Guy Friday-- Dogs of War

Keenan, Sheila and Fox, Nathan. Dogs of War
October 29th 2013, GRAPHIX
E Arc from Netgalley.com

This graphic novel contains three stories involving dogs in a war time setting. Boots is a mercy dog during World War I, and is shown at the front, trying to keep her very young handler safe in the trenches. When he is separated from his unit, he finds himself with an allied group who spend Christmas fraternizing with the Germans. Loki is a sled dog during World War II, and is stationed in Greenland. When his handler tries to save a pilot who was shot down, the two get separated from the unit and have to withstand the elements and escape detection by the Nazis. In the third story, a young boy in the impoverished South during the Vietnam conflict gets help in training his dog from a Vietname vet who is having trouble readjusting to life state side, especially since his service dog, Sheba, was left behind as 'equipment'. Notes and extensive bibliography are included.
Strengths: This reminded me a bit of the M. Zachary Sherman Bloodlines series, because there is a wealth of information about the wars AND pictures. I might as well just buy three copies right now. The short stories give an overview of the different ways dogs have been used during times of war, and will be a great starting point for some of the other books about service dogs. Very interesting and well done.
Weaknesses: Reading the 3x5 inch E Arc with the 6 point font led me to miss a lot, I'm sure. I'm also a bit afraid that this graphic novel will not hold up to the extensive wear and tear that this is sure to take.

Genie Wishes

Dahl, Elisabeth. Genie Wishes
April 2nd 2013 by Harry N. Abrams
Nominated for the Cybils by Adam Shaffer.  
Copy provided by the publisher

Genie has a rocky start to her fifth grade school year at Hopkins Country Day school when her best friend Sarah is thrilled to have Blair, a super stylish girl she met at summer camp, at their school. Genie manages to get elected to write the class blog, but that has its good parts and bad parts. As the year progresses, she deals with many problems, including her widowed father starting to date, her lack of a cell phone, and the growing interest of all the girls around her in embarrassing facets of puberty. She manages to get through all of these occurrences by thinking about them critically and discussing them on the class blog, and with the help of her supportive family and friends.
Strengths: This was very true to life when dealing with issues of friend drama and liking boys, and was written in an easy to read and fun way. I can see precocious third grade girls really enjoying this.
Weaknesses: Genie lives in an incredibly rarified private school environment, which will make this less accessible to some readers, and the fact that she is so concerned with having a cell phone might date this one quickly. And really? Bra snapping? I only ever this being a concern one time, when my older daughter told me that someone at school had done it. I gave her my complete permission to take out the teeth of whatever boy did that to her with her elbow. If this happened in my school, it wouldn't be a delicately phrased "talk". It would be a polemic rant.

Not that I'm, you know, sensitive to issues of personal space or anything!

World Wednesday-- A Girl Called Problem

Quirk, Katie. A Girl Called Problem
April 19th 2013, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 

Nominated for the Cybils by Patricia Tilton
Copy provided by the publisher

Shida lives in a small, rural Tanzanian village in 1962. She was named "problem" because her father died right before she was born, and now she and her mother struggle to survive. When the government encourages her village to merge with another so that they can both have access to better medical care and schools, Shida's village reluctantly agrees to move. Shida is thrilled to be able to go to school and to learn from the local nurse, but things are still not easy. Many believe that girls should not be in school, but should be at home cooking and cleaning. When a spate of problems start to plague the village, Shida can't believe that there really is a curse, and investigates why crops are failing and children are getting ill. Despite the obstacles she faces, she is determined to use her new skills and knowledge to help her village.
Strengths: This was a very well written and interesting account of one village at the crossroads between native superstition and modern science. Shida is just old enough to question traditional ways, especially since they have never worked to her advantage. Notes and pictures at the end help explain some of the more difficult concepts.
Weaknesses: Younger readers might not fully understand how deeply ingrained superstitions are in some cultures, and might have trouble believing that people predicate all of their behavior on them. Some explanation might be necessary for them to fully understand the story.

Dream On and other Fantasy Books

Mlynowski, Sarah. Dream On (Whatever After #4)
November 26th 2013 by Scholastic Press
Copy provided by Deb Shapiro and Co.

Abby is excited to have Robin sleeping over at her house-- instead of an annoying younger brother like Jonah, Robin has a glamorous older sister named Dahlia, so Abby hopes to work on some dances and enjoy her sleepover. Instead, Robin sleepwalks into the basement where there is a magic mirror inhabited by the fairy Maryrose, and Abby, Robin and Jonah are sucked into the story of Sleeping Beauty! Robin promptly pricks herself on a spindle and falls asleep, making the princess, Brianna, very angry. She has looked forward to the day when she would fall asleep and wake up to her one true love in 100 years. Abby is worried about getting Robin home, so manages to put together a birthday party for Jonah so that he can be given "wifticals" by all of the fairies so that they can manage to get back, and hopefully fix the fairy tale at the same time. Of course, things don't go as well as she hopes, and there are a lot of complications to work through.
Strengths: This is a fun fantasy series for tweens-- a lot of Abby's concerns center around the fact that she doesn't have a cell phone, that she doesn't have cool clothes like Robin, etc. Abby is a strong character who takes matters into her own hands to fix the situation. Light and funny, with appealing covers, I can see these being very popular with fifth and sixth graders.
Weaknesses: There is something a bit odd about the fairy tale world that doesn't ring quite true. This would be fine for younger readers, but I somehow wanted a consistently medieval world for Abby to be dropped into.

Klimo, Kate. The Dragon at the North Pole (Dragon Keepers #6)
September 24th 2013 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy received from Young Adult Books Central and reviewed there. 

