Back to Reality

We all know I'm not the biggest fan of non-fiction.  It's just not my preferred genre.  And I certainly don't want to read a non-fiction book about the building of the atomic bomb right in the middle of the holiday season.  

For all of these reasons I was dreading reading Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's most Dangerous Weapon.  Even with the librarian's assurances that this was an excellent book, I was sure that I would hate it.  

Instead I found myself unable to put the book down.  It starts with a man named Harry Gold frantically trying to destroy evidence before the FBI agents show up at his door.  I have never been so engaged in a non-fiction book.  I mean, I know how the story ends, but I will admit I was woefully ignorant of the details.  

Sheinkin does an amazing job telling the story of the bomb from all perspectives.  We see what the American's are doing, the Soviets, the Germans and the British. Bomb made me think about all the different aspects related to the Manhattan project-things I had never thought of before.  

 I didn't even think about all the spying that was happening during this time.  Or the mixed emotions all the scientist must have felt.  On the one hand they had made amazing advancements in the areas of physics, on the other hand they felt responsible for the massive destruction and loss of human life caused by the bomb.  

Some may argue that this type of information is not appropriate for middle schoolers but I would argue this is exactly the type of information they should be reading.  As technology continues to expand at baffling rates they need to know the human cost, to see all sides of the issue, to truly understand the horrors of war.  I cannot recommend this book highly enough!  Seriously, I'm buying a couple of copies for my class and passing them out tomorrow.  

Knowing the costs...that's kids stuff.   

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  Here's hoping your tree looks like this.  

Dreams

One of the easiest ways for me to tell if I liked a book (besides the obvious gut reaction) is how quickly I'm able to come up with a post for that book.

It took me a very long time to come up with anything for Jacqueline Woodson's brown girl dreaming.  Now don't get ahead of yourself, this is an excellent book, it was even a national book award winner; however it's poetry which, as you know, is not my favorite thing.

brown girl dreaming is an autobiography of sorts, it is Woodson's story, her life, told in verse.  She has such a unique perspective growing up in South Carolina and Brooklyn, NY during the 60's and 70's.  The most compelling part, for me, was Woodson's struggles in school.  Writing and reading were difficult for her.  To make it even worse her sister is basically a genius, excelling at all areas of school.  Woodson's teachers are excited to see the same name and then she must face their disappointment when they realize she is nothing like her sister.

That is until she finds poems.  Poems are her release.  So it is only fitting that she narrates her own life story in free verse.

I think it was hard for me to write this post because I didn't love this book and I couldn't think of anyone to recommend it to.  Free verse can be beautiful but it can also be difficult to comprehend, especially if you struggle with reading.  The only thing I could think to do is take excerpts and use them to supplement our reading of Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry.  I'm hoping some of the Reading Olympics crew will be able to share their perspective on this book.  Maybe it struck a chord with some of them.

Finding your voice...that's kids stuff.  

Tale as Old as Time

Some stories just stick with you, one of those is the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.  Robin McKinley's Beauty is a retelling of that classic tale.

McKinley's version has all of the things I love about the original-a feisty heroine who loves books more than anything else (I mean really, how could I not like that person).  A romance that develops in the best way possible, distrustful strangers become tentative friends, then comfortable companions and gradually realize they can't live without each other.  And like all my favorite stories there is just a dash of magic.

Unlike the original Beauty doesn't feel that she lives up to her namesake, in fact she feels downright homely. Also Beauty has a much larger family to leave behind in this tale.  The changes just make the story more engaging .  McKinley somehow makes the tale fresh and new while still being old and familiar.

Beauty is the perfect book to read as you sip your coffee or hot coca all cozied up under quilts.  Actually it's the perfect book to read anytime you want to get sucked into a sweet story, but there is something about staying in on a cold day and reading good book-don't you think?

Looking beyond appearance...that's kids stuff  
 

Looks can be Deceiving

I mean really-does that look appealing? 

How many times have we all heard, "don't judge a book by its cover."  Well it shames me to admit it, but I often judge books by their cover.  William Sleator's The Boy who Reversed Himself has, in my opinion, a particularly terrible cover.  It is on this year's Reading Olympic's list so I was going to read it anyway but one glance at the cover made me think, "ugh, this is going to be silly and terrible."

I'm happy to report that I was wrong.  Despite the kiddy cover The Boy who Reversed Himself was actually a really deep read.  Everyone knows that we are three dimensional beings.  But what if there was a fourth dimension?  And what if we could get there? What if her weird neighbor Omar is more than just a weird kid?

When Omar gives Laura her science report-but with all the writing reversed she knows something is up. And she stops at nothing to find out what it is.  I don't want to give any spoilers but lets just say the cover isn't the only thing that's deceiving.

This book is a great introduction to science fiction.  It's complicated enough that it forces you to really think, but it isn't so complicated that younger students can't understand.  This is a great stepping stone to a book like A Wrinkle in Time.

Looking beyond the surface...that's kids stuff.  

Could you do it?

My cousin and his wife live in a log cabin at the edge of the family farm.  They have extensive gardens and grow much of their own food.  They built a greenhouse out of old windows and make their own herbal remedies.  If there ever is a zombie apocalypse I want to be on their team.

Robert C. O'Brien's Z for Zachariah is a true apocalypse story, only in this case it isn't zombies-it's nuclear war.  Everyone has died.  Everyone except for Ann, somehow the valley she lives in is free from radiation.  The rest of the town, including Ann's family, left the valley to see how the rest of the world was (since radios had stopped working), but they never returned.

Ann, just sixteen years old, has survived for over a year completely on her own.  She has a garden, chickens and cows.  Luckily her family were farmers so she knows how to work the land.  Also lucky the store was fully stocked at the time of the attacks so she has enough staple foods to fall back on as well as plenty of clothes, blankets, candles and matches.  It makes you wonder, if you were Ann could you survive?   Could I?

Things start to change when a mysterious man in a strange suit enters the valley.  Ann is torn.  She is desperate for some companionship-it's been years since she has spoken to or even seen another human being.  This is the turning point.  She could talk to the man and her whole future could be better, a companion, a helper, they could repopulate the valley-she would have a partner.   Or...the man is a criminal, an attacker, an enemy.  Her life is lonely but it's working-would he make it worse?

Which way does it go?  You'll just have to read the book to find out. A wonderfully engaging and thought provoking read.  Perfect for anyone who loved The Maze Runner. 

Surviving..that's kids stuff.  

New Favorite

Remember when I said Almost Home was in the running to be my favorite Reading Olympics book?  Well, I was wrong.  My new favorite is Lynda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree.  To quote my students, 'I can't even!"  I can't.  I don't have the words to describe how fantastic this book is.  Ally is a student who doesn't understand why the letters move whenever she looks at them, why reading gives her headaches, and why everyone else seems to get it but she just can't.  School is exhausting and painful and the other students are just plain mean.

