MMGM- Spaced Out

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.




Gibbs, Stuart. Spaced Out (Moon Base Alpha #2)
April 5th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Dashiell has had it with Patton and Lily, the children of the space tourists, but after he gets in an altercation with Patton that involves using the space toilet to defend himself, Dashiell is reprimanded by the base commander, Nina. When Nina goes missing it's a huge mystery. How far can she have gone on the space station? Everyone starts to investigate, and Kira and Dashiell find moon rocks in Nina's room, fueling the idea that she was going to try to sell them for tremendous sums of money. Still, where has she gone? The group goes looking outside the space station to try to find her, a jaunt which almost ends in tragedy because some of the helmets had been damaged by being used to play football! Dashiell has the help of Zan Perfonic, the alien who can "visit" him virtually and who is very handy when she scares Patton by showing him a vision of a terrifying space snake! Eventually, Dashiell is able to put together pieces of the puzzle and locate Nina, and also manages to find out what the evil Sjobergs are trying to do to the space station!

Dashiell is a great middle grade character. He means well and is intelligent, but is also easily frustrated and impulsive. He enjoys being with Kira, who is his age, but is irritated that his parents and the space station fans on earth think that the two should be a couple. He's not thrilled with the food in space, or the close quarters, but seems to get along well enough with his family, including six year old Violet, who is a bit too perky for a tween boy to have to deal with! 

The details about living in space, especially the information from a space safety guide that appear between chapters, are quite good, and the references to science fiction movies and television shows that don't do a good job at depicting the realities of life in space will be very humorous to readers who are familiar with them. The space toilet, and Dashiell's use of it when defending himself, is an exceptionally brilliant inclusion. 

The mystery is a good one, and Dashiell's use of available clues realistic. The interactions of the space crew go against protocol in some instances, but are probably very true to life of any group of people forced to spend extended time together. 

Gibbs is always a pleasure to read. His prose is facile and funny, and my students like his work every bit as much as I do. I love the fact that his series tend to be short enough that all of the books get read (something which just doesn't happen if a series is over about 4 books long), and that the publisher has kept the same style of covers on all of the books. Spaced Out is a great choice for readers who like mysteries, science fiction, or just an amusing read!

Roth, Ruby. The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids
April 5th 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Copy provided by the publisher 

This introductory vegan cookbook aims to involve children in the process of creating their own food, in hopes of getting them to be more interested in the food. There are lots of kid friendly items in this cookbook, from "cheesy sauce" to small sandwiches and snacks featuring fruits and vegetables as well as some exotic things to spread on the fruits or stir into drinks. 

There's lots of information given on the different types of ingredients and why it is important to the planet to make smarter food choices. A lot of this information (as well as the information found on the websites listed) is fairly crucial to the recipes, because starting this book, I couldn't have told you what Bragg Liquid Aminos was, much less what shelf to find it on at the local health food store. 

The fun page layouts will appeal to children, with the vibrant clip art and hand drawn font. This is not in a spiral binding, which will make the book last longer, but also makes it hard to consult when making a recipe. Helpful hint: lay a clear pie plate over the recipe so that the book stays open but you can still read the recipe. 

Parents who are vegans themselves and want to continue the practice with their offspring will find this to be an amusing cookbook to use while trying to convince their children that almond milk and chia seeds constitute pudding. This will last until the children comes in contact with a DelMonte Pudding Cup. Bet those aren't in metal cans will pull tab tops anymore, are they-- a kid could take their fingers right off with one of those. 

*****Warning. Old Person Rant.*******


I prefer my recipes to be separate from page decorations, but I am very clearly not the target demographic for this book! The only thing I tried was the chia pudding, and my entire family thought it looked like... well, use your imagination.

Hipster parents have become my new nemesis. Really? Soaked raw cashews, red bell pepper, nutritional yeast, the aforementioned Bragg's... stuff, lemon and tumeric? Guess what this makes? Guess!

Cheesy sauce. Hahahahahaha. 

No. No, it doesn't. It makes a slimy goop that will stain whatever organic hemp bib your child will immediately regurgitate it onto. 

Feed the kid boxed mac and cheese and let them wear a plastic bib, and you don't have these problems. 

Okay, fine. I could feed my nonexistent grandchildren whole wheat pasta with melted actual cheddar instead of Velveeta. I can go that far. But not ground up raw cashews with weird stuff poured over gluten free ancient grain quinoa "pasta".

Next week: The benefits of double knit polyester! 

