MMGM- Radioactive!: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World

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

Conkling, Winifred. Radioactive!: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World
January 5th 2016 by Algonquin Young Readers 
E ARC from Netgalley; paper copy from Baker and Taylor

Check out today's podcast for fiction books with science connections!

Marie Curie had a fascinating story that many younger readers have heard, but her daughter Irene's story is almost more fascinating because of the time during which she lived. Largely left to her own devices by her very driven scientist parents, Irene pursued similar academic interests, but also helped out with X-Rays at field hospitals during WWI, and at a very young age! Armed with both experience and knowledge, she worked in her parents' lab and went to college, where she excelled academically. She also met and married a fellow scientist, Frederic Joliot, and the two worked together and discovered artificial radiation. While the science was a bit hard for me to follow, the depiction of a woman struggling to be recognized in an academic science field in the early 1900s was fascinating. 

We also learn about the slightly older Meitner, who also struggling not only to obtain an education, but to find jobs in her field. She worked with another scientist, Hahn, and actually took precautions against radiation poisoning in the labs where she worked, unlike the Curies! She was involved in experiments involving fission, but her work was interrupted by WWII. Feeling that her academic repute, as well as her Austrian passport, would protect her from Hitler's targeting of people of Jewish descent (which she was, although she felt Protestant), she did not leave Germany when there was an exodus of Jewish scientists. She was so stubborn about staying that she eventually had to be nearly kidnapped by friends in the scientific community and removed to Sweden! She continued to work, but was thwarted by lack of recognition and the generally difficult circumstances of moving to a new country at the age of 60. 

While Curie and Meitner were often at odds scientifically, their experiences with trying to work in a field that was mainly the domain of men was very similar, and is an enlightening thing for teens to read about today. The book is filled with fascinating moments, and is an excellent choice for libraries where a lot of research is done. While I read nonfiction for fun, I don't have many middle school students who will sit down to 200+ pages of nonfiction. I wish I did, but I don't. 

Card Catalog- Science

Click Here for Podcast

*Aldrin, Buzz. Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet (NF)(2015)

*Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793 (Yellow Fever) (2000)

Anderson, T. Neill. City of the Dead (Galveston Hurricane)(2013)

*Banks, Kate. Boy’s Best Friend (Scientific Method) (2015)

*Barry, Dave. Science Fair (2008)

*Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Terrible Typhoid Mary (NF)(2015)

Blundell, Judy. A City Tossed and Broken (Earthquake) (2013)

*Brown , Jennifer. How Lunchbox Jones saved me from robots, traitors, and Missy the Cruel  

(Robotics)(2015)

Life on Mars (Astronomy)(2014)

*Carter, Dean Vincent. Hand of the Devil (Mutant killer mosquitoes)(2005)

Cervantes, Angela. Allie, First and Last (Science Fair) (2016)

*Chibbaro, Julie. Deadly (Typhoid) (2011)

Cooney, Caroline. Code Orange (Smallpox)(2005)

Dowell, Francis O’Roark. Phineas McGuire-- Erupts (2006, series)

*Earhart, Kristin. Rain Forest Relay (Ecology)(2015)

*Frazier, Sundee. Brendan Buckley’s Scientific Experiment (Rocks and Minerals)(2007)

Garrett, Dee. Wildfire Run (Earthquake, forest fire)(2010)

Gibbs, Stuart. Belly Up (Zoology) (2010)

Space Case (Living in space)(2014)

*Hiassen, Carl. Hoot (Ecology) (2002)

*Hopkinson, Deborah . The Great Trouble (Cholera)(2013)

*Jarrow, Gail. Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary (NF) (2015)

Joiner, Sarah K. After the Ashes (Darwin, volcano eruption) (2016)

Jurmain, Susan. The Secret of the Yellow Death (NF)(2009)

Keating, Jess. How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied (Zoology)(2014)

Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Biology)(2009)

*Kelly, Mark E. Astrotwins: Project Blastoff (Rocketry)(2015)

Astrotwins: Project Rescue (2016)

*Key, Watt. Terror at Bottle Creek (Hurricane)(2016)

Kinard, Kami. The Boy Project (Investigative methods, math)(2012)