That is until there is a new teacher, Mr.Davis.  I have to be honest, I cried reading this book.  Teaching only learning support reading, with students who believe (often incorrectly) that they are bad readers I strive every day to be a Mr. Davis.  I want to shove this book into the hands of every teacher, every person.  You must read this book.

Rather than give you my summary I want to share some of my favorite quotes from the book.  There's a lot so you should probably just stop reading this post here and go read the book yourself. Except for this quote because it's something I try to instill in my students each and every day: "I guess maybe, 'I'm having trouble' is not the same as 'I can't."  

I'll even do my closing line early.

Having grit...that's kids stuff.

"No matter how many times I have prayed and worked and hoped, reading for me is still like trying to make sense of a can of alphabet soup that's been dumped on a plate.  I just don't know how other people do it."

"Most teachers seem to like their students to be all the same-perfect and quiet.  Mr. Daniels actually seems to like that we're different"

"seeing him shuffle away in those sneakers makes me want to be better.  I'm not perfect, but at least I'm not mean."

"I can't help thinking about the girl on the train and how she feels-like she wants to do so much but she's held back, and it makes her feel heavy and angry."

"People act like the words 'slow reader' tell them everything that's inside.  Like I'm a can of soup and they can just read the list of ingredients and know everything about me.   There's lots of stuff about the soup inside that they can't put on the label, like how it smells and tastes and makes you feel warm when you eat it.  There's got to be more to me than just a kid who can't read well."

"but being lonely is never a choice.  It's not about how is with you or not. You can feel lonely when you're alone, but the worst kind of lonely is when you're in a room full of people, but you're alone."

"But what really gets me is that in order for Mr. Daniels to come up with this plan, he must have thought of me outside of school-when he didn't have to think of me.  I bet other teachers have never let me sit in their head one second longer than they had to."

Popular

Fun fact about my, my brain is composed of mostly song lyrics.  So when I see the title The Popularity Papers, I immediately think of the song Popular in the musical Wicked (listen to it here-no seriously it's great). After reading, Amy Ignatow's debut novel, I realized I was right to think of the song.

Both the song and the book focus on making a plan to become popular (side note to any students currently taking my reading class-this is the kind of connections across multiple texts we are trying to do this marking period), and both have the underlying unspoken assumption that being popular is the best thing to be.  The question is, do both of these texts view being popular as the best thing to be by throughout the entirety of the story?  Support your answer with evidence from the texts.    Sorry-got a little too deep into teacher mode there...

The Popularity Papers is a journal written by two fifth graders, Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, who are researching how to become popular so that they can be in the cool crowd by middle school.  I loved the format of this book.  Each girl has a different font so you can easily see who wrote what-I instantly felt drawn back to my own note passing days (which for my current students who are reading just know that they were very limited and never while the teacher was talking).  Ignatow effortlessly captures the friendship shared by two girls who are BFF's.  Not being a boy I have no idea how they would feel about this book, or if they could connect to the two main characters, but it is ridiculous to assume that boys don't face the same popularity pressures and that they wouldn't like this book just because it's about girls.

Besides the handwritten fonts the book is filled with drawings by Julie and Lydia, that compliment whatever they happen to be talking about.  The Popularity Papers addresses real issues head on, but in a lighthearted way.  That being said, this book is just fun.  It's never one that I would use in class, and my 8th grade students may have outgrown it-but for 5th to even some 7th grade students this is a fun, easy, relate-able read. This is also the first book in a series, so if you are looking for enjoyable, stress-free, easy reads (which can often be the best kind of reads) check out the whole series.


Research with your friends...that's kids stuff.  

Just Right

I am a lover of epic fantasies. The big, thick volumes with the crinkled edges-usually part of a series (at least 3 books).  These are books that create a whole new world, one that you get lost in-when you stop reading it takes you a second to remember where you are and what day it is. But these kind of fantasies can be difficult for younger students-especially those who struggle with reading.  The length alone stops many students from even picking up the books.

Another problem is the cast of characters.  For an experienced reader having an enormous amount of characters helps create the depth and richness of the story, but even for me it can get confusing, especially since many characters have similar sounding names (looking at you Game of Thrones). On the opposite end some children's fantasies are too simple.  There's not enough of a story, not enough characters, not enough depth.

Just right is Christopher Paolini's Eragon.  Eragon is just a regular boy living with his uncle (his parents are very mysterious-always a good sign in fantasy), until he finds a mysterious stone in the woods.  Well this is a fantasy, so of course the stone isn't just a stone-it's a dragon egg.  The dragon, named Saphira, hatches for Eragon (which we later learn is a pretty big deal-dragons choose who they hatch for so Eragon must be something special).  Well life can't be normal when you have a dragon so Eragon embarks on a quest to determine his true destiny.

Along the way Eragon meets all kinds of characters (elves, dwarfs, and other humans), enough to show you the depth of the world Paolini has created, but the cast is kept manageable enough, and the names are unique enough, that you can remember who everyone is without having to look back.

Just a heads up, you don't find any answers at the end of Eragon (in fact you'll only find more questions), because this is part of a series.  I will definitely be reading books two and three over winter break.  These are perfect cold weather, read all day by the fire kind of books.

Finding yourself...that's kids stuff.  

It's Just Nice

I love many types of books but I find myself drawn to certain types of books at certain times of the year.  For example, over the summer when my workload is less I find myself craving dense fantasy'-books that create a whole new world with a myriad of characters.  Once the school year starts I find myself searching for more realistic fiction or even non-fiction, books that my students can relate too, books that I could recommend for them.  Now that the holiday season is upon us I find myself looking for books that are nice.  Books with a happy ending, an uncomplicated yet engaging story line, and just a touch of romance. For this reason Little Women is a book I re-read every year over Christmas break.

Gail Carson Levine's Fairest is one of these nice books. This week was book fair week at school and Fairest was on book fair special for just $1.99.  I noticed that Levine had also written Ella Enchanted, a book I remember loving when I was younger, so I decided to buy the book.  I am so glad that I did.

Fairest tells the story of Aza, a girl who is a bit plumper than her sisters and would never be descried as pretty (unfortunately, many call her ugly).  But Aza can sing.  In a kingdom that prizes singing (side note-I want to move to that kingdom immediately) Aza is praised for her voice but as the adopted daughter of humble innkeepers, Aza will never rise.

