MAY 27, 2011
The Ink Drinker by Eric Sanvosin
A boy who hates reading. A father who owns a bookstore and is obsessed with books. A mysterious stranger who drinks the words right out the books. The boy follows the stranger out of the store, and ends up in the cemetary. The stranger leads the boy to his crypt. The stranger is not a man, but a vampire! A vampire who drinks ink, instead of blood. The boy gets bitten, or does he? Read the story to find out more! Recommended for students in grades 2-3, although older students may have a better grasp of the vocabulary. This would be a good choice for a short, spooky story.
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MAY 20, 2011
The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacque Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
In this colorful picture book biography, the reader learns of the life of famed ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau. As a young boy, Jacques was sickly, and was encouraged to swim in the Mediterranean Sea as a means of healing. Jacques loved to feel like a fish as he swam. Upon receiving goggles from a friend, a whole new world was opened up to
Jacques. Jacques like to stay underwater for a long time, but would have to come up for air.
With help from his friend, Emile Gagnon, the water lung was born. Jacques was able to into the deep depths of the ocean with help from the water lung and to observe more of the seas secrets. Jacques was an Award winning filmmaker, a researcher, an author and star of his own television show,
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.This biography brings energy and colorful tidbits to this quiet man. The simple text, is incorporated with quotes from Cousteau, and the illustrations are sure to delight readers. A timeline of Jacques Cousteau's life, and a bibliography of resources is included. Recommended for grades K-4.
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MAY 20, 2011
Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen
The author accurately depicts the characters of three 12-year-old boys trying to add excitement, adventure and mystery into their otherwise boring lives. Each “project” dreamed up by Henry (the self-assured, cocky kid) usually winds up with reluctant Reed (the scared, nervous kid) harboring a lingering odor, while Riley (the smart kid) documents all the details. The boys try their hand at record-breaking stunts, science experiments, and solving a mystery involving a murdered family in a haunted house, among other crazy schemes they think will impress girls after the results are revealed to the public. The author’s storytelling skills will keep readers laughing. Highly recommended for boys and reluctant readers in grades 4-7 who enjoy humorous stories. This has a disceptively high reading level.
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MAY 20, 2011
Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
When 10-year-old orphan Florence is suddenly summoned by her Great Uncle to live at Crutchfield Hall, she is hoping that her life will be more satisfying that it has been with the crotchety Miss Medleycoate at the Home for Orphan Girls. She also hopes she and her cousin James will become good friends, but when she arrives she learns that James has been bedridden for most of the year since his sister Sophia was killed, and her Great Aunt Eugenie forbids her from disturbing him. Very quickly, Florence realizes that Sophia’s ghost is “here, there, and everywhere”, watching, waiting, and scheming to kill her brother whom she believes is the one who was supposed to die instead of her. Recommended for readers in grades 4-6 who enjoy creepy ghost stories.
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MAY 16, 2011
Everything On a Waffle by Polly Horvath
11 year old Primrose Squab is an orphan. At least, the town of Coal Harbor thinks so, since Primrose’s parents never returned after the big storm at sea. Primrose believes that they are still alive and that they will return to her someday.
During this time, Primrose has several guardians, from the moth-ball smelling Miss Perfidy who is earning $3.00 an hour to watch Primrose, to likeable Uncle Jack, a developer, to Bert and Evie, Primrose’s foster parents. Other adults who think they are serving Primrose’s best interests include Miss Honeycutt, the school guidance counselor, and Ms. Bowzer, the owner of The Girl on the Red Swing, where everything is served on a waffle. Primrose can often see through Miss Honeycutt’s ploys, and Ms. Bowzer, is really the only adult to take her seriously. Primrose carries around a notebook with her mother’s recipes in it, and asks Ms. Bowzer’s advice for cooking tips. In-between Primrose’s narration, recipes are included in many of the chapters.
This Newbery Honor winning story is full of humorous incidents, fun and quirky characters, and hope. Recommended for grades 4-7.
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MAY 12, 2011
Football Genius by Tim Green
Former NFL star, now sports reporter and author, Tim Green, shares with readers his extensive knowledge of the game in this novel set near the Falcons' football stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Twelve-year-old Troy White is frustrated and somewhat jealous, as week after week the coach's son does an inept job of leading his junior high team - fueling Troy's resentment toward the absent father whom he has never known. When his mom lands a job in the Falcons' public relations department, he sees an opportunity to share another of his talents with his favorite pro team. Somewhat unbelievably he is able to mentally compute developing plays thus being able to predict future effective defensive action. Although his talent isn't immediately used by either his team or the Falcons, many fortuitous happenings combine to lead to a satisfying conclusion for Troy, his mom, and the Falcons. Abundant well-described sports action will make this a winner with anyone devoted to gridiron strategy.
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MAY 10, 2011
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming
This is a fantastic biography of Abraham and Mary Lincoln using a scrapbook format, allowing equal time and treatment for each person. Unlike many books on President Lincoln, this one doesn't concentrate on the Civil War as much as it discusses the relationship between the poor and uneducated man and his refined and highly educated wife, and what was happening behind-the-scenes in their daily lives.
Fascinating photos, newpaper articles, handwritten notes, quotes, letters, cartoons, and other odd tidpits (poems written by Abraham and a sketch of Abraham's feet sent to a bootmaker, for example) make up the captivating content. I loved that none of the tidbits throughout the book were longer than a page. A reader can pick up this book and start reading from any point, bouncing back and forth through the pages. It also
includes websites, bibliography for further reading, index, and an extensive notes section in the back of the book for those wishing for more information. If you enjoy this format, the author has written other biographies that are equally as entrancing. Highly recommended for readers in grades 5 and up.