Eleven Things I Promised

Clark, Catherine. Eleven Things I Promised
April 5th 2016 by HarperTeen
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline
Also reviewed at Young Adult Books Central

Frances and her best friend Stella have planned to complete a 300+ mile bike ride for charity. Stella is the biker-- Frances is the half-hearted companion who would rather be doing something else. When Stella is hit by a car during a training ride and is unable to make the trip, Frances has to join the group alone. She also has a list of eleven things that Stella has on her "bucket list" that she feels she must do. The biking is hard enough, although Frances is able to keep up, but putting herself out there to ask a boy to dance, get her navel pierced, and drink alcohol are definitely outside her comfort zone. She also makes a few mistakes that threaten to get her kicked off the team, including spending the night with Stella's brother, Mason, even though the two are only talking. The only thing that keeps her on the team is her confession to the leader that Stella's injuries are graver than she has lead everyone to believe, and this is upsetting in the extreme. 

While Frances' wants to complete the ride so that she can donate money to childhood cancer research, her journey is equally about self-discovery. Stella has been the one of the pair to take all of the chances, and now Frances finds that she has to be the one who is daring, and without Stella's support. 

There is a little bit of underage drinking in this, but it doesn't end well for Frances (she call's Mason and is a teary-eyed drunk, and also loses her phone). The romance is clean, so this could be read by younger readers as well. Frances' attempt to connect with several different boys, and her feelings of awkwardness while doing so, will resonate with teen readers. 

Readers who liked the bicycle adventure in Jennifer Bradbury's Shift or Diana Renn's Latitude Zero will love the description of cross country biking. Downsides, like spandex shorts, protein cubes and road rash all make a prominent appearance, but the camaraderie of the road is evident as well. Because of the extent of Stella's injuries, and their impact not only on Stella but on Frances as well, this is also a good choice for readers who like problem novels by authors such as Lurlene McDaniel, Sarah Dessen, and Susane Colasanti.

It's unfortunate that this is only available in paperback-- I'm a big fan of biking myself, and the scene where Frances and her date go to prom on their bikes makes this a title that I can't wait to hand to readers!

A Variety of Sadness

Here's the question-- why can I never put together a post with a Variety of Happiness? 

Conklin, Melanie. Counting Thyme
April 12th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young 
EARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Thyme and her parents move to New York City so that her five year old brother Val can participate in a drug trial. They hope that this will stop his neuroblastoma, but he has been very sick, and the treatment makes him worse. Thyme is not happy about moving away from San Diego and her friend Shani, but she tries to make things easier for her stressed parents by being helpful and nice to her brother. When she is, she gets slips of paper with amounts of time on them for her "Thyme Jar", which she can them turn in for activities that make her happy. The only thing she really wants to do is return home, but that is unlikely to happen. There is no solid conclusion to her brother's condition at the end of the book, but Thyme makes some peace with the fact that her family will be in NYC for the foreseeable future.

Strengths: This is well-written, has engaging characters, and the family dynamic is supportive and helpful. The NYC setting is very vivid, and Thyme's difficulties with moving to a new place and fitting into a new school, as well as dealing with her brother's illness, are very realistic. Teachers and librarians love this, given all of the five star reviews on Goodreads.
Weaknesses: Comedy is hard to write. Sadness is much easier. A very small percentage of my students want sad books. This might work for them, but I need many more happy books. 

Dooley, Sarah. Free Verse
March 15th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young 
Copy received from the publisher

Sasha was abandoned by her mother, who wanted to be free of Caboose, West Virginia, the small, Appalachian coal mining town where they live. Then, Sasha's father died in a mine collapse, and her brother (who is ten years older and who was caring for her) dies in his job as a firefighter. She's sent to a decent foster home with Phyllis, who is understanding even when Sasha smashes her guitar. The two live next door to Hubert and his family, and Sasha discovers they are related to her. She befriends the son, Mikey, whose mother was addicted to drugs and ran off, but not before taking Mikey away on a harrowing trip, which psychologically damaged him. Sasha tries to go back to school and maintain some semblance of normality, but it's really hard. Her teachers, social worker, Phyllis, and everyone in her life is supportive, but life in Caboose is hard. Other mine accidents take their toll on Sasha, and when she and Mikey think that Hubert is involved in one, they decide to run away from home in order to get away from Caboose. This doesn't go as expected, and Mikey gets lost. Sasha's one hope is to win a college scholarship made possible by a poetry contest that she enters. 
Strengths: It's always good to see supportive adults, and the ones in this book do everything that they are supposed to do, no matter how intractable Sasha gets. The character are all well-described, and Sasha does grow and change. Teachers will love this, especially since it involves poetry.
Weaknesses: The poetry is not great, and the use of it to tell Sasha's story at a critical juncture impedes the flow of the narrative. I would have felt more hopeful for Sasha is her future were dependent on a math, science or medical career instead of a reliance on poetry! 
What I really think: Now I have a hard copy of this, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to process it and put it in the library. Debating. Also, I am worried for the author's mental health. All three of her books are super, super depressing. 