Daisy and Jesse are excited about Christmas, and when it snows in their town, they are even more excited, since Emmy, their dragon, has never seen snow. Unfortunately, Emmy is enthralled with snow and the idea of Santa, so she is missing on Christmas morning, but leaves a notes saying that she has gone to help Santa. With the help of Alodie, Daisy and Jesse get magic snowshoes that take them to the North Pole as well. At first, everything is great. The snowshoes keep them warm, and while Santa and his elves are not quite the way the children imagined them, they enjoy their glimpse at the magical world. Soon there are cracks, though, and Daisy and Jesse begin to realize that Santa is actually Beowulf, the dragon slayer, and he has Daisy and Emmy brain washed. Jesse has eaten some of Alodie's magical crackers and can see what is going on, but will he be able to save his cousin and dragon, as well as the other dragons imperiled by Beowulf's evil plan?
Strengths: While I have not read the other books in this series, I can see them being enjoyed by children who have read through all of the Magic Tree House books. The dragon is fun, and the adventure to the North Pole is one that children who are on the fence about Santa will enjoy.
Weaknesses: This took a bit of a dark turn. It's not Santa who is evil, but a Santa impersonator, and I could see a first or second grader being a bit upset by this.

Hunter, Erin. Darkness Falls (Survivors #3)
September 3rd 2013, HarperCollins 

Lucky is still struggling with the Alpha dog of the pack, who thinks that Lucky is responsible for the death of pups in the second book and wants to permanently scar Lucky, who is now the pack Omega. Lucky isn't having it, so he runs off, but has some complications. The city is poisoned, and when Lucky meets up with Mickey, the two find that Mickey's "longpaws" are gone, and his house is being robbed by evil longpaws, but not the ones with yellow fur. Shortly after this, the two find three puppies who belong to the "fierce dogs", but whose mother has died. They decide to take the puppies back to the pack so they can be cared for, but the Alpha thinks that the fierce dogs will never be anything but a threat and wants them gone. More dog politics ensue, and much running around the countryside from one settlement to another, being pursued by coyotes and worrying about the spreading black clouds from the ruined city.
Strengths: Kids love these. Some children want to read nothing else, so there is something to be said for them. The Broken Path comes out February 11th 2014, and The Endless Lake June 3rd 2014. The dog books are better than the Warriors series, and WAY better than Seekers.
Weaknesses: Personally, I find these to be extremely painful to read. This book in particular was full of meanness and violence which we would never condone were the characters human. Combine that with the sheer number of dog characters and the weird language that obscures some of what is going on (longpaws with yellow fur in loudbirds= humans in hazmat suits in helicopters) and these are ones that I would not read if left to my own devices. I would, however, rather read these than The Silmarillion. My daughter asked me that as I was complaining about the number of books that the lovely ladies who write as Erin Hunter produce. I shouldn't complain, but these are not my thing!

MMGM- Ultra and Expressionista

Good morning! It's snowy and oh, so cold here in Ohio, but we're trying to have some fun. School was canceled on Friday, so I didn't get to play my parody of One Direction's Up All Night on the announcements, so I have that planned for today.

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 at Anastasia Suen's blog. Instead of having to visit lots of different blogs, all of the nonfiction posts will be at Nonfiction Monday. Convenient, although I like to visit all the blogs when time permits.

Carroll, David. Ultra
1 September 2013, Scholastic Canada
Nominated for the Cybils and copy provided by the Publisher

Quinn loves to run, and his body is well suited for it. His heart is stronger, and his body makes less lactic acid than most people's, so he has blossomed into a fantastic runner under his father's tutelage. Since his dad isn't around, he's decided to run the Shin Kicker 100-- an ultra marathon in the mountains. He has done all of the painstaking preparation, has his support team (including his mother, younger brother, and best friend, Kneecap) with him. On the trail, he makes a few allies of other runners who have done other ultra marathons with his father. There are plenty of problems along the way-- his water container bursts, he gets caught in a small tornado, and some of the other runners are less than honest. Quinn keeps going, despite all of these obstacles and hallucinations as well, and he shows how strong he can be not only for the race, but also for all that life has thrown his way.
Strengths: Fantastic details about running an ultra marathon, and running in general. I was surprised at how much NOT running occurs during these very long races. It makes sense that people can't run for 24 hours without some stopping, but I thought that the break scenes added a lot to the story. I also thought that the way Quinn's issues with his father were handled was realistic, for a number of reasons. Quite a good book, and one which I think would appeal even to people who aren't runners.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure that I liked the story framed by an interview that Quinn is doing. There's enough introspection from Quinn himself during the race, and the story is well-paced as it is, so I felt the interview broke it up unnecessarily.

Walker, Jackie and McKuen, Panela Dittmer. Expressionista: How to Express Your True Self Through (and Despite) Fashion.
September 3rd 2013 by Aladdin/Beyond Words
Copy provided by Young Adults Books Central and reviewed there.

This tween version of the adult book by this author offers some good advice about dressing oneself, as well as feeling good about the clothes one wears. Since this is a topic that fascinates me, I read it avidly. The advice is good-- figure out what type of person you are, and once you know this, it is easier to put together outfits and have clothes that you feel comfortable putting on. The different types are ones that I do see in the middle school-- Classic (which I am-- long live the polo shirt!), Natural (hoodie and jeans, Picky Reader all the way), Romantic, Dramatic, and Trend Tracker-- and the suggestions for obtaining and wearing the clothing are reasonable.  There is a chapter on different body types, and tips for getting clothes to fit the vagaries of each shape, with an emphasis on accepting the bodies we have and making the most of them, rather than advice on how to change the type, which was very prevalent in similar books fifty years ago. There are several quizzes in the book, which girls should like. All in all, this was a fun book to read, and the advice offered in it was helpful and constructive. The only problem with this is that ANY book on fashion is bound to be dated within ten years. Unlike the contents of my closet, which are still perfectly in style, if not in fashion!

Summer Stories

VanSickle, Vikki. Summer Days, Starry Nights
1 June 2013, Scholastic Canada
Nominated for the Cybils by CanLit HelenK

Reenie loves her family campground, Sandy Shores, but it has fallen on somewhat hard times in 1962. Her mother is depressed and occasionally leaves home without telling the family where she has gone, but after one trip, decides that what the campground really needs is a dance instructor. She brings in the daughter of a friend, Gwen, who is a bit older than Reenie and very glamorous. Gwen isn't too thrilled to be stuck in the boonies, and misses her artsy gang from the city, as well as her somewhat famous boyfriend, who is a singer. Reenie finds Gwen fascinating, and wants to copy her clothing and her ease with boys, but is struggling through an awkward adolescent phase and finds it hard to interact with people as easily as Gwen does. To cheer Gwen up, Reenie arranges for the boyfriend to play a show at Sandy Shores, but a number of surprising issues come to light in the process.
Strengths: Strong writing and a nice sense of place make this Dirty Dancing type story a fun read.
Weaknesses: There was no compelling reason for the historical setting; this could easily have been set in the modern day and been a bit more accessible to readers.