*Korman, Gordon. Ungifted (Robotics)(2012)

*Lewman, David. The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf (Investigations)(2012) 6 books

Margolis, Leslie. Everybody Bugs Out (Science Fair) (2011)

MacGregor, Allen. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (1951)

Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star (Astronomy)(2008)

McDougal, Sophia. Mars Evacuees (Living in Space, terraforming)(2015)

Northrop, Michael. Trapped! (Blizzard)(2011)

*Pearson, Ridley. Steel Trapp (Science Competition)(2008)

*Rorby, Ginny. How to Speak Dolphin (Marine life, behavioral psychology)(2015)

Hurt Go Happy (Primate studies)(2006)

*Ruckman, Ivy. Night of the Twisters (Tornado)(1984)

Salisbury, Graham. The Night of the Howling Dogs (Earthquake)(2007)

Schreiber, Joel. Lenny Cyrus, School Virus (Biology) (2012)

*Wardlaw, Lee. 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher (Invention Convention) (2004)

Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps (Viruses)(2005)

*Williams, Jay. Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint (1957)

*Mentioned in podcast

Lizzie and the Lost Baby

Blackford, Cheryl. Lizzie and the Lost Baby
January 12th 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Lizzie and her younger brother Peter are sent away from the city at the start of WWII because their father is going into the military and their mother is worried for them. They are sent to a Yorkshire Valley, where they are billeted with the uncommunicative Elsie, who has had her husband and baby daughter die. Elsie's sister lives next door, and takes care of the children to a certain degree, but there is not a lot of love or attention being paid to them. When Lizzie is out wandering, she finds an abandoned baby and brings it home. The baby is actually Rose, and she was left in the field when her brother Elijah was told to leave her by a mean family "friend" who wanted help with poaching animals. Elijah is beside himself when Rose is gone, and soon realizes that Lizzie has her. The local constabulary, however, has decided that since Rose is a gypsy baby, and her presence is comforting to Elsie, that the gypsies don't "deserve" to have her back. Together, Elijah and Lizzie work to get Rose back to her rightful home. 

Strengths: This is an interesting twist on WWII, even though it doesn't talk too much about the war. There seemed to have been a lot of books about evacuated children written in the 1970s, so it's interesting to see a new one that explores issues of class at the time. I enjoyed this one and would have loved it as a child.

Weaknesses: Rather slow paced, and historical fiction is not a huge draw with my students unless it is action-packed. 

What I really think: I won't buy this for my library, especially since the cover won't appeal to my students. Sigh. 

Cartoon Saturday- The Terrible Two Get Worse

Barnett, Mac and John, Jory.  The Terrible Two Get Worse
January 12th 2016 by Amulet Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Miles and Niles are back, committing more acts of hatchback violence to Principal Barkin's poor car, smearing Limburger cheese on its undercarriage. In light of all of the pranks that have been happening, the school board votes to fire Barry Barkin and bring back his father. Former Principal Barkin is NOT having any pranks, and Miles and Niles are locked down in their ability to cause harmless mayhem at their school. Even the pranks they try (setting off the fire alarm, complete with sprinklers) is turned around so the pranks look like a good thing. Josh Barkin is promoted to School Helper, is allowed to commandeer the fundraising money, and is generally annoying. Finally, Miles and Niles have no choice but to contact Barry and work with him to oust his father. 

Strengths: Filled with goofy pictures, fans of the first book in this series will be glad to see the adventures of the pranksters continue.

Weaknesses: There is an incident where the boys put a very hot pepper in Former Principal Barkin's mug that I didn't find funny at all. The principal is not shown drinking the liquid, or suffering any ill effects, but as someone who occasionally has a cup of tea at my desk because I talk all day long and my throat gets dry, I found the idea alarming. In The Terrible Two, the pranks are fairly harmless, but this one crossed a line into destructive behavior. 

What I really think: Reduced my order from two copies to only one because this was so mean spirited. The other one seemed to depict more harmless pranks; this one was not nice at all!

