escape? And if they make it back home, will the bards get any of the story right?
Strengths: I especially like the language and tone in this series, as well as the characters. There are a ton of medievalish, fairy tale fantasies out there, but the Princes Charming set this one apart. I am easily irked by weird character names, but Healy has a fine touch with these, and I giggled at the names instead of being annoyed. Frederic, Gustav and Duncan are over-the-top in their weirdness, but again, never managed to annoy me, and Frederic does grow a bit. I liked Liam's insecurity, the strong female characters, and the shifting relationships in the large group. These books are just a fun romp.
Weaknesses: The ending felt a bit weak, but clearly sets up another book.

We are pleased to welcome (with reservations!)The Gray Phantom!
(If you want an interview with me, you have to head over to Project Mayhem today!)

The Gray Phantom

Occupation: Thief, vandal, murderer

Affiliation: None

Kingdom of Origin: Unknown

Current Residence: Unknown (though he mostly terrorizes the town of Flargstagg in Sturmhagen)

Parents/Family: Unknown

Known Allies: None

Longtime Foe: The forces of law and justice

Likes: Is there anything that a man like the Phantom can truly enjoy?

Dislikes: Peace, joy, light

Signature Move: The De-Kidneyer

Quote: “You have seen the Gray Phantom. Now you die.”

Little Known Fact: There are no widely known facts about the Gray Phantom

Catch the blog tour at the following sites!

Monday, May 6th - Cari Blogs hosts Prince Liam
Tuesday, May 7th - Ms Yingling Reads hosts The Gray Phantom
Wednesday, May 8th -Bookalicious hosts Rapunzel
Thursday, May 9th - Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia hosts Deeb Rauber
Friday, May 10th - Kid Lit Frenzy hosts Prince Frederic
Saturday, May 11th - The Write Path hosts Cap'n Gabberman
Sunday, May 12th - Flashlight Reader hosts Mister Troll
Monday, May 13th - Mundie Kids hosts Snow White
Tuesday, May 14th - Candace's Book Blog hosts Ella
Wednesday, May 15th - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers hosts Little Taylor
Thursday, May 16th - Novel Novice hosts Ruffian the Blue
Friday, May 17th - The Hiding Spot hosts Lord Rundark
Saturday, May 18th - Mod Podge Books hosts Lila
Sunday, May 19th - Poisoned Rationality hosts Wrathgar
Monday, May 20th - Buried in Books hosts Vero
Tuesday, May 21st - Small Review hosts Frank
Wednesday, May 22nd - Book Rat hosts Briar Rose
Thursday, May 23rd - Alison's Book Marks hosts Prince Gustav
Friday, May 24th - There's a Book hosts Prince Duncan
Saturday May 25th - Bunbury in the Stacks hosts Madu
Sunday, May 26th - A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust hosts Stanislav Flimsham 

Middle Grade Monday-- My Summer of Pink and Green

 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 Booktalking. And if you can do one more Meme (I think I'll just start calling this Meme Monday!), head over to the Middle Grade May check in at Deb Marshall's blog! Whew!

Greenwald, Lisa. My Summer of Pink and Green
7 May 2013, Amulet Books

Lucy is back, and looking forward to spending the summer helping her mother and grandmother open the spa for which Lucy helped get a grant. Her sister Claudia is home from college, but has brought home Bean, her boyfriend, ostensibly to help with the spa. The main investor has brought his daughter, Bevin, from New York, and Anais, the spa consultant, is helping too. This doesn't leave much room for Lucy, and she feels unneeded. It doesn't help that her father may not be able to make it back to the US for his regular visit. Her friends, too, are being difficult. Is Yamir really her boyfriend? Is Sunny mad at her? Lucy tries to have a positive attitude and realize that whining doesn't help, only her own efforts can, but it's hard when so much is going on.
Strengths: I adored My Life in Pink and Green, and Greenwald titles are very popular with my students. Definitely will buy this one.
Weaknesses: Lucy seemed to whine more in this book, but it's a small quibble!

