Ms. America Reviews: One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn is an author I quickly give to any Middle School student asking for a ghost story or wanting to be scared by a wicked (evil) story. I never hesitate as she has never disappointed. Her newest book, One for Sorrow: A Ghost Story, can fall onto the genre of Fantasy as well as dabble in the area of Historical Fiction. The flu epidemic of 1918 was a reality for the United States and, thanks to flu vaccines, one our young readers are not well acquainted. Within 24 hours of flu symptoms, its victims were dead. A simple black wreath would adorn the front door of the deceased allowing neighbors to know the house was in mourning. A tragic time in our country and one not taught often as it was shadowed by the oncoming of World War II.

One for Sorrow gives us Annie, an only child who has recently moved to a small town. Annie is immediately greeted by Elsie who demands instant friendship. At first Annie is appreciative of the friendship until she realizes Elsie is a social outcast and not liked by anyone. Elsie is mean to Annie, but has instilled the fear of God in Annie if she vacates the friendship. The other girls, lead by Rosie, play the games Annie likes and seem to be having fun, but Annie knows better than to leave Elsie despite her mean spirit until the week Elsie is missing from school. Annie flees the friendship, joining the other girls performing an alliance in the taunting and cruelty towards Elise.

School is soon cancelled due to the outbreak of Influenza and the girls take advantage of this by attending wakes of those who have passed enjoying the free cakes and cookies. It isn't until they go to the wake of Elsie when Annie discovers she is being haunted by Elsie's lost soul. Annie is taken away to an insane asylum in hopes of removing Elsie from her life, but instead she does mean and cruel things to poor Annie.

In the classroom:

Middle School girls beware! The sorrow left in Elsie's soul by the mean girls is enough to make anyone second guess their decision to say mean things to a person. Even if you think the mean things, I warn you not to act on them. Poor Annie has to live with the things she did while being a part of the 'in' crowd.

Ghost stories allow creative writing to occur while also allowing Common Core to be met and all in the month of October! Read aloud passages from the text: especially the part where Rosie has made up a jump rope chant rhyming In FLEW Enza into the art of jumping between the ropes. If you miss, the flu has got you and you are dead. What chants can your students incorporate into a unit of social studies?

Ms. America Reviews: You May Already Be A Winner by Ann Dee Ellis

Ms. America’s Review:

Olivia Hales’ Merry-Maids-uniform-wearing mother is screaming at her to get out of the pool and help her find her sister, but Olivia is lost in a daydream. She can escape all of her loser moments because She May Already Be a Winner. Ann Dee Ellis has created a realistic world of middle school angst in her debut middle grade novel.

Olivia is stuck in the Sunny Pines Trailer Park watching her youngest sister, doing the laundry, making dinner, and trying to keep up with school while her mother goes to work every day. Her father has left the family and is living in Bryce Canyon working as some type of forest ranger, or so we conclude from daily emails Olivia sends him. Olivia wants to go back to school as she fondly watches her neighbor leave for school every day, but she knows she must be responsible for her sister and even her mom.

One morning Olivia is told by her mother that she must return to school. The truancy office has sent a notice. Olivia has missed half of the year and is behind in all of her class work. Her teachers try to reach out to her, but she is used to being independent, and she fears they are merely judging her and her family. Making matters worse her five year old sister who adores her manages to get kicked out of daycare, and Olivia is forced to offer her mother help again. She will take her sister to middle school and hide her in a janitor’s closet. When one afternoon during passing period she goes to check on her sister and give her a snack to her horror she discovers her sister is gone.

Olivia tries to maintain hope and dignity throughout the book. She is unaware of her mother’s choices, but refuses to let her mom shoulder them by herself. Her unfailing devotion to her family made me want so much more for Olivia than her parents were providing. I want to foster every Olivia out there. Olivia is a strong person and one who I kept hoping would finally become a winner. You May Already Be a Winner is a powerful book for those of us who have Olivias in our lives and want to help both the child and the parent.

In the classroom:

Like many students I have encountered through my years in the classroom, Olivia is a person I admire. Her undying hope is a mystery to me, even as my heart was breaking for this lovely young lady. She is the silent student in the classroom who has too many burdens to bear at home to do her homework. Students like Olivia have hope because sometimes that is all they have to hold on to.

As a teaching tool I would take an excerpt from this book, making students read it and decipher its “deeper meaning.” I especially liked when Olivia’s male teacher tried to relate to her and she became rude and mouthy to him. She even goes so far as to comment on his hair. She wasn’t like this throughout the book. Why is she lashing out at this teacher who is trying to help her and offer an escape?

