Bigger than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder

Ever heard of a genie in a bread box? Me neither. There's no genie in this story but there is a magical bread box. It grants wishes. Sort of. It grants only certain kinds of wishes. Rebecca, who is 12-years-old, has to figure out what wishes are acceptable. And while this story has a magic bread box, it really is not a fantasy story. It is realistic with a magical element that only Rebecca knows about. Lately, I've been grabbing books that seem to be a grab bag of genres. The Apothecary starts as historical and is quite realistic before turning on the fantasy and mystery elements. Falling In is a fantasy that seems very realistic. Breadcrumbs starts out realistic and then turns into a fairy tale. But... none of these plots are like this book. Summer of May is probably the closest except May is a lot more angry at her mom than Rebecca.

All is not well between Rebecca's parents. Dad is sleeping on the couch because her mom is mad at him for losing his job. They don't talk much any more. When Rebecca's dad doesn't recognize her mom's birthday, she packs up Rebecca and her two year old brother, Lew, and drives from Baltimore, Maryland to Atlanta, Georgia to stay with her mother, Rebecca's grandmother. Her mom is in such a rush to leave that Rebecca doesn't get to say "Goodbye" to her best friend. Or anyone at school. She hardly gets to say "Goodbye" to her dad. Her mom drives off with the car door open in the middle of her and her dad's goodbyes. Rebecca originally thinks it is a vacation but when they get there her mom tells her that Rebecca is going to go to school there. Naturally, Rebecca is furious. Her mom did not explain that she and Rebecca's dad were separating. When Rebecca finds a bread box that grants wishes, she uses it selfishly and unselfishly. When the wishes start to backfire, she tries to fix them and makes even a bigger mess than initially. 

Rebecca is a likable character who tries to fit in as the new girl at school. The author captures the cliques that are going on at school and how Rebecca knows what she needs to do to be "in." Rebecca also recognizes the fickleness of being "in" and "out" of the group based on the leader of the clique either liking or not liking someone. She knows that the leader, Hannah, is mean but follows along for the security of belonging to a group. 

Rebecca misses her dad so much that she spends time babysitting her brother, Lew, who also misses his dad. Rebecca knows Lew is too young to express those feelings but when he cries because she said the word, "daddy," she knows that she isn't the only one suffering from her parents separation. Lew is adorable. I love how the author captures a two-year-old's language with words like "nuffing and Shooshee and otay." It reminded me of my daughter calling convertibles "bloken" cars.

The internal changes going on with Rebecca and her mother are the strength of this story and push the plot along at a good pace. I was able to figure out the plot fairly easily in spots and then I didn't see some of the twists coming at all at the end. I like how the author doesn't paint Hannah as a one-dimensional bully and the ending was creative with the addled Adda. There is a lot going on in this story with themes of bullies, stealing, separation, siblings, friendships, mother-daughter relationships, and cliques. 

If you like stories that are more character-driven than plot-driven and have an emotional punch to them then you can't go wrong with this book. You may not find a genie in your bread box, but you will find magic in this well-told story.

Reading level 5.7

4 out of 5 Smileys

Marty Mcguire by Kate Messner

Ask any 3rd grade teacher. Ask any librarian. Ask any publisher. There are not enough books for readers who are just starting to read longer chapter books. We need more Marty Mcguire books. It’s well-written, funny, and entertaining.

Meet tomboy, Marty. She is having problems with her best friend, Annie, who has embraced dancing, frilly things, and new friendships… like Veronica Grace, the ultimate girly girl. In order to win back Annie, Marty tries to play dress up and learn to dance with the other girls at recess, but she keeps getting distracted by the boys catching a bullfrog at the pond. It looks like so much fun! Eventually, she wanders over to the boys not only catching the frog but falling in the pond with her dress up clothes.

When the teacher tells the students they are going to have a play called, The Frog Prince, most of the girls want to be the princess and dress up, but not Marty. Ugh! She wants nothing to do with the play. When the teacher chooses her to be the lead, she refuses, but mom and dad won’t take no for an answer. Marty becomes the Frog Princess. And not only does she embrace her the role, she comes up with a few surprises of her own.