Guy Friday- Terror

Key, Watt. Terror at Bottle Creek
January 5th 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Cort and his father work giving tours along the river in Alabama, and they live in a house boat. Cort's mother has moved out, and his father is finding it difficult to come to terms with that fact. When a big storm is approaching, Cort heads over to a neighbor's house to hang out with his friend Liza and her young sister Francie. Times are tough for the girls' family as well, since their father has died and their mother is trying to make ends meet by running boat docks. Cort's father takes off to help his ex-wife, and Liza's mother is out as well, and that's when the hurricane hits. Cort has boarded up the windows and the house is fiarly secure, but Francie runs off with Cort's dog and ends up on the house boat, which gets dragged away in the current. Liza and Cort take off after her, and all three are plummeted into the storm. Eventually, they end up on a ridge... but so do wild boars, bears, and snakes. They tie themselves up in a tree and drink water off of leaves, but when Liza gets bitten by a snake and no help seems to be forthcoming, Cort makes the harrowing trip back to try to find help. Can he find someone before it is too late both for him and the girls?

Key is a brilliant writer-- his Fourmile remains a favorite of my 8th grade boys, and even though I normally don't like books set in the south, this was brilliant. This is a very scary survival story set in an environment where not many survival stories are set (exceot Hiassen's Skink and Spradlin's Menance from the Deep, but those are both very different types of stories). 

My favorite part of it might be the following quote, however, because it points out why students like scary books so much-- they are a good way to deflect attention to the real life problems that they face, in the way that Cort is afraid of ending up like his father: "What do women really want? They want a nice house and money and friends. They want men who wear suits and drive new cars. What they don't want is houseboats and smelly men who hunt and fish for a living. Who have dogs named Catfish. I don't want to be this. I won't be this. "

Wow. Quite the bomb to throw into a story about being trapped in a tree with poisonous snakes hanging all around. Definitely purchasing!


Stratton, Allan. The Dogs.
September 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire 

Cameron and his mother have been on the move ever since his mother left his abusive father. She is very worried that he is following them, and any time she feels uncomfortable, they move. Their latest stopping place is a rental house on the outskirts of town. The neighbor, Mr. Sinclair, seems really creepy, and the realtor, Ken, seems to like the company of Cameron's mother too much. School isn't easy, either, with bully Cody giving him a hard time and his only friend, Benji, smelling a bit too much like the pig farm. The biggest problem, though, is that the farmhouse seems haunted, and Cameron hears and sees the ghost of Jacky in the house. This spurs him to investigate the former owners of the house, some of whom, including Jacky, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The titular "dogs" refer to the dogs bought by Jacky's father that ended up killing him. After running into problem after problem at school, and no one believing him that Jacky's family might have come to grief, Cameron calls his father, which turns out to be a very bad idea. There are a lot of twists and turns in this that I don't want to ruin, but rest assured, it's a fairly creepy murder mystery/ghost story!

Strengths: There's a lot of interesting parallelism in this, good twists, supportive adults to try to help Cameron even though they don't get it quite right at first, and a great, spooky cover. I would think that I knew what would happen next, but then the story would veer in another direction. Very nice. 

Weaknesses: I have a bad feeling that the "hard cover" through Baker and Taylor is actually paper-over-boards. There is just no keeping that format in any kind of decent shape in a school library. 

What I really think: Don't know how I missed this one, but I'll definitely be purchasing it for the fall! 

Winter's Bullet

Osborne, William. Winter's Bullet
January 5th 2016 by Chicken House 
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Tygo, the son of a locksmith, lives in Amsterdam during WWII. His parents are both dead, and his sister has been sent off to the Nazi death camps, and he is working for the Nazi's to break into buildings to retrieve art even though he would rather not. To make matters even worse, the Resistance has targeted him as a sympathizer, telling him that everyone has a choice. Unfortunately, Tygo's choice is to not get shot! When the Gestapo officer for whom he is forced to work orders him to find a diamond, the Red Queen, somewhere in Amsterdam, Tygo makes some startling discoveries, including a girl who is hiding and might be able to help him find the gem. This novel is loosely based on the fact that Hitler had teams working on an atomic bomb, and a variety of historical personages, from Eva Duarte to Hitler himself, show up in the book. 