The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle Giveaway

All readers of this blog have exclusive access to a special giveaway for THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE. You will need this SECRET CODE to enter: PRINCE CHARMING. Click here to enter.

WHAT YOU WIN: If you are one of the first three people to enter the giveaway TODAY, you will receive a signed copy of The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. EVERYONE who enters the giveaway from 5/6 to 5/26 is eligible to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice. 

Monday, May 6th - Cari Blogs hosts Prince Liam
Tuesday, May 7th - Ms Yingling Reads hosts The Gray Phantom
Wednesday, May 8th -Bookalicious hosts Rapunzel
Thursday, May 9th - Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia hosts Deeb Rauber
Friday, May 10th - Kid Lit Frenzy hosts Prince Frederic
Saturday, May 11th - The Write Path hosts Cap'n Gabberman
Sunday, May 12th - Flashlight Reader hosts Mister Troll
Monday, May 13th - Mundie Kids hosts Snow White
Tuesday, May 14th - Candace's Book Blog hosts Ella
Wednesday, May 15th - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers hosts Little Taylor
Thursday, May 16th - Novel Novice hosts Ruffian the Blue
Friday, May 17th - The Hiding Spot hosts Lord Rundark
Saturday, May 18th - Mod Podge Books hosts Lila
Sunday, May 19th - Poisoned Rationality hosts Wrathgar
Monday, May 20th - Buried in Books hosts Vero
Tuesday, May 21st - Small Review hosts Frank
Wednesday, May 22nd - Book Rat hosts Briar Rose
Thursday, May 23rd - Alison's Book Marks hosts Prince Gustav
Friday, May 24th - There's a Book hosts Prince Duncan
Saturday May 25th - Bunbury in the Stacks hosts Madu
Sunday, May 26th - A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust hosts Stanislav Flimsham 

Summer Romance-- Unbreak My Heart

Walker, Melissa. Unbreak My Heart
22 May 2012, Bloomsbury USA

During any other summer, Clementine would not be happy that she had to spend the entire three months of summer vacation boating with her family, but since her social life is a complete wreck and her best friend Amanda isn't speaking to her, she might as well. Her younger sister Olivia is somewhat annoying, but spending time with her family isn't as bad as she thought. We learn about what happened with her best friend a little bit at a time, and why everyone at school now hates her. We also meet James, who is traveling the same waterways with his father. Clementine is amazed that he doesn't think she is a horrible person, and slowly comes to terms with what happened, and allows herself to move on.
Strengths: Great romance book-- even the pale blue book and the pink jacket are appealing. We really get two romance stories, and both are nice, even if the one is uncomfortable and causes problems. Has some Dessen-style angst, but still very summery.
Weaknesses: Perfectly fine for middle school, although there are two f-bombs around page 154 that I'm debating. They aren't used gratuitously; they are, in fact used at the moment of greatest conflict, so I have a little bit more patience for that sort of use.

Ashford, Brenda. A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story
2 April 2013, Doubleday
E ARC from  Netgalley.com

This was not a middle grade book, but I couldn't help but read it. If you want a good comfort read that talks about what it was like to live in Great Britain during the years leading up to WWII, and you want insight into how someone could be a nanny for 62 years, this is the book. Ms. Ashford is a bit overly sweet, but I imagine she must have been quite stern with her charges to keep nannying for so long. The cover of this is adorable, and I must admit I am half tempted to buy this one for myself-- I can see it being something I would reread when the world is bleak.