Words are repeated that will help early readers with reading and if the word is difficult like, “improvise,” it is used multiple times throughout the story to help the child learn it. That is probably the hardest word and “spontaneous” but they are defined for the reader. Messner does a nice job of weaving frogs into the story either in nature or in the fairy tale.

This story deals with conflicts and girls not being nice to each other. Marty can have an attitude at times but she also recognizes when to apologize to another person. It is a good story to use about discussing kindness toward each other and how to deal with conflicts at school. My husband told me Marty sounds like Junie B. Jones except Junie B. doesn’t always apologize when she calls people names. Guess I will have to read one of those books. If you are looking for a book at this level but about sibling conflicts try, “The Stories Julian Tells.”

Reading Level 2.8
4 out of 5 Smileys

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wan-Long Shang

Lucy is going to have the perfect summer. Big sister is off to college and she thinks she will get the bedroom to herself. Right? Wrong!

Great-aunt Yi Po is coming for the summer. Basketball season starts and Lucy can’t wait to play with the team. Right? Wrong! She has to go to Chinese school on Saturday.

The sixth graders are going to play the teachers in a pick up basketball game and Lucy wants to try out for captain. Right? Wrong! Not if the bully Sloane Connors has her way. She’s scaring everyone off from trying out to be captain. See if Lucy gives into Sloane’s nasty bullying ways or stands up to her.

What a great story and readers will be able to relate to Lucy who is trying to find her identity as a Chinese-American juggling expectations from eastern and western cultures. She’s pretty self-centered at first with her great-aunt coming and is so mad about giving up her room that she divides it in half with a desk and dresser calling it her Great Wall. As the story continues Lucy changes and learns to love her great-aunt. At the part where the students play the faculty in a basketball game, I thought the story was a little cheesy, but I did get a kick out of the athletic librarian ; ) Students will like the feel-good ending – I don’t think they will find it cheesy like me. The characters were very authentic and changed throughout the story by learning from their mistakes. Lucy is a feisty girl with an attitude and is willing to admit when she’s wrong.

Lucy’s Grandma Po Po has died and the family is grieving over the loss. Part of Lucy’s hostility toward Yi Po is that she misses her grandma terribly and is trying to deal with the loss. Lucy fights with her siblings and they get along other times. Some history is given on the Chinese cultural revolution. A wonderful story that is well-written.

Reading Level 5.3
4 out of 5 Smileys

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor’s nightmare starts the day his Mom starts her cancer treatments. He dreads going to sleep. When he looks out his window in London, England at 12:07 he sees a monster outside, but it isn’t the terrifying one from his nightmare – in fact it doesn’t frighten him at all. The monster tells Conor 3 stories that are more like parables. Each story can be interpreted different ways and it isn’t until the end that it becomes clear the meaning of all of them. The monster tells Conor that that in return for his stories Conor must tell one as well. Meanwhile Conor is dealing with a bully at school, a father who has remarried and lives in America, a grandma he doesn’t get along with or like to stay with, and the pity of classmates and teachers at school. Plus, he won’t face the fact his Mom has a terminal illness.

This is a well-crafted story with suspense and actions from characters that are unpredictable and puzzling. It is a quick read with deep themes to explore such as death, grief, loss, bullies, murder, friendship, family relationships and more. It isn’t a scary book as the cover suggests. Just so you aren’t surprised, the first story the monster tells has a man and woman “coupling.” I think the author wanted to show the woman trusted the man. Also, Conor retaliates against the bully at school so violently that the bully ends up in the hospital. I’m not sure if kids will like this book. It’s targeted for a younger audience but the themes are much older. I wonder if it is a book that adults will gush about and kids will not because it deals with death and grief. It was on a Newbery list but I would recommend it for older readers.

Reading Level YA
5 out of 5 Smileys

Slob by Ellen Potter

Owen is fat. Really fat. He's 57% fatter than most 12-year-old boys. And he's a middle schooler. Ugh. He wasn't always that way. Food for Owen Birnbaum fills the ache in his stomach that comes when he thinks of his past. Hints are slowly revealed as to what the tragedy is that happened to Owen and his sister, Caitlin or Jeremy. Caitlin is dealing with the past by joining the club GWAB, Girls Who are Boys, where she cuts her hair, wears boys clothes and changes her girl name to the boy name, Jeremy. Owen builds a contraption called the Nemesis, a device that will go back in time and capture a specific moment. Owen thinks it will make things "right" for both of them and put to rest their awful past.