---

You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis (Dial Books | 9781101993859 | July 11, 2017)

Ms. America Reviews: Emily and the Spellstone by Michael Rubens

Poor Emily just wants a phone for her birthday; she isn't even asking for a certain kind or data plan, but since her sister has to go to Physical Therapy for texting fingers, it is a lost cause for her. As she wanders angrily away from her family birthday party at the beach, she ambles along muttering to herself notions of destroying her family, when she discovers a rock....

In Emily and the Spellstone by Michael Rubens we are given a character who is suffering from the angst of not fitting in or feeling normal. She wants normal, but even her parents forget her true age on her birthday! She thinks all of her woes will become rainbows if she could just  have a phone. Emily can relate to most preteen kids and they will commiserate with her immediately.  Emily's unique hobby, or more of a habit at this point in her life, of collecting rocks becomes her demise as she finds an Iphone looking rock on the beach. She picks it up declaring to herself this is as good as life is going to get. She puts it haphazardly on her window seal later in the evening, not realizing the moon was the charger it needed to power on.

With the phone comes a demon protector who must do as Emily bids, but the minute he is released he will eat her. It is quite comical and the puns do not stop. Emily feels life cannot get any worse with a crazy rock phone that comes with a free demon protector, when life does. She learns she is the spellstone master and must learn the 'apps' in order to save her brother who has been kidnapped by the ultimate evil family in another dimension.

Written by a former producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Michael Ruben's  wit and comical situations allow for any Middle Grade reader to enjoy this book. Unlike others, it is a book which has no mature content and is written at a higher reading level; a perfect read for those seven and eight year olds who can read at a higher level, but content usually dictates they cannot. It is difficult to find a book where the maturity level isn't questionable for a younger child with a high reading level. This is a start of a series, so it is perfect to introduce to your 2nd and 3rd graders who can keep reading it into 6th grade.

In the classroom:

Kids love 'electronic' days. They love the days where the teacher pulls in the C.O.W. (Computers On Wheels) Cart or whatever acronym your school may use to transport electronic devices. An 'electronic day' means a day where they can touch, handle and become one with an electronic device. The youth today are tech savvy and know their way around the Internet, how to use apps and take selfies. As seen from page one it is abundantly clear Emily must have a device. Emily's struggle is real. A child without a device feels left out, neglected and not normal.

Use electronics in the classroom--if your school has them, supply them for a class period, let them bring in their own, or take turns on a computer. There are amazing tools to use in your classroom that are free. One of my favorite ones to use is Prezi.com. It has a multitude of Powerpoints already created for you to use in your classroom OR you can use their software for free for your students to create a report. Super easy to use and navigate. You can make them fancy and show off your techy skills, or you can make them simple and to the point.

Another favorite classroom tool is Khan Academy. It is wonderful for Science and Math. It allows your students to create accounts and invite a teacher (or parent) to be their coach. The Internet is a wealth of free information--good and bad---and our students today are using it.

My last tech tool which is a lifesaver is Remind.com. This tool allows you to mass text or email your parents to stay in communication with them. They also cannot email you back through this service, so they are forced to email you or talk with their child about your text/email. This is a great tool to allow your parents to know about upcoming events and no one can say, "We didn't know...." 

Emily and the Spellstone is a great read aloud as well! Some kids do not have phones, but I pretty much guarantee their parents do. Use these tools to your advantage. 

Book Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

With short, concise chapters weaving past with the present, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, quickly hooks its readers with its ability to seamlessly entwine magic and fantasy. Reluctant readers and YA fans both will love this book. Our first encounter with our protagonist, Tea, is her resurrecting her brother from his freshly dug grave.  Tea's ability to resurrect the dead shocks her community who haven't seen a Bone Witch, or dark Asha, in someone so young. Tea is equally horrified and enthralled with her new found magic; she is curious, but cautious as to what this means for her future.

Along with the constant companionship of her newly alive brother, Tea moves into an Asha house where she can be trained and taught to respect her new found abilities. As with any young, powerful and ambitious witch, there are those who are jealous and will do anything to destroy young Tea. It is with the help of three other Asha's Tea will soon discover who she is destined to become.

Tea challenges the dark within her. She knows she must keep it hidden and under control. She aspires to use her powers to help win the war amongst her people, but in doing so, she creates turmoil with those in charge. We know Tea is raising the demons to help wage war, but readers are left not knowing why or for whom she is doing this. A true cliffhanger, but one in which all of us will be eagerly awaiting the sequel.

