Review: The Losers Club

The Losers Club by Andrew Clements
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this ARC at the Texas Librarian conference. Andrew Clements is one of my favorite authors and it was a joy to get to hear him speak and meet him briefly. I should start by saying I have never read a book by Clements that I have not liked.... some I like better than others, but I like them all. This one, which is newly released, ranks in the top five!

Way back when, Frindle, Clements first chapter book was a Bluebonnet nominee, I loved it so much I bought one for every teacher at the school and encouraged them all to read it aloud to their classes.... Most did. That book was special... I am a lover of words and it was a celebration of words. This book has a headline: What Frindle does for language, The Losers Club does for reading. I could not agree more.

The main character in this book is a READER. You know that student, who is reading a book all the time.... I am still that kind of person. My mother would take books away from me as punishment, and in a lot of ways that is happening to Alec.. He starts a club called the losers club so no one will join and he can sit and read for hours.... The book is a joy, and I admit I stopped reading in the middle in order to read a short story it talked about... I was not disappointed. The book contains a list of all the books mentioned in the book, which I think is a great way to get children reading books that they might not have considered. I will be reading some of the books listed that I have not read. I especially loved the sharing of books between the members of the club, I think as readers we want others to read the books we enjoy.

I am excited to share this book with teachers this school year, hopefully it will be a read aloud for many of them...

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Review: Marigold Bakes a Cake

Marigold Bakes a Cake by Mike Malbrough
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was introduced to this book in a roundabout way. The author/illustrator is the son-in-law of a friend of my uncle's. My uncle bought it and I read it. And I will be buying it myself as soon as possible.
Such a fun book! It is a great read aloud. As a librarian, I am always looking for books I can use with classes and when I am reading a book and start hearing it in different voices I could use to read it aloud I get excited.
Marigold is a very persnickety kitty. He likes things just so. On baking days, he is alone. "No distractions. No exceptions" On this baking day others are not following the rules and it makes for chaos.

Such a fun fabulous book! I am recommending it to all the primary teachers at my school. This book could be the focus for so many lessons. Idioms, alliteration, rhyming, and word play, to name only a few. And what fun could be had making predictions as this book is read... I can't say enough great things about this book.

Oh how I hope that the author decides to let Marigold have many more adventures! Think of the great big world just waiting to annoy him!

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Review: A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do not even know where to begin in reviewing this book.
The book follows a man named Alexander through the years that he is under house arrest at the Metropol Hotel for being an aristocrat during the time of the Russian Revolution. From the very beginning I loved this charming man. He might be guilty of being self-absorbed, but he is a man who loves deeply, and is extremely loyal to those he calls friend. Because of this he inspires the same loyalty in others.
I guess the greatest compliment that I can give this book, is that as I was reading I was wishing that my borrowed copy was my own so that I could highlight and tag the many passages that grabbed me. In sitting down to write this review I wanted to be able to look back and insert quotations that I loved, yet since I could not mark the book and had no post-its on my vacation I find it very difficult to find them now. I can assure you that a copy of this book will be purchased and it will be reread so that I can find those passages again and many more and mark and tag to my heart's content.
I believe it is a mark of a great book, that when you finish, you miss the character as if he was a friend or loved one that no longer walked this plane. I find myself missing Sasha and his quirky family and feeling homesick for the Metropol.
When I was in high school the mother of a friend of mine told me that once a year she takes off a day from her family and rereads her favorite book. It isn't something I have thought about much since then. I reread books often, but setting aside a day to reread one particular book is not something I have ever done. I can see that happening with this book, taking a day to visit with Sasha and the family he makes.

And if the ending is not as satisfying as I might have liked it to be, at least I can enjoy the ambiguous nature of the ending to imagine it with the ending I want it to be.

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Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is beautiful....
The language of the book flows and flits like the paper birds in the story. I almost wish I was still in the classroom so that I could teach this book. There is so much emotion that is invoked with the flow and pattern of the words. This book is not written as a poem, but nevertheless that is what it is.