Owen is picked on at school mercilessly by other students and his bully gym teacher, Mr. Wooly. When Owen's oreo cookies are stolen from his lunch every day, he sets out to find the thief.  He thinks it is Mason Riggs, an outcast like Owen, who has horrible burns on half his face and is rumored to carry a knife in his sock. Owen comes up with a plan to catch Riggs in the act, but things don't turn out as he planned. While the story is realistic the ending reveals the mystery of the missing cookies with an unexpected twist.

The writing has nice character development and a slow revelation of the tragedy. Nima, the man from Tibet, is a refreshing and unique character. I wasn't sure why the author had him be a smoker. I would like to ask her that question. Maybe so he didn't seem so perfect and wise? He is only 21 years old in the book. Some might think the start is a little slow but I liked the character development. The plot takes off pretty quickly and the tragedy is revealed about two-thirds of the way through the book.

A teacher at our school said that this book is a great read aloud.

Reading Level: 5.0
:-) :-) :) :-) 4 out of 5 Smileys

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

I'm picking this as a Newbery contender for 2012. Doug Swieteck has moved to a new home in "stupid" Marysville, New York. His school is stupid. His house is stupid. His neighbors are stupid. Yes, Doug has an attitude. The reader learns why as the story reveals an abusive brother and dad. When Doug meets spunky Lil Spicer he makes an unlikely friend who gets him a job at her father's grocery story and isn't afraid to give him a piece of her mind about his "stupid" attitude every now and then. Doug goes to the library that has three rare volumes of James Audubon's, Birds of America, where the librarian teaches him how to draw. Doug relates the photos of the birds to what's happening to the people he meets in the story. He has not had an easy life and he uses art to make sense of reality. He changes from someone who feels he has no self-worth to one who can draw and act. He gains confidence in who he is and changes the people around him in the process. But it isn't easy. He is wronged by his brother. Wronged by the PE teacher. Wronged by the Principal. And on and on it goes. However, each of those people redeem themselves in other ways and there is no complete villian, except the thief at the end.

There is a gaggle of trouble that follows Doug. First, he has to deal with his dad losing his job. Then he has to deal with a dad who hits him. Next, he has to deal with a brother that's a bully. Follow that with a  brother coming home seriously injured  from Vietnam. And a PE teacher who is bullying him. And a brother accused of stealing. And Audubon's book  being sold off piece by piece. ... the story just piles up layer on layer.  But eventually Doug sorts it out and everything is "okay for now."

The writing in this book is terrific - as Doug would say! Schmidt uses the words stupid and terrific throughout the story with stupid decreasing in use as Doug comes to like the town of Marysville. Terrific has two meanings such as terrific as in bad and terrific as in great.Doug is a smart-aleck kid who is good at heart. Oftentimes I don't like first person narration because of the limited viewpoint but Doug describes the people around him in such a way that gives a sense of what the people in the town are like. The only negative is that the plot is unbelieveable. But it is such a wonderful read that it is easy to suspend disbelief and get lost in the story.

Reading Level 4.3 (I don't agree with this. I think it should be higher.)
:-) :-) :-) :-) 4.75 out of 5 Smileys

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

Imagine you are in 6th grade. Your teacher is gone and a sub is coming. The school bell rings and there is no sub. The class takes attendance and still no sub. What do you do? Karen, a natural leader in the class, goes down to the office and DOES NOTHING. Yahoo. Free day. Right? Well...not exactly. Told from the point of view of Fletcher (not the author-it's the main characters name), discover how a class handles the disappearance of their teacher and sub. Tension mounts as they try to hold class without adult supervision. From Rachel, the mute, to Bastian, the not-so-nice teaser, students get some homework done, goof around some, and fight some. Things reach a climax when they discuss the death of a student that happened in the fall learning that maybe they need to act differently toward each other.