Or will she?  A Duchess is a frequent visitor to the inn and when her normal companion falls ill Aza must accompany the Duchess to the King's wedding.  There people hear Aza's amazing voice and her life changes dramatically.  Filled with royalty, castles, grand singing's (yes, the whole town gets together to sing songs together-I'm seriously moving there), romance, goblins and ogres Fairest is a delightful read perfect fora  cozy holiday.

Discovering your true beauty...that's kids stuff.  

In the Lead

Some of you may remember that my favorite Reading Olympic's book from last year was Joan Bauer's Hope Was Here. If you're not familiar with that book read my post on it here then go read the book. Seriously go read it.  You won't regret it-then come back and finish this post.

Now that you've all read (and loved) hope was here we can talk about another Joan Bauer book Almost Home.  This is a 2016 Reading Olympics book and it just might be my favorite of this year...I'll let you know once I finish the list.

Almost Home has 3 components that make for an excellent book.  First, a captivating main character.  I love Sugar (and yes that's her real name). She is resilient and insightful, courageous and inspiring.  She never lets life keep her down.  From the very first page I am connected with her and rooting for her.

Second, the book is real.  It doesn't talk down to you and it doesn't shy away from hard subjects, like deadbeat dads and homelessness.  It's authentic and therefore believable.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, there's a puppy.  Shush is just about the cutest sweetest lil' puppy on the planet (don't judge me that's how everyone gets around puppies).  You just have to love him.

I even like the poems that are included in this book-and that's saying something.  Seriously, if you want a great read go get Almost Home.  

Finding your way home...that's kids stuff.  

Having a Moment

I feel lucky to be teaching middle school reading at a time when juvenile literature is really having a moment.  There is a plethora of wonderful stories to choose from and to recommend to students.  I've found that many of my students are really gravitating towards a certain type of story, the one where we are still on our planet but the world has radically changed somehow, things are fine in this society until suddenly they aren't and our young hero or heroine must save the day.

Sound familiar?  Probably, The Hunger Games, The Giver, Divergent, The Selection Series, Uglies (and those are just the ones that came to my head right away, I'm sure I could list more if yo u wanted) all share that basic story line .  But that's GREAT!! Sure these stories share a similar theme but they are all soo different.  It's the kind of story line I see my students getting hooked on and I gotta admit I am right there with them.

D.J MacHale's SYLO is another one of these our young hero must save the day type of stories and I loved it.  Tucker loves living on Pemberwick Island (something I can identify with-faithful readers will note that I have always wanted to live on an island).  Unlike his friends, Tucker would be content to live the rest of his life on the island eventually taking over his fathers gardening business.  All of that changes when the mysterious branch of the Navy, SYLO, comes to the island saying everyone must be quarantined because of a virus.  Tucker goes along at first but things aren't adding up and he decides he has to figure out what's really happening.

Now of course I'm not going to tell you what's happening.  Partly because it's a spoiler and partly because I don't fully know. That's right, SYLO is the first book in a series.  Which is exciting because now I have another book to read but also frustrating because I still don't know who these SYLO people are.

Saving the world...that's kids stuff.  

Beats and Basketball

Let me preface this by saying I am not a big sports person, nor am I a big poetry person.  I want to be upfront about that because my personal bias is definitely going to show through in this post.

Kwame Alexander's The Crossover is the story of twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan. Though they are only in middle school they love to play hoops and their number one goal is taking their team to championships (I'm trying to use sports language-is it working??).  That is it was their number one goal until girls entered the picture.  Then everything changes. That is until their dad starts having health problems.  Then everything changes...again.

The Crossover is written as a collection of raps (which we all know is a fancy hip term for poems).  This made it very difficult for me to get into the story.  I like a narrative to flow and one of the reasons I don't like poems is, for me, poems seem so segmented.  They feel choppy.  I know not everyone feels this way about poems and some people think they flow beautifully.  So if you're that  kind of person this book is for you.

I do; however, like listening to rap (good wrap with clever lyrics, not sloppy repetitive, cheat rhyming rap).  So I wonder if there was an audio book version of this would I like it more?  Probably, it was a good story.  However, I'm still not a sports person so it would still be difficult for me to relate to the main character.  This would be an excellent book for many of my students.

Coming through in the clutch...that's kids stuff.  

Triple Nickles

Tanya Lee Stone's Courage Has no Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles is a beautifully arranged book.  There is a plethora of photographs which seamlessly enhance what she has written.

 Everyone knows I am not the biggest fan of non-fiction, but I didn't know anything about the Triple Nickles so I did appreciate the opportunity to learn something new. If you also don't know-the Triple Nickles are America's first black paratroopers, quite a feat considering most aspects of American life, including the military, were highly segregated with many people still believing that black people were somehow inferior.

Courage Has no Color has a very academic tone.  Though personal stories are told it reads like a history book, not a narrative. The photographs are a wonderful addition, but they don't do enough to keep the interest up.   The story of the Triple Nickles is remarkable, what they did is an amazing achievement and their story should be told as widely and as loudly as possible, but for me this book wasn't the way to do it.  It just seemed dry.

However, I will be the first to admit this is not my favorite genre and I don't read a lot of non-fiction because most of it comes off dry to me.  If you are a fan of non-fiction you will probably love this book and think I am crazy for saying it was dry.  I will be recommending it to many of my students, especially those who have expressed interest in WWII. This book would also be an excellent companion to our reading of Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry.

Overcoming hate...that's kids stuff.  

Unbelievable

In just one of the many small paradoxes of life I am a big fan of history and a very small fan of non-fiction.  But books like Jim Murphy's The Crossing are helping me change my mind about that.  

The Crossing is a brief (I say brief not because it is lacking information but because compared to the thousands of pages that have been devoted to this subject it is brief) description of George Washington's role in the American Revolution.  In other words, it focuses on his role as the general not his role as president.  

The first thing that attracted me to this book, besides the fact that it is on the Reading Olympics list for this year, was its layout.  The book is the size of a typical children's picture book, meaning the pages are bigger.  There are very few pages of just text, and even those don't feel overwhelming thanks to the large font size.  Most pages are a mix of prints from the time, maps, diagrams and words.  I always love when a book includes maps or pictures and in this case all of that extra info that's in the pictures/maps/diagrams/etc really gives you a sense of the time period. 

After reading this book I couldn't help but think, "It really is unbelievable that we managed to win the Revolutionary War."  Here's an example of what I mean.  Washington's men were camped waiting for another attack.  The British General, General Howe, was just waiting for his warships to move into the East River behind the American troops.  If he was able to attack he would most likely destroy all that was left of Washington's army.  But there was a fortunate wind-the wind forced the warship to stay in the bay.  That night a heavy rain started.  Washington knew the attack would come as soon as the wind changed but he also knew his army could not win should the British attack.  