Life After Theft

Pike Aprilynne. Life After Theft.
30 April 2013, Harper Teen

Jeff starts a new high school after his parents move to California, and has a hard first day-- he is the only one who can see Kimberlee, a student at the school who drowned a year before. Tired of being a ghost, she's thrilled to see him and determined that he help her move on. She thinks the reason she's stuck is the massive amount of stealing that she did, due to her kleptomania. The school thought that there was a theft ring, and she has neatly labeled everyone's stuff and stored it in a cave on her parents' property. Jeff manages to return a few things, but gets distracted by Sera, a cheerleader who saves him from being the butt of a joke at a beer fest. Sera was bullied by Kimberlee, and there is some big secret between Kimberlee and Sera's brother, Khail. In fact, Khail is the only person Jeff tells about Kimberlee's ghost, and since Jeff knows odd details, Khail believes Jeff and helps get the possessions back to people. Jeff runs into some trouble with the police-- trying to return bags to stores at the mall gets him pulled in, and trying to break into the school to put stuff there ends in the fire extinguisher system going off. Sera and Jeff get closer, but there are problems when Kimberlee does not "move on" even after all the stolen items are given back.
Strengths: This was very fun, and a surprise after the Wings series. Jeff is a fun character; his ability to see Kimberlee is believably done. The high school dynamics are interesting, and the romance is top notch.
Weaknesses: ARGH! The beer drinking was at least instructional-- DON'T drink because it doesn't end well. Sera takes Jeff's keys away. But when (on page 185 out of  220 in the e version) the twodo the horizontal hokey pokey in a fairly graphic way, this makes the book inappropriate for middle school, even when Jeff's parents give him a talk about safe sex. Sigh. Sigh. I had such high hopes for this one. Nice romance, boy as a main character, ghosts and wrestlers. Drat.

Platypus Police Squad

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is SUCH a fun guy-- if you didn't enjoy the Lunch Lady graphic novels, there's just no helping you. I'm excited that Walden Pond asked me to be part of the artwork reveal, because I know that middle grade readers are going to be very excited about this book.

There is a Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3OEDEqel24

 

You are also invited to the Platypus Police Squad Virtual Launch Party:

http://www.studiojjk.com/ppsvirtuallaunchparty.html 

This is a chance to chat with Jarrett and win prizes like posters and a class set of Platypus Police Squad.Very exciting!

 The book is being released on 7 May 2013, but here's a sneak preview of the art.

 Artwork copyright © 2013 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Guy Friday-- Creeepy Books

Gilman, Charles. Teacher's Pest (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #3)
7 May 2013, Quirk Books
Copy received from Baker and Taylor

After Glenn gets bitten by a gigantic purple wasp, things start to get stranger than they already are at Lovecraft. Because of a custodian's strike, the halls aren't clean and the garbage isn't collected, so bugs start entering the building in droves. Robert ends up with lice, and has his hair shaved off, but is most concerned with how Howard Mergler, that student body president that Tillinghast has put in place, is dealing with the bugs. The exterminators he hired are spraying the halls with maple syrup, and when the bugs suddenly disappear, Robert finds that they are in an underground burrow under the school soccer field. Glenn seems odd, Pip and Squeak disappear while investigating air shafts, and Robert gets caught while trying to get the key to the basement. What's going on with Glenn? Can the bugs be contained? What's next in Tillinghast's evil plans?
Strengths: Lots of gross details about the bugs; this will be too much for some children, but most will find it grossly amusing. The additional details about Glenn's life are intriguing, and I appreciate that certain key information from previous books is briefly recapped. I also like the librarian, Ms. Lavinia. My favorite quote from her is from page 66 (in the ARC): "I built streaming-video camera helmets for a two-headed rat in fifteen minutes, and you're complaining that they don't have a zoom lens?" Go, Ms. Lavinia!
Weaknesses: I'm kind of warming to this series, and I'm curious to see what happens when Robert's mother gets a job as the school nurse in book four, Substitute Creature, that comes out in June.



Stine, R.L. How I Met My Monster (Goosebumps Most Wanted #3) 
1 April 2013, Scholastic Books
Copy received from Young Adult Books Central and reviewed there.