This book has a good pace and some of the issues are resolved at the end of the novel. I like the image/metaphor of flying and how it was used throughout the story. The story reminded me of the Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea where students learn to be responsible for their actions and grieve the loss of someone. I like how Fletcher doesn't give easy answers and choices such as Bastian's choice to give his pet away as being more for his pet than because he has a generous heart. He's mean in his teasing of others and this made sense to me and made the character's choice authentic. I do think the students would have goofed around more than they did, but that's debatable. Another terrific book by Fletcher and a great read aloud.

Reading Level 5.8

:-) :-) :-) :-) 4 out of 5 Smileys

 

Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher

"Sasparilla succotash," says Uncle Billy snapping his fingers. Cliff listens as Billy makes up a story about what "yidda yadda" means. Baby Josh wants a "yidda yadda" and no one knows what it means. In Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher a clear picture is painted of 5th grader Cliff and his brothers and sisters. Baby Josh looks like a sickly baby with green snot running down his nose that he  constantly smears all over his face. Teddy is a terror who shouts instead of uses a regular voice. Nate pulls pranks, especially on the gullible Brad. Cyn is the only girl who spends more time with the family down the street than with her own family. And Grandma, is adored by all, and has skin like tissue paper but a grip that is still strong. When a terrible accident happens, everyone has to deal with their "bowl of sadness."

This is a great read aloud. In the beginning of the novel, each chapter stands on its own almost as a story itself. The stories are funny and poignant. The descriptions are terrific:

Teddy was wild in church, wild in school, and especially wild during the holidays. After Christmas, while Josh was still at Good Sam, Teddy started hiding people's presents and unscrewing lights on the tree. He took gobs of tinsel off and made little bird nests that he stuck back onto the tree. One day while Mom and Dad were shopping, Teddy stole baby Jesus from the manger and laughed when no one could find it. See what I'm saying? He stole Jesus and thought it was funny.

I also thought the beginning chapters were choppy. The first has Grandma as a significant character and then it shifts to a sibling and Grandma disappears. The change was abrupt. I think it would have helped if there had been something linking the chapters together in the beginning. Fletcher does tie the baking of stollen or bread to the end of the story but I think some overall theme was needed throughout. The book reminds me of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, but in that story the main character wants to be a scientist and it weaves a thread throughout all the chapters tying it together. Maybe if it had something like that? I'm no expert. What do you think?

There is a death in the story that makes it sad but it is balanced with humor and ways of dealing with grief. Terrific book.

Reading Level 4.9

:-) :-) :-) :-) 4 out of 5 Smileys

Spider Boy by Ralph Fletcher

Spider Boy is the new kid in school. He hates it. He'd rather spend time with his pet tarantula than make friends. When his science teacher pairs him with another girl in class he is forced to communicate with others. While 7th grader Bobby likes being with her, he is bothered by the fact she likes Chick Hall, a boy who has been bullying him since day 1. When Bobby catches Chick cheating on a test things escalate in a dramatic climax.

Great pacing, plot, and characters. I loved how this book incorporated nonfiction elements with fiction elements. I kept thinking of students I should recommend it too and how I had never read a book quite like it. Fletcher uses facts about spiders in each chapter as a way of explaining what is happening to the character. At first they are just facts, but as the story proceeds more personal information is sprinkled in with the facts while relating to what is happening to Bobby. For instance, when Lucky kisses him the facts are about spiders mating and when Chick attacks him the facts are about spiders predators and Bobby says how he feels about it. The bully, Chick Hall, isn't one dimensional and Lucky tries to explain that she likes Chick because he isn't boring. She doesn't acknowledge or recognize his mean streak.

Great complexity of characters and situations.

Reading Level 4.4

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 out of 5 Smileys

Uncle Daddy by Ralph Fletcher

River's Dad, Nelson, split from the family when he was 3 years old. He went to get pizza and, poof, he was gone. No goodbyes. No explanation. Just gone. River's mom's uncle moves in with them and provides Rivers with the love of a surrogate father. Rivers is now 9 years old and finishing 4th grade. All is well until his father shows up unannounced at the front door at River's birthday party.  Everyone is angry and life gets turned upside down as they try to deal with the long lost father who wants to come home.