Washington decided to move his army.  They secretly moved the men onto a waiting Ferry and headed to Manhattan Island.  A strong wind almost pushed the boats into view of enemy ships but at the last second the wind changed and secrecy was maintained.  By morning there were still over 1,000 men who needed to take the ferry.  "It would be only seconds before the British realized what was happening and sent swarms of troops to attack the remaining rebels...At about this time, a very dense fog began to rise, and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments...the last remaining troops of the Continental army made their escape."  Unbelievable...fog saved the Continental Army...unbelievable.  

Knowing your history...that's kids stuff. 

What if...

Scott Westerfeld's Uglies is exactly the kind of book for me.  Uglies is set in a futuristic dystopian society (like The Giver, The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc-so if you liked those books this one will be great for you).  Imagine..

What if there was a society where nobody fought?  What if the main divisions between people were all based on the differences in the ways people look (could we argue that's true today).  So what if when people turned 16 they were given surgery to become beautiful?  What if nobody fought because everybody was pretty?

This is the kind of society that Tally lives in.  Just weeks from her 16th birthday she can't wait to become pretty and cross the river from Uglyville into New Pretty Town.  All of her friends have already become pretty and Tally is desperate to join them.  But what if not everyone wants to be pretty?

Tally's new friend Shay has some strange ideas about the whole pretty surgery.  She's not interested in becoming pretty. So she runs away.  Tally can't bring herself to go with her but Shay leaves directions in case Tally should every change her mind.

What if Tally changes her mind? What if she decides to give up being pretty?  What would happen then?

Uglies is a fantastic read-and even better it's part of a series.  And just a heads up Uglies is a cliffhanger so you'll want the next books in the series, Pretties, Specials and Extras.  

Learning what it means to be pretty...that's kids stuff.  

Get all the Books

You know what really stinks?  Books are expensive.  That's a big bummer.  

As a bit (ok maybe a lot) of a book nerd I have a particular fondness for hardcover books with textured edges and slightly thicker paper.  Ahhh I feel happy just thinking about them.  These books are especially expensive-sad face.  

Here's the good news.  Even though the feeling of a physical book is pretty fabulous, the best part of a book is the story.  The real reason I love books is because I love stories.  So it really doesn't matter what the book looks like at all..it doesn't even really matter if it's a book, an electronic version of the same words gives you the same story. 

Confession time:  I really really really dislike e-readers.  It's just a personal preference.  I look to hold a physical book and physically turn the pages.  But the electronic or kindle versions of a book are often cheaper than a physical copy.  Then I found out about bookbub and I came around to the whole e-reader thing.  

Bookbub is service that emails you discounted e-books (kindle) every day.  All you have to do is go here and fill out a little survey.  Then everyday they email you books you may like that are on sale or even free.  Yes you read that right...free!! And you get to keep the book on your tablet or e-reading device-it's not a loan, it's yours to keep.  

So now I check bookbub email every day.  I only get the books that are free and sound interesting.  Now I always have something to read. I'm even getting used to reading on a tablet....but I still prefer a physical book.  

Trying something new...that's kids stuff.

PS.  Your school or local library is also a fabulous place to get books for free!!!   Just make sure you return them when you're done.  

PPS I'm not getting anything from bookbub for posting this. Bookbub is a service I actually use and actually like.  

Short and Sweet

I'd like to use this post to talk about an underrated type of text and that is the short story.   Speaking for myself, this is not really my favorite type of thing to read. If a story is well written then the longer the better is how I feel.  I like to really immerse myself in this world the text is creating and get lost in it for awhile.

But alas not everyone is like me (in case my tone isn't coming through clearly, that's sarcasm-I am immensely grateful that not everyone is like me).  This was made very clear when I introduced our first anchor book, The Outsiders, to my classes this year.  "What!?"  "We will read this in 4 weeks??"  "No way!"  "It's sooo long."  Are just a sampling of the reactions I received.  When we did in fact finish the book in 4 weeks students were amazed.

But it made me wonder, if students are overwhelmed by the length of novels, how can I still get them to read on their own time?  The answer is simple.  The short story.  I would guess that many students stop reading around the middle school level because this is when books start to get long (my best estimate of what a middle-school student would think is long is anything over about 75 pages).  It starts to feel overwhelming.  They can no longer finish a story in one setting and they may not be interested in returning to the same text multiple times.  The obvious exception being you have found the perfect book to peak that students interest.

In the meantime, the short story may be the way to go.  Short stories need to stop being weird quirks of literature found only in English anthologies and start becoming more mainstream.  As I've been on a Roald Dahl kick I just finished his collection of short stores The Umbrella Man and other short stories.  However these stories would most likely not be interesting to 7th and 8th graders.  So now I need your help.  What are some good short stories-or better yet  short story collections you think are awesome?  Share in the comments!!

Reading different styles...that's kids stuff.  

And We're Back

Apologies for the delays in posting.  New year, new curriculum, new students is always more overwhelming than you originally think.  And if it comes down to doing something for the students or reading a new book/writing a post I'm gonna choose the students every time.  Even though I may sometimes prefer to read the book...

All this to say posting will be a bit haphazard for the next little while.  I'm hoping to be back on a (at least weekly) regular posting by Thanksgiving. Now, on to the good stuff.

Roald Dahl's The Witches is another delightful story.  I remember reading this as a child and having just a little bit of nervousness that maybe this wasn't fiction after all.   Maybe there really are witches and I should be suspicious of all women who wear gloves and I need to look verryyy closely to see if their spit is blue.  It's true a real witch has blue saliva and a real witch will always wear gloves. It isn't a scary book-it didn't cause me to panic.  But it was just believable enough to suck you into the story.

Not only that, but it does what all the great stories do-it bleeds over into your real life.  Still to this day whenever I see a woman wearing gloves scratch her head (because all real witches are bald and must wear wigs which make their scalps itch) I wonder, "could it be a witch?"

There's a reason Roald Dahl has been described as, "The worlds #1 Storyteller."  Just read any of his books and you'll get it.  The title is well deserved.

Seeing books in real life...that's kids stuff

Great Stories

One of the hardest parts of writing this blog is deciding what books to blog about.  When I don't have access to Reading Olympic's books or Newbery Winners (they're not in the library, someone else has checked them out, etc) I typically stare at my book collection waiting for inspiration to strike.

Then it hits me.  Roald Dahl!  I don't think I have every blogged about him, but he is one of my favorite authors.  I LOVED all of his books when I was a kid and I still love them today.  Even though these books are a little older now, they are still great stories-and that's why people love them.