Guy Friday: Teddy Mars: Almost a Winner

Burnham, Molly. Teddy Mars: Almost a Winner (#2)

March 22nd 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

ARC from Young Adult Books Central

Teddy is back after Teddy Mars: Almost a Record Breaker, and this time he is hard at work on a school Invention Convention project. He and friends Lonnie and Viva have an idea for a dog pooper scooper, and Teddy finds that he enjoys making the model and working out the problems with it more than he expects. Of course, he's also interested in working on his record breaking, but it ends poorly almost every time. Over spring break, Lonnie and Viva get sent to grandparents to keep them from being injured in the attempts, and Teddy realizes that he needs to spend more time on his project than on his record breaking. Meanwhile, his younger brother is becoming friends with the Grumpy Pigeon Man and taking Teddy's place, which he resents. In the end, an enthusiastic teacher, supportive family, and good friends who put up with his wacky antics help Teddy to achieve his goals, no matter how goofy they happen to be. 

This heavily illustrated chapter book is a great choice for readers of Lincoln Peirce, Holly Kowitt's The Loser List, and Fry's Odd Squad books. It's also perfect for handing to readers who are enamored of The Guinness Book of World Records, since Teddy often cites actual records. I can see the record book being used to check the records that Teddy talks about! 

Lonnie is very interested in science, and Viva is absolutely fearless when dealing with the boys and the frozen chocolate pudding faux dog poop! It's nice to see classmates working well together. Ms. Raffeli runs a very vibrant classroom, and a book that shows children interested in learning is always something I'm glad to see. 

Teddy's family is very busy-- with seven children in the family, things get rather hectic! I find it hard to believe that Teddy's younger brother, aka "The Destructor" is allowed to cover himself with pigeon poo and feathers-- there's got to be some sort of horrible disease you can get from breathing in the bird dander, if nothing else. Still, by the seventh child, you can see why the mother doesn't choose to battle about this one. 

Humorous books that appeal to elementary readers are always in demand, and the fact that this involves the Invention Convention will make this book one that many readers pick up to see if they can get some ideas for their own research. 

Can You Keep a Secret? (Fear Street Relaunch #4)

Stine, R.L. Can You Keep a Secret? (Fear Street Relaunch #4)
April 12th 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Emma and Eddie are on a camping trip with their friends. When Eddie finds a suitcase full of money stuck in a tree, they take the case and try not to tell their friends about the money, but they find out anyway. The group buries the case in the pet cemetery where Eddie works, but Riley later steals it and gives it to Roxie to hide. Emma has had odd dreams about werewolves, and when elderly relative Marta arrives from Prague, she tells her that she wasn't bitten by a dog when she was young; it was a wolf. Her mother just didn't want to scare her. Emma is sure that she is a werewolf, especially after Riley is maimed and killed. Eddie and Emma try to figure out who stole the money to begin with, and also to find out whether the man who hid it in the tree has figured out that they stole it-- a pretty good bet, since Eddie had carved their names into the tree where the money was hidden. Eventually, they manage to figure out a lot of things, survive despite the vicious werewolves and really, really gross cemetery scene. There is also a typical Stine twist at the end of the book. 
Strengths: Plenty of gross and scary stuff that manages to be completely terrifying because of the way Stine uses paranormal facets like werewolves. Are they real? Probably not. Is there real scary stuff? Yes, but maybe it's not real. Stine is the master of the bait-and-switch, although in his Fear Street books there are a few real murders. 
Weaknesses: I don't like the real murders, but my students do. 
What I really think: Never my personal favorites, but I'm glad to have new hardcovers for fans instead of the moldering, twenty year old prebound paperback versions!

Singleton, Linda Joy. Kelsey the Spy
April 1st 2016 by Albert Whitman & Company
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

In this sequel to The Curious Cat Spy Club and The Mystery of the Zorse's Mask, Kelsey has several mysteries that she is investigating. Her brother keeps running off with a mysterious box in his hands, solving the mystery of a broken grandfather clock leads to a tortoise being handed over to Becca's animal sanctuary, and bringing her spy notebook to school gets her in trouble with the Sparklers when it gets stolen and her secrets are revealed. Leo has a new friend, Frankie, and Kelsey doesn't think that he should be a part of the Curious Cat Spy Club. Her family problems continue as well, even though her mother has a new job, her father is still unemployed. There is a fund raiser for the shelter, and the Sparklers want to do face painting, but that doesn't work out well. Kelsey's dad saves the day with his baking. Kelsey's notebook is finally returned, and she manages to mend things with her friends. 
Strengths: This is a nice depiction of a small community, and is realistically done. The animal sanctuary is quite interesting, and the characters all have realistic concerns. 
Weaknesses: If Kelsey really is a fan of Harriet the Spy, she should have known better than to even keep a spy book. It does get brought to school by accident, but still.
What I really think: For some reason, none of the Whitman books have Accelerated Reader tests, so it's hard to get readers for them. May pass on this third book.