This book begins by painting a picture of a loving uncle and happy boy before the tension of dad coming home shatters their calm world. Rivers is a stable, kind boy who invites the entire class to his birthday party and is willing to spend time with an annoying boy in his class, Ethan. This book is a quick read and the father explains that he was away for so long because he became addicted to drugs. I really liked the plot and how the conflicts were handled, but I had issues with some of the minor characters. I wanted to get to know Taylor more and I thought Ethan was mentally handicapped in the beginning and that was why River was being so kind to him. Then I wondered if he was ADHD, but that wasn't the case either. In the end, I just got annoyed with Ethan. I enjoyed how Uncle Daddy would say, "I'm going to cloud up and rain all over you." Wonderful images and word choices. Fun read.

This would be a good read aloud with plenty of heavy topics to discuss.

Reading Level 4.2

:-) :-) :-) 3.5 out of 5 Smileys

Melissa Parkington's Beautiful, Beautiful Hair by Pat Brisson

On the outside, Melissa Parkington has gorgeous hair. Everyone comments on it. Her dad even sings to her, Good night, my Melissa of the beautiful, beautiful hair.

At first she feels special, but she realizes her appearance isn't important. She really wants to be known for something special she does on the inside; something she is really good at doing. She makes a list and tries basketball. A neighbor, younger than her, comes over and she teaches him how to play the game. They play after school and he improves but she doesn't. She realizes that she'll never be special in basketball so she looks at the second item on her list which is to paint something good enough to be in a museum. While painting a tree in her backyard, a younger girl  comes over and asks her to paint pictures for her of all different kinds of animals. Melissa realizes that she won't be good at painting either. A Mom comes over and thanks Melissa for being so kind to her children teaching her boy to play basketball and painting pictures for her daughter.

Melissa has a brainstorm and decides she will be a kind person! She shows kindness to her classmates, her family, and when she is walking home with her mother she passes a beauty parlor that has a sign asking people to donate hair for wigs to be made for children with no hair. Melissa decides to get her hair cut off. Her father wisely sings to her the night after her brave act, Good night my Melissa of the beautiful, beautiful heart.

Reading Level 3.4

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 Smileys

Mudshark by Gary Paulsen

Mudshark  can remember nearly everything. Lose something at school?

Ask Mudshark. He'll know where it is.

Even adults ask for his help. When the Librarian buys a parrot, it too has great locating skills, and Mudshark's stream of followers start to seek help from the Parrot.

Except for... the Principal.

He asks for Mudshark's help in locating the school's missing erasers and when Mudshark finds them he has to decide whether or not to turn in the culprit. Find out how he gets out of his dilemma and takes care of the Parrot at the same time.

This book is a quick read at 83 pages.  Many of the characters are extreme in their behavior which makes the situations funny. One boy can't find his shoe because he'd been hit in the head so many times from the sport, Death Ball. Mudshark knows exactly where it is. The Librarian doesn't know that the armadillo she bought was a purse. It sits in a cage until Mudshark tells her what it is. The Principal keeps asking for the erasers to be returned when giving announcements. Eventually they all disappear and he seeks out Mudshark's help in finding them.

I couldn't pinpoint the humor - at first it seemed like slapstick, then I thought it was adultlike, in other places it was clever, and at other times I thought it was dumb. The vocabulary is high in this book and there isn't much action. The characters are interesting and the adults are dumber than doorknobs. Readers will vary in how funny they find the story.

Reading Level 6.3

:-) :-) :-) 3 out of 5 Smileys

The Stories Julian Tells

This book has "disappeared" twice in my four years as librarian at this school. That's unusual in itself, but when the illustration on the cover is ugly and it still "disappears" then I know I have to read it.

The Stories Julian Tells, by Ann Cameron, is 20 years old and while it has a forgettable cover, it is a gem inside with terrific writing, characterizations, and plot.