At times I read this book quite slowly, because the language and flow of words demanded it. The weight and sorrow of the story lumbered my reading. As the book raced and tumbled toward the climax the flow of the words increased and my speed of reading increased.
What beauty and grasp of language this author has.... This book should be read in creative writing courses everywhere with every age.
Now that I have waxed poetic about the book's style I shall try to write about the story without giving anything away.
This is a beautiful fantasy novel. The story is unique, and yet is as old as time. It contains so many elements of fairy tales we have heard throughout our lives but it twists those same elements into a new and wondrous novel. I feel drunk from this book and fear I will not be able to read anything for a day or two just to let this book settle into my bones.
.... I am going to go order everything this author has written.

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Review: Payback

Payback by Gordon Korman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this trilogy. It was a thrill ride to the very end... It was satisfying. I don't want to say anything though, which makes it impossible to write about.
I want someone to read it so that I can talk and discuss the books. Honestly I want more. I don't want it to be the end of the books. Maybe that is part of my problem, it is over and I am a little sad...

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Review: Payback

Payback by Gordon Korman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this trilogy. It was a thrill ride to the very end... It was satisfying. I don't want to say anything though. Which makes it impossible to write about.
I want someone to read it so that I can talk and discuss the books. Honestly I want more. I don't want it to be the end of the books. Maybe that is part of my problem, it is over and I am a little sad...

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Review: Criminal Destiny

Criminal Destiny by Gordon Korman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a trilogy that I am VERY happy I did not discover until the final book of the trilogy was released. I just finished book two and while it wasn't as severe of a cliffhanger, it definitely left in the middle of the action.

It is very difficult to review a book when you do not want to give ANY of the plot away, but I will attempt to do so. This book, as the one before it, is a thrill ride to say the least. I feel the adrenaline pumping as my heart is beating out of my chest. I am right there with the characters, sitting on the edge of my seat. I can't stop reading, but reading makes me crazy! There are twists and turns and thrill after thrill.

Interestingly, the book really brings some great questions to your mind. I find myself wanting students to read this book, or read it to them to discuss the themes that are found within. Yet this is not some boring book you have to read it is riveting!

Each chapter in this trilogy is in first person from the point of view of one of the characters. You really have to pay attention to the chapter title as it tells you whose head you are invading. Sometimes this causes a little confusion for me and I have to look back at the chapter title to get it straight. This also helps to fully develop the characters, so it is structure that I do not mind.

All in all, an amazing book and I can hardly wait to finish the adventure. I have book three ready to start in the morning. The conclusion to the adventure is at hand.

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Review: Masterminds

Masterminds by Gordon Korman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!
If you have a middle grade student.... run as fast as you can and buy this book, if you love middle grade books, run...

I attended a webinar by the Junior Library Guild about books to read over the summer. The third book of the trilogy was on that list, and of course as every reader knows you have to start at the beginning of any series or trilogy. I ordered the first two books because they were both in paperback.
I devoured this book, The only reason I did not read it in 5 straight hours is because, a) I needed to sleep. and b) it got a little intense a couple of times and I had to put it down.
The premise of the book is the reason I wanted to read it. These children live in a town with no crime whatsoever... then things start to go a little crazy. Honestly I do not want to tell you about any plot points, spoiler or not because experiencing it as they experience it is a rush. I will tell you that it is Pleasantville/ Truman Show/ 1984/ Are you intrigued? You should be.

I will say this, it ends with a cliffhanger and if I did not already have the second book, I would have thrown the book across the room.... That is cruel to a reader. I can hear authors everywhere cackling in delight when they do it to us. It was bad enough I couldn't dive right into the new one because I had to go to work. I will be ordering the third book of the trilogy as soon as I finish this review, I just pray it truly is only a trilogy and I will not end the week in utter devastation at being left with a cliffhanger and no other book in sight.

The book has great adventure, with both girls and boys having a part of the story... There will be no questions of is it a girl book or a boy book.... (although I am always telling them books don't have a gender) It has intrigue and technology and moral questions galore... I am gushing... and rambling, I love this book.