#WNDB Wednesday- Just Like Me

Cavanaugh, Nancy J. Just Like Me
April 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
E ARC from Edelweiss ABove the Treeline

Julia is not happy with the fact that she is being forced to go to summer camp with her "Chinese sisters" Avery and Becca so that they can bond, and also so that they can report back to a woman writing an article on them. Avery is a know-it-all geek, and Becca is a very loud, athletic type, but the two live close together and are fast friends. They also embrace their Chinese background. Julia likes her adoptive parents and doesn't want to think too much about the fact that she started life in an orphanage. After being assigned a "family history" project, Julia has taken to sleeping with the blanket that she was wrapped in at the orphanage, pretending it came from her mother. She got in trouble for claiming to be half Irish, half Italian and half Chinese for this project; it's one of the reasons her mother decides to send her to camp. The rest of Julia's cabin is full of girls who are not the nicest, although she does make friends with Gina, who has been in foster care for two years and understands Julia's difficulties in thinking about the past. Amidst all of the high jinks and mosquitoes of camp, Julia makes peace with her past and is able to face the future with confidence. 
Strengths: In an end note, Cavanaugh mentions that her own daughter was adopted from China, and this is evident in the details about Julia's feelings. The important message is that even though many adoptees will look similar, they each have very different experiences and reactions. Set against a summer camp, the message is less preachy, and the story works as a whole and is instructive as well as fun. 
Weaknesses: While it makes sense that this was set in a Christian summer camp (try finding another type that isn't a scout camp or outrageously expensive!), it didn't make sense that all of the music played at meal times was from the 1970s!
What I really think: I've seen an increase in the number of students at my school who do have been adopted from other countries, so I think this will be a good purchase. 


McCarthy, Meghan. The Wildest Race Ever 
March 1st 2016 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Copy from public library

I've been looking for more nonfiction picture books for middle school students, and this one was great fun! After introducing a handful of the individual men who ran the race, McCarthy (drawing from newspaper articles of the time) describes the race that took place during the 1904 World's Fair. There are a lot of unbelievable details, like some of the runners being chased off course by dogs, one stopping and eating peaches and apples, and one being dosed with strychnine by his trainers! It's amazing that in just over 100 years, the sport has changed so much, and people are able to run the entire 26 miles-- in the first race, many stopped and many walked along the way, probably because there were only two water stations and no energy gels or chews! 

The clothing, of course, is very different as well. Check out this article on one of the runners, Felix Carvajal:
http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2012/08/04/running-footwear-attire-1904-olympic-marathoner/

Definitely getting this one, and predict that my cross country team will find it vastly amusing!

Dark Energy/ The Dark Knight

Wells, Robison. Dark Energy. 
March 29th 2016 by HarperTeen
ARC from Young Adult Books Central

Alice's father is an important NASA researcher, so when an enormous space ship crash lands in the Midwest, killing a large number of people, he is sent to investigate. Because he will be working long hours, and Alice's mother (who was an enrolled member of the Navajo) is deceased, he enrolls her in exclusive Minnetonka School for the Gifted and Talented so that she can be near him and not too far from her grandmother. She settles in fairly well, enjoys her two science loving roommates, as well as the amusing Kurt, but watches with horror as the drama with the spaceship unfolds. Originally, the ship was thought to hold 130,000 aliens, but only a few Guides come out, including Mai, who seems to be the leader. His children are Coya and Suski, who look very much like pale humans, and they are also enrolled at Minnetonka. Armed with translators, they quickly learn the ways of humans, and Alice comes to think of them as friends. At one point, Alice and her friends are allowed to explore the ship, and find some very disturbing scenes. This, along with the fact that genetically Coya and Suski seem to be descended from the Anasazi/Ancestral Puebloan people and their language is connected to Keresan, makes Alice wonder about the origins of the Guides. When a huge secret is revealed, there are bigger problems, and Alice and her friends go on the run to try to save themselves as well as Coya and Suski. 

I knew right away that this book would run into problems. Debbie Reese does not recommend it.
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2016/03/dark-energy-by-robison-wells.html

That said, I loved the huge plot twist-- I probably should have seen it coming, but completely did not! It ties in beautifully with Alice's heritage, and the fact that she and her friends go to her grandmother's home in New Mexico brings in more details about Navajo life. It is rare to see First Nations people in fantasy or science fiction books, and the author has a note at that back about the lengths to which he went to make sure the details met with the approval of tribal members he knows. 