Julian and his younger brother, Huey, get in trouble with their dad when they eat most of the pudding the three have made for their mom. After, the boys, along with their dad, order plants from a catalog for their garden. When Huey asks Julian what a catalog is, Julian makes up a story about invisible cats that live in them and who are released when the catalog is opened. I love the twist in this story and how the dad reacts to the boys fighting. I won't give it away. Next, they plant the garden. In a hilarious chapter, Julian wants to grow so he eats the leaves of a fig tree in the garden. His dad can't understand why the tree won't grow. The chapter on pulling teeth brought back memories for me and the last chapter ends with Julian making a new friend.

The book reminds me of early readers with episodic chapters that all tie together as a whole. There is repetition of vocabulary that is higher than early readers and some wonderful descriptions such as pudding that tastes like a "raft of lemons." This is a great story for readers who are just starting to read longer chapter books.

The parents in the book are presented as caring and loving but some readers might not recognize in the first chapter that Julian's Dad is a loving and caring parent. He might come across as harsh. For instance, when he's ordering the boys around to make the pudding I read it as playing a game to make cooking fun, but it could also be interpreted as shouting: "Stand back!... Pick up those seeds, Huey!... Sugar, Julian!... Wipe that up Huey!... p. 3) Julian describes how the boys love Dad when he laughs but he has wild black hair and when he is angry they "shiver to the bottom of our shoes" p. 2. This characterization is why the first chapter might leave some wondering about dad; he sounds wild and unpredictable when he's angry. However, that is not the case. In the following chapters it is evident that he is a loving, sensitive father.

A wonderful book that can be read over and over again. I just have to figure out how to keep it in the library. Scribes during ancient times would put curses on or in books and chain the books to podiums. I'll have to check into it ; )

Reading Level 3.5

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 out of 5 Smileys

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth

Ever have one of those days where everything seems to go wrong?

Meet Ry.

He's had one of those days. And while this is a realistic fiction book, you have to suspend your belief in reality because the things that go wrong with Ry are unbelieveable in the book, As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth, by Newbery medal winner, Lynn Rae Perkins.

So what goes wrong? 

Ry gets off a stalled train to make a cellphone call when the train takes off leaving him stranded in the middle of Montana with no food or water. He hikes to a town and along the way loses a shoe, gets a bloody nose, and a black eye. He tries calling people with the phone but no one answers. His parents are on a trip and his grandpa is taking care of him.

In town, Ry meets a nice and stubborn man named Del who decides to help him by driving him to Wisconsin to find Grandpa. Ry calls Del the "ninja cowboy fix-it man" who can repair and build just about anything. Their adventures and castrophes continue like a steam engine on full power as they become friends on their unlikely road trip.

The character descriptions in this book are fantastic. The thoughts of Ry are funny and the prose beautiful:

Ry found himself looking at the tattos on Pete's arms. There were two, one per arm.

A colorful dragon was entwined like a magnificent 2-D pet around one arm. The tip of its tail pointed at Pete's shoulder. It breathed orange and yellow flames onto his wrist. On the other arm was a coiled snake and the words DON'T TREAD ON ME. Or was it - wait - there was a t missing. Whoever had done the tattoo had left out the second "t." It would be an easy mistake to make, you might be doing one t and your mind would go on to the next letter. The words on the scroll said, DON'T READ ON ME. (p 54)

I thought the plot was messy and Lloyd's story took away from the main story (even if it was written well - I love the description of Lloyd drinking coffee on the porch.) I also got exhausted by the descriptive prose. The author has so many beautiful sentences piled on top of each other that capture the essence of the passage it slows down the reading and the pacing. For a hyperactive person like myself , it was hard for me to stick with the story when reading the slow passages - I started to skim. I probably should have put the book down and picked it up rather than read it in two sittings. I might have enjoyed it more if I had savored it slowly. Or not. I might still have been impatient for the resolution.

The book has two near death experiences for Ry, but he is such an easy-going traveler and doesn't panic that they aren't presented in a frightening way. Also, the vocabulary is going to be high for a 5th grader. To wrap up, the characters are quirky and the descriptions are beautiful but the plot was unsatisfying for me in this book.

:-) :-) :-) 3 Smileys

Elegance of a Hedgehog

This story reminded of when I went to the play "Endgame" by Samuel Beckett where Nagg and Nell sit in a garbage can arguing and unhappy. Their unhappiness was supposed to be funny but I didn't get the humor. Same with this book.