In the Classroom:

This is one of those books where a lesson plan doesn't come to mind. It was a wonderful book, and as stated above, one which reads quickly. I liked the mix of characters--both boy/girl, evil/good. It is one to put in the hands of students who enjoy fantasy, magic and historical information. Tea lives in the house of the Asha and at many times the comparison to the Geisha played forefront in my mind. Their costumes, customs and ability to entertain where spot on to the life of a Geisha. Rin Chupeco added in the elements most YA fans adore: magic and fantasy!

Book Review: Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell, Shadra Strickland

Historical events are often lost on our youth because they are unconcerned with our pasts, but only worried about their social media status and the last selfie they posted on Instagram. It is a challenge to teach the past without merely assigning pages to be read from a text and giving a lecture. Patricia Hurby Powell and Shadra Strickland have created a Documentary of the Landmark Civil Rights Case of Loving vs. Virginia in a new and fresh way; the story is told in poetic form while incorporating text from Newspapers, quotes from Civil Rights leaders and illustrations of what life was like in the 1950s. Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case also changes perspectives from Mildred (Millie) Jeter and Richard Loving throughout the nine years of their relationship. This black woman and white man fell in love, had children, but could not live together in the state of Virginia. When they chose to do this, they were convicted, sentenced and fined. Forced from their home in Virginia to live in Washington D.C. were they were free from persecution.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation passed more than 100 years prior to Loving vs. Virginia,  desegregation was still a problem in the United States and a marriage of the Lovings' was scandalous. As a public we know of the freedom riders, the sit-ins and the March on Washington, but the case of Loving vs. Virginia did not get as much news time. Marriage should be for those who fall in love and want to share in a union with one another; marriage is not to be determined by the states as was argued in this particular case. Each chapter brought a new date and changed perspective offering its audience a perspective of the hurt, embarrassment and anguish these two endured all for love.

In the Classroom:                                                                    

In the Social Studies/History classroom: Give several days worth of classroom lectures over a time period Unit. Once you have let several days pass, and have several lectures complete, have your students create an acrostic poem using one of the events which happened during the time period. They must use specific examples including dates, places and people. This is a simple poem, and depending on your English teacher, you could co-teach this unit together assigning multiple poems each with a different type of poetry used.

Book Review: "This is a Serious Book" by Jodie Parachini & Daniel Rieley

 

Release Date: October 11, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

America's Review:

When you tell a child this is very serious they will embrace this and become somber. Well, until they look around and see the context clues or a donkey who is trying to be silent but TOOTS! Who could not giggle at the antics found in This Is a Serious Book by Jodie Parachini and illustrations by Daniel Rieley? A donkey tooting by page three does not bode for a VERY serious book at all! Reading this book was fun because the narrator is a very stern voice with bold letters and capitalization throughout, but the pictures in the background allow the reader to know the narrator is losing the battle of being VERY serious.

It teaches children there is a time and a place to be serious, but life also offers many moments where you must embrace the fun. The pictures are hilarious as is the font. Even a nonreader can see the font size grows as the patience of the narrator fades and the person reading it will also elevate their voice based on the font changes.

In the Classroom:

There are a variety of verbs and adjectives used to make the characters in the book try to be serious. Using these words found in the text have your students distinguish the meanings--is there a difference between the shades being used (e.g. look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and do the adjectives differ in intensity by defining or choosing them by acting out the meanings (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.D.)

Have students write their own sentences using a verb and an adjective and then make them write two more displaying their ability to make the sentences become more intense as did the narrator in the story.

Book Review: They All Saw a Cat

They All Saw A Cat by Brenden Wenzel

Release Date: August 30, 2016

Review: Each animal has a different visual perception of the world around them. The illustrations created by Brendan Wenzel in They All Saw a Cat display the unique view of a cat through a variety of species. As a cat prows through the world with his whiskers, ears and paws, the animals see him in a variety of ways: as colorful dots as a bee has a limited vision, or in the colors they are themselves--black and white like a skunk. The worms merely see a dark shadow cross their path as they are under ground and the cat is passing them above on the ground. Each different animal sees the cat as a friend, foe, or possibly a mere part of the passing scenery.

As you turn the pages, the reader is given the opportunity to also see how the cat is viewed. It isn't until the end of the story, when the reader is asked the simple question, how does the cat view himself?

In the Classroom: As you turn the pages of this book, you can ask your young reader (actually this book would be a great read for the Middle School age as well as the elementary audience) why the cat is viewed in this manner? The illustrations differ from page to page, so the discussion should vary base on the drawings given on the pages associated with the different species.

The given perspectives of how the different animals "All Saw a Cat" leads itself to a simple classroom discussion: how do we see ourselves verse how others view us? Ask multiple questions defining "others." Others can be peers, teachers, parents, family members, etc. Do these perspectives differ based on the environments of our relationships?