The atmosphere of being in an exclusive, remote private school and having a cataclysmic event happen is very appealing, and even readers who don't necessarily want to read about aliens will be intrigued by the book because of it. Alice's father is from a wealthy east coast family, so she drives a very expensive car, and while she has lived mainly in Florida and gone to public school, she does well at making friends immediately. 

The aliens in the book are well done, and even the fact that they look human is addressed with humor. The technology to help them learn language is believable, and the things they enjoy and do not enjoy about US teen life are amusing. 

Readers of Jeff Hirsch's and Veronica Roth's dystopian books will enjoy this, as will readers who have watched too many books about alien invasions! Anyone who has read Falkner's The Assault will know that you have to be careful when aliens come to our planet-- not only can't you give them just a tiny bit of Australia, you have to be cautious if they want to set up tent cities in Minnesota! This is a fantastic choice for any reader who has an interest in life forms other than our own.


Marsham, Liz. Movie Flip Book (Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice)
February 16th 2016 by Scholastic Inc.  
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

To go along with the Batman Vs. Superman movie, here is a companion volume that delineates both the origins of Batman and Superman. Using stills from the movie and simple text, the back stories of the two superheroes are covered separately. Each has plenty of attention given not only to his origin story, but to the genesis and extent of his powers. Metropolis and its problems are discussed in Superman's section, and the troubles facing Gotham City are addressed in the section about Batman. The fact that Metropolis was the center of a Kryptonian invasion, which was thwarted by Superman, is covered as well, and some doubt is thrown on Superman's ability to fight on the side of good. The center of the book has a poster of the two superheroes facing off. 

There have been many retellings of both of these stories, so it's not surprising that a new one is in order to coincide with the new movie. I liked the fact that nothing was left out of the backstories-- Superman's included information about the Kents finding him and raising him in a small town, and Batman's included the story of his parents being shot and Alfred raising him at the Wayne mansion. This is a very good overview of both stories, and young readers who might want to see the movie because "all of their friends are going" will benefit from having the information. 

The formatting of the pages is very clean and clear-- stills from the movie are offset with a brief description, often highlighted by a white background that makes the text stand out from the pictures. There are headings for each section, and the right amount of information to make each topic understandable. I have many struggling readers who adore superheroes, and this seems to be written with them in mind. 

The movie looks a little violent for my taste, so this book might also be a good way to get younger readers up to speed on the story without having them actually see the movie!

MMGM- A Bandit's Tale

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.

Hopkinson, Deborah. A Bandit's Tale: The Muddled Misdaventures of a Pickpocket.
April 5th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher 

When Rocco's family falls on hard times, and he doesn't help because he makes some typically bad choices, his family sells him to a padrone who offers to take him to America to earn money. Of course, once he gets to the US, he is kept in squalor and forced to beg for money while playing a triangle on the street corners, which isn't the easiest way to earn a dollar a day in 1887. Soon, he catches the attention of Tony, who runs a gang of his own. Since Rocco has a sweet face, Tony wants to use him to help fleece people, since Rocco can distract them while others pick their pockets. Soon, Rocco is getting his dollar a day easily and eating fairly well, and learning how to steal. When he makes the choice to try to steal a locket from a woman, he is caught and sent to the House of Refuge, where he is at least kept clean and fed, and given a little education. He balks at being imprisoned, however, and breaks out, only to find himself on the streets of New York during the Great Blizzard of 1888. He comes across Mary Hallahan and her father, who has broken his leg, and helps them back home. Soon, he is hired to help Mr. Hallahan, and is enjoying a somewhat stable and pleasant existence. When he offers to help the journalist Jacob Riis, he has to deal with people from his past, and decide how he wants to spend his life in America.

Strengths: Hopkinson always does a fantastic historical novel, full of action and adventure as well as lots of period detail and noteworthy historical characters. Adding in the blizzard is a great touch. This reminded me a bit of Napoli's Mulberry Street (and is set in the same area), and I'm very excited to hand it to students, since they can learn so much from reading historical fiction.
Weaknesses: It is so hard to get students to pick up historical fiction, no matter how hard I sell it. Sigh. 
What I really think: Glad to have  this book; hope students pick it up! 

Sports Illustrated Kids. Baseball Then to Wow!
April 5th 2016 by Sports Illustrated
Copy provided by Blue Slip Media 

If you could have only one baseball book, this would be the book to purchase! This is a complete overview of just about every facet of the game of baseball, from uniforms and equipment to players, teams and even ballpark food! While the short and wide format will make this somewhat annoying to have on the shelves, the book won't be there very often, and the size lends itself well to the two page timeline spreads. I loved seeing the progression of uniform styles, ball gloves, umpires uniforms, and even food served at various venues! 

I found myself spending a lot of time poring over the different team configurations and bases. I always maintain that teams that didn't exist before I graduated from high school aren't "real teams", but there were excellent descriptions of the extent of the American League and the National League with the years listed for all of the teams as well as any moves that the teams had made. I didn't even know that there was a team called the Tampa Bay Rays! I still don't understand how all of the championships work, but now I know that each league has three divisions. Very helpful!