Philbin, Joanna. Rules of Summer
June 4th 2013 by Poppy 

Rory wants to get away from her mother, who is always bringing home inappropriate boyfriends and making Rory pay bills and keep the household together. In exchange for running errands, she is allowed to stay with her aunt, who is a housekeeper for the Rules, a well-to-do family with a fancy house in East Hampton. Rory is quickly put in her place by the spoiled daughter, Isabel, and for a while, has to be content with being able to live in a great house and rub shoulders with the rich. When Isabel meets Mike, whose family has a farm and produce stand, she thaws a bit toward Rory, and the two have an uneasy peace while partaking of the area social life. When Rory has her eye on one of the elite, however, will they be able to maintain their friendship?
Strengths:This has some nice "rich people" moments like The Clique books, and would have been a light, summer read for girls who like Sarah Dessen and Maureen Johnson. However...
Weaknesses: Not for middle school. Mike and Isabel take their relationship to the next level, and while it's not explicit (and I can see this series being popular in high school), it's also a bit much.

Nancy Drew Diaries

Keene, Carolyn. Curse of the Arctic Star (Nancy Drew Diaries #1)
February 5th 2013 by Aladdin 

Nancy (who is in high school) is called to a Superstar Cruise ship by her friend Becca, who has taken a job with the line. Even before the ship's maiden voyage, odd things are occurring, and who better to solve the mystery than Nancy. Her cover is that she won the trip, and so she brings good friends George and Becca. Becca's college aged boyfriend, Alan, is studying ecology, so he asks to come along as well. Things continue to go wrong on the ship-- a bratty boy's tarantula is set loose on the buffet, a chandelier falls, a mannequin shows up in the ship pool covered in red drink mix. Who is out to sabotage the cruise line? There are suspects everywhere, and even though someone is arrested for stealing jewelry from the gift shop, Nancy is not convinced that the real culprit has been apprehended.
Strengths: The travel aspect of this is quite fun, and who doesn't want to read about a cruise to Alaska? The characters all have distinct personalities, and Nancy uses her sleuthing skills well.
Weaknesses: I was thinking that Nancy would be a middle grader; while her age is true to the original series, it seems somehow odd today that Nancy would be allowed to go on a ship alone and share a suite with Becca's random college boyfriend. This makes for an odd feeling, since the series is clearly aimed at younger middle grade readers.

Keene, Carolyn. Strangers on a Train (Nancy Drew Diaries #1)
February 5th 2013 by Aladdin 

Nancy's trip continues with a train ride across Alaska. Even here, bad things keep happening, like broken glass on Nancy's seat. Everyone's a suspect, and many of the suspicious people turn out to be suspicious for other reasons-- someone is trying to set up a union, crew members are romantically involved, etc. When it seems that the train and ship might be being used to smuggle illegal objects, Nancy goes in to high gear and finds the culprit in a rather unlikely place (even though I thought the person who did it was creepy from the beginning!)
Strengths: Good descriptions of Alaska, some mild suspense and danger, mention of Ned Nickerson, Nancy's trusted boyfriend of 80 years, near the end.
Weaknesses: Same sort of age disconnect as in first book. I don't know that I will buy the next books in the series, Mystery of the Midnight Rider or Once Upon a Thriller.

Books All Night!

Had my chorus in during 7th grade lunch. It's not perfect, but it will have to do. On announcements first thing in the morning, and I'll post lyrics and the YouTube karaoke link in case other people want to perform it on their own!

BUT... it's been flinging ice pellets from the sky for the last half hour. Considered skating to work with CD player in back pack, but thought better of it. Drat.

This worked on the computer but not on mobile devices.
http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/mppihmtqyl/120513-155713_1

Guy Friday- Foul Trouble

Feinstein, John. Foul Trouble.
November 12th 2013, Knopf Books for Young Readers

Danny and Terrell are both stand outs on their high school basketball team, Terrell slightly more than Danny, whose father is their coach. After attending a summer basketball camp, the two are inundated  with offers for all sorts of things-- college scholarships, cars, girls, product deals. Some of these are on the up-and-up, and others are not. The seamy side of college and product deals is aptly discussed by Feinstein, and there is enough basketball going on that I didn't understand the vast majority of the book!
Strengths: Feinstein's Last Shot series has a good following in my library even though the readers don't care quite as much about the journalism portion of the books. The fact that this book (which is a stand alone) has more basketball and things tangential to fame will be appealing.
Weaknesses: A bit confusing, but the whole college recruiters and product people approaching the athletes will be interesting to the students.

Hadn't updated my "Sports" tab at the top right recently, so at least looked at the basketball titles. If I've forgotten something awesome, plead add it in the comments. 

Basketball Fiction

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem. Sasquatch in the Paint.
Eighth-grader Theo Rollins' growth spurt has Coach Mandrake trying to transform him into a basketball star, but training time is hurting the science club's chances of winning the "Aca-lympics," and being accused of stealing could mean Theo is off both teams.

Bowen, Fred. The Final Cut.
After tryouts for the school basketball team, eighth graders Zeke, Eli, Ryan, and Miles find their friendship tested when two of them make the team and two of them do not. Includes facts about Michael Jordan and Bill Russell.

Bowen, Fred. Hardcourt Comeback
Seventh-grade basketball star Brett is used to being good at everything he does, but after finding one thing he cannot do, he loses confidence and starts making mistakes.

Bowen, Fred. Real Hoops.
When Ben and Logan go to a recreation center to practice basketball with more experienced players in hopes of getting on the freshman team, they meet Hud, who could be the perfect point guard if he is willing to listen to the coach.

Bruchac, Joseph. Lay-ups and Long Shots
A collection of nine short stories about sports by various authors, including David Lubar, Joseph Bruchac, and Terry Trueman.

Coy, John. Box Out.
High school sophomore Liam jeopardizes his new position on the varsity basketball team when he decides to take a stand against his coach who is leading prayers before games and enforcing teamwide participation.