As the reader concludes the book, your audience will have differing opinions on how the cat views itself. Will the cat see itself as a shadow, as spots, as a black and white vision? These answers can also reveal how your reader views themselves. These discussions (or journal entry for your older audience) can allow you to see into the heart, brain and soul of your student. I love activities giving you access to the souls of your students. You can be the difference in a life. A story can open discussions which don't get answered from a direct morning question, "How are you?" Fine is a common answer, but with a story about a cat and views of animals, you may find a different answer is given other than fine.

Book Review: Towers Falling

As I listened to the laughter and shouts of joy coming from my two children who were happily watching bombs bursting in mid-air, I realized how innocent and free these 9 & 11 year old boys were. I watched my nine year old place a whirly-bird on the ground, and take off running for his life as he knew the fuse was soon to blow. Once he was a safe distance away, he turned back to watch the final moments of the firework launch into the air to explode in a multitude of lights above his head. I didn't turn to watch the firework, but instead turned to watch his angelic, innocent face and see his eyes reflecting the glow of the night. He could feel my stare upon him as he turned to me and asked, "Mommy are you crying?" I shook my head, wiping away tears, and said this reminds me of the book I am reading of a time you weren't alive to know about. It was a time when bombs burst across our nation and made us realize our freedom comes at a price. He knew I was upset, not an angry kind of upset, but one of pure sadness. He sat down beside me as his brother took his turn blowing something up and asked me again, "Why are you crying about a book?"

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes is a book of truth. It will make the adult readers pause and tell the young reader whose hands this book should belong, exactly the time and place they were the moment they learned that suicidal terrorists flew planes into four US areas: the Pentagon, a random field in Pennsylvania and into two of the largest buildings in New York City: The Twin Towers. Jewell Parker Rhodes won the Coretta Scott King Honor Award for her book Ninth Ward and I hope to see her recognized again for her ability to tell the story of 9/11 through the words of a homeless 10 year old girl, Deja.

Deja, and her family of five, has been evicted from their home and she has to learn to embrace who she is despite her ailing father, a working mother and her two younger siblings. 

On the first day of school she meets Ben, who is also new and has just moved to Brooklyn from Arizona, and Sabeen, a young Muslim student who has lived in NY all of her life. The three children are in the same homeroom with Miss Garcia as their teacher and the unlikely friendship forms: a white boy, a black girl and a Muslim girl. Within the first few days of school, Miss Garcia informs her students they will be working on a class unit learning about the absence of the towers which they could see from their classroom windows 15 years ago. Deja is unaware of this event, and through the friendship of Ben and Sabeen, she soon learns of the devastation and ruin. She has to learn how this effected our nation, but how this event is the reason her father can no longer hold a job or maintain sanity. 

Fifteen years has passed since this event occurred, but to many people, this tragedy will forever be a part of their life. Freedom is given to us in the United States, but present day children do not realize how freedom can be taken away in mere moments. Pass this book on to our youth. Teach them a moment of history through the perspective of one of their 5th grade peers....Deja learns more about herself and her family through our history of 9/11.

Book Review: Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Bookshelf Blurb: After a panic attack lands Soloman in the outdoor school fountain scantily clad, he turns into an acrophobia who won't leave his house. Three years later, Lisa, a former classmate decides she is going to cure Soloman's mental illness because her life (or at least her future) depends on it! Lisa, her boyfriend, Clark, and Soloman learn how friendship can evolve when one, or all, of them demonstrate highly illogical behavior.

America's Review:

Mental illness can be diagnosed and pills can be given to help cure the ailments of many people, but in some cases, like that of Soloman's, no form of pill or therapy can cure the panic attacks, the self-inflicted injuries or the depression. Soloman needed solitude because he suffered from Highly Illogical Behavior and no matter what therapy and pills are prescribed, he will no longer attend school, he will not leave his house, he does not need friends and lastly he does not need the outside world. He is content living within his house, going to school online and playing video games for the rest of eternity. His parents, at a loss for Soloman's self inflected illness, but having no other options, concede he can stay home fearing they will never be alone again as their one and only child will never leave the house; he suffers from acrophobia.

Lisa, a highly motivated Junior, is looking for her escape from Upland, CA. When the perfect opportunity comes along she seizes it regardless of who she has to hurt in order to achieve her goal. Her opportunity is Soloman, a boy who went crazy three years ago in Middle School, and as she soon discovers, has never left his house since that day. Through her own Highly Illogical Behavior decides she is going to find Soloman, correct him of his ailments and use these discoveries for her college entrance exam essay. Thanks to his Highly Illogical Behavior her essay will shine above all others and she will win the full ride scholarship to college.