This author, who also wrote Hitler's Secret, has a great feel for this time period. There are very few books that show people who "sympathized" with the Nazis because they preferred that course of action to death. I think that many people took that route; I had a friend who was in the Wehrmacht even though his home in Polish Silesia was taken over by the Nazis. He felt that he didn't have any other choice, and it's nice to see a literary character faced with the same conundrum. 

Certainly, the Nazis are not portrayed as good in any way, and I liked how Osborne took little known historical facts and wove them into his story. There's plenty of action (including flying around in planes!) to suit readers who like to read about the fighting in WWII, as well as Tygo's suffering. 



Haight, Jessica and Robinson, Stephanie. The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
December 1st 2015 by Delacorte (first published January 1st 2011)

Fairday and her family move from Manhattan to Ashpot, Connecticut, a small town where they move into the spooky looking Begonia house. Her parents hope to start and bed and breakfast, and there's lots of renovating that needs to be done, since the previous occupants left most of their things in the attic. Fairday, who had a Detective Mystery Society with her good friend Lizzy in Manhattan, hears weird bagpipe music coming from the attic, and starts to investigate. She uncovers several different clues about the former owner and his daughter, Ruby. She talks to a local former reporter as part of a school project, and learns that Ruby disappeared on her wedding day, and that her father died under mysterious circumstances twenty years later. When Lizzie comes to visit, the two start investigating in earnest, and come across a strange mirror that has the ability to suck them into an alternative world. 
Strengths: Living and supportive parents, and a scary but not horrifying mystery. Solid friend story, and some good paranormal details. This would be good for elementary readers. 
Weaknesses: Not quite as scary as my students want, and was too similar to several other stories.
What I really think: The art in this is odd. I think I will skip this and just give students West's The Shadows series, to which this is eerily similar.

#WNDB Wednesday- The Lightning Queen

Resau, Laura. The Lightning Queen
October 27th 2015 by Scholastic Press

Mateo looks forward to his yearly visits with his mother's family in Mexico, in a small village known as the Hill of Dust. His grandfather was a doctor and his mother is a scientist, but on the latest visit, his grandfather tells Mateo a magical tale of a Roma girl named Esma who changed his grandfather Teo's life by declaring their undying friendship. In these story flashbacks, we learn how Esma's community traveled around showing movies from their caravan in exchange for money or small wares. Esma was partially crippled (due, she says, to being struck by lightning), but was a fabulous singer who had offers to be made a star. Teo helped his grandfather, the local healer, and his mother, who was so grief stricken after the death of his sister that she couldn't take care of Teo. The residents of the Hill of Dust welcome the Romani, with the exception of Teo's Uncle Paco, who had gone to the city but returned a failure. Teo wants to learn to read so that he can teach Esma, so he ventures to the village school, even though the teacher is very mean to the students because they speak Mixteco instead of Spanish. Esma improves the teacher's behavior by putting a Gypsy curse on her, and Teo and his grandfather help "remove" it. In time, Esma makes her way to the city and connects with a talent scout who offers to help her with her career. Teo eventually goes to school. In the present day, Mateo helps his grandfather locate Esma in the United States.

Note: While this has some "magical" elements, they are the kind that aren't really magical-- the fortune teller admits that she really doesn't know the future, she just tells people what they want to hear. I would categorize this as realistic fiction about a culture that occasionally believes in magic even though no actual magic occurs. 

Strengths: Interesting look at village life in rural Mexico, as well as a compelling investigation of cultural, ethnic and economic differences and how they effect relationships. I liked how Teo managed to get an education against the odds, and how the teacher's attitude was softened. Even though I kind of knew where the story was going, this book kept me turning the pages. 

Weaknesses: The mother remains depressed about the death of her daughter to the point of doing nothing more than poking through her treasure box for over fifty years? Even after the grandfather dies and Teo has no one to take care of him? Unacceptable. This was also a bit wordy for middle grade-- don't know that I've ever read an author so fond of metaphors and similes. Seriously. One every page, almost. 

What I really think: I have a copy, so will put it in the collection for my readers who are avidly interested in any books with Latino culture, but I wouldn't buy a copy. 