Coy, John. Take Your Best Shot
Four friends in middle school face challenges both on and off the basketball court with issues that affect their families, friendships, school, and sports.

Deuker, Carl. On the Devil’s Court.
Struggling with his feelings of inadequacy and his failure to make the team in his new school, Joe Faust finds himself willing to trade his soul for one perfect season of basketball.

Dixon, Franklin. Slam Dunk Sabotage.
The team is headed to the championship basketball game, but somebody wants to knock them out of contention by getting the Hardys out of the way.

Dygard, Thomas. Outside Shooter.
A high school basketball star's personality problems threaten not only his own career but the success of the whole team.

Feinstein, John. Last Shot.
Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are aspiring journalists and winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association 14-and-under writing contest.

Fink, Mark. Stepping Up
At a competetive basketball camp, fourteen-year-old Ernie Dolan finds his just average performance separating him from his best friend Mike Rivers and the rest of the campers until a near tragedy turns Ernie from outcast to hero

Gutman, Dan. The Million Dollar Shot.
Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.

Harkrader, Lisa. Airball: My Life in Briefs.
Uncoordinated Kirby braves his coach's ire and becomes captain of the basketball team in order to help him prove that NBA star Brett McGrew is his father .

Heldring, Thatcher. Toby Wheeler, Eighth Grade Bench Warmer.
When Toby finally decides to join the middle school basketball team, he does not anticipate the changes that will occur in his relationship with his best friend JJ, who is the team's star player, as well as in other areas of his life.

Klass, David. Danger Zone.
When he joins a predominately black basketball team which will represent the U.S. in a basketball tournament, a boy discovers prejudice, racism and politics.

Krech, Bob. Rebound.
Determined to make the varsity basketball team, Ray finds his efforts to play both hindered and helped by the atmosphere of racism in his town.

Langan, Paul. Schooled. (Bluford High)
Lionel Shephard dreams of joining the NBA, but while his father disapproves of his plans, his teachers are threatening to fail him--unaware of his poor reading abilities--and Lionel needs to decide how far he is willing to go for his dreams.

Lupica, Mike. Play Makers
Ben McBain is considered the best point guard in the league, but his teammate Chase Braggs is the complete opposite of Ben who likes to talk on the court and show off. 

Lupica, Mike. Travel Team
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--Danny forms his own team of cast-offs.

Lupica, Mike. True Legend.
Fifteen-year-old Drew "True" Robinson loves being the best point-guard prospect in high school basketball, but learns the consequences of fame through a former player, as well as through the man who expects to be his manager when True reaches the NBA. 

Mack, W.C. Mathlete vs. Athlete.
When their two worlds collide in seventh grade, fraternal twins and opposites Owen and Russell find themselves in direct competition at school, on the court, and at home. 

Mackel, Kathy. Boost
Thirteen-year-old Savvy is the girls basketball team's star player, but, despite her height and skills, Savvy struggles with her self-confidence and searches for some way to boost her performance, but when steroids are found in her bag, Savvy denies they are hers and the rumors start to fly.

Maddox, Jake. Free Throw.
Since Derek is the tallest player on his team, the coach decides to have him play center but Jason, the former center, has little confidence in Derek and will not pass him the ball.

Mikulski, Keri. Head Games.
Taylor Thomas is confident and in control on the basketball court, but off the court, she finds her life spinning out of control as she juggles the team, two potential boyfriends, and her friend's fashion show. 

Myers, Walter Dean. Game
Drew Lawson, counting on basketball to get him into college and out of Harlem, struggles to keep his cool when the coach brings in two white players and puts them in positions that clearly threaten Drew's game.

Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops.
A player from Harlem is befriended by a former pro who, after quitting because of a scandal, hopes to prevent other athletes from repeating his mistake.

Myers, Walter Dean. Slam
A 17 year old boy is counting on his basketball talent to get him out of the inner city but his coach sees things differently.

Parker, Robert. Edenville Owls.
Bobby finds himself facing challenges as he tries to pull together his coachless team and discover the identity of the mysterious stranger.

Rud, Jeff. In the Paint.
Twelve-year-old Matt Hill struggles to make the basketball team in his new school while keeping out of trouble.

Rud, Jeff. Crossover.
Rising basketball star Kyle's interest in theater causes huge problems both on and off the court

Russo, Mirasabina. House of Sports
Jim cares only about basketball but Hhs pleasure in winning a spot on the traveling team dims when his grades drop and his grandmother becomes ill.

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. The Hoopster
A teenager who loves to play basketball, is happy about his summer internship at a magazine, but his life is unexpectedly changed by a random act of violence.

Soto, Gary. Taking Sides.
An aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood.

Stoudemire, Amar'e. Home Court (series)
Between sports, school, and working for his father, eleven-year-old Amar'e's life is full and he is not yet ready to concentrate on basketball--but when a group of older boys start hogging the local basketball court he knows that he has to do something to help his friends.

Telander, Rick. String Music.
An unlikely friendship develops between a lonely boy and the professional basketball star whom he idolizes.

Tunis, John R. Go, Team, Go!
When a player from an overconfident team is expelled for gambling and the others penalized for breaking training, they angrily quit the basketball varsity team.

Volponi, Paul. Black and White
Two high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

Volponi, Paul. The Final Four
Four players at the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament struggle with the pressures of tournament play and the expectations of society at large.

Wallace, Rich. Technical Foul
Jared, a high-scoring member of the Hudson City Middle School basketball team, gets angry when the point guard accuses him of being responsible for their string of losses, but finally realizes they can win only if he becomes a team player.

Yee, Lisa. Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time
After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer-school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisy his academically demanding father

Yep, Lawrence. Dragon Road.

Cal and Barney, Chinese Americans, are trapped in a world of racial prejudice in 1939 with no jobs and no future until the Dragons, a barnstorming basketball team, invites them to join the team.

