You stole it!!

Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief was one of those books that I made time to read.  Any free second I had during the day I devoted to reading this book-it was that engaging.

This cover is much more intriguing
than the one on my copy of the book.
Honestly, my copy's cover was a
bit off-putting.  

The Thief is the story of the thief (obviously) Gen as he works with high ranking officials to steal...well I can't tell you that because-spoilers-but it's a very important object.  Turner weaves the myths of this society throughout the story and she fully admits "Nothing in this book is historically accurate." It may not be historically accurate but The Thief has all of the depth and intrigue of any society with a rich history.

Gen is one of those characters you feel like you're not supposed to like, because he's a thief, but you can't help it!  He is clever and snarky (apparently spell-check doesn't think this is a word which is a real shame as it's one of my favorites)-in the best possible way.  Gen is the perfect underdog to root for.  His companions are equally entertaining though radically different.  To explain them all to you would create too many spoilers, so you'll just have to read the book.

Rooting for the "bad" guy....that's kids stuff

A Picture's Worth...

A thousand words-we get it, we've all heard the saying.  But for young Hollis Woods her pictures are worth more than a thousand words, they are priceless.  Patricia Reilly Giff's pictures of hollis woods is the story of, who else, Hollis Woods a young girl in foster care searching for a family.

Hollis is one of those characters you feel immediately drawn to, you are rooting for her right from the very beginning.  You feel her longing for a family and you are desperate for that wish to be granted.

The story is told both in present time and through flashbacks to Hollis' summer spent with her favorite foster family yet.  Hollis is a gifted artist and her drawings are often described but never pictured.  I wish this book had illustrations so I could see what Hollis drew.

Pictures of Hollis is filled with wonderful characters and  a depth of story you don't often find in books of this length.  I would recommend this book to any of my students who are looking for something to read.  The charm of this book is that it doesn't hide the fact that life isn't always easy, but at the end you aren't left feeling discouraged you are left feeling loved.

Finding a home...that's kids stuff.  

Friend or Foe

Helen Frost's  Salt truly is, "a story of friendship in a Time of War"  as the tagline suggests.  James is an American living just outside the fort while Anikwa likes in Kekionga and is part of the Miami nation.  Neither speaks the others language  but smiles and body language go a long way and over the years a friendship has developed.  This is especially remarkable because the year is 1812 and tensions between these two groups are running high.

The story is told from both Anikwa and James' perspective which is a feature I typically like; however, in this book you switched between characters so frequently the story felt choppy.  I never felt like I really connected with either character because I never had enough time with them.

Also, this book is written as a series of poems.  Longtime readers of this blog will remember that I am not a huge fan of poetry.  That being said, Salt is a remarkable story about a extraordinary friendship put to the ultimate test.  I think this book would be a wonderful supplement to any unit on the War of 1812.

Rising above prejudice...that's kids stuff.  

Getting Lost

Earlier this week we had a snow day.  Snow day's are the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a coup of coffee, a warm quilt and a book you can get lost in. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is just such a book.

Brian Jacques is perhaps best known for the Redwall series (also excellent books-my husbands favorites!), but Castaways of the Flying Dutchman turned out to be my favorite Brian Jacques book.  It tells the story of Neb and his dog Denmark.  They begin their journey as stowaways on the Flying Dutchman.  When the ship is cursed the angel gives Neb and Denmark a reprieve because they are pure of heart.  Like the rest of the crew they will never age, but Neb and his dog are allowed to leave the ship and travel from village to village offering help to those who need it.  That's where things start to get interesting.

I can honestly say that this was the perfect "snow day" book.  But I think the highest praise I can give this book comes from one of the Reading Olympics team members.  We were discussing what books on the list people had read and he had read Castaways of the Flying Dutchman he stood up and raved about the book to the rest of his teammates.  His speech inspired the rest of the team, and myself, to give this book a try.  Anytime an eighth grade student, especially a boy, raves about a book it immediately goes on my must read list.

This book deserved the praise.  Neb is the type of character you can't help but root for and feel immediately connected to, as a dog lover I enjoyed being able to hear the dogs thoughts, and I loved that the boys traveled through different time periods.  An excellent read.

Getting lost in a book...that's kids stuff.  

Not Quite a Fairy Tale

I'm not quite sure what to make of Patrice Kindl's  Goose Chase.  Her first two novels were described as, "Something very different done very well" (The Bulletin), and "unusually strong and original" (Kirkus Reviews).  Those sound like books I want to read, so I was excited as I began reading Goose Chase.  Unfortunately, my excitement soon faded.