Renee and Paloma live in a building with wealthy people. Both are brilliant and comment on what snobs everyone is around them. I think they were supposed to be funny but they came across as preachy, whiny, self-righteous characters. For instance, when Renee meets the Japanese man in the building they both flinch when a woman (who should know better being of high class) uses the word, bring, in a sentence incorrectly. Renee goes on and on about how the tenants don't use their commas properly or have split infinitives.  Later, the author softens the snobby tone regarding language and has Renee and Paloma discuss how they love language but it is too late after reading 300 pages of them putting down everyone around them. A story develops after they meet a Japanese man and there are less interior monologues. It was enough of a story to keep me turning the pages. The two characters do change at the end of the story.  

I disliked the voices of the main characters and Paloma is 12 years old but sounds too much like Renee. The beginning is about philosophy and reads like a bunch of essays not like the plot to a story.  The Japanese man is sterotypical - he's a "mysterious" Asian man.

If you like philosophy and pondering questions such as the meaning of life, beauty and Art you might love sections of this book. For me it was an endless merry-go-round where I kept wondering if the author would ever get to the point. 

:-) :-) 2 Smileys

Mockingbird

Caitlin sees the world in black and white. It's less confusing. Color muddies thoughts and people. Devon, her brother, understands her best. He helps 5th grader Caitlin, who has Asperger's syndrome, make sense of a confusing world. When Caitlin's brother dies in a school shooting, she has to figure out the world without him. Caitlin's mom is dead and her father is overwhelmed with grief. Having Asperger makes it difficult for Caitlin to express her feelings. She has to study a book of expressions or look on an expression chart to describe how she is feeling. Caitlin gets help from the school counselor and her newfound friend Michael.   The community and Caitlin try to find closure surrounding the senseless deaths from the shooting at the school.

The title is based on the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. The movie was Devon and Caitlin's favorite and he called her, Scout. The word, scout, symbolizes many things in the book from Devon's eagle scout to Caitlin scouting for words; particularly the word, closure.

The book is a tear jerker but because of Caitlin's blunt explanation of events that have little emotion, it takes away some of the intensity. All the same, there are some teary spots in the plot. Some might be confused with the dialogue that is in italics. It isn't always clear when Caitlin is speaking or thinking.

Reading Level 4.1

:-) :-) :-) :-) 4.75 Smileys.

Touch Blue

"Touch blue and your wish will come true."

Tess Brooks believes in luck. She stands on the pier waiting for her new foster brother, Aaron, to step off the ferry at Bethsaida island thinking about luck. Luck that Aaron will like her family. Luck that school won't be closed. But then she spots Aaron and his red hair that shines out of the crowd like a beacon. Her heart sags; everyone knows it's unlucky to ride a boat with a red-head.

This is the setup for the story where Aaron has to learn to live with his third foster family. He distrusts them when he hears that the islanders have taken on several foster kids to increase their numbers which will save the island's school from closing. Eben, the bully, blurts out this truth to Aaron in a malicious and mean-spirited way. When Aaron threatens to run away and find his birth Mom, Tess concocts a plan to get her to the island to hear Aaron play his trumpet in a talent show.

The writing in this novel is beautiful and succinct, drawing the senses into what it smells and feels like living in a fishing village on an island. The author does a marvelous job creating the setting.

The color blue symbolizes luck and freedom. Tess discovers that it isn't luck but letting others choose their destiny and giving them the freedom to do so is what matters. Aaron has no freedom and has been manipulated by the state and foster families since he was a young boy. No one seems to be working in his best interests and he is like the blue lobster that Tess has caught that swims in circles in the bucket searching for a way out that doesn't exist. His life has been a series of unlucky circumstances. He has to learn how to find happiness within. Just like Tess does. Tess figures this out at the climax when she tells Aaron  to be happy and to stay on the island only because he wants to and not to save the school. She also learns that even though she is disappointed with her best friend, Amy, who has not written much since moving off the island to the mainland, it doesn't mean that Tess can't write to her.

This story is rich and multi-layered. The use of music ties in with the theme as well as references to the main characters in The Great Gilly Hopkins and Anne of Green Gables. A fantastic book! Based on a true story, you can follow the links on the discussion guide.