The Stormglass Protocol

Pratt, Tim and Deemer, Andy. The Stormglass Protocol
September 4th 2013 by Stormglass Ventures LLC
Nominated for the Cybils by Publisher/Author; copy received from publisher

Jake is quite happy with his parents when Filby and Lizzie break into his house and tell him that he is the newest recruit for Stormglass. Before he can even be properly trained, he is supplied with spy gadgets and whisked off to England to find out where killer bees are originating. The group meets with The Beekeeper about genetically engineered bees that have been found with the Vindiqo logo. Since bees are increasingly endangered, these new ones seem to be put in place to help resurrect colonies, but they are not quite right; their venom sacks are too large and are made to hold too strong a poison. Sure enough, there is evil lurking in the form of The Doctor, who is trying to sell the bees and create global chaos. Jake, Filby and Lizzie gets caught up in trying to figure out what is going on, but there is a traitor in the organization that is putting them in peril.
Strengths: I appreciated that the problem of bee populations was put to good use in this. There are lots of gadgets (a Stormpad!), plenty of action, and a decent group dynamic. While I saw the twist coming at the end, I'm not sure students would. There is a lot of online supporting material for the book at Stormglass.com.
Weaknesses: This strained my credulity somewhat. Jake has no real reason to run off and be a spy, he doesn't get properly trained, and Filby and Lizzie didn't strike me as being too knowledgeable. Jake is specifically warned against adult help. Perhaps the title made me compare this with Stormbreaker, which had a more believable premise.

World Wednesday- Waiting for the Queen

Library Note: One of the stranger things I do for my job is to sing on the morning announcements, ostensibly when there are more overdue books than there should be. It's such a funny thing-- 6th graders think it's awesome and the 8th graders think it's horrible and scream and thrash around. Except for the 8th graders who go to the high school first period-- they are sad that they can't hear me. I'm sure I alarm visitors frequently with my vast repertoire-- Just Let a Book Be Your Umbrella, R-E-A-D- ING spells Reading, The Overdue Blues.

This is a long way of justifying why I have just spent half an hour perfecting my parody of One Direction's Up All Night for Friday. I have back up singers and everything. I'll see if we can get it recorded so I can post it. Next up: Katy Perry's "I'm a librarian and you're gonna hear me ROAR!"

World Wednesday:
There was a nice post over at From the Mixed-Up Files by Uma Krishnaswami about Multicultural books, and how that is not the best term for the books. She favors instead *Books With Cultural Contexts*. Since I try to keep up with the latest terminology (and really, it just takes one blink to get behind), we'll go with that for today, especially since the following book has bits of French, Quaker, and African American slave culture in it.

Higgins, Joanna. Waiting for the Queen
August 20th 2013, Milkweed Editions 
Nominated for the Cybils by publisher/author

In 1793, a young French aristocrat, Eugenie, comes to a small riverside settlement with her family and other wealthy families who were chased out of France by the Revolution. They have come to the US for asylum and hope that Marie Antoinette will soon flee and join them. The conditions are nothing like what they are used to-- rough log cabins are the GOOD lodgings, but Eugenie at first refuses to sleep on the floor and is infuriated when the Quaker girl, Hannah, who is serving her family speaks to her and refuses to curtsy. Hannah and her father and brother are working for the French in order to earn money to buy their own farm, and Hannah misses her mother and siblings sorely, so she is not willing to put up with the further indignity of curtseying to people who think they are her betters. It could be worse for both girls-- at least the are not Estelle, the slave of the cruel Monsieur Rouleau. Even though both the French and the Quakers are against slavery, Rouleau is in a legal gray area and they all feel powerless to legally help the slaves. Hannah does her best to be understanding of the family, and eventually Eugenie realizes how useless her life is. Her father takes to the new American ways with relish, but her mother fears for their social standing once the queen arrives if he sinks to making furniture and doing other manual labor. Despite this, Eugenie learns to cook, clean, and eventually even empties out chamber pots. The plight of Estelle becomes so dire that the girls, despite their lack of shared language, come up with a plan to try to save her. In the end, it is clear that the queen will not be coming, and that the way of life that Eugenie and her family have known is no more.
Strengths: This was a well researched and fascinating story about a tiny bit of American history of which I had never heard. Eugenie's evolution is dramatic but makes perfect sense. Admittedly, I was swayed a bit by her small dog, Sylvette, who is occasionally in peril in the New World. This one really stuck with me. The juxtaposition between the French aristocracy and the Quakers in the rough, Pennsylvania countryside was enthralling.
Weaknesses: Tiny print and a true-to-period but unexciting cover make this one that I will have trouble purchasing because students will not pick it up. Like most librarians, I adore historical fiction and do everything I can to push it, but it's difficult.

When Did You See Her Last?

After much consideration, Charlotte (who is the chair of Cybils Speculative Fiction Elementary/Middle Grade) and I decided that this is fantasy. Like The Series of Unfortunate Events, it was a hard call, since most of what happens is just more unbelievable. It was the sea drying up and the octopus ink that catapulted it into Spec Fic.

Snicket, Lemony. When Did You See Her Last?
October 15th 2013, Little Brown 

In this sequel to Who Could That Be At This Hour?, young Lemony is back with his guardian S. Theodora Markson. This time, they are investigating the disappearance of Cleo Knight, whose parents ran Ink, Inc., which was once successful but now has fallen on hard times since the sea has dried up and octopus ink is hard to come by. Cleo's parents have been drugged by Dr. Flammarion, and the story that she has run away to join the circus seems suspicious to Lemony. With the help of Moxie, he investigates, and comes upon several mysteries that tie the disappearance of Cleo to the evil villain Hangfire. There are two more adventures to come before we come to the end of the series and MAYBE find out what all the right questions would have been.
Strengths: This series is easier to follow and less annoying that the first series, and the books are hardcovers with dust jackets, so they will hold up better. The cover art is much more appealing. There are some fun characters.

Weaknesses: Stylistically, I really dislike these. The whole condescending tone and the obscure references... yuck. Still, students don't seem to have these problems!

Laughlin, Florence. The Little Leftover Witch.
27 August  2013, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central and reviewed there.