Hitchcock, Shannon. Ruby Lee and Me. 
January 5th 2016 by Scholastic Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

When Sarah's younger sister is hit by a car when Sarah is reading a library book instead of watching her, Robin ends up in the hospital, and Sarah feels guilty. It doesn't help that her family, hard hit by the hospital bills, moves from their small Southern town out to the country to be near grandparents. Sarah loves being in the country but misses her room, and is worried about starting a new school. Her friend Ruby Lee will also attend the school, but since she is black, Ruby Lee doesn't think that the two can be "school friends". Sarah feels odd about the whole thing-- she's friends with Ruby Lee, but sees that Ruby Lee's mother and her grandmother have a different kind of relationship, one where the grandmother is always in charge. The community struggles with the school integration as well, and Sarah must figure out a way to deal with her grief about her sister's hospitalization as well as the changes in her relationship with Ruby.

Strengths: This is set in 1969, and I had no idea that schools in the South were still not integrated at that point. In Ohio, there was a lot of busing in Cleveland in the late 1970s, but that was because neighborhoods were uneven, not because black children were not allowed to go to certain schools. In fact, there was a black child in my father's first grade class in 1940 in Akron, so this surprised me. The author based many of the characters and the setting on people and places that she knew well. 

Weaknesses: I wasn't sure at first when this book took place, and there could have been more information about the state of Civil Rights at the time. I was glad the author mentioned the "inaccuracy" involving the broadcast dates of All My Children, because I did catch that! I would have liked a few more period details about food, etc., and would have preferred the cover showed 1969 fashions-- girls' skirts weren't this long until about 1976, having been fairly short for a long time, and the pinafore... I just don't know what went on here. The Gone Crazy in Alabama cover depicts fashions at the time much better!

And look! The cover on the left is the one that was actually published! I'm not the only one that thought the first attempt didn't get the outfits quite right. Short overalls are too long, though, as is the dress. Better than pinafore!

My daughter would like everyone to know that I am just a crazy person and that these things don't matter. I once complained that a book referenced Pop Tarts two years before they debuted. If my own life is going to be "history", I want it to be correct! 

Only Tweens Can Save the World

Tesler, Monica. Bounders.
January 5th 2016 by Aladdin
EARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Jasper has always known that he was bred to serve in Earth Force. His parents had the genetic characteristics that had been bred out of most humans, so both Jasper and his younger sister are able to "bound" (sort of like tessering-- moving through space and time more quickly), so he is sent off to an academy to study when he is old enough. There, he makes friends with the very knowledgeable Cole and the spunky Lucy, and learns more about what is expected of the group. He is assigned with his friends (along with the obnoxious Marco and the differently-abled Mira) not to the Pod being instructed by celebrity aeronauts, but to the geeky Waters and his assistant Gedny. As a group, they compete in challenges against other groups, and learn how to use gloves Waters' designed to "bound" without a space ship! There are, of course, aliens, bullies, cool gadgets, and secret government conspiracies concerning wars in which the Bounders will have to fight. After dampening one threat on Paleo Planet, the group is to come back in two more books, and Jasper's sister Addy will probably soon be joining them. 
Strengths: Jasper's parents are alive and supportive, even though he doesn't see them! There's a lot of scientific explanation, and people wanting diversity in abilities will find it interesting that the Bounders seem to be either working with ADHD or possibly Autism Spectrum related challenges.
Weaknesses: I'll buy this one, and it was perfectly fine, but it seemed a bit reminiscent of Voyagers, MINRS, and several other newer science fiction titles that I've seen. 
What I really think: A large part of my problem was that I was a bit appalled that now the world is not only at the mercy of tweens, it is at the mercy of socially inept tweens! Had trouble buying in to the breeding of Bounders part of the world building. 



Northrop, Michael. The Stone Warriors (Tombquest #4)
January 5th 2016 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Alex and Ren end up in Vienna, having gone through a portal in a tomb. They have to let Dr. Todtman know where they are, and have to figure out a way to find Alex's mother, who unleashed a plague of Death Walkers on the world in an attempt to heal Alex. The two manage to find out more about her scholarly work, and know that she was doing work on Hathshepsut, and try to locate other people who worked with her. The Order must be stopped before the entire world is taken over, and Alex and Ren have many adventures, but still have one more book to go before they solve the mystery and avert disaster.
Strengths: I like this series, I really do. The books are action packed, a decent length, have great characters in Alex and Ren, and include Egyptian mythology. But...
Weaknesses: This is why I am tired of fantasy. Always some mythical threat that only children can conquer in order to save the world. Ho, hum. I guess I haven't turned into a 12-year-old boy after all. 
What I really think: Will buy a copy and recommend it much more enthusiastically than I read it. I don't think that any of my students ever do the online components of these books, although the publishers seem to spend a lot of time on them. 