For the diehard baseball fan, there are plenty of statistics and strategies, as well as brief bios of famous players. For those who like the celebrity aspect of the game, there's even an overview of baseball cards and player's merchandise at the end of the book. 

The formatting of this is really excellent. The pictures are clear and plentiful, and the text is clear and easy to read, even if some of it does appear to be in Comic Sans. I might have included an index, but this is clearly a book to be browsed for fun, and not necessarily used for research, even though it packs a ton of information into a few pages. 

My only problem is figuring out how much tape to use to reinforce this book-- the paper over board format will not hold up to the extent of use I think this will see!



Sports Illustrated Kids. My First Book of Baseball
April 5th 2016 by Sports Illustrated
Copy provided by Blue Slip Media

This bright, beginning reader book is well illustrated with photographs and accompanying large font. It walks the reader through the basics of a baseball game, from the various different positions on the field, to how the game progresses. Terms like home run, ball, and walk are all explained in simple terms, although I'm still not entirely sure what a seventh inning stretch is! The photographs of real baseball players are augmented by our cartoon narrator, who adds some comic relief. 

This would be a good book for a child attending a first baseball game, especially if it is being played by an older sibling. The explanations are simple and yet effective, and having the book at the game could be a good diversion when things are unexciting on the field. Parents who actually understand baseball will be able to augment this with further commentary, but those who don't know anything about the game (like me!) will find this to be a good way to introduce the sport to their offspring. I do wish that there had been some girls somewhere in the book, however. 

National Poetry Month: A Girl Called Vincent

Goddu, Krystyna Poray. A Girl Called Vincent: The Life of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay
April 1st 2016 by Chicago Review Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Millay, born in 1892, was a prolific letter and journal writer, and had a surprising number of pictures taken of her, even early in life, so there is plenty of information about her to fill a book. Goddu uses these resources, and even puts in a few of Millay's earlier, more naive poems as well, befitting the MG/YA audience. At 224 pages, this is a good, well-written, complete overview of an extremely influential 20th century poet. 

I was a huge Millay fan when I was 20. Saved up money to buy a first edition of one of her books, thought she was brilliant. It was surprising to me how... annoyingly precious she seems to me now. Even though her life had difficulties, she had a lot of luck with her education and writing. She had health problems, which weren't helped by some of the choices she made. I was never as fond of her political work. There was something in the publicity notes about outreach to LGBTQ and feminist outlets, but it always seemed more like Millay was caught up in the arty culture of the time. 

For a high school, I would absolutely buy this. It will be used a lot for research. I'm less sure for middle school, since the only biographies I can consistently get students to read are no more than 64 pages, and they have very little interest in poets of any kind. 

I'll have to go back and read my Collected Poems. I know there have to be more poems that speak to the disenchantment of my middle age, such as Spring. 

Spring

BY EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY

To what purpose, April, do you return again?

Beauty is not enough.

You can no longer quiet me with the redness

Of little leaves opening stickily.

I know what I know.

The sun is hot on my neck as I observe

The spikes of the crocus.

The smell of the earth is good.

It is apparent that there is no death.

But what does that signify?

Not only under ground are the brains of men

Eaten by maggots.

Life in itself

Is nothing,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.

It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,

April

Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173994

Queen of Likes

Homzie, Hillary. Queen of Likes
April 5th 2016 by Aladdin
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Karma is addicted to her phone, and to posting things and commenting on other people's photos on SnappyPic. When she spends most of a Bar Mitzvah in the bathroom on her phone, her mother is outraged and takes it away from her, giving her a flip phone instead, since this isn't the first time Karma has run afoul of the rules. Karma is worried that she will lose all of her popularity-- she has a ton of followers, not only at her school, but at other schools as well. And how will she communicate with her friends? It's especially irritating when the school has Spirit Week, and Karma is supposed to be in charge of social media. She manages to keep up, barely, by borrowing a friend's phone, but runs into problems there as well, since students are supposed to have their phones off and away during school, and her friend's phone is taken by the principal. Will Karma ever be able to get her phone back AND keep up with her socializing?

Strengths: This certainly is an accurate depiction of how addicted students are to their phones! Out students are allowed to have them out at lunch, and it makes for sad and pathetic socializing. I think a lot of readers would pick this up. 

Weaknesses: Like any technology in a book, this will date very quickly. Remember MySpace? Pagers? Blackberries? (What were those? No idea.) I still love The Mark of Conte (1976) by Sonia Levitin, but most tech books don't last more than ten years. There are a few inconsistencies in the book as well-- they are told to have social media, but no one is allowed to check it at school? 