The reader cannot help but laugh at the ridiculous behavior of the two protagonists in the new book by John Corey Whaley. The depth to both characters in their longing to accept themselves beyond what they are is typical of most upper classman in high school. They cannot wait to grow up and get out of the town where they have grown up, but the prospect of change, the unknown and being forced to grow up is also overwhelming. A Rite of Passage book for the normal, the mental and the parents who also struggle with their child leaving.

In the Classroom:

 The dreaded college application---it is the time of year for every Junior when they have to start thinking about where they want to go, what they want to be when they grow up--and the worst question: how can we afford either of these? Have your students write practice college exam essays and share them with one another then have them edit each other's papers giving appropriate feedback.

Kansas girl LOVES Dorothy MUST DIE series!

Okay, so I know I am an avid reader. My nose is in a book most free moments I have, but when I get into a series...watch out world. I will never forget when Harry Potter 4 came out...Obe Wan was less than six months old and I remember feeding him in the high chair for hours just so I could sit there and read. I'm not kidding. This is what he looked like:

He was about sick and tired of being trapped in the highchair. A great picture of bad parenting. (Just kidding! The picture on the left is him after eating Thanksgiving dinner. This is what everyone feels like doing, he just did it!)

So, I was recommended the book Dorothy Must Die when I moved here. I thought, YEAH RIGHT. Just cause I lived in Kansas doesn't mean I need to read everything Wizard of Oz. How wrong I was. So, on March 15, 2016, please accept my apologizes. Don't come over. Don't call. Don't even think about getting a response from me via email as my nose will be in a book. I'm so excited. This should be the conclusion of the trilogy, so life can resume normalcy. I better get my ducks, or eggs, in a row as Easter is the following week and I just don't have time to worry about a holiday AND read the ending of my series. I am a Kansas girl, you know. Must stay current on Dorothy's whereabouts....and I hear the Wicked Witch of the West will be showing up.

I just cannot wait. I'm going to go make red shoes now....

Book Review: My Wild Family by Laurent Moreau

The cover and the title made me anticipate a story about animals, but much to my delightful surprise I found My Wild Family by Laurent Moreau to be a book about what makes each and every one of us special. The narrator describes each member of her family and puts a picture of the animal she feels best represents their personality within the confines of daily life. She tells us her brother is strong; we find her brother on a school playground with his peers except he is a glorious gray elephant!

I have to admit it took me a minute to grasp the person being described was an animal. I had to flip back to the beginning and find the animal being described and then I had an "Ah-HA" moment. Clever. The vivid colors and the scenes kept me grinning like a fool as I kept reading this book. How great to think of my family as animals---oh how my brain was already thinking of how to use this in the classroom....

In the classroom: (My favorite part)

Run to your nearest Dollar Store and buy a pack of cheap paper plates! Now, read My Wild Family to your classroom; make them identify the author and illustrator of the text (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6.) " With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear" (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7.) This ensures your students become familiar with the animal being a representation of a member of the narrator's family.

Enlist the help of your librarian and allow your students to go to the library to select a book about an animal they believe they are; thus, answering the last question the text asks, "What makes you special?" 

On Sale Date: November 3, 2015

ISBN: 9781452144238

Book Review: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

As we creep closer to Halloween I was intrigued by the title of Jennifer Donnelly's newest YA novel, These Shallow Graves, and wanted a good bone chilling novel to keep me awake at night. Although I enjoyed the book I am glad to say I won't be left with nagging or reoccurring nightmares. Instead, I am left with a sense of relief to know the innocent lives lost in the telling of the story get their due diligence in the end.

We start the story with three people digging up a corpse--apropos to the title, however it isn't the literal grave that Donnelly wants her readers to grasp, but the figure of speech. We all are subject to 'digging' our own graves and as the plot thickens we see how narcissist people can become.

Covered in dirt and standing with a shovel above a grave is our protagonist, Josephine Montfort. Jo is a 17 year old girl living in 1890s amongst the upper echelon in New York City. She is covered head to toe in dirt, but we are not told why, intead being transported to the past unveiling why our lovely and innocent protagonist is standing at a graveside at 2 in the morning. Jo's Father has been murdered; his partners in his shipping company have been murdered as well and it seems the business has been compromised by mysteriously missing shipping manifests. Compelled to become a reporter, Jo finds herself yearning to learn the truth of her father's untimely demise, as well as the truth to the shipping business.