Card Catalog- Cybils Awards Winners!

Click here for the podcast.

The new year always means THE CYBILS AWARDS for me! The New Year does not always mean that I am immediately organized, however: there may be some forthcoming posts about that, so the podcast is just an overview of some of my favorite finalists and winners from years past. Next week, the podcast will concentrate on fiction books that have science content that goes along with the middle school curriculum.

Below is a list of books mentioned in the podcast. For a complete list of Cybils Finalists or Cybils Winners, visit Cybils.com. While you're there, check out the FAQ page to help you make a list of books you would like to nominate in September of 2016, and take a look at what it takes to be a first or second round panelist.

Barry, Dave. The Worst Class Trip Ever (2015)

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything But Typical (2009)

Bell, Cece. El Deafo (2014)

Carroll, David. Ultra (2013)

Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery (2008)

Korman, Gordon. Ungifted (2012)

Larson, Kirby. The Friendship Doll (2011)

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book (2008)

Greenwald, Tommy. Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading (2011)

Herbach, Geoff. Stupid Fast (2011)

Gabe Johnson Takes Over (2014)

Anything You Want (2016)

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Day Glo Brothers (2009)

Palaccio, R.J. Wonder (2012)

Pitchford, Dean. Nickel Bay Nick (2014)

Reedy, Trent. Words in the Dust (2011)

Schlitz, Amy Laura. A Drowned Maiden’s Hair (2006)

Shang, Wendy. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu (2011)

Stroud, Jonathan. The Screaming Staircase (2013)

Weissman, Elissa Brent. Nerd Camp (2011)

West, Jacqueline. The Shadows (2010)

MMGM- Peanuts

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



Am I the only one for whom Snoopy and Ziggy means Christmas? Maybe back in the 1970s, there was a big push to merchandise both of these comic strips, but I seem to recall ornaments, cards, candles, etc. with these characters. When the movie came out, I figured that it was a good time to stock up on books on Charles Schulz, whom I admire a great deal. Maybe a new generation will appreciate his work. 


West, Tracey. The Peanuts Movie (Movie Novelization)
September 22nd 2015 by Simon Spotlight

Charlie Brown and his gang are back, doing the same things they do in their cartoons and comic strips, but in narrative form. Adults say "Waa waa waa" on the phone and in class, Lucy throws her fits, Linus pontificates, and Peppermint Patty hulas to the beat of her own bagpipe. The Little Red Haired girl has just moved into a house across the street from the Browns, and Charlie gazes on her from afar, but eventually does make contact! Meanwhile, Snoopy writes his story of WWII on an "old fashioned" typewriter.
Strengths: Now I don't have to see the movie.
Weaknesses: Very derivative, if one has been reading the comic strip for 45 years.
What I really think: Not going to hurt anyone, and may amuse people. 

Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz. by Charles M. Schulz, Matt Groening (Illustrator), Raina Telgemeier(Illustrator), Jeffrey Brown (Illustrator),Lincoln Peirce (Introduction), Paige Braddock (Afterword)
October 20th 2015 by BOOM! Studios

A huge variety of modern day illustrators reimagine scenes from classic peanuts or tell their own stories using the characters. 
Strengths: Interesting to see how influential Schulz was.
Weaknesses: Weird size, and some of the illustrations (like the cover one) are creepy!
What I really think: This is the Wheaties of comic strip books-- not horribly bad for your health and doesn't taste bad, either.


Gherman, Beverly. Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz April 21st 2010 by Chronicle

This book is beautifully formatted, with bright colors on the pages and plentiful illustrations and photographs. It also gives a great overview of Schulz's life and work, and talks about his childhood influences. If you need to replace outdated biographies, this would be the one to get. It's a bit heavy, dues to the good quality paper, and I hope it holds up well, because it was a delightful read. 