I am ashamed to admit that this is the very first Gordon Korman book I have read... I assure you it won't be the last. I already told my book vendor to add every book of his to my list, hopefully come fall I will have a bunch. Do you think I could convince some teachers to read these books to their classes? I will have to try.

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Summer is here.... Now what do I read?

Summer is such a fabulous time of the year, especially for those of us in education. It is a time to read all those books that have been sitting in our “ to be read” pile.

Just in case you aren't the dork I am with a huge pile of books sitting around waiting to be read, I am going to share some great ideas for summer reading.

Let me start by saying I am not one of those people who laughs out loud while reading... I do not know why some people do and some people do not, but while I might be grinning from ear to ear, I don't laugh out loud..... usually. There is one author in particular that almost always has me laughing out loud. Her name is Janet Evanovich and if you love humorous books and haven't read her get in the car now! Drive to the nearest library or book store and get some books. She started as a romance writer, so if you like romance you can get some of those. Her most well-known books are the Stephanie Plum books. Stephanie is a bounty hunter that isn't very good at her job. She gets into constant mayhem and it is very funny! The books are numbered so you start with One for the Money and go on from there. The earlier books can be hard to find. You really need to start with book one if at all possible and if you can read them in order. She has many reoccurring characters and reading them in order will allow you to meet them and watch the character development. She has a few other series as well, some of them spin-offs of the Plum series. If you do not like a lot of foul language you might not want to read these and if you aren't fond of funny books, you really won't want to read these.

Another author I would recommend is Kristin Hannah I started reading her many years ago and her books always move me. They always have strong female characters who must overcome great obstacles. Her books often make me cry and sometimes make me angry, but you never read one that you don't feel something. She is a bestselling author, so her books are easy to find and hard to put down.

Lately I have been on a non-fiction kick. I have read more non-fiction in the past 10 weeks than in the previous 10 years. An author I would recommend is Steve Sheinkin. I read a novel that had used the Carlisle Indian School as a plot tool and I had never heard of the Carlisle Indian School, which is in Pennsylvania, where I spend my summers. As soon as that book was finished I began researching and I found the book Undefeated, by Steven Sheinkin. He was going to be at my convention and his newest book was about the Carlisle Indian School. I read the book, got it signed, and became a fan of this man's writing. I highly recommend you read one of his books. They read like a novel, but are very thoroughly researched and filled with knowledge. My copy of Undefeated is now on loan to the second friend, and I am sure it won't be the last.

I hope you will check out one or more of these authors! Happy Reading!

Review: Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have so many thoughts running through my head after having finished this book. The first, is that my librarian soul wants to order every book I can find about this woman and read further.

When I was a little more than half way finished, I was somewhat skeptical and slightly annoyed with the Author. She painted this character as someone mistreated and abused by everyone of the time. She was exploited and her civil rights were violated. As I completed the book, I wasn't so sure that I hadn't also treated this woman very unfairly. Unquestionably her civil rights were violated, she was a victim of a time when woman were treated much very differently than men. It is true that she spread typhoid through her work as a cook, but there were many men at the time in the same city who also spread typhoid through cooking and they were not locked up and held prisoner for any time, and she spent the remainder of her life as a prisoner.
This is a very well researched book and I hope that some of my more advanced readers will choose to tackle this book. Approximately half of the actual page count is source material from the author's research. All in all a very interesting read, one I will recommend to others.

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Review: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of football, in fact I am one of those people that think it should be outlawed due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained by so many. Don't even get me started on how I feel about football for children...
However, I wanted to read this book because of my new fascination with the Carlisle Indian School. I would have been thrilled to have even more information about the school, but my knowledge has definitely increased having read this book.

One thing I found interesting was the disparity of living standards between the athletes and the rest of the residents of the school. The school was entirely maintained by the students. Students were required to work in addition to their studies. However, the athletes did not. They had better food, better accommodations, and easier work schedules.... Interesting how some things have been the same since the beginning.
The way these athletes were treated because of their race was astounding and somewhat horrific. Sometimes it is easy to forget that the Political Correctness of our time is a relatively new thing.
The book reads like a novel, you get so involved in the characters that you can forget that these are real people who lived. Most of all this was a book about Jim Thorpe, his drive and his total athleticism that was so astounding. I was fascinated by him and this will not be the last book I read about his life in spite of my distaste for football!