Much to Jo's chagrin this is not the time when a young lady can ask questions or go anywhere without a chaperone. Jo is at the mercy of 1890 and has to discover how to illicit answers without shunning her family or herself. Thanks to her intelligence, wit and charm she manages to befriend a Newsie who has connections throughout the city. This friendship quickly evolves into a romantic relationship which will epically fail due to their lineage.

The historical aspect of this novel was compelling as was the plot development and characters. I felt like a winner because I knew who did what before Jo did, but that isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book. It was accurate in its depiction of the time and allowed for me to create beautiful images of the story as I read. Well, some not so beautiful as New York has a lurking evilness to its West side with its pick pockets and ladies of the evening--some of these settings allowed for great characterization to develop.

Out last week: Oct. 27, 2015

ISBN:9780385737654

Book Review: Illuminae

Another book publisher I met! I felt like I was surrounded by rock stars. And as Sourcebook Publishing stated on the magnet they gave me: "Authors are Rockstars!"

Sidenote: This book is uber geeky in that it is a NOT a sit and read book, but has drawings, symbols, blueprints, IMs, emails, etc. I don't think I put as much emphasis in my review in regard to how truly unique the delivery of this book truly is!

Interstellar Galactic War Year 2575: A plague, a war and two broken-up teenagers who have to resolve their differences to save the lives of those left aboard their ships. Now, I hate to admit this, but I am a Star Trek fan, hence my excitement when I started reading Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Instantly I found myself a part of the nasty breakup of Kady and Ezra Mason, and by turning a page discovered they were under attack by a nation who wanted their planet exterminated.

The two star-crossed lovers are forced to join the ranks of the government, helping where they are needed. As they develop their strengths in their assigned tasks, they discover the government is fraudulent without any one person taking responsibility for the demise of the nation. AIDEN, the Aritificial Intelligence, has gone rogue. Kady uses her computer knowledge to hack into the main frame, while Ezra uses his pilot status to help discover where the corruption is coming from. They must let the past remain in the past to allow them to work together to help discover the enemy. I believe the love is not abandoned, but their own personal loss makes it difficult to have a stable, trusting relationship. (It is so hard not to spoil this….)

This is the first book in a trilogy. It was an extremely quick read as it is a compilation of military notes, spaceship blueprints, IMs, emails, journal entries and technical read-outs. The pages offer a variety of text, drawings and perceptions. I hope the next two in the series continue with this variation.

Full Review can be found at Books & Whatnot.

Book Review: House Arrest

I got to meet some of the Sales Reps from Chronicle and I couldn't quit grinning from ear to ear. What a dork! It was cool to meet the people who provided me the first galley I ever reviewed. (A galley is a book that has not be released, is still in the editing process and is not for everyone to have!)

On Oct. 6th this book was released. I am a bit late on my delivery, but Books & Whatnot had it out in time for its debut. As with all my reviews you can find them at Books & Whatnot because she is my boss and gets full rights to the entire script, where here is just me ranting and raving for those in Kansas to know what we are doing!


When you see this book on the shelves in the middle-grade section, with its aptly named title, you know you will be reading about a kid who is a juvenile delinquent stuck in his house; what this title omits is the raw emotion you will have hurled at you by page five. I suspected boredom and a rite of passage to be found in this blue-covered book. What I didn’t intend to find was a day obliterated by reading because I couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop being angry, couldn’t stop laughing, … well, I just couldn’t stop reading a journal written by Timothy, who is under house arrest for stealing a wallet in hopes there would be enough money in it to buy medicine for his extremely sick baby brother.

House Arrest, by K. A. Holt, is more than just a story of a kid gone wrong; it is a story told in verse of pride, humility and sacrifice done in honor of family. When Timothy’s baby brother is brought into the world, he cannot breathe. He had to have a tracheotomy, causing him to need constant care and endless amounts of medical supplies. All of this is too much for Timothy’s father, so he deserts his family, leaving the mom to support both boys financially, mentally and physically. As a mom, my heart was breaking. How do you balance a sick kid with one full of vitality and try to work to maintain the mortgage, the utilities and manage to sleep? As a mom, as a teacher, as an empathetic person, my head was reeling as I turned the pages of this emotional journal.

Through Timothy and his experiences I found his 52 weeks astounding–I discovered how pride can be strong even in one so young. Timothy doesn’t want to admit to his probation officer, his counselor or his friends his true struggle of living with shoes too small, a belly that is never full, a brother who is constantly turning blue, a nurse who is evil to the sick baby brother. Oh, my heart just aches trying to summarize Timothy’s amazing tale. I want to go into my classroom and ask, ‘Does anyone need shoes?’ But I know, thanks to this 13-year-old’s tale, that no one is going to raise their hand. No one is going to admit defeat. No one is going to show a teacher, a probation officer or even their friends how deep the sorrow goes and how much the need is present. Timothy is a hero and I’m sure there are many more unbeknownst to all of us.