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MAY 3, 2011
Magic Kitten: A Summer Spell by Sue Bentley
Lisa has to spend a week in the county with her Aunt Rose. It is school vacation week, and Aunt Rose has no television and no microwave, and Lisa feels that she is going to be SO BORED being stuck in the countryside, while her parents go off to America.
To her surprise, Lisa meets a magic kitten, Flame, who is really a white lion prince, on the run from his uncle. Flame helps Lisa to make friends with a local boy, John Wood, and his great-grandmother, Violet, a gypsy. Flame has magic powers that can make Lisa invisible. Lisa has numerous adventures such as fishing for the first time, and helping to capture thieves who have been poaching deer in the woods.
An enjoyable read, I can see why all of the third grade girls keep clamoring for these books.
A Summer Spell is the first book in The Magic Kitten series. Animals and magic always make a good combination. Recommended for grades 2-4.
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MAY 3, 2011
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
7th grader Milo Cruikshank is nervous about start Junior High, his third school in the past two and half years. He is also living in another new home. Some of his homes weren't too bad, but the worst were "the apartment with endless stairs," where he had to share a room with his sister,"stink house," where there was a mysterious smell, and the house of fog. Milo doesn't like to remember the house of fog, because that is where his mom got sick and died of brain cancer. Junior High gets off to an okay start for Milo, other than the fact that he sneezes on the head of the most popular girl in school, Summer Goodman. She barely notices Milo. Despite being such a geek, Milo does manage to make some good friends, Marshall and Hillary. Milo also befriends his elderly neighbor, Sylvia Poole.
All of these friends help Milo to overcome his overwhelming sense of loss at the death of his mother. They help him to see that is okay to mourn, to cry, to remember his mom through photographs, a special blanket, and plants. This also helps Milo to reach out to his dad and his sister, who have also been in a fog since the death of Milo's mom.
At times comical and laugh out loud funny, other times very poignant and touching, this a great story for anyone who has suffered the loss of a parent or a beloved caregiver.
Written and illustrated similar to that of "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid," series, this book is so much more. Milo is a loveable character who will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. Recommended for grades 5-8.
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MAY 2, 2011
A Long Walk to Water: A Novel by Linda Sue Park
A most creative approach to a book based on a true story is written by Newbery Medalist writer Linda Sue Park . Parallel stories, captivating dual narratives, are running in each chapter. One story takes place in Southern Sudan in 1985 when a young boy, Salva, eleven years of age has to flee his war torn village being separated from family and everyone he knows. He is on foot and travels many miles to Ethiopia and then to Kenya over several years to find safety in a camp for orphans. Eventually, he has an opportunity to come to America. He has to learn a new way of life, language, and customs. His heart is for the people of his country of origin. He does get to visit Sudan as an adult and sees the need for clean drinking water. That was a problem for him as he walked through several countries in Africa as a boy. He remembers being so sick from drinking impure water. With support funding he raises money to go to Africa and dig wells for various villages.
In the second narrative a young girl, Nya, in Southern Sudan in 2008 is walking 8 hours a day to a pond to gather and carry water back to her family within the village in 2 trips daily. Nya dreams of going to school but the chances do not look favorable. Her main job for the family to survive is getting water each day. Finally some strangers come and they are digging for a long time. One special day water is found and a well dug for the village. Also, a school is built and she and the other children now may attend to get the education they only dreamed of in their daily routine. I am stopping short of the wonderful ending in this book. You must read this book and see how the two stories come together. This may be my favorite book of the year! I highly recommend this book for all ages. It is most suitable reading for those in grades 3-6.
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MAY 2, 2011
Field Trip to Niagara Falls by Geronimo Stilton
After a class bully steals his glasses, and embarrassed to admit to pretty teacher Miss Angel Paws that he can’t see her field trip location idea written on the blackboard, Geronimo Stilton finds himself offering to accompany his nephew’s class to Niagara Falls. Panicked when he learns they will be camping outdoors during the trip (something he knows nothing about) he relies on timely phone calls to his sister Thea for instructions on how to set up tents, start a campfire, and other necessary information.
Visually, the Geronimo Stilton series uses large colored text and numerous illustrations throughout. Pages are inserted with relevant factual information, (this particular title includes many interesting facts about camping and Niagara Falls), and often a map of some sort is included. A great series for children in grades 2-4.
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MAY 2, 2011
Nora and the Texas Terror by Judy Cox
Everything is going great for Nora until she finds out that her Aunt Becca, Uncle Chad and cousins, Ryan and Ellie, from Texas are coming not for a visit but to live with her family in Portland, Oregon for a time. Uncle Chad lost his job and the family had to leave their home. They needed their family's support for a time. Nora's Mom and Dad and baby sister, Kimmy, are all excited about family coming and a chance to help. Nora has reservations. Nora is very concerned when she learns that she and Ellie have to share her bedroom. That became a real adjustment. Then Ellie is enrolled in Nora's school and ends up in Nora's class. The comical adjustments are all too life like. The cousins have to work on a homework assignment of a family tree that helps the girls understand one another a little more and discover a special tie that binds them. This story not only is realistic in its approach to two families living in one house but addresses some of the economical issues that families have recently faced in job and home loss. It is most appropriately written for those in grades 1-3.
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