When Felina, a young witch, crash lands near Lucinda's house on Halloween, Lucinda's family, the Doons, take her in. Since Felina can't get her broom to work, she is grounded for an entire year. The father reports her to the police and manages to obtain a license to keep her, and the family proceeds to accept Felina into their family despite her witchy ways. They convince her to eat things other than black bat soup, and manage to eventually have her give up her witch hat. With the help of a twinkly and kindly grandfather, she gets her own birthday, and eventually turns into a regular-- and happy-- little girl.
Strengths: This is a reprint of the 1960 (Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc.) title, but has an updated cover illustrations. It is a sweet and simple tale that is reminiscent of Ruth Chew's witch books from the same era, and is a strong tale about the power of love and family acceptance. Since Glee's Chris Colfer is writing the pilot for a Disney Channel show based on this book, I expect that demand will be high.
Weaknesses: There are some details that could have been updated-- Felina goes to a party wearing a fluffy dress, the mother and father fall into fairly rigid stereotypes-- but younger readers will probably not even notice that the license cost for having a witch for a year is only one dollar!

MMGM--Series books

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.



I have a love/hate relationship with series. I love them because they make my job easier; get a student hooked, and they will read a lot of the books. I hate them because there are so MANY series, and sometimes it seems like my books orders are nothing but continuations. There are problems, such as students losing book two, or someone having book one overdue for a month, so I can't start anyone else on the series. Also, after about four books, fewer and fewer readers continue to pick up a series, so it doesn't seem like money well spent.

Stand alone books are a MUCH better purchase for my library, and I wish that the obsession with series would come to an end. Or, that the books in a series don't necessarily need to be read in order. I recently broke down and bought the Sara Normal Series. Of course, I made the mistake of ordering them from Baker and Taylor, so I have books 1,2,3,5, and 8. Grrr! I had a little orgy of reading them, and I think that each volume could be picked up individually-- you miss a few details, but not enough to detract from the story at hand.

Rivers, Phoebe. Haunted Memories (#2)
May 1st 2012, Simon Spotlight

Sara is just starting school, having moved from California to live with Lady Azura when her father takes a job on the east coast. She's glad that she has made friends with Lily, and fits in at her lunch table pretty well. There is a harvest festival coming up, and several girls are thinking about running for queen. That's the last thing on Sara's mind, since she's just settling in, getting to know cute boy Jayden, and dealing with all of the ghosts she can see in her new house, but someone signs her up. She realizes that she has to run for queen to solve the problems of the newest ghost, Alice, who wanted desperately to be queen but died of polio in 1952.
Strengths: Sara's anxiety at starting a new school is realistically portrayed, as is her interest in Jayden. She and Lily have a nice friendship, and even her pyschic abilities are fun.
Weaknesses:  Harvest festival queen? Not something I've ever seen at a middle school, so it irked me a bit, like all books about school elections. Still fun.

Rivers, Phoebe. Mischief Night. (#3)
August 14th 2012 by Simon Spotlight

In the last book, the biggest problem with Jayden was that the ghost of his older brother, Marco, followed Sara around and wanted her away from his brother. In this book, this is a continuing problem, and Jayden gets angry after he goes to a reading with Lady Azura and Sara eavesdrops on his conversation. There is also a problematic ghost in the house; Henry, a young boy, has been released, and is causing all manner of problems. When Sara has a big Halloween party at her  house, she is able to put many things to rights.
Strengths: I like how these build on Sara's skills and new powers-- Lady Azura is teaching her how to control the spirits a little bit, and it's fun to read about her everyday life with Lily, etc.
Weaknesses: I'm not getting as much about Lady Azura as I would like. She's too much fun to relegate to a small supporting role! (Of course, I think she gets more to do in book 4, which I don't have!)

Rivers, Phoebe. Moment of Truth (#5)
December 4th 2012, Simon Spotlight 

Sara's powers are growing, but she's concerned when she meets Kyle at the local ice cream store. She knows he's a ghost, but other people can see him! Not only that, but her friend Lily thinks that he's cute and once to ask him to the morp (prom backwards, since girls ask boys). Sara asks Jayden to the dance, so she hates to get in Lily's way, but Lady Azura warns her to stay far away from Kyle, since he is a spirit who doesn't know he is dead, and he might become violent when he find out. Sara has to find a way to get him to move on but without crushing her friend.
Strengths: I liked the twist of a ghost that others could see, and there was also a nice bit about Sara wearing a dress that belonged to her mother. Her father's work and dating are mentioned very briefly throughout the series, just enough so that we know they affect Sara, but not enough to weigh down the story.
Weaknesses: Really? Morp? Formal dances at middle schools are another thing I don't believe.

Rivers, Phoebe. Kindred Spirits (#8)
June 4th 2013 by Simon Spotlight

Jayden moves out of town with his parents at some point, so Sara is free to be really interested in Mason, to whom she has an odd attraction. She needs a pleasant distraction, because Lady Azura has allowed two spirits, Eleanor and Dwight, to stay in their home because they are bedeviling a client. They are both looking for something, and turning over everything in the house in order to find it! Sara also begins to think that she can move objects with her mind, but isn't entirely sure. Midnight Manor is once again used, and Henry takes a shine to Buddy, the dog, but is still a pain.
Strengths: I was glad to see Sara have another romantic interest, and liked the twist about him. I also enjoyed Lady Azura dealing with the ghosts, and the fact that Sara was able to help her solve the problem.
Weaknesses: I might be missing a bit about Mason, but the strength of Sara's attraction to him seems a bit much.

I really need to read the books I'm missing, and am really looking forward to #9, Playing with Fire, when Sara is thinking about telling Lily about her powers!

And here's weirdness:Got an e mail from Charles from one of these teacher certification sites that this blog was in the top 50. At number 8, to be specific. I don't know how they do their statistics, but I did think it was interesting that I was that high up when I only have 155 Twitter followers compared to the thousands that other school library blogs have.  http://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/top-blogs/school-library/

I'm not sure it this means I need to work harder or not. Just a little puzzling, especially since most of the other school library blogs don't focus on books. No clue.

The Wolf Princess

Constable, Cathryn. The Wolf Princess.
September 24th 2013 by Chicken House

Sophie Smith has a hard life in an English boarding school. Her mother and father are both dead, and her guardian, Rosemary, doesn't think to even outfit her with clothes that meet the school dress code. She longs to go to Russia, so when a mysterious woman shows up at the school and invites her to go on the school trip, Sophie is glad to be able to do with friends Delphine and Marianne. They are planning on spending time in the city at a school, but when they get to the country, they are approached by Ivan and whisked away into the perilous cold on a train toward the Volkonsky Winter Palace. Princess Anna acts as their hostess, providing them with sumptuous clothing and fun activities, but her motivations are darker than the girls imagine.
Strengths: This has the feel of a modern fairy tale, although there really isn't any magic. Sophie is a sympathetic character. The Russian countryside and some historical type information is interesting. It is a pretty book.
Weaknesses: I thought this was time travel, for some reason, so kept waiting for them to go into the past, and they didn't.