Noah (aka Bean) is plump and rather shy. He has one really good friend, Lissa, from his Sternom House apartment complex, and he would like to try out for the swim team, but he keeps having horrible nightmares about monsters chasing him and drowning him. His rocket scientist mother and pet store owner father blame his nerves over swim tryouts, and even Bean himself can attribute some of his nerves to local bully Harlan, who routinely takes his lunch, pushes him down into the mud, and generally makes his life miserable. He's glad when Morton moves into the apartment complex, but he starts to suspect that Morton may be the monster he sees cropping up all over the place. Bean is being threatened by the monster, who leaves a dead gerbil and notes for him that he's "next", and the monster finally attacks at the school's pet show. Bean gets blamed for this. Will he be able to figure out who the monster really is so he can get rid of his nightmares? And will the monster be his answer to his bully problem?
Strengths: Stine is the master of juvenile horror for many reasons. He creates monsters that are scary but not realistic at all, so even though they are scary, children know that they aren't a real threat. The chapters tend to end in cliffhangers and scary moments that turn out to be something benign, but get the blood pumping nonetheless. The adults never believe that anything bad is happening until it is way too late. There are plenty of gross things, as well as embarrassing incidents as well. (Bean is completely pantsed at swim tryouts.) While these are offered as comic relief, those are the REAL fears that children have. I think that one of the reason that children like these books so much is taht adults don't!
Weaknesses: Harlan beats up Bean and Morton for their lunches and lunch money and never gets turned in or caught? This is my least favorite stereotypical theme, and I'm immensely tired of it. I also can't think of any school that would have a pet show (The liability! The allergies!), but since this was a common theme in 1980s children's books, the inclusion of this event makes the book seem dated.

Lubar, David. Hyde and Shriek.
8 January 2013, Starscape

Love this author and need more creepy books, but even after rereading, this was confusing to me. It also seemed a little young, perhaps appropriate for grades 2-5. Middle school students want teachers that are actually mean and scary! Will pass for now, but elementary libraries should certainly take a look.

From Goodreads.com:
Ms. Clevis is one of the most popular teachers at Washington Irving. Until the morning she accidentally puts some of the wrong ingredients into her breakfast smoothie. Suddenly she finds herself switching back and forth between mean substitute teacher Ms. Hyde and a sweet sixth grade girl named Jackie. Will Jackie figure out the cure before she changes into the horrible Ms. Hyde forever?

Frogs

Don't forget the Middle Grade May Challenge over at Deb Marshall's blog! Since Middle Grade is really just about all I read, I'm super excited about this. There's even a hashtag: #middlegrademay 

My only conundrum is this: I'm blogged ahead until, um, sometime in late June. So do I count what appears here, or what I'm actually reading? I have some plans for the summer that will involve me reading less. (I know, start laughing at me now!)

Vande Velde, Vivian. Frogged.
2 April 2013, Harcourt Children's Books
E Arc from Netgalley.com

The Princess Imogene is trying to prepare for her 13th birthday by reading The Art of Being a Princess, but is finding it a struggle. She's not particularly beautiful or kind or any of the things that princesses are supposed to be. This might be why, when she is approached by a frog, she agrees to kiss him to break the spell. The only problem? She has kissed Harry, a local boy who has irritated a witch, and now SHE will be a frog unless she can convince someone else to kiss her and then be turned into a frog. She asks the witch to break the spell, but she refuses. Next, she ends up in the clutches of the well-meaning but dense Luella and her beau, Bertie, who convinces Louella to run away with his troupe of actors, where they can find fame and fortune by showcasing the "talking Chinese frog". This plan doesn't go the way either Imogene or Luella would like-- Imogene just wants to get home to her parents, and Luella is not allowed to act. Eventually, the two make it back to the castle, where a family friend of Imogene helps her figure out a way to break the curse.
Strengths: Having just done a unit on myths, folk tales and fairy tales with a seventh grade language arts class, this would be a fun book for students to read. Imogene's plight as a frog is amusing and makes for a light read, and the cover is fresh and appealing.
Weaknesses: Something seemed to be missing. Imogene had to linger far too long with the actors, and I kept waiting for something... bigger to happen. The ending was similarly dissatisfying. Vande Velde usually has such clever fairy tale turns that I was just expecting something more.