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Review: The Best Man

The Best Man by Richard Peck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book!
The voice is great, you have no trouble believing this is being told by a young person. I am somewhat amused by the fact that an older gentleman can so completely channel the voice of an upper elementary/middle school student so thoroughly!
The characters were wonderful and even minor characters were fleshed out and believable. We all know that one kid who went from the shortest kid in the school to the tallest after a summer growth spurt.
There were so many lines that brought a chuckle and smile, so that even though this isn't a humorous story it will give students a laugh or two.
I am always looking for books that are gentle in their acceptance of the LGBT community. I want it to be just another kind of family. Just a matter of fact part of life. I think this book does that. In many ways it is an LGBT story, but it is also a wonderful story about friendship, family, and growing up. I highly recommend this book to others.

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Review: The Great Shelby Holmes

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This Bluebonnet nominee is a great read. I am a Sherlock Holmes fan and I liked the subtle nods to the books and even the culture of the fandom. It is definitely a reinvention of the stories with Shelby and Watson, but it is those subtle nods that amuse me the most. Such as Shelby's addiction to sugar, and her dog being Sir Arthur. When she gave herself the name Cumberbatch in an undercover situation I had a great chuckle. The humor was often subtle and intelligent. The joy of this book, is that it can be enjoyed on multiple levels. I loved it because of the pop culture references and the Sherlock Holmes parallels, but I can see students loving it just for the quirky character that is Shelby. Sir Arthur the English Bulldog was a funny character and I would like to see more of his personality in future books if there were to be more.
The book also tackles growing up issues such as divorce, making friends and being the new kid. Each touched on without being cloying or over-preachy. Overall it was a very enjoyable read and a great addition to the Bluebonnet list.

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Review: The Last Kids on Earth

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, it took me a long time to complete this book. I had a really hard time getting into it. I think one of the reasons I struggled with it is because it reads like a 13 year old wrote the story, which it should since the book is written in first person and that person is 13!
As I got further into the book though, I was hooked! I read the bulk of the book in a little over an hour. The book is funny! Some of the lines that were little more than throwaway lines cracked me up! My favorite was, "He blinded him with science" Now I have the song running through my head...
This was a great story of friendship and empowerment. These kids are fringe kids. None of them were popular before the end of the world. There is a bully, a science geek, a smart girl, and a foster kid who has been bounced around all his life. Yet these kids are forming a bond and successfully surviving in a post-apocalyptic world! They aren't just surviving they are thriving! I think many kids will see themselves in these characters.
I can't keep this book on the shelf and now I know why.... I guess I will buy a couple more copies.

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Review: Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was wonderful! So often when students read about inventors who do great things it feels so far removed from their own lives. Yet almost every student has seen a super soaker in action. It makes the story of Lonnie Johnson so much more approachable. Learning how he started by taking things apart and making new things was inspiring. I appreciated that the book mentioned a test told him he could not accomplish his dream, but he just ignored it and worked harder. It is inspiring for students who have so many tests that try to influence their self-worth.

This will be a book I will strongly encourage all the student to read for the bluebonnet awards. I might even have to read it to them.

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Review: Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a wonderful book! This is such an amazing book that tells a story that children need to hear. It doesn't matter what your circumstances, you can do great things! The resourcefulness and perseverance of these youth and their community is a great story for all of us. I especially like that the notes in the back include pictures and information about how students and others can get involved. Any time you can continue the learning from a book it is a good thing.
I highly recommend this book, I hope many of my students will read it.

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Review: The Storyteller

The Storyteller by Evan Turk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, and I did not expect to, which made it particularly delightful. I love the tradition of storytelling, and wish it was not an art that has gone out of popularity if not practice. This is such a beautiful story that shows the importance of the telling of stories and oral histories.

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