Roald Dahl's The BFG is the perfect example of Dahl's wonderful stories.  The premise is slightly fantastic ,but still close enough to real life that you can almost believe it.  A giant snatches young orphan Sophie right out of her window one night and carries her away to giant country.  Luckily this particular giant is not a human guzzling giant, he is the Big Friendly Giant.

Instead of devouring humans, the BFG gives them dreams-good dreams, of course.  Oh yes, dreams are living things that the BFG captures, labels, and blows into the bedrooms of lucky boys and girls.  Sophie and the BFG hit it off right away and they could have lived quite happily in giant country except for the fact that there were a whole bunch of other giants who were the man guzzling kind.  Sophie couldn't watch those giants run off and eat humans every night, so she and the BFG come up with a plan to stop them.

Working with giants...that's kids stuff.  

Last but Not Least

Longtime readers of this blog will know that mystery is not my favorite genre.  So when the 7th grade reading department announced that the last novel of the year would be a mystery I was a bit nervous.  Then I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and I stopped being nervous and started getting really excited.

This is the kind of book that I couldn't stop reading because I had to see what happened next.  I think my students will have that same excitement.  I like to think that I am pretty good at picking up hints in the text but by the end of the story I had no idea who the murderer was.  Luckily Christie wrote an epilogue that explains everything (to any students reading this don't you dare read the epilogue first!!!).  Trust me I would have been furious if I got all the way through the book and still didn't have any resolution.

This is also the kind of book that as I was reading I had a million ideas of how I could teach this book.  I cannot wait to put them all into practice.

There is no better intro to this book then what is written on the back cover: "Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion...at dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead...haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one...one by one they begin to die...who among them is the killer and will any of them survive?"

Solving the mystery...that's kids stuff

History is Personal

The third book my class will be reading this year is Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.  It won the Newbery and I blogged about it here as part of my Newbery project.

My favorite part about this book is that it takes something that can often feel abstract and distant and makes it feel personal.  As a modern, white, female I can't imagine what it feels like to be of color growing up in the deep South during the height of segregation.  The only way I can access that and try to understand is through story.  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells that story.  It gives me something to relate to.

One of the best parts about teaching middle school is that it's the time when students have matured enough that they are able to handle more difficult discussions.  They are able to look at themes like racism and segregation and talk openly and honestly about it.  I can't wait to see what this book looks like from a students' perspective and I am so excited to see their maturity come out in the midst of our discussions.

Talking about the hard stuff...that's kids stuff

Yes!!!

I absolutely positively cannot wait until the second marking period of this school year.  Why, you ask?  Well that's when we get to devote an entire marking period to one of my most favorite books of all time.  Any guesses?

It's Lois Lowry's The Giver.  Now I have mentioned The Giver numerous times on this blog and done a traditional post on it here.  I am so excited to be able to share this book with my students.  And to prove to them that this book at least is a million times better than the movie.  Not that the movie was bad (I put it firmly in the "ok" category) but it was not as good as the book.

I cannot wait to see how my students react to this book and I am so excited to start reading and talking about it with them!

Teaching your favorites...that's kids stuff.  

Whatcha Reading?

To me one of my favorite things to think about at the start of each new school year is, "what books do we get to read this year?"  And by we I mean, me and my students.  In the reading class I am teaching this year we will read one novel per marking period (in addition to numerous poems, short stories, plays, newspaper articles, media clips, etc).  First up is S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. 

If I'm being totally honest, this isn't one of my favorite books.  There's nothing I don't like about it, but it would never make my top 5.  Here's the cool thing though.  About 90% or more of the students love it, like love it so much that when I taught them the next year they still said The Outsiders was their favorite book.  What a great way to start the year, especially for students who come into reading class already believing that they are bad readers and they don't like reading.  They just haven't found the right book yet.

The Outsiders proves to students that books can be real.  They can come from an authentic youthful perspective.  They can tell it like it is, they don't gloss over the grittier aspects of life.  The Outsiders is the story of Ponyboy (yes that is his actual name, like on his birth certificate and everything).  And that's all you're getting.  Partly because any way I try to think of to describe it sounds cheesy and this book is anything but cheesy.  But also because I encourage all of my students to check out this blog and I don't want them to know anything about the book before we start reading.

Understanding others...that's kids stuff 

PS Since Monday is the first day of school don't be surprised if there aren't as many posts as normal.  But don't worry, it's just until I settle into the routine of a new school year.

How Cool!

Maximum Ride- or Max as she prefers to go by, is so cool.   She is the leader of a group of exceptional young people-and by young I mean she is the oldest at only 14-and she can fly.

No, seriously, she can fly.  You see Max, and her friends (and by friends I mean they're basically family) are 98% human and 2% bird.  When you put it that way, it sounds, I admit, a bit lame; but in actuality it is really, really cool.

James Patterson's Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment chronicles the journey of Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel.  They started as science experiments and were subjected to many horrific tests while being forced to live in a cage.  But they got out and that is where the adventure really begins.

Like at the beginning of any school year, one of my tasks is to decide how I'm going to use the bulletin boards that are in my classroom.  One will be a book recommendation board.  It will be started by me and, hopefully, continued by the students.  Maximum Ride will most definitely be making the board. I think all of my students would love this book.

Small disclaimer this is the first book in a series so as you can probably guess that means the ending is not quite as satisfying as one would desire.  Looks like we're all gonna have to read the rest of the series.

Being the coolest...that's kids stuff.  

Deep Breaths

This is a coping strategy I tell my students to use all the time.  If you're overexcited, angry, frustrated,whatever, deep breaths often work.  Ben, the main character in M.H. Herlong's The Great Wide Sea, really really needed to take some deep breaths.

Ben is the oldest of three boys, he and his family live near a lake and are big fans of sailing. Things seem very happy except, a la Disney movie, you don't get to see very much of that happy.  When Ben's mom is killed suddenly in a car accident his dad decides to sell the house and sail around the Bahama's for a year.

But sailing around the world is not the jolly adventure you think it would be. Not only is sailing really hard work, but boats are small and three boys who have just lost their mother and a husband who has lost his wife have allllll the feels.  All of these feelings can create pretty high tension aboard the boat.

The Great Wide Sea left me feeling much like I did after watching the movie Unbroken.  My main feeling throughout the story was, "how much more can this person possible take?"

I thought this was an authentic, heart-wrenching, emotional story. All of that makes The Great Wide Sea worth reading but not necessarily an enjoyable read.  It is a powerful story but it's not the kind of story that gives you all the warm fuzzies.  

Making it through...that's kids stuff.  

What Makes a Hero?