Pryce, Trevor and Naftali, Joel. An Army of Frogs (A Kulipari Novel)
Illustrated by Sanford Greene
7 May 2013, Amulet Books
ARC from Baker and Taylor

Ah, bellicose small animals. Reading Redwall and Warriors was personally painful. I mention the book because there will be readers for it, especially with the copious illustrations. I just did not understand why this had been written, and found myself wondering why Mr. Pryce didn't write a football novel instead (since he is apparently a pro ball player.). Here is the information from the publisher if talking animals are a popular genre in your library:

"It’s frogs versus scorpions in this new series by professional football player Trevor Pryce. For years, the frogs of the Amphibilands have lived in safety—protected by an elite group of poisonous frogs named the Kulipari and by the dreamcasting spell of the turtle king that cloaks their lands in mystery. Now the spell is threatened by the Spider Queen, a talented spellcaster, and Lord Marmoo, leader of the scorpions. With the Kulipari off training in secret, the Amphibilands have never been so vulnerable. Enter Darel, a young frog who dreams of joining the Kulipari, despite his utter lack of poison and limited fighting skills. With the help of a motley crew of friends, Darel has the chance to become the warrior of his dreams.
Cool animals, thrilling action, and a bit of natural science—this novel, illustrated in full color by acclaimed comics artist Sanford Greene, is sure to be a major hit with boys."

Troubletwisters

Nix, Garth and Williams, Sean. Troubletwisters
1 May 2011, Scholastic Press

Jack and Jaide's house blows up after a weird series of events and an invitation from their previously unknown Grandma X, so of course their mother takes them off to live at her house while theirs is being rebuilt. Their father is off working, and their mother also gets a job that takes her away from home, leaving them to  find weird happenings at their grandmother's house. Why will no one tell them what "troubletwisters" are? Why can they see things others can't? Why does their grandmother's cat talk? And why, of why, didn't someone tell them about The Evil before Jack is carried off underground by throngs of vermin to meet his doom?
Strengths: This was available in hard cover from Scholastic, and I could use book fair Scholastic dollars to buy it. The covers are pretty, and it's decent adventure fantasy.
Weaknesses: Almost orphan children? Check. Powers arriving with adolescence? Check. Evil encroaching which only the children can defeat? Check. Talking animals, weird relatives, mysterious circumstances, and a creepy house? All check. This might possible be the most cliched fantasy book I've ever read. I'm very surprised at Nix for this one.

Nix, Garth and Williams, Sean. The Monster: Troubletwisters #2
1 June 2012, Scholastic Press.

From the publisher: "The second installment in the spectacular new middle-grade fantasy series from bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams.

Since moving to the town of Portland, many bizarre things have happened to Jaide and Jack Shield. The twins have discovered their own magical powers--and have seen how they can go horribly wrong. They have met cats who talk and humans who keep silent about deep, dark secrets. And they have begun their fight against a deadly force known only as The Evil.

Still, Jaide and Jack have yet to meet the strangest resident of Portland. It’s a creature that only comes out at night, a beast that defies human description. Jaide and Jack have never seen it . . . but they're about to. And when they do, destruction and disaster won’t be too far away."

Davies, Nicola. Escape from Silver Street Farm
26 March 2013, Candlewick
Book recieved from YABC and reviewed there.

This is the sequel to Welcome to Silver Street Farm, and the second in a series of six books. With the help of farmer Flora, the children are getting ready to open their urban farm to the public, but find that the turkeys and two of the sheep have been set free. It takes some comical effort to track them down, and also to find out who deliberately removed fence board so the animals could escape. The children have quite the adventure saving the turkeys from going over a dam in a bouncy castle and finding the rampaging sheep.

Strengths: This is a fun series for beginning readers who like animals. The idea of setting up a farm in the city is an appealing one, and the children have a lot of responsibility. The way that the people who let the animals loose are dealt with is very kind. The adults are supportive. There is even a bit of multiculturalism, with Meera's family provided some yummy Indian sweets. The illustrations add to the fun.

Weaknesses: This is rather British, so younger children might need some explanation.