Saturday Morning Cartoons-- The Popularity Papers

Ignatow, Amy. Love and Other Fiascos.(The Polularity Papers #6)
8 October 2013, Amulet

Lydia and Julie are back, and this time all of their drama surrounds relationships. Julie likes Roland but isn't sure about "where their relationship is heading"-- Jane gives her all kinds of advice, and her dads freak out at the thought of her dating. Jane is busy hanging out with Chuck after they get back together, and Ms. Goldblatt is getting married to Coach Eric, and the girls are in the wedding. Lydia is okay with that, since her mom is happy, but her sister thinks it's as bad as their father leaving them. Lots of drama, all drawn in full color pictures.
Strengths: These are much more realistic and kinder than the Dork Diaries, so I did break down and buy all of them. They are never on the shelf.
Weaknesses:  Some readers may really struggle with reading the cursive in the book. It's very neatly done, and I'm all for forcing children to know cursive, but many of them don't. I find it hard to read these, since I am a word-based, linear thinker!

Guy Friday- QB1

Lupica, Mike. QB1
September 17th 2013 by Philomel

Jake plays football. Not only football, but football in Texas, where his older brother Wyatt just had a winning season and is now playing college ball for the Longhorns. Jake's father made it as far as big league ball, although his career was ended by concussions. Jake has made the team, but doesn't feel that he is as good as Wyatt. Nobody does. Jake has to readjust his style, come to terms with his relationship with his style, and put up with a lot of grief because he is a Cullen, and other players on his team have certain expectations of what he will be like. He is also interested in a slightly older cheerleader, Sarah, who was rather fond of his brother.
Strengths: More descriptions of football plays than I could EVER possibly understand and a good overview of what it is like to play football in Texas. I had no idea that the towns were so insane about it. Lupica is a master at describing rocky father-son relationships, and this is a fantastic stand alone novel that my football loving boys will love.
Weaknesses:  Lupica usually writes feisty girl characters, so I was surprised that Sarah was such a one dimensional cheerleader. The only reason Jake seemed to like her was that she was pretty. Boo.

Historical Titles

Stone, Phoebe. Romeo Blue

May 28th 2013, Arthur A. Levine Books
Nominated for the Cybils by Alex Baugh

In this sequel to The Romeo and Juliet Code, Flissy is still living along the coast in Bottlebay, Maine with her Uncle Gideon and grandmother while her mother remains in England. Derek, a foster child who has been trying to find his father, has a letter from him, and Flissy is concerned that Derek will leave to be with him. World War II encroaches on everything-- ration booklets are coming, Flissy's family are working as spies, and most of the young men they know are being called off to war. Bob Henley has been called up, and he asks Miami to marry him, and also leaves a book of his poems, and Flissy has to deal with a publisher that is interested in them. While Flissy still has a huge crush on Derek, he has other things on his mind. Eventually, Flissy's mother comes back to Maine, and Flissy has to deal with even more family drama.
Strengths: This has a lot of really good details about every day life during the war, and even more details about what it was like to live in a coastal area when spies were thought to be everywhere. There is so much going on, so girls who like drama will be drawn to this.
Weaknesses: This seemed a bit over the top to me, and I never really liked Flissy.

Anderson, T. Neill. City of the Dead.
August 1st 2013, Charlesbridge Publishing
Nominated for the Cybils by the publisher.

When the bad weather rolls into Galveston, Texas in 1900, people don't know how bad the flooding will be. Daisy and her family hunker down in Lucas Terrace with a lot of her neighbors who see their own houses sailing down the streets. Albert and other boys from St. Mary's Orphanage try to keep the nuns and children together away from the rising waters. Sam struggles to help people in the area, but gets swept away in the flood. Those who survive see the houses tumble down and hundreds of corpses washing away to sea.
Strengths: Somewhat like Blizzard of Glass, (although a fictionalized account) this was rich in details of what the devastation of the storm was like from the points of view of various people. Readers who like survival stories with lots of gory details will be pleased with this one. Historical photos add a lot.
Weaknesses: It was hard to keep the characters straight because they were all undergoing similar, very harrowing experiences. I had to put this down for a while because it got to be a bit too much.

Karwoski, Gail. When Hurrican Katrina Hit Home
June 4th 2013 by History Press
Nominated for the Cybils by Storm's Edge
Copy received from the publisher.

Chazz lives with his grandmother Adele in New Orleans because his mother, Leah, is off studying for a nursing degree and doesn't have time to care for him. Adele is elderly and has recently broken her ankle, but is glad to have Marie working for her. Marie has a daughter and her two children, Lyric and Quen, living with her. Quen has been very ill, so as Hurrican Katrina is on its way, Marie takes Adele and Chazz to her home in the Ninth Ward to take a look at Quen. Of course, once the storm hits, they are all stuck there, along with Chazz's dog, Niki. The group ends up having to stay in the attic, where they ration the little food and water they have and try to take care of the sick baby and Adele. Eventually, Adele and Quen are airlifted out together. After more time, the others are taken to the Convention Center, where they find worse conditions than there were in. Eventually, they all are lucky enough to survive, and the book follows a bit of the rebuilding of their lives.
Strengths: This had good, unflinching descriptions of the difficulties this storm created. Where to go to the bathroom, creepy people boating around wanting to possibly attack others, what the Convention Center was like-- all interesting details. There are not a whole lot of books about this historic event.
Weaknesses:I thought there would be a little more character development with Lyric or Chazz. Also, this is not formatted well for middle school. The unattractive cover and very small print will turn off many readers.

Children With Problems

Sullivan, Sarah. All That's Missing. 
October 8th 2013 by Candlewick Press
Nominated for the Cybils by the Publisher.

