Just finished this book . Green creates a good 21st century baseball story* along with a little bit of mystery. Towards the end of the book I think I found a mistake. If you read Rivals and think there is a mistake also, email me. A little prize will go to the first student who discovers what I did. (I just emailed the author to see what might have happened. I'll let you know if I hear back.)
Leslie Connor has written a thoroughly delightful book titled Crunch. It is a story of family, friendship and bikes. Good stuff to discuss throughout.
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer rips at your heart. Two friends go for a bike ride, a dare goes wrong and only one comes back. At what point should Joel tell the whole story and when he does will forgiveness follow?
The Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, graphic novel by Jarret Krosoczka is a whole lot of fun. Super hero lunch ladies, spatula helicopters and more. Part of a series that's bound to have many fans.
I finally read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. Put simply, it is a gently told story of friendship and acceptance (although I did want to yell at the parents a few times).
MJ Auch's One Handed Catch, a 2011 Nutmeg Book Award nominee is a very enjoyable read. Friendship, family, resilience, and determination are all prominent pieces to this sports story. Times have changed since 1946 - I wonder how an 11 year old boy i 2010 would deal with the adversity of losing his hand to a meat grinder.
In Anne Lamott's Imperfect Birds we catch up with Rosie, former teenage tennis phenom. At 17, Rosie is an A student and an accomplished liar who struggles with addictions of all kinds. Elizabeth, her flawed and recovering addict mother wants desperately to believe Rosie isn't as bad as she is, while her husband unsuccessfully tries to set boundaries (both because of his own limitations and because Rosie is a master manipulator). I love Anne Lamott's work and I found Imperfect Birds to be gut wrenchingly hopeful.
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh is an intense family drama. Every one of the characters is flawed - from the mother who desperately wants a perfect life to the workaholic husband to the three kids who flee as soon as they get the chance. I laughed, I yelled, I cried.
In Linda Fairstein's Hell Gate, Alex, Mike and Mercer are back on the job investigating human trafficking. Not a light subject but as usual, thoroughly researched. With Fairstein you get a tightly wound mystery, some New York City history and politics. Good stuff.
The Kids Are All Right, a memoir written in alternating voices by the Welch siblings of Westchester County tells the story of a family devastated by their father's accidental death in a car accident, a mother dying of cancer and their children who struggle unsuccessfully to remain together. It's not easy; it's not pretty. Somehow, though, there is hope.
The Usual Rules, a novel of September 11th by Joyce Maynard is a compelling story of how one blended family deals with the loss of their wife and mother. The last forty pages packed quite a punch.
When a student tells you they've read a book 14 times because every time she goes back she sees something new, that's a pretty good recommendation. Today I finally read Newbery Honor Book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Wow. Lin is an incredible storyteller and because I fear I cannot do her book justice, checkout: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and go to the bottom. The reviewers from School Library Journal and Booklist did a far better job than I could ever do. And then - read the book.
There are some authors who I've read for years - their characters familiar. When I saw Lisa Scottoline had a new book I waited for it it to appear on the shelves of Rowayton Library. Think Twice was there for the taking on Friday and I spent Saturday afternoon becoming reacquainted with lawyers, Mary, Bennie, and Judy. Is it great literature? No. Is the identical twin storyline believable? No. But it was fun catching up with some old friends.
I'll be honest - I only picked up Dessert First by Hallie Durrand because of the title. Who wouldn't want dessert first? As it turns out, Dessert isn't just a food group, she's a young girl figuring out how the world works. She's helped along the way by her fondue restaurant owning parents and Mrs. Howdy Doody, her delightful third grade teacher. Put simply, this is a sweet but not too sugary story of one third grader's struggle with figuring out right from wrong.
How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills was recommended by my favorite children's librarian Kathy J and she was right on with this recommendation. Oliver's parents are the doting, over protective type. Wanting nothing more than for their son to succeed, they decide it's best for them to do his projects. As it turns out, Oliver wants something too - to do his own projects. Can the Olsons let go of their need to control? Can Oliver speak loud enough for his parents to hear and understand? Read How Oliver Olson Changed the World to find out.
thinking it was a book my parents probably wouldn't approve of. Well I reread it and three things struck me - there is no way I understood what was happening within the pages of that book. I wish I could go back to that Amy and have a conversation. I was also struck by the parents love for their daughter, despite the choices she made, the parents were always there to help pick up the pieces. Lastly, being a teenager has always been hard - technology may hasten things but kids can be cruel.
While I have not read all her books, I often find myself thinking, "I can't believe how predictable this story is," and then wham, I'm blindsided by a twist I never anticipated. So yes, there's a twist in House Rules. Is it as jaw dropping as My Sister's Keeper? No, but the character development is superb and Picoult does a masterful job of writing from five different perspectives, including that of 18 year old Jacob, a young man who has Asperger's Syndrome. It is a book you won't want to put down and you don't want to end.
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is a book I've heard about for the last few years and finally read. After taking some time to adjust to Death as the narrator, I quickly realized what all the buzz was about. Leisel is a displaced nine year old foster child when the story begins in Germany in the early 1940s. I read in awe as she grew into a plucky teenager. Encouraged by her foster parents, her neighbors (in particular, Rudy) and a surprise visitor, Leisel realizes the power of words long before she can read. I felt much like I did after I read The Gurnesey Literary and Potato Peel Society - dumbfounded by complete disregard for human life and the desire for power.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is the story of Enzo, Denny and eventually Denny's wife and daughter. Enzo, the narrator, happens to be a dog. Denny is a semi-professional race car driver. Metaphors abound as Enzo explains life and observes the nice and not so nice people who populate this book. If you're a dog lover it's worth a read but be prepared to learn a whole lot about racing cars.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters, is fascinating. I debated about adding this to the list but decided to simply because if you've ever wondered what it's like to be transgendered; that is to say, to feel as if you were born in the wrong body, this book does a masterful job of explaining. Written for high school students, Peters gives the reader characters you alternately root for and against. Simply put, Luna is a celebration of self acceptance.