What I really think: Since this is only available in paperback, I probably won't buy it, since paperbacks don't last ten WEEKS in the library. 



Barson, K.A. Charlotte Cuts it Out
April 5th 2016 by Viking Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Loved this author's 45 Pounds More or Less, and also enjoyed this one. However, I read it right after my recent bionic foot installation, and have insufficient memory of it, other than I liked it. And Charlotte was kind of a brat. So, I'm purchasing, but going with description from Goodreads.com:

"Now Charlotte and Lydia are juniors, in a Cosmetology Arts program where they’ll get on-the-job training and college credits at the same time. The Grand Plan is right on schedule.  Which means it’s time for Step Two: Win the Winter Style Showcase, where Cos Arts and Fashion Design teams team up to dazzle the judges with their skills.  Charlotte is sure that she and Lydia have it locked up—so sure, in fact, that she makes a life-changing bet with her mother, who wants her to give up cos for college.

And that’s when things start going off the rails.

As the clock ticks down to the night of the Showcase, Charlotte has her hands full. Design divas. Models who refuse to be styled. Unexpectedly stiff competition. And then, worst of all, Lydia—her BFF and Partner in Cos—turns out to have a slightly different Grand Plan . "

Happy Opening Day!

Because I am SUCH the sports fan! This was a fascinating read even though I haven't been to a baseball game since my brother was in Little League in the 1970s. My refrain is always "Go sports! Do the thing! Win the points!" 

Winter, Jonah and Blitt, Barry. You Never Heard of Casey Stengel?
March 8th 2016 by Schwartz & Wade

In this lengthy picture book, the life and times of the inimitable Stengel is given complete coverage. From his less than stellar playing days to the controversies of his coaching career, Stengel's various eccentricities are covered with affection and humor. I hadn't known anything about this legendary coach, and was vastly amused by how outspoken and outrageous he was. Sometimes this worked for him, but other times it didn't, and the reader is given enough information to draw personal conclusions about whether or not Stengel was successful at what he set out to do. 

The pictures are rendered in an exuberant line-drawing style with liberal use of blue and red gives this a feeling of being out on the baseball field in the bright sunshine. Readers will laugh at scenes with Casey in his boxers, and wonder how someone who seemingly should have had so little success was able to become the center of the baseball universe in the 1960s.

The message of believing in oneself and persevering through difficulties is clear, but there is a slight feeling that perhaps Stengel didn't help himself by being so difficult. While the age range on this book is given as 4-8, I think that even tween and teen readers will find a lot to take away from this book. I'm very curious to read You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! and You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!, also by these authors.

Posy the Puppy (Dr. Kitty Cat #1)

Clarke, Jane. Posy the Puppy (Dr. Kitty Cat #1)
March 29th 2016 by Scholastic Paperbacks 
ARC from Young Adult Books Central and reviewed there

Dr. Kitty Cat and her assistant, Peanut the mouse, are seeing an upswing in the amount of patients showing up to their clinic with minor injuries. It turns out that there is a field day competition, and all of the animals are practicing. When Posy the puppy gets stuck in a tunnel on the agility course, Dr. Kitty is on her way! She and Peanut manage to extricate Posy, but it's unclear why Posy was limping, when she was so bouncy at her well puppy visit the day before. It turns out that Posy is trying to cover up another issue so she doesn't get in trouble, but Dr. Kitty is able to get to the bottom of the problem with the help of her able assistant, and the games can continue. 

The illustrations in this book are black and white photos of animals with the additon of purple and white drawings or clothing, backgrounds, etc. This is an unusual and charming illustrative style that is particularly effective, especially since Posy is a very appealing yellow lab puppy with a purple bow in her hair! 

What I liked best was the age appropriate medical descriptions. Peanut informs Dr. Kitty that "The first signs of shock are a quick pulse and cold skin", and a detailed description of cleaning and dressing a wound on Clover the bunny's ear is just the right amount of information for young doctors to memorize and try out on their own stuffed animals. There is even a list of what Dr. Kitty has in her medical bag, and how the items are used. The language is straight forward and matter-of-fact. What a great book to give a budding medical professional!

It's also nice that Dr. Kitty and Peanut are respectful of each other, and Posy's reasons for faking a limp are good ones that will serve as a cautionary tale. 

Readers who have graduated from I Can Read and Step Into Reading Books and who enjoy animal tales will find that Dr. Kitty to be just what the doctor ordered!

Clarke, Jane. Clover the Bunny (Dr. Kitty Cat #2)
March 29th 2016 by Scholastic Paperbacks 
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Even though there is an outbreak of pawpox among her young charges, Dr. Kitty Cat and her assistant Peanut take Pumpkin, Nutmeg and Clover on a long awaited camping trip in the vanbulance. They make sure to bring along lots of first aid supplies, which they need almost immediately. After oohing and aahing over the comforts of the van, the group sets off and Pumpkin almost immediately becomes car sick. There are various bruises and splinters, and eventually Clover the bunny complains that her paws hurt. Could it be pawpox, or has the unfortunate rabbit happened upon a patch of stinging nettles? 