Goose Chase is the story of Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, a girl as lovely as the dawn with hair that
sheds gold dust and tears that become diamonds.  Beautiful girl with magical powers-sounds like a fairy tale....but not quite.  Alexandria's closest companions are her 12 geese who stick with her even as she runs (literally) from the affections of not just one but two royal suitors (I know, it still sounds like a fairy tale-except for the geese and the running).

Alexandria is fiercely independent.  She has no desire to be wed and wants nothing more than to be left on her own with her beloved geese.  A strong female lead-I appreciate that; however, I didn't really connect with Alexandria.  I didn't dislike her but she didn't make the list of my favorite characters.  Her story has some fairy tale twists and turns, meeting up with ogres, dealing with a prince and of course it ends up in a castle (you can't really call that a spoiler since, if you've ever read a fairy tale, you could have guessed it would end in a castle).

Even with all of those fairy tale elements something was missing and I can't quite put my finger on what it was.  It didn't give me that same feeling that I get from other fairy tales.  That's why I call it not quite a fairy tale.  Still, it would be good for say an adolescent who feels they have outgrown fairy tales but still long for that type of story.

Embracing fairy tales...that's kids stuff.  

No Teacher?!

Ralph Fletcher's Flying Solo is one of the books on the Reading Olympics list this year.  The whole story takes place on Friday, April 28th when Mr. Fabiano's sixth grade class is left without a teacher.  Apparently both Mr. Fabiano and the substitute called in sick and somehow the office never caught on so there was never a replacement substitute found.  The sixth graders decided rather than tell someone they were going to run the class themselves.  Think the day went as planned?  Of course I'm not going to tell you-you'll have to read it yourself.

The cover art is also terrible. 

Flying Solo is told from multiple perspectives, mostly students in Mr. Fabiano's class.  The varying perspectives help tell the story of the day and they reveal the complicated web of relationships that make up a 6th grade class.

This book had all of the ingredients for a good story but it just didn't grab me.  I have to admit I really wasn't that engaged in the story.  I don't even think I would recommend this book to others.  I was surprised it made the Reading Olympics book-I have been very impressed with all of the other books.

I was impressed with how the students handled the situation and I would hope that my students could manage the class the same way.  Unfortunately that's one of the only positive things I can say about this book.

Running things yourself....that's kids stuff.  

Guest Post!

Exciting news!  Today is our very first guest post.  Mrs. Skrzat, who I have the pleasure of co-teaching, with is also reading the Reading Olympic's books.  So I present to you her take on Donna Jo Napoli's The King of Mulberry Street.

Did you ever hear the expression, "Books can take you places."?  Well, a book I read this year had such an intriguing setting that I took a trip there with my family recently.

The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli begins in Italy (my roots, but not my destination!) and follows 9 year old Beniamino as he travels by boat to New York City.  When he arrives at Ellis Island his name is changed to Dom Napoli.  (My great grandfather also had his name changed after his arrival to America). Dom heads off to Little Italy, the heart of which is Mulberry Street.  This is the area of New York City where many Italian immigrants settled (including my own!)

I needed to see it for myself. Taste the pasta, eat the gelato and walk on those streets where Dom Napoli's story takes place.  My weekend trip to Mulberry street with my family was much nicer than the dirty and desolate neighborhood that Dom experienced in N.Y.C.   If you want to step into the shoes of a young immigrant, as he makes his way in the Big Apple, this book is for you!
Going places with books...that's kids stuff.  

I know a young boy who swallowed a...

When I first read the title of this Jack Gantos story I thought it was some kind of inside joke.  But it turns out the title Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is in fact a literal representation of events in the story.

Joey didn't mean to swallow the key, but sometimes he just feels "wired" and he just does whatever flies into his head without stopping to think.  The book is written in a style that gives the reader an insight into Joey's brain.  The syntax flies back and forth making the reader feel "wired" as well.

As a special ed teacher it was hard for me to not read this book through that lens.  It was heartbreaking to hear Joey's account and how he felt teachers viewed him.  This would be a great book to help other students understand difference.  It can also help some teachers realize sometimes that student who always seems to be messing up really can't help it.

I wouldn't say this was my favorite book but it was a joy to read and I will definitely be recommending it to many people.

Gaining Understanding...that's kids stuff.

PS I just learned Joey Pigza has his own series.  I can't wait to see what he does next!