Book Review: The Chess Queen Enigma

Colleen Gleason has taken two infamous characters and created young, ingenious nieces who have taken up the gauntlet and followed in the paths of their family. Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are inspired by their namesakes to be a clever detective and a slayer of Vampires in the third installment of the Stoker and Holmes series: The Chess Queen Enigma.

Alternating chapters in the story, the girls tell us their prospective of the mystery set before them. Each girl is unique in her own talent and often times annoyed by the lack of this trait in her cohort. Regardless of their differences, they both loathe the Ankh, their nemesis, who they must capture before she brings ruin to the relationship between England and Betrovia.

The dark and dismal streets of London are described in luring detail as we follow our young detectives into the throes of darkness to find the missing chess piece which unlocks a treasure that has been hidden for decades. We meet Mycroft Holmes, his brother Sherlock and Bram Stoker among other Undead characters. The girls are not without mischief as they use disguises to sneak into a Gentlemen's Club to find clues to lure the Ankh out into open society. It is fun, fast paced mystery for any one enjoying a glimpse into the Victorian Era through the eyes of two crime-fighting young societal ladies.

You can see the full review at BooksandWhatNot.com

Book Review: The Bear's Surprise

Little Bear is off on another adventure when he awakens from his winter hibernation to discover his family has gone missing. From Benjamin Chaud, a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year award author, comes another adventure of Little Bear in The Bear's Surprise. As with the other two previous books this book will take up more than a book shelf and will have your little one looking to solve the mystery for Little Bear. I was pleased to see the illustrations were as marvelous in this newest addition as they have been in the past. You know the illustrations are well done when you have to hunt for the cut outs in the pages before you can discover where Little Bear will have to go next. I found I could not read this book quickly or just once. I marveled at the minute details found within the illustrations and the humor found within some of the drawings. I never thought I would see a sketch of Lewis Carroll's famous characters in an adventure of Little Bear. (I won't tell you on what page--you will have to discover this on your own!)

Read the complete review at Books and WhatNot

Book Review: This Monstrous Thing

When Mackenzi Lee started her research on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, she did not know where her path would take her, but was soon enthralled by the life of Mary; she was a woman ahead of her time: mischievous, daring, mouthy and intelligent. In her debut novel, This Monstrous Thing, Lee has created a moving tale of love lost, recreation of life and the souls that are left behind. The Industrial Era was becoming a reality in Geneva in the 1800s--the time and setting of our steampunk story created a writers haven for character development, plot and the overall theme of humanity. I am impressed with Lee's ability to maintain all these literary elements throughout her story despite her manipulation of times and events in our history.

The Finch Family owns a toy store as a front to their true ability and job as Shadowboys--those who could make limbs, lungs and body parts to function with the human flesh. They are shunned for helping the war veterans maintain a human life when they are more machine than man. Moving from place to place to keep their ability a secret, Oliver and Alasdair Finch, have learned to combat societal norms.

Watching his brother fall to his death caused Alasdair Finch soul wrenching grief. He knew he could not live in a world without him so he used his knowledge of gears, machinery and the human anatomy to reconstruct his brother thus creating our reimaging of Frankenstein. When brought to live Oliver is not the same. Alasdair has to flee Geneva leaving his newly formed brother behind. The angst caused by this decision has to be mended causing Alasdair to come back to Geneva. Upon his arrival he is met by friends of the past who have left animosity in their wake.

The depth to the characters in Alasdair's life were stunning. I felt raw emotion upon meeting Mary Shelly--as his first innocent kiss, to the adulteress and then to the manipulating deserter she becomes. Clémence, a passionate young woman who lead a contrary life for this time period, was a character who I was cheering loudly for as she fought for the equality of all people regardless of their mechanical parts. Oliver was the monster. He was self-centered jerk who I originally found foul, but one I could empathize with to a degree as he was no longer the good looking young man he was at death.

A wonderful retelling of a classic. I recommend this for the 9th-12th grade library. It offers action and mystery without difficult language. A wonderful prequel to the reluctant reader who has to read Frankenstein for an assignment.

You can see the full review at Books and WhatNot

Meeting Sue Grafton!

This was truly an exciting day for me! I got a new transmission put in my 2014 Honda Odysesey courtesy of Honda and I got to meet one of my favorite and long time authors. I had a horrible week with a tooth that needed to be removed from my head and still is in my mouth---this was a great relief. Prince Charming was also home to watch the Jedi Knights, so it made it even better.