Reading Level 3.6

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 Smileys

Because of Mr. Terupt

This book is written from 6 different points of view. Mr. Terupt is a new teacher who tries to get his students to be responsible for their actions. The students like his class and method of teaching but when one prankster causes a serious injury, the students have to rethink about their behaviors and the consequences of how they treat others.

The chapters are short and the book is a quick read. Some of the characters are likeable and others are not. These fifth grade students have to learn how to stand up for themselves and know the effects of good or bad choices on themselves and those around them.

Several chapters in a row end with the kids saying how great Mr. Terupt is as a teacher. I found it annoying. For instance, on page 19 Anna ends the chapter with: "He wasn't going to let me hide all year. This made me nervous, but it turned out to be a good thing in the end." The next chapter ends with Peter saying, "Man, things were just so much fun with Mr. T." The following chapter has Luke saying "I think it was a case of Mr. Terupt being a special teacher."

This happens over the course of six pages and I'm beginning to feel like someone is hitting me over the head with the book shouting, "Do you get it? We love Mr. Terupt!"

 Just show me, don't tell me.

The author stops doing this and the drama surrounding the story picks up. The book was enjoyable and deals with issues of students being new, teased, bullied, and ostracized.

Reading Level 4.6

:-) :-) :-) 3.5 Smileys

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

My best friend and I set off on our bikes determined to go further than we ever had before. The wind whipped my hair off my face and nervousness, joy and excitement rippled through me like heat waves off the asphalt. We were having a blast.

Until we got lost.

That wasn't so much fun.

Jeremy Fink in the book, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass, is the opposite of me. He likes comfort so much he won't even eat anything other than peanut butter sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. It is hard for Jeremy to be adventurous until the day he gets a box from his now-dead father that has the words engraved in it: The meaning of life: for Jeremy Fink to open on his 13th birthday. The box is missing 4 keys to open it and Jeremy goes on a quest to find them with his best friend Lizzy.

Lizzy is like a sister to Jeremy. Her mother left when she was a baby and Jeremy's family is like her adopted family. Lizzy has issues with stealing items when her hands "get itchy." She doesn't like to sit for long because she doesn't want to think deeply about things. When she has to start using her brain she steals stuff and starts to run.

Lizzy's stealing doesn't make sense in the beginning and I remember reading it and asking myself, "Huh? Why would she do that?" I also thought Jeremy was weird just eating peanut butter sandwiches. I thought his Mom only made him that as a meal but Jeremy wouldn't eat anything else.  I remember thinking these are two strange kids but their actions become clear at the end of the story.

Jeremy's Dad leaves the two of them a wonderful message in the box. You'll have to read the book to discover what it is!

Scholastic book trailer video

Reading Level 5.0

:-) :-) :-) 3.75  Smileys

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

Violet Raines not only got struck by lightning she emitted raging electrical bolts at all the people who knew her.

Honestly, Violet is not a very likeable kid.

She is jealous of her best friends new friendship with the girl who has moved into town, but they are so nasty and rude to each other I'm amazed they eventually become friends. This story captures being 13-years-old too well and it is all the ugliness of girls being catty, jealous, and immature. Violet and her best friend, Lottie, have problems when Melissa moves into town. Melissa becomes friends with Lottie and they have makeovers, watch soap operas, and read magazines. Violet gets jealous and mad because she doesn't want her friendship with Lottie to change. Violet and Melissa swap insults every time they are together. Violet shows kindness to Lottie's younger sister but it is too little and doesn't balance out the snottiness of the girls attitudes toward each other.

The writing is quite beautiful. The author's descriptions and the unique voice of Violet are clear and well-done. Violet is manipulating her mom in this passage: "'Now why you asking me that?' I make the exact opposite of a smile. Some people think that's a frown, but they're wrong. The exact opposite of a smile is an I-don't-care face, like I make now. 'Just wondered.' I take a bite out my cupcake. It works, 'cause she looks past me and I can tell she's looking through the memories in her head. Her face gets all soft and, for a moment, she looks young."

While the writing is great, the characters are not.   

Scholastic book trailer video

:-) :-) 2.5 Smileys