This is a question I discuss with some of my students quite frequently.  I guess the success and popularity of all the DC and Marvel Superhero movies have made heroes quite the talking point.  To be a superhero do you need to have some sort of superpower?  Or, like Batman, do you need to suffer the tragic loss of your parents then continue on making the best use of your natural abilities as well as some pretty cool gadgets?  What do you think?

Zach Harriman, star of Mike Lupica's Hero, hits many of these criteria.  His dad is a special assistant to the president and runs all kinds of top secret, highly classified missions.  If anything, it seems like Zach's dad would be the hero.  But tragically Zach's dad dies (not a spoiler, it happens before page 20).  After Zach's dad dies his whole world gets turned upside down-in more than just the ways you'd expect.

Zach suddenly starts realizing he has extraordinary powers, powers he's never noticed before.  That's because, in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer like twist, there is only one hero at a time; meaning Zach's dad had to die before Zach would experience any of the powers.  As if figuring out powers wasn't enough Zach also has to figure out middle school, the strange behavior of his Uncle Johnny, and this mysterious stranger who keeps trying to train him.

Hero is an exciting read and I think many of my students will be able to relate to Zach.  As a lover of fantasy I thought the book was just starting to get good when it was over.  As of now there is no sequel but Hero is the foundation to what I think could be an excellent series.  Any superhero comic book lover would love this book.

Saving the World...that's kids stuff

Family

Eleven year old Zoe doesn't have a family.  At least not anymore.  Her mother has just died after a long battle with mental illness.  Her biological father has never been in the picture, instead Zoe has dealt with a parade of pseudo fathers-aka the men who are dating her mother.

The start of Clay Carmichael's Wild Things shows Zoe coming to live with her Uncle Henry.  Uncle Henry is by all accounts a cool dude.  He is a very good looking surgeon turned artist who lives on the outskirts of town.  Zoe doesn't trust anyone, but she finds herself wanting to trust Henry.

Uncle Henry is just the first of a series of unique and utterly wonderful characters.  My favorite part of this book was that it captured the way very different people can come together in deep, lifelong friendships.  Friends that are really more like family.

In a fun twist this book is told from two perspectives.  Zoe, who is clever, independent and very feisty and a stray cat who hangs around Uncle Henry's house.  The cat is older, more cautious but still curious about all the comings and goings of the house.

Things really get interesting when Zoe finds a cabin in the woods and starts to befriend a boy who is truly wild.  He seems completely at home in the forest and can move as swift and quiet as any animal.  Who is this boy?  More importantly, is this the place Zoe can finally call home?  You'll just have to read it and find out.  Trust me, it is very worth the read.

Finding your family...that's kids stuff.  

It's good

Some books aren't my taste but I can see how someone would like them.  Lisa Yee's Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time is one of those books.  It was a fairly entertaining story and Stanford, the main character, was instantly likable.  Stanford has just finished sixth grade (except for that whole flunking English part), is great at basketball, not so great at English (the subject not the language), and experiencing his first crush.

I think what put it outside of my taste was that I had so little to relate to.  I have never been a middle school boy (obviously).  I have never excelled at sports (if you've ever spent any time with me that would also be obvious).  I did excel at English and I don't remember any stand out crushes during my middle school years (that came later).

However, there aren't a ton of books that highlight a main character struggling with something academic.  Especially not something so mundane as English class.  And that makes this book a must have on my shelf.  This year I am only teaching learning support reading.  All of these students come to my class already believing they are bad at reading so why bother trying.  This book gives them something to relate to.

Summer school...that's kids stuff.  

Grateful

Good books take you somewhere else.  It doesn't matter if that somewhere else is familiar or in a totally new world, the point is that you are completely immersed in a new world.  The best books also teach you something about your world.

Deborah Ellis' The Breadwinner is the best kind of book.  You are transported to Afghanistan and instantly feel like you are in Parvana's world.  You ache for her when you learn her mother and father have lost their jobs and her father must now work in the marketplace reading and writing letters for strangers.  The Taliban have completely changed her day to day life, and not for the better.

Parvana's mother and older sister can't go outside without wearing a burka, so they choose to just stay inside.  Parvana is young enough to not need a burka but she is still looked down on as a female.  To help make ends meet Parvana disguises herself as a boy so that she too can work in the marketplace.

This book gave me new gratitude for my own life.  I never have to cover my face when I go out and I am allowed to have the job that I love.  But what's even better is that if someone chooses to cover their face because of their own individual convictions they are free to do that too.

The Breadwinner is set in modern times.  I would love for students to read this book as part of learning about other cultures.  Middle grades often have a unit on the middle east.  This would be a great part of that unit.  It really makes you realize what life would be like if the Taliban lived in your town. I am grateful that my students only know the Taliban from afar but it's important they realize what a privilege that is.

Being grateful...that's kids stuff.  

Elementary...

I must begin this post with a confession.  I have never read the Sherlock Holmes books. I have watched a lot of tv adaptations (thing Elementary-on CBS, and Sherlock on the BBC), and yes, I know that's not good enough.  You must know this about me because it most definitely influences my thoughts on Shane Peacock's Eye of the Crow. 

You see Eye of the Crow is about the boy Sherlock Holmes solving his first case.  Was it an excellent mystery, yes. Is it how I envisioned the young Sherlock Homes, no.  Admittedly I have only television adaptations to go off of, but this is not how I pictured a young Sherlock Holmes.  And therein lies the danger of picking such a beloved subject for a new series.

I must also note that this is the first in a series about the young Sherlock Holmes.  I have not read other books in this series but I would be interested to see if Sherlock develops more into the character I am familiar with as the series progresses.

I would love to see how fans of the original Sherlock Holmes book series respond to this book.  But I am more curious to see how someone, especially a young adult, who has no experience with Sherlock Holmes (the books or the movies/shows) would respond to this book.  For the latter group I think this would be an excellent place to start and hopefully propel them into reading more.  The suspense, the drama, the attention to detail are all there.  If you are a mystery fan, this would be a good book for you.

Solving the crime...that's kids stuff.  

PS if you fit into either of the two categories described above, please leave a comment describing what you thought about the book.

And the Deathly Hallows

All good things must come to an end.  And so it is with my annual summer re-read of the Harry Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contains all of the elements of a perfect ending.  There's adventure, plot lines come together, lingering questions are answered, and most importantly you get a sense of what happens to all the characters.  The Deathly Hallows is not my favorite book in the series but it does have an incredibly satisfying ending.  I know what happens to all the characters, but their lives are not spelled out for me.  I still get to wonder about them.
Potter series.

And since J.K. is such a great author and friend to her fans she continues to release little tidbits of knowledge so you never have to feel like it's really over.

Ok we are now into spoiler territory, you know what to do.