Yes, not doing well on CRITICAL reviews on this topic! Still feeling all pine bough and egg nog, I guess! Back to work tomorrow to clean out the back room. (Students are back on Wednesday. )

This Can't be Happening at Macdonald Hall!

Korman, Gordon. This Can't be Happening at Macdonald Hall!

May 2011, Scholastic Paperbacks (First published 1978)

Bruno and Boots are roommates at a Canadian boarding school, and are always in trouble with the headmaster, Mr. Sturgeon, aka The Fish, for one thing or another. They replace the Canadian flag outside their dorm right before a big hockey game, steal the other team's mascot, and generally cause a ruckus wherever they go. Even though they are fairly good at covering their tracks, Mr. Sturgeon decides they have to be punished for their latest transgressions, and assigns the boys new roommates. Bruno ends up with science geek Elmer and his collections of ants, fish, and plants, and Boots ends up with the wealthy hypochondriac George. The two are not supposed to contact each other, but of course continue to meet when they can't be seen. They concoct various plans to bedevil their poor roommates, and continue their bad behavior in other areas as well. Eventually, they plan a huge scheme to frame Elmer and Bruno for a pantie raid at the neighboring girls' school, Miss Scrimmage's, but Mr. Sturgeon is wise to their tricks. How will Boot and Bruno manage to stay out of trouble so that they aren't kicked out of school, at least until all seven of the Macdonald Hall books are over?

Strengths: Clearly, Korman is a naturally gifted writer. This is well-paced, funny, and full of the weird, slapstick humor that middle school students adore. Parents are absent but not dead, and the supportive adults are not as stupid as they would seem, which shows an unusual maturity, since Korman wrote this at the age of 13. Impressive debut. 

Weaknesses: Some dated references seem to have been removed and replaced with sentences in a completely different font! Since this holds up curiously well (there was one reference to writing parents once a week), this wasn't necessary and is a bit jarring. There are also some disciplinary issues that are handled in a completely unrealistic way... just like Rylander's The Fourth Stall!

What I really think: I want the entire series, but the books are out of print. Sigh.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.

Brown, Don. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.
August 4th 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Like this author's The Great America Dust Bowl, this is a hugely informative book detailing the events of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Not only is it well researched and complete, but the fact that it is a graphic novel will encourage students to read it. This is a great book to have on hand to go with the tons of fiction books about this event, and it will be very useful in explaining some of the topics. It is not for the faint of heart-- even though it doesn't go into great detail, it is unflinching in the depiction of the large number of fatalities. 

Just a few fiction books on Hurricane Katrina:

Herlong, M.H. Buddy.
Patrick, Denise Lewis. Finding Someplace
Philbrick, Rodman. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina
Smith, Tamara Ellis. Another Kind of Hurricane
Woods, Brenda. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach.

Guy Friday- The Extra Yard

Lupica, Mike. The Extra Yard
January 12th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Following the sad-fest that was The Only Game, we get to follow the adventures of Jack's friend Teddy, who has shaped up and lost enough weight that he can now play football. His somewhat estranged father has moved back to town, not to be near Teddy, but because he got a better job offer in the area. Teddy is wary, but his father is actively involved in the team, having played sports himself. He holds his father at a distance for a while, and when he starts to think that his father might be a part of his life, things change. 
Strengths: Some decent football, always an interesting and diverse cast of characters, less depressing than the first book in the series. 

Weaknesses: Too much whining and introspection. Just boring. 

What I really think: Not enough football, too much adolescent parent angst, but I have to buy it because of the popularity of this author. More Game Changers, Mr. Lupica, and a lot less of this hand-wringing nonsense! 

HAPPY New Year! Middle grade authors, let's remember that we don't wish people "Gut-wrenchingly sad New Year! Let's make 2016 a year of positive, helpful, upbeat, life-affirming novels where problems are addressed in helpful fashions and overcome through hard work and stick-to-itiveness! 

On that note, just like to mention that I have posted at least one book every day for four straight years. Yes, I do schedule posts, but if you want to "read" one new book every day, this is the place to be.