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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