I find it interesting that the symbol of the deathly hallows has become so popular.  I love the tension of hallows versus horcruxes.  I think that was masterfully done, but I don't love that the deathly hallows symbol has overtaken the whole series.  There is no denying its important but to me the graphic of the glasses and scar is a much better representation of the series as a whole.  What do you think? When you look at these images which one says, "Harry Potter." And you can't say both.

I think these books are so endearing for me because they are the best kind of children's or young adult books. They are not for one subset of the population, they are for everyone.  And who better to describe that best kind of book then J.K. Rowling herself. Here is an excerpt from a speech she made accepting the Hans Christian Anderson Award.

“Those who write for children, or at least those who write best for children, are not child-like or immature, but they do remember with sometimes painful intensity both what it was to be small and confused and how wonderful was that fierce joy in the moment that can become so elusive in later life. Any book that is written down to children or with one nervous sideways eye on the author’s fellow adults or in the belief that this is the kind of thing that ‘they like’ cannot work and will not last. Children are not 'they.' They are us. And this is why writing that succeeds with children often succeeds just as well with adults—not because the latter are infantile or regressive, but because the true dilemmas of childhood are the dilemmas of the whole of life: those of belonging and betrayal, the power of the group and the courage it takes to be an individual, of love and loss, and learning what it is to be a human being, let alone a good, brave, or honest one.”

Harry Potter...that's kids stuff.  

PS I love this particular quote because it is why I named my blog "that's kids stuff."  It's why I end every post with that tagline and it's what I mean when I say, "that's kids stuff."  

Ugh, Papers

I feel like this is the response whenever I assign any kind of writing to my students, "ugh, we have to write a paper...whhhhyyyy??"   Mitty Blake, the main character in Caroline B. Cooney's Code Orange, is no different. When told he has to write a term paper on an infectious disease he does what any self-respecting student would do-procrastinate.

Mitty finally chooses smallpox and once he realizes his sources have to include actual books (shudder) and not just Internet sites he raids his mothers book collection.  (It's not really hers, part of Mitty's mom's job is to decorate houses for wealthy clients and they want libraries that look nice so she always has a stash of books with nice bindings).  Side note-if you only have a library because you want your house to look nice and your only criteria for what books go into said library is that they have nice binding please pass your library on to me or someone who will actually use it for books they will actually read.

Luckily, one of these old books is on infectious diseases. It also contains an envelope with strange little scabs that Mitty immediately touches.  They dissolve because they are so old and Mitty inhales all of that dust.  Turns out these were scabs from a smallpox patient.  Can the virus survive that long outside a host?  Will Mitty single-handedly be responsible for the return of a disease once eradicated by vaccines?

Of course, I'm not going to tell you.  You just have to read the book yourself.  And I very much recommend that you do.  Code Orange was the perfect mix of excitement, suspense, and background info on infectious diseases.  Seriously, it is worth a read.


Writing a paper...that's kids stuff.  

And the Half-Blood Prince

Major spoiler alert ahead. I'm not kidding. If you haven't read the books, don't read anymore.  Click off this page and go read the books.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the first book where I openly wept over the death of a character.  Dumbledore dies in this book and it was gut wrenching for me.  This post is a tribute to Dumbledore, a wizard who more than deserved all the accolades given to him-most especially the chocolate frog card.

But nobody does a tribute like buzzfeed so I give you with their wonderful list proving that Dumbledore was the sassiest wizard of all time.



nitwit, oddment, blubber, tweak...that's kids stuff

It's Better When You're Older

This is my standard response when people ask how I could possibly teach middle school.  It's better when you're older, when you're not living it.  I don't think anybody looks back with fondness on their middle school years but I honestly love working with middle schoolers.

Make no mistake it's still a hard time.  Your feelings change all the time, your friends are also changing and all of the sudden there is all this pressure to be who you are when you don't even know who you are.  Everyone starts expecting you to act like an adult and if that wasn't enough you also start wanting a little romance but have no idea how to make that happen.

Wendelin Van Draanen's Flipped captures all of these feelings perfectly.  The story is told from the perspective of both Julianna and Bryce, two eighth graders who also happen to be neighbors and they couldn't be more different.  But Flipped is about so much more than the awkward relationship between young teens who can't decide if they like each other, hate each other, or like like each other-even though that aspect of the story was incredibly entertaining and I definitely felt my middle school self relating to Julianna.

Flipped also tackles hard issues surrounding families and abilities but it is never preachy.  Instead it's honest and real and Van Draanen lets the reader make all the judgements.  I loved Flipped and will definitely be recommending it to many students this year.  But even though I loved the story I do not envy Julianna and Bryce.  I would tell them exactly what I tell my students, "It's better when you're older."

Righting yourself when you've flipped...that's kids stuff

And the Order of the Phoenix

As I'm sure you all know from the title, this is another Harry Potter post.  As with all of my previous Potter Posts SPOILER ALERT. 

Now that we are left with only those who have read the book I would like to use this post to give a HUGE shout-out to J.K.Rowling.  One of the things I stress to my students is that when we read we don't just become better readers, we can use that as a tool to become better writers.  As a result we spend some of our time talking about the authors craft (for you non teacher types-or students who haven't been paying attention-this is the way an author writes, what they do to make a good story).

J.K.Rowling is the perfect example of someone who not just has a fabulous story, but is someone who has clearly spent a lot of time working on her craft.  The first sign that Rowling has perfected her craft is that when you originally read the book you don't even notice how it is written because you are so engrossed in the story.  It is only when you re-read the books that you pick up on many of the wonderful things she has done. 

Herbology class isn't just a way to show more about Hogwarts and what types of things wizards learn, but it's also a chance to introduce plants that come up later in the books. A visit to St. Mungo's isn't just a chance to see Mr. Weasley recovering from his injuries, it's a chance to see whatever happened to Lockhart, and it sets the stage for future surprises. The Pensive isn't just a glimpse at cool gadgets that wizards have it's a way to use flashback without actually flashing back.  

What is truly remarkable is that when you re-read the books you don't think, "ugh, she gave everything away here" or, "she only wrote this so she didn't have to explain it later." You think, 'oh how clever."  And what's even more clever is this isn't just within the book it's within the series.  Little details from book one help you understand something in book five.  And that is why the best books are worth re-reading.  We often re-watch our favorite movies, so why does it seem strange to re-read our favorite books?  

That's enough of my rambling.  I challenge all of you to re-read all of your favorite books and maybe think a little bit about the author's craft as you read.  

Being clever...that's kids stuff.  

It's a Mystery

I have to be honest, mystery is not my preferred genre.  I get stressed out whenever I read a mystery.  I'm not the kind of person who tries to guess the ending or figure it out as I read so I feel all the pressure and suspense of the moment.  That being said Joan Lowery Nixon's The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore was a nice change of pace for me.