I was introduced to Sue Grafton by my Mom. Mom starting working for the USPS when I was in high school. She worked at a remote data encoding center on 3rd shift. In this position you sit at a computer and type zip codes or state abbreviations when the package/letter cannot be read by the machines. It is an easy job and one where you can listen to audiobooks your entire shift. I was lucky enough to have mom's recommendation for this position myself when I was in college. It was a no-brainer job which paid way more than it should have. Christmas was a pain, but otherwise it was a great job. (It helped me pay for college!)

During these years at the USPS I was able to listen to every Sue Grafton book. She writes a series about a Private Investigator, Kinsey Milhoune. I grew to ADORE the voice of the Kinsey and have listened to most of the books multiple times. I never could get into Janet Evanovich's series even though many people have told me they are similar story lines. I don't think so people. Grafton gives her people depth and a reality of a single woman more than Evanovich. Personal opinion and no money exchanged hands for this opinion. :)

When it was my turn in line I had her sign the book to Mrs. America from Sue Grafton. I thanked her for her books and told her I listen to the audio versions. She warned me to always listen to the unabridged version of her newest book as the abridged version cut out an entire story line and she was a little upset as this was a great part of the book. The girl taking my pictures caught her lecturing me. It isn't my best side---shows my awesome weight gain, but hey it clearly shows her telling me what for on the audio book.

Book Review: The Curious Tale of the In Between

A perfect book for a younger child with a higher reading level and a spot-on middle grade read  is found in Lauren DeStefano's debut middle grade novel, The Curious Tale of the In-Between. Her three main characters are mature, independent and thought provoking individuals. They each have felt loss--one of them even having lost his life. The protagonist, Pram, short for Pragmatic, is born the morning her mother hangs herself from a tree. It is this gift of being born from the dead that allows Pram the ability to see and hear ghosts.

I was enthralled by the bit of creepy followed by the depth of emotion found in this story. Death can be a taboo subject and it is difficult for those ages 8-12 to understand the seven stages of emotions surrounding loss. Both Pram and Clarence have lost a parent and want to find them. It is in their search to find the lost, they meet Lady Savant: an evil woman who collects spirits to give her longevity. It is Pram's ability to see into the Spirit World that Lady Savant wants for herself and it is one Pram will have to defend. The children have to confess to the adults what they have been searching for allowing difficult discussions to ensue. I was comforted to know there weren't any lose ends with the initial losses in this novel. It does look as though the children will continue to look for Pram's father in another upcoming novel.

You can find the full review at Books and What Not

Book Review: The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB

I have always prided myself on being a "Cool" teacher; I try to dress hip, know the current slang and always know the trends of our current times. And being an English teacher, I always want to know the current trends in the book market. My specialty is high school and the college years as this is where I have spent over fifteen years of my career. So, when I was volunteering this past week at the elementary school library and a young, hip boy approached me and asked, "Mrs. G, what book should I read?" I never assume anything--it has gotten me into trouble--and asked him what he liked. He told me and my wheels were a'turning. AH-HA! This kid would love Percy Jackson and if he liked the first one there was a plethora more where that came from, but alas, this little guy was nine. He could read Percy Jackson as he is a high level reader, but the maturity and some of the themes would be too mature for this young lad....but thanks to Adam Shaughnessy, this nine year old boy has a new series with adventure, Norse Myth, higher level reading with a nosey eleven year protagonist with the release of The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB. 

Pru, short for Prudence, has an eye for solving a mystery and her new friend, ABE, has a knack for solving riddles. Together these two have to solve the mystery of the Eye of Odin and why Thor is locked in THEIR towns jail. The character development through the story creates a mystery within the mystery. It was a thrilling adventure to try to stay ahead of the plot and predict the ending. I am ready to recommend this book to any 3rd - 7th grader as it is appealing to all of these levels. Told from the perspective of an eleven year old helps this age connect to the main character. She is a sass mouth and defies authority landing her in weeks of detention, but this does not sway her belief system to do what is right.

I learned more about Mythology than I realized. Thanks to Marvel I know about Thor and Loki, but I did not know the extent of their relationship. Because I am just so hip I have watched all of the Marvel movies and I think this also helps the ability to relate to this book and want to keep reading. Having a baseline of knowledge helps reluctant readers and thanks to Hollywood most of us have this knowledge.

I'm thrilled to see Mister Fox, owner of the Norse Detective agency, might make another appearance needing the aid of Pru and ABE. Since Loki is a sly, shape shifter, he may return to seek for the Eye of Odin and the only people who held it last remain in middle school in Middleton. 

You can see the full review at Books and WhatNot