While Dr. Kitty Cat probably should have put more effort into preventative measures, I liked how each injury or illness is discussed calmly, and help is given. The end of the book discusses more about the sorts of equipment that are in Dr. Kittycat's bag, and I can see this being a springboard for hours of play with stuffed animals. Peanut is a bit of an alarmist, but considering how calm Dr. Kittycat is in the face of a pawpox epidemic, Peanut is a good addition to the clinic staff!

The illustrations are a charming mix of black and white photos of the animals augmented with cartoon drawings in a pleasing shade of green. The next book in this series features Daisy the Kitten. These are excellent books to include in any early STEM curriculum to encourage children to investigate the field of health care, and provide some clues as to what to do with the medical kits that make such great presents for small children. 

Condie, Ally. Summerlost. 
March 29th 2016 by Dutton Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Cedar's family is struggling after the car accident that killed her father and special needs brother, Ben. Her mother has decided that buying a house near her grandparents in Iron Creek is a good way to give Cedar and her brother Miles a break from the unrelenting sadness of being back home. Cedar soon meets Leo, who works selling concessions at the Summerlost festival, a summer long celebration of Shakespeare and theater. Cedar also gets a job working there, and helps Leo with his tours about the life of local celebrity Lisette Chamberlain. Leo is running the tours so that he can earn enough money to go see his idol perform in London; his father will only take him if he can earn his own airfare. Cedar enjoys being with Leo, doesn't mind taking care of Miles from time to time (she lets him watch a soap opera on television, to which they both become addicted!), but hates the overwhelming feeling of remembering her brother and father. There is also some mystery surrounding Lisette that the two try to figure out. 
Strengths: Very strong sense of place, nicely supportive friends and family, intriguing interests for Cedar and Leo in an unusual locale. Condie's writing will be described as lyrical. 
Weaknesses: I just do not have students who are interested in theater, especially Shakespearean theater, but there must be some middle grade readers out there who are. 
What I really think: The sadness must stop. Really. It's excruciatingly boring to live through; it's even more excruciatingly boring to read about people grieving. This would have made a perfectly nice book without the incredible downer of Cedar losing her father and brother. In fact, without those parts, it would have been a far more interesting, shorter book. People die. The world would fill up quickly if they didn't. But it's just depressing and boring to read about in middle grade fiction. Authors, stop it.

Guy Friday- Barbara Park Titles Reissued

It was great that Random House Yearling has republished these classic books by Barbara Park, who passed away in 2013. The new cover art by Laura Park will appeal to readers of Patterson's Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, and will make great replacements for well-worn copies with distinctively 1980s covers. 


Park, Barbara. Skinny-bones
January 26th 2016 by Yearling (first published August 12th 1982)

Alex Frankovitch is very small, and doesn't play baseball very well. He gets into a bragging match with T.J., and gets himself into a pitching contest. He doesn't want everyone to show up at his game, but can't really stop them. Alex's parents want to support him, but this includes making him go to the game! There are a variety of funny school occurences as well, and at the end, Alex wins the Kitty Fritters essay contest he has entered, and wins a chance to be in a commercial, filmed in New York City. 


Park, Barbara. Almost Starring Skinnybones
January 26th 2016 by Yearling (First published October 17th 1989)

Alex and his parents travel to New York to film the Kitty Fritters commercial, which ends up being much more work than he expected. Although the commercial only airs during reruns of Gilligan's Island, Alex attains some notoriety around school, and even goes on the local Amazing Mel show, where he has quite the funny turn. This leads to a role in the school production of a Christmas Carol, where he ends up playing Tiny Tim, rather against his will. In the end, Alex decides that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be,and is content just to be himself. 


Park, Barbara. The Kid in the Red Jacket
January 26th 2016 by Yearling 

Howard's parents have decided to move all the way across the country to Massachusetts, and he isn't happy about it. It's bad enough that he has to put up with baby brother Gaylord, but when 6-year-old neighbor Molly decides he will be her new best friend, it just adds to his difficulties, but his parents make it very clear that Molly has had a harder life than his, and he should be nice to her. He has the usual issues with fitting into his new school, but eventually settles in and is able to report his successes to his friends back home. 

These books all have a few mildly dated references; watching t.v., grandmas with blue hair, talking on the telephone and writing letters, and the whole idea of a local television show. I'm not sure this will matter much to elementary school readers, and I know that The Kid in the Red Jacket provoked some actual belly laughs in at least one student that I knew.