Christina Lattimore is from a wealthy Houston family.  After a fight with her grandmother, the family matriarch and holder of the family fortune, Christina is kidnapped.  But the kidnapping seems a bit off.  Something is not quite right, and that feeling only continues throughout the book.  I would love to say more but I really can't without spoiling the ending.  Is Christina found?  Are the kidnappers brought to justice?  Is everything as it seems?

While mystery will never be my favorite genre, I have to admit I liked the excitement and suspense of this book.  I think it helped that the book wasn't overly long.  At just under 200 pages you could read it in one sitting, say on a rainy Saturday, so you can see how everything works out.  The reading team at my school has discussed doing a mystery as one of the anchor books for this coming school year.  I think this book may be a great anchor book.  It has enough appeal for all types of students and I think they would be more willing to engage in a book as a class when they want to figure out what happens.  

Solving the mystery...that's kids stuff.  

And the Goblet of Fire

The annual Harry Potter Summer Re-Read continues with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  The dust jacket describes this book as, "the pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter's training as a wizard and coming of age."  That's exactly what this novel is, pivotal. Warning this post has spoilers.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione aren't children anymore, a fact that becomes painfully obvious when they all try to find dates for the Yule Ball.  Those scenes reminded me of the vibe around school when everyone is trying to find a date to the 8th grade dance.  But this novel is also pivotal in that there is more focusing on the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts.

Towards the beginning of the novel we have the Quidditch World cup, our first chance to see a collection of adult wizards.  There is also an added emphasis on what kinds of jobs are available for wizards once they finish school.  We have heard hints of jobs at the Ministry of Magic but this is the first time we get to see more of the scope of this enormous organization.  But that's just the beginning, you could teach at a wizarding school-and there's more schools than just Hogwarts, work with dragons, work for the bank (in ways that seem much more exciting then the bank tellers of our world), become an auror, play quidditch professionally, or even open a joke shop.

It made me wonder what would I do if I was in the Harry Potter universe.  To be honest, I didn't need to think about it long at all, I knew almost instantly I would teach at Hogwarts.  I love being a teacher, Professor McGonagall is one of my favorite characters (and teaching idols), and I love Hogwarts.  The question remains what subject would I teach?  History of Magic has an appeal as does charms.  I couldn't teach transfiguration because I would want to teach alongside McGonagall not take her job.  What would your job be?

Finding a date...that's kids stuff.  

I Don't Buy It

I read once that when people read a book or see a play or a movie they go in willing to suspend reality.  Some more than others.  This perfectly explains why my husband always guesses the ending and I am more surprised-I have completely suspended reality and he is more skeptical.  Long time readers of this blog will know that I love fantasy, dragons, magic, wizards, mythical creatures, the more the better.  When I re-read Harry Potter every summer I buy all of it, every year, I have completely suspended my own reality and have entered that of the book.

I say all this so that everyone knows where I'm coming from when I say my only thought on finishing On the Blue Comet was, "I don't buy it."  Rosemary Wells The Blue Comet starts with the life of Oscar Ogilive, a young boy living with his dad in the 1920's.  Even though Oscar's mom has died, Oscar and his father have a happy life together.  Dad goes to work while Oscar goes to school and takes care of the house.  In the evening they play with trains.


By play with trains I mean they save their pennies to buy new train cars and use their creativity to build inexpensive replicas of the layouts found in the catalog.  Both Oscar and his dad love the trains. Life is good; but, as we all know, in 1929 the stock market crashes and Oscar's dad can no longer find work.  Oscar has to live with his aunt while his dad goes to California hoping to find a steady job.

This is when things get weird.  Oscar goes to visit his trains, that they had to sell to the bank owner, when the bank is robbed.  His extreme fear somehow makes it possible for him to jump onto the train layout and end up at the actual train station.  This I could buy (even though the first third of the book contained no trace of anything unusual), but when Oscar arrives in California he has traveled forward in time 10 years. The train jumping and time travel then continues in the rest of the book.

I just didn't buy it.  I couldn't get into the story because I couldn't accept the premise.  And I can accept a lot if it works in the world of the book.  It just felt like the author decided to throw in a little time travel and expected the reader to just accept it.  I can't wait to see what the members of next years Reading Olympic's team think of this book.

Suspending reality...that's kids stuff.  

And the Prisoner of Azkaban

***Like all of my Harry Potter posts, this contains spoilers.****

For those of you who have read this book, which should be everyone since I already warned against spoilers and a thoughtful person would use this time to now go read the book, you know that this is the year Harry learns how to make a Patronus.

To make a true Patronus one needs to say the incantation, "expecto patronum" while concentrating on one very happy memory.  Harry had to try several memories, the first time he rode a broom, finding out he was a wizard, when Gryffindor won the house cup. At the end of the book Harry makes a true patronus because he knew he could do it.  This suggests that confidence in ourselves and a sureness of our own abilities can be a powerful type of happiness.  

If you were to make a patronus, what memory would you focus on?  Post your answer in the comments, I would love to hear. I think I would remember my wedding day.

Focusing on happy memories...that's kids stuff.  

Simply Exquisite

I have to admit when I saw the bug on the cover of Elise Broach's Masterpiece I was not excited.  Well add this to the list of examples of why you shouldn't judge a book by a cover.  Masterpiece was a delightful story. It was so fun to read!  I started the book and read the whole thing in one sitting.  It might have been the most I have enjoyed reading a book all summer. I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.

Masterpiece is the story of Marvin, a beetle, who lives with his family in a New York City apartment.  Marvin and his family coexist peacefully, well as peacefully as beetles can live with humans, with the Pompaday's-the family that lives in the apartment.  Meaning the beetles carefully avoid the humans and the humans don't notice the beetles.  That is until Marvin discovers his special talent which leads to Marvin being discovered by the human boy James.

This book is reminiscent of stories like Ralph S Mouse where one particularly observant child makes an unlikely animal friend.  At it's core Masterpiece is a story of friendship, but that makes it sound Masterpiece has drama and conflict and suspense and love and friendship-in other words all the elements of a simply exquisite story.
sappy.

One of my favorite parts of this book is that it challenges gender stereotypes.  I have talked a lot on this blog about how much I love a strong female lead, or a girl who can do anything, or science fiction mixed with princesses, and all of that is great.  But it is just as great to have a boy who isn't running around wildly being a boss.  It is great to highlight a boy who is quiet and careful.  A boy who is thoughtful and notices the little details.  Because just like all girls aren't little princesses just like all boys aren't little monsters.

Making a masterpiece...that's kids stuff.