Undiscovered by Debra Winger. A meandering memoir celebrating Winger's various roles as daughter, mother, and actress.
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. Didn't read it as a kid; read it now because Suann has such fond memories of it. When I mentioned that Harriet was just plain mean Suann didn't remember that part, just thought it was cool Harriet figured out ways to spy on a bunch of different people. (And she had a notebook.) As I read I kept waiting for Harriet to see the light. I think she finally did on the last page but it was too late and too weak a resolution for me.
Author Rebecca Stead writes of family, friendship and time travel in this year's Newbery Award winning book, When You Reach Me. As readers, we need to be open to what we might have previously considered impossible. When You Reach Me takes place in NYC in 1979; the characters, led by 6th grader Miranda are flawed yet incredibly likable as they struggle to find their place in the world. Put your thinking caps on when you pick up this book - it's thoughtful and engaging.
Yes, I Know the Monkey Man by Dori Butler is the sequel to Do You Know the Monkey Man. Fortunately, there's enough background information in the second book for the reader to make sense of the previous story. To say it is a book that tugs at one's emotions is a bit of an understatement. To say it is a book about twins who were separated at three years of age is also an understatement. To say it is a book about trying to figure out where you fit in the world or a book that wonders how deep a parents' love runs or a book about forgiveness, also understatements. Yes, I Know the Monkey Man is appropriate for mature fifth graders and middle schoolers.
Are you one of those people who wonders why we can't fly like a bird or walk the ceiling like a gecko? Perhaps you have a child or niece or nephew who asks similar questions. If the answer is yes then Just the Right Size by zoologist, Nicola Davies may be the perfect gift. Davies explains in relatively simple terms why size matters when trying to replicate some of the more exciting animal feats. A fun read.
Kathy Mackel's A Season of Comebacks tells the story of twelve year Allie, a softball pitching phenom, her ten year old sister, Mol, their Dad, the coach and Chris, Mol's best friend. It is a story about being a good sister, a good parent, and a good friend; it's understanding your limitations and accepting that being the best doesn't preclude you from still having fun. Despite some questionable baseball strategy, A Season of Comebacks is a crisply written story that effective weaves sports and friendship together.
Nan Marino takes place the summer of 1969. Not only is it the year of the moonwalk, it's also the year Tammy's best friend, Kebsie moves away. Kickball is king; friends fight; people are misunderstood. It's hard to be Tammy; sometimes it's hard to like Tammy but I will say even though you can't believe some of the things she says, you root for her from page one. You also root for Muscle Man. This is a book about friendship and forgiveness. It reminded me an awful lot of the neighborhood I grew up in.
Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee is a tough read. Not because of the writing but because Ms. Lee writes about the world of dog fighting. Unfortunately, dog fighting is a reality - people are cruel, the author tells us and yet if we look hard enough, there is hope. Hope may look like a ten year motherless boy, a teenage girl in desperate need of a kidney transplant, an eighty year old widow, an alert and caring police officer, or a sensitive fifth grade teacher. Hope can also be found n a pit bull named Cash. Dog Lost brought me to tears more than once, for much different reasons. A tough read, yes, but a read well worth the time.
Song of Middle C by Alison McGhee is a new everybody book told from a beginning piano player's perspective. The narrator, a young girl, whose name we never know, practices and practices and practices for her first recital. When the evening comes she is prepared, right down to her lucky underwear. Does the practicing pay-off? Is her lucky underwear needed? Read Song of Middle C to find out.
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall is a non-fiction book. Author Hall provides beautiful language to celebrate the seasons of an apple tree - from the bare branches of winter to the robins of spring and summer; from the apples of fall to the homemade pie the family makes. Of course it would be much easier if the whole pie grew on a tree but Hall does the next best thing and provides an easy to follow recipe.
Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder is another new non-fiction book. In China, at the Wolong Nature Preserve, baby pandas go to kindergarten. Yes, kindergarten. Once they are weened from their mothers, these baby pandas, born in captivity, spend their days with other cubs learning about the world. Ryder and photographer, Dr. Katherine Feng, capture and celebrate the joys of panda-hood with grace.
Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and a Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley. Have you seen this video? I did and then I read the book. Buckley uses simple language and photographs to tell the story of the unlikely friendship between a pachyderm and a canine which blossomed at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
If the World Were Blind (A book about judgment and prejudice) by Karen Gedig Burnett delivers a powerful message about how we judge people - whether it's by the color of their skin, the way they dress, the language they speak, the shape of their body. It is a call to action with thoughtful discussion questions at the end that encourage reflection on our won behavior and how we treat others.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett is an engaging read about book thief John Gilkey and the book seller, Ken Sanders, who tracked him down. It is fascinating to read Gilkey's story - despite stealing over one hundred thousand dollars worth of rare books and being jailed on numerous occasions, he doesn't think he did anything wrong. Sanders is the good guy in this story, someone you'd like to have a cup of coffee with but it's Gilkey who engages the reader.
round-ups that took place in Paris in 1942. Jewish families living in France were routinely taken from their homes and brought to Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. It is a part of WW II that is rarely spoken about and de Rosnay weaves a heart breaking story of strong willed ten year old Sarah. Told in alternating voices, it gets a little heavy handed at the end but is worth the time if for no other reason than to learn about a part of history not often included in our textbooks.
Schooled by Anisha Lakhani. NYC private schools, highly paid tutors, spoiled kids. Enough said.