Arlo's parents were killed in a car accident when he was very young, so he has always lived with his grandfather, Poppo. Lately, though Poppo has been very forgetful, wandering around town and not quite knowing who Arlo is. When Poppo has a stroke while foraging in the dumpster of a local store, he ends up in the hospital, and Arlo ends up in foster care. Arlo runs away from the shelter and decides to take a bus trip to Edgewater to find his grandmother, even though she and Poppo did not get along and he hasn't seen her in years. A stroke of luck leads Arlo to her, and after some tense calls to children's services, Arlo stays with her, settling in uneasily while waiting for word on Poppo. He makes friends with Maygood, the daughter of one of his father's friends, and tries to figure out what his place will be. His grandmother is trying to sell the large family house, and the man trying to buy it seems less than honest.
Strengths: Arlo and Poppo have a great relationship, and I liked how Arlo was able to develop one with his estranged grandmother as well. The community is Southern but not overly quirky, and it was nice to see how everyone supported Arlo.
Weaknesses: There was an art related mystery that came a bit too late in the book for me; it felt tacked on. Too bad, because it could have been interesting if it had been developed earlier.

Lamb, Jody. Easter Ann Peters' Operation Cool
November 6th 2012, Scribe Publishing Company 

Nominated for the Cybils by Sarah P.

Easter is starting seventh grade, and she's bound and determined to make this a better year. She has done her research and has her plan-- a notebook where she has figured out how she can rise in popularity and make everyone like her. Or, well, be not quite as geeky. This is important, because things are tough at home. Her dad is a factory supervisor who works long hours, and her mother is a former singer who is currently depressed and drinking fairly heavily. Easter is used to cleaning up after her mother, making excuses for her, and taking care of herself and her cat, Yoplait. One of Easter's points is that she needs a best friend, and when Wreni moves to town and takes Easter's side over that of the annoying Horse Girl, Easter thinks she has it made. She even has a boy that is interested in her, but it's hard to keep up with things at school when they are falling apart so badly at home.
Strengths: Easter was a sympathetic character, and her attempts to get her own life together were realistic. There is also a lot of good information about dealing with a parent who drinks.
Weaknesses: Easter uses a lot of odd interjections like "Cartwheeling hamsters!" that are grating and don't sound authentic.

Goebel, Jenny. Grave Images. 
October 29th 2013 by Scholastic Press 

Bernie's family runs a monument company, and her father is struggling to keep up with the workload after the death of his father. Bernie's mother is struggling just to get out of bed, and often doesn't, although we don't find out for quite some time why she is so depressed. Bernie's friend, Michael, is a bit quirky and doesn't mind hanging out with her, so when she decides that the new engraver her father has hired, Abbot Stein, is super creepy, she enlists Michael's help in finding out more about him. Mr. Stein's carvings are beautifully realistic, but very creepy, and when he seems to have them completed even before the subjects of them have passed away, Bernie becomes alarmed and tries to investigate the mystery of the man and his creepy carving tools that were hardened in fire with human bones. Can Bernie figure this out before more people in her town die, and can she help her mother as well?
Strengths: Good creepy cover, and the premise of the evil tools is a good one. Stein is described in elaborate creepy detail, and the investigation makes sense.
Weaknesses: The balance of family problems and creepy mystery is off. There is much too much time given to Bernie's mother's grief. It's hinted at, but not really explained until very far in the book, and overshadows the rest of the plot. Readers who want creepy stories aren't usually as interested in books about family dynamics.

Wicked Cruel

Wallace, Rich. Wicked Cruel.
August 6th 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers 

These three short stories are set in the New England town of Cheshire Notch. The first, "Wicked Cruel", details the experiences of a boy who thinks he sees a former annoying classmate in a music video-- but that classmate has passed away from brain injuries, most likely caused by repeated beatings received at the hands of the boy and his classmates. Is the boy really dead? Is he really haunting Jordan? The next, "The Horses of Brickyard Pond", covers Halloween night and follows Danny and Claudine as the attend city parties but also a poetry reading their father gives. Janelle decides to go to this reading with Danny, which angers another boy. Will the mythical ghost horses save Danny... or destroy him? In the last, "Rites of Passage", Owen decides to attend a tea and dance at the local Chase Tavern. He meets Sophie there, but also the ghost of a girl long thought dead. Why does she still haunt the tavern? Will Owen come to grief through his contact with her?
Strengths: Very nice descriptions of life in a small New England town; very creepy and atmospheric! Enough suspense to make this pleasantly creepy. Wallace can turn his hand to anything and have it come out well, I think. He has a good feel for what middle graders like.
Weaknesses: I almost would have liked this better if the stories were more interwoven and all of them happened to the same main character. There could have been more suspense built that way.

MMGM--The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit

Spencer, Octavia. The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit. (Randi Rhodes: Ninja Detective #1)
October 15th 2013 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Randi's father, who writes detective novels, decides to move from New York City to the mountains of Tennessee after the death of Randi's mother from cancer. Randi loves to investigate small crimes in her urban neighborhood, so is not happy about the move, or about the fact that her father isn't writing. When they get to the small town of Deer Creek, they find it is celebrating it's 200th birthday by uncovering a time capsule that the founders buried, and it is to be opened by none other than the president of the United States. When the ceremony occurs, old man McCarthy lets a skunk loose, and the capsule is stolen. Randi sets out to investigate, making friends with DC, whose mother owns a struggling apple orchard and who shares Randi's love of martial arts. The two find that there are bigger mysteries around, such as why Amber-Grace Sutton's father, the bank manager, is trying to bankrupt DC's mom. They try out their detective skills searching for a lost cat, and find out that a resort is being built... on the site of the apple orchard. Pudge Taylor, whose father has moved the family down from Boston, is in on the planning, but Pudge helps the fledgling detective try to figure out who is behind the various mysteries.
Strengths: This was a solid middle grade mystery, and had a nice multicultural cast of characters. The cover immediately drew me, with TWO characters of color on it. This ended in a way that makes me think there could be a sequel. The appendices at the back on how to perform "ninja tasks" were vaguely amusing as well.
Weaknesses: I somehow thought this would be more of a fantastical, super hero or time travel novel. Since I need more mysteries than either of those, I wasn't disappointed. This would benefit from tighter editing, though-- the print was small and it rambled at times.

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.